A Russell Westbrook shooting foul with 0.1 seconds left in double-overtime has cost the Denver Nuggets in what’s since been dubbed “the worst loss of the year”.
Elsewhere, Australian guard Josh Giddey produced yet another head-turning stat-line as his Chicago Bulls cemented a play-in berth after trumping the Toronto Raptors.
Plus, a vintage show from future Hall-of-Fame shooter Stephen Curry left Memphis’ coach in disbelief.
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In Denver, the Nuggets led the Minnesota Timberwolves by a point with 13.1 seconds remaining in 2OT, but a pair of Westbrook blunders in the waning moments ensured Nikola Jokic’s 61-point scorcher was for naught.
First, Westbrook stole an Anthony Edwards pass but instead of drawing a foul with no shot clock left decided to run a fast break — and miss the layup short.
The Timberwolves then took the ball the length of the floor, with Edwards finding Nickeil Alexander-Walker in the corner for a three-pointer to win the game as time was expiring.
Westbrook, desperate to make amends, launched to contest the shot but found himself in Alexander-Walker’s landing space, fouling the Minnesota forward as his shot missed.
And with 0.1 seconds left, Alexander-Walker coolly sunk all three free-throws to seal the result. Respected NBA commentator Bill Simmons reacted by calling it “the worst loss of the year” in a post to X.
In Chicago, the Bulls moved to 34-42 on the season, ensuring they will at the very least compete in the eight-versus-nine play-in game.
Six-foot-eight Australian guard Giddey again caught the eyes of observes with another double-double, putting up 17 points, 12 assists and seven rebounds in the convincing 137-118 triumph at the United Center.
Giddey also logged three steals as he continues to get his hands in passing lanes — not dissimilar to league-leading countryman Dyson Daniels — in addition to his facilitative prowess.
The 22-year-old committed a game-high five turnovers in an aspect of his game he continues to improve while handling the ball a tonne.
Where the floor general continues to hurt opponents is transition when he is able to charge downhill and use his body for aggressive drives to the basket.
With his 12 assists on Wednesday (AEDT), Giddey set a single-season career-high of 472 assists and counting.
The point guard also went 1-2 from three-point distance in a season where he’s shooting over 37 per cent from beyond the arc — almost five per cent above his career average.
It comes just five games after Giddey drained a miraculous half-court buzzer-beater to break the hearts of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Chicago started the month of April on a high note after capping a positive March stint that produced nine wins from 15 games.
Stephen Curry scored 52 points and Draymond Green added a triple-double as the Golden State Warriors clinched a crucial 134-125 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday.
Curry, the NBA’s all-time leader in three-point shooting, once again demonstrated his long-range prowess, draining 12-of-20 attempts from outside the arc at Memphis’ FedExForum.
The 37-year-old’s dazzling shooting performance helped the Warriors vault over the Grizzlies into fifth place in the Western Conference standings, edging them closer to an automatic playoff berth.
Curry’s masterpiece — his second 50-point game of the season and the 15th of his career — was backed by a triple from defensive linchpin Green and 27 points from Jimmy Butler. Green finished with 13 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr lavished praise on Curry’s virtuoso display that has left Golden State firmly on course for the playoffs.
“The guy’s 37 years old, it’s incredible,” Kerr said. “Fifty-two points with people draped all over him all game long. The conditioning, the skill, the audacity, the belief, it’s incredible to watch Steph at work.
“I can’t believe he’s still doing this at this age. But he’s put the work in and he’s still got it.” Grizzlies interim coach Tuomas Iisalo, who took over the team last week following the shock dismissal of Taylor Jenkins, was similarly effusive of Curry’s performance.
“It’s a sight to behold how he operates,” Iisalo said, revealing that the team had been helpless to stop a first-quarter onslaught from Curry that included 19 points.
“In the first quarter we had a specific strategy that we do not want him to get three-point shots — and he found a way to get going anyway. It’s very hard to stop a player of that caliber.
“Once he gets into that zone, it’s very difficult to get him. I mean, we’re talking about the best movement shooter of all time.”
Elsewhere, Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 37 points as the Milwaukee Bucks snapped a four-game losing streak with a 133-123 victory over the Phoenix Suns.
Devin Booker scored 39 points for Phoenix, but it wasn’t enough to prevent the Suns from falling to a fourth consecutive defeat — a late-season mini-slump that has imperiled their playoff hopes.
The Suns are now in 11th place in the West with a 35-41 record, trailing the 10th-placed Sacramento Kings (36-39). Teams ranked 7th to 10th in the conference standings advance to a four-team play-in tournament that determines the final two playoff tickets.
The Indiana Pacers became the latest team to clinch their playoff place after the Atlanta Hawks slumped to a 127-113 home defeat to the Portland Trail Blazers.
The result ensured that the Pacers, fourth in the Eastern Conference with a 44-31 record, are guaranteed a top-six finish.
— AFP