The Golden State Warriors beat the Memphis Grizzlies 122-120 on Wednesday, while Jordan Poole was ejected after Stephen Curry threw his muzzle before finding the layup at the last second.
Curry was ejected from the game with 1:14 remaining in the fourth quarter, with the Warriors leading by two points due to unsportsmanlike conduct, after Poole chose not to pass the ball to him before missing a three-pointer attempt, then throwing his muzzle in frustration.
But Golden State kept their cool without the NBA Finals MVP, and Klay Thompson unloaded a three-point clutch with 14.1 seconds remaining, while Ja Morant dunked a Brandon Clarke dunk with 6.3 seconds left.
When Poole was freed to take the left-handed layup from Donte DiVincenzo’s incoming field to determine the game at the Chase Center, he redeemed his role in Curry’s dismissal.
Curry finished the game with 34 points and 4/8 three-pointers, while Klay Thompson had 24 points and 5 3-pointers out of 10.
Draymond Green had 13 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 blocks, while Poole finished with 21 points and 7 assists.
Morant scored 29 points for the Grizzlies and finished two-sevenths from the back of the arc with 12 assists and two steals. Desmond Bane had 20 points but went four out of six from the line.
The result put the Warriors in ninth place in the Western Conference with a record 24-24, while the Grizzlies are 31-17 and second in the west.
Simmons booed as he beat 76ers Nets
Ben Simmons was booed during his return to Wells Fargo Center as the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Brooklyn Nets 137-133 for their sixth straight win.
James Harden finished with 23 points, 3 rebounds and 7 assists against his old team and recorded two 3-pointers and a layup in the last four minutes. Tyrese Maxey had 27 points from the bench and Joel Embiid had 26 points and 10 rebounds.
Seth Curry broke the season’s record with 32 points, including 7 3-pointers, Kyrie Irving had 30 points and 10 assists, while Ben Simmons scored 12 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists in the first half despite scoring on just one field goal.
Lillard shoots 60 shots in Blazers win
The Portland Trail Blazers beat the Utah Jazz 134-124, while Damian Lillard was the second-highest scorer by a player in a game this season with 60 points.
Lillard took nine three-pointers from the three-point range, including six in the first half, and recorded his fourth career 60-point game, pairing Michael Jordan and James Harden with the third most overall.
The Blazers guard has scored five three-pointers in the second quarter, which he has made 16 times in any quarter of his career, the second most by any player in the past 25 seasons. Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen had 24 points and 4 rebounds.