David Adelman will assume the Nuggets' head coaching role for the remainder of the season.

The winningest head coach in franchise history, Malone guided the Nuggets to their lone NBA title in 2023 when the team defeated the Miami Heat in five games.

Malone, 53, posted a 471-327 record during his 10 seasons with Denver, including 47-32 this season.

"This decision was not made lightly and was evaluated very carefully, and we do it only with the intention of giving our group the best chance at competing for the 2025 NBA championship and delivering another title to Denver and our fans everywhere," Josh Kroenke, vice chairman of Kroenke Sports and Entertainment, said in a statement.

The Nuggets have lost four in a row and seven of their past 10 games to fall into fourth place in the Western Conference. They sit a half-game up on four other teams with three games remaining on their schedule.

"While the timing of this decision is unfortunate, as Coach Malone helped build the foundation of our now championship level program, it is a necessary step to allow us to compete at the highest level right now," Kroenke said. "Championship level standards and expectations remain in place for the current season, and as we look to the future, we look forward to building on the foundations laid by Coach Malone over his record-breaking 10-year career in Denver."

Prior to joining Denver, Malone posted a 39-67 record during parts of two seasons with the Sacramento Kings in 2013-14.

Booth, 48, was elevated to the team's general manager in 2020 and is out of his job immediately.

"I want to thank Calvin Booth for leading our front office for the past three years and most importantly for helping put the final pieces in place for the roster that delivered Denver and our fans their first NBA Championship," Kroenke said. "Calvin's knowledge of the game, his passion for scouting, and his long history as a player and executive in the NBA helped lift our organization to new heights which we will continue moving forward. We are grateful to Calvin for his eight years with the Nuggets and know his place in Nuggets history as our first championship winning GM will be honored for years to come.

The Bulls (36-42), who reside in ninth place in the Eastern Conference, are playing the first game of a back-to-back set. They face the 10th-place Miami Heat (36-43) on Wednesday in Chicago.

White, 25, was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Month in March and enjoyed a fast start to April as well.

He sank six 3-pointers to highlight his 37-point performance in the Bulls' 131-117 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday.

White has averaged 32.0 points on 31-of-48 shooting from the floor and 11-of-21 attempts from 3-point range over the past three games.

He is averaging a career-high 20.7 points, 4.5 assists and 3.6 rebounds in 71 games (70 starts) this season for the Bulls, who have won 12 of their last 16 games overall.

Cleveland (62-16) will look to clinch the top overall spot in the East without All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell, who has been ruled out with a left ankle sprain.

Mitchell, 28, sustained the injury in the Cavaliers' 120-113 loss to the Sacramento Kings on Sunday.

He is averaging a team-leading 24.0 points to go along with 5.0 assists and 4.5 rebounds in 71 games (all starts).

Miami (36-43) rebounded from a two-game skid and won without Bam Adebayo, who was scratched from the lineup due to back spasms. The Heat moved within a half-game of the ninth-place Chicago Bulls in the Eastern Conference play-in race.

Adebayo's absence provided Ware the opportunity to start at center, and he delivered his highest-scoring performance since March 15. Ware's personal-best work on the glass also gave him his second double-double in the last three games.

Ware was one of four Heat starters to score in double-figures, including Tyler Herro with 20 points. Herro returned from a thigh contusion and shot 2-of-4 from 3-point range en route to his team high in scoring, but also committed seven turnovers.

One of Herro's turnovers came amid an 11-0 Philadelphia run midway through the third period.

After trailing by as many as 14 in the second quarter, the Sixers (23-56) took the lead on that tear, which included a pair of 3-pointers from Quentin Grimes and another triple from Lonnie Walker IV.

Walker and Grimes each scored 29 points to lead all scorers, marking a season high for Walker. Adem Bona added 16 points and 11 rebounds for the Sixers.

After Philadelphia battled back to pull ahead in the third quarter, Miami rallied in the fourth.

Jaime Jaquez Jr.'s 3-pointer began a 19-5 Miami run that turned a one-point deficit into a 13-point lead. The spurt proved pivotal as the Heat led the rest of the way.

Duncan Robinson, who led Miami with 21 points, fueled the Heat reserves in outscoring Philadelphia's 46-17. Davion Mitchell scored 12 points and doled out nine assists and Kyle Anderson had eight points, eight rebounds and six assists.

Pelle Larsson scored 12 for the Miami starters, with Alec Burks adding 11.

The Clippers have gone 14-3 since March 5 and only recently have moved up from play-in tournament status to gain a strong chance of capturing a top-six playoff qualifying spot in the Western Conference.

Work still remains, with the Clippers (46-32) merely in a four-way tie of teams that straddle the play-in/playoff line in the conference standings. The Clippers, Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves and Memphis Grizzlies all have the same record, but tiebreakers have Los Angeles in fifth in the West, with Golden State sixth.

Key to the Clippers' surge is the emergence of a dependable offense to go along with an established top defense. Kawhi Leonard is back to an elite level after his season debut was delayed until January because of knee discomfort.

"He's been playing great ever since he's been back," Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said after Leonard played on consecutive days for the first time this season on Friday and Saturday. "You give it a couple games to kick the rust off, but other than that, he's been looking like Kawhi. (Saturday) was no different."

Los Angeles' second-highest point total of the season came in a 135-104 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday. Leonard and James Harden each scored 29 points, while Ivica Zubac added 25 points on 11-of-11 shooting while grabbing 10 rebounds.

Zubac became the first player in NBA history to score at least 25 points with double-digit rebounds and no turnovers, all while not missing a shot from the floor.

"I knew I didn't have any misses, but I didn't know no one ever did it before," Zubac said. "Going out there competing every night, teammates looking for me, trusting me with the ball, throwing it to me, and we're winning, too, so it's been a lot of fun lately."

The Spurs (32-46) were eliminated from postseason consideration when they took a 120-109 road loss against the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday. Star big man Victor Wembanyama has been out for the season since mid-February with a blood clot in his shoulder.

Stephon Castle scored 22 points and Devin Vassell added 21 at Portland, where the Spurs were unable to rally from a 33-18 first-quarter hole. San Antonio did pull within two points late in the game before fading.

"Obviously we wanted (Wembanyama) to continue fighting with us to try to make the playoffs, but it happens," Castle said. "We still have to fight with the five guys we have on the court at all times. It's not anything to put our head down about or say, 'What if?'"

San Antonio has lost seven of its past eight games and is heading into the second contest of a four-game road trip before finishing off the season Sunday at home against the Toronto Raptors.

While only two teams have a worse record than San Antonio in the Western Conference, all five in the East who have been eliminated from postseason contention own a worse winning percentage than the Spurs' .410 mark.

Domantas Sabonis recorded a triple-double with 19 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists for Sacramento (39-40), which erased an 18-point first-half deficit and notched its third straight victory. Off the bench, Jonas Valanciunas added 10 points and 12 rebounds.

LaVine, who was 8-of-11 shooting from 3-point range, made six 3-pointers and scored 30 points in the second half for the Kings, who led 119-112 on Trey Lyles' layup with 3:32 left in regulation.

Detroit pulled within 122-114 with 2:05 left before LaVine scored the next five points to seal the Kings' victory. LaVine's eight 3-pointers matched a season high.

Cade Cunningham led Detroit (43-36) with 35 points on 13-of-21 shooting from the field. Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 19 points, Ausar Thompson added 15 and Malik Beasley had 14 off the bench.

With their third loss in four games, the Pistons are 1 1/2 games behind the fifth-place Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference.

Sacramento, which shot 51.6 percent from the field and 40.7 percent (11 of 27) from 3-point range, moved a game ahead of the Dallas Mavericks for the No. 9 spot in the Western Conference.

The Kings led 38-37 at the end of the first quarter behind DeRozan and LaVine, who scored a combined 21 points for the period.

Sacramento guard Malik Monk exited late in the opening quarter with left calf soreness and did not return.

Detroit began the second quarter on a 19-4 run and led 56-42 with 7:25 left in the second quarter. DeRozan had 22 points in the first half to lead Sacramento, which trailed 72-62 at intermission. Hardaway led the Pistons with 14 points at the break.

The Kings held a 97-94 lead at the end of the third quarter after LaVine drilled a 3-pointer with 0.4 seconds remaining.

Sacramento held the Pistons to 45 points in the second half on 40 percent shooting, including 31.2 percent (5 of 16) from beyond the arc.

LaVine has scored a total of 80 points in the last two games for the Kings, who beat the Eastern Conference-leading Cleveland Cavaliers 120-113 on Sunday night.

Golden State (46-32) enters the final week of the regular season in a four-way tie with the Los Angeles Clippers, Minnesota Timberwolves and Memphis Grizzlies for the No. 5 spot. The Warriors are also just a half-game behind the No. 4 Denver Nuggets and two games behind the No. 3 Los Angeles Lakers.

After a five-game winning streak boosted the Warriors' chances of avoiding the play-in tournament, Golden State fell on Sunday to the visiting Houston Rockets 106-96.

In a rare poor offensive night for Stephen Curry, the sharpshooter finished with just three points on 1-for-8 3-point accuracy in 33 minutes.

"This is the NBA season. You go through 82 games and there's just nights where you don't have it," Golden State coach Steve Kerr said of Curry. "Steph didn't have it tonight. (Houston) did a great job defensively. Take Monday off and get ready for Phoenix."

As for the Warriors' postseason chances, Kerr knows his team controls its own destiny with four games remaining. Following the Phoenix game, Golden State plays host to the San Antonio Spurs, visits the Portland Trail Blazers, then faces the visiting Clippers.

"I look at every score and the schedule for tomorrow and the next day after that," Kerr said. "The only thing I know for sure is if we win our last four games, we're not in the play-in. We might get a little bit of help so that we don't need to win our last four, but we can't worry about any of that. You've just got to worry about the next game."

Despite Curry's off night, the 37-year-old still paces the Warriors with an average of 24.4 points per game, which is followed by Jimmy Butler's 17.1 (since joining the team) and Jonathan Kuminga's 15.6.

Phoenix (35-43) is quickly seeing its postseason hopes slip away, riding a six-game losing streak and sitting 2 1/2 games behind the Dallas Mavericks for the final play-in spot.

After losing leading scorer Kevin Durant (26.6 ppg) to a left ankle sprain on March 30, the Suns dropped all three games of their road trip last week, including a 112-98 defeat against the New York Knicks on Sunday. Trying to keep the club's head above water, Devin Booker poured in 40 points on Sunday and averaged 38.7 points on the trip.

"Whatever the situation is, whether we're in or out, we're going to give it our all and do what we can do," Booker said.

With Phoenix in serious danger of missing the playoffs for the first time since 2020, coach Mike Budenholzer's first priority is to get the level of play back up on Tuesday.

"We're down to four games, and I think we've got to put all of our focus on Golden State and getting a win," Budenholzer said. "We have to get some wins going down the stretch here and see what happens with those other teams, that's all you can do."

Durant will remained sidelined for the game against his former team.

The Lakers (48-30) can reinforce that impression Tuesday when they run it back against the host Thunder.

"All three of those guys that we have are elite offensive players," Lakers coach JJ Redick said of Luka Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reaves. "You can try your best night-to-night to figure out where the weak points are and where you can create an advantage."

In Sunday's 126-99 win, Doncic and Reaves combined for nine of Los Angeles' season-high 22 3-pointers.

"With the adding of Luka and the subtract of (Anthony Davis), their attack becomes more perimeter and less interior," Oklahoma City guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said.

Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said there's a balancing act in not putting too much stock into the previous matchup while also trying to learn something from it.

Oklahoma City (64-14) clinched the top seed in the Western Conference nearly three weeks ago and, though it won its next seven games after clinching to extend its winning streak to 11, the Thunder now have dropped back-to-back games for the second time this season.

"If you leave someone alone in the gym, they usually don't shoot that well from 3," Daigneault said. "So there's a shot-making element. But I also think there's a focus element that we were lacking in the game."

Several Thunder players have said recently they were fighting against human nature to prevent a lull heading into the postseason.

"Not to make it an excuse, but whether we win or lose, our standing won't change, so naturally, it's going to slip in," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "The challenge for every team is different, and the challenge is for us to make sure that we stay focused and continue to play with that sense of urgency."

Jalen Williams said the Thunder just need to keep doing what they've done all season and not overreact to the last two games.

"I don't think it's lost," Williams said. "I don't know about ‘find it again.' It's not lost. Think it's just more trying to figure out what we want to do and not panic."

With one more win, the Thunder would set the single-season franchise record for victories -- surpassing the 1995-96 team that went 64-18 when the franchise was in Seattle.

While the Thunder can look forward to the postseason, Los Angeles still has plenty to play for in the regular season.

The Lakers come into the game in third place in the Western Conference, 3 1/2 games behind Houston for second and 1 1/2 games ahead of Denver for third with four games remaining. They can finish as high as second and as low as eighth.

Doncic said the playoff-like environment in Oklahoma City combined with the competitive race in the Western Conference helped sharpen his focus.

"It's very tough to play here," Doncic said. "It's very tough to win, but looking at the standings today, it's crazy in the West. It brings the competitive spirit out of me."

Tuesday's game is the first of a back-to-back for the Lakers, who'll play Wednesday at Dallas in Doncic's first game there since being traded to the Lakers for Davis on Feb. 2.

Portis is expected to take the court when the Bucks (44-34) host the Minnesota Timberwolves (46-32) on Tuesday night. It is the first game in which he's eligible to play since completing a 25-game suspension for violating the league's anti-drug program.

Bucks guard Gary Trent Jr. said everyone was excited to welcome back Portis, who last played Feb. 12.

"It means everything, as a team, as a collective group," Trent said. "(We thrive on) that energy, that spirit. And then just personally, myself as someone on the second unit, I miss him to death. He made my job way easier, so him being back will be a beautiful thing."

Portis rejoins a Bucks squad looking to push its winning streak to five games. Milwaukee wrapped up a perfect three-game road trip and returns home for a two-game set against the Timberwolves and the New Orleans Pelicans.

Minnesota also comes in hot as it looks to push its winning streak to six games. The Timberwolves are in a crowded playoff race in the Western Conference as they hope to climb into the top six and avoid the play-in tournament.

In their most recent game, the Timberwolves held on for a 114-109 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. Despite the victory, coaches and players said they need to improve in their next game.

"We have too many times individually where we let a missed shot or a bad turnover that we (inflict) on ourselves carry over for multiple possessions," Timberwolves guard Mike Conley said. "We'll miss a guy leaking in transition, stuff we're not accustomed to doing.

"We play hard ... but when we've got too many guys' minds in different spots, frustrated with themselves or frustrated with the way the game is going for them. You just see like our team just splinter a little bit as far as the connectivity we need to play with."

The Bucks are led by Giannis Antetokounmpo, who averages 30.5 points per game on 60.2 percent shooting from the field. He also paces the team with 11.9 rebounds per game.

Second-leading scorer Damian Lillard has missed the last 10 games with deep vein thrombosis. That leaves Kyle Kuzma (14.4 points per game) and Portis (13.7) to round out the team's top scorers.

Anthony Edwards leads Minnesota with 27.4 ppg scoring on 44.6 percent shooting overall, including 39.7 percent shooting from 3-point range. Julius Randle (18.7 points per game) and Naz Reid (14.3) rank second and third on the team, respectively.

This is the second and final matchup between the teams during the regular season. Milwaukee won the first game 103-101 on Feb. 12 in Minneapolis.

Trent led the Bucks -- who played without Antetokounmpo and Lillard -- with 21 points on 8-for-12 shooting in the first game. Kuzma added 19 points and 13 rebounds and Portis notched eight points, six rebounds and four assists in his last appearance before his suspension.

Edwards scored 28 points on 10-for-33 shooting for Minnesota. Reid (22 points, 13 rebounds) and Rudy Gobert (20 points, 14 rebounds) each recorded double-doubles.

While injuries derailed the Pelicans following a 49-win season, the Nets went into this season starting a rebuild. Regardless of the circumstances, two teams playing out the string get together Tuesday night in Brooklyn.

The Pelicans (21-57) are attempting to avoid the second 60-loss season in team history and first since going 18-64 in 2004-05. New Orleans also enters the game with a 12 percent chance at getting the top overall pick as the Pels sit two games in front of the Charlotte Hornets for the NBA's third-worst record.

The Pelicans are well out of the running because of an extensive injury report that includes Zion Williamson (back), CJ McCollum (foot) and Dejounte Murray (leg), all of whom are done for the season. The trio started together in five games in January before Murray was lost for the season, then Williamson and McCollum recently were shut down.

The Pelicans have used 24 players this season and, other than McCollum's 56 starts, Yves Missi (66 starts) and Trey Murphy III (51 starts) have been the most consistent presences in the lineup -- though Murphy (shoulder) also is done for the season. Missi notched his 14th double-double when the rookie totaled 18 points and 12 rebounds in Sunday's 111-107 home loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.

With five rotation players out for the season, the Pelicans are taking looks at players such as rookie Antonio Reeves, who scored 23 points in his third career start on Sunday. Reeves joined the lineup alongside Missi, Keion Brooks, Bruce Brown and Elfrid Payton on a night when Jose Alvarado sat out due to a sore calf.

"He's ready for those moments when we put him on the floor," Pelicans coach Willie Green said. "So that's what you want to see in not just your young players, all your players, but especially your young guys, is taking advantage of the opportunities."

The Nets hold the NBA's sixth-worst record and a nine-percent chance at winning the lottery in a draft in which they control four first-round picks. Brooklyn began the season 9-10, but has gone 16-43 since while getting long looks at players such as Reece Beekman, Drew Timme and Maxwell Lewis.

"Very happy with how the season has gone, from the relationship with ownership, front office, the direction of the vision, the plan, the execution, where we're at," Brooklyn coach Jordi Fernandez said. "We have a very important summer in front of us, for obvious reasons,"

Beekman and Timme made their first career NBA starts Sunday when the Nets used their 40th different starting five in a 120-109 loss to the Toronto Raptors. Brooklyn committed a season-worst 24 turnovers in their fifth straight double-digit home loss since an eight-point win over the Atlanta Hawks on March 16.

Beekman, acquired from the Golden State Warriors in December for Dennis Schroder, led the Nets with 14 points in 36 minutes. Timme added 13 and has reached double figures in three of his five games since joining the Nets on March 28.

The Nets rested Nic Claxton, Cameron Johnson (back) and D'Angelo Russell (ankle). While Claxton has been cleared to Tuesday, it is highly possible the Nets shut down Johnson and Russell for the final four games. Johnson and Russell were ruled out for Tuesday.

The Celtics (58-20) have a top-two seed in the Eastern Conference locked up, while the Knicks (50-28) need just one more win to sew up the No. 3 seed. Though there are no playoff implications Tuesday, both teams are looking for a statement victory heading toward the postseason.

Lately it's been all Celtics in this long-standing rivalry. Boston beat the Knicks on opening night by 23 points, followed by wins by 27 and 13 points in February. Boston has won seven of the last eight meetings, but hasn't swept the Knicks in the regular season since 2019-20.

"There are so many different ways for us to attack teams and we're just trying to create an advantage and keep that advantage," Celtics guard Derrick White said on Sunday after a 124-90 win over the visiting Washington Wizards.

Boston destroyed the hapless Wizards without starters Jayson Tatum (knee) or Kristaps Porzingis (illness), who sat out with non-serious ailments. The Celtics had 25 offensive rebounds, their most in a game since 2000.

"For the most part, rebounds are a testament to the effort level and attention to detail and things we have to get better at," Boston coach Joe Mazzulla said. "The guys really locked in on that and it was good for us."

Boston has won 11 of its last 12 games and 16 of 18, rounding into form as the playoffs loom.

New York welcomed back star guard Jalen Brunson from an injury in Sunday's 112-98 win over the visiting Phoenix Suns. Brunson played 34 minutes and scored 15 points.

While Brunson was out, OG Anunoby emerged as a consistent offensive threat to join Karl-Anthony Towns. Anunoby has scored 20 points or more in each of the last 10 games, the longest such streak of his career.

"He's been playing unbelievable these past couple of weeks," Brunson said of Anunoby to the New York Post. "All season, but he really stepped up recently and he's just doing what he does. That's what we expect of him. Everyone knew what he could do defensively. Offensively, I think he's taken a step forward just the way he's been playing. He's always had that and I think he's been showcasing it."

Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau praised Anunoby's contributions on both ends of the floor.

"He showed a lot of mental toughness," Thibodeau said. "Even if you score on him, he's going to come back the next time down and (defend you) hard and that's what you love about him, his staying power. We need him at his best."

Towns has averaged 24.7 points over his last three games for a Knicks team that ranks ninth in scoring and ninth in points allowed in the NBA.

Boston leads the NBA in 3-point attempts (48.3) and 3-pointers made (17.9) per game. Tatum and White each average 3.5 made 3-pointers per game, and reserve Payton Pritchard has given the Celtics another long-range ace. Pritchard is 8-for-20 (40 percent) from 3-point land in his last three outings.

Seventh-place Orlando (38-40) has won two straight heading into the matchup against eight-place Atlanta (37-41), which has lost five of its last seven.

The Magic have had four days off since beating the Washington Wizards 109-97 on Thursday.

Paolo Banchero had 33 points, a career-high 18 rebounds and eight assists in the win. He said his rebounding was key to his stellar outing.

"Just getting on the boards early," Banchero said. "I think that always helps my game to get on the glass and getting the ball in my hands. It makes you feel involved without having to do too much on the offensive end. Just getting on the glass and trying to get my teammates involved."

The Magic have won six of their last eight games to move a game ahead of the Hawks, but the teams meet twice in the final week.

Orlando forward Franz Wagner had 27 points in the win over Washington and has scored at least 20 points in 10 straight games. Orlando turned in another strong defensive performance, holding the Wizards to 18 points in the second quarter.

"It's us getting closer to the end of the season, understanding that we need to be hitting our peak now," said Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. "I know we had a lull in terms of our defensive rating, but we're one of the top defenses in the league. And we're going to continue to get better on that end of the court."

Orlando and Atlanta have split their first two meetings this season with both teams winning on the road. Atlanta won 112-106 on Feb. 10 before the Magic evened the series with a 114-108 victory on Feb. 20.

Atlanta never trailed after 2-0 in a 147-134 win over the Utah Jazz on Sunday. Onyeka Okongwu had 27 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Hawks, while Trae Young added 23 points and 15 assists.

Okongwu recorded his 26th double-double of the season and third in his last five games.

"I mean, 'O' is just dominating," said Hawks forward Mouhamed Gueye. "You're gonna see him and you're going think like, ‘O, he undersized, all that.' But he's out there, dominating, getting all the rebounds and dunks. He's a big piece of our team."

Atlanta also received a spark from forward Vit Krejci, who shot 6-for-6 from the field with five 3-pointers for 17 points in 24 minutes.

"It feels like you're at the right spot, always at the right time," Krejci said. "It's weird. When you make those shots, you feel like you're everywhere, and then when you're not making them, you feel like nowhere. So, it's very funny to think about it like that. But yeah, it's a hell of a feeling. So yeah, but I'm happy that we got the win."

Caris LeVert added 21 points off the bench for Atlanta, which shot 56.8 percent from the field and 53.7 percent (22 of 41) from 3-point range.

The Hawks will need an improved defensive effort against Orlando after allowing Utah to shoot 51.7 percent from the field on Sunday, including 42.6 percent (20 of 47) from beyond the arc.

The Pacers (47-31) continued their hot play on Sunday with a 125-120 win at Denver. Indiana maintains a three-game lead over Milwaukee for fourth place in the Eastern Conference with four games remaining on the Pacers' schedule.

They are three games behind third-place New York and four ahead of sixth-place Detroit.

Following Sunday's win, Indiana coach Rick Carlisle called this final week of the regular season an unofficial start to the Pacers' postseason.

"We went through some really difficult playoff stuff last year, played in three series," Carlisle said. "Guys (who) had never played in the playoffs got a real dose last year. These last (four) games are going to be playoff games. We've got to approach it that way.

"Washington, too," he added. "Washington gave us two hellacious games."

Washington (17-61), which trails Utah by 1 1/2 games for the league's worst record, is 0-3 against Indiana this season. However, the Wizards played the Pacers tough in a 115-103 decision on Nov. 24. The Wizards took the Pacers to overtime in a 134-130 defeat on Feb. 12, as Indiana was powered by Obi Toppin's 31 points and 10 rebounds and Bennedict Mathurin's 28 points, both off the bench.

Toppin and Mathurin leading in that way reflects a larger characteristic around which Indiana has built its identity in 2024-25.

"Our strength is in our togetherness," said Pacers starting center Myles Turner. "We have a very deep team. Anybody at any time can go off for 20 points."

Toppin is coming off a 22-point game vs. Denver, stepping up with Pascal Siakam out due to bursitis, while Mathurin has scored 20-plus six times since March 8.

Indiana's variety of capable scorers contribute to a 117.5-point per game offense, which ranks seventh in the NBA. Siakam's 20.3 points and Tyrese Haliburton's 18.5 points with 9.3 assists per game set the tone.

As for Washington, the Wizards are trying to finish strong and avoid their second consecutive season of fewer than 20 wins. Last year's team finished 15-67, the worst mark in franchise history.

Washington comes into Tuesday's contest having lost five of the last six. The Wizards failed to score more than 97 points in their last three losses to Miami on March 31, Orlando on Thursday and Sunday at Boston.

The recent scoring woes underscore Washington's season-long output of 108.3 points per game, which ranks No. 27 in the league. In Boston, the Wizards were outrebounded 62-32 and, at 48.8 boards per game, Washington allows the most of any NBA team.

With Richaun Holmes and Tristan Vukcevic sidelined with shoulder and knee injuries, Wizards coach Brian Keefe started an undersized lineup on Sunday with three guards -- Jordan Poole and rookies Bub Carrington and AJ Johnson -- and 6-foot-6 forward Justin Champagnie around 7-foot rookie Alex Sarr.

"These are the guys we have," Keefe said. "We expect everybody to go and do their job."

So while Tuesday night's road game against the Charlotte Hornets won't look anything like a showdown, it could be a crucial opportunity for the Grizzlies.

Memphis is hoping interim coach Tuomas Iisalo, who replaced the fired Taylor Jenkins last month, can have the team ready for critical games ahead. They've shown some signs of breaking through.

The Grizzlies (46-32) have recovered from a rough stretch to win their past two games, Thursday at Miami and Saturday at Detroit. Desmond Bane had 38 points in the Detroit game.

The Hornets (19-59) have lost eight of their last nine games, including three in a row. They'll be playing their home finale Tuesday night.

Zach Edey's rookie franchise-record 21 rebounds were a boost for the Grizzlies in Detroit.

"A huge impact," Iisalo said of Edey. "He has had an incredible stretch of games. ... The way he is grasping the tactical nuances, his discipline in executing the game plan (have been big positives)."

Memphis played without the injured Ja Morant, but Iisalo said he expects the star guard to return against the Hornets.

Charlotte coach Charles Lee said he's seeking the right approach for the final stretch of the season, with the Hornets sitting well out of playoff contention for weeks. He's nearing the end of his first season as the team's coach.

"The way you communicate with the team is vital and important," Lee said. "Figuring out what I think the team needs in those moments. I feel like I've gotten a better feel as the season's gone on because I've gotten a better feel for the players and how they're best pushed or challenged."

From a team aspect, it's still important to Lee that he sees the Hornets "show competitiveness and overall togetherness and trying to impact the game as best as possible."

The Hornets are trying to generate good sequences during games, along with evaluating how potential players for the 2025-26 season might best fit into the organization's plans.

There have been recent encouraging outings, such as Jusuf Nurkic recording 18 points in 16 minutes Sunday against the Chicago Bulls.

"It's getting better," Nurkic said. "More comfortable with the coach's approach. Charles running plays for me. It's a huge confidence boost, the coach and teammates trusting you."

Hornets rookie Tidjane Salaun, a first-round draft pick last summer, has logged at least 24 minutes in each of the last eight games. His high point total in those outings is 13 points.

"He definitely is just getting a little bit more comfortable," Lee said. "More reps is what's helping him going through his whole season. ... It's all just starting to make sense."

Memphis defeated the Hornets 132-120 on Jan. 22 at home. Bane led the Grizzlies with 24 points in that game.

Charlotte is 12-28 in home games. The Hornets will finish their season with three road games, beginning Wednesday night at Toronto.

The first bid didn't go so well for the Cavaliers (62-16), who suffered just their second loss in eight games with a 120-113 setback to the Sacramento Kings on Sunday. Cleveland resides four games in front of the second-place Boston Celtics (58-20) with four games remaining for each team.

"I didn't think our energy level was where we thought it would be," Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson said of the loss to the Kings.

Ty Jerome scored 20 points off the bench on 9-for-13 shooting Sunday in his return from a five-game absence due to a knee injury.

"The energy kind of comes and goes, but the game plan discipline, I think is where we had the most slippage," Jerome said. "Just kind of about giving their main guys the shots they want, which is just not really acceptable at this time of the year."

Donovan Mitchell survived an injury scare and finished with 19 points versus Sacramento. The six-time All-Star also had six rebounds and six assists to offset a 7-for-16 shooting performance that included a 1-for-6 effort from 3-point range.

Mitchell fared significantly better in the three previous meetings with the Bulls this season. He scored 36 points in the Cavaliers' 119-113 win on Nov. 11 in Chicago, 37 in a 144-126 victory four days later in Cleveland and 28 in a 139-117 triumph on March 4.

The Bulls (36-42) rebounded after the most recent loss to the Cavaliers and won 12 of their next 16 games. Ninth-place Chicago sits one game behind the Atlanta Hawks and two back of the Orlando Magic as the teams jockey for position in the play-in tournament.

Coby White sank six 3-pointers to highlight his 37-point performance in the Bulls' 131-117 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday.

White has averaged 32 points on 31-of-48 shooting from the floor and 11-of-21 attempts from 3-point range over the past three games.

"Coby's been great," Chicago coach Billy Donovan said. "I think he's playing really well. I think the one thing that's helped him is he's really figured out different angles and ways to get himself to the free-throw line."

White also made all seven of his free-throw attempts on Sunday.

"He's got really good awareness now of where defenders are and where he's got an advantage," Donovan said of White. "But I think all the way around just the way he's shooting the ball, his shot selection, the way he's spraying it out, the way he's generating shots for others. I think he's got a really nice blend of keeping himself aggressive but at the same point keeping everyone else involved."

Josh Giddey collected 23 points, 10 rebounds and Nikola Vucevic added 16 and 11, respectively, on Sunday.

Chicago shot 53.5 percent from the field and 44.4 percent from 3-point range en route to recording its third consecutive win.

"Joe has demonstrated leadership and vision during his time as General Manager, and I'm excited to see him continue building the foundation for a long-term, winning team," said Jody Allen, chair of the Trail Blazers. "We are all thrilled with the team's forward momentum and excited for the future of Trail Blazers basketball."

Cronin is finishing up the third season of a four-year deal he signed when he was hired on May 9, 2022.

The Trail Blazers entered Monday with a 35-44 record, a 14-win improvement over last season (21-61) with three games remaining.

Portland is 22-16 since Jan. 19 but will miss the playoffs for a fourth consecutive season.

Cronin has been with the Trail Blazers since starting out as an intern in 2006. He ascended to director of player personnel in 2014 and to assistant general manager in 2021.

The Kings will look to build on one of their most impressive victories of the season when they conclude their trip with a matchup against the Detroit Pistons (43-35) on Monday night.

Zach LaVine scored 37 points to lead Sacramento (38-40) to a 120-113 win over the Eastern Conference-leading Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday night.

DeMar DeRozan added 28 points and Domantas Sabonis had 27 points and nine rebounds for the Kings, who are in ninth place in the Western Conference.

Sacramento shot 53.7 percent from the field and 42.4 percent (14 of 33) from 3-point range against the Cavaliers.

"Fantastic road win. A true team effort," Kings interim coach Doug Christie said. "The biggest thing to me was (Cleveland committing) 16 turnovers and turning them into 37 points. For us, as we continue to build, regardless of the opponent, just a fantastic win."

With both Keegan Murray (back) and Jake LaRavia (thumb) sitting out Sunday because of injuries, the Kings relied heavily on forward Trey Lyles. The nine-year veteran played 40 minutes, finishing with seven points and eight rebounds.

"Trey stepped in and plays 40 minutes, and his impact wasn't with points or anything like that," Christie said. "He just was out there playing at a very high level. He ended up being the defensive player of the game."

DeRozan has scored 21 points or more in six straight games for Sacramento, which is looking to avenge a 114-113 home loss to Detroit on Dec. 26.

One night after clinching their first top-six spot in the Eastern Conference since 2008, the Pistons lost 109-103 to the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday.

Detroit's Cade Cunningham returned after missing six games with a calf strain and had 25 points and nine rebounds in 28 minutes.

"That was the goal, around that number," Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said of Cunningham's 28 minutes. "Obviously didn't want to over-exert him, (but wanted to) give him an opportunity to get his legs under him and try to catch his rhythm a little bit. I thought he did a good job of that."

Detroit lost for the third time in four games despite a strong outing from forward Ausar Thompson, who had 18 points and 11 rebounds.

The Pistons played without Tobias Harris (left heel soreness) and Jalen Duren (right peroneal contusion). Both are listed as questionable for Monday's contest.

Isaiah Stewart returned after a two-game suspension on Saturday and had 16 points, eight rebounds and four assists in 34 minutes. Stewart had been suspended due to an on-court altercation with the Minnesota Timberwolves during Detroit's 123-104 loss on March 30.

Currently in sixth place in the Eastern Conference, Detroit is preparing for its third game in four days.

The Pistons were encouraged after Cunningham provided a positive report following Saturday's game. The 23-year-old All-Star said there were several issues that contributed to his six-game absence.

"I got hit in my left calf and then it made my right calf tighten up a lot," Cunningham said. "So it's just a lot going on. I got sick at the same time, so it was just trying to battle a lot of different things. Our training staff got me right, though. I feel great now. So I feel good going into the playoffs. (Saturday) was a good game for me to try to shake off the rust."

Andrew Nembhard had 19 points and six assists for the Pacers, who picked up their fourth straight win to stay in the top four of the Eastern Conference. Aaron Nesmith contributed 17 points and six rebounds.

Jokic totaled 41 points, 15 boards and 13 assists for Denver, his third triple-double in five games and 32nd of the season. Christian Braun scored 20 of his 30 points in the second half for the Nuggets, who lost their fourth straight.

Indiana built an eight-point lead in the fourth quarter before Denver whittled it to 122-120 with 43.1 seconds left. The Pacers, though, forced a turnover with 15.1 seconds to go and hit their free throws down the stretch to record the win.

Rockets 106, Warriors 96

Dillon Brooks went for a game-high 24 points, Amen Thompson spearheaded a suffocating defense that held Stephen Curry to three points, and Houston neared clinching the No. 2 seed in the West by beating Golden State in San Francisco.

Alperen Sengun had 19 points and 14 rebounds, and Northern California native Jalen Green poured in 21 points for the Rockets, who can finish no worse than tied for second in the conference.

The Warriors, meanwhile, saw a five-game winning streak come to an end. They fell into a four-way tie for fifth place in the West, a half-game behind the fourth-place Denver Nuggets with four games remaining. Buddy Hield paced Golden State with 20 points.

Bulls 131, Hornets 117

Coby White was 6-of-8 shooting from 3-point range en route to 37 points as Chicago picked up its third straight win with a road victory over Charlotte.

White finished 12-for-16 from the field while Josh Giddey chipped in with 23 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists. Nikola Vucevic added 16 points and 11 boards for the Bulls.

Mark Williams totaled 22 points and nine rebounds for the Hornets, who dropped their eighth game in their last nine. KJ Simpson had 18 points and seven assists for Charlotte, and Jusuf Nurkic came off the bench for 18 points.

Raptors 120, Nets 109

Jonathan Mogbo led eight Toronto players in double figures by tying a career-high 17 points to go with 11 rebounds and seven assists in beating host Brooklyn for its fifth win in eight games.

Ochai Agabji had 15 points for Toronto, RJ Barrett and AJ Lawson added 13 apiece, while Cole Swider and Jamison Battle finished with 12 each.

Reece Beekman finished with 14 points to lead the Nets, who dropped their 19th in 24 games, while Trendon Watford, Drew Timme, Keon Johnson, Dariq Whitehead and Maxwell Lewis all finished with 13 points.

Lakers 126, Thunder 99

Luka Doncic scored 30 points to lead Los Angeles to a road win over Oklahoma City.

The Lakers finished with a season-high 22 3-pointers on 40 attempts (55 percent). Austin Reaves had 20 points; he and Doncic were two of four Los Angeles players with four or more 3-pointers.

The Thunder have dropped back-to-back games for the second time this season. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 26 points, extending his streak of scoring 20 or more points to 71 games.

Hawks 147, Jazz 134

Onyeka Okongwu posted 27 points and 12 rebounds to lead Atlanta over visiting Utah and end a three-game losing streak.

Trae Young added 23 points and 15 assists for the Hawks, while Caris LeVert chipped in with 21 points. Atlanta led by 17 at the half.

Keyonte George netted a career-high 35 points off the bench for the Jazz, and Collin Sexton finished with 27 points and six assists.

Celtics 124, Wizards 90

Payton Pritchard, who finished with 20 points, helped Boston add to its record-setting total of made 3-pointers in the home win over Washington.

Derrick White had 19 points for Boston, which was 24-of-52 shooting from long range two days after setting the league's single-season mark for made 3-pointers in a season. Sam Hauser added 18 points off the bench, and Jaylen Brown scored 15.

Alex Sarr tallied 16 points to lead Washington, while Justin Champagnie chipped in with 15 points and 13 rebounds.

Trail Blazers 120, Spurs 109

Toumani Camara poured in 23 points and took 10 rebounds as host Portland did just enough to beat San Antonio.

However, both the Blazers and Spurs were officially eliminated from playoff contention following the Sacramento Kings' win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Shaedon Sharpe added 21 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists for Portland. Stephon Castle led San Antonio with 22 points, and Devin Vassell scored 21.

Knicks 112, Suns 98

OG Anunoby continued the surge he began during Jalen Brunson's absence, and Brunson returned to New York's lineup by scoring 32 points in a win over visiting Phoenix.

Anunoby is averaging 23.8 points per game while shooting 49.4 percent from the field -- including 41.8 percent on 3-pointers -- over the last 16 games. Brunson finished with 15 points and six assists in his first game since March 6.

Devin Booker scored 40 points for the skidding Suns, whose play-in hopes dimmed further with their sixth straight loss. Phoenix is 2 1/2 games behind the 10th-place Dallas Mavericks.

Bucks 111, Pelicans 107

Playing without a resting Giannis Antetokoumpo, Milwaukee rode 29 points from Gary Trent Jr. and double-doubles from Brook Lopez and Ryan Rollins to a road win against New Orleans.

Lopez totaled 20 points and 12 rebounds to go with four blocks for the Bucks, while Rollins finished with 14 points and 10 assists. Kevin Porter Jr. added 20 points and Kyle Kuzma scored 17 for Milwaukee, which won its fourth straight.

Antonio Reeves paced the Pelicans with 23 points and Yves Missi chipped in with 18 points and 12 boards. Lester Quinones scored 17 points and Bruce Brown had 16 for New Orleans, which lost its third straight.

Kings 120, Cavaliers 113

Zach LaVine made seven 3-pointers, including three in the fourth quarter, to finish with a game-high 37 points as visiting Sacramento pushed past Cleveland.

The win sent the Kings to the ninth seed in the Western Conference, a half-game ahead of the Mavericks, and also denied the Cavaliers the opportunity to clinch the top seed in the Eastern Conference. Sacramento won both games over the Cavaliers this season.

DeMar DeRozan had 28 points and seven assists for the Kings, while Domantas Sabonis added 27 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. Ty Jerome paced Cleveland with 20 points off the bench, and Donovan Mitchell had 19 points, six boards and six assists.

Alperen Sengun had a 19-point, 14-rebound double-double and Northern California native Jalen Green poured in 21 points for the Rockets (52-27), who clinched no worse than a tie for second place in the West.

The Warriors (46-32), meanwhile, saw a five-game winning streak come to an end. The loss dropped them into a four-way tie for fifth place in the West, a half-game behind the fourth-place Denver Nuggets with four games remaining.

Hounded most of the night by Thompson, Curry was held to three points, his second-lowest output of the season and the lowest of his career in a game in which he played at least 33 minutes.

Curry missed nine of his 10 shots overall and seven of his eight 3-pointers. He did find time for a game-high eight assists.

Opening a three-game California swing, the Rockets trailed 24-13 with 2:00 remaining in the first quarter. But they took a 51-50 lead into the half and gradually pulled away by holding Golden State to just 72 points over the final 38 minutes of the game.

Brooks connected on 10 of 13 shots for the Rockets, helping the visitors outshoot the Warriors 48.4 to 41.6 percent.

Thompson also helped out offensively, going for 14 points to complement six rebounds, a team-high six assists, three steals and two blocks. Fred VanVleet also had three steals while Jabari Smith Jr. added 16 points and nine rebounds off the bench in Houston's third straight win.

Buddy Hield paced the Warriors with 20 points, all but two coming on 6-for-11 accuracy on 3-pointers. Golden State outscored the visitors 48-30 from beyond the arc, taking 13 more attempts.

Brandin Podziemski had 19 points, Gary Payton II chipped in with 16 and Jimmy Butler III scored 13 for Golden State, which lost for just the second time in five meetings against Houston this season.

Kevon Looney was Golden State's leading rebounder with 11 to go with five points.

Lopez finished with 20 points, 12 rebounds and four blocked shots, and Rollins had 14 points, 10 assists and four steals.

Kevin Porter Jr. scored 20 points and Kyle Kuzma had 17 for the Bucks (44-34), who played without forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (shoulder).

Antonio Reeves scored 23 points, Yves Missi had 18 points and 12 rebounds, Lester Quinones scored 17 points, Bruce Brown had 16, Keion Brooks Jr. added 13 points and 10 rebounds and Karlo Matkovic scored 11 points for the Pelicans (21-57).

Reeves made two 3-pointers, Brooks made one and the Pelicans began the third quarter with an 18-8 spurt that gave them a 71-66 lead. The Bucks scored the next five points to produce the first of two quick ties.

Rollins scored four straight points to help Milwaukee open a six-point lead, before Jeremiah Robinson-Earl's 3-pointer pulled New Orleans within 81-78 at the end of the third quarter.

Matkovic's 3-pointer started the fourth-quarter scoring and forged the first of three ties early in the period. Rollins later scored four points to start a 13-0 run that gave the Bucks a 101-91 lead.

The Pelicans got within three points with 5.3 seconds left before Trent made a free throw to complete the scoring.

The score was tied four times before Lopez had five points during a 7-0 run that gave Milwaukee an 18-11 lead. Five Pelicans combined to make 10 field goals from inside the paint during a 20-10 run that gave them a 31-28 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Trent scored five points to start an 11-2 run that gave the Bucks a six-point lead early in the second quarter. They matched that margin twice before New Orleans put together a 13-3 run to grab a four-point lead.

Kuzma had four points as Milwaukee scored the final nine points to take a 58-53 halftime lead.

Myles Turner scored 24 points for Indiana, Obi Toppin contributed 22, Andrew Nembhard had 19 and Aaron Nesmith added 17 as Indiana (47-31) marched to its fourth successive win and strengthened its grip on fourth spot in the Eastern Conference.

Jokic finished with 41 points, 15 rebounds and 13 assists for his 32nd triple-double of the season while Christian Braun scored 20 of his 30 points in the second half. But the duo couldn't prevent Denver (47-32) from crashing to its fourth straight loss.

The Pacers forged an eight-point lead deep into the fourth quarter before Braun helped the Nuggets rally and get to within one with 2:46 to play and within two in the final minute.

With Denver down 122-120, Braun rebounded Turner's missed 3 but Jokic threw an errant pass meant for Russell Westbrook with 15.8 seconds remaining, handing possession back to Indiana.

Nesmith hit two free throws for 124-120 before Jokic missed a 3-point shot with seven seconds remaining.

Jokic poured in 21 points in the opening period -- the fourth time in his career he has scored 20-plus in a first quarter -- on 9-of-15 shooting to give the Nuggets the early lead.

With Jokic dominant, Denver hit 15 of 24 from the floor, outrebounded Indiana 13-7 and led 33-24 after one.

Jokic, who played all 12 minutes of the opening frame, sat out the first 5:09 of the second before returning and helping the Nuggets' lead grow to 50-37.

He had six assists for the quarter and finished the first half with 29 points, nine dimes and six boards, while Westbrook got hot with nine quick points in the second.

Toppin led the Pacers' fightback, scoring 13 points for the quarter -- including 3 of 4 from 3-point range -- to trim Denver's advantage to 66-61 at intermission.

The third period contained six ties and five lead changes as neither side could gain total command.

Tyrese Haliburton, who didn't score at all until 3:43 in that quarter, hit a floater with 6.1 seconds remaining to put Indiana in front 98-97 entering the fourth.

The Nuggets were their own worst enemy in the final frame with eight made field goals and six turnovers, which gave the Pacers the edge.