RUDY GAY

Bojan Bogdanovic scored a season-high 36 points and the Utah Jazz stretched their road winning streak to 10 games by beating the Denver Nuggets 115-109.

Dillon Brooks scored eight of his 24 points in the fourth quarter to help put Memphis ahead to stay and the Grizzlies eliminated the San Antonio Spurs 100-96 on Wednesday night in the first Western Conference play-in game.

Alec Burks scored a season-high 30 points in his return from a three-game absence and the New York Knicks kept up their chase of home-court advantage in the playoffs by rallying to beat the San Antonio Spurs 102-98.

Spurs Nets Basketball Brooklyn Nets' James Harden (13) looks to pass away from San Antonio Spurs' Rudy Gay (22) during the second half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, May 12, 2021, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II) (Frank Franklin II)NEW YORK — (AP) — James Harden had 18 points and 11 assists in his return from an 18-game absence to help the Brooklyn Nets beat the San Antonio Spurs 128-116 on Wednesday night. Landry Shamet scored 21 points and Nicolas Claxton had a career-high 18 for the Nets. Kevin Durant had 14 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. DeMar DeRozan scored 21 points for the Spurs, who missed a chance to secure a spot in the play-in tournament.

James Harden had 18 points and 11 assists in his return from an 18-game absence to help the Brooklyn Nets beat the San Antonio Spurs 128-116 on Wednesday night.

DeMar DeRozan had 23 points and the San Antonio Spurs set a franchise record for points in the first half while rolling to a 146-125 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks.

Erik Spoelstra got a milestone win, and it didn’t come easily.

The NBA says the rate of players needing to miss games because of injuries is down from last season and within the normal range for what the league has seen over the last five seasons.

DeMar DeRozan scored 19 points in just three quarters of work, Dejounte Murray added 17 and the San Antonio Spurs routed the slumping Orlando Magic 120-97.

SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio played its first home game with fans and welcomed back four players who sat almost a month due to COVID-19 protocols. San Antonio held an opponent under 80 points for the first time since beating Golden State 89-75 on March 19, 2018. While that quartet returned fully, San Antonio was without veterans DeMar DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldridge. San Antonio is attempting to trade Aldridge after agreeing to part ways with the veteran forward after his role was lessened. … San Antonio is 16-2 when leading by 10 points at any time in the game.

Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid will both be unable to start the second half of the season with the Philadelphia 76ers, though neither All-Star will be missing from the Eastern Conference leaders’ lineup for long. Both will miss Philadelphia’s game Thursday in Chicago, and Simmons will also miss the 76ers’ contest on Friday against Washington. Provided both continue to test negative for COVID-19, they would be cleared after those games, the 76ers said. Simmons and Embiid both traveled to Atlanta for Sunday’s All-Star Game, only to learn the night before that they were flagged by contact tracing data. Dallas and Washington both have 38 games remaining, tied for the third-most in the league.

Brooklyn Nets' James Harden, left, and San Antonio Spurs' Patty Mills chase the ball during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, March 1, 2021, in San Antonio. “I thought they were great,” San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said. All five starters scored in double figures for San Antonio. San Antonio is still without Rudy Gay, Keldon Johnson, Derrick White, Devin Vassell and Quinndary Weatherspoon, who are sidelined due to the league’s health and safety protocols. Spurs: The Spurs announced fans can return to the AT&T Center beginning March 12 against Orlando.

San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, right, talks to San Antonio Spurs forward Keldon Johnson during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Charlotte Hornets in Charlotte, N.C., Sunday, Feb. 14, 2021. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)The San Antonio Spurs are still dealing with a coronavirus outbreak, their state is reeling from the aftereffects of a deadly icy blast that has affected millions of Texans, and one of their best players is mourning the death of a parent. Given all that, basketball seems secondary to the Spurs right now. They will be without at least six players when they return to the court Wednesday at Oklahoma City. The NBA initially said last week that four Spurs players had tested positive for COVID-19, without identifying any by name.

Los Angeles Lakers' Anthony Davis, right, keeps the ball from San Antonio Spurs' Rudy Gay, left rear, and Drew Eubanks during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Jan. 1, 2021, in San Antonio. Anthony Davis had 35 points and 11 rebounds and LeBron James added 26 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists as the Lakers rallied to beat the San Antonio Spurs 109-103 on Friday night. The Lakers closed the game with a 9-0 run for their second win against the Spurs in three days. San Antonio forward Keldon Johnson blocked James’ layup attempt, but Kyle Kuzma tipped in the follow to give the Lakers a 105-103 lead with 53.9 seconds remaining. “He’s a competitor,” San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said of Johnson.

A win by the Trail Blazers over Philadelphia would eliminate New Orleans from postseason consideration. Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry called it a Game 7-type game beforehand but stayed with the plan of playing Williamson in short bursts. In the fourth, Gentry took Williamson out with 6:53 left, putting him back in for the last-ditch try about two minutes later. Williamson scored the next eight points by himself, kick-starting what became a 28-12 run by the Pelicans to end the quarter. DeRozan scored inside on the next San Antonio possession, and a late 8-0 spurt by the Spurs sealed the deal.

Jordan Clarkson scored 24 points off the bench to lead the Jazz, while Tony Bradley had 15 points on 7-of-9 shooting and 11 rebounds. ... Joe Ingles played 16 minutes in the first half and finished with 12 points on 4-of-8 shooting from the field. He did not play in the second half as the Jazz just wanted to help him condition. Spurs: Will play the Jazz again on Aug. 13UP NEXTJazz: Play the Nuggets on Saturday. Spurs: Play the Pelicans on Sunday.

FILE - In this Sept. 30, 2019, file photo, San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich talks with the media during NBA basketball media day in San Antonio. And for the San Antonio coach, a couple days of lockdown at Walt Disney World brought back the memories of doolie life. Lockdown at Walt Disney World, he said, reminded him of those days. But two days, anybody can do that, the San Antonio coach said Saturday. The NBA restart will be about raising awareness on social issues and combating racism, and Popovich wants to be a big part of that conversation.

(AP Photo/John Raoux, File)After four months of waiting and planning, the NBA bubble is ready to be tested. The first six teams Brooklyn, Denver, Orlando, Phoenix, Utah and Washington are scheduled to arrive Tuesday at the Disney complex. Another eight teams arrive Wednesday, the last eight arrive Thursday, and with that training camps will be on the cusp of beginning. If the plan works, all teams will be at Disney for at least 5-1/2 weeks and some teams will be there for more than three months. But once the games start, theyre every other day, I think the players will be fine.