That's when the Magic hit the road to face the Charlotte Hornets.

Orlando (34-38) could be hitting its stride, having earned four victories in a six-game stretch. The Magic currently sit in eighth place in the Eastern Conference, the second play-in position.

"Making the postseason last year, we want to maintain that level of success around here," Orlando forward Paolo Banchero said. "It takes a certain level of work. It takes a certain level of accountability throughout the whole group."

The Magic took down the visiting Los Angeles Lakers 118-106 on Monday night, with Franz Wagner and Banchero scoring 32 and 30 points, respectively.

Banchero has reached the 30-point level in three consecutive games, though his string of team-leading point totals ended at nine games.

Wagner, who secured his first game with 30 or more points since Feb. 10, said he is feeding off the trend that Banchero has established.

"A lot of times I just try to follow his lead and try to have that same demeanor," Wagner said. "If we keep pushing each other, I think we'll be in great shape here in Orlando."

One area that could use improvement is Orlando's 15-21 road record, though the Magic have won their past two road games and three of their past four away from home.

"We have a lot of basketball left to be played," Banchero said.

The Hornets (18-53) will enter a game for the first time this season officially out of playoff contention. They were eliminated from any postseason possibilities with a 122-105 loss at Miami on Sunday.

Charlotte has won one of its past five games. The Hornets have allowed at least 120 points in six of their past seven outings, so no matter what they achieve on offense, they tend to be hindered by what happens at the defensive end.

Nick Smith Jr. recorded 19 points against the Heat to lead the team.

"I have high expectations for myself when I put the work in," said Smith, a 20-year-old second-year player. "I'm going to get better naturally, and I'm still young. I still have a lot to learn. I'm going be good in this league for sure."

Charlotte has made some adjustments, with Moussa Diabate logging extensive time at power forward.

"He impacts the game so positively with his energy, his versatility defensively and offensively," Hornets coach Charles Lee said. "All the offensive rebounds, and I think that his offensive game continues to grow. You want to find minutes for guys like that. I appreciate his open-mindedness."

Charlotte's Josh Okogie was listed as questionable in advance of the Tuesday game. He has been out of NBA action since Jan. 31 because of a left hamstring ailment, but he has been on a rehab assignment with the G League's Greensboro Swarm.

The Magic have defeated Charlotte in all three meetings this season, most recently prevailing 102-86 on Feb. 12 at home. The Hornets haven't climbed to the 90-point mark in any of the matchups this season.

Kevin Durant recorded 38 points, eight rebounds and five assists as the Suns (35-37) won their fourth consecutive game. Booker added 19 points and 12 assists, Ryan Dunn had 12 points and nine rebounds and Nick Richards contributed 10 points and 10 rebounds for Phoenix.

The contest marked the first time Phoenix's Mike Budenholzer coached against Milwaukee since the Bucks fired him after the 2022-23 season. Budenholzer guided the Milwaukee Bucks to the 2020-21 NBA title.

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 31 points, 10 rebounds and five assists for the Bucks (40-31), who dropped to 2-2 on a five-game road trip. Brook Lopez added 23 points and 10 rebounds but his 18-foot baseline jumper bounced off the rim as time retired.

Gary Trent Jr. scored 19 points off the bench and Kyle Kuzma scored 15 points for Milwaukee, which was without Damian Lillard (right calf strain) for the third straight game.

Bulls 129, Nuggets 119

Coby White scored 37 points, Josh Giddey had 26 points and nine assists, and visiting Chicago beat short-handed Denver.

Dalen Terry and Jalen Smith scored 14 points each, Nikola Vucevic had 13 points and Matas Buzelis contributed 10 for the Bulls, who finished 4-2 on their longest road trip of the season.

Jamal Murray scored 28 points and Peyton Watson added a career-high 24 for the Nuggets, who were without Nikola Jokic (ankle) and Aaron Gordon (calf).

Mavericks 120, Nets 101

Anthony Davis finished with 12 points in a 27-minute stint during his return from a left adductor strain as Dallas never trailed and took control early in a victory over Brooklyn.

In his first action since getting hurt against the Houston Rockets on Feb. 8, Davis played in short bursts, shot 6-of-9 and helped the Mavericks (35-37) win consecutive games for the first time in over a month. Naji Marshall led the way with 22 points off the bench as Dallas saw its reserves finish with 55.

Nic Claxton scored 19 points to lead the Nets (23-49), who lost their fourth straight and for the 15th time in 18 games. Cameron Johnson added 17 while Trendon Watford contributed 12 as the Nets shot 51.3 percent.

Magic 118, Lakers 106

Powered by 32 points from Franz Wagner and 30 from Paolo Banchero, Orlando blew past visiting Los Angeles.

The victory snapped a six-game home losing streak for the Magic.

Luka Doncic matched Wagner with 32 points for the Lakers, while LeBron James added 24 but the Lakers faltered on defense in the second half, allowing the Magic to take over. Orlando outscored the Lakers 34-18 in the third quarter.

Raptors 112, Wizards 104

Jakob Poeltl scored an efficient 21 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead Toronto to a win over host Washington.

Poeltl made nine of his first 10 attempts on the way to a 10-of-13 performance from the field, helping Toronto end its four-game losing streak. Immanuel Quickley added a less efficient 21 points, making five of his 16 attempts from the floor.

Jordan Poole finished with 23 points on 8-of-13 shooting to lead the Wizards, who took their fifth loss in a row. Alex Sarr added 16 points on 6-of-19 shooting, while fellow rookie AJ Johnson scored a career-high 17 points on 5-of-9 shooting off the bench.

Pelicans 112, 76ers 99

Rookie Karlo Matkovic matched his career-high 19 points to lead a balanced scoring effort as host New Orleans pulled away from Philadelphia.

Kelly Olynyk finished with 14 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists. Antonio Reeves scored 17, and Yves Missi added 16 for the Pelicans, who won for just the third time in 12 games.

Justin Edwards and Jared Butler scored 19 points each, and Jeff Dowtin Jr., Guerschon Yabusele, and Chuma Okeke added 12 each to lead the Sixers, who lost their fifth straight game and 20th in the past 23.

Pacers 119, Timberwolves 103

Tyrese Haliburton recorded a 24-point, 11-assist double-double, and Indiana scored its fifth consecutive win with a defeat of Minnesota in Indianapolis.

Haliburton's 11th consecutive double-double dating back to Feb. 23 paced Indiana offensively. Obi Toppin came off the bench to score 20 points, shooting 6-of-9 from outside. Aaron Nesmith shot 3-of-3 from 3-point range en route to 17 points. Bennedict Mathurin's 11 points extended his run of double-digit scoring performances to five games.

Anthony Edwards went 1-of-11 from deep, the same rate at which he shot in Indiana's 132-130 win at Minnesota on March 17. Edwards finished with 17 points. Julius Randle finished with nine points, less than half of his season average. Naz Reid's 20 points off the bench led the Timberwolves. Rudy Gobert posted a double-double with 16 points and 16 rebounds in the loss.

Celtics 113, Kings 95

Jayson Tatum poured in a game-high 25 points before spraining his left ankle, Payton Pritchard came off the bench to contribute 22 points and Boston ran away from host Sacramento for its sixth straight win.

Tatum also had seven rebounds and eight assists in 26 minutes before he came down on Domantas Sabonis' foot after a 3-point attempt with 3:35 left in the third period. Tatum shot 8-for-15 overall and Pritchard 8-for-18 as Boston avenged a 114-97 shellacking at home by the Kings in January.

DeMar DeRozan and Sabonis put up double-doubles for the Kings, DeRozan with a team-high 20 points and game-high 10 assists, Sabonis with 16 points and a game-high 17 rebounds.

Tatum, who scored a game-high 25 points and added seven rebounds and eight assists in 26 minutes, came down on the foot of the Kings' Domantas Sabonis after a 3-point attempt with 3:35 left in the third quarter.

After several minutes on the floor, Tatum was able to take the two free throws -- making one -- before being replaced. The Celtics (53-19) led 79-68 at the time. Sabonis was assessed a flagrant foul for having run under a 3-point shooter.

"He seems to be doing OK, he's just icing it right now," Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said postgame. "I didn't see the play. They made the right call, it was a flagrant foul. Fortunate he was able to shoot the free throw and (he's) just taking care of it right now.

"I know he'll do anything and everything to make sure he gets better."

Through 66 games this season, Tatum leads the Celtics in scoring (27.1 points per game), rebounding (8.7) and assists (6.0).

Kevin Durant recorded 38 points, eight rebounds and five assists as the Suns (35-37) won their fourth consecutive game. Booker added 19 points and 12 assists, Ryan Dunn had 12 points and nine rebounds and Nick Richards contributed 10 points and 10 rebounds for Phoenix.

The contest marked the first time Phoenix's Mike Budenholzer coached against Milwaukee since the Bucks fired him after the 2022-23 season. Budenholzer guided the Milwaukee Bucks to the 2020-21 NBA title.

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 31 points, 10 rebounds and five assists for the Bucks (40-31), who dropped to 2-2 on a five-game road trip. Brook Lopez added 23 points and 10 rebounds but his 18-foot baseline jumper bounced off the rim as time retired.

Gary Trent Jr. scored 19 points off the bench and Kyle Kuzma scored 15 points for Milwaukee, which was without Damian Lillard (right calf strain) for the third straight game.

Phoenix remained in a virtual tie with the Dallas Mavericks for the final play-in spot in the Western Conference. The Mavericks defeated the Brooklyn Nets earlier Monday night.

The Suns were without Bradley Beal (left hamstring strain) for the fourth consecutive contest.

Kuzma converted a four-point play with 1:22 left to give the Bucks a 105-103 lead.

Durant drilled a 3-pointer to put Phoenix back ahead at 106-105 with 26.2 seconds left. Lopez split two free throws to tie it with 10.7 seconds remaining before Booker's decisive hoop.

Milwaukee shot 44.6 percent from the field, including 12 of 39 from 3-point range.

Phoenix connected on 47.6 percent of its attempts and was 14 of 36 from behind the arc.

Tyus Jones' bucket opened the fourth quarter to cap a 7-0 run as the Suns took an 83-78 lead.

Milwaukee responded with eight of the next 10 points. Trent completed the run with a 3-pointer to give the Bucks an 86-85 lead with 10:13 to play.

Durant later hit a 3-pointer to start an 8-0 burst. Ryan Dunn followed with a dunk and a trey as Phoenix took a 98-92 edge with 5:41 remaining.

A 3-pointer by Durant made it 101-94 with 4:59 left before Antetokounmpo scored five points during a Milwaukee 7-0 run. Antetokounmpo capped it with a 3-pointer to knot the score at 101 with 3:23 to go.

Antetokounmpo had 15 first-half points and Lopez added 13 as the Bucks led 58-54 at the break. Durant had 16 points and Booker tallied 15 in the half for Phoenix.

Tatum also had seven rebounds and eight assists in 26 minutes before he came down on Domantas Sabonis' foot after a 3-point attempt with 3:35 left in the third period.

Sabonis was slapped with a flagrant foul for having run under a 3-point shooter. Tatum, after several minutes on the floor, was able to take the two free throws -- making one -- before being replaced. The Celtics (53-19) led 79-68 at the time.

He did not return.

Seeking to prevent a three-game home losing streak, the Kings (35-36) hung without 10 through the end of the third quarter. But when Baylor Scheierman buried a 3-pointer and Derrick White dropped in a layup in the first 39 seconds of the final period, the lead was 15 and the Celtics coasted home for a sixth straight win.

Tatum and Pritchard connected on five 3-pointers apiece, helping the Celtics go 19-for-50 (38 percent) from beyond the arc and outscore the hosts 57-24 from deep.

Tatum shot 8-for-15 overall and Pritchard 8-for-18 as Boston avenged a 114-97 shellacking at home by the Kings in January.

Kristaps Porzingis tied Luke Kornet for team-high rebound honors with eight to go with 16 points for Boston, which won a third straight on the road to begin a six-game trip. Kornet finished with 13 points and White 12 to complement eight assists, tying Tatum for the team high.

DeMar DeRozan and Sabonis put up double-doubles for the Kings, DeRozan with a team-high 20 points and game-high 10 assists, Sabonis with 16 points and a game-high 17 rebounds.

Zach LaVine and Keon Ellis added 14 points apiece and Keegan Murray 13 for the Kings, who fell to 2-3 on a seven-game homestand.

Dalen Terry and Jalen Smith scored 14 points each, Nikola Vucevic had 12 and Matas Buzelis contributed 10 for Chicago (32-40). The Bulls finished 4-2 on their longest road trip of the season.

Jamal Murray scored 28 points, Peyton Watson added a career-high 24, Christian Braun finished with 18, Michael Porter Jr. had 16 and DeAndre Jordan had 10 points and 17 rebounds for Denver. The Nuggets (45-28) were without Nikola Jokic and Aaron Gordon.

Jokic missed his fifth straight game with a left ankle impingement and a sore right elbow and Gordon sat the second game of a back-to-back to manage his right calf. Denver is 2-3 in Jokic's absence.

The Nuggets opened the fourth with a dunk and a layup by Porter to lead 99-95 but White hit a 3-pointer and a layup, and Russell Westbrook's fifth turnover of the night led to a Chicago dunk and a 102-99 Bulls lead.

Murray missed a layup and White hit two free throws to stretch the lead to five. Braun converted a three-point play but Terry and Smith hit corner 3-pointers to give the Bulls a 112-103 lead with 6:36 remaining.

Murray and Braun hit 3-pointers but Chicago answered both to keep the advantage at nine, and Giddey drained another from deep, the Bulls' 16th of the night, to make it 123-111 with 3:47 left.

The Nuggets got it within 125-119 when Westbrook missed a 3-pointer with 1:04 left, and Chicago held on.

Westbrook finished with 14 points and 10 assists.

Denver led by as many as 13 in the first quarter but White's 15-point second quarter tied it at 65 at halftime.

The Bulls built an 80-74 lead midway through the third quarter but Watson hit a pair of 3-pointers to rally the Nuggets to a 95-93 lead late. White's layup got it even again heading into the fourth quarter.

Kelly Olynyk finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds, Antonio Reeves scored 17, Yves Missi added 16, rookie Keion Brooks Jr. scored a season-high 10 and Elfrid Payton had 14 assists for the Pelicans (20-53), who won for just the third time in 12 games.

Justin Edwards and Jared Butler scored 19 points each and Jeff Dowtin Jr., Guerschon Yabusele and Chuma Okeke added 12 each to lead the Sixers (23-48), who lost their fifth straight game and 20th in the past 23.

The Sixers' first six field goals of the second half were 3-pointers, including two each by Edwards and Yabusele, during an 18-7 run that gave them a 67-65 lead.

Brooks and Jordan Hawkins subsequently each sank a 3-pointer that gave the lead back to the Pelicans, and Reeves followed with three 3-pointers and Matkovic and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl added one each as New Orleans expanded the lead to 90-75 at the end of the third quarter.

Matkovic made a 3-pointer, Olynyk converted a three-point play and Lester Quinones added a basket as the Pelicans took their biggest lead at 103-80. Philadelphia scored the next nine points, but New Orleans maintained a comfortable margin the rest of the way.

Five Pelicans combined to make seven field goals that were either layups or dunks as the hosts opened an 18-11 lead. New Orleans led by seven points two more times before Dowtin's three-point play pulled Philadelphia within 29-23 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Pelicans were on top despite making just 1 of 11 3-point attempts.

Reeves and Quinones each made a 3-pointer to start the Pelicans' second-quarter scoring, and New Orleans quickly expanded the lead to 37-25. The Pelicans matched their largest lead of the half of 12 points five more times, but Butler scored seven points in the period to help the Sixers creep within 58-49 at the half.

Originally listed as doubtful, Davis was upgraded to questionable before returning for his second game since the seismic trade from the Los Angeles Lakers shortly before the trade deadline for Luka Doncic.

In his first action since getting hurt against the Houston Rockets on Feb. 8, Davis played in short bursts, shot 6-of-9 and helped the Mavericks (35-37) win consecutive games for the first time in over a month. Dallas went 6-12 since Davis got hurt.

Davis was among seven in double figures for Dallas, which shot 56.3 percent and scored 31 points off 18 turnovers.

Naji Marshall led the way with 22 points off the bench as Dallas saw its reserves finish with 55. PJ Washington and Spencer Dinwiddie added 16 apiece. Brandon Williams chipped in 15 while Kai Jones contributed 13 and Max Christie finished with 10.

Dinwiddie also added 12 of the Mavericks' 34 assists.

Nic Claxton scored 19 points to lead the Nets (23-49), who lost their fourth straight and for the 15th time in 18 games. Cameron Johnson added 17 while Trendon Watford contributed 12 as the Nets shot 51.3 percent.

Davis played eight minutes in the opening quarter and scored six points as the Mavericks shot 61.9 percent for a 32-17 lead.

The Mavericks held a 39-24 lead after Davis played the opening 4:13 of the second. Davis returned for the final 1:56 of the quarter and Dallas held a 62-48 lead by halftime

Dallas held a 68-56 lead when Davis took another rest with 8:23 left in the third. The Mavericks had an 85-70 edge when Davis returned for the final 2:52 and Dallas took a 96-77 cushion into the fourth.

Davis took another break early in the fourth with Dallas holding a 101-84 lead. He returned for his final stint with 4:39 left after Dallas opened a 112-93 edge and hit his final basket to help finish it off.

Poeltl made nine of his first 10 attempts on the way to a 10-of-13 performance from the field, helping Toronto (25-47) end its four-game losing streak. Immanuel Quickley added a less efficient 21 points, making five of his 16 attempts from the floor. Scottie Barnes chipped in 13 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists, while rookie Jamal Shead scored 14 points off the bench.

Jordan Poole finished with 23 points on 8-of-13 shooting to lead the Wizards (15-56), who took their fifth loss in a row. Alex Sarr added 16 points on 6-of-19 shooting, while fellow rookie AJ Johnson scored a career-high 17 points on 5-of-9 shooting off the bench.

The Raptors seemed to pull away with a 20-12 rally through the first six-plus minutes of the fourth quarter. Jamison Battle gave Toronto the game's first double-digit lead with 5:41 remaining, draining his third 3-pointer of the night to put the Raptors ahead 98-88.

The Wizards managed to trim the deficit to six with 3:26 remaining, but the Raptors scored the next six points to wrap it up. Ochai Agbaji dunked, A.J. Lawson hit a layup and Jonathan Mogbo dunked with 1:53 left to raise the gap to 110-98.

Toronto stretched a 52-50 halftime lead to 67-59 early the second half, capped by a basket from Poeltl. The last-place Wizards answered with a 10-0 run, however, taking a 69-67 lead on a Poole 3-pointer midway through the third quarter.

The Wizards led by as many as eight points in the first quarter before the Raptors charged back in the second behind seven points from Barnes.

The Raptors finished 41-for-101 (40.6 percent) from the field, making 10-for-36 attempts (27.8 percent) from 3-point range. The Wizards shot 35-for-87 from the field (40.2 percent) and shot 11-for-37 (29.7 percent) from beyond the arc. Toronto outrebounded Washington 60-48 and outscored the Wizards 50-42 in the paint.

The victory snapped a six-game home losing streak for the Magic (34-38).

Luka Doncic matched Wagner with 32 points for the Lakers (43-28), while LeBron James added 24 but the Lakers faltered on defense in the second half, allowing the Magic to take over.

Down two at halftime, Orlando broke things open in the third quarter with a 13-2 run to build an 84-72 lead. That advantage grew to as much as 17 as Orlando outscored the Lakers 34-18 in the quarter.

The Lakers trimmed the lead to seven with 5:39 left, but Wagner - who also had nine assists - answered with a pair of baskets and a straight-on three to push the lead back to double digits with 3:50 to go.

Both teams traded baskets early. Banchero had 11 of his team's first 14 points while Doncic gave Los Angeles its first spurt with a one-man 7-0 run that included four free throws and a long three to make it 22-16 Lakers. The Lakers nursed a four-point lead at the first-quarter buzzer.

In the second quarter the momentum swayed dramatically. Tristan da Silva picked James' pocket and drove for an uncontested layup to give Orlando a 35-33 lead. That kickstarted an 11-6 run for Orlando capped by a three by Anthony Black, who scored 17 points off the bench.

Los Angeles roared back with a 21-7 run fueled by eight points from Doncic, who had 21 in the first half, and six more from James. The Lakers had their biggest lead at 60-51 with under a minute to play in the half, but the Magic scored seven straight to end the frame and trailed by two.

The most notable part of the first half was that the Lakers' Jarred Vanderbilt was whistled for three personal fouls in a 14-second span.

Before the game, former Orlando Magic star and 2004 No. 1 overall pick Dwight Howard, who finished his career with the Lakers, was inducted into the Magic's Hall of Fame.

The Pacers (42-29) opened the second half on an 8-0 run, shortly followed up with a 12-0 run, helping open up a lead of as many as 21 points in the third quarter.

Indiana maintained the cushion throughout the fourth quarter thanks to a stout defensive effort. The Pacers held Minnesota to 9-of-35 shooting from 3-point range while forcing the Timberwolves into 17 turnovers.

The defensive effort helped improve Indiana to 4-0 on a five-game homestand and gave the Pacers their first win of the ongoing streak by more than six points.

Haliburton's 11th consecutive double-double dating back to Feb. 23 paced Indiana offensively. Obi Toppin came off the bench to score 20 points, shooting 6-of-9 from outside.

Toppin knocked down three of his 3-pointers over a stretch of 2:31 to close out the pivotal third period.

Aaron Nesmith shot 3-of-3 from 3-point range en route to 17 points. Pascal Siakam scored 14 points and grabbed six rebounds.

Bennedict Mathurin's 11 points extended his run of double-digit scoring performances to five games, while fellow reserve T.J. McConnell added 10 points.

The 3-point shooting woes plaguing Minnesota (41-32) started with Anthony Edwards. The Timberwolves' season-long leading scorer went 1-of-11 from deep on Monday, the same rate at which he shot in Indiana's 132-130 win at Minnesota on March 17.

Edwards finished with 17 points in Monday's loss.

Julius Randle finished with nine points, less than half of his season average. Naz Reid's 20 points off the bench led the Timberwolves.

Rudy Gobert posted a double-double with 16 points and 16 rebounds in the loss.

Indiana concludes its homestand on Wednesday against the Los Angeles Lakers, one of the five teams along with Minnesota that began the week in a tight Western Conference. Just 3.5 games separate the fourth-place Lakers and eight-place Timberwolves.

The Eastern Conference-leading Cleveland Cavaliers feel their worst funk of the campaign is behind them as they enter Tuesday's road game against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Cleveland (57-14) dropped four straight games before turning things around with a 120-91 rout of the Utah Jazz on Sunday.

The performance didn't eliminate all the concern over the recent play that saw the Cavaliers allow an average of 121.5 points in the four setbacks.

But Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson wasn't interested in overlooking all the strong games over the course of the campaign.

"This stretch here, we haven't played great, obviously," Atkinson said after the rout of the Jazz. "We're in a tough stretch of the schedule but I will take the other 97 percent of the season and I know who this team is and what we need to do. I'm not going to overreact to it."

The Cavaliers' situation is much more preferable than the one faced by Portland.

The Trail Blazers (32-40) need as many wins as they can find over the final 10 games. They entered Monday trailing the Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks by 2 1/2 games for the final Western Conference play-in spot. Both Phoenix and Dallas have games on Monday night.

"We're scrapping our butts off trying to win every game," Portland coach Chauncey Billups said.

The Trail Blazers had a four-game winning streak halted with Sunday's 129-116 home loss to the Boston Celtics, the defending NBA champions.

Boston defeated Portland while playing without starters Jaylen Brown, Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis.

The Trail Blazers trailed by as many as 18 while being unable to compete with the short-handed Celtics.

"They're the world champions, champions' pedigree," Billups said. "I was pleased with the way we played, honestly. ... That's a team that's just better than we are."

Shaedon Sharpe scored 23 points for Portland. It was his second straight 23-point outing and marked the fifth time he scored 20 or more this month.

"I think we're playing together, hitting shots and playing defense," Sharpe said.

The Trail Blazers are 4-2 on a seven-game homestand and have held things together despite a trio of veterans missing ample time.

Robert Williams III last played on Feb. 20 and underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee last week. Williams played in just 20 games this season.

Deandre Ayton last played on Feb. 10 with a left calf strain. Ayton has played in 40 games and progress has been slow on his injury.

Jerami Grant hasn't played since March 9 due to a right knee injury. He has missed the past seven games and has played in 47 contests. He is listed as doubtful for Tuesday's game.

Portland put up a good fight against the Cavaliers on March 2 before falling 133-129 in overtime. De'Andre Hunter scored 32 for Cleveland and Deni Avdija recorded his first career triple double with 30 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists against the Trail Blazers.

That was the sixth time in the past seven meetings that the Cavaliers prevailed against Portland.

Against Utah, Jarrett Allen scored 18 points and Donovan Mitchell added 16 as six players scored in double digits for the Cavaliers.

Big man Evan Mobley had 11 points, 11 rebounds and three blocked shots to help Cleveland get its first win on a five-game road trip. The excursion ends in Portland.

Atkinson said the Cavaliers played with more joy in the second half when they outscored the Jazz 69-46.

Atkinson said the goal over the final 11 games is "keeping this team healthy for the playoffs."

"At the end of the day, it's our No. 1 priority," he added.

Memphis (43-28) is set to play for the first time since losing 128-108 to the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday. The Grizzlies' defense struggled again, allowing the Clippers to score 68 points in the second half.

"Obviously we're in a slide right now and we've got to dig out of it," Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said. "We know what the standings are, but we can't be thinking about that. We've got to recapture our best version that we've displayed throughout the season."

The Grizzlies entered Monday holding the fifth seed in the tight Western Conference playoff race with 11 games to play, while Utah (16-56) sat at the bottom of the West after losing 12 of its last 13 games.

While Memphis star point guard Ja Morant will miss his fifth straight game with a left hamstring injury, the team will be without forward Brandon Clarke for the rest of the season. Clarke suffered a high-grade PCL sprain in his right knee in a loss to the Portland Trail Blazers last Wednesday.

With Morant and Clarke sidelined, Memphis has asked center Jaren Jackson Jr. to assume a larger role on both ends of the floor. Jackson is shooting 35.8 percent from the field over his last three games, well below his season average (49.3 percent).

"He's obviously had a couple of tough ones on the road trip so far," Jenkins said. "I think teams are definitely loading up on him... I don't doubt he's going to get back (to form) sooner than later because of the work he's putting in."

Memphis has won the first three matchups with Utah this season, including a 122-115 home victory on March 12.

The rebuilding Jazz are looking to bounce back after losing 120-91 to the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday. Utah committed 18 turnovers and was outscored 60-30 in the paint.

Point guard Collin Sexton is averaging 18.1 points while emerging as a veteran voice for the Jazz, who have three rookies in their rotation.

"It's giving energy, at the end of the day," Sexton said. "I know for me, that's something I can give each and every night. The ball might not be going into the basket, but the energy I can always give, and it can bring somebody else along."

One bright spot in the loss to Cleveland was the play of rookie forward Kyle Filipowski, who had 18 points and 13 rebounds. Filipowski is averaging 15.1 points and 7.5 rebounds in 13 games this month.

Jazz coach Will Hardy has also been pleased by the development of third-year center Walker Kessler, who has been encouraged to shoot more 3-pointers this month. Kessler made one of his season-high eight 3-point attempts in Sunday's loss.

"Coach is a big proponent of players trying to get better and expand their games," Kessler said. "He's kind of given me the go ahead to try and work on it, and I'm very, very appreciative of him to give me the opportunity."

Not only did the Rockets' 116-111 home loss to the Denver Nuggets on Sunday snap their streak, it narrowed their lead over Denver to one game in the chase for the No. 2 seed. The Rockets will host the Nuggets in their regular-season finale on April 13 with the winner set to secure the season series.

First, though, Houston will host the streaking Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday.

The Rockets (46-26) finished the weekend two games up on fifth-place Memphis in the loss column. With four teams -- the Los Angeles Lakers included -- bunched so closely in the standings, Houston is pursuing multiple objectives as the regular season draws to an end.

Their first and foremost goal is to enter the playoffs healthy. In concert with that is maintaining the level of play that lifted the Rockets to their enviable position in the postseason picture.

"Health and good basketball," Rockets coach Ime Udoka said. "Continue to play at a high level, guard the way we have lately, and then improve offensively. We've seen through the year the shooting numbers have gone up. Rebounds have stayed constant. If we can increase our pace overall, defense to offense, just continue to harp on those things. Those were some of our focal points coming into the season and we've achieved some but some we need to improve on as well.

"But health and playing the right way at the right time is what's most important."

Jalen Green poured in 30 points in the loss to Denver, and Alperen Sengun posted a triple-double of 17 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists.

The Hawks (35-36) continued their torrid shooting of late, producing a 64.9 effective field goal percentage in their 132-119 home victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday. The Hawks are shooting 55.3 percent from the field during their three-game winning streak, reflecting an offense that has settled in following significant roster changes made at the trade deadline early last month.

"We were getting open shots earlier in the season," Hawks coach Quin Snyder said. "I think we led the league in the qSQ (quantified shot quality) rating. We were getting good looks. But it's affirming I think when the ball goes in. Guys understand some of the things that we're doing. There's a purpose to it. And they've been embracing that."

Three Hawks -- Trae Young, rookie Zaccharie Risacher and Georges Niang -- scored 20-plus points against Philadelphia.

Atlanta has won seven of nine and is making a late-season surge to escape the play-in tournament and perhaps qualify for the postseason. That is a modest surprise given that the Hawks were forced to reshape their rotation on the fly.

"I just want us to keep getting better," Snyder said. "I think we've done a lot of good things, I just couldn't say one thing. This is not a time for us to feel good about a winning streak. This is the time for us to continue to try to dig in and get better. The team is playing hard and playing hungry."

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said he isn't thinking about Butler, either.

On Tuesday night when the Golden State Warriors (41-30) visit the Heat (30-41), Butler will have no choice but to think about the Miami team that suspended him multiple times this season before finally trading him on Feb. 6.

"Yeah, I was traded from there yada, yada, yada," Butler said. "Yeah, it didn't end the way people wanted ... But that's so far behind me now. I don't even think about it. I don't think about nothing except the trajectory of our squad."

That trajectory is pretty good as the Warriors are 16-4 since acquiring Butler. The 29-year-old missed one of the losses -- a 126-119 defeat to the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Heat, meanwhile, just went through a 10-game losing streak that was the franchise's longest skid since the 2007-08 season.

After finally ending the streak with a win over the visiting Charlotte Hornets on Sunday night, Spoelstra was asked about Butler, who helped the Heat reach the NBA Finals in 2023.

"We've been so engulfed in our situation that if I said I haven't noticed the schedule, everyone would roll their eyes," Spoelstra said when asked about Butler. "But I really haven't been able to check out the schedule. We have been trying to get a damn win. I was aware of it (the upcoming Warriors game). But the highest form of sanity is to be in the present moment. So, give me some time on that. There will be a lot of different feelings. I probably won't express all of them (to the media)."

"We had a great five-year run," he added. "We didn't win the title, but we had great moments. That's what I will remember. It doesn't matter what we feel right now."

Butler essentially agrees with Spoelstra on their time together, saying: "We didn't win like we were supposed to ... We had some cool runs. We had fun, but that's all we did."

The Butler drama overshadows the fact that this will be Andrew Wiggins' first game against the Warriors since he was traded to Miami as part of the same deal.

Wiggins has been balling lately, averaging 36.0 points in the two games since returning from injury.

Heat guard Tyler Herro said Wiggins "made just about every shot he took" in a 42-point effort against Charlotte. Herro wasn't wrong as Wiggins went 16-for-21 overall and 6-for-8 on 3-pointers.

Spoelstra, though, had a different perspective.

"We need him to be more," said Spoelstra, referring to Wiggins' role as a scorer on the Heat. "And he wants to take on that challenge."

Golden State's high-volume shooter is, of course, 11-time All-Star and four-time NBA champion Stephen Curry, who is averaging 24.2 points.

However, Curry, 37, sat out Golden State's loss at Atlanta on Saturday due to a pelvic contusion.

According to ESPN, Curry will travel to Miami with the hopes of playing but it will depend on how his injury responds to treatment.

The other big thing to watch on Tuesday is how the fans treat Butler. The crowd will likely boo the ex-Heat star, who asked to be traded and -- in the Miami's view -- gave up on the team.

Not that Butler cares.

"Don't make no difference," Butler said of the fans. "I'm a member of the Golden State Warriors now. I'm on the opposing team."

Cunningham was a late scratch on Sunday afternoon due to calf soreness.

Another starter for Detroit (40-32), Tim Hardaway Jr., sat out with a sprained ankle. The Pistons, who hold sixth place in the Eastern Conference, didn't miss a beat offensively against the injury-riddled New Orleans Pelicans in a 136-130 victory.

Rookie Ron Holland matched a career-high 26 points off the bench while chipping in six assists (career best) and five rebounds. Another backcourt reserve, Marcus Sasser, pumped in 20 points while veteran Dennis Schroder, filling in for Cunningham, added 16 points and five assists.

Coach J.B. Bickerstaff credits Holland, the fifth overall pick in last year's draft, with having a team-oriented approach.

"When you come to the league, you go to a team that's full of lottery picks and adding veterans -- typically you're going to have to find a niche off the ball for a little bit in order to find an impact. And Ron just has an understanding of how to impact winning," Bickerstaff said. "He's a fierce competitor, but he just doesn't care what the play is.

"It can be an offensive rebound, it could be a steal, it could be a loose ball, a drive to the basket in transition, he just impacts winning every way, because it matters to him."

Sasser's minutes have diminished since the Pistons acquired Schroder at the trade deadline. Cunningham's absence led to expanded minutes, though, and Sasser provided a major boost.

"Marcus Sasser has been through a lot with us," Bickerstaff said. "He's had opportunities. He's had moments where he hasn't played, but every time he plays, he puts himself in position to help his team win basketball games. I can't say how difficult that is, but all I can tell you is how important it is to us, and what it means as a professional and how well he focuses on his craft."

Holland and Sasser could get plenty of playing time again if Cunningham and Hardaway can't go on Tuesday.

The Spurs (31-39) have won three straight to keep their hopes of a play-in spot alive despite season-ending injuries to Victor Wembanyama and De'Aaron Fox.

San Antonio pounded Toronto 123-89 on Sunday. San Antonio led by 20 points after the first quarter and never looked back.

"It was the most connected we've been, the most communication we've heard from the bench," interim head coach Mitch Johnson said. "Just guys navigating actions, screens, things that were happening on the court. It has to take those five guys on the court to figure things out, and I thought (Sunday) they were absolutely tremendous."

Devin Vassell scored an efficient 25 points (11-of-14 shooting). He has been hot this month, averaging 19.3 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists in March.

"It's funny, we went through that (midseason) stretch where there were a lot of alarms and concerns that maybe he had lost his powers, and now he's making shot after shot," Johnson said. "But he's also impacting winning and doing a lot of the things that don't show up on the box score -- shifting on defense, tipping rebounds out, deflections.

"It's really fun to see these guys improve and to be able to get rewarded with it at times."

On Monday the Mavericks changed Davis' status from doubtful to questionable before reports confirmed his return to action.

"Mavericks star Anthony Davis -- out since Feb. 8 with adductor strain -- will return tonight against the Brooklyn Nets, sources tell ESPN," Charania posted on X.

Davis, 32, was the big return for the Mavericks in the Feb. 1 trade that sent superstar Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Davis was in the midst of a sparkling debut with Dallas against the Houston Rockets on Feb. 8, collecting 26 points, 16 rebounds, seven assists and three blocks in 31 minutes before leaving late in the third quarter because of the injury.

He has been sidelined since.

Playing in his 13th NBA season, the 10-time All-Star is averaging 25.7 points, 12 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.2 blocks in 43 games (all starts).

The Mavericks have also been missing star guard Kyrie Irving, who tore his ACL in early March.

Despite the injuries, Dallas is tied with the Phoenix Suns for the 10th seed and final play-in spot in the Western Conference.

The Mavs begin a four-game road trip Monday with the visit to the Nets. After midweek matchups against the New York Knicks and Orlando Magic, they will close out the stretch against the Chicago Bulls on Saturday.

In the absence of injured sidekick Jaylen Brown, Tatum flashed his NBA Most Valuable Player credentials with 26 points, six rebounds, six assists and three steals in a 121-99 win at Utah on Friday.

Tatum and the Celtics (52-19) played in the Northwest on Sunday, when he contributed 30 points, nine rebounds, nine assists and two blocks in a 129-116 triumph over the Portland Trail Blazers, the Celtics' fifth win in a row.

After Sacramento, the Celtics -- who are without Brown because he has a bone bruise with posterior impingement in his right knee -- will visit three other Western Conference venues to take on the Phoenix Suns, San Antonio Spurs and Memphis Grizzlies.

Tatum was held to 15 points but did manage 12 rebounds when the Celtics were shocked 114-97 at home by the Kings in January. Domantas Sabonis put on the MVP-level performance that night with 23 points and 28 rebounds.

While the rematch might be important to Tatum for individual reasons, it's a much bigger team game for the Kings (35-35), who have lost two in a row to drop to 2-2 on a crucial seven-game homestand.

The losses have sent the ninth-place Kings closer to 11th in the West -- a lottery position -- than eighth, with Sacramento now leading the Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks by just 1 1/2 games apiece.

The Kings got good news Sunday when Sabonis, who has missed nine of the last 11 games with hamstring and ankle injuries, was able to fully participate in a team workout. As a result, he has been upgraded to questionable to face the Celtics.

With Oklahoma City following Boston into town, the Kings could be looking up at either the Suns or Mavericks -- or perhaps both -- by Wednesday morning.

The Kings' Keegan Murray has concerns.

"I don't know if it's opponents," he said. "I think it's us."

The Celtics still have a chance to catch the Eastern front-running Cleveland Cavaliers, but it might take all wins in their final 11 games. The Cavs enjoy a five-game lead and have lost just 14 times all season.

Boston coach Joe Mazzulla seems more intent upon getting his star players some rest before the postseason than have them exert energy on a likely fruitless run at the Cavaliers.

Of immediate concern, he was able to get Kristaps Porzingis into a third straight game on Friday at Utah, with two off days in between each contest. Even though the club enjoyed Saturday off as well, Porzingis -- who is still dealing with the effects of an illness -- was rested during Sunday's front end of a back-to-back.

Like his coach, Porzingis realizes it's not important to be in top form in March. The goal is to be fully prepared for April and, hopefully, May.

"I'm not feeling my best," he said of his return. "Just trying to maybe create a bit more, and that leads to more opportunities for myself and good looks."

Porzingis, who has averaged 28.7 minutes in his last three games, is considered likely to face the Kings.

Chicago (31-40), which routed the Los Angeles Lakers 146-115 on Saturday in LeBron James' return to the lineup, has a chance to finish its season-long six-game road trip with a winning record. The Bulls have won their last two contests by double digits and strengthened their position in the Eastern Conference play-in bracket.

They've stayed in the playoff hunt with big wins on the road. Chicago has won five of its last seven away from home, and the two losses were close, by three at Houston and by six at Phoenix.

Coby White has been a catalyst, leading the team in points in 10 of the last 12 games to lift his season average to 20 points per game. Nikola Vucevic is second at 18.6, and Josh Giddey is averaging 14.

When White isn't leading the team's offense, Giddey, who had a career-high 17 assists in his triple-double at Los Angeles, is filling that role. He had 26 points in a win at Miami on March 8 and 29 in a victory over Indiana two days later, which has coincided with his improvement from deep. He is shooting a career-best 37.9 percent from 3-point range.

"I started to figure out the last two months, missed shot, made shot, move on to the next one," Giddey said. "That mindset has kind of been drilled into me, and that's helped a lot. Now I'm to the point that if I shoot 10 and miss, I shoot the 11th."

The Bulls won't have guard Tre Jones, who is expected to miss at least two weeks with a sprained left foot sustained at Sacramento on Thursday night.

Meanwhile, the Nuggets (45-27), who are coming off a 116-111 victory Sunday at Houston, are 12-2 on the second night of back-to-back games, and they will not have MVP candidate Nikola Jokic on Monday.

Jokic missed the Nuggets' 4-4 road trip with a left ankle injury and also has been dealing with a sore right elbow.

Denver won at Golden State on Monday without Jokic, Jamal Murray and Christian Braun.

Jokic leads the Nuggets in scoring (29.1 ppg), rebounding (12.9) and assists (10.3). Murray is second in scoring at 21.6 points, and Braun (15) is fourth behind Michael Porter Jr.'s 18.2 points a game.

Murray missed the first two games of the road trip, and Braun returned after sitting out one. They weren't able to help against the Lakers and Portland, but their offense wasn't the problem. Denver, which is 9-8 since the All-Star break, is 24th in points allowed in the NBA.

Veteran Russell Westbrook has done his best to pick up the slack, recording his NBA-record 203rd career triple-double in the win over the Warriors.

"First off, Russ is not just a dog. He's a wolf," teammate Aaron Gordon said. "He's different. Offensively and defensively, he's always on 10, always on 12."

Murray was the hero Sunday, scoring 39 points on 15-for-28 shooting after attempting just 10 shots in Portland.

The Sixers (23-48), who have lost 19 of 22 games after a 132-119 defeat at Atlanta on Sunday, have lost stars Joel Embiid and Paul George to season-ending injuries. And Tyrese Maxey has missed the last 11 games and is unlikely to play Monday.

The Pelicans (19-53) have lost nine of 11 after a 136-130 setback at Detroit on Sunday. They played without leading scorer Zion Williamson, who missed his second straight game because of a back contusion. His status for Monday is unclear, as is that of center Yves Missi (hip soreness).

New Orleans traded Brandon Ingram to the Toronto Raptors last month, and Trey Murphy III and Dejounte Murray are out because of season-ending injuries.

The Pelicans have sustained a series of lopsided losses this month, including a 134-93 setback at Minnesota on Friday.

But they performed much better on Sunday. CJ McCollum scored 28 of his 40 points in the second half and finished with seven assists. The Pelicans set a franchise record with four players having at least seven assists.

"It's the way we want to play," New Orleans coach Willie Green said. "The guys played together and shared the ball. That was fun to watch, but we still came up short."

Second-year guard Jordan Hawkins tied his season high with 25 points, making 6-of-11 3-pointers. New Orleans made 20 of 40 shots from beyond the arc for the game.

"It shows that we're more than capable of playing fast, sharing the basketball, driving, kicking, shooting quality 3s when they're available," Green said. "It allows us to have a chance to win some of these games."

But the Pelicans didn't win in part because they allowed 66 points in the paint and gave up 40 free throws while shooting just 16, leading to a 17-point disadvantage at the foul line.

"That's a big difference," Green said.

Philadelphia trailed by as many as 27 points and allowed more than 130 for the third time during a four-game losing streak.

Still, coach Nick Nurse said he was satisfied with his patchwork group's effort while being outmanned.

"I think they've played really hard even when they've had tough moments," Nurse said. "We're doing everything we can to try to keep them fighting, and they are, and I give them a heck of a lot of credit for that because it's not easy."

One bright spot during the team's skid has been rookie guard Justin Edwards, who is averaging 21 points during the stretch after scoring 22 on Sunday. He has shot 50.8 percent (31 of 61) from the floor and 48.1 percent (13 of 27) on 3-pointers.

"I think his confidence level is at a really great place," Nurse said. "I think he really tries to do the right thing and make the right plays."

The Pelicans have been eliminated from playoff contention, and the Sixers, who are concluding a six-game road trip, almost certainly are headed to the same result.