Torrey Craig loses a tooth as Bucks defeat Suns to become first team to clinch a playoff berth

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 36 points, Brook Lopez added 21 and the NBA-leading Milwaukee Bucks clinched a playoff spot by beating the Phoenix Suns 116-104 on Tuesday night to become the first team to 50 wins this season.

The Bucks pulled away late for their 21st win in 23 games and are the first team to secure a postseason berth. The Suns have dropped three straight.

The Suns trailed by nine points at halftime but cut the deficit to 85-84 heading to the fourth after Devin Booker hit a mid-range jumper at the third quarter buzzer.

Cam Payne hit back-to-back 3-pointers to put the Suns up 90-87, which was their first lead of the second half. The game stayed tight for the next several minutes but the Bucks took the lead for good when Pat Connaughton hit a corner 3 for a 100-97 advantage with 6:30 remaining.

Antetokounmpo added 11 rebounds and eight assists. Lopez shot 10 of 14 from the field and added 10 rebounds. The Bucks closed the game on a 24-9 run.

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) drives between Suns defenders

Torrey Craig holds tooth in his hands as he feels where it had fallen out from his mouth 

Booker led the Suns with 30 points on 13-of-27 shooting. Deandre Ayton had 19 points and eight rebounds despite playing just 26 minutes because of foul trouble.

The Bucks led 57-48 at halftime. Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 20 points while Booker and Ayton both had 10 for the Suns. Phoenix shot just 39.2% from the field in the first half.

Suns forward Torrey Craig lost a tooth in the third quarter after taking an inadvertant elbow from Antetokounmpo. He laid on the floor for a few seconds before finding his tooth on the ground, which he picked up and took to the bench.

He returned to the game in the fourth quarter.

 RAPTORS 125, NUGGETS 110 

Fred VanVleet scored 36 points, O.G. Anunoby had 24 and the Toronto Raptors used a franchise-record 49-point first quarter to beat Denver 125-110 on Tuesday, handing the slumping Nuggets their season-high fourth straight loss.

Nikola Jokic scored 28 points, Michael Porter Jr. had 23 and Aaron Gordon had 18 for the Western Conference-leading Nuggets, who are winless since a March 6 home victory over the Raptors.

VanVleet shot 13 for 22 and made a season-high eight of his 12 attempts from distance as Toronto extended its home winning streak to five.

Jakob Poeltl had 12 points and 11 rebounds, Pascal Siakam scored 12 points and Gary Trent Jr. had 11 for the Raptors.

Jamal Murray shot 5 for 18 and scored 14 points and Bruce Brown added 12, but the Nuggets lost the opener of a season-high, five-game trip.

Toronto Raptors  O.G. Anunoby (3) dunks against Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon (50) 

LAKERS 123, PELICANS 108

Anthony Davis had 35 points and 17 rebounds, Malik Beasley hit seven 3-pointers in the first half, and Los Angeles built a 36-point lead in the second quarter in its win over New Orleans.

Beasley finished with 24 points for the Lakers, who shot 18 of 39 from 3-point range – including 15 of 27 before halftime. D´Angelo Russell added 17 points to help Los Angeles (34-35) move one game ahead of New Orleans (33-36) in the Western Conference standings.

Brandon Ingram returned to New Orleans´ lineup after missing two games with a right ankle injury, but his 22 points were not nearly enough.

Herbert Jones and Trey Murphy III each scored 20 for the Pelicans, who trailed 75-40 at halftime.

Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis (3) shoots against a double team from the Pelicans

SPURS 132, MAGIC 114

Jeremy Sochan had 29 points and 10 rebounds and San Antonio had a franchise-high 22 3-pointers and season-high 39 assists in beating Orlando.

San Antonio center Zach Collins added 25 points, six rebounds and five assists. The Spurs are 6-27 in 2023, but have now won four of seven.

Orlando rookie Paolo Banchero had 27 points and Wendell Carter Jr. added 16 points. The Magic have lost five of their last seven games in their push for a berth in the postseason play-in tournament.

Sochan returned from a one-game absence, but the Spurs were without Keldon Johnson, Malaki Branham, Tre Jones, Rome Langford. The Spurs responded with their best shooting game of the season, making 57% of its shots from the field and going 22 for 41 from 3-point range.

Magic’s Paolo Banchero tangles with San Antonio Spurs’ Jeremy Sochan (10) and Zach Collins

THUNDER 121, NETS 107

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 35 points, Josh Giddey had 15 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists and Oklahoma City beat Brooklyn for its sixth win in seven games.

Lu Dort matched his season high with 24 points and added nine rebounds for Oklahoma City, which rallied from a 14-point, first-half deficit thanks mostly to a sizzling third quarter, during which Dort made five 3-pointers.

Mikal Bridges scored 34 points and Cam Johnson added 23 for Brooklyn, which had won five of its last six games, with four of those wins on the road.

Thunder Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) shoots as Brooklyn Nets forward Dorian Finney-Smith 

WIZARDS 117, PISTONS 97

Bradley Beal scored 36 points, and Washington snapped its three-game losing streak with a victory over Detroit.

Playing without Kyle Kuzma, the Wizards still raced out to a 22-point advantage in the first quarter, and although they´ve had issues holding those types of leads this season, the last-place Pistons represented little threat.

Washington (32-37) moved percentage points ahead of Chicago (31-36) for the final play-in spot in the Eastern Conference.

Killian Hayes scored 20 points to lead Detroit, which had snapped an 11-game skid by beating Indiana on Monday.

 Wizards guard Bradley Beal (3) drives around Detroit Pistons guard Rodney McGruder

CAVALIERS 120, HORNETS 104

Evan Mobley had 26 points and Cleveland scored 35 points off Charlotte turnovers and beat the Hornets for the second time in three days.

Cedi Osman scored 24 points off the bench and Caris LeVert added 22 points and seven assists for the Cavaliers, who played without All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell (sprained finger) and center Jarrett Allen (eye contusion). Darius Garland chipped in 19 points.

Kelly Oubre Jr. had 28 points and Terry Rozier added 22 points and 10 assists for the Hornets, who have lost three straight and fell to 11-27 at home.

Cleveland Cavaliers Darius Garland looks to pass against Charlotte Hornets Dennis Smith Jr.

KNICKS 123, TRAIL BLAZERS 107

Immanuel Quickley scores 26 points and the New York Knicks mounted a rally in the third quarter to beat the Portland Trail Blazers 123-107 on Tuesday night.

Julius Randle added 24 points for the Knicks, who were still playing without injured guard Jalen Brunson.

Quickley scored 14 of his points in the third quarter and the Knicks outscored the Blazers 42-26 to lead 91-81 lead going into the final period.

Immanuel Quickley #5 of the New York Knicks goes to the basket against the Trail Blazers