FLORIDA: LeBron James recorded 38 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a 116-108 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 3 of their Western Conference first-round series on Saturday night near Orlando. Anthony Davis scored 23 of his 29 points in the second half and finished with 11 rebounds, eight assists and three blocked shots as Los Angeles took a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series ahead of Monday's Game 4. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 13 points, and Alex Caruso added 10 points and seven assists.
Portland star Damian Lillard contributed 34 points and seven assists while playing with a dislocated left index finger. CJ McCollum registered 28 points and eight rebounds, Carmelo Anthony had 20 points and four steals and Jusuf Nurkic added 10 points. Lillard made 5 of 11 shots from 3-point range and was 8 of 20 overall but made just 2 of 9 field-goal attempts in the second half. The Trail Blazers connected on 41.1 percent of their shots and were 12 of 35 from 3-point range.
Oklahoma City Thunder 119 - Houston Rockets 107 (OT)
Chris Paul drilled a 3-point heave as part of a 12-0 run to open overtime, and Oklahoma City beat Houston in Game 3 of a Western Conference first-round series. Paul finished with 26 points, six rebounds and five assists, as a three-guard lineup worked wonders for Oklahoma City, which now trails the series 2-1 with Game 4 set for Monday.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 23 points, seven rebounds and six assists, while Dennis Schroder scored a team-high 29 points off the bench along with five rebounds and five assists. James Harden posted a game-high 38 points, seven rebounds and eight assists with just one turnover but fouled out for the first time this season when he picked up his sixth foul with 4:07 left in overtime. Jeff Green paired 22 points with seven boards off the Houston bench, while Eric Gordon scored 18 points but missed 16 of 24 shot attempts. The Rockets shot just 15 of 50 on 3-pointers.
Miami Heat 124 - Indiana Pacers 115
Bam Adebayo had a hoop, two offensive rebounds and three free throws down the stretch as Miami staved off an Indiana rally to take a commanding 3-0 lead in their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series. Jimmy Butler finished with a team-high 27 points, including 17-for-20 from the free-throw line, for the Heat, who outscored the Pacers 43-21 from the stripe, getting 24 more opportunities.
Goran Dragic chipped in with 24 points and a team-high six assists, and Adebayo compiled a double-double with 22 points and 11 rebounds for Miami. Malcolm Brogdon recorded postseason career-highs with 34 points and 14 assists-both game-highs-for the Pacers, who outshot the Heat 48.8 percent to 45.3. T.J. Warren went for 23 points, and Victor Oladipo had 20 for Indiana.
Milwaukee Bucks 121 - Orlando Magic 107
Giannis Antetokounmpo notched 35 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists to lead Milwaukee to a dominant victory over Orlando to take a 2-1 lead in their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series. Game 4 is Monday. Antetokounmpo, the favorite to repeat as the league's MVP, made his first eight shots and finished 12 of 14 from the floor.
He finally received help from fellow All-Star Khris Middleton, who finished with 17 points, eight rebounds and six assists after struggling from the field in the series' first two games. Orlando's Nikola Vucevic finished with 20 points on 8-of-19 shooting and grabbed five rebounds. D.J. Augustin (24 points, six assists) and Terrence Ross (20 points) were the Magic's biggest contributors off the bench.- Reuters