by The Golden State Warriors nearly blew a five-point lead in the final minute when Harrison Barnes missed a buzzer as the defending champions tied their first round series with the Sacramento Kings after a 126-125 win in Game 4 Sunday.
The Warriors led 126-121 going into the final 60 seconds, but gave the Kings a road back after Stephen Curry called for a timeout when they were out of time in the Chase Center.
Malik Monk hit the ensuing free throw before De’Aaron Fox’s three-pointer cut the margin to one point.
Curry then missed a pull-up shot with 14 seconds left, but the Kings couldn’t capitalize with their final possession after a timeout, when a Fox double-team found Barnes open before his attempt was nullified.
Reigning NBA Finals MVP Curry finished with 32 points on 11-of-22 shooting on five-of-11 shooting from beyond the arc, along with five rebounds and four assists.
Klay Thompson had 26 points with four 3-pointers and Jordan Poole added 22 points, while Draymond Green came off the bench after a one-game suspension with a strong showing, leading the Kings to five-for-15 as a lead defenseman.
Clutch Player of the Year Fox made everything but the final shot, scoring 38 points on 14-of-31 shooting with four three-pointers.
Keegan Murray added 23 points on five-of-seven three-point shots and Domantas Sabonis had his usual run of 14 points, seven rebounds and eight assists.
The Warriors tied the series at 2-2 heading into Game 5 in Sacramento on Wednesday. Golden State is 35-8 at home between the regular and postseason, but they’re 11-32 on the road.
Tatum and Brown led the Celtics to triumph
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown each scored 31 points as the Boston Celtics tied it 3-1 in their first-round series against the Atlanta Hawks in a 129-121 road win.
The Celtics led nearly the entire game, holding off a 68-point Hawks second half, with Tatum and Brown combining for Boston’s last 16 points to complete the win.
Tatum’s 31 points came on eight of 20 shooting from the field, including four of 13 three-pointers, with seven rebounds and three blocks. Brown hit 12-for-22 from the field with three 3-pointers.
Trae Young played well for Atlanta with 35 points and 15 assists, while De’Andre Hunter added 27 points and Dejounte Murray had 23 with nine rebounds.
The Knicks break free, the Timberwolves avoid the sweep in OT
The New York Knicks took a 3-1 lead in their first round series with the Cleveland Cavaliers after Jalen Brunson scored 29 points in Madison Square Garden to lead them to a 102-93 victory.
Donovan Mitchell played poorly, managing just 11 points on five-of-18 shooting, with Darius Garland up to 23 points and 10 assists.
But the Knicks were too strong, with RJ Barrett backing up Brunson with 26 points, while Josh Hart had 19 points and seven rebounds. Brunson hit five three-point shots, while Julius Randle sat out the fourth quarter, scoring seven points for the game.
The Minnesota Timberwolves avoided elimination and avoided a franchise win for the first time with a 114-108 overtime win over the Denver Nuggets, with Anthony Edwards providing a triple clutch to reach his 34 points. Denver center Nikola Jokic had 43 points and 11 rebounds.
