NBA superstar’s hilariously petty move; Giddey stars as ‘three-headed monster’ explodes: Wrap

Kendrick Perkins caused a stir last week when he accused Denver Nuggets superstar and back-to-back reigning MVP Nikola Jokic of stat-padding.

No one really took Perkins’ claim that seriously but the former NBA player turned ESPN analyst may have a new target for his stat-padding concerns.

Giannis Antetokounmpo needed just one rebound to secure his fourth-triple double of the season.

And with the Milwaukee Bucks guaranteed of a win, up 117-111 against the Washington Wizards with the seconds ticking down on the clock, Antetokounmpo had to make a decision.

He could either dribble the ball on the spot, like most players do, until time expired or even potentially take the easy layup as the Wizards defenders gave him a clear path to the rim.

Antetokounmpo though took the third option, intentionally missing the layup to grab an offensive rebound and officially record a triple-double.

None of Antetokounmpo’s teammates could really have an issue with the move though after the two-time MVP scored or assisted on the Bucks’ first 25 points to start the fourth quarter.

Antetokounmpo had a season-high 13 assists in the win to go with 23 points and three blocks while three of Milwaukee’s other starters also had double figures.

Jevon Carter, meanwhile, hit six 3-pointers for 20 points off the bench as Australian Joe Ingles added 14 points of his own in the Bucks’ victory.

Giddey ties career-high in crucial Thunder win

Elsewhere, Josh Giddey tied his career high for 3-pointers made with four in a 129-119 win over the Utah Jazz.

The Australian fell agonisingly short of a triple-double, finishing the game with 24 points, nine rebounds, nine assists and two steals while shooting 10-16 from the field including 4-for-6 from deep.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, meanwhile, led the way for the Thunder with 38 points in his first game back from an abdominal injury while Jalen Williams exploded for 32 points.

“I think the three of us are all getting better for sure,” Gilgeous-Alexander said of himself, Williams and Giddey.

“The three of us are a big part of the future here.”

Knicks young gun announces himself in double OT thriller

Immanuel Quickley has everything under control.

Without the injured Jalen Brunson, the third-year guard carried the Knicks in crunch time as New York scored a thrilling 131-129 double-overtime win over the Boston Celtics.

His career-high 38 points in an exhausting 55 minutes led coach Tom Thibodeau’s team to yet another dramatic win that sent the Knicks to their NBA-leading ninth straight victory.

With Julius Randle clearly out of gas, Quickley scored seven points in the second overtime and the Knicks prevailed when Al Horford’s 3-pointer was off the mark at the buzzer.

With the victory, the white-hot Knicks (39-27) equaled the Celtics for the most road wins in the NBA (20) and moved back to within a game of the fourth-place Cavaliers.

Randle had 31 points, nine rebounds and four assists, RJ Barrett added 29 points and 11 rebounds and Mitchell Robinson had 13 points and 14 rebounds.

Jayson Tatum scored 40 for the Celtics, but made just 12 of 30 shots from the field. Jaylen Brown chipped in 29.

Booker, Luka in fiery ending to Suns-Mavs thriller

Kevin Durant produced a 37-point masterpiece as the Phoenix Suns defeated Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks 130-126 in a fiery Western Conference NBA duel.

A much-hyped clash which pitted Durant against former Brooklyn team-mate Kyrie Irving did not disappoint with 13 lead changes in a contest that went down to the wire.

Durant, traded to Phoenix in a blockbuster move from the Nets last month, delivered a signature performance to guide the Suns to a gutsy victory on the road.

The 34-year-old scored the go-ahead basket with less than 12 seconds remaining before adding two late free throws to ice the game.

Durant received support from Devin Booker, who added 36 points, 10 assists and five rebounds, while Chris Paul added 11 points.

Doncic meanwhile finished with 34 points for Dallas with Irving contributing 30 points and Tim Hardaway Jr. adding 21 off the bench.

Tempers flared in the dying seconds with Doncic and Booker going nose-to-nose after the Slovenian squandered a relatively straightforward chance to tie the game with six seconds remaining.

Doncic confronted Booker after the Phoenix star appeared to taunt the Dallas talisman for the miss, triggering a confrontation between players from both teams.

ESPN reporter Tim MacMahon tweeted that Doncic told Booker to “shut the f*** up” before the pair came together.

Both players were asked about the exchange after the game, with Booker revealing he was actually talking to the referee at the time and accusing Doncic of starting the exchange.

“I’m not here to tattle tale,” said Booker when asked what was said.

“I was talking to the ref. He said something to me the first time, I responded. You guys say you don’t want everybody to be friendly-friendly. There you go, we got some smoke.”

Doncic did not want to offer much either, although he still took a cheeky jab at Booker in the process.

“It’s fine,” the Mavericks superstar said.

“It’s just a competitive game. All good. Next time, just don’t wait until there’s three seconds left to talk.”

Phoenix improved 36-29 to stay in fourth spot in the West while Dallas fell to 33-32. The Mavs are in seventh, just outside the automatic postseason places.

Davis stands tall as Lakers claim crucial win

In Los Angeles, Anthony Davis once again came up big for the Lakers in the absence of the injured LeBron James to help secure victory over the Warriors.

Davis finished with 39 points, eight rebounds and six assists as six Lakers players finished in double figures.

The Lakers sprinted into a 20-point lead in the first quarter and then held off a second half rally from the NBA champions.

“We knew it was going to be a battle, guys made plays, guys stepped up and we buckled down defensively,” Davis said afterwards.

“They’re the defending champions and they know how to play when they’re down. We just kept battling, weathered the storm and came out with the victory.”

The returning Curry meanwhile led the Golden State scoring with 27 points while Klay Thompson added 22.

The Warriors fell to 34-31 with the loss and are fifth in the Western Conference. The Lakers improved to 31-34, and are just outside play-in places.

Nets improve playoff prospects as Bridges goes off

Elsewhere, Ben Simmons remained sidelined as the Brooklyn Nets scored a 102-86 win over the Charlotte Hornets.

Mikal Bridges had 19 points in the first quarter, along with 33 for the game, and paced a balanced offensive performance, blending with a Brooklyn defence that held the Hornets to 41 points in the first half.

The Nets (36-28) secured their first set of back-to-back wins since the Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant trades.

With last-place Houston awaiting, their first three-game winning streak since December sits within reach.

Following a difficult stretch playing the Bucks, Knicks and Celtics in consecutive games, the Nets are within a two-game span where it should be easier for them to emerge with wins — and easier to maintain their grip on a playoff position that started to slip away with just three wins in nine games following the trade deadline.

The Hornets had previously lost LaMelo Ball for the season, and the Rockets have won 14 games all year.

Other scores

Chicago Bulls 122 defeated by Indiana Pacers 125

Orlando Magic 119 defeated by Portland Trail Blazers 122

Houston Rockets 142 defeat San Antonio Spurs 110

Los Angeles Clippers 135 defeat Memphis Grizzlies 129