Warriors outlast Lakers in thriller; Heat piles on Nets' woes

MANILA, Philippines — The Golden State Warriors halted a two-game losing streak with an 117-115 squeaker over the Los Angeles Lakers at Chase Center on Saturday (Sunday, Manila time).

Led by Klay Thompson's 16 points in the final salvo, the Warriors were able to hold on for the win and send the Lakers to their 3rd straight loss.

Golden State averted disaster late in the game when Steph Curry fouled LeBron James on a three-point attempt.

James missed a crucial free throw that forced him to have to miss intentionally in his last attempt to have a shot at winning the game.

Though he was able to grab the missed shot, he was unable to get a shot up as the clock expired.

Thompson finished with a game-high 33 points to pace the Warriors to victory.

Curry, meanwhile, finished with 24 points, eight assists, and five rebounds.

James top scored for the Lakers in the loss with 26 markers.

Elsewhere, the losing slump continues for the Brooklyn Nets as they absorbed a 111-115 loss against the Miami Heat in Florida.

Lockdown defense by the Heat, who were ahead by a bucket 113-111, in the final 13.8 seconds of the game resulted in a defensive stop to hold on for the win.

PJ Tucker tacked on two free throws with 2.1 remaining to arrive at the final score.

Seven different Heat players finished in twin-digit scoring led by Bam Adebayo's 19 points.

In the other games, a 114-124 defeat at the hands of the San Antonio Spurs soured a stellar debut for CJ McCollum with the New Orleans Pelicans.

McCollum finished with 36 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists for his new team but was unable to take the win.

For the Spurs, they were led by Dejounte Murray's near-triple double of 31 points, seven boards, and 12 assists.

Joel Embiid, for his part, led the Philadelphia 76ers to a 103-93 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

He posted MVP-esque numbers of 40 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 assists.

The Denver Nuggets, meanwhile, squeaked past the Toronto Raptors, 110-109.

DeMar DeRozan also continues to be efficient for the Chicago Bulls as he scored 38 points en route ot their 106-101 win over the OKC Thunder.

The LA Clippers, in the other game, edged the Dallas Mavericks, 99-97.

The Phoenix Suns also took a victory on Saturday (Sunday in Manila) to retain the best record in the NBA at 46-10 with a 132-105 drubbing of the Orlando Magic.

The Portland Trail Blazers, the Memphis Grizzlies, and the Sacramento Kings wrapped up the day with wins over their respective opponents as well.