DERRICK FAVORS

Dejounte Murray had 26 points and 12 assists and the San Antonio Spurs held on to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 122-120 on Wednesday night, snapping a two-game skid.

Devin Booker scored 30 points, Cam Johnson added 21 while making all five of his 3-point attempts and the Phoenix Suns won their fifth straight game, beating the Oklahoma City Thunder 113-101.

Kawhi Leonard and Paul George each scored 31 points — the second straight game they have both had over 30 points — and the Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Utah Jazz 118-104 in Game 4 Monday night to even their Western Conference second-round series at two games apiece.

Donovan Mitchell scored 10 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter and the top-seeded Utah Jazz beat the Memphis Grizzlies 121-111 on Saturday night to take a 2-1 lead in the first-round series.

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) shoots as Utah Jazz center Derrick Favors (15) defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)MIAMI – USA Basketball is casting a wider-than-usual net in its roster selection for this summer's rescheduled Tokyo Olympics, two people with knowledge of the situation said Saturday. The additions mean at least 60 players could be on the player-pool list that will be released by USA Basketball in the coming weeks. ESPN first reported that USA Basketball has sent approximately 60 invitations to be part of the player pool. USA Basketball is planning a training camp and exhibition games.

Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell, left, goes to the basket as New Orleans Pelicans guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)SALT LAKE CITY – Donovan Mitchell had 28 points and seven rebounds, and the Utah Jazz beat the New Orleans Pelicans 118-102 on Tuesday night for their sixth straight victory. Ball finished with seven points, four assists, and three steals. … New Orleans scored 22 points off 14 Jazz turnovers. … Derrick Favors had nine points and seven rebounds in his first game against the Pelicans after spending last season in New Orleans.

FILE - Utah Jazz's Royce O'Neale, right, defends Brooklyn Nets' Kyrie Irving (11) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in New York, in this Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2021, file photo. Kyrie Irving rejoined the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021, saying he took a leave of absence because he just needed a pause. Irving practiced with the team and could play Wednesday in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II, File)NEW YORK – Kyrie Irving rejoined the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday, saying he took a leave of absence because he “just needed a pause.”Irving practiced with the team and could play Wednesday in Cleveland. Irving said he was happy to be back with the team, which acquired James Harden during his absence.

Utah Jazz's Derrick Favors (15) defens Brooklyn Nets' Kyrie Irving (11) during the second half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2021, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)NEW YORK – Kyrie Irving's absence from the Brooklyn Nets has become a costly one. The NBA fined the point guard $50,000 on Friday for violating its health and safety protocols, and said he could return to team activities Saturday — though he won't play in the Nets' game that night. Their next game is Saturday against Orlando, though they ruled him out, listing health and safety protocols on the injury report. In December, Irving was was fined $25,000 by the NBA for not speaking to the media during preseason.

He scored 13 points in just more than 15 minutes, highlighted by a couple alley-oop dunks, one on a nearly half-court lob from Lonzo Ball. But Williamson checked out for good with 7:19 left in the fourth quarter and watched the tense finish from the sideline. Thats all it is.Jordan Clarkson scored 23 points for Utah and helped lead a second-half comeback, while Donovan Mitchell and Mike Conley each added 20. When Jordan has space on the floor to work, hes really difficult to guard," Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. The Jazz went 8 of 34 from 3-point range but scored 54 points in the paint and went 24 of 28 on foul shots.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. Zion Williamson will be out of quarantine by the time New Orleans plays in the first official game of the NBA restart at Walt Disney World. The NBA said Saturday that Williamson will have to serve a four-day quarantine for leaving the leagues Disney bubble on July 16 to tend to an urgent family matter. He returned to Disney on Friday night and immediately went into quarantine. The most important thing is we hope everythings OK with him, Pelicans forward Derrick Favors said Saturday, shortly after the NBA revealed the four-day quarantine determination. COACHES PINSNBA coaches started wearing a large pin during games this weekend, the message reading Coaches for Racial Justice.Its not uncommon for NBA coaches to wear pins or ribbons to support various causes.

New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram (14) shoots against San Antonio Spurs center Jakob Poeltl (25) in the first half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2020. – Zion Williamson scored the final point of his first NBA regular season game as a packed and standing crowd belted out chants of “M-V-P!”Then the NBA's No. With Spurs coach Gregg Popovich sending double-teams at Williamson, the rookie struggled to find his shot during the first three quarters. Williamson came into the game knowing his playing time would be limited — even though he started. Pelicans: Jrue Holiday scored 12 points.