Golden State Warriors star forward Kevin Durant has made "very good progress" in his recovery from a Grade 2 MCL sprain and tibial bone bruise in his left knee, the team announced Wednesday.Durant, who is four weeks removed from sustaining the injury in a 112-108 loss to the Washington Wizards on Feb. 28, is expected to participate in non-contract basketball drills as he enters the next phase of his recovery.ESPN reported Wednesday that Durant could return for the final three games of the regular season. Golden State concludes its slate with home contests against the New Orleans Pelicans on April 8, Utah Jazz two nights later and the Los Angeles Lakers on April 12."Kevin has made very good progress since suffering the injury four weeks ago in Washington," the Warriors said in a statement. "He has not experienced any setbacks to date and has progressed as well as could be expected. At this point, he is being incorporated into non-contact basketball drills -- shooting, running and jumping... [More]

The Indiana Pacers waived veteran guard Rodney Stuckey on Wednesday, clearing the way for Lance Stephenson to return to the team.Stephenson, a 6-foot-5, 230-pound free agent swingman, reached an agreement with the Pacers on a three-year, $12 million deal, league sources told ESPN. Stephenson, 26, spent the first four years of his career with the Pacers before he left for the Charlotte Hornets via free agency in the 2014 offseason. He also had stints with the Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, New Orleans Pelicans and Minnesota Timberwolves.Stephenson owns career averages of 8.7 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 352 NBA games (189 starts).Stuckey, 30, has been plagued by injuries all season. His departure comes a day after the Pacers announced he would miss four to six weeks with a strained left patellar tendon suffered Sunday.Stuckey appeared in 39 games off the bench for Indiana this season while averaging 7.2 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game.In his three seasons with the Pacers, the 6-5, 205-pound Stuckey recorded averages of 10.1 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game over 168 appearances."We want to thank Rodney for his commitment to our franchise in his three years with the Pacers," Indiana president of basketball operations Larry Bird said in a statement. "He was a positive influence not only to our team but also in the community. We wish him nothing but the best in the future."

G Jeff Teague tallied 20 points and 10 assists, but he missed a layup in the final 20 seconds and was called for a key foul on Minnesota's Ricky Rubio, who hit the winning free throws with 3.4 seconds left. "I didn't realize the shot clock had more time and I shot a bad shot just trying to get it on the rim," Teague said of his miss. "Two bad plays on my part and we lose the game."

G Ricky Rubio sank three free throws with 3.4 seconds left to lift the Timberwolves to a 115-114 victory over Indiana. Rubio was fouled by Jeff Teague. "I got the ball and tried to get a screen. I felt Teague on my arm and I tried to shoot it," said Rubio, who had 21 points, hitting a career-best 13 of 13 from the foul line.

F Paul George scored 37 points on 12-of-21 shooting in a last-second loss to Minnesota. George scored 25 points in the first half, with 13 coming in the first quarter as the Pacers led 25-24. "At this point in the season, you don't have a game like this -- being up four with under a minute (left) and let your opponent beat you -- especially a young team," George said. "It's a frustrating loss."

G Monta Ellis tied his season-high with 19 points in a 115-114 loss to Minnesota.

G Goran Dragic scored a game-high 28 points in Miami's last-second win over Detroit.

F James Johnson had 16 points and six rebounds in Miami's last-second win over Detroit.

C Hassan Whiteside tipped in the winning shot just before the buzzer, giving the Heat a 97-96 victory over the Detroit Pistons. Whiteside scored after a wild scramble during which the Heat missed two attempts on their final possession. He finished with 17 points and nine rebounds. "Hassan, maybe for the first time in his career, is playing more for the guys next to him than he is for himself, and that's what we've seen the last three games," Spoelstra said.

C Brook Lopez led the Nets with 26 points on 10-of-15 shooting. He also totaled nine rebounds and six assists but was provided little help in a 106-101 loss to Philadelphia. "I don't know if it was a combination of the juice or concentration and focus but we were just throwing a lot of balls away and just missing opportunities and making mistakes," Lopez said.

G Gerald Henderson (left hip soreness) sat out.

C Tiago Splitter made his season debut when he played seven minutes in the first half. Splitter had not played since injuring his calf Jan. 31, 2016, for the Atlanta Hawks.

F Ersan Ilyasova tallied 18 points and 12 rebounds in a 95-91 win over Phoenix.

C Dwight Howard had 15 points and 11 rebounds in a 95-91 win over Phoenix.

F Paul Millsap missed his sixth game with synovitis in his left knee. Millsap had a non-surgical procedure on the knee and will miss two more games before being re-evaluated.

G Thabo Sefolosha missed his second straight game with a right groin strain.

G Jameer Nelson led six Denver double-figure scorers with 23 points in a 122-113 loss to Portland.

G John Wall scored 34 points and handed out 14 assists as the Wizards claimed their first division crown in 38 years. "It's something that hasn't been done in a long time, so it's something we can cherish," said Wall, who scored 20 points in the second half, 12 in the third quarter.

G James Harden recorded his 20th triple-double of the season, producing 24 points, 11 rebounds and 13 assists. But he shot just 5 of 20 -- 1 of 9 on 3-pointers.

G Stephen Curry scored a game-high 32 points in a 113-106 victory over the Houston Rockets. Curry drilled a 3-pointer with 1:46 left to rebuild a double-digit lead for the Warriors (60-14), who stretched their winning streak to eight games and became the sixth team in NBA history to record three consecutive 60-win seasons.