NEW ORLEANS — Malik Beasley scored 28 points, D’Angelo Russell scored 14 of his 23 points in the second half, and the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the New Orleans Pelicans 139-134 on Tuesday night.

Zion Williamson scored 25 points and Jrue Holiday had 27 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds for New Orleans, which dropped its second straight at home and fell four games behind Memphis for the Western Conference’s final playoff spot.

The Pelicans need to pile up wins in the season’s final weeks to reach the playoffs. A game against a Minnesota team that came in having won twice in its past 22 games was a clear opportunity to win for the seventh time in 10 games.

Instead, New Orleans hurt itself by turning the ball over 15 times, missing 25 of 39 3-point attempts, missing 11 of 27 free throws and repeatedly breaking down defensively, particularly along the perimeter.

CLIPPERS 109, THUNDER 94: Kawhi Leonard scored 25 points to help visiting Los Angeles beat Oklahoma City.

Montrezl Harrell and former Thunder player Paul George each added 16 points for the Clippers, who won their fifth straight. George received a warm reception from Oklahoma City’s fans. The Thunder traded him last summer.

Dennis Schroder scored 24 points and former Clippers Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Danilo Gallinari each scored 15 for the Thunder, who lost their second straight. The 15-point margin matched Oklahoma City’s worst home loss of the season.

SPURS 104, HORNETS 103: Dejounte Murray scored 21 points and visiting San Antonio gave Tim Duncan his first victory as an acting head coach with a win over Charlotte.

Spurs longtime coach Gregg Popovich missed the game while dealing with “personal business,” according to the team. Popovich is expected to return to the bench for Friday night’s game against the Brooklyn Nets.

The team would not say if Popovich made the trip to Charlotte.

Terry Rozier had 20 points and P.J. Washington added 19 with five 3-pointers for the Hornets.

Duncan was mostly mild-mannered on the bench, not showing much emotion as the game progressed.

However, he challenged a charge call by Derrick White with 9:09 left in the fourth quarter, but the play was not overturned.

NOTES

PISTONS: Guard Derrick Rose has a sprained right ankle and is expected to be re-evaluated in two weeks.

Rose had an MRI that confirmed a grade two sprain. The 31-year-old Rose is averaging 18.1 points per game this season, his highest output since 2011-12.

NETS: Kyrie Irving underwent surgery to repair the injured right shoulder that ended his first season with the Brooklyn Nets after just 20 games.

The Nets said the procedure to relieve the impingement was performed by Dr. Riley Williams III at the Hospital for Special Surgery. The team said Irving is expected to make a full recovery.

KNICKS: Spike Lee still has his courtside seat, though the New York Knicks had to tell their superfan to find another way to get there.

Lee said he won’t be sitting there the rest of this season, anyway.

The Oscar-winning writer-director told ESPN he wouldn’t be attending another Knicks home game this season after a disagreement with Madison Square Garden officials a night earlier over which elevator he could use.

“I’m done for the season. I’m done,” Lee said on the program “First Take” while wearing a Knicks hat.

A video circulated online during New York’s 125-123 victory over Houston on Monday showing Lee getting frustrated and yelling at Garden security outside an elevator, leading to confusion that he may have been thrown out of the building.

However, a Knicks spokesman said that was untrue and that it was simply an issue of Lee using the wrong entrance.

Lee said he had has been using the employee entrance on 33rd Street for more than two decades as a season-ticket holder. The Knicks wanted him to use the entrance for celebrities, which is two blocks away.

But Lee said he had already had his ticket scanned so he refused to leave, fearing that he wouldn’t be allowed back in. He said he told security to “arrest me like my brother Charles Oakley” – a reference to the former Knicks forward’s ejection from a game and ensuing arrest in 2017.

Lee said he was not told when the elevator policy changed, adding that he used the employee entrance just last week for another event.

“They never said when the thing changed, so why not call me?” Lee said. “When my deposit’s due, this astronomical price for Knicks tickets and I’m one day late, my phone is ringing off the hook.”

Lee has long been one of the Knicks’ most visible and demonstrative fans. He spoke to MSG executive chairman James Dolan at halftime Monday and was still in his sideline seat in the fourth quarter.

The Knicks said Lee and Dolan had resolved the issue at halftime, though Lee disputed that.

“I’m being harassed by James Dolan and I don’t know why,” he said.

SUNS: Forward Kelly Oubre Jr. had surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee and will miss at least four weeks.

The 6-foot-7 Oubre has missed the past three games because of the injury and the Suns lost all of them. Oubre ranks third on the team with 18.7 points per game. He’s also averaging 6.4 rebounds.

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