NBA Wrap: Spurs aren’t far behind the Warriors, game-winners highlight Tuesday’s action
THE San Antonio Spurs blew out the 76ers and are closing in on the Warriors, and some late game heroics highlight Tuesday’s NBA action.
THE San Antonio Spurs blew out the 76ers and are closing in on the Warriors, and some late game heroics highlight Tuesday’s NBA action.
A recap of the day’s events is in the NBA Wrap.
AUSSIES IN ACTION
Aron Baynes posted eight points, three rebounds, one assist and four steals in the Detroit Piston’s 104-84 loss to the Charlotte Hornets.
In the San Antonio Spurs’ 119-68 rout of the Philadelphia 76ers, Patty Mills finished with four points and four assists.
TORONTO RAPTORS 102 — LOS ANGELES LAKERS 93
Kyle Lowry scored 27 points, Terrence Ross added 22 and Bismack Biyombo had a career-high 15 points and 13 rebounds as the Toronto Raptors snapped a three-game skid with a 102-93 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night.
In what was almost certainly his last NBA appearance in Canada, Kobe Bryant shot 8 of 16 for 21 points as the Raptors swept the season series from the Lakers for the first time.
Bryant’s every touch drew chants almost throughout, and his only successful 3-pointer was met with thunderous applause in the fourth quarter as the Lakers attempted to mount a rally. Bryant exited for the final time with 24.6 seconds remaining to a standing ovation.
CHARLOTTE HORNETS 104 — DETROIT PISTONS 84
Cody Zeller scored 20 points and Charlotte snapped Detroit’s four-game winning streak.
Marvin Williams added 14 points and 12 rebounds, and Kemba Walker had 14 points and nine rebounds for Charlotte, which has won seven of nine. Nicolas Batum added 13 points, eight assists and seven rebounds in another solid all-around game for the Hornets (12-8).
The Pistons (12-10) were led by Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s 16 points and Ersan Ilyasova’s 15 points and 11 rebounds.
Charlotte, which has struggled all season on the glass, outrebounded Detroit 57-41 despite playing without injured center Al Jefferson.
PHILADELPHIA 76ERS 68 — SAN ANTONIO SPURS 119
With new front office executive Jerry Colangelo sitting courtside, the Philadelphia 76ers showed him just how far away they are from becoming a competitive franchise.
Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Kawhi Leonard all sat out and the San Antonio Spurs still rolled past the Sixers, 119-68 on Monday night.
LeMarcus Aldridge led the Spurs with 26 points and nine rebounds and Tony Parker scored 12 points.
Coach Gregg Popovich rested Duncan and Ginoboli against the hapless Sixers and Leonard was ill.
Robert Covington, Nik Stauskas and Nerlens Noel each scored 13 points for Philadelphia, which fell to 1-21.
MIAMI HEAT 103 — WASHINGTON WIZARDS 114
John Wall scored 26 points one night after leaving a game with a sore knee and Gary Neal added 21 including a debated 3-pointer with just over a minute left to lead Washington.
Bradley Beal scored 21 and Otto Porter finished with 13 points and 14 rebounds for the Wizards, who never trailed in the fourth.
The Heat argued that Beal traveled when he lost control of the ball and regained it under the basket with 1:10 remaining. Beal sent it to Neal for a 3 from the right corner that put Washington up five and essentially served as the clincher.
Miami’s Chris Bosh was ejected for arguing calls and non-calls with 28 seconds remaining, the second ejection of his 13-year career.
Dwyane Wade led Miami with 26 points. Goran Dragic added 20 and Bosh scored 18 for the Heat, who fell from the No. 1 spot in the Eastern Conference.
NEW YORK KNICKS 97 — DALLAS MAVERICKS 104
Dirk Nowitzki scored 25 points and Dallas withstood a comeback attempt sparked by Kristaps Porzingis to beat New York.
Porzingis finished with 28 points in his first matchup with Nowitzki, the German great he has been compared to for his perimeter shooting skills by a 7-footer.
The Latvian rookie made consecutive 3-pointers as the Knicks cut what had been a 23-point deficit to 101-97 with 43 seconds left, then blocked Deron Williams’ shot. But Carmelo Anthony was called for an offensive foul as the Knicks were trying to work to get the ball to Porzingis for another shot, and Nowitzki followed with a free throw before Williams made two more to close it out.
Williams had 20 points and seven assists.
CHICAGO BULLS 101 — PHOENIX SUNS 103
Mirza Teletovic scored 21 points, including a follow basket with 0.3 seconds left, to cap Phoenix’s furious fourth-quarter rally from 16 points down.
Brandon Knight had 17 of his 21 points in the fourth to snap a four-game skid. Phoenix outscored Chicago 42-24 in the final period.
Pau Gasol scored 22 points to lead the Bulls, Jimmy Butler added 19 and Derrick Rose 14.
Chicago led most of the way and its advantage grew to 77-61 entering the fourth quarter as Phoenix was held to 10 points on 4 of 20 shooting in the third.
MILWAUKEE BUCKS 90 — PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS 88
Greg Monroe’s layup put Milwaukee ahead with seconds left and John Henson swatted away Meyers Leonard’s potential game-winning shot to help the Bucks edge Portland.
O.J. Mayo hit a 3-pointer that cut Portland’s lead to 88-87 with 16.3 seconds left, and Michael Carter-Williams tied up CJ McCollum on the inbounds play. Carter-Williams won the jump ball and the Bucks worked it down low to Monroe.
The Trail Blazers had one last chance, but Henson deflected Leonard’s in-close shot to preserve the win.
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 17, Monroe added 16 points and 12 rebounds, and Mayo had 15 points for Milwaukee, which had lost 10 of 14.
Damian Lillard scored 23 for Portland, which fell to 0-7 when failing to score 100 points.
MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES 106 — LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS 110
DeAndre Jordan had 20 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks to lift Los Angeles over Minnesota.
Blake Griffin had 16 points and 11 rebounds, and Chris Paul made a surprise return to the lineup after missing the previous two games with a rib injury for the Clippers (12-9), who have won five of six. Paul finished with 14 points and five assists in 32 minutes.
Karl-Anthony Towns had 18 points on 7-for-9 shooting, including 3 of 3 from 3-point range for the Timberwolves (8-12), who fell to 2-9 at home. Zach LaVine scored 21 and Shabazz Muhammad added 13 points and nine rebounds.
Los Angeles went 26 for 29 at the free throw line and even Jordan was 4 of 6.
The Clippers trailed 98-95 with a minute to play, but Jordan threw down an alley-oop and then blocked a shot by LaVine. Griffin scored on a layup for a 99-98 lead with 25 seconds to play. The Clippers won a free throw shooting contest down the stretch.
NEW ORLEANS PELICANS 93 — BOSTON CELTICS 111
Isaiah Thomas scored 22 points, Kelly Olynyk added 21 in a reserve role and Boston defeated struggling New Orleans.
Jae Crowder scored 17 for the Celtics, while Jared Sullinger tied a career high with 20 rebounds to go with 11 points.
Seemingly out of rhythm after early foul trouble, Anthony Davis was 8-of-21 shooting and finished with 16 points and three blocks. Ryan Anderson scored 18 for the Pelicans, but New Orleans’ starting backcourt struggled. Tyreke Evans and Eric Gordon were held scoreless and wound up playing limited minutes.
Originally published as NBA Wrap: Spurs aren’t far behind the Warriors, game-winners highlight Tuesday’s action
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