LOS ANGELES — Xavier Henry, the fourth player to start at point guard this season for the injury-ravaged Lakers, scored 21 points and Los Angeles began another long stretch without Kobe Bryant by beating the Minnesota Timberwolves 104-91.
LOS ANGELES — Xavier Henry, the fourth player to start at point guard this season for the injury-ravaged Lakers, scored 21 points and Los Angeles began another long stretch without Kobe Bryant by beating the Minnesota Timberwolves 104-91.
Pau Gasol, the only player to start all 26 games for the Lakers, had 21 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists. Nick Young scored a team-high 25 points off the bench, including a 4-point play that gave the Lakers a lead after Corey Brewer fouled him behind the arc with 2:37 left in the third quarter.
Kevin Love scored 20 of his 25 points in the first half and grabbed 13 rebounds for Minnesota, but was held scoreless in the fourth quarter. Nikola Pekovic had 22 points and 13 boards, but Brewer finished with just five points after missing all eight field goal attempts.
76ers 121, Nets 120, OT
PHILADELPHIA — Evan Turner hit the winning basket at the buzzer and scored 29 points to lead Philadelphia over Brooklyn.
Paul Pierce hit a 3-pointer with 16.9 seconds left in OT to give the Nets the short-lived lead.
Turner, sensational all game, drove past a pair of defenders and tossed up the last-gasp shot. The ball bounced three times around the rim before it dropped through the net. After a brief review, the bucket stood, Turner was mobbed by his teammates and the Sixers snapped a seven-game losing streak.
PACERS 114, ROCKETS 81
INDIANAPOLIS — Paul George had 24 points and nine rebounds and Lance Stephenson added 16 points, leading Indiana to the rout of Houston.
The Pacers ended their only two-game losing streak of the season and maintained their grip on the Eastern Conference’s best record (21-5) with their most lopsided win of the season.
Dwight Howard finished with 19 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks for the Rockets. James Harden, the NBA’s No. 6 scorer, was held in check most of the night by George, finishing with 12 points on 3-of-14 shooting.
BOBCATS 116,
PISTONS 106
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Kemba Walker scored 34 points and Al Jefferson led a fourth-quarter rally that carried Charlotte past Detroit after trailing by as many as 20.
Charlotte was down 14 after three quarters before dominating the fourth. Jefferson scored 13 points during a decisive 16-3 run.
Brandon Jennings had 26 points for Detroit, which rallied from a 21-point deficit to beat Boston on Wednesday but blew a big lead two nights later.
HEAT 122, KINGS 103
MIAMI — Chris Bosh scored 25 points, Dwyane Wade added 20 and Miami put up a season high for points in rolling past Sacramento.
LeBron James had 18 points, eight assists and six rebounds while sitting out the fourth quarter for Miami, which has won four straight overall and 18 of its last 19 against the Kings.
Ray Allen added 18 and Mario Chalmers scored 16 for Miami.
CAVALIERS 114,
BUCKS 111, OT
CLEVELAND — Kyrie Irving made four free throws in the final 21.5 seconds of overtime and finished with 39 points while battling a flu bug, leading Cleveland over short-handed Milwaukee.
Irving played despite being ill the past two days and missing practice Thursday. The All-Star guard played 43 minutes and carried the Cavs to their fifth win in six home games.
Earl Clark made a 3-pointer as the shot clock expired with 44 seconds left, and Jarrett Jack added 17 points for the Cavs.
RAPTORS 109,
MAVERICKS 108, OT
DALLAS — DeMar DeRozan scored 15 points, including the go-ahead basket on a wild shot while getting fouled in overtime, to help Toronto edge Dallas.
The Raptors held on despite 23 points and a huge fourth quarter from former teammate Jose Calderon.
Toronto trailed 108-107 after a 3-pointer by Calderon when DeRozan’s pump-fake got Brandan Wright and Shawn Marion in the air. DeRozan threw up a shot as he was bumped and it went in for the final points with 1:11 remaining.
SUNS 103, NUGGETS 99
DENVER — Markieff Morris scored 25 points and Gerald Green added 19, helping rally Phoenix past Denver.
Goran Dragic contributed 17 points, including two big layups down the stretch, in the Suns’ sixth win in seven games. They did most of their work behind the 3-point line, with Green tying a career-high with six. Phoenix was 12 of 34 from long range.
Wilson Chandler had 15 points for the Nuggets, who lost their second straight game at Pepsi Center to drop to 7-5 at home on the season. They were a franchise-best 38-3 last season.
HAWKS 118, JAZZ 85
ATLANTA — Lou Williams scored 25 points and Atlanta continued its offensive upswing in cruising past Utah to win its third straight and for fourth time in five games.
The Hawks never trailed and pushed their lead to double digits for good in the opening period.
Atlanta set a scoring high with its 124-107 win over Sacramento on Wednesday night and has topped 110 points in three straight games.
College
Hairston’s career over
at North Carolina
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — P.J. Hairston’s career is over at North Carolina.
The school said Friday that it won’t seek Hairston’s reinstatement from the NCAA after the junior committed several rule violations. Hairston hasn’t played all season while the school and NCAA worked to resolve eligibility questions, many stemming from the use of cars linked to a felon and party promoter in Durham earlier this year.
Hairston has practiced with the team and has been on the bench for home games.
The NCAA cleared senior Leslie McDonald to return earlier this week after he missed the first nine games after receiving improper benefits in a related case.
No. 2 Syracuse 75,
High Point 54
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Trevor Cooney hit five 3-pointers and scored 17 points, C.J. Fair added 15 points, and Syracuse beat High Point on Friday.
Syracuse (11-0) remained unbeaten, but it wasn’t easy. High Point (3-7) trailed by just three points at halftime and led early in the second period before Syracuse responded with a 28-3 run to put the game away.