NBA: Raptors snap Spurs’ 4-game winning streak
TORONTO — DeMar DeRozan scored 28 points, Kyle Lowry added 19 and the Toronto Raptors snapped the San Antonio Spurs’ four-game winning streak with a 97-94 victory on Wednesday night.
Luis Scola had 16 points and Toronto never trailed in handing San Antonio just its third loss in the last 18 games.
Manu Ginobili had 17 points off the bench for the Spurs, who also got 13 points from LaMarcus Aldridge.
Danny Green hit a 3-pointer following a timeout to make it a three-point game with 2:47 to play, but Bismack Biyombo threw down a dunk to restore the Raptors’ five-point edge.
Kawhi Leonard’s follow shot later narrowed the advantage to three, but Toronto was able to run out the clock.
GRIZZLIES 93,
PISTONS 92
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Matt Barnes tossed in a desperation 3-pointer from just inside midcourt with 1.1 seconds left to lift Memphis over Detroit.
Marcus Morris missed a contested shot with 7 seconds left that could have clinched the game for the Pistons, and Andre Drummond’s tip bounced off the rim.
The Grizzlies grabbed the ball and fired an outlet pass to Barnes. He let go a running, two-handed shot as he crossed halfcourt that went in, silencing the Palace crowd as players on the Memphis bench celebrated.
Morris missed another tough shot at the buzzer, and the Pistons lost their second straight following a four-game winning streak.
Zach Randolph led Memphis with 21 points and 16 rebounds, while Marc Gasol had 19 points and 12 rebounds.
Drummond had 18 points and 19 rebounds for the Pistons. Reggie Jackson added 18 points and seven assists.
CELTICS 105,
BULLS 100
BOSTON — Isaiah Thomas scored nine of his 20 points in the final 3 minutes to lead Boston past Chicago.
Kelly Olynyk added 15 points, Jae Crowder and Evan Turner each had 13 and David Lee scored 12 for the Celtics, who had eight players in double figures and won for the fourth time in five games.
They host undefeated Golden State next on Friday.
Jimmy Butler led Chicago with a season-high 36 points, and Pau Gasol had his fifth straight double-double with 16 points and 15 rebounds. Derrick Rose added 12 points for the Bulls, who lost their third straight.
ROCKETS 109,
WIZARDS 103
WASHINGTON — James Harden had 42 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in Houston’s victory over Washington.
Harden scored 23 in the second half a day after he finished with a season-low 10 points in a loss at Brooklyn.
Corey Brewer added 15 points and Patrick Beverly had 14 to help Houston to its fourth win in five games.
John Wall had 26 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds for Washington. Marcin Gortat tied a season high with 18 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in his first game back after missing three for personal reasons.
With the game tied at 99, Harden stepped back to hit a 16-foot jumper over Bradley Beal, absorbed Beal’s foul and hit a free throw to put Houston up by three with 2:13 left.
HORNETS 99,
HEAT 81
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Kemba Walker and Marvin Williams scored 18 points apiece to lead Charlotte past Miami for its third straight victory.
Tyler Johnson scored 20 for Miami, which had won three of four. Dwyane Wade and Gerald Green each added 11.
Nicolas Batum and Jeremy Lamb had 10 points apiece for the Hornets, who learned earlier in the day the NBA suspended injured center Al Jefferson for five games for violating the terms of the NBA/NBPA Anti-Drug Program.
Jefferson, out with a strained left calf, will begin to serve the suspension when he returns to action.
TIMBERWOLVES 123,
LAKERS 122, OT
MINNEAPOLIS — Kevin Martin scored 37 points and Karl-Anthony Towns had 26 points and 14 rebounds to lift Minnesota over Los Angeles in overtime.
Martin went 6 for 9 from 3-point range and scored 17 in the fourth quarter to help the Timberwolves (9-12) improve to 3-9 at home. Towns made 11 of 19 shots and tied a career high for rebounds.
D’Angelo Russell scored a career-high 23 points and Julius Randle had 20 points and 12 rebounds for the Lakers (3-19) in what was likely Kobe Bryant’s last game in Minnesota. Bryant scored 11 points on 5-for-13 shooting in 24 minutes.
The Lakers had a chance to win in overtime, but Russell and Roy Hibbert missed jumpers in the final 9.4 seconds.
CLIPPERS 109,
BUCKS 95
MILWAUKEE — J.J. Redick scored a season-high 31 points and Los Angeles pulled away in the second half against Milwaukee.
Redick, who averaged 24 points in two games against the Bucks last season, once again tormented his former team, scoring 15 in the third quarter.
Blake Griffin had 21 points and 14 rebounds, and Chris Paul added 18 points and 18 assists for the Clippers, who won their third straight. DeAndre Jordan had 19 rebounds.
Michael Carter-Williams finished with 20 points and 11 assists for the Bucks.
HAWKS 98,
MAVERICKS 95
DALLAS — Paul Millsap scored 20 points, including a jumper that capped Atlanta’s game-turning run in the final minutes against Dallas.
The Hawks trailed 93-89 with 3:07 to play before Millsap scored four points in a 7-0 spurt. He also led Atlanta with 11 rebounds.
The Mavericks inbounded with 11.4 seconds left after Jeff Teague hit two free throws to put the Hawks ahead 98-95. Deron Williams’ long 3-point attempt at the buzzer banged off the rim.
Williams led the Mavericks with 18 points. Zaza Pachulia had 11 points and 17 rebounds.
Teague and Al Horford added 14 points apiece for Atlanta, which won consecutive games for the first time since a seven-game winning streak that ended in early November.
The Mavericks shot 36 percent, their worst mark of the season.
JAZZ 106,
KNICKS 85
SALT LAKE CITY — Gordon Hayward scored 24 points and Utah bullied New York from start to finish.
Hayward shot 9 for 14 from the field, including four 3-pointers, to go with four rebounds and five assists.
The Jazz led 70-37 early in the third quarter for their largest lead in any game this season.
Hayward and Derrick Favors combined to score 15 of Utah’s first 18 points as the Jazz sprinted out to an 18-4 lead. The game was never competitive afterward.
Favors finished with 20 and eight rebounds.
Carmelo Anthony never found a groove, scoring 12 points on 3-for-11 shooting. The 21-point loss was the worst of the season for New York.
SUNS 107,
MAGIC 104
PHOENIX — Brandon Knight scored 17 of his 21 points in the second half, and Alex Len set career highs with 20 points and 14 rebounds as Phoenix beat Orlando.
Eric Bledsoe made a tiebreaking layup for the Suns with 1:11 left and finished with 21 points and nine assists. The Magic had a couple of chances to tie in the final 30 seconds but turned the ball over, and Victor Oladipo and Evan Fournier missed potential tying 3-pointers in the final 5 seconds.
Nicola Vucevic led Orlando with 21 points and 11 rebounds, but missed a short putback in the final minute that could have tied it.