NEW YORK (AP) — Franz Wagner had 20 points, nine rebounds, eight assists and two blocks, and the Orlando Magic claimed their sixth straight win, and second in three days over the Nets, with a 100-92 victory against Brooklyn on Sunday.
Goga Bitadze added 12 points and 13 rebounds, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had 16 points and Wendell Carter Jr. had 14 points and seven rebounds to help Orlando claim its 12th win in its past 13 games despite committing a season-high 22 turnovers.
Cam Johnson led Brooklyn with 26 points, and Dennis Schroder added 20 points and seven assists.
After an evenly matched first half that featured 14 lead changes and 11 ties, Orlando did its best to take control in the third quarter by outscoring Brooklyn 25-19. Despite losing second-leading scorer Jalen Suggs, who picked up his fifth foul at the 10:41 mark, the Magic went on a 17-6 run and built their largest lead, 69-59.
But Brooklyn did not wilt. The Nets opened the fourth quarter with a 7-0 run, with Schroder scoring five points, including a three-point play that gave them the lead 76-75 with 10:45 left.
GRIZZLIES 136, PACERS 121
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Jaren Jackson Jr. had 25 points, eight rebounds and three blocks as Memphis erased a 19-point first-half deficit and defeated Indiana.
Ja Morant finished with 19 points and eight assists, and Marcus Smart and Desmond Bane added 16 points each as Memphis won its sixth straight.
Bennedict Mathurin led the Pacers with 19 points and nine rebounds, part of six Indiana players finishing in double figures. Pascal Siakam scored 17 points and handed out six assists, and Obi Toppin had 16 points and eight rebounds.
The Pacers got some help on the injury front as starting guard Andrew Nembhard returned after missing 14 games in November with left knee inflammation. His 14 first-half points helped Indiana to a double-digit lead. He did not play in the second half as he was on limited minutes.
CAVALIERS 115, CELTICS 111
CLEVELAND (AP) — Donovan Mitchell scored 20 of his 35 points in the fourth quarter as Cleveland ended Boston’s seven-game winning streak with a victory over the Celtics in the second intense matchup between the Eastern Conference’s top teams this season.
Mitchell made all six field-goal attempts — including four 3-pointers — in the fourth as the Cavs overcame a 12-point deficit. The All-Star guard scored 30 points in the second half after going just 2 of 8 from the floor in the first.
Darius Garland added 22 points for Cleveland, which got some revenge on Boston after the defending NBA champions handed the Cavs their first loss on Nov. 19 following a 15-0 start.
Jayson Tatum scored 33 points and Payton Pritchard 24 for the Celtics, who led 93-81 in the fourth before Mitchell took over. Kristaps Porzingis added 21 points for Boston.
The Celtics played without two starters: Jaylen Brown (illness) and Derrick White (foot sprain).
KNICKS 118, PELICANS 85
NEW YORK (AP) — Mikal Bridges scored 31 points, Karl-Anthony Towns had 14 points and 19 rebounds, and New York beat injury-depleted New Orleans Pelicans.
Bridges, who was benched in the fourth quarter of Friday’s victory at Charlotte, rebounded by shooting 12 for 19 from the field and 7 for 12 from 3 for the Knicks, who have won seven of their last 10 games.
Jalen Brunson had 16 points and Miles McBride chipped in 13 points off the bench.
CJ McCollum had 13 points and Trey Murphy III and Yves Missi each scored 11 for the Pelicans, who have lost eight consecutive games and 14 of 15.
The Knicks held the Pelicans to 28 points in the first half.
New Orleans shot 35 for 94 from the field and made just four of their 27 attempts from beyond the arc.
RAPTORS 119, HEAT 116
TORONTO (AP) — RJ Barrett scored 37 points, Scottie Barnes had 23 points and 10 rebounds, and Toronto beat Miami Heat.
Jakob Poeltl had 17 points and 11 rebounds and rookie Ja’Kobe Walter scored 12 points as Toronto improved to 5-4 at home.
Barrett shot 15 for 20 and made all four of his free-throw attempts. He finished 3 for 4 from 3-point range.
Barnes had his sixth career triple-double in Friday’s loss at Miami and narrowly missed his seventh Sunday, when he finished with nine assists.
Tyler Herro scored 31 points and Jimmy Butler added 17 but Miami lost for the first time in three games. The Heat have not won three straight so far this season.
Herro shot 6 for 12 from long range but missed a 3 that would have tied the score with 29 seconds left.
ROCKETS 119, THUNDER 116
HOUSTON (AP) — Fred VanVleet had a season-high 38 points and Dillon Brooks made a go-ahead jump shot late to help Houston to a win over Oklahoma City.
The game was tied at 113 when Brooks hit the short jumper in the lane just before the shot clock expired to put the Rockets on top with 33.1 seconds to go.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander missed a shot on the other end and Brooks grabbed the rebound. VanVleet was fouled and made both free throws to make it 117-113 with 4.6 seconds remaining.
Jalen Williams got the Thunder within 1 on a 3-pointer with 2.4 seconds left, but VanVleet made two more free throws to secure the win.
LAKERS 105, JAZZ 104
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Anthony Davis had 33 points and 11 rebounds, LeBron James added 27 points and 14 assists, and short-handed Los Angeles beat Utah.
After James missed a 3-pointer — his 10th attempt of the night — in the closing seconds, Utah had a chance to win the game but Collin Sexton fumbled the inbounds pass and couldn’t get a shot off before the buzzer.
James made a running left-handed hook with 41.0 seconds left but Walker Kessler made a putback on the other end to keep the Jazz within a basket.
Lauri Markkanen scored 22 points and John Collins had 21 but the Jazz lost for the eighth time inin agonizing fashion, their eighth loss in the last nine games.
MAVERICKS , TRAIL BLAZERS
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Luka Doncic returned from a wrist injury and had 36 points in the Dallas Mavericks’ victory over the Portland Trail Blazers.
Doncic, who missed five games, also had 13 assists in the Mavericks’ fourth straight win.
The Mavs were missing Kyrie Irving, who had 30 points in a 106-94 win Saturday over the Utah Jazz, because of a sore shoulder. The Mavs were also without Klay Thompson (left foot), Dereck Lively II (right knee) and Naji Marshall (illness).
Anfernee Simons had 27 points, including six 3-pointers, for the Blazers.
Dallas led by 112-101 after Spencer Dinwiddie’s 3-pointer in the fourth quarter, but the Blazers came back to tie it at 127 on Deni Avdija’s three-point play with 1:54 left.
P.J. Washington answered with a 3-pointer from the baseline for Dallas and the Blazers couldn’t catch up.
SPURS , KINGS
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Victor Wembanyama had 34 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists for his first triple-double of the season, and San Antonio beat Sacramento for their fifth win in six games.
Devin Vassell added 21 points off the bench for San Antonio. Chris Paul finished with 13 points.
DeRozan had 28 points to lead the Kings, who led by 17 points in the first quarter and were up 65-58 at halftime.
The Spurs used a 19-7 run to take a third-quarter lead, but the Kings responded to lead 97-92 heading into the fourth.
Wembanyama finished with five 3-pointers and had 13 points in the fourth quarter. With the Spurs ahead by two, Paul made a 3-pointer with 20 seconds remaining.
Keldon Johnson split free throws with the Spurs ahead by two with 9 seconds left, but got his own offensive rebound. Paul made two free throws with 5.5 seconds to go to put San Antonio up five, and Domantas Sabonis hit a 3-pointer for Sacramento at the buzzer for the final margin.
CLIPPERS 126, NUGGETS 122
INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — James Harden scored 39 points — making all 13 of his free throws — and Los Angeles overcame Nikola Jokic’s triple-double to beat Denver.
Jokic finished with 28 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists for his eighth triple-double of the season.
Harden narrowly missed a triple-double of his own, finishing with nine rebounds and 11 assists.
Norman Powell added 28 points for the Clippers in his return after missing six games because of an injury.
Harden made three 3-pointers in the first half, giving him 3,000 in his career.
The Associated Press