Red-Hot Rockets Get Past Magic
(Orlando, FL) — The Rockets racked up their seven straight win as they got past the Magic, 100-93, in Orlando. Ryan Anderson scored all 19 of his points in the second half and James Harden added 14 points and 10 assists. The Rockets took over in the third quarter and improved to 29-and-9. D.J. Augustin led Orlando with 19 points. Serge Ibaka put up 16 points and 12 boards for the Magic, who have dropped four of their past five games.
Wizards Work Over Timberwolves
(Washington, DC) — All five Wizard starters scored in double figures as they worked over the Timberwolves, 112-105, in DC. John Wall led the charge with 18 points and 18 assists for the Wiz. Bradley Beal scored 22 as Washington outscored Minnesota, 32-20, in the final quarter. The Wiz moved to 17-and-18 overall and 14-and-6 at home. Andrew Wiggins piled up 41 points for the T-Wolves, who fell to 11-and-25. Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 18 points and 10 assists.
Knicks Storm Back, Clip Bucks
(Milwaukee, WI) — The Knicks erased a 13-point fourth quarter deficit to take out the Bucks 116-111 in Milwaukee. Carmelo Anthony led the charge with 26 points and 10 assists as New York snapped a six-game slide. Kristaps Porzingis contributed 24 before fouling out late in the final quarter. Derrick Rose finished with 12 points and the Knicks moved to 17-and-19. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jabari Parker paced the Bucks with 25 points apiece in defeat. Greg Monroe added 19 off the bench, Milwaukee drops to 18-and-17.
Celtics Hang On, Clip Sixers
(Boston, MA) — Avery Bradley scored 26 points with nine rebounds to lead the Celtics past the Sixers 110-106 at the TD Garden. Isaiah Thomas added 24 as Boston won for the ninth time in the last 11 games. Al Horford finished with 19 points and 12 boards in the winning effort. The Celtics improved to 22-and-14. Joel Embiid paced Philadelphia with 23 points and eight rebounds in defeat. T.J. McConnell dished out 17 assists. The Sixers haven’t won three-straight games since 2014.
Cavaliers Roll Nets
(Brooklyn, NY) — LeBron James and Kyrie Irving put on a show as the Cavaliers rolled the Nets, 116-108, in Brooklyn. James finished with 36 points, nine rebounds and six assists for Cleveland, and Irving put up 32 in the victory. The Cavs led by 16 after three quarters and cruised. Bojan Bogdanovic scored 23 to lead the Nets. Caris LeVert added 19 off the bench as Brooklyn dropped to 8-and-27.
Clippers Top Kings
(Sacramento, CA) — Austin Rivers scored 24 to lead the Clippers past the Kings 106-98 in Sacramento. Chris Paul added 14 points and 12 assists as Los Angeles earned its third straight victory. DeAndre Jordan dropped 20 to go along with nine rebounds in the winning effort. J.J. Reddick made five three-pointers and finished with 19 points for the Clips. DeMarcus Cousins paced the Kings with 25 points and 11 boards in defeat. Darren Collison added 20 and Sacramento has lost four-of-five.
Lakers Light Up Heat
(Los Angeles, CA) — The Lakers pulled away after a near-scuffle as they lit up the Heat, 127-100, in Los Angeles. Jordan Clarkson and Goran Dragic were each ejected after almost coming to blows midway through the third quarter. Lou Williams led L.A. with 24 points off the bench, and Luol Deng and D’Angelo Russell scored 19 points each. The Lakers are 14-and-26. Willie Reed had 22 points and 12 boards for Miami, and James Johnson scored 20. The Heat have dropped seven of their past eight games.
Grizzlies Stun Warriors
(Oakland, CA) — The Grizzlies outscored the Warriors 49-21 in the fourth quarter and overtime as they escaped with a 128-119 win in Oakland. Mike Conley finished with 27 points and 12 assists for Memphis, which has given Golden State two of its six losses this season. Zach Randolph poured in 27 points, 11 rebound and six dimes in the win. Steph Curry piled up 40 points for the Warriors. Kevin Durant finished with 27 points and 14 boards in the loss.
Four-Goal First Lifts Leafs Past Devils
(Newark, NJ) — A four-goal first period lifted the Maple Leafs past the Devils, 4-2, in Newark. In a five-minute, 49-second span, Nazem Kadri, Connor Brown, Auston Matthews, and Tyler Bozak all lit the lamp for Toronto, with three goals coming on power plays and the other shorthanded. Frederik Andersen piled up 30 saves for the Leafs, who have won six of their past seven games. P.A. Parenteau and Jon Merrill lit the lamp for New Jersey in the third to prevent the shutout. The Devils dropped to 16-17-and-7 with the loss.
Panthers Slip Past Predators
(Sunrise, FL) – Jonathan Marchessault scored the tie-breaking goal with 9:53 left in the third period as the Panthers slipped past the Predators, 2-1, at the BB&T Center. Gregg McKegg started the scoring in the first for Florida. James Reimer stopped 26 shots as the Panthers moved to 17-15-and-8. Craig Smith scored Nashville’s lone goal in the third. The Preds have lost four of their past six games.
Blackhawks Down Hurricanes
(Chicago, IL) — An early two-goal lead held up as the Blackhawks downed the Hurricanes, 2-1, at the United Center. Jonathan Toews [[ taves ]] opened the scoring in the first period and Artemi Panarin padded the lead in the second. Scott Darling racked up 39 saves as Chicago won its second straight game. Victor Rask scored for Carolina late in the second. The ‘Canes have dropped three of their past four games.
Avalanche Clip Islanders In Overtime
(Denver, CO) — Nathan MacKinnon scored with 17-seconds left in overtime to lift the Avalanche past the Islanders 2-1 at the Pepsi Center. MacKinnon also assisted on Gabriel Landeskog’s first-period goal that put Colorado on the board. Calvin Pickard made 35 saves in the winning effort. The Avs won at home for the first time in 10 games dating back to November. Johnny Boychuk scored the lone goal for New York in defeat. Thomas Greiss stopped 37 shots, the Islanders fell to 15-15-and-7.
Ducks Clip Coyotes In Overtime
(Anaheim, CA) — Ondrej Kase lit the lamp with 36-seconds left in overtime to lift the Ducks past the Coyotes 3-2 at the Honda Center. Joseph Cramarossa and Chris Wagner also found the back of the net as Anaheim won its third-straight. John Gibson made 21 saves in the winning effort. The Ducks improved to 21-12-and-8. Martin Hanzal and Oliver Ekman-Larsson scored for Arizona in defeat. Anthony Duclair recorded two assists for the ‘Yotes, who have lost nine in a row.