Pacers Pick Off Pistons
(Indianapolis, IN) — Paul George led six players in double-figures with 21 points as the Pacers picked off the Pistons 105-84 in Indianapolis. Lavoy Allen added 18 points and 11 rebounds for Indiana, which outscored Detroit 49-to-26 in the second half. The Pacers have won a season-high six in a row to move to 28-and-22. Marcus Morris scored 19 points to pace the Pistons, who had won their previous two games. Detroit is now 23-and-28.
Wizards Top Pelicans For 17th Straight Home Win
(Washington, DC) — The Wizards outscored the Pelicans 25-to-8 in the fourth quarter en route to a 105-91 win at the Verizon Center. John Wall had 24 points, 13 assists and five steals for Washington, which has won seven in-a-row overall and 17 straight at home. The Wizards are 10 games over .500 now at 30-and-20. Anthony Davis delivered 25 points and 10 rebounds for New Orleans, which has dropped four consecutive games.
Hawks Use Big First Half To Humble Magic
(Atlanta, GA) — Paul Millsap and Tim Hardaway Jr. each scored 21 points as the Hawks humbled the Magic 113-86 at Philips Arena. Dennis Schroder added 17 points and 10 assists for Atlanta, which built a 65-39 lead at the break and cruised from there. The Hawks have won three-of-four to improve to 30-and-21 overall. Aaron Gordon’s 16 points lead the Orlando attack. Elfrid Payton and Jeff Green scored 12 each for the Magic in defeat.
Whiteside, Heat Pound 76ers
(Miami, FL) — Hassan Whiteside posted 30 points and 20 rebounds as the Heat pounded the 76ers, 125-102, in Miami. Whiteside’s dominance propelled Miami to its 10th win in-a-row. Dion Waiters scored 21, including 5-of-6 shooting from beyond the arc. The Heat shot 12-of-22 from deep as a team and improved to 21-and-30. Ersan Ilyasova scored a team-high 21 points for Philadelphia. The Sixers have dropped five of their last six games.
Cavaliers Bounce Knicks
(New York, NY) — The Cavaliers led by as many as 27 as they bounced the Knicks, 111-104, at Madison Square Garden. LeBron James posted 32 points and 10 assists, while Kevin Love put up 23 points and 16 rebounds. The Cavs held off a late Knicks rally and earned the win despite Kyrie Irving sitting out with a sore quadriceps. Brandon Jennings posted 23 points and 10 assists for the Knicks, who have lost three of their last four games. Carmelo Anthony finished with 17 on 6-of-20 shooting.
Jazz Rally Past Hornets
(Salt Lake City, UT) — Gordon Hayward dropped a season-high 33 points and pulled down eight rebounds to lead the Jazz past the Hornets 105-98 in Salt Lake City. Utah dominated the second and fourth quarters, outscoring Charlotte by 29 points combined. George Hill scored 25 in the winning effort. The first-place Jazz have won three-of-four. Kemba Walker paced the Hornets with 18 points. Marvin Williams added 16 with 12 boards in Charlotte’s seventh consecutive defeat.
Spurs Cruise Past Nuggets
(San Antonio, TX) — Kawhi Leonard led a balanced attack with 19 points as the Spurs cruised past the Nuggets 121-97 in San Antonio. Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, and Jonathon Simmons scored 18 apiece in the winning effort. The Spurs shot 57-percent from the field and had six players in double figures. San Antonio has won seven of its last 10 overall. Jamal Murray paced Denver with 20 points off the bench in defeat. The Nuggets turned the ball over 21 times on the way to their third loss in four games.
Bucks Trample Suns
(Phoenix, AZ) — Giannis Antetokounmpo finished with 30 points and 12 rebounds to help lift the Bucks past the Suns 137-112 in Phoenix. Milwaukee opened up a 45-25 lead after the first quarter and never looked back. Mirza Teletovic scored 19 against his former squad. The Bucks snapped a five-game slide. The Suns’ Devin Booker scored 27 of his 31 points in the second quarter. Rookie Marquese Chriss dropped a career-high 27 points in defeat. Phoenix has lost six-of-seven.
Grizzlies Down Timberwolves
(Minneapolis, MN) — JaMychal Green’s career night lifted the Grizzlies past the Timberwolves, 107-99, at the Target Center. Green scored a career-high 29 points, and Mike Conley posted 20 points and eight assists. Memphis got the job done even though Marc Gasol, Tony Allen and Chandler Parsons all sat out to get rest. The Grizz have won four of their past five games. Karl-Anthony Towns led the T-Wolves with 27 points and 16 rebounds. Minnesota has lost three straight games.
Kings Clip Warriors In OT
(Sacramento, CA) — DeMarcus Cousins scored 32 with 12 rebounds and nine assists to help the Kings clip the Warriors in overtime, 109-106, in Sacramento. Six of Cousins 32 points came in the extra period as the Kings won for just the second time in the last six games. Darren Collison dropped 18 points in the winning effort. Sacramento is now 20-and-31 overall. Stephen Curry paced Golden State with 35 points and nine dimes in defeat. The Warriors still own an NBA best 43-and-8 record.
Capitals Clip Canadiens
(Montreal, Quebec) — Andre Burakovsky snapped a 1-all tie midway through the second period and the Capitals went on to beat the Canadiens 3-2 in Montreal. Jay Beagle and Nicklas Backstrom also scored for Washington, which got 20 saves from Braden Holtby to win its second straight. Alexander Radulov and Max Pacioretty had goals for Montreal, which lost its second straight. Carey Price made 27 stops in defeat.
Nieto Powers Avs Past Jets
(Denver, CO) — Matt Nieto’s first of two goals snapped a 2-all tie in the second period and the Avalanche went on to beat the Jets 5-2 in Denver. Carl Soderberg made it 4-2 Colorado early in the third and Nieto sealed the deal with his second goal of the game in the final minute. Jerome Iginla had a goal and an assist as the Avs snapped a nine-game losing streak. Adam Lowry scored twice for Winnipeg, which had won three straight.
Kings Foil Flyers 1-0 In OT
(Philadelphia, PA) — Jeff Carter scored the game’s lone goal midway through overtime to give the Kings a 1-0 win over the Flyers in Philadelphia. Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty got credit for assists. Peter Budaj needed to stop just 17 shots to record the shutout as Los Angeles won its fifth in-a-row. Michal Neuvirth denied 27-of-28 shots in net for Philadelphia, which had won four of its previous five games.
Hainsey, Hurricanes Clip Islanders
(Brooklyn, NY) — Ron Hainsey’s second goal was the game-winner in overtime as the Hurricanes clipped the Islanders, 5-4, in Brooklyn. Hainsey fourth goal of the year clinched Carolina’s third straight win. Lee Stempniak and Teuvo Teravainen lit the lamp in a three-goal second period and Cam Ward made 33 saves for the ‘Canes. Josh Bailey’s third-period power-play goal tied the game at four for the Isles. Jean-Francois Berube gave up all five goals on 25 shots in defeat.
Crosby, Penguins Scorch Blues
(St. Louis, MO) — Sidney Crosby racked up three points as the Penguins scorched the Blues, 4-1, in St. Louis. Crosby scored a pair of goals and had an assist in the win. Kris Letang and Justin Schultz scored in a two-goal second period for Pittsburgh, which has won three straight games. Marc-Andre Fleury had 22 saves. Patrik Berglund scored the lone goal for St. Louis. The Blues have lost six of their last eight games.
Blackhawks Score Late To Top Stars
(Dallas, TX) — Patrick Kane, Trevor van Riemsdyk and Jonathan Toews scored in the final period as the Blackhawks beat the Stars 5-3 in Dallas. Artem Anisimov assisted on two of the Chicago third period goals. The Blackhawks have won two straight and five-of-eight. Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn had goals early in the third period to put the Stars ahead 3-to-2. Dallas has dropped two in a row and five of its last seven.
Red Wings Blank Predators
(Nashville, TN) — Petr Mrazek turned away all 42-shots sent his way to help the Red Wings blank the Predators 1-0 in Nashville. Mike Green scored the game’s lone goal with 1:30 left in the first period. Henrik Zetterberg and Anthony Mantha picked up the assists. Detroit has won two-straight. Pekka Rinne gave up the one-goal on 19 shots for the Preds. Nashville has lost two-of-three.
Devils Drop Blue Jackets
(Columbus, OH) — Taylor Hall scored twice as the Devils dropped the Blue Jackets, 5-1, in Columbus. The Devils held a three-goal lead after two periods and cruised to victory. Cory Schneider made 31 saves in the win. New Jersey has won six straight road games. Matt Calvert prevented the shutout with a third-period goal for Columbus. The Jackets have lost four of their past five games.
Lightning Beats Ducks In Shootout
(Tampa, FL) — Jonathan Drouin and Alex Killorn scored in the first two periods and the Lightning beat the Ducks 3-2 in a shootout. Brian Boyle had the decisive goal in the fourth shootout round. Tampa Bay snapped a three-game losing streak and is 2-4-and-2 in its past eight games. Ryan Getzlaf’s wrist shot for Anaheim tied the score early in the third period. The Ducks have lost two straight and three-of-four.
Wild Close Out Canucks
(Vancouver, British Columbia) — Mikael Granlund notched the hat trick as the Wild closed out the Canucks, 6-3, in Vancouver. Mike Reilly, Zach Parise, and Mikko Koivu also lit the lamp as Minnesota bounced back from a four-goal loss its last time out. Devan Dubnyk made 24 saves in the win. The Wild have won four of their past five games. Brandon Sutter scored twice for the Canucks, who have lost three in a row.
Coyotes Clip Sharks In Shootout
(San Jose, CA) — Mike Smith rejected 38 shots as the Coyotes beat the Sharks 3-2 in a shootout in San Jose. Shane Doan and Ryan White scored Arizona goals in regulation. The Coyotes ended a two-game losing streak. Logan Couture and Brenden Dillon found the back of the net for San Jose. The Sharks are 8-1-and 1 in their past 10 games.
Purdue Edges Maryland With Late Free Throws
(College Park, MD) — Carsen Edwards hit two free throws in the closing seconds to lift 24th-ranked Purdue to a 73-72 win at number-17 Maryland. Caleb Swanigan tallied 26 points and 10 rebounds for the Boilermakers, who improved to 19-and-5 overall and 8-and-3 in the Big Ten. Melo Trimble had 22 points for the Terrapins, including 14-of-15 at the free-throw line. Maryland slipped to 20-and-3 overall and 8-and-2 in conference play.
Iowa State Upends #2 Kansas In Overtime
(Lawrence, KS) — Iowa State climbed out of a 14-point halftime hole to upend number-two Kansas, 92-89, in Lawrence. The Cyclones sank a school-record 18 three-pointers, including seven from Deonte Burton and six from Nazareth Mitrou-Long. Burton scored 29, Monte Morris added 25 and Mitrou-Long finished with 22 for I-State, which never trailed in overtime and improved to 14-and-8. Frank Mason the Third led the Jayhawks with 32 points in defeat. Josh Jackson added 15 points and 10 rebounds as Kansas dropped to 20-and-3.
Kansas State Stuns #3 Baylor
(Waco, TX) — Kansas State used a big first half to stun third-ranked Baylor, 56-54, in Waco. The Wildcats jumped out to a 15-point halftime lead and held on to hand the Bears their first home loss of the year. Kamau Stokes led K-State with 15 points as the ‘Cats ended a three-game skid to improve to 16-and-7. Johnathan Motley had a chance to tie it late for Baylor, but missed a pair shots with four seconds left. He finished with 17 points and 14 rebounds in the Bears’ second straight loss. Baylor is now 20-and-3.
Syracuse Knocks Off #11 Virginia
(Syracuse, NY) — In what would have been Jim Boeheim’s 1,000th win, Syracuse knocked off number-11 Virginia, 66-62, at the Carrier Dome. The Orange erased a 12-point halftime deficit, getting 23 points each from Tyus Battle and Andrew White the Third. The NCAA stripped Boeheim of 101 wins in 2015 due to violations within the athletic department. Syracuse is riding a four-game win streak. Kyle Guy scored a team-high 14 points off the bench for UVA. The Cavaliers have lost two of their last three games.
#13 Oregon Hammers #5 Arizona
(Eugene, OR) — The 13th-ranked Ducks handed number-five Arizona its first conference loss in dominant fashion, winning 85-58 in Eugene. Tyler Dorsey posted 23 points and Dillon Brooks added 18 for Oregon, which led by 20 at the half. The Ducks shot 16-of-25 from beyond the arc as they improved to 21-and-3 overall and 10-and-1 in the Pac-12. Rawle Alkins led the Wildcats with 16 points in defeat. Arizona’s 15-game win streak came to an end.
Oklahoma State Topples #12 West Virginia
(Morgantown, WV) — A late 7-0 run was enough for Oklahoma State to topple 12th-ranked West Virginia, 82-75, in Morgantown. Phil Forte scored all 13 of his points in the second half to key the Cowboys to victory. Jeffrey Carroll led OSU with 20 points and Jawun Evans added 18. The Pokes are riding a five-game win streak. The Mountaineers got 21 points from Lamont West off the bench. West Virginia is 3-and-3 in its past six games after a 15-and-2 start to the season.
Xavier Rallies, Clips Creighton
(Omaha, NE) — Number-25 Xavier battled back from a nine-point halftime deficit to top 22nd-ranked Creighton 82-80 in Omaha. J.P. Macura scored 13 of his 15 points in the second-half to lead the rally. Quentin Goodin also dropped 15 while Tyrique Jones and Trevon Bluiett had 16 apiece in the winning effort. The Musketeers improved to 17-and-6 overall and 7-and-3 in Big East play. Marcus Foster paced the Bluejays with 17 points in defeat. Creighton has dropped three-of-five since losing Maurice Watson Junior to a knee injury.
#23 Florida Crushes #6 Kentucky
(Gainesville, FL) — Kasey Hill tied his career high with 21 points to lead 23rd-ranked Florida in a rout over number-six Kentucky 88-66 in Gainesville. The Gators never trailed in the game on the way to their fourth-straight win. Devin Robinson scored 16 with nine rebounds in the winning effort. Florida moved to 18-and-5 overall and 8-and-2 in SEC play. De’Aaron Fox paced the Wildcats with 19 points off the bench. Malik Monk scored 11 in defeat and Kentucky has dropped three-of-four.