Pelicans Streak Past Magic
(Orlando, FL) — The Pelicans scored the game’s first basket and never looked back as they streaked past the Magic, 111-97, in Orlando. New Orleans never trailed and were guided by 26 points and 11 rebounds from DeMarcus Cousins. Jrue Holiday scored 24 points as the Pelicans evened their record at 16-and-16. The Magic are on a seven-game slide and have not held a lead in any of their past three games. Jonathan Simmons put up 22 points in defeat.
Nets Stomp Wizards
(Brooklyn, NY) — The Nets won every quarter as the stomped the Wizards, 119-84, in Brooklyn. Six players scored in double figures, led by 21 points and 11 rebounds from Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. Caris LeVert added 17 points off the bench as the Nets outscored the Wizards, 35-18, in the third to pull away. Brooklyn ended a four-game skid. The Wizards shot less than 37-percent from the field as a team. Kelly Oubre led Washington with 13 points in defeat.
Bucks Rally Past Hornets
(Milwaukee, WI) — Khris Middleton led the way with 28 points as the Bucks clipped the Hornets 109-104 in Milwaukee. The Bucks closed the game on a 9-0 run to secure the victory. Giannis Antetokounmpo added 26 points and Eric Bledsoe scored 24 with 10 assists in the winning effort. The Bucks have won two straight and 11-of-16 at home this season. Kemba Walker paced Charlotte with a game-high 32 points. The Hornets fell to 11-and-21 and have lost 10-of-12 on the road.
Westbrook Lifts Thunder Past Hawks
(Oklahoma City, OK) — Russell Westbrook nailed the go-ahead three-pointer with two seconds left as the Thunder dropped the Hawks, 120-117, in Oklahoma City. Westbrook scored 30 points and dished out 15 assists as OKC escaped with a win. Carmelo Anthony added 24 points and nailed seven three-pointers. Marco Belinelli led the Hawks with 27 points. Atlanta is an NBA-worst 7-and-25.
Pistons Hold Off Knicks
(Detroit, MI) — Andre Drummond had 18 points and 15 rebounds as the Pistons clipped the Knicks 104-101 in Detroit. Tobias Harris led the Pistons with a team-high 24 points. Reggie Bullock added 14 points as seven Detroit players scored in double figures. The Pistons won for the fourth time in five games and improved to 18-and-14. Kristaps Porzingis paced New York with 29 points and Enes Kanter added 22 with 16 boards in defeat. New York has won just two of 12 road games this season and fell to 17-and-15 overall.
Nuggets Run Past Blazers
(Portland, OR) — The Nuggets ended a streak of nine consecutive losses in Portland as the ran past the Blazers, 102-85. Nikola Jokic led the charged with 27 points. Wilson Chandler chipped in 21 points and 11 boards. The Nuggets are 17-and-15 and 6-and-12 on the road. Damian Lillard didn’t play for Portland due to a hamstring injury. C.J. McCollum led the Blazers with 15 points in an uninspiring performance. The Blazers are on a three-game slide.
Heat Cruise Past Mavericks
(Miami, FL) — Wayne Ellington tied a career-high with 28 points as the Heat cruised past the Mavericks 113-101 in Miami. Ellington did all of his damage from the bench including eight three pointers on 12 attempts. Josh Richardson was 11-of-14 from the field and finished with 24 points in the winning effort. The Heat have won four-of-five and improved to 17-and-15 overall. Yogi Ferrell paced Dallas with 24 points. Dirk Nowitzki and Harrison Barnes scored 20 apiece for the Mavs who have dropped seven-of-10.
Clippers Hold Off Rockets
(Houston, TX) — Austin Rivers scored a career-high 36 points as the Clippers got past the Rockets 128-118 in Houston. Rivers buried six three pointers and Lou Williams drill seven on his way to 32 points for L.A. DeAndre Jordan added 15 points and 20 rebounds in the winning effort. The Clippers have won two-straight and improved to 13-and-18 overall. James Harden led all scorers with 51 points in defeat. Houston was without Chirs Paul who sat out with a groin injury. The Rockets are 15-and-1 with Paul in the lineup but just 10-and-5 when he doesn’t play.
Warriors Hold Off Lakers
(Oakland, CA) — The Warriors secured their 11th straight win as they held off the Warriors, 113-106, in Oakland. Kevin Durant led Golden State with 33 points as they held off a late surge from the Lakers. Jordan Bell finished with 20 points and 10 boards for Golden State. Draymond Green added 13 points and 11 boards in defeat. Kyle Kuzma keyed the Lakers with 27 points and 14 rebounds. Fellow rookie Lonzo Ball put up 24 points on 9-of-16 shooting, including 5-of-6 from beyond the arc. The Lakers dropped to 11-and-19.
Sabres Clip Flyers
(Buffalo, NY) — The Sabres scored four-goals in the third period to clip the Flyers 4-2 in Buffalo. Ryan O’Reilly and Evander Kane tallied to give the Sabres a 2-0 lead and Jack Eichel added two empty-netters to preserve victory. Robin Lehner stopped 33 of the 35 shots sent his way in the winning effort. Buffalo snapped a three-game slide. The Flyers cut the lead to one on two separate occasions in the final three-minutes of regulation. Michael Raffl and Shayne Gostisbehere scored the Philly goals. The Flyers have dropped two-of-three.
Panthers Rally Past Wild
(Sunrise, FL) — Connor Brickley tallied the game-winner midway through the third period as the Panthers rallied past the Wild 4-2 in Sunrise, Florida. Jonathan Huberdeau tied the game at two-apiece two-minutes into the third and added a late empty-netter for insurance. Vincent Trocheck also lit the lamp for Florida as it won its second-straight. James Reimer made 29 saves in the winning effort. Ryan Suter and Daniel Winnik found the back of the net for Minnesota. The Wild have lost three-of-four.
Coyotes Nudge Capitals In Overtime
(Glendale, AZ) — Clayton Keller scored the winning goal with 27 seconds left in overtime as the Coyotes nudged the Capitals, 3-2, in Glendale. Christian Fischer tied the game with 61 seconds left for Arizona. Christian Dvorak also scored in the third for the Coyotes, who ended a seven-game slide. Evgeny Kuznetsov and T.J. Oshie tallied goals for Washington. Phillip Grubauer recorded 24 saves in defeat. The Caps had their four-game win streak snapped.