Pistons Thump Hawks
(Atlanta, GA) — Eight players scored in double figures as the Pistons dominated the Hawks, 121-85, at Phillips Arena. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored a game-high 23 points. Andre Drummond and Ish Smith each added double-doubles. Detroit has won five of six to improve to 11-and-10 on the season. Dennis Schroder led Atlanta with 17 points. The Hawks have dropped eight of their past nine games to fall to 10-and-10 on the season.
Celtics Clip Kings
(Boston, MA) — Al Horford scored 26 and grabbed eight rebounds to as the Celtics topped the Kings 97-92 at the TD Garden. Isaiah Thomas added 20 points with seven assists as Boston improved to 11-and-8. The Celtics defense stifled Sacramento, holding them to less than 38-percent from the field including 6-of-26 from three. DeMarcus Cousins paced the Kings with 28 points and nine boards. Rudy Gay and Darren Collison each dropped 13 in the losing effort as Sacramento fell to 7-and-12.
Knicks Hold Off Timberwolves
(New York, NY) — The Knicks blew a 10-point fourth-quarter lead but held on to top the Timberwolves, 118-114, at Madison Square Garden. Derrick Rose scored 24 points as New York moved to 10-and-9 on the year. Carmelo Anthony scored a game-high 29 points, and Kyle O’Quinn contributed 20 points and 13 rebounds. Zach LaVine led Minnesota with 23 points. Karl-Anthony Towns had 20 points, eight boards, and three blocks as the Timberwolves lost their fourth straight game.
Magic Bounce 76ers
(Philadelphia, PA) — Six players scored in double-figures as the Magic bounced the 76ers, 105-88 in Philadelphia. Aaron Gordon led the charge with 20 points, while Jeff Green, Serge Ibaka, and Evan Fournier each put up 16 points. Orlando led by eight at halftime and pulled away with a big third quarter. Joel Embiid paced the Sixers with 25 points and 10 boards. Jahlil Okafor added 16 points and 13 rebounds for Philly, which fell to 4-and-15.
Rondo, Bulls Down Cavaliers
(Chicago, IL) — Rajon Rondo notched his first triple-double as a Bull in 111-105 win over the Cavaliers at the United Center. Rondo finished with 15 points, 12 assists, and 11 rebounds. Jimmy Butler scored a team-high 26 points and Taj Gibson added 23 points and 11 rebounds. The Bulls improved to 11-and-7 with the win. LeBron James led Cleveland with a double-double, scoring 27 points and dishing out 13 assists. The Cavs have dropped three straight to fall to 13-and-5 on the year.
Raptors Roll Past Lakers
(Toronto, Ontario) — The Raptors racked up their fifth straight win as they rolled past the Lakers, 113-80, in Toronto last night. Kyle Lowry was 6-of-9 from downtown and finished with 24 points and seven assits. DeMar DeRozan and Norman Powell each scored 16 points for 13-and-6 Toronto. Lakers rookie Brandon Ingram scored a team-high 17 points in defeat. Los Angeles played without D’Angelo Russell and Nick Young, who are both out with injuries
Clippers Cruise Past Pelicans
(New Orleans, LA) — Blake Griffin scored 27 points and pulled down 10 rebounds as the Clippers cruised past the Pelicans, 114-96, at the Smoothie King Center. Chris Paul also had a double-double in the winning effort with 17 points and 13 assists. Jamal Crawford had 21 points off the bench as Los Angeles improved to 16-and-5. Anthony Davis paced New Orleans with 21 points in defeat. No other starter scored in double-digits. New Orleans has dropped three of its past four games to fall to 7-and-13.
Spurs Clip Wizards Late
(San Antonio, TX) — Kawhi Leonard nailed the game winner with six seconds left as the Spurs clipped the Wizards 107-105 at the AT&T Center. Leonard finished with 23 points, and Pau Gasol dropped 19 points and 10 rebounds in the winning effort. LaMarcus Aldridge also contributed 19 as San Antonio improved to 16-and-4. Bradley Beal paced Washington with 23 points in defeat. John Wall added 17 with 15 assists and Marcin Gortat scored 21 points with 18 rebounds as the Wizards dropped to 6-and-12.
Rockets Run Over Nuggets
(Denver, CO) — The Rockets scored 42 in the first quarter and never looked back in a 128-110 win over the Nuggets in Denver. Houston outscored Denver in every quarter, and James Harden led the way with 20 points. Ryan Anderson scored 18 points and the Rockets made 17 of their 37 three-pointers. They’re now 13-and-7. Wilson Chandler led the Nuggets with 24 points off the bench. Denver fell to 7-and-12 overall and 3-and-7 on their home floor.
Flames Edge Wild In Shootout
(Calgary, Alberta) — Sean Monahan scored the shootout game-winner to push the Flames past the Wild, 3-2, at the Scotiabank Saddledome. Kris Versteeg and Mikael Backlund gave Calgary the early lead with first-period goals. The Flames have won two straight to improve to 12-13-and-2 on the year. Chris Stewart and Mikko Koivu [[ MEE-koh KOY-voo ]] found the back of the net for Minnesota. The Wild have dropped three in a row to fall to 11-8-and-4 on the season.
Undefeated Western Michigan Wins MAC Championship
(Detroit, MI) — Corey Davis caught eight passes for 144 yards and a touchdown as 17th-ranked Western Michigan knocked off Ohio, 29-23, to win the Mid-American Conference Championship on Friday. Davis broke the game open with a 70-yard TD catch in the second quarter. Zach Terrell threw for 290 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions as the Broncos moved to 13-and-0 on the year. Butch Hampton nailed all five of his field goals attempts in the win. Greg Windham threw three touchdowns and a pick for Ohio, which fell to 8-and-5.
Washington Creams Colorado, Wins Pac-12 Title
(Santa Clara, CA) — The Washington Huskies knocked Colorado quarterback Sefo Liufau out of the game and intercepted him three times when he returned as they won the Pac-12 Championship Game, 41-10, at Levi’s Stadium. Jake Browning tossed two scores for Washington and Myles Gaskin ran for 159 yards. Lavon Coleman added 101 rushing yards and a score as the 12-and-1 Huskies earned their first outright conference title since 1991. Taylor Rapp had two interceptions and returned one for a score in the win. Liufau left with an ankle injury on the game’s first drive, but he returned to start the second half. He threw three picks as the Buffaloes fell to 10-and-3. Phillip Lindsay rushed for a score in defeat.