Pacers Outlast Bulls
(Indianapolis, IN) — Paul George led the way with 32 points as the Pacers topped the Bulls 111-101 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. George led all scorers, and Thaddeus Young finished with 17 in the winning effort. Myles Turner dropped 15 and Jeff Teague had a season high 17 assists. Indy snapped a four-game slide. Jimmy Butler paced the Bulls with 25 and Dwayne Wade scored 20 in defeat. Chicago has lost 7-of-10 and six-straight on the road.
Wizards Burn Nets
(Washington, DC) — Trey Burke scored a season-high 27 points off the bench as the Wizards burned the Nets, 118-95, at the Verizon Center. Burke nailed all five three-pointers he attempted and John Wall added 19 points, 14 assists, and four steals for Washington. The Wiz improved to 16-and-16 overall and 13-and-6 at home. Trevor Booker and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson led the Nets with 16 points each. Brooklyn is just 1-and-16 away from home.
Hawks Motor Past Pistons
(Atlanta, GA) — Paul Millsap led all scorers with 26 points as the Hawks topped the Pistons 105-98 at the Philips Arena. Kyle Korver contributed 22 from the bench as Atlanta won for the third time in its last four games. Dwight Howard and Kent Bazemore dropped 10 apiece, Howard also had 15 rebounds in the winning effort. The Hawks improved to 17-and-16. Jon Leuer paced a shorthanded Detroit squad with 22 points in defeat. The Pistons had just eight players dress as they lost for the eighth time in the last 10 games.
Timberwolves Tame Bucks
(Minneapolis, MN) — The Timberwolves never trailed as they tamed the Bucks, 116-99, in Minneapolis. The Wolves took a 13-point first quarter lead and held steady the rest of the way. Andrew Wiggins put up 31 points, and Karl-Anthony Towns added 18 points and 16 boards. Shabazz Muhammad scored 22 in 18 minutes as Minnesota jumped to 11-and-22. Giannis Antetokounmpo led Milwaukee with 25 points. The Bucks dipped under .500 to 15-and-16.
Sixers Hang On, Clip Nuggets
(Denver, CO) — Joel Embiid and Ersan Ilyasova scored 23 apiece as the Sixers held on to top the Nuggets 124-122 at the Pepsi Center. Ilyasova also pulled down 13 rebounds won for just the third time on the road. Robert Covington added 19 points and T.J. McConnell scored a season high 17 in the winning effort. Dario Saric had 13 with 11 boards off the bench for Philly. Nikola Jokic paced Denver with 25 points in defeat. Emmanuel Mudiay scored 22, the Nuggets fell to 14-and-19.
Harden, Rockets Beat Down Clippers
(Houston, TX) — James Harden notched a triple-double as the Rockets beat down the Clippers, 140-116, in Houston. Harden finished with 30 points, 13 rebounds, 10 assists and five steals. Montrezl Harrell scored a career-high 29 points as Houston won its third straight game. Clippers head coach Doc Rivers was ejected in the second quarter along with his son and guard Austin Rivers. Raymond Felton led the Clippers with 26 points while DeAndre Jordan finished with 20 points and 13 boards.
Thomas, Celtics Light Up Heat
(Boston, MA) — Isaiah Thomas put up 52 point, including 29 in the fourth quarter as the Celtics lit up the Heat, 117-114, at TD Garden. Thomas shot 9-of-13 from beyond the arc and made all 13 free throws he took. The 29-point quarter broke Larry Bird and Todd Day’s franchise-record of 24. Marcus Smart nailed two late free throws as Boston improved to 20-and-14. James Johnson led the Heat with 22 points in 24 minutes. Tyler Johnson and Josh Richardson each scored 19 as Miami lost its fourth straight game.
Durant, Warriors Take Down Mavericks
(Oakland, CA) — Kevin Durant notched a triple-double as the Warriors downed the Mavericks, 108-99, in Oakland. Durant finished with 19 points, 11 rebounds and 10 dimes for his first triple-double in a Golden State uniform. Klay Thompson piled up 29 points and Steph Curry scored 14 as the Dubs moved to 29-and-5. Former Warrior Harrison Barnes scored 25 points for Dallas. Seth Curry, Steph’s little brother, scored 11 as Dallas dropped to 10-and-24.
Pelicans Cruise Past Knicks
(New Orleans, LA) — Anthony Davis scored 23 and grabbed 18 rebounds as the Pelicans topped the Knicks 104-92 at the Smoothie King Center. Tyreke Evans contributed 16 off the bench as New Orleans won for the fifth time in six games. Jrue Holiday dropped 12 points to go along with 11 assists in the winning effort. Carmelo Anthony paced the Knicks with 26 points and 13 boards in defeat. Kristaps Porzingis added 21 and 12 rebounds. New York has lost six-of-eight.
Spurs Bounce Blazers
(San Antonio, TX) — The Spurs outscored the Blazers 63-42 in the second half and earned a 110-94 win in San Antonio. Jonathan Simmons scored 19 points off the bench, and Danny Green and Tony Parker each put up 18 in the win. The Spurs trailed by five at halftime, but quickly got back into the game and took the lead in the third. They have won four in a row. C.J. McCollum led Portaland with 29 points. Damian Lillard missed his third game in a row with an ankle injury.
Predators Pound Blues
(St. Louis, MO) — Jusse Saros stopped all 25 shots as the Predators pounded the Blues, 4-0, in St. Louis. Yannick Weber, Filip Forsberg, and Viktor Arvidsson lit the lamp in a three-goal second period. Colin Wilson padded the lead in the third as Nashville ended a three-game skid. The Blues were 0-for-4 on the power play in defeat. Jake Allen gave up three goals on 14 shots before getting pulled for Carter Hutton.
Canucks Slip Past Ducks
(Vancouver, British Columbia) — Henrik Sedin scored the winning goal in overtime as the Canucks slipped past the Ducks, 3-2, in Vancouver. Jake Skille tied the game in the third and Loui Erksson scored in the second to erase a two-goal deficit. The Canucks have won two straight. Richard Rakell and Ryan Getzlaf gave Anaheim and early two-goal lead. The Ducks have lost three straight games in overtime.
Hurricanes Hang On, Clip Blackhawks
(Raleigh, NC) — Jay McClement scored what proved to be the game winner as the Hurricanes clipped the Blackhawks 3-2 in Raleigh. Elias Lindholm and Lee Stempniak also lit the lamp as Carolina won for the fourth time in five games. Cam Ward stopped 27-of-29 shots in the winning effort. The Canes improved to 16-12-and-7. Michal Kempny notched his first career goal in defeat for Chicago. Kempny also assisted on a Vinnie Hinostroza goal as the first-place Hawks lost for the fourth time in five games.
Sharks Blank Flyers
(San Jose, CA) — Aaron Dell stopped all 21 shots he faced as the Sharks topped the Flyers 2-0 at the SAP Center. Patrick Marleau put San Jose on the board in the first, Justin Braun lit the lamp to provide some breathing room late in the third. Marleau also recorded an assist on the third period goal as the Sharks won for the eighth time in nine games. Starting goalie Steve Mason left with an injury after the first period in the defeat. Anthony Stolarz stopped 21-of-22 shots in relief, Philly has lost five-of-six.
Florida State Escapes Michigan In Wild Orange Bowl
(Miami, FL) — The Seminoles held off a furious Michigan rally as they escaped with a 33-32 win in the Capital One Orange Bowl from Miami. Nyqwan Murray caught the go-ahead 12-yard touchdown pass with 36 seconds left to give Florida State the win. Murray also caught a 92-yard TD bomb from DeAndre Francois. Miami native Dalvin Cook was named MVP after rushing for 145 yards and a score and adding three catches for 62 yards. The ‘Noles are 10-and-3. The Wolverines scored 17 points in the final 5:22, but couldn’t steal the win and end the year at 10-and-3. Heisman finalist Jabrill Peppers sat out for Michigan after hurting his hamstring in practice Thursday.
Stanford Outlasts North Carolina In Sun Bowl
(El Paso, TX) — The Stanford defense sacked Mitch Trubisky on the potential game-tying two-point conversion and secured a 25-23 win in the Sun Bowl from El Paso. Bryce Love rushed for 115 yards and caught a 49-yard touchdown pass to key the Cardinal offense to victory. Solomon Thomas won MVP after recording two tackles for loss and the game-clinching sack for 10-and-3 Stanford. Mitch Trubisky threw for 280 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions for the Tar Heels, who played catch-up for most of the game. UNC ends the year at 8-and-5.
Georgia Holds Off TCU In Liberty Bowl
(Memphis, TN) — Nick Chubb iced the cake with a 13-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter as Georgia held off Texas Christian, 31-23, in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl from Memphis. Chubb rushed for 142 yards and Sony Michel added 87 yards and a TD on the ground. Jacob Eason tossed two touchdowns for 8-and-5 Georgia. Kenny Hill accounted for three touchdowns, but TCU dropped to 6-and-7.
Dobbs, Tennessee Down Nebraska
(Nashville, TN) — Tennessee quarterback Joshua Dobbs rushed for three touchdowns and passed for another as the Vols downed Nebraska, 38-24, in the Music City Bowl from Nashville. Dobbs had 118 rushing yards and threw for 291 as Tennessee scored three times in the second quarter and never looked back. The Vols end the year at 9-and-4. Nebraska QB Ryker Fyfe threw for 243 yards and linked up with Brandon Reilly for two touchdowns in defeat. The Huskers are also 9-and-4.
Air Force Soars Past South Alabama
(Tucson, AZ) — Arion Worthman threw for 207 yards and picked up 71 on the ground as Air Force topped South Alabama 45-21 at the Arizona Bowl in Tucson. On the first play of the second half Worthman connected with Jalen Robinette on a 75-yard scoring strike that gave the Falcons the lead for good. Air Force rushed for four touchdowns, including two by Jacobi Owens. The Falcons finish the season at 10-and-3. Josh Magee caught five balls for 154 yards and a score for the Jaguars. South Alabama wraps up the year at 6-and-7.