Randle fires for 33 as Knicks dispatch Nets; T-Wolves outlast Kings in double overtime; Pistons hammer Wizards to snap losing streak
Friday 27 December 2019 09:01, UK
Luka Doncic scored 24 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and distributed eight assists in his return to the line-up after missing four games to help the Dallas Mavericks hold off the visiting San Antonio Spurs 102-98 on Thursday night.
Luka Doncic scored 24 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and distributed eight assists in his return to the line-up after missing four games to help the Dallas Mavericks hold off the visiting San Antonio Spurs 102-98 on Thursday night.
Dallas led by five points entering the fourth quarter and by just 82-79 after a lay-up by the Spurs' Patty Mills with 10:11 to play.
However, the Mavericks turned up the heat. Kristaps Porzingis made consecutive three-pointers, and Dallas later went on a 14-2 run that featured two treys by Dorian Finney-Smith and one apiece from Delon Wright and Jalen Brunson, stretching their margin to 17 points.
The Spurs made a final surge, scoring the final 13 points of the game, but they could not climb all the way back, falling to their Lone Star State rivals for the second time in two meetings this season.
Doncic, who had been out with an ankle injury, picked up right where he left off, and the rest of the Mavericks rode his talented coattails for much of the game.
Tim Hardaway Jr added 17 points for Dallas, Finney-Smith and Porzingis hit for 13 points each, Wright scored 12, and Dwight Powell pumped in 11 points for the Mavericks. Maxi Kleber led Dallas with 12 rebounds.
DeMar DeRozan paced the Spurs with 21 points while Rudy Gay had 18, LaMarcus Aldridge scored 17 and Derrick White hit for 10.
Julius Randle scored 33 points as the New York Knicks pulled away in the second half and recorded a 94-82 victory over the host Brooklyn Nets.
The Knicks halted a four-game losing streak to the Nets and improved to 4-6 under interim coach Mike Miller in a game they led by as many as 23 points.
Randle scored 20 points by half-time and followed up a season-high 35 points in Monday's loss to the Washington Wizards by producing his third game with 30 or more points this season. He shot 14-of-26 from the field and hit a career-high five threes while playing 35 minutes.
Spencer Dinwiddie scored 25 points but the Nets fell to 12-7 without Kyrie Irving (right shoulder impingement). Only one other Brooklyn player scored in double figures.
The Knicks ended the first quarter on a 15-2 run and held the Nets to one field goal in the last 7:16 to take a 24-15 lead and held a 46-41 lead by half-time.
The Knicks extended their lead to 58-45 with 7:22 left in the third when Randle connected with Payton for a 3-pointer from the top of the key.
Dinwiddie's three-pointer with 7:59 left cut Brooklyn's deficit to 83-68 but Randle hit three baskets in the next two-plus minutes and the Knicks took a 91-73 lead with 5:05 remaining to cruise the rest of the way.
Christian Wood scored 22 points off the bench and Tim Frazier had 17 points and six assists as the host Detroit Pistons snapped a five-game losing streak by blasting the Washington Wizards 132-102.
Derrick Rose contributed 15 points and six assists, Blake Griffin had 14 points and 11 rebounds, and Andre Drummond supplied 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Pistons.
Anzejs Pasecniks topped the Wizards with 17 points while Bradley Beal and Jordan McRae had 15 points apiece. Troy Brown Jr contributed 13 points, and Gary Payton II, signed less than a week ago, added 10 points.
The Pistons dominated this game virtually from the start and opened up up a 20-point lead by halftime, 68-48. Drummond led the way with 12 first-half points, including a tip-in right before the second-quarter buzzer.
Frazier's three-pointer midway through the third quarter upped Detroit's advantage to 89-60 and the Pistons carried a 106-76 lead into the fourth quarter.
Gorgui Dieng recorded season highs of 21 points and 15 rebounds as the Minnesota Timberwolves snapped an 11-game losing streak with a 105-104 double-overtime victory over the host Sacramento Kings.
Robert Covington had 19 points and eight rebounds for the Timberwolves, who won for the first time since November 27.
Sacramento's Buddy Hield had his last-second three-point attempt bounce off the rim as the Kings lost their fifth straight game.
Sacramento point guard De'Aaron Fox departed less than two minutes into the game due to back spasms. The Kings also lost Marvin Bagley III to a left foot injury late in the third quarter after he scored 18 points in 20 minutes.
Wiggins, Teague and Covington scored baskets to start the second overtime and give Minnesota a 103-97 edge. Hield knocked down a three-pointer and converted a fastbreak lay-up to pull the Kings within 105-104 with 36.1 seconds left.
However, his chance to be the hero was foiled when his final straightaway shot bounced off the right side of the rim.
Frontcourt mates Jaren Jackson Jr and Jonas Valanciunas combined for 41 points, the Memphis bench added 46 and a strong second half powered the visiting Grizzlies to a 110-97 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Jackson continued his hot scoring touch of late, posting 20 points for his 13th 20-plus-point outing of the season. Valanciunas scored 11 of his team-high 21 points in the fourth quarter, including three straight buckets in a stretch that pushed the Memphis lead from 12 to 20 points.
Tyus Jones led the Memphis bench mob with 15 points, including 3-of-4 shooting from behind the three-point line. Brandon Clarke added 13 points, De'Anthony Melton chipped in nine points, eight rebounds and four assists, and Kyle Anderson dished another seven assists.
Oklahoma City, who came in on a four-game winning streak and a winner of seven of nine, pulled within nine with 2:15 to play but came no closer.
Chris Paul posted game-highs of 23 points and 11 assists, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 21 points, and last week's Western Conference Player of the Week, Dennis Schroder, added 20 points off the bench.
Outside of Schroder, however, Oklahoma City reserves combined for just eight points. That was the difference.
The win snapped a nine-game losing streak in Oklahoma City for the Grizzlies.
Donovan Mitchell scored 16 of his 35 points in the third quarter and Joe Ingles added 26 as the Utah Jazz continued their strong home form with a 121-115 victory against the visiting Portland Trail Blazers.
Rudy Gobert added 16 points and 15 rebounds as the Jazz improved to 12-3 at home, while also bouncing back from a defeat Monday at Miami that ended their five-game winning streak.
Damian Lillard scored 34 points for the Trail Blazers, finding his shooting touch after going 0-for-10 from three-point range in a home loss to the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday.
Portland cut a 23-point deficit in the third quarter all the way down to one in the fourth quarter, but a Mitchell three-pointer with 1:08 remaining put Utah back up 115-110. The Jazz didn't seal the victory until making six free throws in the final 18 seconds.
Bojan Bogdanovic scored 16 points for the Jazz, who next will be tested with a road game against the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday.
McCollum scored 25 points for the Trail Blazers, while Anfernee Simons added 15 points and 10 rebounds while Carmelo Anthony scored 12.
