Suns beat Spurs 108-105, Clippers defeat Lakers
Devin Booker scored a career-high 39 points for the second straight game in Mexico City as the Phoenix Suns beat the San Antonio Spurs 108-105 on Saturday in the fifth regular-season game in the country. Booker was 12 of 22 from the field and Eric Bledsoe added 17 points and 10 assists. Coming off a loss to Dallas in their Mexican opener Thursday night, the Suns overcame an 11-point deficit to snap a two-game losing streak. Kawhi Leonard had 38 points for the Spurs (31-9). Booker made two baskets in the last minute, including a dunk off a break with Bledsoe to put the Suns up 106-103. Leonard made two free throws to get San Antonio within one, P.J. Tucker made two free throws for Phoenix, and the Spurs’ Danny Green missed an open 3pointer to seal the win for the Suns.
CLIPPERS 113, LAKERS 97
DeAndre Jordan scored 24 points on 12-of-13 shooting as the Los Angeles Clippers shot 52 percent to cruise past the Lakers on Saturday. Jordan had 21 rebounds and Chris Paul added 20 points and 13 assists to help the Clippers improve to 6-0 in 2017. They are off to their best start since going 7-0 to begin 1974 when the franchise was located in Buffalo. Their streak is the longest active one in the NBA. Jordan Clarkson scored 21 points for the Lakers.
BULLS 107, PELICANS 99
Jimmy Butler scored 28 points in his return from the flu while Dwyane Wade had 17 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter in Chicago’s victory over New Orleans. Butler returned after missing two games, and had 19 points in the first half. Taj Gibson added 15 points and 16 rebounds to help the Bulls snap a three-game losing streak. Anthony Davis had 36 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks for New Orleans.
JAZZ 114, MAGIC 107
Gordon Hayward scored 23 points to help Utah beat Orlando, a victory tempered by the loss of Rodney Hood to a right knee injury with 1:44 remaining. On a fast break after Rudy Gobert blocked Nikola Vucevic’s shot, Hood was hurt when his right knee buckled as he went up for a layup. Hood screamed in pain and clutched the knee immediately upon falling. The Jazz said it was a hyperextended knee and Hood was walking gingerly but without assistance in the locker room. Gobert added 19 points and 19 rebounds for Utah. Hood had 14 points. Elfrid Payton had a careerhigh 28 points and added nine rebounds and nine assists for Orlando.
WIZARDS 109, 76ERS 93
John Wall had 25 points, seven rebounds and seven assists while Bradley Beal added 20 points as Washington used a second-half spurt to beat Philadelphia. The 76ers had won three straight for the first time in more than three years. They played without rookie star Joel Embiid. He sat out to rest after scoring 24 points Thursday night against Charlotte. Jahlil Okafor, who hadn’t played in the last three games, had a seasonhigh 26 points for the 76ers. — AP