Mavs halt Raptors’ winning streak
DALLAS (AP) – J.J. Barea scored 20 points, including a clinching a layup in the final seconds, and the Dallas Mavericks ended another six-game winning streak by Toronto with a 98-93 victory over the Raptors on Tuesday night.
The Mavericks held DeMar DeRozan and the Raptors to season lows in shooting percentage as Toronto lost for just the second time in 14 games, with each loss coming after six straight wins.
Dirk Nowitzki scored 18 points and fellow German Maxi Kleber had 15 points and matched his rookie season best with five blocks. Harrison Barnes had 16 points and 10 rebounds.
Kyle Lowry led Toronto with 23 points but didn't score in the fourth quarter, while DeRozan couldn't get going at all after averaging 37 points on a three-game road winning streak that ended.
DeRozan scored eight points while shooting 19 percent (3 of 16). His previous low was 20 percent (1 of 5) in his only other single-digit game this season – two points in a 112-78 win at Atlanta in November.
The teams combined to make just five of 31 shots in the final 8 minutes – including two misses by Serge Ibaka with the Raptors trailing by three before Barea hit a layup with 10 seconds left after dribbling out most of the shot clock.
The Raptors (23-9) came into the game with the best winning percentage in the Eastern Conference but shot under 40 percent for the first time this season.
Jonas Valanciunas had 17 points and 11 rebounds for Toronto, and Ibaka added 12 points and 12 boards.
Barea scored the first six points and hit a capping 3-pointer on a 17-0 run that put the Mavericks in front 8373 late in the third quarter.
In Phoenix, Tyson Chandler dunked Dragan Bender's inbounds pass from the opposite sideline with 0.4 seconds remaining to give the Phoenix Suns a 99-97 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.
Bender threw a perfect pass and Chandler jumped over a defender to slam it down, though the play was reviewed by officials to see if there was offensive basket interference. After replay review, the basket counted, and Kobi Simmons missed the Grizzlies' last attempt to tie at the buzzer.
Devin Booker scored 32 points in his return from a three-week injury absence before fouling out in the final minute, but the Suns needed one final play after Jarell Martin slammed in a rebound with 0.6 seconds remaining to tie it at 97.
The Suns beat the Grizzlies in a tight game at home for the second time in six days after handing them a 97-95 defeat on Dec. 21. Phoenix has won four of its last six games while Memphis has lost nine of 11.
In Milwaukee, Nikola Mirotic came off the bench to score 24 points in 28 minutes and the Bulls won for the eighth time in 10 games, beating the Bucks, 115-106.
Chicago's surge coincides with the return of Mirotic, who missed the beginning of the season after suffering facial fractures in an October fight with teammate Bobby Portis.
Kris Dunn rebounded from a 1-for12 shooting game Saturday against Boston with 20 points and 12 assists in 33 minutes for the Bulls.
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 28 points and Eric Bledsoe had 22 to pace Milwaukee, which has lost five of seven.
Mirotic led Chicago's bench in outscoring Milwaukee's reserves 54-25. It was the second time the Bulls won at Milwaukee in 12 days, including a 115109 victory on Dec. 15.
In Detroit, Tobias Harris scored 30 points to help the Pistons rout the Pacers, 107-83.
The victory moved the Pistons (1914) past the Pacers (19-15) and into second spot in the NBA's Central Division.
Andre Drummond added 21 points for the Pistons. Ish Smith (12 points) and Reggie Bullock (11) also reached double digits for Detroit.
Victor Oladipo led the Pacers with 13 points. Domantas Sabonis, Bojan Bogdanovic and Myles Turner each scored 10 points.
The win gave the Pistons a 3-1 decision in the season series between the two teams, the first time Detroit had won the season set from Indiana since going 4-0 against the Pacers in 200708.
In Miami, Josh Richardson scored 20 points, Wayne Ellington had 12 of his 18 points in a dominant fourth quarter and the Heat beat the struggling Magic, 107-89.
Tyler Johnson added 17, Kelly Olynyk scored 15 and Goran Dragic had 14 for the Heat, who outscored Orlando 39-21 in the fourth – the biggest margin by Miami in a final quarter this season.