WHAT A BENDER!
RESERVES HELP SUNS RISE OVER OKLAHOMA
Dragan Bender hits career-high 20 points as Phoenix beats Oklahoma for the third straight time
Dragan Bender scored 17 of his career-high 20 points in the second half, rookie Josh Jackson had 17 points and 10 rebounds in his first career double-double, and the Phoenix reserves helped the Suns beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 114-100 on Sunday night.
Bender made a career-best six 3-pointers, going 5 of 6 in the second half. The Suns beat the Thunder for the third straight time dating to last season, with all three wins coming in Phoenix.
Russell Westbrook had his 14th triple-double of the season and second in a row with 26 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds, but Oklahoma City never led after the first quarter. Paul George added 19 points and Steven Adams 18 for the Thunder.
Devin Booker scored 26 and T. J. Warren 23 for Phoenix.
TRAIL BLAZERS 111, SPURS 110
In Portland, CJ McCollum hit a floater with 5.9 seconds left to give Portland a victory over San Antonio with both teams short-handed.
McCollum finished with 25 points and Maurice Harkless added 19 off the bench for the Blazers, who were without starter Damian Lillard. It was Portland’s fifth win in seven games, and third straight victory at home.
Former Blazer LaMarcus Aldridge had 30 points and 14 rebounds, while Manu Ginobili added 26 points, including six 3-pointers, for the Spurs.
HEAT 103, JAZZ 102
In Miami, Josh Richardson’s layup with 5.1 seconds left capped a Miami rally from eight points down in the fourth, Donovan Mitchell missed what would have been the winner at the buzzer and the Heat beat Utah.
Tyler Johnson and Goran Dragic each scored 16 points for Miami, which has won four straight — all by single digits, the Heat’s longest stretch of such games since November 2012. /