Rose scores 50 to lead T-Wolves
Pacers rally past Knicks; Nets, Nuggets pull out overtime victories
MINNEAPOLIS — Derrick Rose scored a career-high 50 points, turning back the clock to his prime years and lifting the Minnesota Timberwolves over the Utah Jazz 128-125 on Wednesday night.
Rose was in tears after the game as he walked off the court serenaded by chants of “MVP! MVP!” from the home crowd.
Given everything he’s been through, it was a special night for the 2011 NBA MVP.
“It still didn’t even hit me yet,” he said. “Words can’t explain how I feel right now. It’s been a while.”
The 30-year-old point guard has been derailed by injuries since 2011, but Rose had a vintage performance Wednesday night.
He had 34 points in the second half and 15 in a tightly contested fourth quarter as the Wolves held off the Jazz. His basket down low with 30 seconds remaining put Minnesota up for good, and he made two free throws with 13.8 seconds left to preserve a threepoint lead.
Rudy Gobert missed a tying attempt in the final minute for Utah, and the Timberwolves grabbed the rebound to ensure Rose’s big night wasn’t wasted.
Making his first start of the season, Rose scored 19 points in the third quarter as the Timberwolves took a five-point lead into the fourth. Karl-Anthony Towns added nine of his 28 points in the period.
Donovan Mitchell scored 26 points, and Gobert added 22 for Utah.
PACERS 107, KNICKS 101: In New York, Domantas Sabonis matched his career high with 30 points, Victor Oladipo scored 11 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter and Indiana beat New York.
Indiana trailed 97-94 with 3:08 left before Oladipo got hot. Sabonis hit two free throws, and then Oladipo picked off Tim Hardaway Jr.’s lazy dribble and threw down a breakaway dunk for a 98-97 lead. Indiana scored the next five points, capped by Oladipo’s 3-pointer with 1:23 left, to make it 103-97.
Hardaway led the Knicks with 37 points, and Noah Vonleh had 14 points and 10 rebounds. New York has lost six of seven since winning on opening night. NETS 120, PISTONS 119 (OT): In New York, Spencer Dinwiddie made a 3-pointer with 7.1 seconds left in overtime and finished with 25 points to help Brooklyn beat Detroit.
Joe Harris added 23 points, Caris LeVert and Jarrett Allen had 19 each, and Jared Dudley finished with 11. The Nets snapped a three-game losing streak to improve to 3-5.
Blake Griffin led Detroit with 25 points, Andre Drummond had 24 points and 23 rebounds, and Reggie Jackson scored 21 points. After Dinwiddie’s late 3-pointer, Griffin missed a fadeaway. The Pistons have dropped two straight to fall to 4-3. NUGGETS 108, BULLS 107 (OT): In Chicago, Paul Millsap’s putback with 0.1 seconds left in overtime lifted Denver past Chicago.
Denver inbounded with 3.5 seconds remaining. Nikola Jokic missed, but Millsap grabbed the rebound and converted a layup off the glass. The Nuggets improved to 6-1.
Jokic had 22 points and 12 rebounds. Zach LaVine scored 28 points for Chicago, and Wendell Carter Jr. added a career-high 25.
SPURS 120, SUNS 90: In Phoenix, DeMar DeRozan scored 20 of his 25 points in the first half, LaMarcus Aldridge added 24 points and San Antonio routed the Suns for their third straight victory.
The Spurs led by 31 during the second quarter. T.J. Warren, in his first start of the season, led Phoenix with 21 points. LAKERS 114, MAVERICKS 113: In Los Angeles, LeBron James scored 29 points and hit a goahead free throw with 2.1 seconds left as the Lakers held on to beat Dallas.
The Mavericks rallied from a 13-point deficit in the fourth quarter to tie the score at 113 on Luka Doncic’s jumper with 7.2 seconds left. Wesley Matthews scored 21 points for Dallas. WARRIORS 131, PELICANS
121: In Oakland, Calif., Stephen Curry scored 37 points and Kevin Durant added 24 as Golden State outscored New Orleans.
Jrue Holiday scored 28 points to lead the Pelicans.