Leonard scores 39 as Clippers edge Pelicans
Win over Nets gives Bucks an NBA-best 38-6 record
NEW ORLEANS — Kawhi Leonard scored 39 points as the Los Angeles Clippers beat the New Orleans Pelicans 133-130 on Saturday.
Lou Williams scored 14 of his 32 points in a dominant fourth quarter for LA, which outscored the Pels 31-20 in the final 12 minutes.
Williams’ 3 with 31.6 seconds left, after Patrick Beverley had rebounded a Leonard shot, gave the Clippers a 133-127 lead.
N.O.’s JJ Redick then hit a quick 3, and after Leonard ran down the shot clock and missed a 3, New Orleans had 2.4 seconds to attempt a tying 3 that Redick missed off the back rim.
BUCKS 117, NETS 97: In New York, Giannis Antetokounmpo had 29 points and 12 rebounds, and Khris Middleton scored 20 points as Milwaukee beat Brooklyn for its sixth straight victory.
The Bucks ran the NBA’s best record to 38-6 with another romp. They came in beating opponents by 12.4 points per game, which would be a league record if it holds up all season, and their lead was never below that after Middleton hit consecutive 3-pointers in the final minute of the second quarter when Brooklyn was within nine.
SUNS 123, CELTICS 119: In Boston, Devin Booker had 39 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists as Phoenix overcame a franchise-best 11 3-pointers by Boston’s Marcus Smart.
Deandre Ayton had 26 points and 15 rebounds for the Suns.
Smart shot 11 for 22 from 3-point range and finished with a career-best 37 points. It was the first time in NBA history that a player made 11 or more 3-points in a losing effort.
LAKERS 124, ROCKETS 115: In Houston,
LeBron James had 31 points and 12 assists as LA rode a big third quarter to beat Houston.
The Lakers bounced back after a loss to Orlando on Wednesday night that snapped their nine-game winning streak. The loss was the third straight for the Rockets.
WARRIORS 109, MAGIC 95: In San Francisco, D’Angelo Russell scored 26 points and had a season-high 12 assists as Golden State snapped its longest losing streak (10 games) since 2002.
Jordan Poole scored 21 points off the bench, for the Warriors. Markelle Fultz scored 23 points to lead the Magic.
PISTONS 136, HAWKS 103: In Atlanta, Derrick Rose had 27 points and nine assists, and Svi Mykhailiuk added 25 points in a reserve role as Detroit won its second straight game.
The Pistons had a season high in points and shot 59.3% from the field, two nights after shooting one percentage point better, a season high, in a win at Boston.
76ERS 90, KNICKS 87: In New York, Tobias Harris hit a go-ahead 3-pointer late in the fourth quarter and Ben Simmons had 21 points as Philadelphia won its third straight game.
Josh Richardson added 18 points and reserve Furkan Korkmaz scored 17 for the 76ers.
RAPTORS 122, TIMBERWOLVES 112: In Minneapolis, Fred VanVleet returned from a hamstring injury to score 29 points and lead Toronto over Minnesota.
Kyle Lowry added 28 points and seven assists for the Raptors, who have won three straight.
BULLS 118, CAVALIERS 116: In Chicago, Zach LaVine scored 21 of his 42 points in the fourth quarter as Chicago rallied from 15 points down in the final quarter for a victory. Chicago trailed by as many as 19 points.
JAZZ 123, KINGS 101: In Salt Lake City, Rudy Gobert had a season-high 28 points and 15 rebounds, and Utah raced to a 16-point lead in the first quarter in a rout of Sacramento.
Bojan Bogdanovic had six 3-pointers on his way to 30 points. Donovan Mitchell contributed 22 for Utah.
THUNDER 119, TRAIL BLAZERS 106: In Oklahoma City, Chris Paul matched a season high with 30 points as Oklahoma City beat Portland.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 22 points and Dennis Schroder and Nerlens Noel each added 15 for OKC.