San Antonio’s Popovich wins 1,300th game
New York gives Milwaukee its second straight loss; Jazz rolls
SAN ANTONIO, Texas — Coach Gregg Popovich became the fastest to reach 1,300 career wins, not that San Antonio’s veteran sideline boss cared about the milestone. Popovich was prouder that the Spurs snapped a four-game losing streak during a difficult point of the season.
Jakob Poeltl scored 20 points, DeMar DeRozan had 17 and the San Antonio Spurs held on to beat Chicago 120-104 on Saturday night in Nikola Vucevic’s debut with the Bulls.
“I’m trying to find my teammates and get a feel for everything that we are running,” Vucevic said. “It was pretty good for a first game, and as the game went on, it was better.”
He had 21 points and nine rebounds. “Shoutout to Coach Pop, future Hall of Famer,” San Antonio point guard Dejounte Murray said. “I’m just thankful to know him as person, to be coached by him. We are going to try to continue to get him as many wins as we can.”
Popovich is 1,300-634 in the regular season in 25 seasons, all with the Spurs.
KNICKS 102, BUCKS 96: In Milwaukee, Alec Burks and RJ Barrett each scored 21 points to help New York beat Milwaukee, which was without Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The victory was costly for the Knicks, who lost starting center Mitchell Robinson to a broken right foot in the first quarter. He will be re-evaluated when the Knicks return to New York on Sunday.
Antetokounmpo has a sprained left knee. Brother Thanasis Antetokounmpo had 23 points and Jordan Nwora 21 for the Bucks. They lost their second straight after eight consecutive victories.
JAZZ 126, GRIZZLIES 110: In Salt Lake City, Donovan Mitchell had 35 points and seven assists as NBAleading Utah beat Memphis for its 19th straight home victory.
Jordan Clarkson added 28 points, and Rudy Gobert had 16 points and 14 rebounds to help Utah improve to 34-11.
Jonas Valanciunas had 13 points and 11 rebounds for Memphis. Kyle Anderson was the top scorer with 16 points. Dillon Brooks added 13 and Ja Morant chipped in with 12.
The Grizzlies lost both games in the two-game set at Utah.
WIZARDS 106, PISTONS 92: In Washington, Russell Westbrook had 19 points, 19 rebounds and 10 assists and Washington beat Detroit in All-Star guard Bradley Beal’s injury-shortened outing.
Beal had 17 points in 21 minutes before the NBA scoring leader departed early in the third quarter, having started the game with a sore right foot.
Westbrook had his NBA-best 15th triple-double to help the Wizards win for the second time in 10 games since the All-Star break.
Wayne Ellington scored 15 points for Detroit.
CELTICS 111, THUNDER 94: In Oklahoma City, Jayson Tatum scored 20 of his 27 points in the second half and Boston rallied in the fourth quarter to beat Oklahoma City.
Jaylen Brown added 25 points to help the Celtics even their season record to close out a four-game trip.
Moses Brown scored a career-high 21 points and tied a Thunder record with 23 rebounds. Theo Maledon added 22 points for Oklahoma City.
“This was one where we had to find a way because we can’t keep going back and forth,” Celtics coach Brad Stevens said. ‘We’ve got to establish some momentum here.”
Moses Brown scored a career-high 21 points and tied a Thunder record with 23 rebounds. The team announced before the game that veteran center Al Horford will be inactive the rest of the season while the team’s young players develop.
Brown moved into the starting lineup and set a franchise record for rebounds in a half with 19 before the break.
PELICANS 112, MAVERICKS 103: In New Orleans, Zion Williamson scored 38 points, including 10 during New Orleans’ 18-8 run in the final 3:42, and Nickiel Alexander-Walker added 20 to lift the Pelicans to a victory over the Dallas.
Williamson, who had 39 points in a close loss to Denver on Friday night, recorded his 23rd consecutive game of at least 20 points.
The Mavericks played without forward Luka Doncic, who sat out with an illness, and center Kristaps Porzingis, who was resting on the second half of back-to-back games.
ROCKETS 129, TIMBERWOLVES 107: In Minneapolis, Kevin Porter Jr. scored 25 points in his return to Houston’s lineup, John Wall had 13 points and 12 assists and Rockets rebounded to beat Minnesota.
On Friday night in the series opener, Houston blew a 29-point, second-half lead and was outscored 22-0 in the final 7:31 of a 107-101 loss. The Rockets came back a night later to win for the second time in four games after a 20-game losing streak.
Kelly Olynyk added 16 points in his first game for Houston after coming over from Miami in the trade for Victor Oladipo. Sterling Brown also had 16 points.
Karl-Anthony Towns had 27 points and 15 rebounds for Minnesota.