Magic top Pistons to stop slide
Elfrid Payton had 19 points, eight rebounds and eight assists to help the Magic break a nine-game losing streak with a 102-89 victory over the Detroit Pistons last night in Orlando, Fla.
Evan Fournier scored 17 points and Aaron Gordon had 14 for Orlando, but it was the Magic’s backup centers who made the difference in the game.
Bismack Biyombo had 12 points and 13 rebounds, and Marresse Speights scored 16 points as replacements for injured starter Nikola Vucevic.
Tobias Harris scored 21 points for Detroit, which had won five of six. Andre Drummond had 17 points and 18 rebounds, and Ish Smith contributed 13 points, seven rebounds and five assists.
The Magic controlled most of the game, but needed a boost from Speights and a strong fourth quarter defen- sively to win it.
The backup center scored Orlando’s last nine points of the third period to give the home team a 77-71 lead. His 3-pointer on the first possession of the final quarter started a 9-0 run that put the Magic ahead 86-73 with 9:47 left in the game.
Orlando limited Detroit to just 25 percent shooting (5of-20) in the fourth period and forced the Pistons into four turnovers. Orlando outscored Detroit 25-16 in the quarter.
Bucks 102, Timberwolves 96 — Eric Bledsoe scored 26 points and Giannis Antetokounmpo added 22 to help host Milwaukee rally from a 20-point deficit and beat Minnesota.
Bledsoe had six points and made two key assists down the stretch and the Bucks found their missing defense, holding the Timberwolves to a season-low 12 points in the fourth quarter. Minnesota went cold over the last 4:21 and had its five-game winning streak snapped.
Minnesota perhaps wore down a night after a 128-125 overtime victory over Denver and had a four-game road winning streak snapped.
Karl-Anthony Towns scored 22 points for Minnesota and Andrew Wiggins added 21.
Spurs 119, Knicks 107 — LaMarcus Aldridge had 25 points and every San Antonio starter scored in double figures during a win over visiting New York.
Pau Gasol added 17 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists for San Antonio.
The Spurs improved to 17-2 at home while winning their third straight overall.
The Spurs were without Kawhi Leonard and lost Rudy Gay to a foot injury only two nights after playing with a full roster for the first time all season. Leonard sat out for rest. Gay exited the game late in the third quarter with a sore right heel.
Kyle Anderson had 16 points and eight rebounds starting in place of Leonard. Tony Parker scored 14 points, including 10 in the first quarter as San Antonio bolted to an early lead.
Trail Blazers 114, 76ers 110 — CJ McCollum scored 34 points and host Portland rallied from a 13-point deficit entering the fourth quarter to beat Philadelphia.
Shabazz Napier added 23 points and Jusuf Nurkic 21 points for the Blazers, Joel Embiid had 29 points and Dario Saric 25 points for the 76ers.