Butler’s 3 clutch for Philadelphia
Jimmy Butler made a 3-pointer with 2.3 seconds remaining to give the Philadelphia 76ers a 127-125 victory against the Brooklyn Nets last night in New York.
Butler’s shot from the right wing, similar to the one that beat Charlotte in overtime on Nov. 17, capped Philadelphia’s rally from 20 points down in a game the Nets led nearly all the way.
Butler finished with 34 points and 12 rebounds, and Joel Embiid had 32 points and 12 boards for the 76ers.
D’Angelo Russell had 38 points, his highest total with the Nets, and added eight assists and eight rebounds. Spencer Dinwiddie scored 31 points off the bench.
The 76ers, who are a league-best 10-1 at home, improved to just 4-7 away from the Wells Fargo Center.
Butler, whose first game-winner with the Sixers ruined Kemba Walker’s 60-point performance in Charlotte, led Philadelphia’s fourth-quarter charge after it looked sluggish throughout the first three quarters.
Brooklyn led 118-105 after Dinwiddie’s basket forced the 76ers to call timeout with 4:57 left in the fourth quarter.
Philadelphia then went on a 16-2 run and went ahead 121-120 on JJ Redick’s 3-pointer with 1:03 remaining, its first lead since Embiid scored the game’s first two points. The Nets have lost three straight.
Knicks 103, Grizzlies 98 — Enes Kanter had a career-high 26 rebounds and scored 21 points, Tim Hardaway Jr. finished with 22 points and New York Knicks overcame a poor shooting first half to win in Memphis.
Emmanuel Mudiay added 17 points, and Trey Burke had 15 to help the Knicks win their third straight in former Grizzles coach David Fizdale’s return to Memphis.
Hawks 124, Hornets 123 — John Collins had 23 points and 11 rebounds and blocked Kemba Walker’s runner as time expired, helping host Atlanta Hawks snap a 10-game losing streak by beating Charlotte.
Walker, the NBA’s second-leading scorer, hit a jumper to put Charlotte up by one with 47.5 seconds remaining, but he committed a shot-clock turnover on the next possession and finished 7-of-23 from the field for 22 points.
Raptors 125, Heat 115 — Kawhi Leonard had 29 points and 10 rebounds, Kyle Lowry added 12 points and 10 assists, and host Toronto won its fifth straight, beating Miami.
Jonas Valanciunas had 17 points and 10 rebounds, and Pascal Siakam scored 21 points, two shy of his career high, as the Raptors improved their NBA-leading record to 17-4.
Pistons 118, Suns 107 — Andre Drummond had 19 points and 16 rebounds, and host Detroit pulled away in the fourth quarter to beat Phoenix.
Devin Booker scored 37 points for Phoenix, and Detroit had a hard time shaking free of the Suns until a 15-3 run in the fourth. Blake Griffin had 16 points and 11 assists.
Magic 108, Lakers 104 — Nikola Vucevic had 31 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists and Terrence Ross made a goahead lay-up with 34 seconds left as Orlando beat LeBron James (24 points) and host Los Angelesto sweep the season series for just the second time in 30 years.
Jazz 133, Kings 112 — Rudy Gobert had 18 points and 15 rebounds, Ricky Rubio scored 27 points and Utah cruised past host Sacramento. Joe Ingles added 18 points as the Jazz snapped a three-game losing streak.