Kings crown Clippers again
Kent Bazemore scored a season-high 23 points, Bogdan Bogdanovic added 20 and the Sacramento Kings beat the Los Angeles Clippers on the road for the second time in less than a month, winning 112-103 on Saturday.
De’Aaron Fox had 20 points and eight assists for the surging Kings. They have won two straight out of the All-Star break and eight of 12 overall.
Sacramento blew a 14point lead in the second half to a Clippers lineup missing injured stars Paul George and Patrick Beverley. But the Kings then shut out Kawhi Leonard and the Clips for more than five straight minutes down the stretch, making a decisive 10-0 run capped by Harry Giles’ percussive dunk with 58 seconds left.
Leonard scored 31 points in his return from his MVP performance in Chicago, but the Clippers returned from the All-Star break with their first three-game losing streak of the season. Lou Williams added 24 points, and Montrezl Harrell had 16 points and 10 rebounds.
With the Clippers comfortably in third place in the Western Conference, George and Beverley are both getting extra time off to rest persistent injuries.
Reggie Jackson scored eight points in his Clippers debut two days after the Pistons bought him out, while Marcus Morris had six points and five turnovers in 32 minutes in his home debut nearly two weeks after the Clippers acquired him in a three-way trade.
Nets 115, Hornets 86 — Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot led a balanced scoring attack with 21 points and Brooklyn Nets snapped the Hornets’ threegame win streak.
Eight Brooklyn players scored in double figures, including Caris LeVert with 17. Garrett Temple added 15 points and 10 rebounds, Jarrett
Allen had 12 points and 11 rebounds and the Nets bounced back from a 112-104 overtime loss to the 76ers on Thursday night.
P.J. Washington had 16 points for the Hornets.
Brooklyn built a 10-point halftime lead and outscored the Hornets 33-13 in the third quarter to take control.
Hawks 111, Mavericks 107 — John Collins had 35 points and 17 rebounds, Trae Young scored 13 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter and the Hawks rallied.
Collins’ follow shot, credited after a goaltending call was overturned, sealed it with 8.4 seconds remaining.
Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 20 of his season high-tying 33 points in the first half and Seth Curry added 22 for Dallas, which couldn’t overcome a depleted roster.
Suns 112, Bulls 104 — DeAndre Ayton dominated with 28 points and 19 rebounds, and Devin Booker had 29 points for Phoenix.
Phoenix outscored Chicago by 13 in the third quarter to wipe out a 10-point halftime deficit and ended the game on a 17-4 run to come away with the win after losing seven of nine. The Bulls dropped their eighth in a row.
Ayton had 12 points and eight rebounds in the fourth quarter and just missed season highs in scoring (31) and rebounding (21)
Booker made 5 of 10 from beyond the arc in another solid showing in Chicago. The guard placed second to Sacramento’s Buddy Hield in the 3-point contest and made his first All-Star appearance last weekend in Chicago.
Ricky Rubio added 18 points and 11 assists, and Kelly Oubre Jr. had 14 points to help the Suns snap a fivegame road losing streak.
Bulls rookie Coby White set a career high with 33 points and matched one by making seven 3-pointers. Zach LaVine scored 20 points.
Around the NBA ... Though Lakers coach Frank Vogel said Anthony Davis is listed as probable for the Boston Celtics game at Staples Center on Sunday afternoon, Vogel made it clear that the All-Star forward will play.
“(He’s) a little bit sore, but he should be good to go tomorrow,” Vogel said.