Nuggets beat Heat in NBA Finals rematch
Michael Porter Jr. scored 25 points, Aaron Gordon added 16 and the reigning NBA champion Denver Nuggets took sole possession of first place in the Western Conference with a 100-88 win over the sliding host Miami Heat in a finals rematch on Wednesday night.
Nikola Jokic finished with 12 points, 14 rebounds and six assists for the Nuggets (46-20), who moved a half-game ahead of Oklahoma City (45-20) and a full game up on Minnesota (4521) in the West race.
Denver is an NBA-best 10-1 since the All-Star break.
Bam Adebayo scored 17 points and grabbed 13 rebounds for Miami, which has lost four straight.
MAVERICKS 109, WARRIORS 99 >>
Luka Doncic scored 21 points while his triple-double streak ended at seven games and Dallas slogged to a home victory over Golden State.
Doncic left the game in the fourth quarter with left hamstring soreness.
The Warriors were without Stephen Curry for a third consecutive game, and it showed with sub40% shooting almost the entire game in a fifth loss in six games this season without their star guard.
Jonathan Kuminga led Golden State with 27 points.
Doncic had nine assists and three rebounds.
CAVALIERS 116, PELICANS 95 >>
Donovan Mitchell scored 14 points in his return from a seven-game absence and visiting Cleveland combined for 20 3-pointers in a victory over New Orleans.
Mitchell, who made four 3s, was one of four Cavs with at least that many. Cleveland finished 20 of 45 from deep, while the Pelicans made just 4 of 22 from long range in losing for the first time in five games.
Darius Garland finished with 27 points and 11 assists for Cleveland. Jarrett Allen had 17 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks.
Zion Williamson had 33 points and nine rebounds for New Orleans.
BULLS 132, PACERS 129, OT >>
DeMar DeRozan scored 46 points, including the goahead 3-pointer in overtime, to help Chicago outlast host Indiana.
The All-Star forward's only 3-pointer at the 2:17 mark of overtime pushed the Bulls ahead 127-123.
The final 72 seconds of regulation were particularly entertaining as Pacers center Myles Turner hit 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions with 1:12 and 56.7 seconds remaining for a 3-point lead. But DeRozan sank a free throw and swished a baseline fadeaway jumper with 0.3 seconds remaining to force overtime.
Turner led the Pacers with 27 points. Pascal Siakam scored 17 points and grabbed nine rebounds. Haliburton had 17 points and 14 assists.
PISTONS 113, RAPTORS 104 >>
Jalen Duren had a careerhigh 23 rebounds along with 24 points and five assists as host Detroit won three of four games for the first time in nearly two years, beating Toronto.