Barea’s layup helps Mavericks snap six-game skid
DALLAS » J.J. Barea scored 20 points, including a clinching a layup in the final seconds, and the Dallas Mavericks ended another six-game winning streak by Toronto with a 98-93 victory over the Raptors on Tuesday night.
The Mavericks held DeMar DeRozan and the Raptors to season lows in shooting percentage as Toronto lost for just the second time in 14 games, with each loss coming after six straight wins.
Dirk Nowitzki scored 18 points and fellow German Maxi Kleber had 15 points and matched his rookie season best with five blocks. Harrison Barnes had 16 points and 10 rebounds. BULLS 115, BUCKS 106 » Nikola Mirotic came off the bench to score 24 points in 28 minutes and the Bulls won for the eighth time in 10 games, beating the Bucks.
Chicago’s surge coincides with the return of Mirotic, who missed the beginning of the season after suffering facial fractures in an October fight with teammate Bobby Portis.
Kris Dunn rebounded from a 1-for-12 shooting game Saturday against Boston with 20 points and 12 assists in 33 minutes for the Bulls.
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 28 points and Eric Bledsoe had 22 to pace Milwaukee, which has lost five of seven.
Mirotic led Chicago’s bench in outscoring Milwaukee’s reserves 54-25. It was the second time the Bulls won at Milwaukee in 12 days, including a 115-109 victory on Dec. 15. PISTONS 107, PACERS 83 » Tobias Harris scored 30 points to help the Pistons rout the Pacers.
The victory moved the Pistons (19-14) past the Pacers (19-15) and into second spot in the NBA’s Central Division.
Andre Drummond added 21 points for the Pistons. Ish Smith (12 points) and Reggie Bullock (11) also reached double digits for Detroit.
Victor Oladipo led the Pacers with 13 points. Domantas Sabonis, Bojan Bogdanovic and Myles Turner each scored 10 points.
The win gave the Pistons a 3-1 decision in the season series between the two teams, the first time Detroit had won the season set from Indiana since going 4-0 against the Pacers in 2007-08. HEAT 107, MAGIC 89 » Josh Richardson scored 20 points, Wayne Ellington had 12 of his 18 points in a dominant fourth quarter and the Heat beat the struggling Magic.
Tyler Johnson added 17, Kelly Olynyk scored 15 and Goran Dragic had 14 for the Heat, who outscored Orlando 39-21 in the fourth — the biggest margin by Miami in a final quarter this season.
Hassan Whiteside returned from an 11-game absence with a bone bruise in his left knee, adding seven points and eight rebounds in 18 minutes.
Elfrid Payton scored 19 points for Orlando, which now has two separate ninegame losing streaks this season. The Magic started 8-4, and are 3-20 since.
Evan Fournier and Mario Hezonja had 14 apiece for Orlando, which got 12 from Marreese Speights. The Magic led by 10 in the third quarter, and got outscored by 28 in the final 20 minutes. SPURS 109, NETS 97 » Kawhi Leonard scored 21 points, LaMarcus Aldridge added 20 and the Spurs beat the Nets in their first game of the season with every player healthy and available.
San Antonio is third in the Western Conference at 24-11 despite being without Leonard and/or Tony Parker for 30 games this season.