NBA ROUNDUP

Friday’s games

Hornets 117, Wizards 116: Terry Rozier scored 25 points, Kelly Oubre Jr. added 22 and host Charlotte held off a second-half rally by Bradley Beal and the Wizards to hand Washington its fifth loss in the last six games.

P.J. Washington had 21 points and Mason Plumlee added 17 points and 10 rebounds for the Hornets, who have won three of their last four.

Beal scored 33 points, but turned the ball over twice and missed an open jumper in the final minute with Washington trailing by one. The Wizards came up empty on their final four possessions, costing them the game.

Kyle Kuzma (Flint) finished with 14 points for Washington. Kuzma had given the Hornets fits in the previous two meetings this season, scoring 28 points in a 108-100 road win and 20 points in a 106-102 home victory.

Hawks 117, Nuggets 109: Dejounte Murray scored 34 points, rookie A.J. Griffin tied a career high with 24 subbing for injured Trae Young and short-handed Atlanta beat visiting Denver.

Denver star Nikola Jokic, the two-time defending NBA MVP, had just four points in the first half on 2-of-5 shooting, but he and the Nuggets got hot in the third, cutting a 16-point deficit with a 14-1 run to make it 64-62 on Aaron Gordon’s layup. Jokic had 24 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists.

Denver tied it at 75 on Jamal Murray’s free throw with 3:34 to go in the third and took its first lead when Jokic’s straightaway 3 beat the shot-clock buzzer to make it 79-78 late in the period.

The Hawks were riddled with injuries before the game with Young, their leading scorer, sidelined by soreness in his right shoulder and John Collins out at least two weeks and

De’Andre Hunter out at least one week. In all, Atlanta had eight players listed on the injury report.

Nets 114, Raptors 105: Kyrie Irving scored 27 points and host Brooklyn built a huge lead before holding off Toronto.

Kevin Durant had 17 points and Nic Claxton chipped in 15 for the Nets, who have won four consecutive games. Pascal Siakam scored 24 points and O.G. Anunoby added 21 for the Raptors. Brooklyn led by 36 points midway through the second quarter and held a 93-72 advantage at the start of the fourth.

The Raptors rattled off 11 straight points to pull within 110-103 after Scottie Barnes’ dunk with 37 seconds left.

Durant was then fouled on the next possession and hit a pair of free throws. Anunoby missed a 3-pointer and Seth Curry knocked down a pair of free throws to seal the victory.