Chicago takes on Milwaukee in busy Monday NBA slate.
HOUSTON (AP) — Chris Paul scored 28 points and Danilo Gallinari added 25 as the Oklahoma City Thunder rallied from a 15-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat cold-shooting James Harden and the Houston Rockets 112-107 on Monday.
Paul scored 27 of his 28 points in the first half against his former team. Gallinari and Dennis Schroder, who scored 17 of his 23 points after halftime, carried the Thunder after the break.
Former Thunder player Russell Westbrook had 32 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds for Houston. Harden had 29 points but was astonishingly inefficient, making 1 of 17 3-point attempts, as the Rockets' losing streak stretched to a season-high four games.
Oklahoma City used a 6-0 run, highlighted by a dunk from Shai Gil geo us Alexander after he stole the ball from Harden, to put the Thunder up 108105 with about a minute left.
Harden made a layup for Houston to cut the lead to one, but Schroder made a jump shot with 28 seconds remaining to make it 110-107. Russell Westbrook missed a 3-pointer on the other end and Gilgeous-Alexander added two free throws to secure the victory.
Houston had a 15-point lead before the Thunder scored 13 straight points to get within 100-98 with 4 1/2 minutes to go. Gallinari led the way for Oklahoma City in that stretch, making two 3-pointers and adding three free throws after being fouled on a 3-point attempt.
Harden made one of two free throws after that but Gallinari struck again seconds later with another 3 that tied it at 101all. Gilgeous-Alexander then made one of two free throws to give the
Thunder their first lead since the first quarter.
Westbrook made Houston's first field goal in more than four minutes with a layup with just more than three minutes left. He then added another layup after a steal seconds later to give the Rockets a 105-102 lead with about two minutes to go.
The Thunder trailed by 16 points after three quarters, but a 9-2 run, with five points from Schroder, got them within 91-82 with about 9 1/2 minutes left.
Houston trailed by as many as 10 in the first half but led by seven at halftime and used a 9-3 run to open the third quarter and push it to 73-60. P.J. Tucker had a 3-pointer in that stretch and Westbrook added four points.
Houston scored the last four points in a third quarter where Oklahoma City scored just 14 points to make it 87-71 entering the fourth.
BUCKS 111, BULLS 98
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo had a triple-double and scored his 10,000th career point as the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Chicago Bulls to sweep the fourgame season series.
Antetokounmpo had 28 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists for his fourth triple-double of the season. He reached 10,000 points on a jump hook with 4:30 remaining in the fourth.
Khris Middleton added 24 points for Milwaukee, which has won 10 consecutive games over the Bulls dating to the 201718 season. That's the Bucks' longest winning streak over Chicago since the teams began playing in 1968.
The Bucks have won seven straight and ran their league-best record to 39-6. Milwaukee shot 58 percent, with Middleton connecting on 10 of 13 shots.
Zach LaVine had 24 points for Chicago, which shot just 37 percent. Kris Dunn had 15 points and Thaddeus Young added 14 points off the bench.
LaVine has scored at least 20 points in 11 consecutive games.
After a sloppy first half by both teams, the Bucks began to take control, opening the third quarter on a 13-4 run, sparked by Middleton's eight points. Milwaukee's lead grew to as many as 16 in the quarter before Chicago clawed back.
Milwaukee used a 14-0 run on it way to a 30-23 lead after the opening period.
The second quarter saw 10 lead changes with the Bucks leading 53-52 at halftime. Antetokounmpo had 12 points but was saddled with three fouls and had five turnovers.
MAGIC 106, HORNETS 83
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Evan Fournier scored 26 points and the Orlando Magic beat Charlotte, handing the Hornets their seventh consecutive loss.
Nikola Vucevic had 24 points and 10 rebounds for Orlando, which closed out a six-game trip with a 3-3 record. Terrence Ross added 19 points.
The Magic shot 14 for 28 from 3-point range. Fournier made six 3s and Ross finished with five.
Malik Monk scored 20 points and P.J. Washington had 19 for the Hornets, who have not won since Jan. 4.
Orlando began to take control with a 14-1 run to start the second quarter. Charlotte pulled within seven at the end of the third, but the Magic put together a strong finish.
Orlando blew the game open with a 27-8 run to start the final period. Fournier made a pair of 3s, Vucevic scored five quick points and Ross threw down a thunderous slam. Fournier and Vucevic each scored 12 in the fourth.
Charlotte has gotten most of its scoring season from Devonte Graham and Terry Rozier, but both guards struggled against the Magic. Graham shot 5 of 17 and had 15 points, while Rozier was held to four points after missing each of his six field goal attempts.
76ERS 117, NETS 111
NEW YORK (AP) — Ben Simmons tied a career high with 34 points and added 12 rebounds and 12 assists, carrying the Philadelphia 76ers to a victory over the Brooklyn Nets.
Announced as the Eastern Conference player of the week during the game, Simmons got a good start on winning the next week's award, too. He shot 12 for 14 from the field in his career-best fifth straight game with 20 or more points, finishing with his fourth triple-double of the season.
Al Horford added 19 points for the 76ers, who won their fourth consecutive game. Tobias Harris and Josh Richardson each scored 15.
Spencer Dinwiddie scored 22 points for the Nets, who played without Kyrie Irving because of hamstring tightness and lost their fourth straight. Caris LeVert had 16 points and rookie Nicolas Claxton added a career
best 15.
The Nets led 91-82 on Claxton's follow dunk with 1:41 left in the third, but the Sixers scored the final eight points of the period. Simmons got the last six, including two free throws after he was flagrantly fouled by Claxton, who fell hard onto the court.
He scored again to open the fourth and give Philadelphia a 92-91 lead, which grew to 97-91 when Raul Neto capped its 15-0 run with a 3-pointer.
Philadelphia's lead grew to 105-96 on a basket by Simmons before the Nets scored eight straight while the 76ers went scoreless for nearly five minutes. Horford finally ended that drought when Simmons found him for a 3-pointer and a 108-104 edge with 1:22 to play, and Furkan Korkmaz hit another 3 to put them up five with 23 seconds remaining.
The Nets committed 22 turnovers and shot 64.7% on free throws while losing for the 11th time in 13 games.
Claxton is a second-round pick getting extended minutes after backup center DeAndre Jordan suffered a finger injury. Claxton scored 14 points Saturday in a loss to Milwaukee, then went 5 for 5 for 13 points in nine first-half minutes Monday as Brooklyn took a 68-64 lead.
RAPTORS 122, HAWKS 117
ATLANTA (AP) — Norman Powell scored 27 points, including 17 in the final period, and the Toronto Raptors withstood Atlanta's late charge to beat the Hawks.
Toronto led by 21 points, 112-91, before surviving a late comeback by the Hawks, who pulled within two points at 117-115. Fred VanVleet, who had 20 points, sank three free throws with 14.2 seconds remaining after he was fouled by John Collins, pushing the lead to five points.
Powell had only 10 points through three quarters before finding his 3-point range in the final period to lead Toronto's productive second unit. The backups were on the floor when Toronto made its comeback in the third quarter and remained in the game for most of the final period.
Trae Young had 42 points and 15 assists for Atlanta. Young's four-point play cut Toronto's lead to 114-107 with 1:39 remaining. Collins' layup cut the deficit to two points.
Powell made three straight 3s to lead the Raptors' decisive surge early in the final period. After Serge Ibaka added a 3, Powell continued his hot streak with another long-range shot, this one a 27-footer.
Powell has scored 20 or more points in five straight games. Toronto earned its fourth straight win.