Bulls roll past Mavericks
DALLAS (AP) — Lauri Markkanen had 29 points and 10 rebounds, Garrett Temple scored 15 of his season-high 21 points in the second quarter and the Chicago Bulls ended a four-game losing streak with a 117-101 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday.
Dallas star Luka Doncic passed Michael Jordan on the career list with his 29th triple-double, finishing with 36 points, 16 rebounds and 15 assists, including a behind-the-back pass to Willie Cauley-Stein for a dunk. Doncic is tied with Grant Hill for 15th place.
The Slovenian sensation, who had 30 points at halftime, didn't get nearly enough help with the Mavericks missing five rotation players because of COVID-19 protocols and guard Tim Hardaway Jr. with a left groin strain.
Doncic had his European sidekick in Kristaps Porzingis, who scored 20 points, after both missed a loss at Chicago this month. But the 7-foot-3 Latvian was 0 of 7 from 3-point range while joining Dallas players not named Doncic in shooting 10% from deep (2 of 20).
The Bulls, who lost all four games on their skid by four points or fewer, took control with a 40-point second quarter and didn't let their lead get under nine points in the second half.
Zach LaVine, who had 21 first-quarter points in the earlier win over Dallas, didn't get his first bucket until the third quarter while going 1 of 8 from the field and making all eight free throws to finish with 10 points and 10 assists.
Thaddeus Young scored 15 points for Chicago, and Otto Porter Jr. had 14 points and nine rebounds.
Dallas guard Jalen Brunson, who scored a season-high 31 points when Doncic was sidelined by a quadriceps injury in Chicago, was listed as questionable on the COVID-19 list and didn't play. Josh Richardson, Dorian Finney-Smith, Maxi Kleber and Dwight Powell were out again.
After setting a franchise record with consecutive games with at least seven 3-pointers, LaVine missed all five shots from long range . ... The Bulls finished with six players in double figures. The other was Wendell Carter Jr., who had 12 points, seven rebounds and five of Chicago's 14 steals.
Dallas is headed out for another three-game trip. If all games go on as scheduled, the Mavericks will have played 11 of their first 15 away from home.
KNICKS 105, CELTICS 75
BOSTON (AP) — Julius Randle scored 20 points with 12 rebounds and RJ Barrett had 19 and 11 on Sunday to help the New York Knicks snap a fivegame losing streak and beat the Boston Celtics 105-75.
Jaylen Brown scored 25 for Boston, which had the best record in the Eastern Conference after winning five in a row but suffered its biggest blowout and lowest-scoring output of the season.
“I don't believe that's who this team is,” Celtics coach Brad Stevens said. “We had a clunker. You try to have as few of those as you can . ... We just looked like we were in mud today.”
All-Star Kemba Walker made his season debut after missing the first 11 games with a left knee injury but left in the third quarter with a rib injury. Fellow Celtics All-Star Jayson Tatum missed his second straight game with COVID-19.
The Knicks led by as many as 11 in the first quarter and made it 15 in the second before scoring the first 10 points in the third quarter to open a 58-35 lead. The Celtics never got closer than 18 after that.
“They've played extremely well short-handed, and dealing with a lot of tough stuff with guys being out,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. “Sometimes when you get guys back, there's another adjustment you have to go through . ... Getting Kemba back, there was an adjustment for them.”