STRUGGLING BULLS GET WIN IN DOUBLE OT
NEW YORK — Kris Dunn always talks about playing with a swagger.
Is there any other way to explain being able to bank home the eventual game-winning basket on a night he shot 4 for 18?
Dunn, who had missed his previous six shots, sank a runner over Kyle O’Quinn with 58.8 seconds remaining in the Bulls’ wild 122-119 double-overtime victory over the Knicks Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden.
After getting caught in a bad matchup on a switch, Dunn then followed with decent defense on Kristaps Porzingis, who missed a jumper. Dunn followed with a turnover, emblematic of his mostly rough night. But Jarrett Jack returned the favor on the ensuing possession, and Justin Holiday tacked on two free throws with 13.9 seconds remaining.
Antetokounmpo, Bucks use 4th to beat Magic
MILWAUKEE — During past seasons as well as this one, the Milwaukee Bucks have had trouble taking care of the teams they should beat.
The Orlando Magic certainly fit into that category, riding a five-game losing streak into Wednesday night’s contest as part of a 425 stretch since early November. To make things tougher for the Magic, the schedulemakers sent them to Milwaukee on the second game of a back-to-back while the Bucks were off on Tuesday.
During the first half, the Bucks displayed all the elements of a team playing down to its competition as they struggled to build a comfortable advantage. Then the third quarter happened, Giannis Antetokounmpo happened and the expected cushion appeared, with the Bucks building a 20-point lead on the way to a 110-103 win at the BMO Harris Bradley Center.
The game got close down the stretch with the Bucks’ bench in for much of the fourth quarter. That unit squandered much of the lead they inherited.
Mavs defeat Hornets despite Walker’s 41 points
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Kemba Walker had a game to remind the Eastern Conference coaches why he is again AllStar worthy.
Not much else reflected well on the Charlotte Hornets Wednesday in a 115-111 home loss to the Dallas Mavericks.
The Hornets (15-24) were coming off an encouraging 31 West Coast trip, and had four days off between games. Meanwhile, the Mavericks played the Orlando Magic in Dallas Tuesday before the long flight to Charlotte. That had no tangible benefit for the home team, as the Hornets gave up 42 percent shooting from 3-point range for the Mavs (15-28).
Walker finished with 41 points, keeping the Hornets in the game in the last minute, with a layup and a free throw to trim the deficit to one with 30 seconds left. Walker missed a 3-pointer with about 15 seconds left. Dwight Howard (15 points and 12 boards) grabbed the offensive rebound, and made it a two-point game with the Mavs taking possession with 10 seconds left.
Pistons slash Nets behind duo of Drummond, Harris
NEW YORK — The pickand-roll is normally run by the point guard and center.
But on Wednesday night it was small forward Tobias Harris working with center Andre Drummond on the simple basketball play with great efficiency.
The Detroit Pistons rode the duo’s dominance — and a 26-5 run in the first half — to a 114-80 thumping of the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center.
The Pistons (22-18) snapped a five-game road losing streak behind their two best players.
Harris was an efficient 10for-14 from the floor in scoring 22 points.
Drummond was dominant with 22 points, 20 rebounds, five assists, two steals and two blocked shots.
The Pistons shot 51.6 percent from the floor and made 10 of 21 3-pointers.
T’wolves’ defense strong yet again in victory
MINNEAPOLIS — The Timberwolves finished their four-game season series with Western Conference rival Oklahoma City on Wednesday night at Target Center winners three times after a comparatively easy 104-88 victory that could mean something come playoff time in April.
The series’ first three games decided by a total of nine points, the Wolves led by as many as 16 points in the game’s final three minutes after a decisive third quarter changed a series so close until Wolves coach Tom Thibodeau finished Wednesday’s game with his deep reserves on the floor.
They won their third consecutive game and for the 10th time in their last 13 games, before a fifth consecutive sellout crowd, on a night when they held their opponent under 100 points for a seventh consecutive game.
They also did so after starting point guard Jeff Teague returned after a seven-game injury absence. He played 26 minutes in his first game back and more-than-capable replacement Tyus Jones played 19 points off the bench.
They did so, too, despite Thunder star Russell Westbrook’s spirited 38-point, 10rebound, 5-assist performance.
More Heat drama and another Heat win
INDIANAPOLIS — Have there been anything but close games for the Miami Heat lately? Certainly not this calendar year.
The pattern played out again Wednesday against the Indiana Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, this time a 114-106 victory that extended the Heat’s winning streak to six
This time it wasn’t all the way to the buzzer, as it was in Tuesday night’s one-point victory over the Toronto Raptors at the start of this backto-back road set, but it essentially went to the limit.
And Wayne Ellington again put himself in the middle of it all, this time with a 31-foot 3-pointer that bounded in just before the shot-clock buzzer with 23.2 seconds to play for a six-point Heat lead.
For the Heat, it again was a case of tying to make it work with an ensemble approach.
Goran Dragic led the Heat with 20 points, Hassan Whiteside adding 16, with Ellington, Tyler Johnson and Bam Adebayo each scoring 15, Josh Richardson 14 and Kelly Olynyk 12.