GRIZZLIES EXTEND WIN STREAK
Ja Morant scored 36 points and five Grizzlies scored in double figures as Memphis extended its winning streak to five games with a 118-104 win over the host Brooklyn Nets on Monday night.
Grizzlies 118, Nets 104
Desmond Bane scored 29 points, Brandon Clarke added 16, and Jarrett Culver and Tyus Jones had 12 apiece.
Kevin Durant led the Nets with 26 points on 8for-24 shooting from the field, including 2 for 8 from 3point range. James Harden added 19 points in 5-for-14 shooting. Nic Claxton added 11 points and Blake Griffin and Bruce Brown each finished with 10 points as Brooklyn lost its third straight.
“Since I (came) here, I’ve been saying we deserve more respect,” Morant said. “The stuff we’re doing now, obviously that recognition and everything will come.”
Morant scored 18 points in the third period and had a spectacular tomahawk dunk that drew a gasp from the Barclay Center crowd of more 17,000, which included NFL wide receiver Antonio Brown, whose career is on hold after leaving the field and his Tampa Bay teammates in the Buccaneers’ win over the Jets on Sunday.
Trail Blazers 136, Hawks 131: Trae Young had 56 points and 14 assists, but it wasn’t enough as host Portland prevailed. Anfernee Simons had 43 points for the
Trail Blazers.
Timberwolves 122, Clippers 104: Anthony Edwards scored 28 points to lead six Minnesota players in double digits as the visiting Timberwolves beat Los Angeles on the road.
Pistons 115, Bucks 106: Saddiq Bey scored a careerhigh 34 points and visiting Detroit ended Milwaukee’s six-game winning streak.
76ers 133, Rockets 113: Joel Embiid had a triple-double with 31 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists, leading host Philadelphia over Houston.
Garrison Mathews led
the Rockets with 23 points.
Wizards 124, Hornets 121: Kyle Kuzma had a season-high 36 points and 14 rebounds and Bradley Beal scored 35 points in Washington’s win over Charlotte at home.
Charlotte, which lost to Phoenix by a season-high 34 points on Sunday, was led by Gordon Hayward’s 27 points.
Jazz 115, Pelicans 104: Donovan Mitchell scored 29 points, Bojan Bogdanovic added 21, and Utah beat New Orleans to extend its road winning streak to nine
games. Mavericks 103, Nuggets 89:
Luka Doncic had 21 points and matched a season high with 15 assists as host Dallas beat Denver.
Nikola Jokic had 27 points and 16 rebounds to lead the Nuggets, who had a three-game winning streak snapped.
Bulls 102, Magic 98: DeMar DeRozan scored 29 points, Zach LaVine added 27 and host Chicago won its eight straight game, beating Orlando.
Warriors 115, Heat 108: Jordan Poole scored 32 points off the bench to lead Golden State to a win over visiting Miami.
Notable
The Lakers announced that their trade with Cleveland is now official, with Rajon Rondo joining the Cavaliers. The New York Knicks acquired Denzel Valentine
as part of the deal, with the Lakers getting the draft rights to French big man Louis Labeyrie.
The Rockets suspended guard Kevin Porter Jr. and forward Christian Wood for Monday’s game against Philadelphia for conduct detrimental to the team.
Nets coach Steve Nash
said the organization is “hopeful” that Kyrie Irving
could make his season debut Wednesday at Indianapolis, “but no determinations have been made yet.”
The NBA rescheduled all 11 games that were postponed in December for virusrelated reasons and either shifted the times or dates of 10 other games to help accommodate those changes.