Raptors end Rockets’ 17-game win streak
TORONTO — Kyle Lowry scored 30 points, DeMar DeRozan had 23 and the Toronto Raptors beat Houston 108-105 on Friday night, snapping the Rockets’ 17-game winning streak.
James Harden scored 40 points but the Rockets lost for the first time since Jan. 27 at New Orleans.
Jonas Valanciunas had 14 points and 10 rebounds as the Raptors won their seventh straight in a matchup between the respective conference leaders.
WIZARDS 116, PELICANS 97
In New Orleans, Otto Porter Jr. scored 19 points and Washington cruised past the Pelican, which couldn’t overcome the absence of All-Star Anthony Davis and had its 10-game winning streak snapped.
Markieff Morris scored 17 and Bradley Beal added 16 for the Wizards, who led by as many as 27 points en route to their second straight victory.
Without the 6-foot-10 Davis’ ability to affect opponents’ shots or prolong Pelicans possession with offensive rebounds, New Orleans looked overmatched on the boards. Washington outrebounded New Orleans 49-38, and converted 10 offensive rebounds into 18 secondchance points.
BUCKS 120, KNICKS 112
In Milwaukee, Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 13 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter, outmuscling New York in the lane to help the Bicks hold on.
Khris Middleton had a game-high 30 points for the Bucks, who got a head-start on their fourth-quarter surge when Antetokounmpo rejected Emmanuel Mudiay’s attempted layup before the third-quarter buzzer to preserve a 91-89 lead.
NUGGETS 125, LAKERS 116
In Denver, Paul Millsap scored 21 points and hit a key 3-pointer in the final minutes, and the Nuggets beat Los Angeles.
Jamal Murray had 22 points and Nikola Jokic also scored 21 to help the Nuggets end a three-game home losing streak and stay in the thick of the playoff race.
Millsap missed 44 games with a left wrist injury before returning Feb. 27 against the Clippers. Friday was his sixth game back and his best performance, which included six rebounds and three blocked shots.
PISTONS 99, BULLS 83
In Detroit, Blake Griffin had 25 points, eight rebounds and eight assists, and the Pistons ended a four-game losing streak.
The Pistons (30-36) had lost 10 of 12 to fall five games out of the final Eastern Conference playoff spot. Reggie Bullock added 21 points while Andre Drummond had 17 rebounds.
Chicago (22-43) had won two of three after a fivegame losing streak. Cameron Payne led the Bulls with 17 points, while Kris Dunn was the only other player to reach double figures with 13.
PACERS 112, HAWKS 87
In Indianapolis, Bojan Bogdanovic scored 21 points, Cory Joseph scored 10 of his 18 points in the opening quarter, and the Pacer were never seriously threatened in a rout of Atlanta.
Joseph, starting for point guard Darren Collison, hit two of the team’s five 3-pointers to help build a 34-15 lead after 12 minutes.
Collison came off the bench and scored 17 points in 21 minutes. Victor Oladipo and Myles turner also scored 17 apiece for Indiana, which has won 12 of 15 home games since the start of the new year.
The Pacers (38-28) led by as many as 21 in the second quarter and went ahead by 31 points in the third quarter. They finished 14 of 27 from 3-point range.
Rookie reserve guard Tyler Dorsey scored all of his career-high 18 points in the second half for the Hawks, who dropped to a league-worst 5-27 on the road.
JAZZ 95, GRIZZLIES 78
In Memphis, Tenn., Jae Crowder scored a season-high 22 points and Utah won its fifth straight with a victory over the Grizzlies, which has lost 16 in a row.
Joe Ingles added 16 points for Utah, while Ricky Rubio had 15 points and 10 rebounds. Dillon Brooks led Memphis with 18 points, and Ben McLemore finished with 14. Jarell Martin contributed 13, while making only five of his 15 shots as Memphis shot 37 percent for the game.