Pacers end Lakers’ road winning streak
INDIANAPOLIS — Malcolm Brogdon saw an opening and took it Tuesday night.
And just like that, the Los Angeles Lakers’ long winning streak away from home was over.
Brogdon drove past Dwight Howard with 36.4 seconds left, scoring the tiebreaking basket on a nifty reverse layup to help the Indiana Pacers protect their home court with a 105-102 victory over the NBA’s best road team.
“We knew when we threw a punch, they would punch back,” Domantas Sabonis said. “We just stuck together.”
Eventually, the Pacers threw enough scoring jabs to earn their fourth straight victory — perhaps their most impressive all season.
The Lakers (24-4) came into the game with the league’s best record and 14 straight wins on the road, the second-longest streak in franchise history and two wins short of their record-setting mark from 1971-72.
But even LeBron James couldn’t bail them out with All-Star forward Anthony Davis missing the game because of a sprained right ankle.
Yes, James scored 20 points and had nine rebounds and nine assists, but he missed a step-back 3-pointer with 11.7 seconds left that would have given the Lakers the lead. A replay review overturned a call and gave the Pacers the ball.
Sabonis then made one of two free throws to finish with 26 points and 10 rebounds.
Rajon Rondo and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope each missed a shot before time expired as the Lakers desperately tried to force overtime.
“Throughout the winning streak, we were able to keep our composure, whether we were up or down, still being able to make a game of it, which we did tonight,” James said. “But sometimes the ball doesn’t bounce your way.”
That was certainly true Tuesday.
After leading most of the first half, the Lakers trailed most of the second half until a 9-0 spurt midway through the fourth quarter turned a five-point deficit into a 95-91 lead.
It didn’t last long. Brogdon’s mid-range jumper with 2:20 left tied the score at 100. Myles Turner broke the tie by making two free throws with 1:59 left.
NETS 108, PELICANS 101 (OT)
In New Orleans, Spencer Dinwiddie scored 31 points and Brooklyn extended the Pelicans’ franchise-worst losing streak to 13 games.
Joe Harris had 24 points, including a jumper that put the Nets ahead 104-98 with 1:28 to go in the extra period. Brandon Ingram quickly responded with a 3-pointer, but the Pelicans, who shot 34 percent, got no closer.
The Nets have won five of seven. Ingram had 22 points and 10 rebounds but missed 10 of his first 11 shots before scoring all but two of his points after halftime. Jrue Holiday scored 21 for the Pelicans, who missed 29 of 40 attempts from 3-point range.
Jarrett Allen had 12 points, 14 rebounds and six blocks for the Nets, including a transition dunk to tie the game at 93 in the final minute of regulation.
HORNETS 110, KINGS 102
In Charlotte, N.C., Malik Monk scored 14 of his season-high 23 points in the fourth quarter, and the Hornets spoiled De’Aaron Fox’s return from injury with a win over Sacramento.
Cody Zeller had 17 points and nine rebounds, and Bismack Biyombo added 10 points and 12 rebounds as the Hornets (13-17) won for the fourth time in five games.
Fox was back on the floor after missing 17 games with left ankle sprain and led the Kings (12-15) with 19 points in 30 minutes.
Monk scored eight straight points in the fourth quarter, including a pair of 3s. He went 5 of 5 from the field in the fourth and finished with a career-high 10 rebounds.
JAZZ 109, MAGIC 102
In Salt Lake City, Donovan Mitchell scored 30 points, including eight as the Jazz closed the game with a 19-5 run to beat Orlando.
With the Jazz trailing 97-90, Mitchell awoke a moribund offense and energized the crowd with a highlight-reel dunk in traffic. That sparked the clinching spurt for Utah (16-11), which has won three in a row.
Bojan Bogdanovic scored nine of his 30 points during the late surge, and Joe Ingles had 16 points and 12 rebounds.
D.J. Augustin had 22 points off the bench and Evan Fournier added 19 for the Magic, who fell to 12-15.
KNICKS 143, HAWKS 120
In New York, Knicks rookie RJ Barrett scored a career-high 27 points as the Knicks ran away from Trae Young and Atlanta.
Mitchell Robinson had a careerbest 22 points along with 13 rebounds, and Marcus Morris also scored 22 for the Knicks, who have won three of four after a 10-game losing streak.
Young scored 42 points for the Hawks, who lost their fifth straight. De’Andre Hunter added 19 points.
New York went ahead by 31 on Barrett’s three-point play early in the third quarter.