Suns cruise past Pacers a day after acquiring Durant
INDIANAPOLIS — Deandre Ayton had 22 points and 11 rebounds, Devin Booker scored 21 points and Chris Paul chipped in 19 as the Phoenix Suns cruised past the Indiana Pacers 117-104 on Friday night.
Playing one day after their blockbuster trade for fourtime NBA scoring champion Kevin Durant, the Suns led by as many as 26 and never trailed in a game they outrebounded the Pacers 64-45. Durant, acquired from Brooklyn on Thursday, hasn’t played since Jan. 8 when he sustained a knee injury in a game against Miami. Durant, who was not with the Suns in Indiana, is expected to be healthy enough to play at some point after the All-Star break.
Bennedict Mathurin posted 22 points for the Pacers, while All-Star Tyrese Haliburton finished with 18 points and five assists. Indiana, which has lost 14 of its past 16 games, shot 42 percent from the field and committed 15 turnovers.
HEAT 97, ROCKETS 95
MIAMI — Gabe Vincent threw an alley-oop inbounds pass to Jimmy Butler for a dunk with 0.3 seconds remaining, giving Miami a win over Houston.
Tyler Herro had 31 points, nine rebounds and eight assists for the Heat, who won despite scoring only 39 second-half points. Bam Adebayo scored 20 points, Butler had 10 of his 16 points in the fourth and Max Strus added 14 for Miami.
Jabari Smith Jr. scored 22 points for the Rockets. Kenyon Martin Jr. had 17 and Alperen Sengun added 12. Jalen Green had 11 points, including a game-tying layup with 0.7 seconds left. But Miami called time, Vincent threw the lob and Butler ended up on his back — after the game-winner.
The Heat swept the season series with the Rockets, winning two games by a combined five points.
CELTICS 127, HORNETS 116
BOSTON — Jayson Tatum scored 41 points and Derrick White set career highs with 33 points and eight 3-pointers to help Boston hold off Charlotte.
Tatum began the fourth quarter on the bench, but was reinserted after Charlotte cut Boston’s lead to 14 points with 7:03 to play. The Hornets trailed by 28 in the third quarter before closing period on 15-3 run. It was Tatum’s eighth game this season with 40 or more points, but he ran his minutes total to 37 minutes to do it on what was an otherwise light night of work for the MVP contender.
Boston has won five of its last six overall and swept the season series with the Hornets 4-0.
The Hornets have lost their last six games.
GRIZZLIES 128, TIMBERWOLVES 107
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Ja Morant had 32 points, nine rebounds and nine assists, Desmond Bane added 20 points and Memphis built a big lead through the fourth quarter and coasted past Minnesota.
Santi Aldama finished with 18 points, while Jaren Jackson added 15 points and four blocks as Memphis was still shooting close to 60 percent when both teams emptied their benches in the fourth.
Jaylen Nowell led the Timberwolves with 21 points, while Anthony Edwards scored 17 points. Taurean Prince and Kyle Anderson scored 12 points apiece for Minnesota.
PISTONS 138, SPURS 131, 2OT
DETROIT — Bojan Bogdanovic scored 10 of his 32 points in overtime and Detroit beat San Antonio in a matchup of two of the NBA’s worst teams.
San Antonio, which lost its 11th straight game, led 125-121 after Devonte’ Graham hit his sixth 3-pointer of his Spurs debut with 18 seconds left in the first overtime. However, Bogdanovic hit a jumper and Isaiah Livers stole the inbounds pass. Bogdanovic, who missed a short jumper at the end of regulation, was fouled with 13.2 seconds left. He made both free throws, and the Spurs couldn’t get off a shot before the buzzer.
Jalen Duren had a careerhigh 30 points and 17 rebounds for the Pistons.
Graham, acquired at the trade deadline, had 31 points. Zach Collins had 29 points and 11 rebounds before fouling out in the first overtime.
JAZZ 122, RAPTORS 116
TORONTO — Lauri Markkanen and Walker Kessler each scored 23 points, Collin Sexton had 22 and Utah overcame a 12-point deficit in the final five minutes to beat Toronto and snap a three-game losing streak.
Kelly Olynyk scored 15 points and former Raptor Rudy Gay had 12 for the Jazz, who won despite shooting 6 for 24 from 3-point range, matching a season low. Utah also made six 3-pointers in a Feb. 6 loss to Dallas.
Pascal Siakam scored 35 points, topping 30 for the second straight game, but Toronto couldn’t extend its three-game winning streak. The Raptors have not won four straight at any point this season.
76ERS 119, KNICKS 108
PHILADELPHIA — Tyrese Maxey provided a huge boost off the bench, scoring 27 points to help Philadelphia rally from a 13-point deficit for a win over New York.
Joel Embiid had 35 points and 11 rebounds on 14-of18 shooting from the floor, while James Harden added 20 points and 12 assists to help the Sixers gain a measure of revenge for a loss in New York on Sunday night when Philadelphia reinquished a 21-point lead.
Julius Randle and Jalen Brunson both scored 30 points for the Knicks.