basketball Pages 23 & 24
Heat move back into No. 2 spot in Eastern Conference
LOS ANGELES, Jan 16, (AP): Markelle Fultz hit two big layups in the final minute while scoring 21 points during his second career triple-double, and the Orlando Magic snapped the Los Angeles Lakers’ ninegame winning streak with a 119-118 victory Wednesday night.
Fultz added 11 rebounds and 10 assists, while Aaron Gordon had 21 points and a late go-ahead basket as the Magic became the first sub-.500 team to beat the Western Conference-leading Lakers this season despite blowing a 21-point lead in the second half.
Wes Iwundu scored a career-high 19 points, and Nikola Vucevic scored seven of his 19 points in the fourth quarter of the Magic’s eighth win in 12 games.
LeBron James had 19 points and matched his career high with 19 assists before missing a tying 3-pointer with 3 seconds left for the Lakers (33-8), who hit the halfway point of their regular season with their first loss since Christmas.
Quinn Cook scored a season-high 22 points, including a 3-pointer at the buzzer, while Troy Daniels added a season-high 17 for the Lakers. Los Angeles finally lost in its fourth straight game without injured superstar Anthony Davis.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope also scored 17 points for the Lakers in their final home game before a five-game road trip while the Grammy Awards take over Staples Center.
Heat 106, Spurs 100
In Miami, Kendrick Nunn scored 33 points, Goran Dragic added 17 and Miami held on to beat San Antonio and move back into the No. 2 spot in the Eastern Conference.
Bam Adebayo – cut from USA Basketball’s national team by Spurs coach Gregg Popovich over the summer – had 14 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists for the Heat. Miami improved to 18-1 at home, one win shy of matching last season’s home win total.
Jimmy Butler scored 12 and Duncan Robinson added 11 for Miami.
Trail Blazers 117, Rockets 107
In Houston, Damian Lillard scored 25 points and C.J. McCollum added 24 as Portland withstood a late surge by Houston.
Russell Westbrook had a triple-double with 31 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds on a night when James Harden scored a season-low 13 points. Houston lost consecutive games for the first time since a season-high three-game skid from Nov 20-24, and has dropped three of its last four.
Carmelo Anthony added 18 points with 12 rebounds for Portland in his first game against Houston since the Rockets parted ways with him after just 10 games last season.
76ers 117, Nets 106
In Philadelphia, Tobias Harris scored 34 points, including two big baskets in the final two minutes that proved to be the difference, as Philadelphia topped Brooklyn.
Ben Simmons had 20 points and 11 assists for the 76ers, who improved to 19-2 at home.
Brooklyn has lost nine of 11 overall and six straight away from home. The Nets were led by Spencer Dinwiddie’s 26 points and eight assists. Jarret Allen had 17 points.
Josh Richardson had 15 points and Furkan Korkmaz added 15 off the bench. Al Horford had 14 points and eight rebounds for the Sixers.
Pistons 113, Celtics 103
In Boston, Sekou Doumbouya scored a season-high 24 points and Detroit snapped a three-game losing streak with a win over Boston.
Markieff Morris matched his season best with 23 points. Derrick Rose added 22 points and Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk had a season-high 21. The Pistons shot a season-best 60.3% from the field.
Andre Drummond added 13 points and 13 rebounds to post his 34th doubleshooting double of the season.
Gordon Hayward had 25 points and seven rebounds, Jaylen Brown finished with 24 points and 12 boards and Kemba Walker scored 19 points on 7-of-19 shooting and 2 for 11 from 3-point range.
Bulls 115, Wizards 106
In Chicago, Zach LaVine had 30 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, and banged-up Chicago beat Bradley Beal and Washington.
Chicago placed seven players in double figures in its second win in its last nine games. Thaddeus Young had 18 points and eight boards, and Tomas Satoransky scored 18 points against his former team.
Beal scored 23 points on 8-for-13 after he was listed as questionable because of right shoulder soreness.
Raptors 130, Thunder 121
In Oklahoma City, Norman Powell scored 23 points, and Toronto held off a furious rally and beat Oklahoma City.
Pascal Siakam and O.G. Anunoby each added 21 points for the Raptors, who shot a season-high 61.2% from the field.
Dennis Schroder scored 25 points, Danilo Gallinari scored 23 and Shai Gilgeous-Alexader added 21 for the Thunder, who cut a 30-point deficit to three before Toronto held on.
Pacers 104, Timberwolves 99
In Minneapolis, Domantas Sabonis matched a season high with 29 points and added 13 rebounds and six assists to lead Indiana over Minnesota.
Malcolm Brogdon added 21 points and Doug McDermott scored 14 off the bench for the Pacers, who have won three straight.
Jarrett Culver led Minnesota with 17 points and Gorgui Dieng had 15 points and 11 boards. The Timberwolves have lost three in a row.
Minnesota big man Karl-Anthony Towns missed his 15th straight game with a left knee sprain. A combination of several players matched up on Sabonis struggled early to keep him in check in
Towns’ absence.
Nuggets 100, Hornets 86
In Denver, rookie reserve Michael Porter Jr scored 19 points and recent callup P.J. Dozier had a big Denver debut filling in for injured point guard Jamal Murray in the second half of a win over Charlotte.
Murray exited the game with 1:32 remaining in the second quarter after rolling his left ankle.
Dozier finished with 12 points in 13 minutes, including a stretch in the second half where he scored nine straight for the Nuggets.
Terry Rozier scored 20 points for the Hornets, who wrapped up a winless fourgame trip.
Mavericks 127, Kings 123
In Sacramento, Calif, Luka Doncic had 25 points, 15 rebounds and a careerhigh 17 assists for his NBA-leading 12th triple-double, and Dallas held off a late run to beat Sacramento.
Seth Curry scored 21 points off the bench as Dallas won its third straight despite the absence of Kristaps Porzingis, who missed his ninth consecutive game.