JAZZ ENDS PELICANS’ UNBEATEN STREAK
Rubio, Govert combine for 53 points as Jazz ends New Orleans four-game winning streak
Ricky Rubio had 28 points and 12 assists, Rudy Gobert had 25 points and 14 rebounds, and the Utah Jazz became the first team this season to beat the New Orleans Pelicans, 132-111 on Saturday night.
New Orleans played without star forward Anthony Davis. He was ruled out shortly before the game because of his sprained right elbow — an injury through which he’d played in a victory a night earlier over Brooklyn.
The Davis-Gobert matchup has been a competitive and compelling one in recent seasons. With Davis out, Gobert had his best game of the young season. He’d come in averaging 14.5 points and had not scored more than 19 points in a game this season. Rubio, who set up several of Gobert’s dunks with alley-oop lobs, was averaging just 6 points coming in and hadn’t scored more than 13 in a game.
Nikola Mirotic scored 25 points for the Pelicans.
SPURS 110, LAKERS 106
In San Antonio, DeMar DeRozan had 30 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists and the Spurs rallied in the fourth quarter, overcoming 35 points and 11 rebounds from LeBron James to beat Los Angeles.
The Spurs’ first lead came at 93-91 with 10 minutes remaining when DeRozan laid in his own miss after beating three Lakers to the rebound.
San Antonio would built the lead to eight points before James cut it to 106-105 with four straight points an assist to Josh Hart on a 3-pointer. DeRozan responded with a fadeaway jumper on Hart with 15.9 seconds remaining to help preserve the lead and the eventual win.
Rudy Gay added 16 points and LaMarcus Aldridge had 15 points as the Spurs beat the Lakers for the second time in a week.
CELTICS 109, PISTONS 89
In Detroit, Jaylen Brown scored 19 points, Marcus Morris added 18 and Boston handed Detroit its first loss of the season.
Andre Drummond had 18 points and eight rebounds, and Stanley Johnson scored a season-high 16 for Detroit. The Pistons won their first four games of the season for the first time since 2008-09.
The Celtics opened up a 103-74 lead with 5:15 left to play, cruising to a win in the first of consecutive games between the teams.
BUCKS 113, MAGIC 91
In Milwaukee, Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 21 points and Khris Middleton had 18 and Milwaukee beat Orlando to improve to 6-0, one shy of the record set by the 1971-72 team.
Antetokounmpo added seven rebounds in a season-low 19 minutes. Nikola Vucevic had 16 points and nine rebounds for Orlando.
76ERS 105, HORNETS 103
In Philadelphia, Joel Embiid had 27 points and 14 rebounds, and J.J. Redick and Robert Covington hit key 3-pointers late to lead Philadelphia past Charlotte.
Embiid was a game-time decision after injuring his left ankle in practice Friday.
Covington had 18 points and 10 rebounds, and Ben Simmons added 14 points and 12 rebounds.
Kemba Walker scored 37 points for Charlotte.
HEAT 120, TRAIL BLAZERS 111
In Miami, Goran Dragic scored 28 points, Dwyane Wade and Kelly Olynyk each had 19 and Miami scrambled in the final minutes to beat Portland.
The Heat let a 19-point lead slip away entirely, and then found themselves trailing twice in the fourth quarter before outscoring Portland 19-7 in the final 3:52. Dragic’s 3-pointer with just under a minute left all but sealed the win for Miami, putting the Heat up nine.