Losing streaks continue for Detroit, San Antonio
LeBron’s partner admits illegal betting
NEW YORK — Jalen Brunson scored 42 points, Julius Randle had 29 points and 10 rebounds, and the New York Knicks sent the Detroit Pistons to their franchise-record 16th consecutive loss with a 118-112 victory Thursday night.
The Pistons (2-17) completed a winless November, having not won a game since a victory over Chicago on Oct. 28 left them 2-1.
RJ Barrett had 15 points and Donte DiVincenzo added 12, including two crucial 3-pointers down the stretch for the Knicks, who have won their last two games.
Cade Cunningham scored 31 points and Killian Hayes chipped 23 in for the Pistons. They have also lost 13 in a row against the Knicks.
HAWKS 137, SPURS 135: In San Antonio, Trae Young scored a season-high 45 points and drew a charge from Jeremy Sochan with 2.7 seconds left as Atlanta handed San Antonio its 13th straight loss.
Sochan matched his career high with 33 points and Victor Wembanyama had 21 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks for San Antonio, but the Spurs remained without a win since Nov. 2.
Atlanta guard Dejounte Murray had 24 points and five steals in his third game against his former team.
Sochan was 11 for 13 from the field but wouldn’t lead the Spurs to their first win since consecutive victories over Phoenix on Oct. 31 and Nov. 2
HEAT 142, PACERS 132: In Miami, Jimmy Butler scored 24 of his 36 points in the second half, and Miami overcame a career-high 44 points from Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton.
Rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. scored 24 for the Heat, who trailed by 13 early and didn’t take the lead for the first time until early in the fourth. Butler added 10 rebounds, Josh Richardson scored 19 points and Duncan Robinson added 16 for Miami, which snapped a three-game slide.
Haliburton scored 28 points in the first half for the Pacers, who had 73 points at intermission — then gave up 78 in the second half. Haliburton also had 10 assists, the NBA’s first game of at least 44 points and that many assists since Donovan Mitchell’s 71-point, 11-assist night for Cleveland on Jan. 2.
THUNDER 133, LAKERS 110: In Los Angeles, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 33 points and Oklahoma City beat LeBron James and Los Angeles.
Gilgeous-Alexander made 11 of 18 field goals and 10 of 10 free throws. Jalen Williams scored 21 points and Chet Holmgren added 18 for the Thunder.
Anthony Davis led Los Angeles with 31 points and 14 rebounds. James had 21 points, 12 rebounds and six assists for the Lakers. He was a game-time decision with a left calf contusion.
TIMBERWOLVES 101, JAZZ 90: In Minneapolis, Karl-Anthony Towns had 32 points and 11 rebounds, and Minnesota weathered the absence of leading scorer Anthony Edwards to beat Utah.
The Wolves moved into a tie with Boston for the best record in the league (14-4).
Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored a season-high 20 points and Rudy Gobert had 15 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks for Minnesota.
Simone Fontecchio led Utah with 16 points and five assists.
HORNETS 129, NETS 128: In New York, Terry Rozier had 37 points and 13 assists, and short-handed Charlotte beat Brooklyn.
Miles Bridges added 23 points, Gordon Hayward chipped in 22 and Mark Williams had 12 points and 12 rebounds. The Hornets snapped their two-game losing streak despite playing without star guard LaMelo Ball and No. 2 pick Brandon Miller.
Cam Thomas scored 26 points as Brooklyn’s three-game winning streak was snapped. Cam Johnson missed a 3-pointer that would have won it.
TRAIL BLAZERS 103, CAVALIERS
95: In Cleveland, Shaedon Sharpe scored 29 points, rookie Duop Reath added a season-high 13 and Portland got its second straight impressive road win this week, beating Cleveland.
Sharpe went 11 of 15 from the field and added 10 rebounds for the Blazers, who scored 12 straight points in the fourth quarter to separate from the Cavs. Cleveland went more than five minutes without a field goal.
Donovan Mitchell scored 23 and Evan Mobley 20 for the Cavs.
ILLEGAL BETTING INVESTIGATION: Maverick Carter, LeBron James’ business partner, told federal investigators he bet on NBA games through an illegal bookie, The Washington Post reported Thursday.
Carter made his remarks during an interview as part of an investigation of bookie Wayne Nix, according to the Post’s report. It said that Carter could not remember placing any bets on the Lakers, the team James has played for since 2018.
Carter and James, the NBA’s career scoring leader, are friends from Akron, Ohio, who together own SpringHill Company, an entertainment and production company.
The Post reported that Carter told investigators he placed approximately 20 bets on football and basketball games over the course of a year, with each bet ranging from $5,000 to $10,000.
A spokesman for Carter and James confirmed the interview occurred in 2021.