Clippers take first lead with 9 seconds left, edge Warriors
Giannis’ triple-double powers Bucks past Hawks
LOS ANGELES — Paul George made a 3-pointer with nine seconds remaining, giving the Clippers their first lead of the game, and Los Angeles hung on beat the Golden State Warriors 113-112 on Saturday.
George led the Clippers — who avenged a 120-114 loss to Golden State two days earlier in San Francisco — with 25 points, six rebounds and six assists. James Harden added 21 points and Kawhi Leonard had 20.
After a timeout, Draymond Green missed a potential-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer. The Warriors made 17 3-pointers, four each by Green, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.
Curry led the Warriors with 22 points and 11 assists in his 900th NBA game. Green had 21 points and nine rebounds, and Moses Moody added 21 points and made 9 of 10 free throws.
BUCKS 132, HAWKS 121: In Milwaukee, Giannis Antetokounmpo had 32 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists for his first triple-double of the season and 36th overall, helping Milwaukee beat Atlanta.
Damian Lillard added 25 points and nine assists, and Cameron Payne had 18 points in 20 minutes off the bench. Milwaukee won its seventh straight at home and avenged its only loss in 10 home games this season, a 127-110 setback to the Hawks in late October.
Trae Young led Atlanta with 32 points and 12 assists. Dejounte Murray added 30 points, and Clint Capela had 10 points and 17 rebounds.
NETS 129, MAGIC 101: In New York, Mikal Bridges scored 26 of his 42 points in the first quarter and Brooklyn ended Orlando’s winning streak at nine.
Orlando was trying for first 10-game winning streak in franchise history, but had little hope after Bridges outscored them by himself as the Nets ran out to a 43-22 lead after 12 minutes.
Bridges shot 12 for 20 from the field and 15 for 18 from the free throw line, falling three points shy of his career high. The Nets have won four of five.
Franz Wagner and Cole Anthony each scored 20 points for Orlando.
PACERS 144, HEAT 129: In Miami, Bruce Brown scored 30 points, Obi Toppin added 22 and Indiana overcame scoring leader Tyrese Haliburton’s absence to beat Miami.
The Pacers shot 66%, the second-best rate in franchise history. They shot 67% against Minnesota on Oct. 24, 2017. And it was the best percentage ever against a Heat team; the Los Angeles Lakers shot 64% against Miami on Nov. 23, 1988.
T.J. McConnell shot 10 for 11 and finished with 20 points and 11 assists off the bench for Indiana, and Aaron Nesmith also had 20 points. Jimmy Butler scored 33 points for Miami.
Haliburton was dealing with right knee soreness and what the team said was an upper respiratory infection. Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said it was the non-COVID illness, not the knee, that kept Haliburton out on Saturday. TIMBERWOLVES 123, HORNETS 117: In Charlotte, N.C., Karl-Anthony Towns scored 28 points, Rudy Gobert had a season-high 26 and grabbed 12 rebounds and Minnesota beat Charlotte.
West-leading Minnesota improved to 15-4. Naz Reid scored 23 points and Mike Conley had 14 points and 10 assists. Terry Rozier scored 23 points for Charlotte.
Charlotte led by four with 4:53 remaining before Towns and Gobert combined to score eight points in a 13-3 surge that put the Timberwolves ahead 115-109 with 2:02 left.
CAVALIERS 110, PISTONS 101: In Detroit, Max Strus and Darius Garland each scored 22 points and Cleveland handed Detroit its 17th straight loss.
The Pistons are 2-18, with the losing streak the longest in one season in franchise history and second-longest overall behind a 21-game slide at the end of the 1979-80 season and start of 198081. They haven’t won since Oct. 28 against Chicago.
Donovan Mitchell added 20 points for Cleveland, and Jarrett Allen had 19 points and 11 rebounds. Cade Cunningham had 23 points and 11 assists for Detroit, while Bojan Bogdanovic scored 22 points in his season debut.
BULLS 124, PELICANS 118: In Chicago, Coby White scored a season-high 31 points, DeMar DeRozan added 24 points and 10 assists and Chicago beat New Orleans.
DeRozan missed the previous game with a left ankle sprain but took charge of a Bulls team missing Zach LaVine, helping them turn around the game in the third quarter en route to their second straight victory. White helped Chicago put it away with an alley-oop to Patrick Williams for a six-point lead with 20 seconds left.
Brandon Ingram scored 23 points for New Orleans.