Millsap scores 36 as Nuggets top Thunder in OT
OKLAHOMA CITY » Paul Millsap scored a season-high 36 points to help the Denver Nuggets beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 126-125 in overtime on Friday night.
Nikola Jokic had 23 points and 16 rebounds, and Will Barton added 18 points for the Nuggets, who had lost two straight and desperately needed the win for the Western conference playoff race. Denver entered the night two games out of the No. 8 spot.
Russell Westbrook had 33 points, 13 assists and nine rebounds, but he missed what would have been a game-winning 3-pointer at the end of regulation. Carmelo Anthony scored 23 points and Jerami Grant added 16 for the Thunder, who have lost four of five. Those losses have been by a combined nine points, with none by more than four. BULLS 90, MAGIC 82 » Rookie Lauri Markkanen and Sean Kilpatrick each scored 13 points, rookie Ryan Arcidiacono of Villanova had all of his eight points in the fourth quarter, and Chicago snapped a seven-game losing streak with a victory over Orlando.
Arcidiacono’s 3-pointer started a 14-0 run in the fourth quarter for the Bulls, who took an 80-71 lead and held on to complete a fourgame season sweep of the Magic. ROCKETS 104, SUNS 103» Gerald Green made a 3-pointer at the buzzer and Houston rallied from a 21-point, second-half deficit over Phoenix.
The win was Houston’s 11th straight and extended Phoenix’s skid to 14 games.
James Harden hit a 3-pointer to tie it at 101-all with 12 seconds left before rookie Josh Jackson put Phoenix on top with a basket with 1.4 seconds remaining. TIMBERWOLVES 93, MAVERICKS 92» Karl-Anthony Towns had 21 points and 20 rebounds, Jamal Crawford scored 24 points and Minnesota held off Dallas to gain for a victory ground in the tight Western Conference playoff race.
After shooting just 34 percent in the first half and trailing until midway through the third quarter, the Wolves turned to Crawford, who scored 15 points after halftime.
He hit three consecutive shots, including a 3 over a 1:14 stretch of the fourth quarter to give Minnesota a 74-68 lead. Nemanja Bjelica, scoreless for the first three quarters, hit two 3s to extend it to 85-73.