Durant hits tiebreaking shot for Suns
>> Kevin Durant scored 37 points, including the tiebreaking jumper with 11 seconds to go, to lift the Phoenix Suns to a 130126 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday in a thrilling showcase of stars for both teams.
The first meeting between Durant and Dallas' Kyrie Irving since they were traded by Brooklyn before the deadline last month was even when Durant pulled up over Tim Hardaway Jr. and Irving for the lead.
Luka Doncic had 34 points for Dallas, but his point-blank shot for a tie rimmed out before he fouled Durant after the rebound with 3.5 seconds remaining.
After the play was over, Doncic and Devin Booker, who scored 36 points, ended up nose-to-nose and both were issued technical fouls before Durant hit two free throws to clinch the victory.
Irving scored 30 points exactly four years to the day since the last time he faced Durant, when his Boston Celtics blew out Durant and his Golden State Warriors 128-95.
PACERS 125, BULLS 122 >> Tyrese Haliburton scored
29 points, including a 3-pointer with 2.7 seconds left, to give Indiana a victory over Chicago.
Haliburton's game-winning shot occurred after Zach LaVine missed a free throw that would have given the Bulls the lead with 22.6 seconds left. LaVine, who scored a gamehigh 42 points, was fouled on a 3-point attempt by Bennedict Mathurin and converted the first two free throw tries.
TRAIL BLAZERS 122, MAGIC 119 >> Damian Lillard scored eight of his 41 points from the foul line in the final
three minutes to lead Portland over Orlando.
Jerami Grant added 20 points, six rebounds and seven assists for the Blazers and Cam Reddish added 16 points.
NETS 102, HORNETS 86 >> Mikal Bridges went 9 for 9 in a 19-point first quarter, finishing with 33 to lead Brooklyn over Charlotte.
Two nights after coming from 28 down to beat Boston in the biggest comeback in the NBA this season, the Nets led by as much as 37 after Bridges' fast start in the highest-scoring quarter of his career.
ROCKETS 142, SPURS 110 >> Jalen Green scored 31 points and Houston beat San Antonio for the second straight night in a matchup of the Western Conference's worst teams.
The Rockets snapped an 11-game skid with a 122110 win Saturday night in San Antonio and picked up where they left off at home Sunday, leading by as many as 32. They were up by 10 at halftime, used a 35-point third quarter to lead by 21 and to start the fourth and cruised to the victory.
KNICKS 131, CELTICS 129, 2OT >> Immanuel Quickley scored a career-high 38 points, playing 55 minutes in place of injured starter Jalen Brunson, and New York outlasted Boston for their season-high ninth straight victory.
Quickley had seven points in the second overtime and added eight rebounds and seven assists with Brunson sidelined.
BUCKS 117, WIZARDS 111 >> Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 23 points, had a season-high 13 assists and grabbed 10 rebounds for his fourth-triple double of the season, and NBA-leading Milwaukee outlasted Washington.