NETS’ BRIDGES TALLIES CAREER-HIGH 45
Mikal Bridges scored a career-high 45 points, including 15 in a row for Brooklyn to break open a game that had been close for 31⁄2 quarters, and the Nets beat the visiting Miami Heat 116105 on Wednesday night in the final game for both teams before the All-Star break.
In his third game since coming from Phoenix in the trade for Kevin Durant, Bridges had an electrifying scoring stretch that could even match Durant. The Nets led only 90-89 before he went to work with an array of drives, 3-pointers and jumpers over the next three minutes.
That pushed the lead to nine and when another Nets player finally scored, it was a 3-pointer by fellow newcomer Cam Johnson that pushed it to 108-96.
Bridges scored 17 points in the final quarter to blow by his previous career best of 34 points. He was 17 of 24 from the field, 4 of 6 on 3s and 7 of 7 at the line, and also had eight rebounds and five assists.
Cam Thomas added 19 points and Johnson had 18 for the Nets, who won for the first time since the two former Suns joined them in the lineup.
Bam Adebayo had 24 points, 13 rebounds and six assists for the Heat. Max Strus scored 18 points.
Lakers 120, Pelicans 102: LeBron James had 21 points in his first game since becoming the NBA’s career scoring leader, and Anthony Davis had 28 points, 10 rebounds and five assists as new-look Los Angeles beat New Orleans.
D’Angelo Russell had 21 points and seven assists during his warm welcome home to the Lakers, who won for just the second time in six games. Los Angeles’ five new players all made their home debuts after the club’s busy trade deadline, and the Lakers never trailed.
Nuggets 119, Mavericks 108: Reserve Jeff Green scored a season-high 24 points, Nikola Jokic had his 21st triple-double (14-13-10) and Western Conferenceleading Denver headed into the All-Star break with a win over short-handed Dallas.
Luka Doncic had 37 points in leading a bangedup Dallas team that was missing guard Kyrie Irving due to lower-back tightness. Doncic and Irving have played alongside each other in two games since Irving was acquired as part of a deal with Brooklyn on Feb. 6.
Hornets 120, Spurs 110: LaMelo Ball had 28 points, 10 assists and a season-high 12 rebounds and host Charlotte sent San Antonio into the NBA All-Star break with a 14-game losing streak.
Ball had his third tripledouble of the season and franchise-leading ninth overall.
76ers 118, Cavaliers 112:
Joel Embiid scored 29 points — including the 10,000th of his career — and host Philadelphia beat Cleveland for its fourth straight win.
Donovan Mitchell had 33 points — including 25 in the second half — for the Cavaliers. They had won seven straight.
Grizzlies 117, Jazz 111:
Jaren Jackson had 26 points, nine rebounds and four blocks and Memphis beat visiting Utah.
Utah scoring leader Lauri Markkanen was out with right knee soreness. Then, four minutes into the game, guard Collin Sexton went out with a left hamstring injury and did not return.
Pacers 117, Bulls 113:
Buddy Hield made six 3pointers in the second half and finished with 27 points, helping Indiana overcome a 24-point deficit after the first quarter to beat visiting Chicago. Knicks 122, Hawks 101:
Jalen Brunson scored 28 points, Julius Randle added 25 and New York cruised into the All-Star break with its third straight victory, blowing out host Atlanta.
Celtics 127, Pistons 109:
Jayson Tatum scored 38 points, including 24 in the third quarter, and NBAleading Boston rolled past visiting Detroit.
Al Horford (11 points and seven rebounds) and Marcus Smart (nine points, seven rebounds, six assists and six steals) returned to the Boston lineup.
Thunder 133, Rockets 96:
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 29 points and Oklahoma City routed visiting Houston.
Notable
To mark his upcoming 60th birthday, Michael Jordan has bestowed a $10 million gift on the Make-A-Wish foundation. The organization said it was the largest donation from an individual in its 43-year history.