Clippers forward Blake Griffin out indefinitely with MCL sprain

Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin has a sprained MCL in his left knee that will sideline him indefinitely.

Griffin injured his knee after falling awkwardly during a loose ball scrum late in Monday's game against the Los Angeles Lakers. His recovery is expected to take up to two months.

Griffin's teammate, Austin Rivers, fell on top of Griffin's leg, causing it to bend awkwardly. Griffin immediately collapsed to the floor and held the injured leg, which forced him to exit the game with just under four minutes remaining.

The five-time All-Star was averaging 23.4 points, 7.7 rebounds and 5.0 assists per contest entering Monday night's contest, which the Clippers won 120-115. The team is already struggling with injuries to Danilo Gallinari (glute) and Patrick Beverley (knee).

Cavaliers win 5th straight in 116-88 rout of Pistons

By NOAH TRISTER
Associated Press

DETROIT (AP) — An emphatic win over a first-place opponent had LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers talking confidently again.

“We haven’t had a win like that in a very long time,” James said. “That’s what happens when we don’t let up.”

James scored 16 of his 18 points in the first quarter and the Cavaliers made 11 3-pointers in the first half on the way to a 116-88 rout of the Detroit Pistons on Monday night. Cleveland led 73-46 at halftime thanks to an overwhelming shooting performance, an indication that Detroit’s stay atop the Central Division might not last much longer.

The Pistons still lead the Cavs by a game, but Cleveland has won five straight and scored at least 110 points in eight of its last nine.

“That was 48 minutes of game planning and execution right from the beginning,” James said. “They’ve been playing extremely good basketball. They were coming off a great win (Sunday) night in Minnesota, so we knew that they were going to come out here and try to give us their best shot, and had to be ready for that.”

The Cavaliers led 27-22 when James went to the bench late in the first quarter. By the time he came back in, it was 50-30. Cleveland’s reserves ended up outscoring Detroit’s 26-8 in the first half.

The Cavs shot 62 percent from the field in the first two quarters and 11 of 17 from 3-point range. They finished the game 16 of 33 from beyond the arc.

“I’m not upset at our guys. I didn’t see our guys quitting or anything like that,” Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy said. “We got a little bit shell shocked.”

This had the feel of a big game before it started. Although there were still some empty seats at Little Caesars Arena, the Pistons’ new home seemed closer to full than on previous nights, and the attendance was announced as a sellout. The team played well on offense at the start. A 3-pointer by Avery Bradley put Detroit ahead 18-17.

James, however, answered with two 3s and a turnaround jumper, and the Pistons weren’t able to keep up with Cleveland’s torrid shooting.

“He definitely did set the tone,” Detroit’s Tobias Harris said. “Made some really tough, contested shots — 3s. Got himself going, got his team going, and then they were able to just pretty much fuel off that.”

It was 36-23 after the first quarter, and the Cavs broke the game open at the start of the second. Channing Frye made back-to-back 3-pointers to make it 46-28.

Harris led Detroit with 11 points. Kevin Love had 19 points and 11 rebounds for Cleveland.

ANOTHER BLOWOUT

The previous matchup between these teams wasn’t much different. The Cavs beat Detroit 128-96 on March 14 in Cleveland. That was the largest margin of victory by the Cavs against the Pistons — although Cleveland nearly broke that mark Monday.

A BREATHER

Cleveland led 101-62 after three, and the top players for both teams sat out the final period. James ended up playing only 27:17 after surpassing 40 minutes in three of his previous five games.

“I played with Michael Jordan when he was 39; he played 37 minutes a night. Karl Malone was 37 and played 38 minutes a night,” Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said. “Everybody’s built different and if you’re one of the greats sometimes you’ve got to play and sometimes you get rest like tonight.”

TIP-INS

Cavaliers: Cleveland still isn’t close to full strength. The Cavs were without Isaiah Thomas (right hip), Derrick Rose (left ankle sprain), Iman Shumpert (left knee effusion) and Tristan Thompson (left calf strain).

Pistons: Jon Leuer (left ankle sprain) did not play. ... Detroit’s six-game home winning streak was snapped. This was also the first time all season the Pistons lost the latter half of a back-to-back. They had been 3-0. ... Andre Drummond moved into fifth place on the Pistons’ career list with 5,205 rebounds. Larry Foust had 5,200.

UP NEXT

Cavaliers: Host the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday night.

Pistons: At the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday night.

Fired-up Joel Embiid powers 76ers over Jazz 107-86

By MIKE CRANSTON
Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Joel Embiid was missing shots and upset with his play.

That all changed with a theatrical, crowd-pleasing and game-changing flop.

Ben Simmons had a career-high 27 points and 10 rebounds, a fired-up Embiid added 15 points and 11 rebounds despite a sore knee, and the Philadelphia 76ers beat the cold-shooting Utah Jazz 107-86 on Monday night.

The injury-prone Embiid skipped the morning shootaround because of pain his surgically-repaired left knee. But he posted his seventh double-double and got under Utah’s skin at a decisive time in the fourth quarter.

“The whole game I thought I was kind of flat,” Embiid said. “I was kind of going through the motions. I needed that, getting the crowd going.”

The Jazz had cut a 21-point deficit to 11 and were down 92-79 with 4:13 left when rookie Donovan Mitchell drove the lane and Embiid emphatically swatted away his shot.

After Mitchell fell underneath the basket, Embiid turned and jawed at him. While the 6-foot-3 Mitchell claimed he couldn’t hear what he said, he got up and lightly shoved Embiid.

The 7-foot-2 Embiid crashed to the floor.

“He just got up kind of fake-shouldered and I flopped and he got a technical for it,” Embiid said with a grin.

As Mitchell drew the technical foul, Embiid got up and motioned to the fans, who started to chant “MVP” and “Trust the Process,” the team’s mantra during a lengthy rebuild.

“The young kid in me kind of showed,” Mitchell said. “Inexperience right there in that moment, because I think we were down (13) and we ended up losing by 21.”

Embiid later hit a jumper to make it 95-82. When he exited to a standing ovation with 1:50 left, the Sixers were up 18 and had secured their second win in five games.

“It was all fun after the game. We shook hands,” Embiid said of Mitchell. “It was just about having fun.”

Mitchell scored 17 points on 6 of 19 shooting, Rodney Hood added 13 while making 5 of 17 shots, and the Jazz shot 35.3 percent from the field in losing for the eighth time in 10 games.

After blowing a 22-point halftime lead Saturday against Golden State, Simmons hit 11 of 15 shots after halftime and the Sixers pulled away this time.

J.J. Redick shook off a scoreless first half to finish with 20 points, and Amir Johnson grabbed 13 rebounds.

The Sixers didn’t know they’d have Embiid until about 45 minutes before the game after he successfully tested the knee in warmups.

Embiid sat out a win at Utah two weeks ago for what the Sixers called “load management” as they try to keep him healthy after a number of injuries. He made just 7 of 16 shots, but again proved the team’s emotional leader.

“I like our guys playing with an edge. I like them having some level of swagger and feeling good about themselves,” Sixers coach Brett Brown said. “That was a big play. It certainly got the crowd involved.”

The Jazz, at the end of a four-game trip, have been struggling as they deal with injuries to four key players. But even without Rudy Gobert, they were coming off a 40-point rout of Orlando on Saturday for their first road win.

The offense remained stuck in Florida early, and Utah couldn’t contain the 6-foot-10 Simmons, who scored on a variety of drives and pull-ups while facing several defenders.

“They were driving us, particularly in the open floor. And we didn’t do a good job of staying in front of them,” Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. “When you get guys like Simmons downhill with his size, they’re going to finish down there.”

TIP-INS

Jazz: Alec Burks was 1 of 10 from the field. . Utah hasn’t won consecutive games since Nov. 1.

76ers: G Jerryd Bayless (wrist) had five points in his return from a six-game absence. ... The 36 points allowed in the first half were the fewest since Dec. 11, 2016 at Detroit. ... The team began selling Australian beef pies at concession stands in a promotion tied to Simmons, an Aussie.

UP NEXT

The Jazz face Chicago on Wednesday to begin a three-game homestand.

The 76ers play Portland on Wednesday in the third game of six straight at home.

Oladipo, Bogdanovic lead Pacers over Magic 105-97

By DICK SCANLON
Associated Press

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — It might have been Victor Oladipo’s best all-around game at the arena where he played his first three NBA seasons.

Oladipo had 29 points, nine rebounds and seven steals to lead the Indiana Pacers to their fourth straight win, 105-97 over the Orlando Magic on Monday night.

The venue and the opponent had very little to do with it, according to the Pacers guard.

“Honestly, this year every night fuels me,” Oladipo said. “We’ve got to go out and compete in the NBA against the best of the best. That competitive juice, that competitive edge is already running through my veins.”

Oladipo and Bojan Bogdanovic combined for 40 points in the second half, 14 of them during a 16-3 third-quarter run that put the Pacers in command.

Oladipo’s seven steals were a season-high and he also had five assists.

“He’s taking that leader role,” teammate Lance Stephenson said. “He’s bringing it every night and being that guy that we need him to be.”

Bogdanovic scored 24 of his 26 points in the second half, making five of six 3-pointers.

“He was red-hot for us,” said coach Nate McMillan. “Part of the reason we’ve gone to an eight-man rotation is to try to get him minutes at the four position.”

Nikola Vucevic had 25 points and 13 rebounds for the Magic, who lost their fifth straight.

The Magic finished with 22 turnovers and shot 33 percent in the second half to fall below .500 for the first time this season.

After a dunk by Aaron Gordon late in the first quarter, the Magic were down 23-22 despite making nine of their first 12 shots, including four of five 3-pointers. They never regained their shooting touch.

“Somewhere in the third quarter we lost our rhythm, started over-dribbling, got stagnant,” Vucevic said. “I don’t know why because it was working so well for us (in the first half). Then we started forcing stuff.”

Two straight Orlando turnovers helped Indiana take a six-point lead before the Magic closed the first half with 11 straight points for a 55-50 advantage.

Oladipo and Bogdanovic scored 22 points in the third quarter. A 3-pointer by Bogdanovic gave Indiana its first double-digit lead with 4:11 left in the game.

A couple of 3-pointers by Evan Fournier and a 12-foot bank by Gordon pulled the Magic to within three in the final minute, but Oladipo set up Bogdanovic for a 3-pointer that put the Pacers up by six with 16.8 seconds left.

DOWNWARD TREND

The Magic’s five straight losses have been by an average of 16 points.

“We’re trying,” coach Frank Vogel said. “Nobody’s happy with how we’re playing, and we know we’ve got to dig ourselves a little bit out of a rut here.”

TIP-INS

Pacers: After making 11 of 23 attempts at Miami on Sunday, Indiana came into the game as the NBA’s best 3-point shooting team (.404). They made 8 of 20 Monday night.

Magic: Rookie forward Jonathan Isaac missed a fourth straight game with a sprained right ankle. ... The Magic outrebounded the Pacers 50-48 after coming into the game with the NBA’s worst rebounding percentage.

UP NEXT

Pacers: After a three-day break, the Pacers will play Toronto Friday night in the first of three straight home games.

Magic: Wednesday night’s game at Minnesota will open a four-game trip.

Howard's huge game lifts Hornets over Timberwolves, 118-102

By STEVE REED
Associated Press

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Dwight Howard is doing anything he can to eliminate the pressure he feels shooting free throws — even if that means thinking about the Unabomber.

Howard said he let his mind wander Monday night to a recent show he’s been watching on Netflix about the hunt for the Unabomber. The big man went 9 of 14 at the foul line and finished with 25 points and 20 rebounds in the Charlotte Hornets’ 118-102 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

“I guess it works,” Howard said. “I just stay away from my own brain.”

Free throw shooting has been an adventure for Howard this season. He was making only 40.3 percent coming into the game, but shot 6 of 10 in the fourth quarter when the Timberwolves were intentionally fouling him in an attempt to erase a double-digit deficit.

Howard said he shoots about 200 foul shots every day and swears he makes more than 90 percent of them on a consistent basis in practice.

But he added that he tends to freeze up during games — even after 13 seasons in the NBA — and worries about being taken out down the stretch because of his failure to convert them.

He said now he is taking a “who cares” approach.

“That’s what I have been focusing on is not being so tense at the line,” Howard said. “I’m so passionate in the game that when I step up to the line my emotions are still running so high that I don’t know how to bring my shoulders down. ... I have to deflate my shoulders and make my shots.”

Howard, acquired in an offseason trade from Atlanta, was 8 for 10 from the field and added four blocks. It was his 49th 20-20 game, the most among active NBA players.

He outplayed Timberwolves big man Karl-Anthony Towns, who had 18 points and 12 rebounds as Minnesota lost on back-to-back nights.

“He controlled the paint at both ends of the floor, so he was a force in the paint on offense and his pick-and-roll defense,” Hornets coach Steve Clifford said. “His team defense was terrific. He controlled the game.”

Said Timberwolves forward Taj Gibson: “We tried to get a body on him but he was real active tonight. We tried to match it, but their whole group collectively did well moving the ball and had us strung out.”

TIP-INS

Timberwolves: Andrew Wiggins got a technical foul after disputing a charge call against him in the third quarter.

Hornets: Came in having committed the fewest turnovers in the league but gave the ball away 11 times in the first half. ... Howard was charged with a flagrant foul when he threw a high elbow toward the upper body of Towns in the third quarter.

KAMINSKY STEPS UP

Charlotte forward Frank Kaminsky provided a huge spark off the bench, scoring nine of his 24 points in the fourth quarter. He shot 9 of 15 overall, including 4 of 5 from beyond the arc.

The Hornets led by four entering the fourth before Kaminsky took over and helped build a double-digit advantage with a pair of 3-pointers.

“The ball was going in,” Kaminsky said. “Just wanted to attack. We’ve had some lulls in energy in the second half so I just want to come out and play with some heart.”

BALL WON’T FALL

The Timberwolves shot 6 of 27 from 3-point range, including 1 of 14 in the first half.

Jamal Crawford led Minnesota with 19 points, and Jeff Teague added 18. Wiggins struggled from the field, going 5 of 14 and finishing with 11 points.

Playing its third game in four nights might have contributed to Minnesota’s poor shooting.

“You don’t ever want to make excuses and obviously we have work to do and we’re still a work in progress,” Crawford said. “We’re a long way from being where we will be, but I think that’s a good thing. We have something to work toward.”

ZELLER LAUNCHES ONE

Cody Zeller capped the scoring with a 3-pointer from the top of the key — his first attempt of the season.

“I think I’m leading the league in 3-point percentage,” Zeller joked.

UP NEXT

Timberwolves: Host the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night.

Hornets: Host the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night.

Beal scores 23 as Wizards beat Bucks 99-88

By ANDREW GRUMAN
Associated Press

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Despite playing on back-to-back days for the first time this season and having two starters banged up, the Washington Wizards were better in the second half than their rested opponent Monday night.

Bradley Beal scored 23 points, John Wall returned from a one-game absence and the Wizards pulled away in the fourth quarter for a 99-88 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks.

“Defensively, we locked into the game plan,” Wizards coach Scott Brooks said. “We were aggressive, we were physical. We played with an IQ. We made them take the shots that we wanted them to take.”

Beal helped the Wizards separate from the Bucks with a personal 7-0 run late in the third quarter. Washington then outscored Milwaukee 13-4 to start the fourth, building an 86-70 advantage.

The win snapped a two-game skid for the Wizards, who lost 100-91 to Toronto on Sunday with Wall out of the lineup.

Milwaukee has lost two consecutive games to fall back to .500 at 8-8 after rattling off a four-game winning streak following the trade for Eric Bledsoe.

The Bucks had scored at least 90 points in 13 of their first 14 games but managed just 79 in a loss to Dallas on Sunday and 88 against the Wizards. Both opponents were playing on the second day of a back-to-back while the Bucks were rested.

“We know that we’re a better team than how we’ve played,” said acting head coach Joe Prunty, who filled in for Jason Kidd.

Kelly Oubre Jr. added 18 points off the bench for the Wizards, and Wall scored 15 after missing a game with knee pain. Otto Porter Jr. had 12 points and 11 rebounds, and Marcin Gortat finished with 10 points with 15 rebounds.

Washington led 27-19 after the first quarter, but Milwaukee used a 10-0 run capped by Giannis Antetokounmpo blocking a shot attempt by Wall and finishing on the other end to take 41-39 lead with 3:07 left in the half.

After trailing 47-46 at halftime, the Bucks led 55-50 before the Wizards scored eight straight points to take the lead back for good.

Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 23 points but was 8 for 21 from the field.

“(Giannis) is playing like an MVP,” Brooks said. “Hard player to stop. You try different guys on him so that he doesn’t get a consistent feel with the same player.”

The Bucks went just 4 of 22 from beyond the arc and missed 20 shots in the paint.

TIP-INS

Wizards: Beal became the youngest player in NBA history to reach 700 made 3-pointers. ... Washington held a 46-33 rebounding advantage and outscored Milwaukee 15-2 on second-chance points.

Bucks: Matthew Dellavedova (left knee tendinitis) and Mirza Teletovic (left knee soreness) each missed a third straight game due to injury. ... Bucks guard Gary Payton II made his third appearance of the season. On a two-way contract, Payton scored a career-high eight points in 15 minutes.

KIDD AWAY FROM TEAM

Kidd missed the game following the birth of his daughter. Kidd’s wife, Porschla, gave birth to Cooper Anne Kidd on Sunday.

PLAYING THROUGH PAIN

Wall returned to the starting lineup after missing Sunday’s loss to Toronto with a sore left knee. Porter was in the starting lineup after an MRI on his right hand came back negative.

“When I first went out there and shot today, it was perfectly fine,” Wall said. “If you saw me warming up the last couple games, you could tell that we had to take time to warm up.

“I was great. I was cool. I missed some easy early shots, but other than that I was fine.”

UP NEXT

Wizards: Washington plays at Charlotte on Wednesday. The Wizards took three of four from the Hornets last season.

Bucks: Milwaukee will travel to Phoenix to face the Suns on Wednesday. The Bucks and Suns made a big trade on Nov. 7, when Bledsoe went to Milwaukee in exchange for Greg Monroe and two draft picks.

Aldridge leads Spurs to 20th straight home win over Hawks

By RAUL DOMINGUEZ
Associated Press

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — LaMarcus Aldridge and Kyle Anderson are keeping the short-handed San Antonio Spurs going.

Aldridge had 22 points and 11 rebounds, Anderson had another solid game in place of Kawhi Leonard and the Spurs held off the Atlanta Hawks 96-85 on Monday night.

“LaMarcus kind of took his game to another level,” Atlanta coach Mike Budenholzer said.

The Hawks lost their 20th straight game in San Antonio, a skid spanning 20 years.

Aldridge fueled the Spurs in the second half, but Anderson had another methodical all-around game.

“He’s been ready for the moment,” Aldridge said. “He’s been playing really confident, making plays for us, being the other guy to be a ball-handler and been just saving us in games, basically.”

Anderson had 13 points, 10 assists and six rebounds in his 17th start in place of injured All-Star Leonard.

The 6-foot-9 forward out of UCLA has taken advantage of playing 27 minutes per game this season after averaging less than 14 in his previous three. Nicknamed “Slow Mo” for his lack of foot speed, Anderson patiently worked his way to 5-of -8 shooting and had just two turnovers in 30 minutes.

“He gets to handle the ball more and that’s his game, too,” said San Antonio veteran Manu Ginobili, who had 16 points. “He’s playing as a point power forward. He’s a tough matchup because of his size and his handles.”

Anderson didn’t score any points in the fourth but had four assists in the quarter to help Aldridge push the Spurs past the pesky Hawks.

Aldridge, who is averaging a team-high 22.3 points, had 12 points with six rebounds in the fourth quarter.

Danny Green followed that by hitting consecutive 3-pointers to stretch the lead to 90-79 with 3 minutes remaining.

Reserve forward John Collins led Atlanta with 21 points and Taurean Prince added 18. Former Spurs center Dewayne Dedmon had 11 points, including nine in the opening quarter.

TIP-INS

Hawks: Atlanta’s last victory in San Antonio was Feb. 15, 1997. ... Hawks center Miles Plumlee did not play after being listed as probable with a strained right quadriceps. ... Atlanta has nine players with one year of NBA experience or less. ... The Hawks entered third in the league with 9.1 steals per game. They had seven against the Spurs. ... Budenholzer, a former San Antonio assistant, and Dedmon both received warm ovations during pre-game introductions.

Spurs: San Antonio has already missed 52 games due to injury, including the season-long absences of Leonard and Tony Parker. Coach Gregg Popovich did not offer a timeline for either to return from quadriceps injuries. ... Anderson has scored in double figures in eight of 17 games this season after doing so just four times in 72 games last season.

FAREWELL, LEE

Former All-Star David Lee announced his retirement after playing with the Spurs last season. Lee played 12 seasons in the NBA starting with New York before joining Golden State, Boston and finishing in San Antonio.

MORE INJURIES

Atlanta lost Luke Babbitt in the second quarter due to a lower-back injury. Babbitt’s exit was precautionary. Budenholzer was unsure how long Babbitt will be out.

“We’re a little short-handed,” Budenholzer said. “Luke went down, Musky (Mike Muscala) wasn’t available. I’m assuming it’s the most minutes John (Collins) has played.”

Collins played 36 minutes.

UP NEXT

Hawks: Host Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night in the opener of a four-game homestand.

Spurs: Visit New Orleans on Wednesday night in their first meeting of the season against Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins.

Irving's 47 lead Celtics past Mavericks to maintain streak

By DAVE JACKSON
Associated Press

DALLAS (AP) — Double-digit deficits are becoming just a minor annoyance to the Boston Celtics as they continue their winning ways.

Kyrie Irving scored 10 of his season-high 47 points in overtime as the Celtics rallied from 13 points down in the fourth quarter to beat the Dallas Mavericks 110-102 on Monday night and extend their winning streak to 16 games.

The winning streak ties the fourth-longest in franchise history, and for the third game in a row, Boston trailed by double digits.

In contrast to recent wins over Golden State and Atlanta, this one required a fourth quarter comeback. For that, the Celtics turned to Irving, who delivered his best performance for his new team after Dallas had taken an 87-74 lead with 7:47 to play.

“For us it’s just about battling back when teams get a comfortable rhythm, whether it’d be in the first half or the second half,” Irving said. “As a group we continue just to stick together throughout anything and everything.”

Irving stole the ball from Dirk Nowitzki and fed Jayson Tatum for an alley-oop lay-up that hung on the rim for a full second before dropping through with 1:01 to play to tie the score at 96.

In the extra period, Irving scored his team’s first six points. Then after Jaylen Brown gave Boston a 104-102 lead with a jumper with 1:39 to play, Irving went to work on Yogi Ferrell, backing him down and drawing contact on a lay-up with 48.5 seconds to play. Though Irving missed the free throw to keep the score 106-102, Dallas never got closer.

“I don’t really see it as a pressure situation,” Irving said of his late-game play. “It’s just like playing basketball, man. It’s just like being in a park 7-7 and game is eight.”

Harrison Barnes scored 31 points and Wesley Matthews had 18 for Dallas, which came back from an early double-digit deficit as the Celtics went cold for much of the second and third quarters. Barnes missed a jumper with less than a second to go in regulation that could have won it for Dallas, which fell to 3-15.

“We just needed to make a couple more plays at key times,” Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said. “Probably just one more key play in the last minute or minute and a half. That would have been the difference.”

Brown finished with 22 for Boston. He and Irving combined to go 24-for-35 while the rest of the Celtics went 14-for-49.

The Mavericks fell behind by as many as 15 points in the first half, outscoring the Celtics 55-35 over the second and third quarters.

NO MORAL VICTORIES

Similar to recent home games against Cleveland and San Antonio, the Mavericks fought one of the NBA’s best teams until the end, getting their home crowd into it. But the Mavericks have three close losses to show for those efforts and perhaps are unfairly saddled with the league’s worst record.

“At the end of the day, it’s got to show up in wins and losses,” Barnes said. “There are no moral victories around here. Tonight was playing against a great team, and a great opportunity to win here in front of our home fans. We let it slip away.”

TIP-INS

Celtics: Marcus Smart came into the game shooting just 27 percent from the field, worst among NBA players with at least 10 attempts per game. And he shot 3-for-15 Monday as the Mavericks backed off and dared him to shoot. But Smart’s 3 with 1:24 to play in the game put Boston within 96-94. . Boston shot just 10-for-34 over the two middle quarters after building the early lead. ... The game was a homecoming for Boston rookie Semi Ojeleye, who played college basketball at SMU in Dallas.

Mavericks: Guard J.J. Barea won the NBA Cares Community Assist Award for October for the relief work he did in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in his native Puerto Rico. He was presented with the award at halftime. Barea has provided more than 100,000 pounds of supplies to the island, and he has raised nearly $750,000 in funds through his own efforts and a YouCaring.com fund drive.

UP NEXT

Celtics: At Miami on Wednesday. The Celtics beat the Heat on October 28 for win number four of their streak.

Mavericks: At Memphis on Wednesday for the team’s third meeting of the season. Each team won at home in a back-to-back series in late October.

Pelicans rally after Cousins ejection, beat Thunder 114-107

By BRETT MARTEL
Associated Press

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — When DeMarcus Cousins got tossed, Anthony Davis, Jrue Holiday and the rest of the New Orleans Pelicans locked in.

Davis had 36 points and 15 rebounds, Holiday added 18 points, and New Orleans rallied after Cousins’ ejection to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 114-107 on Monday night.

“We didn’t think it was that fair. He doesn’t do anything intentional,” Holiday said of Cousins, who was assessed a flagrant foul for swinging an elbow near Thunder star Russell Westbrook’s head. “We just wanted to win for him.”

Cousins had 18 points and nine rebounds before his ejection with five minutes remaining in the third quarter and did not speak with reporters after the game.

Cousins raised his elbow near Westbrook’s face after grabbing a rebound, and the Thunder guard dropped to the floor holding his head. Westbrook remained in the game and finished with 22 points, 16 rebounds, 12 assists and three steals. However, Westbrook also missed 13 of 19 shots.

Westbrook also did not discuss Cousins’ foul, but did lament “mental errors” that plagued Oklahoma City while they were losing a lead that was 19 points in the first quarter.

“Guys got to take personal pride and understand how important it is to go out and compete and not take it for granted,” Westbrook said. “As players, you go out on the floor, and sometimes you take it for granted and don’t realize how important it is to embrace the moment. Each individual guy has to do that every night.”

New Orleans trailed 76-72 when Cousins was ejected, but surged ahead soon after with an 11-3 run during which Jameer Nelson, E’Twaun Moore and Darius Miller each hit 3s. Nelson banked in his 3 from near half-court as the shot clock expired.

Davis helped New Orleans end a two-game skid with his typical array of dunks, layups and clutch mid-range shots. He also hit 18 of 22 free throws.

“It was tough losing (Cousins), being one of our star players, but anything is liable to happen in a game,” Davis said. “So guys stepped up and were ready to play.”

Paul George hit six 3s en route to 26 points and Carmelo Anthony scored 19 for Oklahoma City, which lost its second straight in similar fashion, having blown a 23-point lead in San Antonio on Friday night.

“We’re too good of a team to allow a team to tie it up after we go up 20,” George said. “Games are built on runs. That’s going to happen. But we’ve got to eliminate how much of a run we allow.”

TIP-INS

Thunder: Oklahoma City led 25-6 on Alex Abrines’ 3 in the first quarter, but the Thunder fell into a tie early in the second quarter before going back up by eight at halftime after George’s 3 made it 65-57. .... Steven Adams had 15 points and Jerami Grant 10 points.

Pelicans: The 6-foot-4 Moore, normally a reserve shooting guard, started at small forward and scored 12 points. ... Miller had 11 points for New Orleans, hitting three of four 3-point shots. ... Davis had seven turnovers. ... Guard Tony Allen returned from a four-game absence cause by left knee swelling. He had six points and six rebounds in nearly 19 minutes.

COUSINS’ EXIT

From video replays displayed on the arena scoreboard, it appeared Cousins made contact with Westbrook, but it was difficult to discern whether contact was made with the Thunder star’s head or shoulder, or whether the impact was significant.

Officials did not eject Cousins from the game until after viewing replays on a TV at the scorers’ table, after which they called a flagrant two.

Hard contact is not required for a flagrant two — only an act deemed “unnecessary and excessive.”

Allen said Cousins’ “emotions got the best of him,” and that his history of outbursts seems to be held against him in such situations. Allen also asserted that Westbrook “definitely” flopped.

Westbrook “took advantage of Cousins’ history. He was going to get the best of that call,” said Allen, a 14-year veteran. “You saw him get right back up and miss the free throw.”

UP NEXT

Thunder: Host Golden State on Wednesday night.

Pelicans: Host the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night.

Nuggets beat Kings 114-98 without coach and 2 starters

By MICHAEL WAGAMAN
Associated Press

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Will Barton didn’t know Mike Malone was suspended by the NBA until the Denver Nuggets coach informed him as Barton got on the team bus to head to the arena.

“I thought he was joking,” Barton said. “I told him we’d hold it down for him.”

Minus their coach and two starters, the short-handed Nuggets did just that — and only 24 hours after losing by 21 points to begin their three-game road trip.

Barton and Trey Lyles made two 3-pointers apiece during a big run in the third quarter, and Denver pulled away to beat the Sacramento Kings 114-98 on Monday night.

Barton finished with 25 points, six rebounds and five assists in his third start this season for Denver, which also was without injured starters Paul Millsap and Wilson Chandler.

“Given the circumstances, I’ll take it,” said Nuggets assistant Wes Unseld Jr., who coached the team while Malone stayed back at the team hotel. “The minute (we) got in here from the team bus they knew it was a task at hand. We were under adverse circumstances and had no other option than to pull it together.”

Malone served a one-game NBA suspension for making contact with a referee in Sunday’s loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. Denver also was missing Millsap, who sprained his left wrist against the Lakers, and Chandler (lower back pain).

After a sluggish first half, Denver pulled away in the third quarter following a 19-7 run late in the third quarter sparked by the long-distance shooting of Barton and Lyles. The Nuggets shot 15 of 32 beyond the arc and led by as many as 22 in the final period.

“That third quarter we were real patient and sound, ran our sets and got going,” Barton said. “Anytime you’re missing two starters, impact guys like that, it’s going to take a while.”

Nikola Jokic added 16 points and 14 rebounds, and Gary Harris scored 20 for the Nuggets.

George Hill and Kosta Koufos scored 16 points apiece to lead six players in double figures for Sacramento. The Kings, who had won their three previous home games against the Thunder, 76ers and Trail Blazers, have lost five of six overall.

“Athletically, (the Nuggets) go and get balls and jumped over the top of us and did some of those kind of things,” Kings coach Dave Joerger said. “We’ve got to be more physical. We were a step slow in the second half.”

BARTON COMES UP BIG

Barton shot 9 of 15 and made a season-high five 3-pointers on six attempts from beyond the arc. “He wasn’t an aggressive scorer but he was a playmaker for us,” Unseld said. “Down the stretch he controlled the game.”

WHAT WENT WRONG

Joerger thought his team played hard throughout the game but rookie guard De’Aaron Fox wasn’t so sure. Asked if the Kings let up in the second half when the Nuggets got on their roll, Fox said: “It felt that way. But it’s happened before, we’ve got back before. It’s just something if we go down, we’ve got to pick it up even more. You have to pick up your effort when things are going south.”

TIP-INS

Nuggets: With Millsap and Chandler out, Unseld went to a three-guard lineup but the offense sputtered in the first half with 11 turnovers. Denver did a much better job after the break and pulled away. . The Nuggets dominated the offensive rebounding (14-5) and converted that into a 19-6 advantage in second-chance points.

Kings: Zach Randolph had 12 points and six rebounds in his third consecutive start at center. ... Buddy Hield missed his second straight game with a sore right ankle.

UP NEXT

Nuggets: Play at Houston on Wednesday. The Rockets have won four straight against Denver.

Kings: Host the Lakers on Wednesday. The teams split the season series in 2016-17.

McCollum has 24 points to lead Portland past Memphis

By CLAY BAILEY
Associated Press

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Portland is clamping down on defense and the effort is leading to recent success for the Trail Blazers.

The team has held seven of the last eight opponents under 100 points, including Memphis on Monday night as the Trail Blazers pulled away from the Grizzlies for a 100-92 win.

C. J. McCollum scored 24 points and Damian Lillard added 21 points as Portland sent Memphis to its fifth straight loss.

“Defensively we were able to get some stops down the stretch,” McCollum said of Portland’s ability to pull away after the game was tied at 80 with 6:41 remaining. “Noah (Vonleh) had some big baskets. Big rebounds. Different guys stepped up. Everybody did a little bit of everything.”

Shabazz Napier added 16 points, while Noah Vonleh finished with 11 points and 18 rebounds for Portland, which won its second straight and fourth in the last five.

“The other team was just missing a lot of shots, and I was just having a nose for the ball,” Vonleh said. “Boxing my guy out and going after it, that was my mindset.”

Vonleh’s rebounds were part of the Trail Blazers controlling the boards, outrebounding Memphis 60-35.

“Crushed us on the glass,” Memphis coach David Fizdale said. “We finally got our defense activated again, and I felt like we were back somewhat looking like our early season self. But the glass just really killed us.”

Mario Chalmers led Memphis with a season-high 21 points, while Tyreke Evans finished with 20. Marc Gasol had 19 points, seven assists and 12 rebounds, but was 7 of 20 from the floor, part of the Grizzlies shooting 38 percent for the game, and 27 percent from outside the arc.

The teams were tied at 80 with 6:47 left after Gasol split a pair of free throws. But Jusuf Nurkic, who had 10 points, converted a 3-point play and put the Trail Blazers ahead for good.

“It’s always difficult, it seems, to play here,” Portland coach Terry Stotts said. “Seems like the games are always a grind it out, low possession, low field goal percentage game.”

TIP-INS

Trail Blazers: The game was the first of a five-game road trip for Portland. ... Portland lost to Grizzlies 98-97 earlier this month. .Vonleh’s 18 rebounds were one short of his career-high 19 on April 12 last season against New Orleans. It was Vonleh’s first double-double of the season. ... Napier, who was shooting 58 percent in his last six games, was 5 of 13 from the field.

Grizzlies: C/F Brandan Wright, who injured his right groin in Saturday’s game against Houston, sat out, along with G Mike Conley, who continues to nurse a sore left Achilles tendon. ... Memphis has allowed 100 points in nine of the last 10 games. ... Evans recorded at least 20 points off the bench for the seventh time this season.

LILLARD LIMPING

Lillard turned his ankle with just under 3 minutes left before halftime after stepping on Gasol’s foot. The Portland guard went down under the Trail Blazers basket, but eventually hobbled to the bench. He returned to start the second half. “I knew if there was some way he could play, he’s going to play,” Stotts said. “What he does, doesn’t surprise me.” Lillard was noticeably limping in the Trail Blazers locker room. He said trainers “did all kinds of different tape jobs on it,” at halftime, “then we went back out there and tried it. I was able to, at least, get something done.”

CLOSE, BUT NOT CLOSE ENOUGH

Memphis’ losing streak has reflected the signs of a struggling team, particularly without Conley. While the Grizzlies were in the game midway through the fourth quarter, they were consistently trying to catch up throughout the game because of poor shooting. “I do think if we could have made some of our open shots, it would have at least helped momentum and it also helps energize your defense when you make a couple of those,” Fizdale said. “But, ultimately, we’ve just got to keep plugging away.

UP NEXT

Trail Blazers: Travel to Philadelphia for a Wednesday game against the 76ers.

Grizzlies: Wrap up a four-game home stand on Wednesday, hosting the Dallas Mavericks.

Knicks hand Clippers ninth straight loss, win 107-85

By BRIAN MAHONEY
Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Things are going so poorly for the Clippers that they can’t even beat the Knicks anymore.

Kristaps Porzingis scored 25 points and New York extended Los Angeles’ losing streak to nine games with a 107-85 victory Monday night.

Porzingis outplayed a frustrated Blake Griffin and helped the Knicks snap a 10-game skid in the series with their first victory over the Clippers in more than five years.

“Bottom line, we just can’t sustain anything,” Clippers coach Doc Rivers said. “Right now we get it going a little bit and one thing happens and it just implodes.”

Doug McDermott added 16 points for the Knicks, including a 3-pointer that swung the momentum for good midway through the third quarter.

“I got in there, had to bring some energy because we got off to a little slow start to start the third quarter,” McDermott said.

Griffin scored 21 points but shot just 6 for 18, picked up a technical foul and fouled out with 4:46 remaining. The Clippers (5-11) still haven’t won since Nov. 1 at Dallas, when they improved to 5-2.

“Tonight was not a good showing,” Griffin said. “We have to put together 48 minutes rather than playing in spurts. We know as a team that this is not going to be the end.”

Patrick Beverley returned after missing five games with a sore right knee and had nine points and six rebounds. But the Clippers are still without fellow guard Milos Teodosic and the rest of their backcourt play was mostly dismal.

The Clippers fell behind by 17 early in the third quarter before running off 15 straight to cut it to 66-64 midway through the period. But McDermott hit a 3-pointer in transition and added another during a 12-0 response by the Knicks that gave them a 78-64 advantage with 4:11 remaining in the period.

“I thought that was disheartening,” Rivers said. “I thought that took the spirit away but it shouldn’t and that’s where we’re at right now. When you lose nine games in a row, you’re in a losing streak, you start feeling sorry for yourself when things don’t go right and you can’t do that.”

New York then led by 26 in the fourth quarter.

The game was tied at 20 after one quarter, but the Knicks opened a double-digit lead late in the half after a 9-2 spurt and were ahead 56-44 at the break.

“In the first half we weren’t moving the ball. One pass or no passes and the guys were shooting it,” Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek said. “Once we got into passing the ball and moving it from side to side, then we ended up with 20 assists in the final 32 minutes and that’s pretty good.”

The Clippers traded Chris Paul in the offseason and the search for reliable guard play remains. Austin Rivers was 1 for 9 for two points, Lou Williams came off the bench to shoot 2 for 8, and rookie Jawun Evans shot 2 for 8.

TIP-INS

Clippers: Los Angeles had won five straight at Madison Square Garden. ... Clippers assistant Mike Woodson was the Knicks’ coach last time they beat Los Angeles, on April 25, 2012.

Knicks: Tim Hardaway Jr. played with a sore left foot and scored 13 points. He had been listed as questionable but Hornacek said Hardaway felt better after rest. ... Enes Kanter had 12 points and 16 rebounds.

STREAK SNAPPED

The Clippers’ 10-game winning streak over the Knicks was their longest active streak against any opponent. Now it’s seven in a row against Portland and Orlando.

STARKS WITH THE “STEAL”

Doc Rivers was talking to reporters before the game when former Knicks teammate John Starks walked by.

“Can you bring my wedge back?” Rivers yelled out. “Guy stole my wedge and didn’t give it back.”

Rivers said he had been without his golf club, which Starks contended that Rivers had left in his bag, for about two months.

“You know, when someone allegedly leaves a club in your bag, the right thing to do is mail it back to them,” Rivers said. “That’s all I’m saying. At some point, it’s stolen.”

UP NEXT

Clippers: Visit Atlanta on Wednesday.

Knicks: Host Toronto on Wednesday.

Aldridge has 32 points, Popovich gets milestone in Spurs win

By DAVE JACKSON
Associated Press

DALLAS (AP) — The hometown kid ensured that San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich would get a milestone victory in Dallas.

LaMarcus Aldridge scored a season-high 32 points in his hometown and the Spurs beat the Mavericks 97-91 on Tuesday night.

Popovich became the fastest NBA coach to 500 road wins. He got there in 835 away games, 41 fewer than Pat Riley. Those two and Don Nelson are the only coaches to win 500 on the road.

Aldridge, a product of Dallas’ Seagoville High School, scored eight points during a decisive stretch of the fourth quarter. He’s averaging nearly 23 points per game this season while San Antonio has been without starters Kawhi Leonard and Tony Parker.

“I think I’m definitely more confident and I’m playing my game more this year,” Aldridge said. “I think Pop definitely has tweaked some things where I can be myself more out there and play more confident, and it’s working out for us.”

Aldridge’s coach notices the change in the forward’s second year in San Antonio.

“He’s been our most consistent player,” Popovich said. “His effort level every night has been off the charts. He’s been a leader for us, helping the younger guys and new guys understand the system.”

Patty Mills added a season-high 19 points for the Spurs.

Rookie Dennis Smith Jr. led Dallas with a career-high 27 points, and J.J. Barea and Harrison Barnes had 16 each. The Mavericks are 2-13 for the second straight season and fifth time overall.

Just like in a loss to Cleveland on Saturday, the Mavericks cut a double-digit second-half deficit to one point, but couldn’t gain the lead.

“Every time we made a mental lapse, they got going,” Barnes said. “We know that is what they are going to do here and capitalize every time we made a mistake.”

After Dallas got within 62-61 early in the fourth, Mills hit a long 3 and a driving layup, then Aldridge scored eight of his team’s next 13 points to put the Spurs up 82-71 with 5:03 to play. Dallas never got closer than four points down the stretch.

The Spurs led by 11 during the third quarter, but Barea made back-to-back 3s and fed Salah Mejri an alley-oop pass for a layup as Dallas closed the quarter on a 9-0 run to get within 62-60.

Mills scored 13 points in the first six minutes of the second quarter, including three 3s. Aldridge was hit with a technical foul with 3:33 left in the second quarter for shoving the Mavericks’ Salah Mejri after a scrap under the Mavericks basket.

The Spurs led 44-39 at the break.

TIP-INS

Spurs: Popovich was asked before the game how he handles the rush of letters and emails responding to his political comments: “I do read everything and I try to respond. It takes time because there’s a lot of letters. The only ones I don’t respond to are the ones are so courageous in their negativity that there’s no address, just comments. That’s hard to respond to. But there are people who disagree and say why, and it’s erudite and intelligible and (I say), ‘Yeah, you’ve got a point.’ Those people deserve to be responded to.”

Mavericks: Dallas continues to play without guard Devin Harris, who missed his second straight game with bruised ribs, and Dorian Finney-Smith was also out Tuesday with left quad tendinitis.

UP NEXT

Spurs: Travel to Minnesota for the second half of a back-to-back Wednesday night. The Spurs have won 12 straight against the Wolves, dating to 2014.

Mavericks: Also face the Timberwolves next, at home Friday night. Minnesota won the team’s first meeting on Nov. 4.

DeRozan scores 27 as Raptors beat Rockets 129-113

By KRISTIE REIKEN
Associated Press

HOUSTON (AP) — The Toronto Raptors have struggled to close out games against good teams this season.

They solved that Tuesday night, getting 27 points from DeMar DeRozan while holding off the Rockets 129-113 despite a couple late runs by Houston.

Just as important, DeRozan thinks he knows the key for Toronto holding leads going forward.

“Liking this feeling,” he said. “You’ve got to love this feeling so you don’t got to go out there having too many of them close games that you lost, feeling upset, got to wait until the next game. You’ve got to want to continue to have this feeling and that should work out everything else.”

Toronto led by 12 at halftime and had to repeatedly shut down rally attempts from the Rockets.

“Consistency in this league is a hard thing to grab, and that’s what we’ve got to reach for, grab for each and every night,” Toronto coach Dwane Casey said. “If we could bottle tonight, the energy, the toughness, the togetherness we had tonight, it (would be) special.”

James Harden had 38 points and made 19 of 19 foul shots for the Rockets, who ended a six-game winning streak.

“We weren’t sharp,” Houston coach Mike D’Antoni said. “Sometimes you let down and it’s hard to turn it back on. We tried, we got close in the second half, but we just didn’t have enough.”

Houston scored six straight points, including three free throws from Harden, to make it 108-103 with about 7 1/2 minutes left.

Delon Wright made a free throw for the Raptors soon after that, and OG Anunoby connected for Toronto’s first field goal in more than three minutes on a 3-pointer with 6:25 remaining. After Wright’s layup, Kyle Lowry stole the ball from Harden, and DeRozan finished on the other end with a dunk to make it 116-103.

Harden got Houston going again with a four-point play. The free throw was his 19th, setting a franchise record for most foul shots without a miss in a game.

DeRozan and Serge Ibaka had back-to-back dunks after Harden’s big play to make it 120-107 with about three minutes left and send many of the home fans toward the exits.

Harden had 11 assists and six rebounds. He has scored at least 20 points and had seven or more assists in every game this season.

The Raptors scored the first five points of the second half to make it 81-64 and pushed their lead to 19 points midway through the third on Lowry’s 3-pointer.

Toronto led by 21 before Houston made five straight points, capped by a 3-point play by Tarik Black. That was the start of a nice run for the Rockets, and they used a 9-3 spurt after that to cut the lead to 97-87. Harden made four points in that span, and Eric Gordon capped it with a layup.

Houston led by eight points during the first half, but the Raptors used a 45-point second quarter to take a 76-64 edge into halftime.

TIP-INS

Raptors: Norman Powell sat out after leaving Sunday’s game at Boston with a hip pointer. ... Lowry, a former Rocket, added 19 points and 10 assists. ... Anunoby scored 16 points.

Rockets: Nene missed his second straight game with a sprained right foot. ... Harden received a technical after a shot in the first quarter when he complained about the lack of a foul call. ... Trevor Ariza finished with 20 points and eight rebounds. ... P.J. Tucker got two technical fouls and was ejected in the third quarter.

UP NEXT

Raptors: Visit New Orleans on Wednesday night.

Rockets: Visit Phoenix on Thursday night.

Masked man: Irving returns as Celtics win 13th straight

By BRIAN MAHONEY
Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Kyrie Irving really dislikes having to play in a mask.

On the other hand, he loves what comes next: Boston putting its 13-game winning streak on the line against the NBA champions.

“It’s definitely an incredible streak we’re on, and now comes the whole media frenzy of will the streak end, and what’s going to happen on Thursday and the Golden State Warriors coming to Boston,” Irving said. “So I’m looking forward to all that hoopla.”

Irving returned to the lineup and scored 25 points while wearing the mask, and the Celtics beat the Brooklyn Nets 109-102 on Tuesday night to remain unbeaten since an 0-2 start.

Marcus Morris added 21 points and 10 rebounds, and Jayson Tatum scored 19 points for the Celtics, who have the NBA’s best record. Golden State is next at 11-3, and Boston got good preparation for the game against a persistent Brooklyn team.

“The way that they converted on us in transition after our mistakes tonight, you can’t have that against Golden State. You just get blown out of the gym,” Celtics coach Brad Stevens said. “We just have to play really solid on both ends and do what we do as well as we can and see where we stand.”

Irving missed one game with a minor facial fracture after he was hit by teammate Aron Baynes on Friday. He fiddled with the mask frequently, but it didn’t seem to affect his play much. He made a jumper with 3:40 left after the Nets had closed within four points and drove for another basket about 35 seconds later.

“Today, just finding his way and doing what he does, making big plays for us, coming through and sealing the game,” said Celtics center Al Horford, who had 17 points and 11 rebounds.

Boston then finally put it away with Jaylen Brown’s alley-oop feed to Tatum before Irving hit two free throws to make it 106-96.

Joe Harris scored 19 points and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson had 16 points and nine rebounds for the Nets, who are without leading scorer D’Angelo Russell because of a bruised left knee. Allen Crabbe and Caris LeVert added 15 points apiece.

Irving has had to play in a mask before, and he’s done it well. He scored a then career-high 41 points in a loss at New York on Dec. 15, 2012, while with Cleveland. But he described it like having foggy blinders, restricting his peripheral vision.

The Celtics started 7 of 9 from the field to lead 17-4, but the Nets jumped ahead in the second quarter and countered every time Boston threated to pull away until the final minutes.

“I thought guys competed,” Nets coach Kenny Atkinson said. “We just have to do it in long stretches.”

TIP-INS

Celtics: Irving was not announced as a starter when lineups were introduced, even though coach Brad Stevens had said he would start, after an apparent mix-up between the coach and scorer’s table. ... The Celtics have won six straight in Brooklyn, where they were cheered loudly and Irving even heard “MVP! MVP!” chants.

Nets: Atkinson didn’t put a timetable on Russell’s return, saying he was getting daily updates. ... Rookie center Jarrett Allen returned after missing six games with a strained left foot.

NOT THE MAN IN BLACK

Even some of Irving’s teammates asked him if he would wear the black mask he sported in the 41-point game at Madison Square Garden. Instead, he wore a clear one and said that’s lucky for them, because he said the black mask made it so hard to see that passing wasn’t much of an option.

“They were like, ’The masked man! The black mask!” Irving said. “I was like, ‘I scored that many because I just was looking at the basket.’”

HOME SWEET HOME

It was the Nets’ first home game in November, having been on the road out West all month. Brooklyn plays just four home games in November. Three are this week, and the Nets host Portland on Nov. 24 before going back on the road for three straight games.

MEXICAN FANS

Entertainers Diego Alfaro and Georgina Holguin from Mexico attended the game to help promote the Nets’ upcoming games in Mexico City to their home fans. Brooklyn will play Miami and Oklahoma City in December.

UP NEXT

Celtics: Host Golden State on Thursday night.

Nets: Host Utah on Friday night.

Report: Bucks to acquire G Bledsoe from Suns

The Milwaukee Bucks are close to acquiring disgruntled point guard Eric Bledsoe from the Phoenix Suns in exchange for center Greg Monroe and a first-round draft pick, ESPN reported on Tuesday.

Bledsoe has been kept away from the Suns since being sent home by general manager Ryan McDonough on Oct. 23, one day after the 27-year-old tweeted, "I don't wanna be here." That tweet came hours before Phoenix fired coach Earl Watson and replaced him with interim coach Jay Triano.

Bledsoe was fined $10,000 by the NBA that tweet, McDonough told AZCentral.com on Sunday.

Bledsoe later tried to put that tweet in context, although McDonough wasn't buying the excuse.

"He said he was at a hair salon. ... I didn't believe that to be true," McDonough said last month.

Bledsoe is averaging 15.7 points, 2.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists in three games for the Suns this season -- his fifth with the team. He is entering his eighth NBA season and owns career averages of 13.1 points, 3.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists.

Bledsoe would join a Bucks backcourt with 2016 Rookie of the Year Malcolm Brogdon, Matthew Dellavedova and Jason Terry.

Monroe is averaging 6.8 points and 5.0 rebounds in five games this season. The 27-year-old is averaging 14.0 points and 8.7 rebounds in 543 career contests with Detroit and Milwaukee since being selected by the Pistons with the seventh overall pick of the 2010 draft.

Irving takes charge, Celtics beat Hawks for 9th straight win

By GEORGE HENRY
Associated Press

ATLANTA (AP) — Kyrie Irving took charge in a fashion only he can.

Dribbling and weaving through the lane and around the perimeter, Irving scored from all over and kept his teammates involved all night.

“It’s a beautiful game when it’s played the right way,” the four-time All-Star said. “It’s not going to look good every possession, but you’ve got to be able to move onto the next play. I understand that better than most.”

Irving scored 35 points, Jayson Tatum added 21 and the Boston Celtics held off the Atlanta Hawks 110-107 Monday night for their ninth straight victory.

Irving’s 3 from the right wing put the Celtics up 104-103 — the game’s 25th lead change — with 1:37 remaining, and Boston led the rest of the way.

Dennis Schroder had 23 points for the rebuilding Hawks, who dropped to 2-9 a night after a surprising two-point win at Cleveland.

“It would’ve been sweet to win two in a row against those kinds of teams,” Schroder said. “But we ended up short.”

Boston improved to 9-2, best in the NBA, and has its longest winning streak in seven years.

Al Horford had 15 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists in his best game against the Hawks. Horford spent his first nine seasons in Atlanta before leaving as a free agent ahead of last season and had totals of 20 points and 17 rebounds in three games against his former team.

Irving had his first 30-point game as a Celtic on a night packed with highlights. He dribbled between his legs and behind his back before hitting a floater off the glass from the left baseline to put Boston up 46-44. He had two impressive assists late in the third with long, one-handed passes that led to 3s by Marcus Smart and Tatum, the latter giving Boston a 72-71 lead.

Irving either scored or assisted on every basket of a 16-2 run in the third that put the Celtics up by seven. He finished with seven assists.

“He’s just very unique,” Horford said. “He has a good sense of how teams are playing him.”

The Celtics started to pull away and took their biggest lead at 10 on Semi Ojeleye’s 3 early in the fourth, but the Hawks came back to take a few brief leads in the final period.

“To compete the way we did and give ourselves a chance to win, we got better tonight and we can learn from it,” Atlanta coach Mike Budenhozler said.

THAT’S A DRAG

Boston coach Brad Stevens wasn’t pleased with the ball movement or defense early in the third, storming the floor to call timeout after Atlanta’s Luke Babbit hit a 3 to put the Hawks up 57-54.

“You could just tell mentally and physically we were dragging a little bit,” Irving said. “That’s going to happen sometimes considering how hard we play, but we don’t want to make that a habit for us. No excuse.”

RAINING DOWN

Budenholzer joked before the game that he regretted having his assistants work with the 6-foot-10 Horford a couple of years ago to develop a strong presence beyond the perimeter. Horford, who went just 1 for 5 on 3s, entered the game shooting nearly 52 percent on 33 attempts from the arc.

“I think there was just a real push from us and a credit to him that he could do it,” Budenholzer said. “It’s part of the way the game is, and his passing just opens up the court even more for him to drive and attack. He’s such a good player, such a smart player.”

TIP-INS

Celtics: Irving has scored more points — 245 — than any player in his first 11 games with Boston. ... With Marcus Morris getting the night off to rest his sore left knee, Aron Baynes started at center and finished with just two points and three rebounds in 15 minutes.

Hawks: Malcolm Delaney returned after missing two games with a sprained right ankle and had 13 points. Marco Belinelli scored 19 despite a sore left Achilles.

UP NEXT

Celtics: Host the Lakers on Wednesday night.

Hawks: Off until they visit Detroit on Friday night.

___

For more NBA coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

Russell has 23 points, 8 assists; Nets beat Suns 98-92

By JOSE M. ROMERO
Associated Press

PHOENIX (AP) — The Brooklyn Nets had lost their scoring touch during a four-game losing streak, so they turned to defensive pressure to end the skid.

D’Angelo Russell scored 13 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter, and Brooklyn held the Phoenix Suns to 34.9 percent shooting in a 98-92 win Monday night.

Russell added eight assists, Joe Harris scored a season-high 18 points and Brooklyn won a game that featured 32 turnovers and 59 fouls.

“It wasn’t the prettiest game ever played in the NBA,” Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson said. “A lot of fouls, but we found a way. Our defense was good. We had contributions from a lot of guys.”

The Suns rallied from a 15-point first-half deficit to lead 75-74 after Jared Dudley’s layup with 9:17 to play. The Nets went back ahead moments later and held on for their first road win of the season, with Russell scoring eight of his team’s next 12 point after it lost the lead.

“Just didn’t want to lose and tried to do whatever it took to win,” Russell said. “Everybody came through as a collective unit and did what they were supposed to do.”

DeMarre Carroll added 14 points and 11 rebounds, and Allen Crabbe scored 15 points.

“That was the first time we held a team under 100 (points) this year,” Crabbe said. “I think we all just came in focused.”

T.J. Warren had 20 points as the Suns dropped their third straight, including Sunday at San Antonio. Devin Booker scored 18 points before fouling out late in the game.

The Suns started well, with Booker scoring 11 points in the first seven minutes, before the Nets used a 16-0 run to go up 28-16.

Phoenix cut the lead to one twice in the second quarter but finished the half making 10 of 40 shots. The Nets, behind 14 first-half points from Harris, led 47-41 at the break.

“Give them credit, they challenged us well,” Suns interim head coach Jay Triano said. “We tried ... to see if we could get a bunch of guys going and it was tough to make shots.”

MR. 3,000

Booker reached 3,000 career points with a 19-foot jumper with 7:46 to play in the first quarter. He needed six points to reach 3,000 entering the game.

Booker, 21, is the fourth-youngest player in NBA history to score 3,000 points, behind LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Carmelo Anthony.

“It means a lot,” Booker said after the game. “My dream my whole life is to play in the NBA. Once I got here I realized I wanted to leave a mark. ... I’m trying to do it, and trying to get wins along with it.”

TIP-INS

Nets: F Rondae-Hollis Jefferson played 17 minutes in the first half but did not return in the second half due to a right hip contusion. ... F Trevor Booker (sore lower back) did not play and is day to day, coach Kenny Atkinson said. Booker didn’t take part in the pregame shootaround. ... F Quincy Acy played despite a left groin strain, his first action since Oct. 27.

Suns: Veteran F Jared Dudley played a season-high 21 minutes and scored his first six points of the season. ... Former NBA All-Star and Suns forward Clifford Robinson attended the game. ... The Suns have lost three straight at home to the Nets.

UP NEXT

Nets: At Denver on Tuesday night, the third game of five on a Western road trip.

Suns: Host Miami Wednesday night.

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More AP basketball: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

Kevin Durant, Warriors overcome shooting woes to beat Heat

By JANIE McCAULEY
Associated Press

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Shots were contested, and so many missed the target.

The Golden State Warriors had to get defensive and grind out a win — and coach Steve Kerr appreciated that kind of push for the defending NBA champs.

Kevin Durant had 21 points and eight rebounds to help the Warriors overcome their shooting woes and beat the Miami Heat 97-80 in a rare low-scoring outing Monday night.

“It’s a good feeling to know if we focus on taking care of the basketball and playing solid defense and focus in on that end really hopefully regardless of how our offense is we’re going to be in good position to win games,” Stephen Curry said. “Tonight was kind of a testament to that.”

Draymond Green scored 18 points with a season-high four 3s to go with nine rebounds as the defending NBA champions won for the seventh time in their last eight games, including three straight in lopsided fashion on their recent road trip.

The Warriors had scored 100 points in every regular-season game since their second-to-last matchup last season, a 105-99 defeat to Utah as the regulars rested or played limited minutes ahead of the playoffs. Golden State is 3-11 over the past three seasons when held below 100 points.

“I thought it was our best defensive effort of the year,” Kerr said. “It was a grind-it-out game and I thought we did a good job of staying with it. We held them to 80 points. That’s kind of a playoff style win where you have to grind it out, nothing’s easy.”

Curry added 16 points and Klay Thompson 13. The Warriors shot just 36.8 percent and 11 for 32 from deep. Durant added six assists and three blocks, making all 10 of his free throws as the Warriors shot 22 of 24 from the line.

“I just feel that’s East Coast basketball. If we want to be a great team we’ve got to play different ways,” Durant said. “It’s a good test for us.”

James Johnson scored 21 points off the bench and Goran Dragic contributed 19 points for Miami a night after squeaking out a 104-101 road win against the Clippers.

Thompson missed his first four 3-point tries before connecting late in the first half as Golden State took a 50-37 lead into intermission. Curry was 1 for 9 in the first half and Durant 3 for 8 — and they went a combined 0 for 7 from deep — before Golden State got going a bit after halftime.

Curry was hit with a technical at the 3:20 mark of the first quarter for an elbow to Tyler Johnson while the Golden State star drove to the basket.

Both teams were cold shooting in the early going — Golden State 29.2 percent in the first quarter to 38.1 by Miami, which committed seven of its 23 turnovers in the period.

WHITESIDE’S MINUTES

Heat center Hassan Whiteside played just 16-plus minutes, shooting 1 of 9 for three points and six rebounds and sat most of the second half.

“This is one game, he understands how important he is to our team to play at a high level, high energy level, so we’ll move on to Phoenix and look to have a much better game,” coach Erik Spoelstra said.

KERR ON GUN CONTROL

Shootings touch Kerr personally. His father, Malcolm, was murdered on Jan. 18, 1984, as the President of American University of Beirut.

Kerr offered condolences and thoughts to victims of the Texas church shooting that killed 26 — not to mention a strong message on gun control.

“It’s just awful, and that’s the prevailing sentiment from all of us today,” Kerr said. “To solve it, I think we almost have to look at it like a public health issue. Too often, I think we get caught up in political rhetoric, Second Amendment rights, NRA stuff. We have to look at this it has nothing to do with partisanship or political parties.

“This has got to be a public safety issue, a public health issue. We have to somehow get our government to cut through all the crap and get right to the point — the point of fact which is safety, which means a lot of things we can do without taking away people’s Second Amendment rights. Let’s do the sensible thing.”

TIP-INS

Heat: Spoelstra received a technical for arguing late in the first half. ... Miami lost its fourth straight on the Warriors’ home floor. ... Starting G Dion Waiters is still away from the team after he returned to Miami for the birth of his daughter Sunday morning.

Warriors: C David West had a night off for rest. “It’s a routine we’re going to follow all year,” Kerr said of spelling West, Andre Iguodala and other veterans as needed. ... Warriors great Al Attles is expected back at Oracle on Wednesday night, one day after his 81st birthday. Attles was hospitalized and missed a night honoring him Oct. 27. ... Golden State has 10 or more 3s in all 11 games so far — something the team did 14 consecutive times last season.

UP NEXT

Heat: At Phoenix on Wednesday night.

Warriors: Host Minnesota on Wednesday night.

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More AP NBA: www.apnews.com/tags/NBAbasketball

Thompson, Durant lead Warriors past injury-riddled Spurs

By RAUL DOMINGUEZ
Associated Press

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry are already thinking about Golden State’s postseason possibilities.

The Warriors’ slow start could be a byproduct of that early daydreaming.

Klay Thompson scored 27 points, Durant had 24 and the Warriors overcame a lethargic first half to beat injury-riddled San Antonio 112-92 on Thursday night, handing the Spurs their fourth straight loss.

Curry added 21 points for Golden State in its first meeting against San Antonio since sweeping the Western Conference finals en route to the NBA title.

“Me and (Durant) were talking about it on the bench tonight,” Curry said. “It is tough to still be Nov. 1st or 2nd and be looking forward to April, May, June. But having gone through the experience last year and three years ago and understanding what it takes to win a championship, it’s kind of cliche, but every game you can learn a little bit something about yourself and continue to build great habits to get there.”

One lesson is staying focused against the Spurs, even as the five-time champions face their own struggles.

San Antonio played without Kawhi Leonard and Tony Parker, as they did in the conference finals. Unlike those blowout victories, the Warriors struggled to close out the Spurs.

“We might as well start every game here down 20,” Golden State coach Steve Kerr said. “Other than the playoffs last year, that will be four or five straight games where that happened. You have to be able to match the Spurs’ intensity, especially because they’re such a good rebounding team.”

The Warriors took their first lead two minutes into the third quarter at 60-57 on Durant’s 3-pointer.

Durant missed his first eight shots and the Spurs made six 3-pointers in the first quarter in bolting to an early double-digit lead.

Spurs forward LaMarcus Aldridge had 24 points and 10 rebounds, continuing his resurgent season.

“LaMarcus was magnificent,” San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said. “He’s been magnificent every game. His perseverance his hustle, his focus has been off the charts. He’s done a great job.”

Kyle Anderson added 16 points in place of Leonard, who has not played this season while suffering from an injured right quadriceps.

San Antonio led 31-12 lead after Golden State went scoreless for 4 1/2 minutes midway through the opening period.

Golden State slowly cut into the lead behind its defense. After shooting 48 percent in the first quarter, the Spurs were held to 33 percent in the second quarter. San Antonio was 1 for 5 on 3-pointers and 7 for 21 overall in the second quarter.

“Our focus (sparked the rally), especially on the defensive end, and not fouling,” Thompson said. “Those two things are great because when we do that, we are able to get out in transition and get easy buckets. Our focus on that side of the ball was really good.”

Thompson finished 11 for 17 from the field, including 5 for 8 on 3-pointers.

The Spurs finished 7 for 24 on 3-pointers, failing to make a 3 in the second half after draining six in the opening quarter.

“We contested shots, we rebounded and we got out in transition,” Durant said.

Zaza Pachulia, making his first appearance in San Antonio since Leonard was lost after landing on the center’s foot in Game 1, was heavily booed throughout the game.

TIP-INS

Warriors: Golden State has made at least 10 3-pointers in each of its games this season. The Warriors were 14 for 28 on 3s against the Spurs. ... Thompson has a 3-pointer in 63 straight games, the league’s longest active streak. ... Durant has scored at least 20 points in all but one of the team’s nine games this season. ... JaVale McGee played in his 500th career game. ... Golden State closes out a three-game trip in Denver.

Spurs: Leonard and Parker have played a combined three quarters against the Warriors in the last five games, including the postseason. ... Parker missed the entire conference finals with a ruptured quadriceps tendon and Leonard aggravated an ankle injury in the third quarter of the opening game. ... Mills made his 600th career 3-pointer, 551 of which have come with the Spurs. ... San Antonio is 62-19 at home against Golden State. . Brandon Paul is the first Spurs rookie to play over 105 minutes in his first eight games since Kawhi Leonard did so in 2011.

FAKE NEWS

Popovich told TNT that Leonard could return in three weeks after missing the entire preseason and the first eight games of the regular season due to a right quadriceps injury.

When asked if that was true, Pop demurred.

“You can’t trust the media,” Popovich said, chuckling. “Come on.”

BLOCK PARTY

Golden State had 11 blocked shots, including an emphatic block by Thompson on Aldridge.

The block led to an animated celebration by Thompson, followed by an ensuing turnover.

“It felt great, until I turned it over and got pulled out,” Thompson said. “That is karma for you. But it felt really good.”

NO WAY

Popovich was ejected with 4:47 remaining in the game after complaining Patrick McCaw was not called traveling minutes after Aldridge was assessed a traveling violation.

UP NEXT

Warriors: Visit Denver on Saturday night trying to end a two-game skid against the Nuggets.

Spurs: Host Charlotte on Friday night in the second of a six-game homestand.

Lillard’s 3 gives Trail Blazers 113-110 win over Lakers

By ANNE M. PETERSON
Associated Press
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Damian Lillard didn’t really need to gesture to his wrist. The crowd already knew it was Lillard Time.

The star guard made a 3-pointer with 0.7 seconds left and the Portland Trail Blazers extended their winning streak over the Los Angeles Lakers to 13 games with a 113-110 victory Thursday night.

Lillard finished with 32 points, and Portland snapped a two-game skid. Jusuf Nurkic added 28 points.

Lillard was 1 of 5 from 3-point range before the game-winner. The crowd roared when the shot fell, and Lillard nodded and pointed to his wrist.

“I felt good. The ball was coming off my hands good all night, even the ones that I didn’t make. In those moments, you don’t think about what happened before. It’s a chance to rise to the occasion. You’re 0 for 0 in that moment,” Lillard said. “I go back to my very first game-winner against New Orleans my rookie year. I had a terrible shooting game but I was able to block that out. All that mattered was that moment. No different tonight.”

Brook Lopez had 27 points and rookie Kyle Kuzma added a season-high 22 for the Lakers, who were short-handed after Larry Nance Jr. broke his left hand in the second half. Fellow rookie Lonzo Ball was 0 for 2 from the field with no points, four assists and three rebounds.

There were a few fans in the crowd wearing Ball’s No. 2 jersey for his first appearance in Portland. But most fans booed him heartily during player introductions.

Nance was hurt late in the third quarter and went to the locker room. He did not play the rest of the way. Nance was averaging 11.1 points and 7.9 rebounds for the Lakers.

Afterward, the Lakers confirmed Nance broke a bone in his hand.

“Obviously, I feel terrible for him. He’s been playing so solid for us,” coach Luke Walton said. “It’s tough but that’s what team sports are about, and someone else has to step up.”

Portland took a 106-105 lead on Lillard’s free throws with 1:56 left. Kuzma made a hook shot on the other end, but Lillard answered with a layup before Nurkic made free throws for a 110-107 lead. The standing crowd chanted “Beat LA! Beat LA!”

But Kentavious Caldwell-Pope quieted the fans with a 3-pointer off an assist from Ball to tie it with 15.5 seconds left. Lillard hit the winner over the outstretched arm of Brandon Ingram.

Kuzma took the final shot, a missed 3-pointer from 28 feet out at the buzzer that would have tied it.

Lillard had missed a 3 the night before at the end of regulation in Portland’s 112-103 overtime loss at Utah.

“He made a good read last night and (Rudy) Gobert made a great play,” Blazers coach Terry Stotts said. “Tonight I think he had his mind made up to take the shot. It’s what great players do.”

The Blazers were without Al-Farouq Aminu, who injured his right ankle Wednesday against the Jazz. The team posted a photo of the 6-foot-9 forward on crutches before Thursday’s game.

Aminu was averaging 9.4 points and 8.1 rebounds this season. Noah Vonleh, who returned the night before following a shoulder injury in camp, started in his place.

Portland led by 18 in the first half but the Lakers closed the gap to 66-62 at halftime. It was tight the rest of the way.

“We have the game against Toronto, then you have a tough one last night against Utah. Maybe if we come back and have a blowout, maybe we don’t have to look at ourselves as much,” Lillard said. “We come in here tonight and we had a dogfight on our hands. We really had to look at ourselves and make it happen. We had to trust ourselves and trust each other to get it done.

“So I think a game like this and having to pull out a game like this does more for our team, character-wise.”

TIP-INS

Lakers: Los Angeles was 0 for 9 from 3-point range in the first half. ... The Lakers were coming off a 113-93 victory at home against the Pistons on Tuesday night.

Trail Blazers: Rookie big man Zach Collins started the second half in place of Vonleh, who had four fouls. Collins, a 7-footer out of Gonzaga, was acquired by the Blazers in a draft-day deal with Sacramento.

ON BALL

“I thought he was a little too passive tonight,” Walton said about his rookie point guard. “The hardest thing for young players is consistency. He’s so unselfish that sometimes we want him to be more aggressive with attacking the defenses.”

Ball, for his part, recognized that.

“I definitely could have been more aggressive,” he said.

UP NEXT

Lakers: Host the Brooklyn Nets on Friday night.

Trail Blazers: Host the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday night.