nba roundup

nba roundup

Friday’s games

Heat 108, Nets 99

NEW YORK

James Johnson scored a season-high 26 points and Miami won their 13th straight game, beating beleaguered Brooklyn. Goran Dragic had 21 points and Tyler Johnson added 18 for the Heat, who trailed by 11 in the third quarter. Miami’s winning streak, the third-best in team history, is currently the longest in the NBA. It is the top streak in league annals by a team under .500 throughout, and the best that began with a club at least 19 games below .500. Miami was only 11-30 when the run started with a 109-103 victory over Houston on Jan. 17. Brook Lopez scored 30 points for the Nets.

Nuggets 131, Knicks 123

NEW YORK

Nikola Jokic scored a career-high 40 points to lead Denver Nuggets to a victory over New York. On the day Charles Oakley was banned from Madison Square Garden, the current Knicks proved again they can’t play defense anywhere near the way his Knicks teams did, and lost their fourth straight. Former Knicks forward Wilson Chandler added 19 points and Jameer Nelson had 16 points and 12 assists for the Nuggets, who shot 56.8 percent from the field. Carmelo Anthony scored 33 points against his former team and Kristaps Porzingis added 17, but Jokic dominated the matchup of second-year big men from Europe.

Spurs 103, Pistons 92

AUBURN HILLS, MICH.

Kawhi Leonard scored 32 points and San Antonio never trailed in an easy win over Detroit. San Antonio’s Dewayne Dedmon had 17 points and 17 rebounds, reaching season highs in both categories. LaMarcus Aldridge added 19 points and 11 rebounds. The Spurs led 27-19 after the first quarter and finished the second on a 12-2 run to take a 60-41 lead into halftime. Andre Drummond had 12 points and 15 rebounds for Detroit. The Pistons had won seven of their previous eight at home, but were no match for a San Antonio team with the NBA’s second-best record. The Spurs began their run to end the first half with a 3-pointer by Danny Green. Leonard added a 3 of his own and pushed the lead to 19 with a 12-footer with 13.4 seconds remaining.

Wizards 112, Pacers 107

WASHINGTON

In a matchup between two of the NBA’s top teams since New Year’s Day, John Wall heard “MVP!” chants while producing 26 points and 14 assists to lead Washington past Indiana. After Monta Ellis made it a one-point game at 103-102 on a floater in the lane with about 1 1/2 minutes remaining, Wall took over. The All-Star point guard accounted for eight of Washington’s last nine points on a 17-foot pullup jumper, a pass to Markieff Morris for a 3, and then three free throws. Morris scored a season-high 26 points and had 10 rebounds, one game after sitting out a win at Brooklyn with an injured right calf. Bradley Beal added 20 points for the Wizards, who have won 18 of their past 19 home games. The exception? A loss in their last time out in Washington, 140-135 in overtime against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday.

Pelicans 122, Timberwolves 106

MINNEAPOLIS

Anthony Davis had 42 points and 13 rebounds to win a duel with Karl-Anthony Towns and lift New Orleans to a victory over Minnesota. Davis hit 16 of 22 shots, including two 3-pointers, and Jrue Holiday had 25 points and 12 assists to get the Pelicans off to a good start on their final road trip before hosting the All-Star game next weekend. New Orleans shot a season-high 60 percent from the field and hit 12 3-pointers. Towns scored 36 points and Andrew Wiggins had 29 for the Timberwolves, who dropped to 1-3 on a season-long six-game homestand. The Wolves were outrebounded 43-34 and heard boos in the fourth quarter while struggling on defense.

Lakers 122, Bucks 114

MILWAUKEE

Nick Young scored 26 points and Los Angeles vercame a career-high 41 points by Giannis Antetokounmpo and withstood a furious late rally to defeat the Bucks. Young connected on his first eight shots from the field, including five 3-pointers. Lou Williams added 21 points for the Lakers, who led by as many as 27 before the Bucks, who trailed by 19 entering the fourth, rallied late. The Bucks played their first game since losing Jabari Parker for the season after he tore the ACL in his left knee in a home loss to Miami on Wednesday.

Warriors 122, Grizzlies 107

MEMPHIS, TENN.

Draymond Green had an uncommon triple-double while scoring only four points, and Golden State beat Memphis for their first victory over the Grizzlies in three tries this season. Green had 12 rebounds, 10 assists and a career-best 10 steals, part of a Warriors defense that forced 19 Memphis turnovers and 39 percent shooting. Klay Thompson scored 36 points to lead Golden State. Kevin Durant added 24 and Andre Iguodala had 22, missing only one of seven shots. Stephen Curry finished with 18 points. The Warriors lost two previous games to Memphis this season, including when they blew a 24-point lead in the second half on Jan. 6.

Associated Press