DeRozan lifts Bulls at buzzer over Pacers

DeRozan lifts Bulls at buzzer over Pacers

DeRozan lifts Bulls at buzzer over Pacers
NBA

DeRozan lifts Bulls at buzzer over Pacers

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DeMar DeRozan made a 28-foot 3-pointer at the buzzer to give the Chicago Bulls a 108-106 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Friday.

DeRozan led the Bulls with 28 points, hitting 8 of 24 shots and 11 of 12 free throws. Coby White added 24 points, and Zach LaVine had 17 to help Chicago win its sixth consecutive game.

Caris LeVert topped the with 27 points. Domantas Sabonis had 24 points and 14 rebounds.

Trailing 94-90, the Pacers used a 9-0 run to take a 99-94 advantage. Chicago cut it to 104-103 on LaVine’s dunk with 1:40 to go.

The Bulls had lead most of the way, taking an 82-79 advantage into the fourth quarter. Chicago’s largest lead was nine points.

CELTICS 123, SUNS 108

BOSTON (AP) — Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart each scored 24 points, and the Celtics stopped a three-game slide by topping the Suns.

Brown also grabbed 11 rebounds and Smart finished with eight assists, helping the Celtics bounce back from a 91-82 home loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night. Robert Williams had 10 points, 10 assists and 11 rebounds, and Josh Richardson added 19 points.

The Celtics were without leading scorer Jayson Tatum, who was placed on the health and safety protocols list early in the week, but Smart returned and the offense responded by shooting 54%. Seven players scored in double figures.

Devin Booker scored 22 points for Phoenix, and Cam Johnson had 20. Jalen Smith scored 19 and Chris Paul finished with 14 points and eight assists.

HEAT 120, ROCKETS 110

HOUSTON (AP) — Jimmy Butler scored a season-high 37 points and the short-handed Heat built a big lead early and held on for a win over the Rockets.

The Heat extended their winning streak to five games in their return to action after Wednesday’s game at San Antonio was postponed because Miami didn’t have enough players. They signed Mario Chalmers and Chris Silva to 10-day contracts on Friday as reinforcements with seven players still out because of COVID protocols.

Miami got a boost with the return of Kyle Lowry, who had 12 points after missing two games due to health and safety protocols. Kyle Guy added 17 points off the bench for the Heat, and Tyler Herro had 16.

Jae’Sean Tate scored 22 points off the bench to lead the Rockets, who lost their sixth consecutive game.

MAVERICKS 112, KINGS 96

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Kristaps Porzingis had 24 points, nine rebounds and six assists to help the Mavericks roll past the Kings.

Jalen Brunson added 23 points and eight assists for the Mavericks, who had lost five of seven. Dwight Powell scored 13 points and made four consecutive dunks as part of a huge run from Dallas in the third quarter.

Tyrese Haliburton had 17 points and 10 assists for the Kings.

THUNDER 95, KNICKS 80

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander returned from a one-game absence to score 23 points, and the Thunder beat a depleted Knicks.

Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning NBA Western Conference Player of the Week, sat out Wednesday’s loss at Phoenix with ankle soreness, but played a team-high 34 minutes on New Year’s Eve. Aaron Wiggins scored 13 and Ty Jerome had 11 points.

RJ Barrett had 26 points for the Knicks, who were without Julius Randle and Kemba Walker, who are in the NBA’s COVID-19 health and safety protocol. Immanuel Quickley had 11 points.

GRIZZLIES 118, SPURS 105

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Ja Morant had 30 points, eight assists and six rebounds, leading the Grizzlies to a victory over the Spurs.

Tyus Jones scored 18, Desmond Bane and Brandon Clarke each had 17 points as Memphis pulled away in the second half.

Jakob Poeltl and Derrick White each scored 15 points for the Spurs. White added nine assists, and Tre Jones finished with 13 points. Keita Bates-Diop had a career-high 11 rebounds.

HAWKS 121, CAVALIERS 118

CLEVELAND (AP) — Trae Young scored 35 points, Clint Capela had 18 points and a season-high 23 rebounds and the Hawks rallied from a 16-point deficit for a win over the Cavaliers.

Young made a pair of free throws with 7.6 seconds left after Cleveland had pulled within 119-118 on a Brandon Goodwin layup. Kevin Pangos’ potential tying 3-pointer at the buzzer was off the mark.

Kevin Love scored a season-high 35 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for Cleveland, and Jarrett Allen had 21 points and eight rebounds. The Cavaliers dropped their third straight game and had their longest home winning streak of the season end at five.

RAPTORS 116, CLIPPERS 108

TORONTO (AP) — Pascal Siakam had 25 points and matched his career-high with 19 rebounds, Fred VanVleet scored 31 points and the Raptors beat the Clippers.

OG Anunoby scored 26 points and Gary Trent Jr. had 10 as the Raptors won for the first time in three games and snapped a four-game losing streak against the Clippers.

Marcus Morris Sr. scored 20 points, Terance Mann had 18 and Reggie Jackson 17 as the Clippers lost for the second time in 14 games when leading after three quarters.

Amir Coffey scored a season-high 15 points for Los Angeles. Luke Kennard added 13 points.

JAZZ 120, TIMBERWOLVES 108

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Donovan Mitchell scored a season-high 39 points and the Jazz beat the Timberwolves.

Mitchell added six rebounds and five assists in his return from a two-game absence due to a back strain. Bojan Bogdanovic added 24 points and 12 rebounds, Jordan Clarkson chipped in 20 points and Rudy Gobert added 14 points, 16 rebounds, and four blocks.

Utah went 35 of 41 from the free throw line.

Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards scored 26 points in his return after a six-game absence due to health and safety protocols. Malik Beasley added 22 points for the Timberwolves.