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.
Basketball Hall of Famer Sam Jones, the Boston Celtics’ “Mr. Clutch” whose sharp shooting fueled the league’s longest dynasty and earned him 10 NBA titles — second only to teammate Bill Russell — has died, the team said. He was 88.
Jones died Thursday night in Florida, where he had been hospitalized in failing health, Celtics spokesman Jeff Twiss said.
Stephen Curry had 33 points, Otto Porter Jr. scored seven of his 19 during a key late stretch and the Golden State Warriors regained to top spot in the NBA from Phoenix, beating the Suns 116-107 on Saturday.
Golden State arrived in the desert short-handed, missing three of its top four scorers to health and safety protocols: Andrew Wiggins, Damion Lee and Jordan Poole.
Donovan Mitchell scored a season-high 39 points and the Utah Jazz beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 120-108 on Friday night.
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.
Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff has received a multiyear contract extension for his role in the team’s dramatic turnaround.
Cleveland announced Bickerstaff’s signing on Saturday. Terms of the deal were not released.
The NBA postponed another game for virus-related reasons Thursday, raising the total to 11 pushed back so far this season while two more head coaches entered the league’s health and safety protocols.
Giannis Antetokounmpo said he tried to set low expectations for himself when he returned to action Saturday for the first time since entering the NBA’s health and safety protocols on Dec. 12.
So much for that.
NBA players who test positive for COVID-19 now have a quicker path to return to play, after the league completed a significant update to its health and safety protocols on Monday.
Kevin Huerter sat in the parking lot when he found out he flunked a COVID-19 test. Sharife Cooper was escorted out of Atlanta’s locker room once his results came back.
The Hawks kept piling up players in health and safety protocols, and lost two more players during the game with injuries.
