Mikal Bridges scored 25 points and Jalen Brunson added 24, helping the host New York Knicks halt the San Antonio Spurs’ 11-game winning streak with a 114-89 victory on Sunday afternoon.
Bridges made 10 of 17 shots from the floor and 5 of 9 from 3-point range. He also contributed five rebounds and five steals. Karl-Anthony Towns collected 12 points and 14 rebounds
Brunson had seven assists and connected four times from beyond the arc to send the Knicks to their 14th win in 18 games and avenge a 134-132 setback to the Spurs on New Year’s Eve.
San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama recorded 25 points and 13 rebounds. Devin Vassell scored 18 points and Stephon Castle added 13 for the Spurs, who lost for the first time since dropping a 111-106 decision to the Charlotte Hornets on Jan. 31. They also were held to a season-low point total.
Cavaliers 106, Nets 102
James Harden collected 22 points, nine rebounds and eight assists after missing two games with a fractured right thumb as Cleveland hung on in the final seconds for a victory over Brooklyn in New York.
Former Net Jarrett Allen added 20 and Evan Mobley contributed 17 as the Cavs survived their third straight game without Donovan Mitchell (strained groin). Sam Merrill contributed 15 and Dennis Schroder chipped in 12 as Cleveland shot 48.6% and hit 25 free throws, nine in the fourth quarter.
Michael Porter Jr. led all scorers with 26 and helped Brooklyn nearly erase a nine-point deficit in the final minutes. Rookie Danny Wolf added a career-best 23 and nine rebounds while first-year guard Nolan Traore contributed 17.
Celtics 114, 76ers 98
Neemias Queta had a career-high 27 points along with 17 rebounds and Jaylen Brown finished with 27 points, eight rebounds and eight assists to lead Boston to a victory over visiting Philadelphia.
Derrick White added 21 points, six rebounds and eight assists for Boston, which received 11 points and 12 rebounds from Nikola Vucevic. The Celtics made 18 of 21 free-throw attempts and had a 59-37 edge in rebounding.
Tyrese Maxey led Philadelphia with 33 points. Maxey made 4 of 11 3-point attempts. VJ Edgecombe finished with 23 for the 76ers, who forced 15 Celtics turnovers.
Lakers 128, Kings 104
Luka Doncic scored 28 points with nine assists and LeBron James added 24 points as Los Angeles completed a successful back-to-back with a victory over visiting Sacramento.
Austin Reaves and Deandre Ayton each scored 12 points as the Lakers returned home for the victory one day after earning an easy win at Golden State to end a three-game losing streak.
Nique Clifford poured in 26 points and Maxime Raynaud added 16 points with 13 rebounds for the Kings, who dropped to 2-2 since ending a franchise-record 16-game losing streak. Russell Westbrook scored 14 points against his former team as Sacramento went 2-3 on a just-completed five-game road trip.
Bulls 120, Bucks 97
Josh Giddey notched a triple-double of 20 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists and Collin Sexton scored a game-high 22 points as Chicago defeated visiting Milwaukee to stop an 11-game losing streak.
Chicago used a 27-0 run bridging the third and fourth quarters to secure its first victory since Jan. 31. Sexton scored 14 of his points after halftime to spark seven Bulls in double figures. Buzelis scored 20 points while Leonard Miller added a career-best 15.
Bobby Portis led Milwaukee with 18 points. Cam Thomas (15), AJ Green (13) and Ryan Rollins (11) were next. Kyle Kuzma and Kevin Porter Jr. chipped in 10 points apiece. Chicago salvaged the finale of the four-game season series.
Timberwolves 117, Nuggets 108
Anthony Edwards scored 21 points and Jaden McDaniels finished with 20 points as visiting Minnesota beat Denver to move a game ahead of the Nuggets in the Western Conference standings.
Bones Hyland had 18 points off the bench, Donte DiVincenzo contributed 17, Julius Randle had 14 points and Rudy Gobert grabbed 15 rebounds for the Timberwolves, who moved into fourth place. Minnesota swept its three-game road trip and salvaged the final matchup of the season against Denver.
Nikola Jokic had a near triple-double, finishing with 35 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists. Jamal Murray had 25 points, Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 17 off the bench and Christian Braun added 15 points for Denver. The Nuggets have lost four of their first six out of the All-Star break.
Grizzlies 125, Pacers 106
Taylor Hendricks made a career-high five 3-pointers and scored 19 points, Jaylen Wells added 18 points and Olivier-Maxence Prosper chipped in with 17 to lead Memphis to a victory over Indiana in Indianapolis.
The Grizzlies won their second straight game following a three-game slide. Memphis also got 16 points from Scotty Pippen Jr., 16 points and six rebounds from Rayan Rupert and 14 assists from Walter Clayton Jr., a franchise-record total for a Grizzlies rookie.
The Pacers lost their sixth straight game and their 10th in the last 12 outings. Jarace Walker led Indiana with 21 points, including four 3-pointers. Micah Potter added 18 points and nine rebounds and Jay Huff contributed 14 points.
Hawks 135, Trailblazers 101
Onyeka Okongwu scored 25 points, setting the pace with 20 in the first half, to help Atlanta to a win over visiting Portland and extend its winning streak to four games.
Okongwu was 9-for-15 from the field, 7-for-12 on 3-pointers and added 10 rebounds and six assists, picking up his 15th double-double. Jonathan Kuminga had 20 points and seven rebounds and CJ McCollum scored 19. Nickeil Alexander-Walker returned from a sprained ankle and scored 15. Jalen Johnson returned from a hip flexor and battled foul trouble to finish with eight.
Portland was led by Jrue Holiday with 23 points and Donovan Clingan, who had 15 points and 15 rebounds, his 24th double-double and 16th game with at least 15 rebounds.
Pistons 106, Magic 92
Cade Cunningham paired 29 points with 11 assists as visiting Detroit defeated Orlando.
Cunningham also had six rebounds for league-leading Detroit, which overcame some early shooting woes to crush the Magic 31-18 and 25-17 across the last two quarters. Tobias Harris scored 23 points for Detroit, while Jalen Duren posted 16 points and 10 rebounds, and Ausur Thompson compiled nine points, 11 boards and three blocks.
Paolo Banchero had 24 points and 11 assists for Orlando, Tristan da Silva added 19 and Desmond Bane chipped in with 17 points and seven assists.
Thunder 100, Mavericks 87
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander poured in 30 points — his 123rd consecutive game to score 20 or more points — to lead Oklahoma City past host Dallas.
Gilgeous-Alexander moved within three games of tying Wilt Chamberlain’s NBA record. He did break Chamberlain’s mark for consecutive 20-plus point games on the road with 59.
The Thunder’s Chet Holmgren contributed 19 points and nine rebounds in the win while Isaiah Joe added 14 points off the bench. Caleb Martin led the Mavericks with 18 points while Brandon Williams and Max Christie added 14.
Clippers 137, Pelicans 117
Kawhi Leonard scored 23 points, four teammates scored in double figures and host Los Angeles snapped a three-game losing streak by beating New Orleans.
Jordan Miller added 19 points, Derrick Jones Jr. scored 17, Brook Lopez had 16 and John Collins (head injury) returned from a two-game absence to score 15 for the Clippers.
Rookie Jeremiah Fears came off the bench to score a season-high 28, rookie Derik Queen added 19 off the bench, Dejounte Murray scored 17, Trey Murphy III returned from a five-game absence due to a right shoulder contusion to add 16 and Saddiq Bey had 14 to lead the Pelicans.
