Markkanen, Dunn help Bulls outlast Knicks 122-119 in 2 OTs
NEW YORK (AP) Rookie Lauri Markkanen scored a season-high 33 points, Kris Dunn shook off a nightmarish shooting night to make the tiebreaking basket in the second overtime, and the Chicago Bulls beat the New York Knicks 122-119 on Wednesday night.
Dunn had missed 14 of his first 17 shots before banking in a runner with just under a minute left in the second extra period, and Markkanen finished it off by making two free throws with 6.8 seconds remaining.
Robin Lopez and Denzel Valentine each scored 20 points for the Bulls in their third narrow victory over the Knicks this season.
Michael Beasley 26 points and 12 rebounds off the bench for the Knicks, who lost for the eighth time in 10 games. Kristaps Porzingis finished with 24 points, including a dunk at the buzzer to force the second OT.
Jarrett Jack had 16 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for the Knicks, but threw away a pass after coming up with a steal with the Knicks down two late in the second OT.
CLIPPERS 125, WARRIORS 106
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - Lou Williams scored 27 of his career-high 50 points in the third quarter and Los Angeles beat Golden State for the first time in more than three years, spoiling a milestone night for Kevin Durant.
Williams shot 16 for 27 with a career-best eight 3-pointers and made all 10 of his free throws.
Durant became the 44th player in NBA history to score 20,000 career points, finishing with 40 as the Warriors had their five-game winning streak snapped along with a 12-game unbeaten stretch in the Clippers rivalry.
The NBA Finals MVP returned from a three-game absence due to a strained right calf and scored 25 points in the first half - KD's biggest half of the season and the exact number he needed for 20,000.
Durant shot 14 for 18, including 6 of 7 from 3-point range. At age 29, he is the second-youngest player behind LeBron James to reach the 20,000 mark.
ROCKETS 121, TRAIL BLAZERS 112
HOUSTON (AP) - Chris Paul scored a season-high 37 points, and Eric Gordon added 30 as the Houston Rockets withstood a late run to get a win over the Portland Trail Blazers.
The Blazers used a big run to cut a 14-point deficit to three with about three minutes left. Houston responded with a 6-2 run, capped by a 3-pointer from Paul, to make it 111-104 about a minute later. Damian Lillard made a layup on the other end, but Paul cut through three defenders to make an off-balance layup to push the lead to 113-106.
The Blazers couldn't get the ball in after a timeout, Houston got the ball back and Clint Capela added two free throws to secure the victory.
Lillard scored 29 in his return after missing the last two games with a strained right calf, and C.J. McCollum added 24 points as the Blazers saw a three-game winning streak snapped.
The Rockets won their second straight and improved to 3-2 in five games without James Harden, who is out for at least two weeks with a hamstring injury.
HEAT 114, PACERS 106
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Goran Dragic scored 20 points and Wayne Ellington made the decisive 3-pointer with 23.2 seconds left, helping Miami fend off Indiana's late push.
It's the sixth straight win for the Heat. Miami also ended a 10-game road losing streak against the Pacers.
Victor Oladipo scored 26 points and Lance Stephenson provided a late boost of energy that nearly allowed Indiana to erase a 10-point deficit in the final 9:57. Stephenson wound up with 15 points, eight rebounds and four assists.
But when Ellington's 3 bounced in rather than rolling off the rim as it appeared it would, Indiana's comeback hopes were over. Ellington was one of three Miami players with 15 points.
Hassan Whiteside had 16 points and 15 rebounds to help snap the Pacers' two-game winning streak.
GRIZZLIES 105, PELICANS 102
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Tyreke Evans scored 28 points, including a pair of free throws with 5.9 seconds left that helped the Memphis Grizzlies beat the New Orleans Pelicans.
Marc Gasol finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds for Memphis while JaMychal Green contributed 20 points and 14 rebounds.
After Evans' foul shots, the Pelicans had a chance for a tie, but E'Twaun Moore's 3-point attempt from the left wing bounced off the front of the rim.
DeMarcus Cousins had 29 points and eight rebounds. Moore had 16 points and Rajon Rondo had 14. Cousins was 2 of 10 from the field entering the fourth, but scored 14 points in the final quarter. He hit a trio of 3s as the Pelicans overcame an 11-point deficit.
Evans made four free throws in the final 61 seconds.
JAZZ 107, WIZARDS 104
WASHINGTON (AP) - Ricky Rubio scored 21 points, Donovan Mitchell had 16 and the short-handed Utah Jazz completed a season sweep over the Washington Wizards.
Ekpe Udoh scored 16 points and Joe Johnson had 16 off the bench for the Jazz, who had lost 13 of 16 in between meetings with Washington. The Wizards were embarrassed 116-69 in Utah on Dec. 4.
Utah played without two starters, and second-leading scorer Rodney Hood was ejected in the second half.
John Wall had 35 points and 11 assists for the Wizards, but committed eight of their 23 turnovers. Bradley Beal had 23 points, but missed six of seven shots in the fourth quarter and lost the ball with 2.9 seconds remaining while attempting a game-tying 3-pointer.
TIMBERWOLVES 104, THUNDER 88
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Jimmy Butler scored 26 points, grabbed seven rebounds and had eight assists for the Minnesota Timberwolves in a win against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Andrew Wiggins added 19 points, and Karl-Anthony Towns had 18 points and 12 rebounds as Minnesota pulled away in the second half to win its third game in a row at home and 10th in its last 13 overall.
Russell Westbrook had 38 points and 10 rebounds, but Paul George, Carmelo Anthony and the rest of the Thunder had a tough time shooting. Westbrook was 15 of 23 from the field, while his teammates were 17 of 56 (30.3 percent). Anthony scored 15 points on 5-of-19 shooting, while George finished 5 of 14 for 13 points for Oklahoma City, which has lost five of seven.
HAWKS 110, NUGGETS 97
DENVER (AP) - Dennis Schroder had 19 points and 10 assists, Taurean Prince scored 16 and Atlanta beat Denver to end a 10-game road losing streak.
Kent Bazemore scored 14 points and Ersan Ilyasova had 10 points and nine rebounds for the Hawks, who never trailed after the first quarter.
Atlanta (11-30) has the worst record in the NBA and entered the night tied for the fewest road wins. The Hawks posted their fourth road victory this season.
Denver had won 11 of 13 home games since early November.
Gary Harris had 25 points but was the only Nuggets player to shoot well from the field.
MAVERICKS 115, HORNETS 111
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - Harrison Barnes had 25 points and 11 rebounds, Yogi Ferrell made seven 3-pointers and scored 22 points and the Dallas Mavericks fended off fatigue to beat a fresh Charlotte Hornets team.
Dirk Nowitzki added 19 points for the Mavericks, and Dennis Smith Jr. had 15.
The Mavericks were playing their third game in four days, while the Hornets were coming off a four-day layoff. But Dallas showed no signs of wearing down in the fourth quarter, repeatedly thwarting Charlotte's attempts to take the lead.
Kemba Walker had 41 points on 16-of-28 shooting for the Hornets. Dwight Howard had 15 points and 12 rebounds for Charlotte, but was an anemic 5 of 18 from the foul line - which proved costly in a close game.
BUCKS 110, MAGIC 103
MILWAUKEE (AP) - Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 26 points, Khris Middleton added 22 and the Milwaukee Bucks turned up their defensive intensity after a porous first quarter to beat the Orlando Magic.
John Henson picked up his fifth double-double of the year with 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Bucks, who handed the Magic their sixth straight loss and 15th in their last 16.
Leading by 20 to start the fourth quarter, coach Jason Kidd was able to get some rest for Antetokounmpo and Eric Bledsoe (15 points) with the Golden State Warriors visiting Milwaukee on Friday night.
Evan Fournier had 21 points to lead Orlando, which cut the deficit to single digits during the closing minutes with reserves on the floor.
PISTONS 114, NETS 80
NEW YORK (AP) - Andre Drummond scored 22 points and grabbed 20 rebounds, Tobias Harris had 22 points, and the Detroit Pistons blew past the Brooklyn Nets.
Dwight Buycks added 17 points for the Pistons.
Allen Crabbe scored 20 points and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson had 15 points for the Nets, who have lost three in a row.
Detroit took a 90-61 lead heading into the fourth quarter and led by as many as 40 points, 104-64, with 8:20 remaining.
---
More NBA basketball: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball
