Rozier's late free throw lift Hornets past Raptors 99-96
TORONTO (AP) — Terry Rozier hit a tiebreaking free throw with 2.1 seconds remaining and the Charlotte Hornets beat Toronto 99-96 on Friday night, handing the Raptors their second consecutive loss and third in 20 games.
Bismack Biyombo had 13 points and 11 rebounds against his former team, and Devonte Graham scored nine of his 18 in the fourth quarter as the Hornets won their second straight and beat short-handed Toronto for the third time in 10 meetings.
Rozier scored 18 points, Miles Bridges had 17 and P.J. Washington 15 as all five Hornets starters finished in double figures.
Pascal Siakam had 24 points, Norman Powell returned from injury to score 22 points and Kyle Lowry had 21 for Toronto.
Raptors guard Fred VanVleet sat out because of a sore left shoulder, while Serge Ibaka was inactive because of a sore left knee.
PELICANS 116, CAVALIERS 104
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Brandon Ingram scored 29 points, Zion Williamson added 24, and New Orleans beat Cleveland.
Jrue Holiday scored 22 points and Derrick Favors grabbed 15 rebounds for the Pelicans, who held a double-digit lead for most of the game en route to their third victory in four games.
Collin Sexton tied a career high with 31 points for Cleveland, which came in having won three of four, and two straight, under newly promoted head coach J.B. Bickerstaff. Kevin Porter Jr. scored 16 and Darrius Garland 15 for the Cavs.
HEAT 126, MAVERICKS 118
MIAMI (AP) — Jimmy Butler scored 26 points, Duncan Robinson added 24 and Miami scored the first 13 points of the fourth quarter to spark a win over Dallas and spoil Luka Doncic’s 21st birthday.
Goran Dragic and Kendrick Nunn each had 16 points for Miami. Bam Adebayo added 14 points and 11 rebounds for the Heat, who won for just the third time in 10 games.
Seth Curry had a career-high 37 points for Dallas, shooting 13 for 15 from the field and 8 for 9 from 3-point range. Kristaps Porzingis scored 24 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, and Doncic shook off a 2-for-9 start from the floor to finish with 23 points and 10 assists.
Kelly Olynyk finished with 13 points, seven rebounds and nine assists for the Heat.
BUCKS 133, THUNDER 86
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo had 32 points and 13 rebounds and Milwaukee surged to a 24-point lead in the second quarter in a rout of Oklahoma City.
The 47-point margin was the Bucks' largest of the season — and the Thunder’s worst of the season.
Chris Paul scored 18 points for Oklahoma City.
Both teams were without their second-leading scorers. Bucks All-Star Khris Middleton was a late scratch with a sore neck. An ankle injury kept Thunder forward Danilo Gallinari out.
The Bucks had won four in a row and the Thunder had won five straight.
CLIPPERS 132, NUGGETS 103
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Paul George hit six 3-pointers while scoring 24 points, Kawhi Leonard added 19 points and the Clippers routed Denver in a meeting of Western Conference powers.
Montrezl Harrell had 18 points and 10 rebounds while Lou Williams scored 17 points and hit five 3-pointers in the third consecutive win for the Clippers. LA evened the teams' season series while sending the Northwest Division-leading Nuggets to their worst loss of the season.
Nikola Jokic had 21 points and nine rebounds, and Jerami Grant added 20 points as the Nuggets took a loss that was even worse than their 26-point defeat at Houston on New Year's Eve. Denver lost for only the fourth time in 12 games overall.
PISTONS 113, SUNS 111
PHOENIX (AP) — Derrick Rose scored 31 points, Christian Wood and Brandon Knight added 19 apiece and Detroit snapped a seven-game losing streak by beating Phoenix.
The Pistons hadn't won since Feb. 5, when they beat Phoenix 116-108 in Detroit. They got the best of the Suns once again and picked up a road victory for the first time since Jan. 18.
It was also the first time Detroit won since dealing star center Andre Drummond to Cleveland at the trade deadline.
It was another frustrating loss for the Suns, who are running out of time to get back into contention for a Western Conference playoff spot. Devin Booker led Phoenix with 26 points and Deandre Ayton added 20 points and 10 rebounds.
JAZZ 129, WIZARDS 119
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Donovan Mitchell scored 10 points of his 30 points in an 82-second span of the fourth quarter, and Utah snapped a four-game losing streak.
Bradley Beal maintained his torrid scoring for Washington, finishing with 42 points, 10 assists and five rebounds. Thomas Bryant scored 16 and Rui Hachimura had 15 for Washington.
Bojan Bogdanovic scored 21 points, Jordan Clarkson had 20 off the bench and Mike Conley 16 as the Jazz salvaged the last of their six-game homestand.
KINGS 104, GRIZZLIES 101
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — De’Aaron Fox scored 25 points, Harry Giles added 16 and Sacramento gained a step on the final Western Conference playoff spot with a win over Memphis.
The Kings moved within three games of Memphis, handing the Grizzlies their fifth straight loss.
Dillon Brooks led Memphis with a season-high 32 points. Ja Morant had 20 points and 11 assists, and Jonas Valanciunas 13 points and a career-high 25 rebounds.
HAWKS 141, NETS 118
ATLANTA (AP) — John Collins had 33 points and 13 rebounds, rookie Cam Reddish scored 17 of his career-high 26 points in the third quarter, and Atlanta handed Brooklyn its third straight loss.
Trae Young finished with 22 points and assisted on 14 baskets to help Atlanta snap a two-game skid. The Hawks hit 19 3-pointers and finished 48.7% on 3s, despite beginning the game as the league's worst team beyond the arc.
The Nets gave up a season high in points.
Spencer Dinwiddie scored 24 points to lead Brooklyn, which began the game seventh in the Eastern Conference before dropping six games under .500. It had won eight straight over the Hawks and five consecutively in Atlanta.
MAGIC 136, TIMBERWOLVES 125
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Terrence Ross scored 19 of his season-high 33 points in the fourth quarter and Aaron Gordon finished with 17 points, 11 rebounds and a career-high 12 assists for his first career triple-double in Orlando's win over Minnesota.
Nikola Vucevic added 27 points and 10 rebounds for the Magic, who won for the fifth time in six games.
D'Angelo Russell led Minnesota with 28 points, but did not score in the fourth quarter. Juancho Hernangomez added 18 points and 13 rebounds.
The Timberwolves have lost 19 of their last 21 games, and 11 of their last 12 in Orlando.
