Saturday, January 17, 2015
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NBA game roundup: OKC's one-two punch KOs Warriors

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[January 17, 2015]  OKLAHOMA CITY -- Kevin Durant scored 36 points and Russell Westbrook notched his ninth career triple-double to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 127-115 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Friday night at Chesapeake Energy Arena.

The win pushed the Thunder's record to 19-20 and the Warriors' NBA-best record fell to 31-6. However, Golden State won the season series 3-1.

With 5:30 left in the game, forward Serge Ibaka drained a jumper to put the Thunder up by 11. It was the fourth time in the quarter that he knocked down a perimeter shot coming off a Westbrook assist.

Warriors guard Klay Thompson was fouled and made one of his two free throws. After another Ibaka layup, Thompson answered with bucket to cut Oklahoma City lead to 116-106.

Suns 110, Timberwolves 99

PHOENIX -- Goran Dragic scored 13 of his 21 points in the first seven minutes and Gerald Green led a big effort from the Phoenix bench with 19 points to help the Suns beat Minnesota.

Newcomer Brandan Wright added 11 points as the Suns' bench outscored the Timberwolves' reserves 52-24, but it took a long time for Phoenix to put away a 6-32 team.

Guard Eric Bledsoe had 16 points and forward Markieff Morris added 13 for the Suns, who have opened the longest homestand in franchise history -- eight games -- with victories over Cleveland and Minnesota.

Spurs 110, Trail Blazers 96

SAN ANTONIO -- San Antonio used 23 different starting lineups during an injury-plagued season. On Friday night, they had, for the first time in a while, the one that they prefer.

Forward Kawhi Leonard was back after missing 15 games, scoring 20 points to help the Spurs defeat Portland 110-96.

Spurs' starting guards Danny Green and Tony Parker scored 19 and 17, respectively. Green converted 4 of 5 3-point shots, and Parker had seven of the Spurs' 34 assists.

Jazz 94, Lakers 85

SALT LAKE CITY -- Small forward Gordon Hayward scored 31 points to help Utah snap a three-game losing streak with a win over the Los Angeles Lakers.

Hayward shot 12-for-18 from the field, including a 4 of 7 night from 3-point range to lead both teams in scoring.

The 6-foot-9 swingman's biggest 3 came during an 11-2 run late in the fourth quarter when the Jazz broke open a tight game.

Mavericks 97, Nuggets 89

DALLAS -- Dallas avenged a loss Wednesday night at Denver with a wire-to-wire victory over overmatched Denver.

The difference between two nights ago in the Mile High City and Friday in Dallas came down to three rested Mavs players -- forward Dirk Nowitzki, point guard Rajon Rondo and center Tyson Chandler -- who were given the first meeting off following high minutes in a tough overtime win at Sacramento the night before.

The loss marked the end of Denver's five-game winning streak, tied for its longest of the season.

Hawks 110, Raptors 89

TORONTO -- Center Al Horford scored 22 points and Atlanta defeated Toronto to extend its winning streak to 11 games.

The Hawks, who lost to the Raptors twice early in the season, recorded their 10th straight road win, extending a team record.

Guard DeMar DeRozan led the Toronto with 25 points in his second game back after missing 21 games because of injury, but it was not enough to prevent the Raptors' sixth loss in their past eight games.

The Hawks also got 16 points and eight rebounds from forward Paul Millsap. Guard Jeff Teague had 13 points and nine assists, forward DeMarre Carroll contributed 13 points and guard Kyle Korver added 11. All five Atlanta starters reached double figures in scoring and reserve guard Kent Bazemore added 10 points.

76ers 96, Pelicans 81

PHILADELPHIA -- Guard Michael Carter-Williams scored 22 points and center Nerlens Noel had 17 points, 11 rebounds and five blocked shots to lead Philadelphia over short-handed New Orleans.

Forward Robert Covington scored 18 points for Philadelphia (8-31), which won for the third time in five games despite the absence of its leading scorer, guard Tony Wroten, with a sprained right knee.

Guard Eric Gordon and center Alexis Ajinca had 16 points each to lead New Orleans (19-20), which lost for the sixth time in seven games. The Pelicans were without forward Anthony Davis (sprained left toe) and guard Jrue Holiday (inflamed right ankle).

Bulls 119, Celtics 103

BOSTON -- Derrick Rose, Jimmy Butler and Pau Gasol were too much for the Boston Celtics as the trio scored all 33 of Chicago's points in the third quarter and combined to lead the Bulls to a 64-point second half despite center Joakim Noah was on the bench nursing an ankle sprain.

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Gasol, the rejuvenated big man, scored 14 of his 20 points in the third quarter and Butler, the nonstop forward, had 10 of his 22. Rose, the star point guard, had nine points and six assists in the quarter and 29 points (20 in the second half) and 10 assists in the game.

Rose capped off his night with three straight 3-pointers late as three Bulls scored 48 points in the second half.

Pistons 98, Pacers 96

INDIANAPOLIS -- Center Andre Drummond's tip-in of a missed Brandon Jennings shot with 0.3 seconds remaining lifted Detroit past Indiana at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

Jennings, a guard who scored 37 points, drove to the left side of the basket, missing a runner that Drummond tipped in to win it. Drummond finished with 16 points and 16 rebounds.

With the game tied at 96, Pacers center Roy Hibbert was called for an offensive foul with 23.9 seconds remaining, giving suddenly hot Detroit a chance to win it. The Pistons have won 10 of their past 12.

Grizzlies 106, Magic 96

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Reserve forward Jeff Green scored 21 points, including 12 in the decisive fourth quarter, to lead Memphis over Orlando.

Green, in just his second game after a trade from Boston, hit 6 of 8 shots from the field in the fourth quarter to lead the Grizzlies to their third consecutive victory and keep them atop the Southwest Division standings.

Forward Zack Randolph had 18 points and 12 rebounds for Memphis. Center Marc Gasol added 12 points and a game-high 16 rebounds. Courtney Lee scored 16 points and point guard Beno Udrih, in his first start this season, had 15 points and five assists.

The Grizzlies were without point guard Mike Conley, who missed his first game with sore ankles.

Nets 102, Wizards 80

WASHINGTON -- Center Brook Lopez overcame a day of trade rumors by scoring 25 of his 26 points in the second half as Brooklyn snapped a seven-game losing streak with a victory over Washington.

Guard Jarrett Jack also had 26 points for the Nets. Brooklyn outscored Washington 53-34 over the second and third quarters en route to its first win since Jan. 2. Nets forward Mason Plumlee finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds.

The game marked the first time Wizards forward Paul Pierce and Nets center Kevin Garnett faced each other as opponents since the 2006-07 season. The pair spent six seasons together and won the 2008 NBA championship with the Boston Celtics before playing one campaign in Brooklyn. Pierce signed as free agent with Washington this summer.

Heat 95, Kings 83

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Forward Chris Bosh scored 30 points and pulled seven rebounds, and front court mate Luol Deng scored 12 of his 25 points, and Miami topped Sacramento at Sleep Train Arena.

Bosh and Deng combined to score 17 of Miami's 23 third-quarter points, and the Heat forced Sacramento into six turnovers that turned into nine points to extend a 52-44 halftime advantage to 75-58 late in the third.

Center DeMarcus Cousins finished with 17 points and 11 rebounds, his 23rd double-double in 28 games this season, but he also turned over the ball eight times. The Kings turned it over 15 times overall.

Cavaliers 126, Clippers 121

LOS ANGELES -- Point guard Kyrie Irving scored 37 points and forward LeBron James added 32 points and 11 rebounds, boosting Cleveland to a win over the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center.

Forward Tristan Thompson finished with 24 points and 12 rebounds as Cleveland won its second in a row after ending a six-game losing streak against the Lakers.

Forward Blake Griffin had 34 points and 10 rebounds for the Clippers, who lost their second in three games. Center DeAndre Jordan scored 19 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, forward Matt Barnes produced 17 points, and point guard Chris Paul had 15 points and 14 assists.

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