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 Johnson had been burned on a defensive switch when Denver forward
Kenneth Faried put the Nuggets up 104-102 on a running jumper with
1.3 seconds remaining but atoned for it on the final possession.
After Brooklyn used two timeouts, guard Markel Brown inbounded the
ball to Johnson. Johnson took one step after breaking free from
forward Danilo Gallinari and released a 27-foot 3-pointer that
banked in just before the horn.
Johnson's shot triggered a wild celebration on the court while owner
Mikhail Prokhorov rose from his seat in a suite and raised his arms
in triumph.
Trail Blazers 112, Grizzlies 106 (OT)
MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Portland point guard Damian Lillard scored a
game-high 33 points as the Trail Blazers defeated Memphis in
overtime at FedExForum.
Lillard made 10 of Portland's 14 successful free throws on the
night, including two late in overtime. The Trail Blazers outscored
Memphis 10-4 in overtime. CJ McCollum finished with 21 points, six
assists and three steals, and he scored six points in the overtime
period.
Portland trailed 102-100 with 7.6 seconds left in the fourth quarter
and got off three shots -- the last a successful tip-in by forward
Allen Crabbe (13 points) with one-10th of a second left to tie the
score and send the game into overtime.
Pelicans 116, Timberwolves 102
MINNEAPOLIS -- New Orleans started its Mardi Gras celebration a few
hours early, snapping a four-game losing streak by blitzing
Minnesota.
Anthony Davis led the way with 27 points on 13-of-22 shooting as the
Pelicans blew open a close game in the second quarter and never
looked back. Guard Jrue Holiday came off the bench to add another 27
for the Pelicans. And forward Ryan Anderson scored 15 of his 26
points in the fourth quarter for New Orleans.
Minnesota, which had won two in a row, got 19 points from forward
Karl-Anthony Towns, but struggled defensively, falling to 16-37.
Andrew Wiggins added 15 for the Timberwolves, who also got 14 points
from reserve Shabazz Muhammad.
Clippers 98, 76ers 92 (OT)
PHILADELPHIA -- Jamal Crawford and J.J. Redick scored 23 points
each, and DeAndre Jordan had four of his 12 in overtime as Los
Angeles rallied to beat Philadelphia.
Chris Paul added 19 points, seven assists and six rebounds for the
Clippers, who trailed by 19 points in the first half and eight with
six minutes left in regulation. They closed regulation on a 12-4
run, then scored the first eight points of the extra period. Jordan
also had 21 rebounds and three blocked shots.
Redick forced overtime by drilling a 3-pointer with 10.5 seconds
left in regulation.
Pacers 89, Lakers 87
INDIANAPOLIS -- Paul George scored seven of his 21 points during the
final 1:11 and Indiana overcame a four-point deficit to defeat Los
Angeles in Kobe Bryant's final appearance in Bankers Life
Fieldhouse.
The Lakers trailed 75-68 before a Bryant-led rally gave Los Angeles
an 84-80 lead with 1:26 remaining. George, whose boyhood idol was
Bryant, scored the next six points on three free throws and a
three-point play to salvage a victory.
George Hill added 15 for Indiana, Myles Turner had 14 points and 13
rebounds, and Ian Mahinmi finished with 11 on a night when the
Pacers shot 39.7 percent, including 4 of 27 from 3-point range.
Bryant led the Lakers with 19 points, including 11 during a
one-minute and 43 second stretch of the final quarter when Los
Angeles took a brief four-point lead.
Cavaliers 120, Kings 100
CLEVELAND -- LeBron James recorded his first triple-double of the
season and Kyrie Irving matched his season high with 32 points in
Cleveland's victory against reeling Sacramento.
James, a forward, had 21 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for his
40th career triple-double, while Irving matched a career high with
12 assists.
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The stumbling Kings have lost their last four games and eight of
their last nine. They conclude the first half of the season
Wednesday at Philadelphia, and coach George Karl reportedly could be
fired between now and the break.
Hornets 108, Bulls 91
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- With Chicago guard Derrick Rose a surprise late
scratch from the lineup with "soreness all over," Charlotte leapt to
a fast start and cruised to a victory over the Bulls behind Kemba
Walker's 30 points, eight assists and seven rebounds.
Nicolas Batum added 19 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists, and
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist had 20 points and seven rebounds as Charlotte
climbed to .500 for the first time since Jan. 4, when a seven-game
losing streak plunged them to a losing record.
Pau Gasol led Chicago with 22 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists.
Magic 117, Hawks 110 (OT)
ATLANTA -- Beaten on a shot at the buzzer by Nikola Vucevic in
Orlando on Sunday, the Hawks suffered an even more disheartening
loss to the Magic in the rematch at Atlanta on Monday night.
Orlando, down by 20 points in the first quarter, forced overtime
with a 13-point fourth-quarter comeback and defeated Atlanta behind
28 points and 12 rebounds from Vucevic.
All except three of Vucevic's points came after halftime and he made
11 of 16 shots while tying his second high for points. He also had
six assists.
The Magic never trailed in overtime and forward Evan Fournier put
the victory away on a 3-pointer with 31.8 seconds left after the
Hawks drew to within two points.
Raptors 103, Pistons 89
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- Kyle Lowry had 25 points and seven assists
and streaking Toronto pulled away to a victory over Detroit at The
Palace.
Terrence Ross scored 18 points off the bench for Toronto, which has
won 14 of its last 15 to take over the second spot in the Eastern
Conference. Lowry's backcourt partner, DeMar DeRozan, added 17
points, seven rebounds and six assists.
Reserve Cory Joseph supplied 15 points, four rebounds and three
assists and Jonas Valanciunas contributed 15 points and eight
rebounds for Toronto.
Thunder 122, Suns 106
PHOENIX -- Kevin Durant scored 32 points and Oklahoma City used a
15-0 run spanning the third and fourth quarters to begin to pull
away for a victory over Phoenix.
Russell Westbrook added 29 for the Thunder, who were tied at
halftime and trailed 85-80 with 1:19 left in the third quarter. They
ended the period with a 9-0 run and scored the first six of the
fourth quarter get some distance from the reeling Suns.
Phoenix pulled within three points one more time at 99-96 on a P.J.
Tucker put-back with 5:43 left. Westbrook and Durant each hit two
free throws before Dion Waiters capped another 7-1 run with a
3-pointer to make it 106-97 with 4:42 left. The Thunder ended the
game on a 23-10 run.
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