Devin Booker scored a season-high 51 points before resting in the fourth quarter as the Phoenix Suns extended their winning streak to six games with a 132-113 victory over the visiting Chicago Bulls on Wednesday.
Deandre Ayton scored a season-high 30 points and grabbed 14 rebounds for Phoenix, which led wire-to-wire and improved to 12-1 at home. Landry Shamet and Damion Lee each scored 12 points.
Chicago fell to 2-2 on its six-game road trip while shooting 4 of 25 from 3-point range. DeMar DeRozan scored 29 points to lead the Bulls, while Zach LaVine added 21 points and seven assists.
Booker, who scored 44 points on Monday in Phoenix’s 122-117 victory over the Sacramento Kings, had 25 points on 10-of-14 shooting in the first half to help give Phoenix a 64-43 lead at the break.
Celtics 134, Heat 121
Jayson Tatum scored a season-high 49 points and Boston extended its winning streak to five games while continuing Miami’s road woes.
The Celtics are unbeaten in their last 10 home games and 11-1 at home while the Heat are now 2-8 on the road. Tatum made eight of his 12 3-point attempts and also had a game-high 11 rebounds. Jaylen Brown added 26 points for the Celtics, and Malcolm Brogdon finished with 21.
All five Miami starters scored in double figures. Bam Adebayo and Max Strus led the way with 23 points apiece. Tyler Herro finished with 22, Kyle Lowry tossed in 14 and Caleb Martin had 10.
Bucks 109, Knicks 103
Grayson Allen hit the tiebreaking 3-pointer with 30.9 seconds left as Milwaukee outlasted host New York for its third straight win.
Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo posted 37 points and 13 rebounds and scored 14 points in the fourth quarter before fouling out with one minute left. Jrue Holiday added 22 points.
Mitchell Robinson finished with 15 points and 20 rebounds, one board shy of his career-high for the Knicks, who have lost three of four. Their total margin of defeat in those losses — against the contending Bucks, Portland Trail Blazers and Memphis Grizzlies — is 13 points. RJ Barrett chipped in 26 points for New York.
Timberwolves 109, Grizzlies 101
Anthony Edwards recorded 29 points, five assists, five steals and three blocks to fuel Minnesota past Memphis in Minneapolis.
Edwards, who made 10 of 18 shots from the floor, authored his second strong performance against the Grizzlies this season. He collected 28 points, six rebounds and six assists in Minnesota’s 114-103 win over at Memphis on Nov. 11.
Memphis’ Ja Morant collected 24 points and six assists to offset seven turnovers before being ejected for jawing with an official with 1:22 to play in the fourth quarter.
Jazz 125, Clippers 112
Jordan Clarkson scored a season-high 33 points to help Utah snap a five-game losing streak by beating Los Angeles in Salt Lake City.
Lauri Markkanen added 23 points and nine rebounds, Collin Sexton chipped in 21 points, six rebounds and six assists and Jarred Vanderbilt compiled 14 points and 12 rebounds for the Jazz.
John Wall led the Clippers with 26 points off the bench, but they were limited without Paul George (hamstring), Kawhi Leonard (ankle) and Norman Powell (groin) and were playing for the second straight night after winning in Portland on Tuesday.
Nets 113, Wizards 107
Kevin Durant scored 39 points and Brooklyn moved over the .500 mark for the first time this season with win over Washington in New York.
Durant recorded at least 30 points for the fourth straight game and 12th time overall this season. He hit 13 of 20 from the floor as the Nets improved to 12-11 while notching a fifth straight home win.
Kristaps Porzingis led the Wizards with 27 points and a career-high 19 rebounds but also missed five of 14 free throws as Washington missed 11 foul shots overall. Bradley Beal and Kyle Kuzma added 25 points apiece but were a combined 3 of 14 from 3-point range.
Cavaliers 113, 76ers 85
Darius Garland scored 21 points and handed out nine assists while Donovan Mitchell added 18 as torrid-shooting Cleveland routed visiting Philadelphia.
With Jarrett Allen missing his third straight game with a back injury, Lamar Stevens out with an illness and Kevin Love sitting with a thumb fracture, Caris LeVert picked up the slack off the Cavaliers’ bench with a game-high 22 points.
The Sixers were led by Joel Embiid, who made just six of his 16 shots from the field for 19 points. Shake Milton added 14 points for Philadelphia, which had its three-game winning streak end.
Pelicans 126, Raptors 108
Zion Williamson and Jonas Valanciunas each had a double-double and host New Orleans led by as many as 31 points in its rout of Toronto.
Williamson amassed 33 points, making 12 of 15 field-goal attempts, and 10 rebounds, and Valanciunas finished with 16 points and 13 rebounds. Trey Murphy III scored 26 points. The Pelicans were without Brandon Ingram (toe) and CJ McCollum (health and safety protocol).
Gary Trent Jr. scored 35 points, Pascal Siakam had 23 and O.G. Anunoby 12 to lead the Raptors. Fred VanVleet, who entered Wednesday averaging nearly 19 points per game, scored just two points before being ejected early in the third quarter.
Hawks 125, Magic 108
Trae Young had a double-double by halftime and finished with 30 points and 14 assists to help Atlanta end a three-game losing streak with a win at Orlando.
Young had 15 points and 10 rebounds at the half and scored another 15 in the third quarter. He was 12-for-23 from the field, 4-for-5 from the line, matched his season high for assists and committed only two turnovers.
The Hawks also got 27 points from Dejounte Murray and 20 points and 12 rebounds from Clint Capela. Atlanta had to play the second half without John Collins, who hurt his left ankle and was limited to 17 minutes, and De’Andre Hunter, who left with soreness in his left side and played only seven minutes.
Thunder 119, Spurs 111
Rookie Jalen Williams had a season-high 27 points as host Oklahoma City overcame a 20-point deficit to beat San Antonio and end a two-game losing streak.
Luguentz Dort added 23 points and Josh Giddey had 14 points and 14 rebounds for Oklahoma City. Tre Mann scored 10 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter for the Thunder, who were without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (hip).
The Spurs have dropped nine consecutive games, their longest losing streak since 1988-89. Devin Vassell led them with 25 points, and Keldon Johnson added 19 points.
Kings 137, Pacers 114
Sacramento spoiled the homecoming of Tyrese Haliburton and Buddy Hield, with Harrison Barnes scoring 22 points and Malik Monk 20 in a romp over Indiana.
De’Aaron Fox went for 19 points and Domantas Sabonis put up an 11 points and 10 rebounds against his old mates, helping the Kings snap a three-game losing streak.
Haliburton had nine points and a game-high-tying 10 assists for the Pacers while Hield poured in 17 points for the Pacers, who fell to 1-2 on a seven-game road trip. Jalen Smith and rookie Bennedict Mathurin each scored 22 for Indiana.
Lakers 128, Trail Blazers 109
LeBron James scored 31 points and Anthony Davis added 27 points with 12 rebounds as Los Angeles rebounded from a demoralizing loss earlier this week to beat visiting Portland.
Austin Reaves had 22 points in his eighth start of the season as the Lakers showed a finishing kick after blowing a 17-point lead in the fourth quarter on Monday during a home loss to the Pacers.
Jerami Grant had 27 points while Anfernee Simons scored 22 for the Trail Blazers, who lost their third consecutive game and fell for the seventh time in the past eight contests.
Nuggets 120, Rockets 100
Jamal Murray scored 26 points, Aaron Gordon had 20 and host Denver beat Houston.
Bruce Brown scored 18, Nikola Jokic finished with 17 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds for the Nuggets, who have won four straight.
Kevin Porter Jr. scored 23 points while Alperen Sengun had 18 points and 11 rebounds for the Rockets, who have dropped two in a row and four of the past six.
–Field Level Media