7 hours Ago By Associated Press
NEW ORLEANS — Zion Williamson had 22 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds, and New Orleans snapped a four-game slide with a victory over Los Angeles. The Pelicans briefly lost a lead that was as large as 21 points in the first half, when the Clippers missed 13 of their first 14 3-point shots. But New Orleans rallied back in front late in the third quarter and held off the Clippers thanks in large part to Williamson.
He had 10 points, five rebounds and five assists in the fourth quarter, invigorating the crowd with one clutch play after another. CJ McCollum scored 23 points and Trey Muphy III added 21 points for New Orleans, highlighted by his reverse alley-oop dunk of McCollum’s lob. Rookie center Karlo Matkovic chipped in 15 points and Jose Alvarado scored 14.
Kawhi Leonard scored a game-high 29 points and James Harden added 25 points and 17 assist for the Clippers, who had won six of their previous seven, but didn’t take their first lead until Ivica Zubac dunked Harden’s lob with 5:08 left in third quarter. Zubac had 19 points and 11 rebounds, while Kris Dunn and Derrick Jones Jr. each scored 11 for the Clippers.
CAVALIERS 109, NETS 104 CLEVELAND — All-Star Darius Garland scored 18 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter and the NBA-leading Cleveland Cavaliers rallied for a 109-104 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday night, matching the longest winning streak in franchise history at 15 games. Jarrett Allen had 23 points and 13 rebounds, and Evan Mobley had 21 points, nine rebounds and six assists for Cleveland, which also began this season with a 15-game win streak. The Cavaliers trailed by 18 points in the third quarter.
Cleveland is 55-10 -- tying the fifth-best start in NBA history -- and owns the best home record in the league at 30-4. All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell (left groin soreness), forward De’Andre Hunter (illness) and guard Ty Jerome (rest) didn’t dress for the game. Cam Thomas scored 27 points, Cameron Johnson had 17 points and Ziaire Williams added 14 before fouling out for Brooklyn.
The Nets dropped five games behind Chicago for the final play-in tournament spot in the East. PISTONS 123, WIZARDS 103 DETROIT — Cade Cunningham had 27 points and 10 assists, and Detroit beat NBA-worst Washington in a physical game that included two late flagrant fouls by the Wizards. Washington’s Richaun Holmes was ejected in the fourth quarter for throwing an elbow to the face of Detroit’s Ausar Thompson while securing a rebound.
A few minutes later, the Wizards’ Marcus Smart was assessed a flagrant-1 foul for elbowing the Pistons’ Tim Hardaway Jr. Jalen Duren added 15 points and 13 assists for the Pistons, who ended a two-game skid. Detroit entered the night in sixth place in the Eastern Conference.
Smart led the Wizards with 16 points. Bub Carrington and Jordan Poole scored 15 apiece. PACERS 115, BUCKS 114 INDIANAPOLIS — Tyrese Haliburton made a fadeaway 3-pointer while being fouled and completed the four-point play with 3.
4 seconds left, and Indiana stunned Giannis Antetokounmpo and Milwaukee. Haliburton ran along the left sideline, took an inbounds pass from Andrew Nembhard and launched a 3 while falling out of bounds, absorbing contact by Antetokounmpo, and the ball found the net with Haliburton sprawled on the floor in the corner. After Haliburton made the free throw for a one-point lead, Antetokounmpo raced up the court and got off a clean 3-point try, but the shot fell short at the buzzer, and the Pacers drew even with the fourth-place Bucks in the Eastern Conference standings.
Haliburton, who had missed the last three games with a hip injury, finished with 14 points and 10 assists. Pascal Siakam led Indiana with 25 points and 12 rebounds, and Bennedict Mahturin added 17 points. Brook Lopez scored a team-high 23 points and Antetokounmpo had 19 points and 17 rebounds.
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