PHOENIX (AP) — Cam Johnson scored 29 points, making seven 3-pointers, and the Phoenix Suns beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 116-107 on Tuesday night for their fifth straight victory. 
Johnson finished 7 of 11 behind the arc and 10 for 17 overall in another strong outing for the former reserve who is now in the starting lineup.
“I think he is getting more comfortable with the role, but defensively he was really good,” Suns coach Monty Williams said.
The victory was the fifth straight for the Suns (6-1), who won without center Deandre Ayton, sidelined with a sprained right ankle.
Johnson helped pick up his team with Devin Booker having a tough night shooting. Booker still had 18 points but was 2 of 7 from 3-point range and 6 of 18 overall. He did have seven rebounds and five assists.
“Offensively he was really aggressive," Williams said of Johnson. “Everybody was telling him to shoot the ball. He is more than a shooter. He has the ability to make plays. He is a really good passer.” 
Johnson also had the responsibility of guarding Karl-Anthony Towns. 
“That is a challenge I really enjoy,” Johnson said. “They play a little bit different, so being able to execute what we worked on feels pretty good.”
Minnesota got within 87-85 after Anthony Edwards hit a 3-pointer midway through the fourth quarter. But the Timberwolves committed six turnovers in their next seven possessions and the Suns were never threatened after that.
“Carelessness, bad spacing, poor execution, certainly some heightened defense by Phoenix. But we've got to be better in those moments,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said. “Whatever the defense is giving us, we've got to take that.”
Mikal Bridges had 19 points for Phoenix and Chris Paul had 15 points, 12 assists and a team-high eight rebounds for the Suns, who led by as many as 18 points.
Towns and Edwards scored 24 points apiece. Towns had 10 rebounds and seven assists, while Edwards made five 3-pointers in 10 attempts.
Naz Reid scored 13 points, making 5 of 6 shots, and fellow reserve Jaylen Nowell scored 10 for Minnesota.
Despite the absence of Ayton, the Suns held their own on the boards against the taller Timberwolves, with Minnesota outrebounding Phoenix 42-34. The Wolves entered the night third in the NBA in rebounding with 49 per game.
Rudy Gobert had nine rebounds for Minnesota and scored seven points, all from the free throw line. He took just one shot from the field in 32 minutes. Two other Wolves starters didn't contribute much — D'Angelo Russell had five points and Jaden McDaniels, limited to 17 minutes by foul trouble, scored four.
WAINRIGHT UPDATE
Suns guard Ish Wainright’s father died Monday. Calvin Wainright, who was 68, was a longtime basketball coach and mentor in Kansas City. Ish Wainright has been out with a back injury since the beginning of the season, and away from the team in recent days.
“They all were taken aback by it, they have supported him the way they always do,” coach Monty Williams said of his players hearing the news.
NASH OUT
Williams said he felt bad for Suns great Steve Nash, who is no longer the coach of the Brooklyn Nets after a tumultuous tenure.
“It’s always tough. We all kind of know how hard these jobs can be,” Williams said. “I haven’t seen anybody have to deal with more than him in recent years as far as non-basketball stuff. It’s tough to watch from afar.”
TIP-INS
Timberwolves: G Jordan McLaughlin (right heel) played after missing two games. He finished with nine points.
Suns: F Torrey Craig returned from a left heel injury for Phoenix. C Dario Saric played his second game of the season. He missed the entire 2021-22 season after tearing his ACL in the 2021 NBA Finals. Craig finished with four points and Saric made a 3-pointer, leading to a loud roar from the crowd, in his six minutes of play.
UP NEXT
Timberwolves: Home vs. Milwaukee on Friday.
Suns: Host Portland Friday.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

PHOENIX (AP) &mdash; Cam Johnson scored 29 points, making seven 3-pointers, and the Phoenix Suns beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 116-107 on Tuesday night for their fifth straight victory.
Johnson finished 7 of 11 behind the arc and 10 for 17 overall in another strong outing for the former reserve who is now in the starting lineup.
&ldquo;I think he is getting more comfortable with the role, but defensively he was really good,&rdquo; Suns coach Monty Williams said.
The victory was the fifth straight for the Suns (6-1), who won without center Deandre Ayton, sidelined with a sprained right ankle.
Johnson helped pick up his team with Devin Booker having a tough night shooting. Booker still had 18 points but was 2 of 7 from 3-point range and 6 of 18 overall. He did have seven rebounds and five assists.
&ldquo;Offensively he was really aggressive," Williams said of Johnson. &ldquo;Everybody was telling him to shoot the ball. He is more than a shooter. He has the ability to make plays. He is a really good passer.&rdquo;
Johnson also had the responsibility of guarding Karl-Anthony Towns.
&ldquo;That is a challenge I really enjoy,&rdquo; Johnson said. &ldquo;They play a little bit different, so being able to execute what we worked on feels pretty good.&rdquo;
Minnesota got within 87-85 after Anthony Edwards hit a 3-pointer midway through the fourth quarter. But the Timberwolves committed six turnovers in their next seven possessions and the Suns were never threatened after that.
&ldquo;Carelessness, bad spacing, poor execution, certainly some heightened defense by Phoenix. But we've got to be better in those moments,&rdquo; Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said. &ldquo;Whatever the defense is giving us, we've got to take that.&rdquo;
Mikal Bridges had 19 points for Phoenix and Chris Paul had 15 points, 12 assists and a team-high eight rebounds for the Suns, who led by as many as 18 points.
Towns and Edwards scored 24 points apiece. Towns had 10 rebounds and seven assists, while Edwards made five 3-pointers in 10 attempts.
Naz Reid scored 13 points, making 5 of 6 shots, and fellow reserve Jaylen Nowell scored 10 for Minnesota.
Despite the absence of Ayton, the Suns held their own on the boards against the taller Timberwolves, with Minnesota outrebounding Phoenix 42-34. The Wolves entered the night third in the NBA in rebounding with 49 per game.
Rudy Gobert had nine rebounds for Minnesota and scored seven points, all from the free throw line. He took just one shot from the field in 32 minutes. Two other Wolves starters didn't contribute much &mdash; D'Angelo Russell had five points and Jaden McDaniels, limited to 17 minutes by foul trouble, scored four.
WAINRIGHT UPDATE
Suns guard Ish Wainright&rsquo;s father died Monday. Calvin Wainright, who was 68, was a longtime basketball coach and mentor in Kansas City. Ish Wainright has been out with a back injury since the beginning of the season, and away from the team in recent days.
&ldquo;They all were taken aback by it, they have supported him the way they always do,&rdquo; coach Monty Williams said of his players hearing the news.
NASH OUT
Williams said he felt bad for Suns great Steve Nash, who is no longer the coach of the Brooklyn Nets after a tumultuous tenure.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s always tough. We all kind of know how hard these jobs can be,&rdquo; Williams said. &ldquo;I haven&rsquo;t seen anybody have to deal with more than him in recent years as far as non-basketball stuff. It&rsquo;s tough to watch from afar.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Timberwolves: G Jordan McLaughlin (right heel) played after missing two games. He finished with nine points.
Suns: F Torrey Craig returned from a left heel injury for Phoenix. C Dario Saric played his second game of the season. He missed the entire 2021-22 season after tearing his ACL in the 2021 NBA Finals. Craig finished with four points and Saric made a 3-pointer, leading to a loud roar from the crowd, in his six minutes of play.

PHOENIX (AP) &mdash; Cam Johnson scored 29 points, making seven 3-pointers, and the Phoenix Suns beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 116-107 on Tuesday night for their fifth straight victory.
Johnson finished 7 of 11 behind the arc and 10 for 17 overall in another strong outing for the former reserve who is now in the starting lineup.
&ldquo;I think he is getting more comfortable with the role, but defensively he was really good,&rdquo; Suns coach Monty Williams said.
The victory was the fifth straight for the Suns (6-1), who won without center Deandre Ayton, sidelined with a sprained right ankle.
Johnson helped pick up his team with Devin Booker having a tough night shooting. Booker still had 18 points but was 2 of 7 from 3-point range and 6 of 18 overall. He did have seven rebounds and five assists.
&ldquo;Offensively he was really aggressive," Williams said of Johnson. &ldquo;Everybody was telling him to shoot the ball. He is more than a shooter. He has the ability to make plays. He is a really good passer.&rdquo;
Johnson also had the responsibility of guarding Karl-Anthony Towns.
&ldquo;That is a challenge I really enjoy,&rdquo; Johnson said. &ldquo;They play a little bit different, so being able to execute what we worked on feels pretty good.&rdquo;
Minnesota got within 87-85 after Anthony Edwards hit a 3-pointer midway through the fourth quarter. But the Timberwolves committed six turnovers in their next seven possessions and the Suns were never threatened after that.
&ldquo;Carelessness, bad spacing, poor execution, certainly some heightened defense by Phoenix. But we've got to be better in those moments,&rdquo; Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said. &ldquo;Whatever the defense is giving us, we've got to take that.&rdquo;
Mikal Bridges had 19 points for Phoenix and Chris Paul had 15 points, 12 assists and a team-high eight rebounds for the Suns, who led by as many as 18 points.
Towns and Edwards scored 24 points apiece. Towns had 10 rebounds and seven assists, while Edwards made five 3-pointers in 10 attempts.
Naz Reid scored 13 points, making 5 of 6 shots, and fellow reserve Jaylen Nowell scored 10 for Minnesota.
Despite the absence of Ayton, the Suns held their own on the boards against the taller Timberwolves, with Minnesota outrebounding Phoenix 42-34. The Wolves entered the night third in the NBA in rebounding with 49 per game.
Rudy Gobert had nine rebounds for Minnesota and scored seven points, all from the free throw line. He took just one shot from the field in 32 minutes. Two other Wolves starters didn't contribute much &mdash; D'Angelo Russell had five points and Jaden McDaniels, limited to 17 minutes by foul trouble, scored four.
WAINRIGHT UPDATE
Suns guard Ish Wainright&rsquo;s father died Monday. Calvin Wainright, who was 68, was a longtime basketball coach and mentor in Kansas City. Ish Wainright has been out with a back injury since the beginning of the season, and away from the team in recent days.
&ldquo;They all were taken aback by it, they have supported him the way they always do,&rdquo; coach Monty Williams said of his players hearing the news.
NASH OUT
Williams said he felt bad for Suns great Steve Nash, who is no longer the coach of the Brooklyn Nets after a tumultuous tenure.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s always tough. We all kind of know how hard these jobs can be,&rdquo; Williams said. &ldquo;I haven&rsquo;t seen anybody have to deal with more than him in recent years as far as non-basketball stuff. It&rsquo;s tough to watch from afar.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Timberwolves: G Jordan McLaughlin (right heel) played after missing two games. He finished with nine points.
Suns: F Torrey Craig returned from a left heel injury for Phoenix. C Dario Saric played his second game of the season. He missed the entire 2021-22 season after tearing his ACL in the 2021 NBA Finals. Craig finished with four points and Saric made a 3-pointer, leading to a loud roar from the crowd, in his six minutes of play.

Cam Johnson scored 29 points and the Phoenix Suns beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 116-107 for their fifth straight victory.

Suns win 5th straight behind Johnson, beat Wolves 116-107

NEW YORK (AP) — Zach LaVine scored 20 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter, leading the Chicago Bulls to a 108-99 victory over Brooklyn on Tuesday night in the Nets’ first game after a coaching change.
The Nets announced <a href="https://apnews.com/article/steve-nash-kyrie-irving-kevin-durant-brooklyn-nets-db77c6eb814195b859fe08b0955c9dd8">Steve Nash was out</a> earlier in the day, then fell to 2-6 with Jacque Vaughn leading them.
Kevin Durant had 32 points and nine rebounds for the Nets, but Kyrie Irving managed only four points on 2-for-12 shooting. He missed all six 3-point attempts.
Vaughn stopped short of equating Irving’s struggles to the criticism he’s been dealing with since posting a link to a film with antisemitic content on his Twitter account last week.
“The message I told the guys after, no excuses,” Vaughn said. “Whether it’s back-to-backs, no excuses. Whether the change in scenery today, no excuses. This is what we do for a living. We signed up for it.”
Durant found out on television that Nash was removed after waking up from an afternoon nap. He said he was not approached by upper management about the decision.
“It was a roller coaster last few years, but the core of the basketball is something we all love to do,” Durant said. “Regardless of who is the coach, regardless the circumstances, you still got to come to work, and I enjoyed coming to work with Steve.”
DeMar DeRozan added 20 points and Ayo Dosunmu had 17 for the Bulls, who outscored the Nets 31-19 in the final quarter. Goran Dragic, who played last season with the Nets, chipped in 15 off the bench as the Bulls snapped a two-game losing streak.
Royce O’Neale matched his career high with 20 points and Nic Claxton had 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Nets, who played without Ben Simmons for a second straight night because of a sore left knee.
LaVine had nine points on 4-for-11 shooting from the field before he outscored the Nets in the final 12 minutes of the game, going 6 for 10 from the field.
“The thing that I thought was good for him is that he is finding his rhythm,” Bulls coach Billy Donovan said. “The one thing I give him a lot of credit for tonight, he made really quick, decisive decisions. It was catch and shoot. He didn’t hesitate, when they were there, he took them.”
The Bulls trailed 80-77 at the start of the fourth quarter before the All-Star guard heated up. The Nets still led 88-84 before Dosunmu sparked a 7-0 run with a 3-pointer opposite the Bulls bench to take a 91-88 lead.
Irving answered with a layup but LaVine responded with three straight baskets, including a 3-pointer that made it 99-90 with 5:37 left in regulation and put the game out of reach.
“We are all aggressive and sometimes you catch a rhythm,” said LaVine, who is managing his left knee after undergoing offseason surgery. “That’s all I am looking to do. It’s my fifth game back and catch a rhythm. I am feeling better each game.”
Durant scored 20 points on 4 for 6 from the field and hit 10 free throws to pace Brooklyn to a 58-52 lead at halftime.
The Nets struggled early and fell behind Chicago 15-7 midway through the first quarter. But Durant sparked a 20-10 run with 14 points of his own, including seven straight to put the Nets ahead 27-25 at the end of the period.
FAMILIAR POSITION
Vaughn formed part of former coach Kenny Atkinson’s staff in Brooklyn and replaced him as interim head coach on March 7, 2020. He coached the Nets to a 7-3 record before they were swept by the Toronto Raptors in the first round of the playoffs in the Walt Disney World bubble.
He was an assistant under Gregg Popovich with the San Antonio Spurs from 2010-12 and then got his first lead coaching position with the Orlando Magic in 2012. Under Vaughn, the Magic missed the playoffs the first two years before he was fired 52 games into his third and final season.
TIP-INS:
Bulls: Andre Drummond (shoulder contusion) did not play.
Nets: G Seth Curry (left ankle – injury management) did not play.
UP NEXT:
Bulls: Host the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday night.
Nets: Visit the Washington Wizards on Friday night for the start of a three-game road trip.
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) &mdash; Zach LaVine scored 20 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter, leading the Chicago Bulls to a 108-99 victory over Brooklyn on Tuesday night in the Nets&rsquo; first game after a coaching change.
The Nets announced <a href="https://apnews.com/article/steve-nash-kyrie-irving-kevin-durant-brooklyn-nets-db77c6eb814195b859fe08b0955c9dd8">Steve Nash was out</a> earlier in the day, then fell to 2-6 with Jacque Vaughn leading them.
Kevin Durant had 32 points and nine rebounds for the Nets, but Kyrie Irving managed only four points on 2-for-12 shooting. He missed all six 3-point attempts.
Vaughn stopped short of equating Irving&rsquo;s struggles to the criticism he&rsquo;s been dealing with since posting a link to a film with antisemitic content on his Twitter account last week.
&ldquo;The message I told the guys after, no excuses,&rdquo; Vaughn said. &ldquo;Whether it&rsquo;s back-to-backs, no excuses. Whether the change in scenery today, no excuses. This is what we do for a living. We signed up for it.&rdquo;
Durant found out on television that Nash was removed after waking up from an afternoon nap. He said he was not approached by upper management about the decision.
&ldquo;It was a roller coaster last few years, but the core of the basketball is something we all love to do,&rdquo; Durant said. &ldquo;Regardless of who is the coach, regardless the circumstances, you still got to come to work, and I enjoyed coming to work with Steve.&rdquo;
DeMar DeRozan added 20 points and Ayo Dosunmu had 17 for the Bulls, who outscored the Nets 31-19 in the final quarter. Goran Dragic, who played last season with the Nets, chipped in 15 off the bench as the Bulls snapped a two-game losing streak.
Royce O&rsquo;Neale matched his career high with 20 points and Nic Claxton had 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Nets, who played without Ben Simmons for a second straight night because of a sore left knee.
LaVine had nine points on 4-for-11 shooting from the field before he outscored the Nets in the final 12 minutes of the game, going 6 for 10 from the field.
&ldquo;The thing that I thought was good for him is that he is finding his rhythm,&rdquo; Bulls coach Billy Donovan said. &ldquo;The one thing I give him a lot of credit for tonight, he made really quick, decisive decisions. It was catch and shoot. He didn&rsquo;t hesitate, when they were there, he took them.&rdquo;
The Bulls trailed 80-77 at the start of the fourth quarter before the All-Star guard heated up. The Nets still led 88-84 before Dosunmu sparked a 7-0 run with a 3-pointer opposite the Bulls bench to take a 91-88 lead.
Irving answered with a layup but LaVine responded with three straight baskets, including a 3-pointer that made it 99-90 with 5:37 left in regulation and put the game out of reach.
&ldquo;We are all aggressive and sometimes you catch a rhythm,&rdquo; said LaVine, who is managing his left knee after undergoing offseason surgery. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s all I am looking to do. It&rsquo;s my fifth game back and catch a rhythm. I am feeling better each game.&rdquo;
Durant scored 20 points on 4 for 6 from the field and hit 10 free throws to pace Brooklyn to a 58-52 lead at halftime.
The Nets struggled early and fell behind Chicago 15-7 midway through the first quarter. But Durant sparked a 20-10 run with 14 points of his own, including seven straight to put the Nets ahead 27-25 at the end of the period.
FAMILIAR POSITION
Vaughn formed part of former coach Kenny Atkinson&rsquo;s staff in Brooklyn and replaced him as interim head coach on March 7, 2020. He coached the Nets to a 7-3 record before they were swept by the Toronto Raptors in the first round of the playoffs in the Walt Disney World bubble.
He was an assistant under Gregg Popovich with the San Antonio Spurs from 2010-12 and then got his first lead coaching position with the Orlando Magic in 2012. Under Vaughn, the Magic missed the playoffs the first two years before he was fired 52 games into his third and final season.
TIP-INS:
Bulls: Andre Drummond (shoulder contusion) did not play.
Nets: G Seth Curry (left ankle &ndash; injury management) did not play.
UP NEXT:
Bulls: Host the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday night.
Nets: Visit the Washington Wizards on Friday night for the start of a three-game road trip.
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) &mdash; Zach LaVine scored 20 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter, leading the Chicago Bulls to a 108-99 victory over Brooklyn on Tuesday night in the Nets&rsquo; first game after a coaching change.
The Nets announced Steve Nash was out earlier in the day, then fell to 2-6 with Jacque Vaughn leading them.
Kevin Durant had 32 points and nine rebounds for the Nets, but Kyrie Irving managed only four points on 2-for-12 shooting. He missed all six 3-point attempts.
Vaughn stopped short of equating Irving&rsquo;s struggles to the criticism he&rsquo;s been dealing with since posting a link to a film with antisemitic content on his Twitter account last week.
&ldquo;The message I told the guys after, no excuses,&rdquo; Vaughn said. &ldquo;Whether it&rsquo;s back-to-backs, no excuses. Whether the change in scenery today, no excuses. This is what we do for a living. We signed up for it.&rdquo;
Durant found out on television that Nash was removed after waking up from an afternoon nap. He said he was not approached by upper management about the decision.
&ldquo;It was a roller coaster last few years, but the core of the basketball is something we all love to do,&rdquo; Durant said. &ldquo;Regardless of who is the coach, regardless the circumstances, you still got to come to work, and I enjoyed coming to work with Steve.&rdquo;
DeMar DeRozan added 20 points and Ayo Dosunmu had 17 for the Bulls, who outscored the Nets 31-19 in the final quarter. Goran Dragic, who played last season with the Nets, chipped in 15 off the bench as the Bulls snapped a two-game losing streak.
Royce O&rsquo;Neale matched his career high with 20 points and Nic Claxton had 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Nets, who played without Ben Simmons for a second straight night because of a sore left knee.
LaVine had nine points on 4-for-11 shooting from the field before he outscored the Nets in the final 12 minutes of the game, going 6 for 10 from the field.
&ldquo;The thing that I thought was good for him is that he is finding his rhythm,&rdquo; Bulls coach Billy Donovan said. &ldquo;The one thing I give him a lot of credit for tonight, he made really quick, decisive decisions. It was catch and shoot. He didn&rsquo;t hesitate, when they were there, he took them.&rdquo;
The Bulls trailed 80-77 at the start of the fourth quarter before the All-Star guard heated up. The Nets still led 88-84 before Dosunmu sparked a 7-0 run with a 3-pointer opposite the Bulls bench to take a 91-88 lead.
Irving answered with a layup but LaVine responded with three straight baskets, including a 3-pointer that made it 99-90 with 5:37 left in regulation and put the game out of reach.
&ldquo;We are all aggressive and sometimes you catch a rhythm,&rdquo; said LaVine, who is managing his left knee after undergoing offseason surgery. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s all I am looking to do. It&rsquo;s my fifth game back and catch a rhythm. I am feeling better each game.&rdquo;
Durant scored 20 points on 4 for 6 from the field and hit 10 free throws to pace Brooklyn to a 58-52 lead at halftime.
The Nets struggled early and fell behind Chicago 15-7 midway through the first quarter. But Durant sparked a 20-10 run with 14 points of his own, including seven straight to put the Nets ahead 27-25 at the end of the period.
FAMILIAR POSITION
Vaughn formed part of former coach Kenny Atkinson&rsquo;s staff in Brooklyn and replaced him as interim head coach on March 7, 2020. He coached the Nets to a 7-3 record before they were swept by the Toronto Raptors in the first round of the playoffs in the Walt Disney World bubble.
He was an assistant under Gregg Popovich with the San Antonio Spurs from 2010-12 and then got his first lead coaching position with the Orlando Magic in 2012. Under Vaughn, the Magic missed the playoffs the first two years before he was fired 52 games into his third and final season.
TIP-INS:
Bulls: Andre Drummond (shoulder contusion) did not play.
Nets: G Seth Curry (left ankle &ndash; injury management) did not play.
UP NEXT:
Bulls: Host the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday night.
Nets: Visit the Washington Wizards on Friday night for the start of a three-game road trip.
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) &mdash; Zach LaVine scored 20 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter, leading the Chicago Bulls to a 108-99 victory over Brooklyn on Tuesday night in the Nets&rsquo; first game after a coaching change.
The Nets announced Steve Nash was out earlier in the day, then fell to 2-6 with Jacque Vaughn leading them.
Kevin Durant had 32 points and nine rebounds for the Nets, but Kyrie Irving managed only four points on 2-for-12 shooting. He missed all six 3-point attempts.
Vaughn stopped short of equating Irving&rsquo;s struggles to the criticism he&rsquo;s been dealing with since posting a link to a film with antisemitic content on his Twitter account last week.
&ldquo;The message I told the guys after, no excuses,&rdquo; Vaughn said. &ldquo;Whether it&rsquo;s back-to-backs, no excuses. Whether the change in scenery today, no excuses. This is what we do for a living. We signed up for it.&rdquo;
Durant found out on television that Nash was removed after waking up from an afternoon nap. He said he was not approached by upper management about the decision.
&ldquo;It was a roller coaster last few years, but the core of the basketball is something we all love to do,&rdquo; Durant said. &ldquo;Regardless of who is the coach, regardless the circumstances, you still got to come to work, and I enjoyed coming to work with Steve.&rdquo;
DeMar DeRozan added 20 points and Ayo Dosunmu had 17 for the Bulls, who outscored the Nets 31-19 in the final quarter. Goran Dragic, who played last season with the Nets, chipped in 15 off the bench as the Bulls snapped a two-game losing streak.
Royce O&rsquo;Neale matched his career high with 20 points and Nic Claxton had 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Nets, who played without Ben Simmons for a second straight night because of a sore left knee.
LaVine had nine points on 4-for-11 shooting from the field before he outscored the Nets in the final 12 minutes of the game, going 6 for 10 from the field.
&ldquo;The thing that I thought was good for him is that he is finding his rhythm,&rdquo; Bulls coach Billy Donovan said. &ldquo;The one thing I give him a lot of credit for tonight, he made really quick, decisive decisions. It was catch and shoot. He didn&rsquo;t hesitate, when they were there, he took them.&rdquo;
The Bulls trailed 80-77 at the start of the fourth quarter before the All-Star guard heated up. The Nets still led 88-84 before Dosunmu sparked a 7-0 run with a 3-pointer opposite the Bulls bench to take a 91-88 lead.
Irving answered with a layup but LaVine responded with three straight baskets, including a 3-pointer that made it 99-90 with 5:37 left in regulation and put the game out of reach.
&ldquo;We are all aggressive and sometimes you catch a rhythm,&rdquo; said LaVine, who is managing his left knee after undergoing offseason surgery. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s all I am looking to do. It&rsquo;s my fifth game back and catch a rhythm. I am feeling better each game.&rdquo;
Durant scored 20 points on 4 for 6 from the field and hit 10 free throws to pace Brooklyn to a 58-52 lead at halftime.
The Nets struggled early and fell behind Chicago 15-7 midway through the first quarter. But Durant sparked a 20-10 run with 14 points of his own, including seven straight to put the Nets ahead 27-25 at the end of the period.
FAMILIAR POSITION
Vaughn formed part of former coach Kenny Atkinson&rsquo;s staff in Brooklyn and replaced him as interim head coach on March 7, 2020. He coached the Nets to a 7-3 record before they were swept by the Toronto Raptors in the first round of the playoffs in the Walt Disney World bubble.
He was an assistant under Gregg Popovich with the San Antonio Spurs from 2010-12 and then got his first lead coaching position with the Orlando Magic in 2012. Under Vaughn, the Magic missed the playoffs the first two years before he was fired 52 games into his third and final season.
TIP-INS:
Bulls: Andre Drummond (shoulder contusion) did not play.
Nets: G Seth Curry (left ankle &ndash; injury management) did not play.
UP NEXT:
Bulls: Host the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday night.
Nets: Visit the Washington Wizards on Friday night for the start of a three-game road trip.
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) &mdash; Zach LaVine scored 20 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter, leading the Chicago Bulls to a 108-99 victory over Brooklyn on Tuesday night in the Nets&rsquo; first game after a coaching change.
The Nets announced Steve Nash was out earlier in the day, then fell to 2-6 with Jacque Vaughn leading them.
Kevin Durant had 32 points and nine rebounds for the Nets, but Kyrie Irving managed only four points on 2-for-12 shooting. He missed all six 3-point attempts.
Vaughn stopped short of equating Irving&rsquo;s struggles to the criticism he&rsquo;s been dealing with since posting a link to a film with antisemitic content on his Twitter account last week.
&ldquo;The message I told the guys after, no excuses,&rdquo; Vaughn said. &ldquo;Whether it&rsquo;s back-to-backs, no excuses. Whether the change in scenery today, no excuses. This is what we do for a living. We signed up for it.&rdquo;
Durant found out on television that Nash was removed after waking up from an afternoon nap. He said he was not approached by upper management about the decision.
&ldquo;It was a roller coaster last few years, but the core of the basketball is something we all love to do,&rdquo; Durant said. &ldquo;Regardless of who is the coach, regardless the circumstances, you still got to come to work, and I enjoyed coming to work with Steve.&rdquo;
DeMar DeRozan added 20 points and Ayo Dosunmu had 17 for the Bulls, who outscored the Nets 31-19 in the final quarter. Goran Dragic, who played last season with the Nets, chipped in 15 off the bench as the Bulls snapped a two-game losing streak.
Royce O&rsquo;Neale matched his career high with 20 points and Nic Claxton had 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Nets, who played without Ben Simmons for a second straight night because of a sore left knee.
LaVine had nine points on 4-for-11 shooting from the field before he outscored the Nets in the final 12 minutes of the game, going 6 for 10 from the field.
&ldquo;The thing that I thought was good for him is that he is finding his rhythm,&rdquo; Bulls coach Billy Donovan said. &ldquo;The one thing I give him a lot of credit for tonight, he made really quick, decisive decisions. It was catch and shoot. He didn&rsquo;t hesitate, when they were there, he took them.&rdquo;
The Bulls trailed 80-77 at the start of the fourth quarter before the All-Star guard heated up. The Nets still led 88-84 before Dosunmu sparked a 7-0 run with a 3-pointer opposite the Bulls bench to take a 91-88 lead.
Irving answered with a layup but LaVine responded with three straight baskets, including a 3-pointer that made it 99-90 with 5:37 left in regulation and put the game out of reach.
&ldquo;We are all aggressive and sometimes you catch a rhythm,&rdquo; said LaVine, who is managing his left knee after undergoing offseason surgery. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s all I am looking to do. It&rsquo;s my fifth game back and catch a rhythm. I am feeling better each game.&rdquo;
Durant scored 20 points on 4 for 6 from the field and hit 10 free throws to pace Brooklyn to a 58-52 lead at halftime.
The Nets struggled early and fell behind Chicago 15-7 midway through the first quarter. But Durant sparked a 20-10 run with 14 points of his own, including seven straight to put the Nets ahead 27-25 at the end of the period.
FAMILIAR POSITION
Vaughn formed part of former coach Kenny Atkinson&rsquo;s staff in Brooklyn and replaced him as interim head coach on March 7, 2020. He coached the Nets to a 7-3 record before they were swept by the Toronto Raptors in the first round of the playoffs in the Walt Disney World bubble.
He was an assistant under Gregg Popovich with the San Antonio Spurs from 2010-12 and then got his first lead coaching position with the Orlando Magic in 2012. Under Vaughn, the Magic missed the playoffs the first two years before he was fired 52 games into his third and final season.
TIP-INS:
Bulls: Andre Drummond (shoulder contusion) did not play.
Nets: G Seth Curry (left ankle &ndash; injury management) did not play.
&nbsp;
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) &mdash; Zach LaVine scored 20 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter, leading the Chicago Bulls to a 108-99 victory over Brooklyn on Tuesday night in the Nets&rsquo; first game after a coaching change.
The Nets announced Steve Nash was out earlier in the day, then fell to 2-6 with Jacque Vaughn leading them.
Kevin Durant had 32 points and nine rebounds for the Nets, but Kyrie Irving managed only four points on 2-for-12 shooting. He missed all six 3-point attempts.
Vaughn stopped short of equating Irving&rsquo;s struggles to the criticism he&rsquo;s been dealing with since posting a link to a film with antisemitic content on his Twitter account last week.
&ldquo;The message I told the guys after, no excuses,&rdquo; Vaughn said. &ldquo;Whether it&rsquo;s back-to-backs, no excuses. Whether the change in scenery today, no excuses. This is what we do for a living. We signed up for it.&rdquo;
Durant found out on television that Nash was removed after waking up from an afternoon nap. He said he was not approached by upper management about the decision.
&ldquo;It was a roller coaster last few years, but the core of the basketball is something we all love to do,&rdquo; Durant said. &ldquo;Regardless of who is the coach, regardless the circumstances, you still got to come to work, and I enjoyed coming to work with Steve.&rdquo;
DeMar DeRozan added 20 points and Ayo Dosunmu had 17 for the Bulls, who outscored the Nets 31-19 in the final quarter. Goran Dragic, who played last season with the Nets, chipped in 15 off the bench as the Bulls snapped a two-game losing streak.
Royce O&rsquo;Neale matched his career high with 20 points and Nic Claxton had 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Nets, who played without Ben Simmons for a second straight night because of a sore left knee.
LaVine had nine points on 4-for-11 shooting from the field before he outscored the Nets in the final 12 minutes of the game, going 6 for 10 from the field.
&ldquo;The thing that I thought was good for him is that he is finding his rhythm,&rdquo; Bulls coach Billy Donovan said. &ldquo;The one thing I give him a lot of credit for tonight, he made really quick, decisive decisions. It was catch and shoot. He didn&rsquo;t hesitate, when they were there, he took them.&rdquo;
The Bulls trailed 80-77 at the start of the fourth quarter before the All-Star guard heated up. The Nets still led 88-84 before Dosunmu sparked a 7-0 run with a 3-pointer opposite the Bulls bench to take a 91-88 lead.
Irving answered with a layup but LaVine responded with three straight baskets, including a 3-pointer that made it 99-90 with 5:37 left in regulation and put the game out of reach.
&ldquo;We are all aggressive and sometimes you catch a rhythm,&rdquo; said LaVine, who is managing his left knee after undergoing offseason surgery. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s all I am looking to do. It&rsquo;s my fifth game back and catch a rhythm. I am feeling better each game.&rdquo;
Durant scored 20 points on 4 for 6 from the field and hit 10 free throws to pace Brooklyn to a 58-52 lead at halftime.
The Nets struggled early and fell behind Chicago 15-7 midway through the first quarter. But Durant sparked a 20-10 run with 14 points of his own, including seven straight to put the Nets ahead 27-25 at the end of the period.
FAMILIAR POSITION
Vaughn formed part of former coach Kenny Atkinson&rsquo;s staff in Brooklyn and replaced him as interim head coach on March 7, 2020. He coached the Nets to a 7-3 record before they were swept by the Toronto Raptors in the first round of the playoffs in the Walt Disney World bubble.
He was an assistant under Gregg Popovich with the San Antonio Spurs from 2010-12 and then got his first lead coaching position with the Orlando Magic in 2012. Under Vaughn, the Magic missed the playoffs the first two years before he was fired 52 games into his third and final season.

Zach LaVine scored 20 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter, leading the Chicago Bulls to a 108-99 victory over the Brooklyn Nets.

LaVine has 20 in 4th, Bulls beat Nets in 1st game after Nash

MIAMI (AP) — Upon review, Miami coach Erik Spoelstra had a good birthday. Jimmy Butler made sure of that.
Butler scored five straight points late to give Miami the lead, Max Strus led everyone with 24 and the Heat overcame a triple-double from Stephen Curry to beat the Golden State Warriors 116-109 on Tuesday night.
“Huge for our confidence,” Strus said.
Butler scored 23 points, including a go-ahead three-point play with 1:48 left. Bam Adebayo scored 19, Duncan Robinson had 17 and Kyle Lowry 13 for Miami, which won on Spoelstra's 52nd birthday.
Curry had 23 points, 13 rebounds and 13 assists for the Warriors (3-5), who dropped their third straight and are 0-4 on the road. Andrew Wiggins added 21 points and Klay Thompson scored 19.
“I thought our energy was better at times," Golden State's Draymond Green said. “But we've still got to put it together and win games."
Curry had his 10th regular season triple-double. But a call that went Miami's way denied him a chance to tie the game with 1:39 left.
Curry was hit on the hand by Butler as he tried a 3-pointer, with the Warriors down three. A foul was called, and Butler argued. That convinced Spoelstra to challenge the call.
“Just kind of went on a leap of faith," Spoelstra said.
It worked. The referees determined Butler hit Curry on the hand after the ball was gone; Butler said he also hit the ball first.
“They had a high-five,” referee Bill Kennedy said.
Said Curry: “You've got to be allowed to finish your motion. ... There was a lot of contact. But what do I know about calls?"
The Warriors didn't score again, and lost a game they led by 10 in the second half. Golden State’s 20 turnovers were turned into 28 Heat points — three of those turnovers being discontinued dribble calls against Jordan Poole.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr said the NBA sent out an email Tuesday about that infraction. He didn't read it.
“The whole league does that," Kerr said. “They’ve been doing it ever since Allen Iverson convinced the referees that it wasn’t a carry. It is a carry. What Jordan does is a carry. But the whole league’s been doing it. I guess I have to start checking my email on game days.”
TIP-INS
Warriors: Curry extended his NBA-record streak of regular-season games with a 3-pointer to 197. He also owns the second-longest streak (157). ... The Warriors took 49 shots from 3-point range, 35 shots from 2-point range. ... Poole was minus-23 in 30 minutes.
Heat: Lowry hit his 1,989th 3-pointer, passing Jason Kidd for 12th in NBA history. ... Spoelstra is now 6-2 on his birthday. ... Miami lost Tyler Herro midway through the second quarter after he got poked in the left eye by Golden State’s Moses Moody on a rebound. Herro said he lost vision briefly, but it was back by postgame. ... The Heat were 20 for 20 from the line, tying the second-most without a miss in team history. They were 30 for 30 against Boston in 1993.
STILL OUT
Miami teammates Victor Oladipo (left knee) and Omer Yurtseven (left ankle), and Golden State’s Andre Iguodala (left hip) all remained out. None have played this season.
Iguodala played in 109 games for Miami, helped it to the 2020 NBA Finals and hasn’t faced the Heat since. Barring an NBA Finals matchup this season, he’ll retire having played 45 games against Miami.
ON TO 2023
Heat-Warriors was the first season series to be completed in the NBA this season. The season series between the Heat and Sacramento ends Wednesday.
UP NEXT
Warriors: Visit Orlando on Thursday.
Heat: Host Sacramento on Wednesday.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

MIAMI (AP) &mdash; Upon review, Miami coach Erik Spoelstra had a good birthday. Jimmy Butler made sure of that.
Butler scored five straight points late to give Miami the lead, Max Strus led everyone with 24 and the Heat overcame a triple-double from Stephen Curry to beat the Golden State Warriors 116-109 on Tuesday night.
&ldquo;Huge for our confidence,&rdquo; Strus said.
Butler scored 23 points, including a go-ahead three-point play with 1:48 left. Bam Adebayo scored 19, Duncan Robinson had 17 and Kyle Lowry 13 for Miami, which won on Spoelstra's 52nd birthday.
Curry had 23 points, 13 rebounds and 13 assists for the Warriors (3-5), who dropped their third straight and are 0-4 on the road. Andrew Wiggins added 21 points and Klay Thompson scored 19.
&ldquo;I thought our energy was better at times," Golden State's Draymond Green said. &ldquo;But we've still got to put it together and win games."
Curry had his 10th regular season triple-double. But a call that went Miami's way denied him a chance to tie the game with 1:39 left.
Curry was hit on the hand by Butler as he tried a 3-pointer, with the Warriors down three. A foul was called, and Butler argued. That convinced Spoelstra to challenge the call.
&ldquo;Just kind of went on a leap of faith," Spoelstra said.
It worked. The referees determined Butler hit Curry on the hand after the ball was gone; Butler said he also hit the ball first.
&ldquo;They had a high-five,&rdquo; referee Bill Kennedy said.
Said Curry: &ldquo;You've got to be allowed to finish your motion. ... There was a lot of contact. But what do I know about calls?"
The Warriors didn't score again, and lost a game they led by 10 in the second half. Golden State&rsquo;s 20 turnovers were turned into 28 Heat points &mdash; three of those turnovers being discontinued dribble calls against Jordan Poole.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr said the NBA sent out an email Tuesday about that infraction. He didn't read it.
&ldquo;The whole league does that," Kerr said. &ldquo;They&rsquo;ve been doing it ever since Allen Iverson convinced the referees that it wasn&rsquo;t a carry. It is a carry. What Jordan does is a carry. But the whole league&rsquo;s been doing it. I guess I have to start checking my email on game days.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Warriors: Curry extended his NBA-record streak of regular-season games with a 3-pointer to 197. He also owns the second-longest streak (157). ... The Warriors took 49 shots from 3-point range, 35 shots from 2-point range. ... Poole was minus-23 in 30 minutes.
Heat: Lowry hit his 1,989th 3-pointer, passing Jason Kidd for 12th in NBA history. ... Spoelstra is now 6-2 on his birthday. ... Miami lost Tyler Herro midway through the second quarter after he got poked in the left eye by Golden State&rsquo;s Moses Moody on a rebound. Herro said he lost vision briefly, but it was back by postgame. ... The Heat were 20 for 20 from the line, tying the second-most without a miss in team history. They were 30 for 30 against Boston in 1993.
STILL OUT
Miami teammates Victor Oladipo (left knee) and Omer Yurtseven (left ankle), and Golden State&rsquo;s Andre Iguodala (left hip) all remained out. None have played this season.
Iguodala played in 109 games for Miami, helped it to the 2020 NBA Finals and hasn&rsquo;t faced the Heat since. Barring an NBA Finals matchup this season, he&rsquo;ll retire having played 45 games against Miami.
ON TO 2023
Heat-Warriors was the first season series to be completed in the NBA this season. The season series between the Heat and Sacramento ends Wednesday.
UP NEXT
Warriors: Visit Orlando on Thursday.
Heat: Host Sacramento on Wednesday.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

MIAMI (AP) &mdash; Upon review, Miami coach Erik Spoelstra had a good birthday. Jimmy Butler made sure of that.
Butler scored five straight points late to give Miami the lead, Max Strus led everyone with 24 and the Heat overcame a triple-double from Stephen Curry to beat the Golden State Warriors 116-109 on Tuesday night.
&ldquo;Huge for our confidence,&rdquo; Strus said.
Butler scored 23 points, including a go-ahead three-point play with 1:48 left. Bam Adebayo scored 19, Duncan Robinson had 17 and Kyle Lowry 13 for Miami, which won on Spoelstra's 52nd birthday.
Curry had 23 points, 13 rebounds and 13 assists for the Warriors (3-5), who dropped their third straight and are 0-4 on the road. Andrew Wiggins added 21 points and Klay Thompson scored 19.
&ldquo;I thought our energy was better at times," Golden State's Draymond Green said. &ldquo;But we've still got to put it together and win games."
Curry had his 10th regular season triple-double. But a call that went Miami's way denied him a chance to tie the game with 1:39 left.
Curry was hit on the hand by Butler as he tried a 3-pointer, with the Warriors down three. A foul was called, and Butler argued. That convinced Spoelstra to challenge the call.
&ldquo;Just kind of went on a leap of faith," Spoelstra said.
It worked. The referees determined Butler hit Curry on the hand after the ball was gone; Butler said he also hit the ball first.
&ldquo;They had a high-five,&rdquo; referee Bill Kennedy said.
Said Curry: &ldquo;You've got to be allowed to finish your motion. ... There was a lot of contact. But what do I know about calls?"
The Warriors didn't score again, and lost a game they led by 10 in the second half. Golden State&rsquo;s 20 turnovers were turned into 28 Heat points &mdash; three of those turnovers being discontinued dribble calls against Jordan Poole.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr said the NBA sent out an email Tuesday about that infraction. He didn't read it.
&ldquo;The whole league does that," Kerr said. &ldquo;They&rsquo;ve been doing it ever since Allen Iverson convinced the referees that it wasn&rsquo;t a carry. It is a carry. What Jordan does is a carry. But the whole league&rsquo;s been doing it. I guess I have to start checking my email on game days.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Warriors: Curry extended his NBA-record streak of regular-season games with a 3-pointer to 197. He also owns the second-longest streak (157). ... The Warriors took 49 shots from 3-point range, 35 shots from 2-point range. ... Poole was minus-23 in 30 minutes.
Heat: Lowry hit his 1,989th 3-pointer, passing Jason Kidd for 12th in NBA history. ... Spoelstra is now 6-2 on his birthday. ... Miami lost Tyler Herro midway through the second quarter after he got poked in the left eye by Golden State&rsquo;s Moses Moody on a rebound. Herro said he lost vision briefly, but it was back by postgame. ... The Heat were 20 for 20 from the line, tying the second-most without a miss in team history. They were 30 for 30 against Boston in 1993.
STILL OUT
Miami teammates Victor Oladipo (left knee) and Omer Yurtseven (left ankle), and Golden State&rsquo;s Andre Iguodala (left hip) all remained out. None have played this season.
Iguodala played in 109 games for Miami, helped it to the 2020 NBA Finals and hasn&rsquo;t faced the Heat since. Barring an NBA Finals matchup this season, he&rsquo;ll retire having played 45 games against Miami.
ON TO 2023
Heat-Warriors was the first season series to be completed in the NBA this season. The season series between the Heat and Sacramento ends Wednesday.

MIAMI (AP) &mdash; Upon review, Miami coach Erik Spoelstra had a good birthday. Jimmy Butler made sure of that.
Butler scored five straight points late to give Miami the lead, Max Strus led everyone with 24 and the Heat overcame a triple-double from Stephen Curry to beat the Golden State Warriors 116-109 on Tuesday night.
&ldquo;Huge for our confidence,&rdquo; Strus said.
Butler scored 23 points, including a go-ahead three-point play with 1:48 left. Bam Adebayo scored 19, Duncan Robinson had 17 and Kyle Lowry 13 for Miami, which won on Spoelstra's 52nd birthday.
Curry had 23 points, 13 rebounds and 13 assists for the Warriors (3-5), who dropped their third straight and are 0-4 on the road. Andrew Wiggins added 21 points and Klay Thompson scored 19.
&ldquo;I thought our energy was better at times," Golden State's Draymond Green said. &ldquo;But we've still got to put it together and win games."
Curry had his 10th regular season triple-double. But a call that went Miami's way denied him a chance to tie the game with 1:39 left.
Curry was hit on the hand by Butler as he tried a 3-pointer, with the Warriors down three. A foul was called, and Butler argued. That convinced Spoelstra to challenge the call.
&ldquo;Just kind of went on a leap of faith," Spoelstra said.
It worked. The referees determined Butler hit Curry on the hand after the ball was gone; Butler said he also hit the ball first.
&ldquo;They had a high-five,&rdquo; referee Bill Kennedy said.
Said Curry: &ldquo;You've got to be allowed to finish your motion. ... There was a lot of contact. But what do I know about calls?"
The Warriors didn't score again, and lost a game they led by 10 in the second half. Golden State&rsquo;s 20 turnovers were turned into 28 Heat points &mdash; three of those turnovers being discontinued dribble calls against Jordan Poole.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr said the NBA sent out an email Tuesday about that infraction. He didn't read it.
&ldquo;The whole league does that," Kerr said. &ldquo;They&rsquo;ve been doing it ever since Allen Iverson convinced the referees that it wasn&rsquo;t a carry. It is a carry. What Jordan does is a carry. But the whole league&rsquo;s been doing it. I guess I have to start checking my email on game days.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Warriors: Curry extended his NBA-record streak of regular-season games with a 3-pointer to 197. He also owns the second-longest streak (157). ... The Warriors took 49 shots from 3-point range, 35 shots from 2-point range. ... Poole was minus-23 in 30 minutes.
Heat: Lowry hit his 1,989th 3-pointer, passing Jason Kidd for 12th in NBA history. ... Spoelstra is now 6-2 on his birthday. ... Miami lost Tyler Herro midway through the second quarter after he got poked in the left eye by Golden State&rsquo;s Moses Moody on a rebound. Herro said he lost vision briefly, but it was back by postgame. ... The Heat were 20 for 20 from the line, tying the second-most without a miss in team history. They were 30 for 30 against Boston in 1993.
STILL OUT
Miami teammates Victor Oladipo (left knee) and Omer Yurtseven (left ankle), and Golden State&rsquo;s Andre Iguodala (left hip) all remained out. None have played this season.
Iguodala played in 109 games for Miami, helped it to the 2020 NBA Finals and hasn&rsquo;t faced the Heat since. Barring an NBA Finals matchup this season, he&rsquo;ll retire having played 45 games against Miami.
ON TO 2023
Heat-Warriors was the first season series to be completed in the NBA this season. The season series between the Heat and Sacramento ends Wednesday.

Jimmy Butler scored 23 points, including a go-ahead three-point late, and the Miami Heat beat the Golden State Warriors 116-109.

Butler takes over late, Heat rally past Warriors 116-109

Creighton has its best preseason ranking ever thanks in part to the big victory it earned in the transfer portal.
Baylor Scheierman&rsquo;s decision to return to his home state and play for Creighton after three stellar seasons at South Dakota State gave Creighton one of the nation&rsquo;s more versatile players.
Scheierman, a first-team all-Summit League selection each of the last two years, was the only Division I player last season to lead his conference in both rebounds (7.8) and assists (4.5). He was a finalist for the Lou Henson Award given annually to the nation&rsquo;s top mid-major player.
South Dakota State went 68-22 in Scheierman&rsquo;s three seasons, including a 30-5 mark last season that included an NCAA Tournament appearance.
Now he&rsquo;s taking his game to the Big East.
&ldquo;It was definitely a tough decision,&rdquo; Scheierman told reporters. &ldquo;Obviously, being there for three years and winning as much as we did, the relationships were pretty strong. This was a move for me individually, hoping to reach my dreams of playing in the NBA.&rdquo;
Scheierman, who is from Aurora, Nebraska, showed his ability to deal with Big East competition in his final game at South Dakota State. The 6-foot-7 guard collected 18 points and 10 rebounds in an NCAA Tournament loss to Providence.
His addition has helped Creighton earn a No. 9 ranking in the preseason AP Top 25. The Bluejays also return three players who averaged at least 10 points last season in Ryan Kalkbrenner, Arthur Kaluma and Ryan Nembhard.
&ldquo;He can score the basketball, but he&rsquo;s an elite, elite passer,&rdquo; Creighton coach Greg McDermott said. &ldquo;Adding that to what we already had returning is quite a skill to add to this group.&rdquo;
Scheierman is one of the more notable players switching teams this season (former schools are included in parentheses):
MEMPHIS G KENDRIC DAVIS (SMU)
Davis will try to defend his American Athletic Conference player of the year title at a different school. The 6-footer led the AAC with 19.4 points per game at SMU and also ranked third in the league in assists (4.4) at SMU last season.
KANSAS STATE F KEYONTAE JOHNSON (Florida)
Johnson was the Southeastern Conference&rsquo;s preseason player of the year in 2020-21 but collapsed during a game in December 2020 and hasn&rsquo;t played since. This season marks his comeback with a new team. Johnson was an Associated Press second-team all-SEC selection in 2019-20. He had 14 points and 7.1 rebounds per game that season.
NORTH CAROLINA F PETE NANCE (Northwestern)
Nance never got to play in an NCAA Tournament for Northwestern but the 6-foot-11 graduate student now gets a chance to play for the top-ranked Tar Heels, who reached the national championship game last season. Nance, the son of former NBA player Larry Nance, had 14.6 points and 6.5 rebounds per game last season while shooting 45.2% from 3-point range.
MIAMI G NIJEL PACK (Kansas State)
This 6-footer earned first-team all-Big 12 honors last season and was named the conference&rsquo;s most improved player. He averaged 17.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.3 steals. He also made 95 3-pointers and shot 43.6% from beyond the arc. Pack was one of seven Division I players to score at least 17 points per game while shooting at least 43% from 3-point range.
GONZAGA G MALACHI SMITH (Chattanooga)
Smith was the Southern Conference player of the year and won the Lou Henson Award as the nation&rsquo;s top mid-major performer last season. He had 19.9 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3 assists and 1.7 steals per game while helping Chattanooga reach the NCAA Tournament.
LSU F KJ WILLIAMS (Murray State)
This 6-10 forward followed coach Matt McMahon from Murray State to LSU after leading the Ohio Valley Conference in scoring (18.0 ppg) and ranked second in the league in rebounding (8.4) last season. He had 18 points and seven rebounds as Murray State defeated San Francisco in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. Williams averaged 13.7 points for Murray State in 2019-20 and 15.6 points in 2020-21.&nbsp;

Creighton has its best preseason ranking ever thanks in part to the big victory it earned in the transfer portal.

Creighton’s Baylor Scheierman tops list of impact transfers

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) &mdash; Arizona guard Courtney Ramey will be suspended the first three games of the season for participating in a non-certified per-draft camp last spring.
The school announced Monday that Ramey lost an appeal for taking part in the seniors-only Portsmouth Invitational in April.
Ramey will be able to play in No. 18 Arizona&rsquo;s exhibition game against Western Oregon on Tuesday, but will have to sit out games against Nicholls, Southern and Utah Tech.
The Portsmouth Invitational was designed for seniors who had exhausted their college eligibility, but Ramey&rsquo;s participation was a bit of a gray area because the NCAA gave players an extra COVID-19 year. The camp was not played the past two years due to COVID-19 concerns.
A fifth-year senior, Ramey is expected to play a big role for Arizona this season after transferring from Texas, where he spent most of the past four years as a starter.

Courtney Ramey will be suspended the first three games of the season for participating in a non-certified per-draft camp last spring.

No. 18 Arizona’s Courtney Ramey suspended first three games

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) &mdash; Former Kansas and New Mexico forward Gethro Muscadin died late Monday from injuries he sustained in a single-car rollover crash in December, Jayhawks coach Bill Self announced Tuesday.
&ldquo;Although only here one year,&rdquo; Self said, &ldquo;Gethro was loved and liked by all and will always be remembered as a Jayhawk. We wish his family and loved ones the best going through this most difficult time.&rdquo;
Muscadin, 22, grew up in the seaside city of Gonaives, Haiti, and moved to the U.S. in 2006 to pursue basketball. He played at Sunrise Christian Academy and Life Prep Academy, both in Kansas, along with Aspire Academy in Kentucky, where he grew into a four-star prospect that had scholarship offers from a number of high-major programs.
The 6-foot-10 center chose the Jayhawks and appeared in 11 games during the 2020-21 season, including a loss to Southern California in the NCAA Tournament, and was teammates with many on last season&rsquo;s national championship team.
Muscadin transferred to New Mexico after the season, starting nine of 12 games and averaging 9.3 points before leaving the program last December. At the time, Lobos coach Richard Pitino called it a mutual decision to part ways.
Muscadin had returned to Kansas to watch the Jayhawks play Nevada and was traveling to Wichita afterward when the crash happened on a stretch of interstate. According to the Kansas Highway Patrol, Muscadin was not wearing a seatbelt when the vehicle &ldquo;went off the road, rolled multiple times, and came to rest on the fence line&rdquo; south of Topeka.
Self said Muscadin, who turned 22 in August, had been in a &ldquo;non-responsive state&rdquo; since the crash.
The driver, Alaceyia Howard, was hospitalized with minor injuries from the crash.
&ldquo;The Lobo community is saddened today by the passing of former New Mexico basketball player Gethro Muscadin,&rdquo; the program tweeted Tuesday. &ldquo;Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends during this time.&rdquo;

Muscadin died late Monday from injuries he sustained in a single-car rollover crash in December, Bill Self announced Tuesday.

Gethro Muscadin, ex-Kansas, New Mexico forward, passes away at 22

DENVER (AP) — A year ago, Mike Conley Jr. was on a team mentioned as a championship contender. This year, the Utah Jazz aren't in that conversation.
That doesn't change Conley's approach.
“We're trying to win every day," Conley said.
So far, the Jazz are winning more days than not. And two weeks into the NBA season, there are some surprises — some good, some bad, with the Jazz finding themselves on the more fun side of that ledger.
Conley and the Jazz are off to a 6-2 start after Monday's win over Memphis. Gregg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs are 5-2, which matches the team's best start since they were 6-1 on the way to winning the NBA title in the 2013-14 season.
If the Jazz and Spurs were tanking, they’re definitely doing it wrong.
Not even the lure of landing the winning lottery ticket that will provide 7-foot-3 French teen Victor Wembanyama — who has skills often compared to Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Dirk Nowitzki — is enough to get the Jazz and Spurs to try and not win. Quite the contrary. They're playing hard, playing the right way, playing defense and it's working.
“They’re young enough they don’t know any better,” <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlVe8bhr2p4">Popovich said</a> of his squad. “They just keep playing hard. ... They’re pretty much obeying the basketball gods, doing all the simple things that help win games.”
They should be feeling pretty happy in a couple other cities, too. Cleveland was 5-1 entering Monday, as was Portland. On the flip side of the surprise coin — Brooklyn was 2-5, the Los Angeles Lakers started 0-5 before getting their first win, and Miami is 2-5 entering a game Tuesday against Golden State. The reigning champs aren’t exactly setting the world ablaze either, off to a 3-4 start.
It’s early. There’s almost a whole season left to go. But San Antonio and Utah are surprising just about everybody so far — well, everybody except themselves.
“We just do our job,” Conley said. “At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what people say.”
It wasn't uncommon to think the Jazz and Spurs might be among the teams that vie to be among the odds-on favorites for Wembanyama (the bottom three teams each <a href="https://www.nba.com/news/nba-draft-lottery-explainer">have a 14% probability</a> to land the No 1 pick). The Spurs are extremely young and feature a lineup consisting of hardly household names. The Jazz spent the summer trading away three of their biggest pieces in Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert and Bojan Bogdanovic. 
“For some reason, the league goes, ‘Oh, Utah is tanking because they got rid of Donovan and Rudy and Bogdanovic,’” Nuggets coach Michael Malone recently said. “Tell Mike Conley that. Tell Jordan Clarkson that. Tell Lauri Markkanen that. Those guys are NBA players and have played in a lot of big games. They’re playing hard. They’re getting out and running and they’re defending.”
Credit should go to Utah coach Will Hardy, who was mentored by Popovich. Among the lessons Hardy picked up from Popovich — his former boss in San Antonio, before Hardy spent last season as an assistant in Boston — was the art of fostering relationships.
“He taps into that human element very, very well,” said Hardy, who spent 11 seasons with Popovich and the Spurs, including five as an assistant coach. “For all of his greatness from an X's-and-O's standpoint or an in-game coaching standpoint, it’s all the stuff he does in-between games, on the human side, that for me separates him.”
Hardy's team has quickly picked up on the building cohesion part. An illustration: The Jazz all recently gathered in a room in New Orleans during a trip and “just chilled, and had fun,” explained Malik Beasley, who was acquired as <a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-timberwolves-utah-jazz-nba-sports-26b3c07948dc5cd6e28b8f7da887517f">part of the massive deal this offseason that sent Gobert to Minnesota</a>. On plane rides, they've been known meet in a group to chat and break down game film.
“We have a great vibe," <a href="https://www.nba.com/jazz/videos/malik-beasley-no-matter-what-coach-wants-me-to-do-im-going-to-be-the-best-at-that-role">Beasley added</a>. "It’s going to be fun to go to where we want to go to.”
Which, so far, is north in the standings, not south. 
“We’re tired of people being surprised,” Beasley said. “We’re a good team, too."
The Jazz remain a huge longshot to win the NBA title this season, according to <a href="https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/navigation/nba?tab=nba-finals">FanDuel Sportsbook</a>. The same applies to Orlando, Oklahoma City, Indiana, Houston, Sacramento, Detroit and San Antonio. All of those clubs are the ones expected to be in the running for the No. 1 pick and the chance at Wembanyama. 
Not that the Spurs and Jazz have been paying any attention. Or caring what others believe. Popovich has a bunch of kids playing like seasoned vets.
“I don’t think they even know what the capital of Texas is,” Popovich cracked. “But I don’t care."
Added Spurs guard/forward <a href="https://twitter.com/spurs/status/1586915869405462528">Keldon Johnson</a>, who was part of the team that won Olympic gold at the Tokyo Games in 2021: “We’re playing great team basketball. We’re making each other better. It’s fun playing basketball that way.”
___
AP Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds and AP freelance writer Mike Cranston contributed.
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

DENVER (AP) &mdash; A year ago, Mike Conley Jr. was on a team mentioned as a championship contender. This year, the Utah Jazz aren't in that conversation.
That doesn't change Conley's approach.
&ldquo;We're trying to win every day," Conley said.
So far, the Jazz are winning more days than not. And two weeks into the NBA season, there are some surprises &mdash; some good, some bad, with the Jazz finding themselves on the more fun side of that ledger.
Conley and the Jazz are off to a 6-2 start after Monday's win over Memphis. Gregg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs are 5-2, which matches the team's best start since they were 6-1 on the way to winning the NBA title in the 2013-14 season.
If the Jazz and Spurs were tanking, they&rsquo;re definitely doing it wrong.
Not even the lure of landing the winning lottery ticket that will provide 7-foot-3 French teen Victor Wembanyama &mdash; who has skills often compared to Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Dirk Nowitzki &mdash; is enough to get the Jazz and Spurs to try and not win. Quite the contrary. They're playing hard, playing the right way, playing defense and it's working.
&ldquo;They&rsquo;re young enough they don&rsquo;t know any better,&rdquo; <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlVe8bhr2p4">Popovich said</a> of his squad. &ldquo;They just keep playing hard. ... They&rsquo;re pretty much obeying the basketball gods, doing all the simple things that help win games.&rdquo;
They should be feeling pretty happy in a couple other cities, too. Cleveland was 5-1 entering Monday, as was Portland. On the flip side of the surprise coin &mdash; Brooklyn was 2-5, the Los Angeles Lakers started 0-5 before getting their first win, and Miami is 2-5 entering a game Tuesday against Golden State. The reigning champs aren&rsquo;t exactly setting the world ablaze either, off to a 3-4 start.
It&rsquo;s early. There&rsquo;s almost a whole season left to go. But San Antonio and Utah are surprising just about everybody so far &mdash; well, everybody except themselves.
&ldquo;We just do our job,&rdquo; Conley said. &ldquo;At the end of the day, it doesn&rsquo;t matter what people say.&rdquo;
It wasn't uncommon to think the Jazz and Spurs might be among the teams that vie to be among the odds-on favorites for Wembanyama (the bottom three teams each <a href="https://www.nba.com/news/nba-draft-lottery-explainer">have a 14% probability</a> to land the No 1 pick). The Spurs are extremely young and feature a lineup consisting of hardly household names. The Jazz spent the summer trading away three of their biggest pieces in Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert and Bojan Bogdanovic.
&ldquo;For some reason, the league goes, &lsquo;Oh, Utah is tanking because they got rid of Donovan and Rudy and Bogdanovic,&rsquo;&rdquo; Nuggets coach Michael Malone recently said. &ldquo;Tell Mike Conley that. Tell Jordan Clarkson that. Tell Lauri Markkanen that. Those guys are NBA players and have played in a lot of big games. They&rsquo;re playing hard. They&rsquo;re getting out and running and they&rsquo;re defending.&rdquo;
Credit should go to Utah coach Will Hardy, who was mentored by Popovich. Among the lessons Hardy picked up from Popovich &mdash; his former boss in San Antonio, before Hardy spent last season as an assistant in Boston &mdash; was the art of fostering relationships.
&ldquo;He taps into that human element very, very well,&rdquo; said Hardy, who spent 11 seasons with Popovich and the Spurs, including five as an assistant coach. &ldquo;For all of his greatness from an X's-and-O's standpoint or an in-game coaching standpoint, it&rsquo;s all the stuff he does in-between games, on the human side, that for me separates him.&rdquo;
Hardy's team has quickly picked up on the building cohesion part. An illustration: The Jazz all recently gathered in a room in New Orleans during a trip and &ldquo;just chilled, and had fun,&rdquo; explained Malik Beasley, who was acquired as <a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-timberwolves-utah-jazz-nba-sports-26b3c07948dc5cd6e28b8f7da887517f">part of the massive deal this offseason that sent Gobert to Minnesota</a>. On plane rides, they've been known meet in a group to chat and break down game film.
&ldquo;We have a great vibe," <a href="https://www.nba.com/jazz/videos/malik-beasley-no-matter-what-coach-wants-me-to-do-im-going-to-be-the-best-at-that-role">Beasley added</a>. "It&rsquo;s going to be fun to go to where we want to go to.&rdquo;
Which, so far, is north in the standings, not south.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re tired of people being surprised,&rdquo; Beasley said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re a good team, too."
The Jazz remain a huge longshot to win the NBA title this season, according to <a href="https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/navigation/nba?tab=nba-finals">FanDuel Sportsbook</a>. The same applies to Orlando, Oklahoma City, Indiana, Houston, Sacramento, Detroit and San Antonio. All of those clubs are the ones expected to be in the running for the No. 1 pick and the chance at Wembanyama.
Not that the Spurs and Jazz have been paying any attention. Or caring what others believe. Popovich has a bunch of kids playing like seasoned vets.
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think they even know what the capital of Texas is,&rdquo; Popovich cracked. &ldquo;But I don&rsquo;t care."
Added Spurs guard/forward <a href="https://twitter.com/spurs/status/1586915869405462528">Keldon Johnson</a>, who was part of the team that won Olympic gold at the Tokyo Games in 2021: &ldquo;We&rsquo;re playing great team basketball. We&rsquo;re making each other better. It&rsquo;s fun playing basketball that way.&rdquo;
___
AP Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds and AP freelance writer Mike Cranston contributed.
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

DENVER (AP) &mdash; A year ago, Mike Conley Jr. was on a team mentioned as a championship contender. This year, the Utah Jazz aren't in that conversation.
That doesn't change Conley's approach.
&ldquo;We're trying to win every day," Conley said.
So far, the Jazz are winning more days than not. And two weeks into the NBA season, there are some surprises &mdash; some good, some bad, with the Jazz finding themselves on the more fun side of that ledger.
Conley and the Jazz are off to a 6-2 start after Monday's win over Memphis. Gregg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs are 5-2, which matches the team's best start since they were 6-1 on the way to winning the NBA title in the 2013-14 season.
If the Jazz and Spurs were tanking, they&rsquo;re definitely doing it wrong.
Not even the lure of landing the winning lottery ticket that will provide 7-foot-3 French teen Victor Wembanyama &mdash; who has skills often compared to Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Dirk Nowitzki &mdash; is enough to get the Jazz and Spurs to try and not win. Quite the contrary. They're playing hard, playing the right way, playing defense and it's working.
&ldquo;They&rsquo;re young enough they don&rsquo;t know any better,&rdquo; <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlVe8bhr2p4">Popovich said</a> of his squad. &ldquo;They just keep playing hard. ... They&rsquo;re pretty much obeying the basketball gods, doing all the simple things that help win games.&rdquo;
They should be feeling pretty happy in a couple other cities, too. Cleveland was 5-1 entering Monday, as was Portland. On the flip side of the surprise coin &mdash; Brooklyn was 2-5, the Los Angeles Lakers started 0-5 before getting their first win, and Miami is 2-5 entering a game Tuesday against Golden State. The reigning champs aren&rsquo;t exactly setting the world ablaze either, off to a 3-4 start.
It&rsquo;s early. There&rsquo;s almost a whole season left to go. But San Antonio and Utah are surprising just about everybody so far &mdash; well, everybody except themselves.
&ldquo;We just do our job,&rdquo; Conley said. &ldquo;At the end of the day, it doesn&rsquo;t matter what people say.&rdquo;
It wasn't uncommon to think the Jazz and Spurs might be among the teams that vie to be among the odds-on favorites for Wembanyama (the bottom three teams each <a href="https://www.nba.com/news/nba-draft-lottery-explainer">have a 14% probability</a> to land the No 1 pick). The Spurs are extremely young and feature a lineup consisting of hardly household names. The Jazz spent the summer trading away three of their biggest pieces in Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert and Bojan Bogdanovic.
&ldquo;For some reason, the league goes, &lsquo;Oh, Utah is tanking because they got rid of Donovan and Rudy and Bogdanovic,&rsquo;&rdquo; Nuggets coach Michael Malone recently said. &ldquo;Tell Mike Conley that. Tell Jordan Clarkson that. Tell Lauri Markkanen that. Those guys are NBA players and have played in a lot of big games. They&rsquo;re playing hard. They&rsquo;re getting out and running and they&rsquo;re defending.&rdquo;
Credit should go to Utah coach Will Hardy, who was mentored by Popovich. Among the lessons Hardy picked up from Popovich &mdash; his former boss in San Antonio, before Hardy spent last season as an assistant in Boston &mdash; was the art of fostering relationships.
&ldquo;He taps into that human element very, very well,&rdquo; said Hardy, who spent 11 seasons with Popovich and the Spurs, including five as an assistant coach. &ldquo;For all of his greatness from an X's-and-O's standpoint or an in-game coaching standpoint, it&rsquo;s all the stuff he does in-between games, on the human side, that for me separates him.&rdquo;
Hardy's team has quickly picked up on the building cohesion part. An illustration: The Jazz all recently gathered in a room in New Orleans during a trip and &ldquo;just chilled, and had fun,&rdquo; explained Malik Beasley, who was acquired as <a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-timberwolves-utah-jazz-nba-sports-26b3c07948dc5cd6e28b8f7da887517f">part of the massive deal this offseason that sent Gobert to Minnesota</a>. On plane rides, they've been known meet in a group to chat and break down game film.
&ldquo;We have a great vibe," <a href="https://www.nba.com/jazz/videos/malik-beasley-no-matter-what-coach-wants-me-to-do-im-going-to-be-the-best-at-that-role">Beasley added</a>. "It&rsquo;s going to be fun to go to where we want to go to.&rdquo;
Which, so far, is north in the standings, not south.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re tired of people being surprised,&rdquo; Beasley said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re a good team, too."
The Jazz remain a huge longshot to win the NBA title this season, according to <a href="https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/navigation/nba?tab=nba-finals">FanDuel Sportsbook</a>. The same applies to Orlando, Oklahoma City, Indiana, Houston, Sacramento, Detroit and San Antonio. All of those clubs are the ones expected to be in the running for the No. 1 pick and the chance at Wembanyama.
Not that the Spurs and Jazz have been paying any attention. Or caring what others believe. Popovich has a bunch of kids playing like seasoned vets.
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think they even know what the capital of Texas is,&rdquo; Popovich cracked. &ldquo;But I don&rsquo;t care."
Added Spurs guard/forward <a href="https://twitter.com/spurs/status/1586915869405462528">Keldon Johnson</a>, who was part of the team that won Olympic gold at the Tokyo Games in 2021: &ldquo;We&rsquo;re playing great team basketball. We&rsquo;re making each other better. It&rsquo;s fun playing basketball that way.&rdquo;
___
AP Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds and AP freelance writer Mike Cranston contributed.

DENVER (AP) &mdash; A year ago, Mike Conley Jr. was on a team mentioned as a championship contender. This year, the Utah Jazz aren't in that conversation.
That doesn't change Conley's approach.
&ldquo;We're trying to win every day," Conley said.
So far, the Jazz are winning more days than not. And two weeks into the NBA season, there are some surprises &mdash; some good, some bad, with the Jazz finding themselves on the more fun side of that ledger.
Conley and the Jazz are off to a 6-2 start after Monday's win over Memphis. Gregg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs are 5-2, which matches the team's best start since they were 6-1 on the way to winning the NBA title in the 2013-14 season.
If the Jazz and Spurs are tanking, they&rsquo;re definitely doing it wrong.
Not even the lure of landing the winning lottery ticket that will provide 7-foot-3 French teen Victor Wembanyama &mdash; who has skills often compared to Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Dirk Nowitzki &mdash; is enough to get the Jazz and Spurs to try and not win. Quite the contrary. They're playing hard, playing the right way, playing defense and it's working.
&ldquo;They&rsquo;re young enough they don&rsquo;t know any better,&rdquo; <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlVe8bhr2p4">Popovich said</a> of his squad. &ldquo;They just keep playing hard. ... They&rsquo;re pretty much obeying the basketball gods, doing all the simple things that help win games.&rdquo;
They should be feeling pretty happy in a couple other cities, too. Cleveland was 5-1 entering Monday, as was Portland. On the flip side of the surprise coin &mdash; Brooklyn was 2-5, the Los Angeles Lakers started 0-5 before getting their first win, and Miami is 2-5 entering a game Tuesday against Golden State. The reigning champs aren&rsquo;t exactly setting the world ablaze either, off to a 3-4 start.
It&rsquo;s early. There&rsquo;s almost a whole season left to go. But San Antonio and Utah are surprising just about everybody so far &mdash; well, everybody except themselves.
&ldquo;We just do our job,&rdquo; Conley said. &ldquo;At the end of the day, it doesn&rsquo;t matter what people say.&rdquo;
It wasn't uncommon to think the Jazz and Spurs might be among the teams that vie to be among the odds-on favorites for Wembanyama (the bottom three teams each <a href="https://www.nba.com/news/nba-draft-lottery-explainer">have a 14% probability</a> to land the No 1 pick). The Spurs are extremely young and feature a lineup consisting of hardly household names. The Jazz spent the summer trading away three of their biggest pieces in Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert and Bojan Bogdanovic.
&ldquo;For some reason, the league goes, &lsquo;Oh, Utah is tanking because they got rid of Donovan and Rudy and Bogdanovic,&rsquo;&rdquo; Nuggets coach Michael Malone recently said. &ldquo;Tell Mike Conley that. Tell Jordan Clarkson that. Tell Lauri Markkanen that. Those guys are NBA players and have played in a lot of big games. They&rsquo;re playing hard. They&rsquo;re getting out and running and they&rsquo;re defending.&rdquo;
Credit should go to Utah coach Will Hardy, who was mentored by Popovich. Among the lessons Hardy picked up from Popovich &mdash; his former boss in San Antonio, before Hardy spent last season as an assistant in Boston &mdash; was the art of fostering relationships.
&ldquo;He taps into that human element very, very well,&rdquo; said Hardy, who spent 11 seasons with Popovich and the Spurs, including five as an assistant coach. &ldquo;For all of his greatness from an X's-and-O's standpoint or an in-game coaching standpoint, it&rsquo;s all the stuff he does in-between games, on the human side, that for me separates him.&rdquo;
Hardy's team has quickly picked up on the building cohesion part. An illustration: The Jazz all recently gathered in a room in New Orleans during a trip and &ldquo;just chilled, and had fun,&rdquo; explained Malik Beasley, who was acquired as <a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-timberwolves-utah-jazz-nba-sports-26b3c07948dc5cd6e28b8f7da887517f">part of the massive deal this offseason that sent Gobert to Minnesota</a>. On plane rides, they've been known meet in a group to chat and break down game film.
&ldquo;We have a great vibe," <a href="https://www.nba.com/jazz/videos/malik-beasley-no-matter-what-coach-wants-me-to-do-im-going-to-be-the-best-at-that-role">Beasley added</a>. "It&rsquo;s going to be fun to go to where we want to go to.&rdquo;
Which, so far, is north in the standings, not south.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re tired of people being surprised,&rdquo; Beasley said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re a good team, too."
The Jazz remain a huge longshot to win the NBA title this season, according to <a href="https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/navigation/nba?tab=nba-finals">FanDuel Sportsbook</a>. The same applies to Orlando, Oklahoma City, Indiana, Houston, Sacramento, Detroit and San Antonio. All of those clubs are the ones expected to be in the running for the No. 1 pick and the chance at Wembanyama.
Not that the Spurs and Jazz have been paying any attention. Or caring what others believe. Popovich has a bunch of kids playing like seasoned vets.
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think they even know what the capital of Texas is,&rdquo; Popovich cracked. &ldquo;But I don&rsquo;t care."
Added Spurs guard/forward <a href="https://twitter.com/spurs/status/1586915869405462528">Keldon Johnson</a>, who was part of the team that won Olympic gold at the Tokyo Games in 2021: &ldquo;We&rsquo;re playing great team basketball. We&rsquo;re making each other better. It&rsquo;s fun playing basketball that way.&rdquo;
___
AP Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds and AP freelance writer Mike Cranston contributed.

If the Jazz and Spurs are tanking, they’re definitely doing it wrong.

Jazz, Spurs off to surprising fast starts in West

If the latest spasm of conference realignment in college sports was supposed to spell doom for the Big 12 or Pac-12 &mdash; or for any other conference, for that matter &mdash; somebody forgot to tell the basketball coaches.
In college hoops, where virtually all success is measured by how a team, or conference, fares in March Madness, the 2022-23 campaign about to tip off looks a lot like business as usual.
With football-driven realignment joining the rapidly expanding transfer portal and the players&rsquo; newfound and meagerly regulated ability to make money off their celebrity, the postseason NCAA tournaments, men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s, are, more than ever, the glue that holds the increasingly fractured fabric of college sports together.
&ldquo;At the end of the day, you play for the tournament,&rdquo; Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim said recently in summing up the bottom line of any college basketball season. &ldquo;If you can&rsquo;t play in the tournament, then you&rsquo;re not good.&rdquo;
In football, even after the announcement that the postseason will expand to 12 teams by 2026, a conference title has and will always be the most direct route to one of the few coveted spots in the playoff.
In basketball, whether a team wins a conference regular-season title, a conference tournament title or no conference title at all has little bearing on what the final verdict will be. Of the past 10 national champions, only three won their conference tournament. Hardly anybody, for instance, thinks of St. Peter&rsquo;s as the MAAC champion but anyone following the sport knows the Peacocks made it to the Elite Eight last year.
The same is true whether a team hails from the West Coast Conference (where Gonzaga is a major power every year) or the Big 12 or Pac-12, which appeared to be among the so-called &ldquo;losers&rdquo; in the most recent shuffling of teams to new conferences.
Last summer, Texas and Oklahoma announced they would be leaving the Big 12 to join the SEC. This summer, UCLA and Southern California said they were leaving the Pac-12 for the Big Ten.
Shortly after the Big Ten expansion was announced, the conference cut a seven-year media rights deal worth more than $7 billion. The SEC will make about $7 billion over the next 10 years. Over the weekend, the Big 12 agreed to a six-year contract extension for its media rights worth more than $2 billion through 2030-31.
Though there will only be room for one or two teams from each conference, the expanded football playoff could be worth more than $2 billion in media rights for 11 games. That would be about double what the basketball rights are worth in annual terms (and not distributed to as many conferences or programs).
It explains the reason for the moves, but does not necessarily portend the end of the Big 12 or Pac-12.
A lot of that is thanks to March Madness. Letting small guys go against the behemoths in a 68-team bracket each season remains an ingeniously simple idea &mdash; one that has left the bottom line in basketball, at least on the court, largely the same despite steady changes to the business model.
&ldquo;You don&rsquo;t need football to have a good basketball program,&rdquo; Baylor coach Scott Drew said. &ldquo;It does help financially. It does help in recruiting, because people want to have a good football program to go watch and support. But you can do it without, as well. That&rsquo;s been proven.&rdquo;
In fact, the Big 12 heads into the 2022-23 season as the top-ranked basketball conference in the nation, on the strength of the last two national champions (Kansas and Baylor), a stacked team at Texas (still in the league for now), a strong TCU team and perennial contenders such as Kansas State and West Virginia. As of last week, for what it&rsquo;s worth, the conference had three football teams ranked in the AP Top 25.
And coming soon to the Big 12, after the latest round of realignment is complete, are Cincinnati and Houston &mdash; a pair of brand names in basketball; the Cougars were in the Final Four two seasons ago.
The Pac-12 does not have the same depth, but even after it loses the two SoCal teams, it will still have a perennial powerhouse in Arizona, a 21st century Goliath in Oregon and at least one program enjoying a mini-renaissance in Colorado; neither Arizona nor Colorado have been powerhouses in football for decades.
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t lose any sleep over what conference we&rsquo;re going to be in, or what could happen,&rdquo; said CU coach Tad Boyle. &ldquo;Because the University of Colorado is a great academic institution. We&rsquo;ve got a great brand name.&rdquo;
It&rsquo;s a brand name that has shown up in the bracket in five of the last 10 tournaments &mdash; hardly the stuff of North Carolina or Duke, but enough to keep it relevant, even in an era in which the football program has struggled to 13 victories over the past 3 1/2 seasons.
Which is still 13 more victories than Gonzaga has because Gonzaga does not play football.
The Zags open yet another season as a favorite to make the Final Four. A few years ago, with the football-playing Mountain West Conference perennially knocking on the door, Gonzaga cut a deal with the WCC: It would stay in the hoops-only league if, instead of splitting things evenly, the conference would give the Zags a bigger share of its NCAA tournament proceeds based on how they performed in March.
&ldquo;We just felt that the more you advance, the bigger the amount should become,&rdquo; then-athletic director Mike Roth said, &ldquo;because at that point, it&rsquo;s not about the conference, it&rsquo;s the school that&rsquo;s earning it.&rdquo;
Unlike football, where Alabama, Georgia and LSU are intrinsically linked to the SEC and all the advantages that conference offers on the gridiron, when people think &ldquo;Duke, or &ldquo;Kansas&rdquo; or &ldquo;Gonzaga&rdquo; they don&rsquo;t think as much about a conference.
Unlike football, where wins in the Auburn-Alabama, Ohio State-Michigan, Texas-Oklahoma or UCLA-USC games can define a season for a program, regardless of the postseason, there is hardly ever such meaning attached to a regular-season meeting in basketball outside of Tobacco Road.
Nobody articulates it better than Boeheim, a 47-year coaching veteran whose program moved from the Big East to the ACC in 2013. Since then, the Orange have been to five tournaments, three Sweet 16s and one Final Four. Not once did they get a piece of either the regular-season or conference-tournament titles.
So, while Boeheim, like every college coach, was busy getting ready for his team&rsquo;s opener in November, it&rsquo;s not where the real focus of his season will be.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ll take the Sweet 16 if we finish&rdquo; sixth in the ACC, he said. &ldquo;Would I like to do better in the regular season? Sure. But I&rsquo;ll take that every year. We&rsquo;ve been very good in the tournament.&rdquo;
___
AP Sports Writers Ralph Russo and Pat Graham contributed to this report.&nbsp;

Postseason NCAA tournaments are now, more than ever, the glue that holds the increasingly fractured fabric of college sports together.

March Madness a bedrock in ever-changing college landscape

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Kevin Huerter scored 26 points, Davion Mitchell added 23 points including two clutch jumpers late in the game as the Sacramento Kings rallied from a 15-point halftime deficit to beat the Charlotte Hornets 115-108 for their second straight win.
Huerter and Mitchell combined to go 10 of 16 from 3-point range and Harrison Barnes added 14 points as the Kings outscored Charlotte 37-18 in the third quarter.
P.J. Washington, who scored 31 points in an upset win over the Golden State Warriors on Saturday night, again led the shorthanded Hornets in scoring with 28 points. Kelly Oubre Jr. added 16 for Charlotte.
Charlotte’s Jalen McDaniels knocked down a 3-pointer from the corner with 1:09 left to tie the game, but Mitchell immediately answered with a pullup 3-pointer and a 19-foot jumper on consecutive possessions to put the Kings up by five with 24.2 seconds left.
“I kind of knew I had a mismatch and I knew I could have got to the rim. But they played back and I just stepped up and hit the shot,” Mitchell said.
“He brings a leadership presence from the bench,” Kings coach Mike Brown said of Mitchell, who was 9 of 11 from the floor. “He brings an understanding of what his role is and embraces his role. He's a guy that I know anytime we call his number he is going to be ready to play.”
The Hornets turned the ball over 21 times resulting in 25 points for the Kings. Sacramento also lived at the foul line, making 24 of 28 free throws taking advantage of 31 fouls called on the Hornets.
“If we turn the ball over 21 times and foul like that, we're not gong to win," Hornets coach Steve Clifford said. "Every drive, we fouled. We kind of gifted them like 10 or 12 points.”
Like the Hornets, the Kings were coming off a big win Saturday night after beating the Miami Heat at home.
It didn't look good early for Sacramento as the Hornets shot 60.5% in the first half to build a 67-52 lead at the break with all five starters scoring in double figures.
But the Kings stormed back in third quarter, outscoring the Hornets 37-18 behind 12 points from Huerter, who broke free for some open jumpers. Matthew Dellavedova gave the Kings their first lead of the game with 3:43 left in the third quarter on a 3-pointer from the right wing.
The Hornets would battle back to take the lead in the fourth quarter before the Kings rallied again with Huerter and Keegan Murray banging home back-to-back 3s with 4 1/2 minutes to play.
“We are fighting," Mitchell said of the team's win streak. “We are a team that don't quit. We try to play 48 minutes.”
FOX'S INJURY
De'Aaron Fox only played nine minutes after knocking knees with a Hornets player in the first half. Kings coach Mike Brown said he'll know about Fox's injury on Tuesday but doesn't believe it is serious.
WASHINGTON'S UPRISING
Washington continued to take advantage of his elevation to the starting role with restricted free agent Miles Bridges still out of the league while dealing with domestic violence charges. Bridges led the Hornets in scoring last season and the team is waiting to see what happens legally before making any decision on Bridges' future.
“He played terrific and got us back in the game,” Clifford said.
Washington is averaging 15.3 points and 4.3 rebounds per game.
TIP INS
Kings: Domantas Sabonis had 16 rebounds before fouling out with 2:24 left in the game.
Hornets: Continued to play without LaMelo Ball (ankle), Terry Rozier (ankle) and Cody Martin (quad). ... Outscored Sacramento 54-34 in the paint.
UP NEXT
Kings: At Miami on Wednesday night.
Hornets: At Chicago on Wednesday night.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Kevin Huerter scored 26 points and the Sacramento Kings rallied from a 15-point deficit to beat the Charlotte Hornets 115-108.

Huerter, Mitchell propel Kings past Hornets 115-108

LOS ANGELES (AP) — With Kawhi Leonard's return nowhere in sight, Paul George is putting pressure on himself to carry the Los Angeles Clippers and their high expectations.
Despite turnovers down the stretch, George came up with two huge baskets to help the Clippers edge the Houston Rockets 95-93 on Monday night and snap a four-game losing streak.
“We're not playing the heavyweights right now,” George said. “The way we were losing these games, it was embarrassing. We've got to start to play better.”
The Clippers (3-4) again were without Leonard and John Wall. Leonard missed his fifth game and Wall sat out his second, both because of knee injury management.
“I take full responsibility for us and our record right now,” George said. “Regardless of who's in the lineup or who's not, I'm more than capable of going out and performing.”
<a href="https://www.nba.com/watch/video/paul-george-drops-the-incredible-jumper?plsrc=nba&amp;game-highlights=0022200102">George</a> hit a go-ahead jumper with six seconds remaining, finishing with 35 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. <a href="https://www.nba.com/watch/video/ivica-zubac-with-the-big-dunk?plsrc=nba&amp;game-highlights=0022200102">Ivica Zubac</a> added 16 points and 12 rebounds. He teamed with George to score 14 of the Clippers' 22 points in the fourth quarter, when they played a two-man pick and roll.
“That's one of our best plays with me and PG doing pick and rolls together,” Zubac said. “We couldn't make any shots but we attacked the paint.”
<a href="https://www.nba.com/watch/video/kenyon-martin-jr-jumps-through-the-roof-and-throws-it-down?plsrc=nba&amp;game-highlights=0022200102">K.J. Martin</a> scored 23 points off the bench to lead the Rockets (1-8), who dropped their fourth in a row.
<a href="https://www.nba.com/watch/video/paul-george-drops-the-huge-triple?plsrc=nba&amp;game-highlights=0022200102">George's 3-pointer</a> tied the game 93-all with 39 seconds remaining. That got fans on their feet for the final seconds. 
George stole the ball from former Clipper Eric Gordon. After another timeout, Reggie Jackson inbounded to George, who hit a jumper that gave the Clippers their first lead of the fourth quarter.
Gordon's shot missed at the buzzer and he gestured to indicate he thought he'd been fouled.
“We're a group that fights,” Houston coach Stephen Silas said. “We executed pretty good down the stretch.”
George had three costly turnovers in the final minutes after hitting a 3-pointer that drew the Clippers within two earlier in the fourth. His first led to a dunk by Kevin Porter Jr. After George's second turnover, he got called for an offensive foul.
“Bad turnovers, bad possessions,” George said, ticking off some of the Clippers' issues. “We're not shooting the ball well. That's going to come. Tonight, defensively, was a step in the right direction.”
George fed Zubac for a dunk that again got the Clippers within two. But Jalen Green answered with a basket to keep Houston ahead.
Martin, who finished four points off his career high, got hot late in the third and early in the fourth. Tari Eason and <a href="https://www.nba.com/watch/video/kenyon-martin-jr-with-the-emphatic-jam?plsrc=nba&amp;game-highlights=0022200102">Martin</a> combined to score 11 points in a row to put Houston back in front, 76-71, late in the third.
Martin had Houston's first five points of the fourth before missing two free throws with the Rockets clinging to a two-point lead.
The teams traded narrow leads in the third, when George scored 12 points.
TIP-INS
Rockets: Jae'Sean Tate reaggravated the ankle injury that forced him to miss the season's first four games. He's day-to-day and will be re-evaluated in Houston. 
Clippers: Robert Covington remains in the NBA's health and safety protocols. ... Los Angeles has won seven of its last eight against the Rockets.
STAYING HOME
Leonard won't be joining the Clippers for their quick two-game trip to Texas this week.
“He's frustrated. He wants to be out on the floor,” coach Tyronn Lue said. “Then not being on the floor, now you can't travel. He wants to travel, but the doctor says it's not the right thing to do right now with the stiffness (in his knee) and what he's going through.”
UP NEXT
The teams meet again Wednesday in Houston. 
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; With Kawhi Leonard's return nowhere in sight, Paul George is putting pressure on himself to carry the Los Angeles Clippers and their high expectations.
Despite turnovers down the stretch, George came up with two huge baskets to help the Clippers edge the Houston Rockets 95-93 on Monday night and snap a four-game losing streak.
&ldquo;We're not playing the heavyweights right now,&rdquo; George said. &ldquo;The way we were losing these games, it was embarrassing. We've got to start to play better.&rdquo;
The Clippers (3-4) again were without Leonard and John Wall. Leonard missed his fifth game and Wall sat out his second, both because of knee injury management.
&ldquo;I take full responsibility for us and our record right now,&rdquo; George said. &ldquo;Regardless of who's in the lineup or who's not, I'm more than capable of going out and performing.&rdquo;
<a href="https://www.nba.com/watch/video/paul-george-drops-the-incredible-jumper?plsrc=nba&amp;game-highlights=0022200102">George</a> hit a go-ahead jumper with six seconds remaining, finishing with 35 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. <a href="https://www.nba.com/watch/video/ivica-zubac-with-the-big-dunk?plsrc=nba&amp;game-highlights=0022200102">Ivica Zubac</a> added 16 points and 12 rebounds. He teamed with George to score 14 of the Clippers' 22 points in the fourth quarter, when they played a two-man pick and roll.
&ldquo;That's one of our best plays with me and PG doing pick and rolls together,&rdquo; Zubac said. &ldquo;We couldn't make any shots but we attacked the paint.&rdquo;
<a href="https://www.nba.com/watch/video/kenyon-martin-jr-jumps-through-the-roof-and-throws-it-down?plsrc=nba&amp;game-highlights=0022200102">K.J. Martin</a> scored 23 points off the bench to lead the Rockets (1-8), who dropped their fourth in a row.
<a href="https://www.nba.com/watch/video/paul-george-drops-the-huge-triple?plsrc=nba&amp;game-highlights=0022200102">George's 3-pointer</a> tied the game 93-all with 39 seconds remaining. That got fans on their feet for the final seconds.
George stole the ball from former Clipper Eric Gordon. After another timeout, Reggie Jackson inbounded to George, who hit a jumper that gave the Clippers their first lead of the fourth quarter.
Gordon's shot missed at the buzzer and he gestured to indicate he thought he'd been fouled.
&ldquo;We're a group that fights,&rdquo; Houston coach Stephen Silas said. &ldquo;We executed pretty good down the stretch.&rdquo;
George had three costly turnovers in the final minutes after hitting a 3-pointer that drew the Clippers within two earlier in the fourth. His first led to a dunk by Kevin Porter Jr. After George's second turnover, he got called for an offensive foul.
&ldquo;Bad turnovers, bad possessions,&rdquo; George said, ticking off some of the Clippers' issues. &ldquo;We're not shooting the ball well. That's going to come. Tonight, defensively, was a step in the right direction.&rdquo;
George fed Zubac for a dunk that again got the Clippers within two. But Jalen Green answered with a basket to keep Houston ahead.
Martin, who finished four points off his career high, got hot late in the third and early in the fourth. Tari Eason and <a href="https://www.nba.com/watch/video/kenyon-martin-jr-with-the-emphatic-jam?plsrc=nba&amp;game-highlights=0022200102">Martin</a> combined to score 11 points in a row to put Houston back in front, 76-71, late in the third.
Martin had Houston's first five points of the fourth before missing two free throws with the Rockets clinging to a two-point lead.
The teams traded narrow leads in the third, when George scored 12 points.
TIP-INS
Rockets: Jae'Sean Tate reaggravated the ankle injury that forced him to miss the season's first four games. He's day-to-day and will be re-evaluated in Houston.
Clippers: Robert Covington remains in the NBA's health and safety protocols. ... Los Angeles has won seven of its last eight against the Rockets.
STAYING HOME
Leonard won't be joining the Clippers for their quick two-game trip to Texas this week.
&ldquo;He's frustrated. He wants to be out on the floor,&rdquo; coach Tyronn Lue said. &ldquo;Then not being on the floor, now you can't travel. He wants to travel, but the doctor says it's not the right thing to do right now with the stiffness (in his knee) and what he's going through.&rdquo;
UP NEXT
The teams meet again Wednesday in Houston.
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; With Kawhi Leonard's return nowhere in sight, Paul George is putting pressure on himself to carry the Los Angeles Clippers and their high expectations.
Despite turnovers down the stretch, George came up with two huge baskets to help the Clippers edge the Houston Rockets 95-93 on Monday night and snap a four-game losing streak.
&ldquo;We're not playing the heavyweights right now,&rdquo; George said. &ldquo;The way we were losing these games, it was embarrassing. We've got to start to play better.&rdquo;
The Clippers (3-4) again were without Leonard and John Wall. Leonard missed his fifth game and Wall sat out his second, both because of knee injury management.
&ldquo;I take full responsibility for us and our record right now,&rdquo; George said. &ldquo;Regardless of who's in the lineup or who's not, I'm more than capable of going out and performing.&rdquo;
<a href="https://www.nba.com/watch/video/paul-george-drops-the-incredible-jumper?plsrc=nba&amp;game-highlights=0022200102">George</a> hit a go-ahead jumper with six seconds remaining, finishing with 35 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. <a href="https://www.nba.com/watch/video/ivica-zubac-with-the-big-dunk?plsrc=nba&amp;game-highlights=0022200102">Ivica Zubac</a> added 16 points and 12 rebounds. He teamed with George to score 14 of the Clippers' 22 points in the fourth quarter, when they played a two-man pick and roll.
&ldquo;That's one of our best plays with me and PG doing pick and rolls together,&rdquo; Zubac said. &ldquo;We couldn't make any shots but we attacked the paint.&rdquo;
<a href="https://www.nba.com/watch/video/kenyon-martin-jr-jumps-through-the-roof-and-throws-it-down?plsrc=nba&amp;game-highlights=0022200102">K.J. Martin</a> scored 23 points off the bench to lead the Rockets (1-8), who dropped their fourth in a row.
George's 3-pointer tied the game 93-all with 39 seconds remaining. That got fans on their feet for the final seconds.
George stole the ball from former Clipper Eric Gordon. After another timeout, Reggie Jackson inbounded to George, who hit a jumper that gave the Clippers their first lead of the fourth quarter.
Gordon's shot missed at the buzzer and he gestured to indicate he thought he'd been fouled.
&ldquo;We're a group that fights,&rdquo; Houston coach Stephen Silas said. &ldquo;We executed pretty good down the stretch.&rdquo;
George had three costly turnovers in the final minutes after hitting a 3-pointer that drew the Clippers within two earlier in the fourth. His first led to a dunk by Kevin Porter Jr. After George's second turnover, he got called for an offensive foul.
&ldquo;Bad turnovers, bad possessions,&rdquo; George said, ticking off some of the Clippers' issues. &ldquo;We're not shooting the ball well. That's going to come. Tonight, defensively, was a step in the right direction.&rdquo;
George fed Zubac for a dunk that again got the Clippers within two. But Jalen Green answered with a basket to keep Houston ahead.
Martin, who finished four points off his career high, got hot late in the third and early in the fourth. Tari Eason and <a href="https://www.nba.com/watch/video/kenyon-martin-jr-with-the-emphatic-jam?plsrc=nba&amp;game-highlights=0022200102">Martin</a> combined to score 11 points in a row to put Houston back in front, 76-71, late in the third.
Martin had Houston's first five points of the fourth before missing two free throws with the Rockets clinging to a two-point lead.
The teams traded narrow leads in the third, when George scored 12 points.
TIP-INS
Rockets: Jae'Sean Tate reaggravated the ankle injury that forced him to miss the season's first four games. He's day-to-day and will be re-evaluated in Houston.
Clippers: Robert Covington remains in the NBA's health and safety protocols. ... Los Angeles has won seven of its last eight against the Rockets.
STAYING HOME
Leonard won't be joining the Clippers for their quick two-game trip to Texas this week.
&ldquo;He's frustrated. He wants to be out on the floor,&rdquo; coach Tyronn Lue said. &ldquo;Then not being on the floor, now you can't travel. He wants to travel, but the doctor says it's not the right thing to do right now with the stiffness (in his knee) and what he's going through.&rdquo;
UP NEXT
The teams meet again Wednesday in Houston.
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; With Kawhi Leonard's return nowhere in sight, Paul George is putting pressure on himself to carry the Los Angeles Clippers and their high expectations.
Despite turnovers down the stretch, George came up with two huge baskets to help the Clippers edge the Houston Rockets 95-93 on Monday night and snap a four-game losing streak.
&ldquo;We're not playing the heavyweights right now,&rdquo; George said. &ldquo;The way we were losing these games, it was embarrassing. We've got to start to play better.&rdquo;
The Clippers (3-4) again were without Leonard and John Wall. Leonard missed his fifth game and Wall sat out his second, both because of knee injury management.
&ldquo;I take full responsibility for us and our record right now,&rdquo; George said. &ldquo;Regardless of who's in the lineup or who's not, I'm more than capable of going out and performing.&rdquo;
<a href="https://www.nba.com/watch/video/paul-george-drops-the-incredible-jumper?plsrc=nba&amp;game-highlights=0022200102">George</a> hit a go-ahead jumper with six seconds remaining, finishing with 35 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. <a href="https://www.nba.com/watch/video/ivica-zubac-with-the-big-dunk?plsrc=nba&amp;game-highlights=0022200102">Ivica Zubac</a> added 16 points and 12 rebounds. He teamed with George to score 14 of the Clippers' 22 points in the fourth quarter, when they played a two-man pick and roll.
&ldquo;That's one of our best plays with me and PG doing pick and rolls together,&rdquo; Zubac said. &ldquo;We couldn't make any shots but we attacked the paint.&rdquo;
K.J. Martin scored 23 points off the bench to lead the Rockets (1-8), who dropped their fourth in a row.
George's 3-pointer tied the game 93-all with 39 seconds remaining. That got fans on their feet for the final seconds.
George stole the ball from former Clipper Eric Gordon. After another timeout, Reggie Jackson inbounded to George, who hit a jumper that gave the Clippers their first lead of the fourth quarter.
Gordon's shot missed at the buzzer and he gestured to indicate he thought he'd been fouled.
&ldquo;We're a group that fights,&rdquo; Houston coach Stephen Silas said. &ldquo;We executed pretty good down the stretch.&rdquo;
George had three costly turnovers in the final minutes after hitting a 3-pointer that drew the Clippers within two earlier in the fourth. His first led to a dunk by Kevin Porter Jr. After George's second turnover, he got called for an offensive foul.
&ldquo;Bad turnovers, bad possessions,&rdquo; George said, ticking off some of the Clippers' issues. &ldquo;We're not shooting the ball well. That's going to come. Tonight, defensively, was a step in the right direction.&rdquo;
George fed Zubac for a dunk that again got the Clippers within two. But Jalen Green answered with a basket to keep Houston ahead.
Martin, who finished four points off his career high, got hot late in the third and early in the fourth. Tari Eason and <a href="https://www.nba.com/watch/video/kenyon-martin-jr-with-the-emphatic-jam?plsrc=nba&amp;game-highlights=0022200102">Martin</a> combined to score 11 points in a row to put Houston back in front, 76-71, late in the third.
Martin had Houston's first five points of the fourth before missing two free throws with the Rockets clinging to a two-point lead.
The teams traded narrow leads in the third, when George scored 12 points.
TIP-INS
Rockets: Jae'Sean Tate reaggravated the ankle injury that forced him to miss the season's first four games. He's day-to-day and will be re-evaluated in Houston.
Clippers: Robert Covington remains in the NBA's health and safety protocols. ... Los Angeles has won seven of its last eight against the Rockets.
STAYING HOME
Leonard won't be joining the Clippers for their quick two-game trip to Texas this week.
&ldquo;He's frustrated. He wants to be out on the floor,&rdquo; coach Tyronn Lue said. &ldquo;Then not being on the floor, now you can't travel. He wants to travel, but the doctor says it's not the right thing to do right now with the stiffness (in his knee) and what he's going through.&rdquo;
UP NEXT
The teams meet again Wednesday in Houston.
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; With Kawhi Leonard's return nowhere in sight, Paul George is putting pressure on himself to carry the Los Angeles Clippers and their high expectations.
Despite turnovers down the stretch, George came up with two huge baskets to help the Clippers edge the Houston Rockets 95-93 on Monday night and snap a four-game losing streak.
&ldquo;We're not playing the heavyweights right now,&rdquo; George said. &ldquo;The way we were losing these games, it was embarrassing. We've got to start to play better.&rdquo;
The Clippers (3-4) again were without Leonard and John Wall. Leonard missed his fifth game and Wall sat out his second, both because of knee injury management.
&ldquo;I take full responsibility for us and our record right now,&rdquo; George said. &ldquo;Regardless of who's in the lineup or who's not, I'm more than capable of going out and performing.&rdquo;
<a href="https://www.nba.com/watch/video/paul-george-drops-the-incredible-jumper?plsrc=nba&amp;game-highlights=0022200102">George</a> hit a go-ahead jumper with six seconds remaining, finishing with 35 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. Ivica Zubac added 16 points and 12 rebounds. He teamed with George to score 14 of the Clippers' 22 points in the fourth quarter, when they played a two-man pick and roll.
&ldquo;That's one of our best plays with me and PG doing pick and rolls together,&rdquo; Zubac said. &ldquo;We couldn't make any shots but we attacked the paint.&rdquo;
K.J. Martin scored 23 points off the bench to lead the Rockets (1-8), who dropped their fourth in a row.
George's 3-pointer tied the game 93-all with 39 seconds remaining. That got fans on their feet for the final seconds.
George stole the ball from former Clipper Eric Gordon. After another timeout, Reggie Jackson inbounded to George, who hit a jumper that gave the Clippers their first lead of the fourth quarter.
Gordon's shot missed at the buzzer and he gestured to indicate he thought he'd been fouled.
&ldquo;We're a group that fights,&rdquo; Houston coach Stephen Silas said. &ldquo;We executed pretty good down the stretch.&rdquo;
George had three costly turnovers in the final minutes after hitting a 3-pointer that drew the Clippers within two earlier in the fourth. His first led to a dunk by Kevin Porter Jr. After George's second turnover, he got called for an offensive foul.
&ldquo;Bad turnovers, bad possessions,&rdquo; George said, ticking off some of the Clippers' issues. &ldquo;We're not shooting the ball well. That's going to come. Tonight, defensively, was a step in the right direction.&rdquo;
George fed Zubac for a dunk that again got the Clippers within two. But Jalen Green answered with a basket to keep Houston ahead.
Martin, who finished four points off his career high, got hot late in the third and early in the fourth. Tari Eason and <a href="https://www.nba.com/watch/video/kenyon-martin-jr-with-the-emphatic-jam?plsrc=nba&amp;game-highlights=0022200102">Martin</a> combined to score 11 points in a row to put Houston back in front, 76-71, late in the third.
Martin had Houston's first five points of the fourth before missing two free throws with the Rockets clinging to a two-point lead.
The teams traded narrow leads in the third, when George scored 12 points.
TIP-INS
Rockets: Jae'Sean Tate reaggravated the ankle injury that forced him to miss the season's first four games. He's day-to-day and will be re-evaluated in Houston.
Clippers: Robert Covington remains in the NBA's health and safety protocols. ... Los Angeles has won seven of its last eight against the Rockets.
STAYING HOME
Leonard won't be joining the Clippers for their quick two-game trip to Texas this week.
&ldquo;He's frustrated. He wants to be out on the floor,&rdquo; coach Tyronn Lue said. &ldquo;Then not being on the floor, now you can't travel. He wants to travel, but the doctor says it's not the right thing to do right now with the stiffness (in his knee) and what he's going through.&rdquo;
UP NEXT
The teams meet again Wednesday in Houston.
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; With Kawhi Leonard's return nowhere in sight, Paul George is putting pressure on himself to carry the Los Angeles Clippers and their high expectations.
Despite turnovers down the stretch, George came up with two huge baskets to help the Clippers edge the Houston Rockets 95-93 on Monday night and snap a four-game losing streak.
&ldquo;We're not playing the heavyweights right now,&rdquo; George said. &ldquo;The way we were losing these games, it was embarrassing. We've got to start to play better.&rdquo;
The Clippers (3-4) again were without Leonard and John Wall. Leonard missed his fifth game and Wall sat out his second, both because of knee injury management.
&ldquo;I take full responsibility for us and our record right now,&rdquo; George said. &ldquo;Regardless of who's in the lineup or who's not, I'm more than capable of going out and performing.&rdquo;
George hit a go-ahead jumper with six seconds remaining, finishing with 35 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. Ivica Zubac added 16 points and 12 rebounds. He teamed with George to score 14 of the Clippers' 22 points in the fourth quarter, when they played a two-man pick and roll.
&ldquo;That's one of our best plays with me and PG doing pick and rolls together,&rdquo; Zubac said. &ldquo;We couldn't make any shots but we attacked the paint.&rdquo;
K.J. Martin scored 23 points off the bench to lead the Rockets (1-8), who dropped their fourth in a row.
George's 3-pointer tied the game 93-all with 39 seconds remaining. That got fans on their feet for the final seconds.
George stole the ball from former Clipper Eric Gordon. After another timeout, Reggie Jackson inbounded to George, who hit a jumper that gave the Clippers their first lead of the fourth quarter.
Gordon's shot missed at the buzzer and he gestured to indicate he thought he'd been fouled.
&ldquo;We're a group that fights,&rdquo; Houston coach Stephen Silas said. &ldquo;We executed pretty good down the stretch.&rdquo;
George had three costly turnovers in the final minutes after hitting a 3-pointer that drew the Clippers within two earlier in the fourth. His first led to a dunk by Kevin Porter Jr. After George's second turnover, he got called for an offensive foul.
&ldquo;Bad turnovers, bad possessions,&rdquo; George said, ticking off some of the Clippers' issues. &ldquo;We're not shooting the ball well. That's going to come. Tonight, defensively, was a step in the right direction.&rdquo;
George fed Zubac for a dunk that again got the Clippers within two. But Jalen Green answered with a basket to keep Houston ahead.
Martin, who finished four points off his career high, got hot late in the third and early in the fourth. Tari Eason and <a href="https://www.nba.com/watch/video/kenyon-martin-jr-with-the-emphatic-jam?plsrc=nba&amp;game-highlights=0022200102">Martin</a> combined to score 11 points in a row to put Houston back in front, 76-71, late in the third.
Martin had Houston's first five points of the fourth before missing two free throws with the Rockets clinging to a two-point lead.
The teams traded narrow leads in the third, when George scored 12 points.
TIP-INS
Rockets: Jae'Sean Tate reaggravated the ankle injury that forced him to miss the season's first four games. He's day-to-day and will be re-evaluated in Houston.
Clippers: Robert Covington remains in the NBA's health and safety protocols. ... Los Angeles has won seven of its last eight against the Rockets.
STAYING HOME
Leonard won't be joining the Clippers for their quick two-game trip to Texas this week.
&ldquo;He's frustrated. He wants to be out on the floor,&rdquo; coach Tyronn Lue said. &ldquo;Then not being on the floor, now you can't travel. He wants to travel, but the doctor says it's not the right thing to do right now with the stiffness (in his knee) and what he's going through.&rdquo;
UP NEXT
The teams meet again Wednesday in Houston.
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; With Kawhi Leonard's return nowhere in sight, Paul George is putting pressure on himself to carry the Los Angeles Clippers and their high expectations.
Despite turnovers down the stretch, George came up with two huge baskets to help the Clippers edge the Houston Rockets 95-93 on Monday night and snap a four-game losing streak.
&ldquo;We're not playing the heavyweights right now,&rdquo; George said. &ldquo;The way we were losing these games, it was embarrassing. We've got to start to play better.&rdquo;
The Clippers (3-4) again were without Leonard and John Wall. Leonard missed his fifth game and Wall sat out his second, both because of knee injury management.
&ldquo;I take full responsibility for us and our record right now,&rdquo; George said. &ldquo;Regardless of who's in the lineup or who's not, I'm more than capable of going out and performing.&rdquo;
George hit a go-ahead jumper with six seconds remaining, finishing with 35 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. Ivica Zubac added 16 points and 12 rebounds. He teamed with George to score 14 of the Clippers' 22 points in the fourth quarter, when they played a two-man pick and roll.
&ldquo;That's one of our best plays with me and PG doing pick and rolls together,&rdquo; Zubac said. &ldquo;We couldn't make any shots but we attacked the paint.&rdquo;
K.J. Martin scored 23 points off the bench to lead the Rockets (1-8), who dropped their fourth in a row.
George's 3-pointer tied the game 93-all with 39 seconds remaining. That got fans on their feet for the final seconds.
George stole the ball from former Clipper Eric Gordon. After another timeout, Reggie Jackson inbounded to George, who hit a jumper that gave the Clippers their first lead of the fourth quarter.
Gordon's shot missed at the buzzer and he gestured to indicate he thought he'd been fouled.
&ldquo;We're a group that fights,&rdquo; Houston coach Stephen Silas said. &ldquo;We executed pretty good down the stretch.&rdquo;
George had three costly turnovers in the final minutes after hitting a 3-pointer that drew the Clippers within two earlier in the fourth. His first led to a dunk by Kevin Porter Jr. After George's second turnover, he got called for an offensive foul.
&ldquo;Bad turnovers, bad possessions,&rdquo; George said, ticking off some of the Clippers' issues. &ldquo;We're not shooting the ball well. That's going to come. Tonight, defensively, was a step in the right direction.&rdquo;
George fed Zubac for a dunk that again got the Clippers within two. But Jalen Green answered with a basket to keep Houston ahead.
Martin, who finished four points off his career high, got hot late in the third and early in the fourth. Tari Eason and <a href="https://www.nba.com/watch/video/kenyon-martin-jr-with-the-emphatic-jam?plsrc=nba&amp;game-highlights=0022200102">Martin</a> combined to score 11 points in a row to put Houston back in front, 76-71, late in the third.
Martin had Houston's first five points of the fourth before missing two free throws with the Rockets clinging to a two-point lead.
The teams traded narrow leads in the third, when George scored 12 points.
TIP-INS
Rockets: Jae'Sean Tate reaggravated the ankle injury that forced him to miss the season's first four games. He's day-to-day and will be re-evaluated in Houston.
Clippers: Robert Covington remains in the NBA's health and safety protocols. ... Los Angeles has won seven of its last eight against the Rockets.
STAYING HOME
Leonard won't be joining the Clippers for their quick two-game trip to Texas this week.
&ldquo;He's frustrated. He wants to be out on the floor,&rdquo; coach Tyronn Lue said. &ldquo;Then not being on the floor, now you can't travel. He wants to travel, but the doctor says it's not the right thing to do right now with the stiffness (in his knee) and what he's going through.&rdquo;
UP NEXT
The teams meet again Wednesday in Houston.
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; With Kawhi Leonard's return nowhere in sight, Paul George is putting pressure on himself to carry the Los Angeles Clippers and their high expectations.
Despite turnovers down the stretch, George came up with two huge baskets to help the Clippers edge the Houston Rockets 95-93 on Monday night and snap a four-game losing streak.
&ldquo;We're not playing the heavyweights right now,&rdquo; George said. &ldquo;The way we were losing these games, it was embarrassing. We've got to start to play better.&rdquo;
The Clippers (3-4) again were without Leonard and John Wall. Leonard missed his fifth game and Wall sat out his second, both because of knee injury management.
&ldquo;I take full responsibility for us and our record right now,&rdquo; George said. &ldquo;Regardless of who's in the lineup or who's not, I'm more than capable of going out and performing.&rdquo;
George hit a go-ahead jumper with six seconds remaining, finishing with 35 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. Ivica Zubac added 16 points and 12 rebounds. He teamed with George to score 14 of the Clippers' 22 points in the fourth quarter, when they played a two-man pick and roll.
&ldquo;That's one of our best plays with me and PG doing pick and rolls together,&rdquo; Zubac said. &ldquo;We couldn't make any shots but we attacked the paint.&rdquo;
K.J. Martin scored 23 points off the bench to lead the Rockets (1-8), who dropped their fourth in a row.
George's 3-pointer tied the game 93-all with 39 seconds remaining. That got fans on their feet for the final seconds.
George stole the ball from former Clipper Eric Gordon. After another timeout, Reggie Jackson inbounded to George, who hit a jumper that gave the Clippers their first lead of the fourth quarter.
Gordon's shot missed at the buzzer and he gestured to indicate he thought he'd been fouled.
&ldquo;We're a group that fights,&rdquo; Houston coach Stephen Silas said. &ldquo;We executed pretty good down the stretch.&rdquo;
George had three costly turnovers in the final minutes after hitting a 3-pointer that drew the Clippers within two earlier in the fourth. His first led to a dunk by Kevin Porter Jr. After George's second turnover, he got called for an offensive foul.
&ldquo;Bad turnovers, bad possessions,&rdquo; George said, ticking off some of the Clippers' issues. &ldquo;We're not shooting the ball well. That's going to come. Tonight, defensively, was a step in the right direction.&rdquo;
George fed Zubac for a dunk that again got the Clippers within two. But Jalen Green answered with a basket to keep Houston ahead.
Martin, who finished four points off his career high, got hot late in the third and early in the fourth. Tari Eason and <a href="https://www.nba.com/watch/video/kenyon-martin-jr-with-the-emphatic-jam?plsrc=nba&amp;game-highlights=0022200102">Martin</a> combined to score 11 points in a row to put Houston back in front, 76-71, late in the third.
Martin had Houston's first five points of the fourth before missing two free throws with the Rockets clinging to a two-point lead.
The teams traded narrow leads in the third, when George scored 12 points.
TIP-INS
Rockets: Jae'Sean Tate reaggravated the ankle injury that forced him to miss the season's first four games. He's day-to-day and will be re-evaluated in Houston.
Clippers: Robert Covington remains in the NBA's health and safety protocols. ... Los Angeles has won seven of its last eight against the Rockets.
STAYING HOME
Leonard won't be joining the Clippers for their quick two-game trip to Texas this week.
&ldquo;He's frustrated. He wants to be out on the floor,&rdquo; coach Tyronn Lue said. &ldquo;Then not being on the floor, now you can't travel. He wants to travel, but the doctor says it's not the right thing to do right now with the stiffness (in his knee) and what he's going through.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; With Kawhi Leonard's return nowhere in sight, Paul George is putting pressure on himself to carry the Los Angeles Clippers and their high expectations.
Despite turnovers down the stretch, George came up with two huge baskets to help the Clippers edge the Houston Rockets 95-93 on Monday night and snap a four-game losing streak.
&ldquo;We're not playing the heavyweights right now,&rdquo; George said. &ldquo;The way we were losing these games, it was embarrassing. We've got to start to play better.&rdquo;
The Clippers (3-4) again were without Leonard and John Wall. Leonard missed his fifth game and Wall sat out his second, both because of knee injury management.
&ldquo;I take full responsibility for us and our record right now,&rdquo; George said. &ldquo;Regardless of who's in the lineup or who's not, I'm more than capable of going out and performing.&rdquo;
George hit a go-ahead jumper with six seconds remaining, finishing with 35 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. Ivica Zubac added 16 points and 12 rebounds. He teamed with George to score 14 of the Clippers' 22 points in the fourth quarter, when they played a two-man pick and roll.
&ldquo;That's one of our best plays with me and PG doing pick and rolls together,&rdquo; Zubac said. &ldquo;We couldn't make any shots but we attacked the paint.&rdquo;
K.J. Martin scored 23 points off the bench to lead the Rockets (1-8), who dropped their fourth in a row.
George's 3-pointer tied the game 93-all with 39 seconds remaining. That got fans on their feet for the final seconds.
George stole the ball from former Clipper Eric Gordon. After another timeout, Reggie Jackson inbounded to George, who hit a jumper that gave the Clippers their first lead of the fourth quarter.
Gordon's shot missed at the buzzer and he gestured to indicate he thought he'd been fouled.
&ldquo;We're a group that fights,&rdquo; Houston coach Stephen Silas said. &ldquo;We executed pretty good down the stretch.&rdquo;
George had three costly turnovers in the final minutes after hitting a 3-pointer that drew the Clippers within two earlier in the fourth. His first led to a dunk by Kevin Porter Jr. After George's second turnover, he got called for an offensive foul.
&ldquo;Bad turnovers, bad possessions,&rdquo; George said, ticking off some of the Clippers' issues. &ldquo;We're not shooting the ball well. That's going to come. Tonight, defensively, was a step in the right direction.&rdquo;
George fed Zubac for a dunk that again got the Clippers within two. But Jalen Green answered with a basket to keep Houston ahead.
Martin, who finished four points off his career high, got hot late in the third and early in the fourth. Tari Eason and <a href="https://www.nba.com/watch/video/kenyon-martin-jr-with-the-emphatic-jam?plsrc=nba&amp;game-highlights=0022200102">Martin</a> combined to score 11 points in a row to put Houston back in front, 76-71, late in the third.
Martin had Houston's first five points of the fourth before missing two free throws with the Rockets clinging to a two-point lead.
The teams traded narrow leads in the third, when George scored 12 points.
TIP-INS
Rockets: Jae'Sean Tate reaggravated the ankle injury that forced him to miss the season's first four games. He's day-to-day and will be re-evaluated in Houston.
Clippers: Robert Covington remains in the NBA's health and safety protocols. ... Los Angeles has won seven of its last eight against the Rockets.
STAYING HOME
Leonard won't be joining the Clippers for their quick two-game trip to Texas this week.
&ldquo;He's frustrated. He wants to be out on the floor,&rdquo; coach Tyronn Lue said. &ldquo;Then not being on the floor, now you can't travel. He wants to travel, but the doctor says it's not the right thing to do right now with the stiffness (in his knee) and what he's going through.&rdquo;

Paul George came up with two huge baskets to help the Clippers edge the Rockets 95-93 and snap a four-game losing streak.

Clippers edge Rockets 95-93 on George's clutch jumpers

NEW YORK (AP) — Kevin Durant scored 36 points to lift the Brooklyn Nets to a much-needed 116-109 win over the Indiana Pacers on Monday night.
Durant authored some personal and franchise history in Brooklyn’s second win of the season (2-5). With two first quarter free throws, Durant passed Vince Carter for 19th on the NBA’s All-Time scoring list. He now has 25,754. And he has scored at least 25 points in each of the first seven games of the season, the most in franchise history.
“You definitely can't take him for granted,” Nic Claxton said about Durant. “Seeing him work his way back from the Achilles injury, went to rehab and how serious he took every single step. And now these past few years he's doing his thing. Definitely you don't take that for granted. It's a pleasure to watch.”
Kyrie Irving added 28. Claxton had 19 points and nine rebounds.
“It was very important for us to get a response,” Brooklyn coach Steve Nash said. “The win is nice but I care much more about the process. And I thought our process was great.”
Despite a 30-point performance from Chris Duarte, Indiana dropped to 3-5. Buddy Hield chipped in with 22. Bennedict Mathurin contributed 16, and Tyrese Haliburton had 11.
“We were flat at the beginning (and) they came out with a lot of force. Didn’t match it early and the hole cost us,” said Rick Carlisle. “...Their level of desperation was really there, I thought.” 
The Nets won a highly entertaining back-and-forth game in the fourth quarter. Entering the final 12 minutes, Brooklyn had a 92-85 lead. But Indiana used a 15-8 spurt over the first 6½ minutes to draw even at 100-all.
“A lead is never safe with them,” Nash said.
On their next two possessions, the Nets responded. First Claxton’s two-handed follow dunk of an Irving missed 3 put Brooklyn up by two, and 28 seconds later Durant drilled a pullup jumper to stretch the lead to 104-100.
A few moments later the lead was seven following two made Durant free throws and a Claxton free throw. Indiana closed to 112-109 on a Mathurin floater with 1:43 left.
“Guys are able to make plays,” Nets forward Joe Harris said of the Pacers. “They're young players but they're really talented, especially offensively.” 
But an Irving floater extended the lead to five, and two Durant free throws sealed the win.
“They’ve got two guys who are just breathtaking playmakers and shotmakers in Irving and (Durant),” Carlisle said. “Those guys are (going to) hit some of those shots.”
TIP-INS:
Pacers: Entering their eighth game of the season, Indiana was second in the league in scoring, averaging 118.9 points per game. During his pregame availability, Carlisle pointed to Haliburton’s play as a reason for the Pacers’ early success. “As other players watch Tyrese,” Carlisle said, “they (say), ‘Wow, this guy plays fast.’ He moves it quickly. He’s got an amazing skill set.” 
Nets: About two hours before tipoff, the Nets announced guard Ben Simmons would miss the game with a “sore left knee.” Simmons, who missed all of the 2021-22 season with a back injury which would require microdiscectomy surgery on May 5, had played in Brooklyn’s first six games and averaged 6.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, 7.2 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.7 blocks.
UP NEXT:
Pacers: Hosts Miami Friday.
Nets: Hosts Chicago Tuesday.
——
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) &mdash; Kevin Durant scored 36 points to lift the Brooklyn Nets to a much-needed 116-109 win over the Indiana Pacers on Monday night.
Durant authored some personal and franchise history in Brooklyn&rsquo;s second win of the season (2-5). With two first quarter free throws, Durant passed Vince Carter for 19th on the NBA&rsquo;s All-Time scoring list. He now has 25,754. And he has scored at least 25 points in each of the first seven games of the season, the most in franchise history.
&ldquo;You definitely can't take him for granted,&rdquo; Nic Claxton said about Durant. &ldquo;Seeing him work his way back from the Achilles injury, went to rehab and how serious he took every single step. And now these past few years he's doing his thing. Definitely you don't take that for granted. It's a pleasure to watch.&rdquo;
Kyrie Irving added 28. Claxton had 19 points and nine rebounds.
&ldquo;It was very important for us to get a response,&rdquo; Brooklyn coach Steve Nash said. &ldquo;The win is nice but I care much more about the process. And I thought our process was great.&rdquo;
Despite a 30-point performance from Chris Duarte, Indiana dropped to 3-5. Buddy Hield chipped in with 22. Bennedict Mathurin contributed 16, and Tyrese Haliburton had 11.
&ldquo;We were flat at the beginning (and) they came out with a lot of force. Didn&rsquo;t match it early and the hole cost us,&rdquo; said Rick Carlisle. &ldquo;...Their level of desperation was really there, I thought.&rdquo;
The Nets won a highly entertaining back-and-forth game in the fourth quarter. Entering the final 12 minutes, Brooklyn had a 92-85 lead. But Indiana used a 15-8 spurt over the first 6&frac12; minutes to draw even at 100-all.
&ldquo;A lead is never safe with them,&rdquo; Nash said.
On their next two possessions, the Nets responded. First Claxton&rsquo;s two-handed follow dunk of an Irving missed 3 put Brooklyn up by two, and 28 seconds later Durant drilled a pullup jumper to stretch the lead to 104-100.
A few moments later the lead was seven following two made Durant free throws and a Claxton free throw. Indiana closed to 112-109 on a Mathurin floater with 1:43 left.
&ldquo;Guys are able to make plays,&rdquo; Nets forward Joe Harris said of the Pacers. &ldquo;They're young players but they're really talented, especially offensively.&rdquo;
But an Irving floater extended the lead to five, and two Durant free throws sealed the win.
&ldquo;They&rsquo;ve got two guys who are just breathtaking playmakers and shotmakers in Irving and (Durant),&rdquo; Carlisle said. &ldquo;Those guys are (going to) hit some of those shots.&rdquo;
TIP-INS:
Pacers: Entering their eighth game of the season, Indiana was second in the league in scoring, averaging 118.9 points per game. During his pregame availability, Carlisle pointed to Haliburton&rsquo;s play as a reason for the Pacers&rsquo; early success. &ldquo;As other players watch Tyrese,&rdquo; Carlisle said, &ldquo;they (say), &lsquo;Wow, this guy plays fast.&rsquo; He moves it quickly. He&rsquo;s got an amazing skill set.&rdquo;
Nets: About two hours before tipoff, the Nets announced guard Ben Simmons would miss the game with a &ldquo;sore left knee.&rdquo; Simmons, who missed all of the 2021-22 season with a back injury which would require microdiscectomy surgery on May 5, had played in Brooklyn&rsquo;s first six games and averaged 6.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, 7.2 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.7 blocks.
UP NEXT:
Pacers: Hosts Miami Friday.
Nets: Hosts Chicago Tuesday.

Kevin Durant scored 36 points to lift the Brooklyn Nets to a much-needed 116-109 win over the Indiana Pacers on Monday night.

Kevin Durant's 36 lifts slumping Nets to second win of the season

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Playing fearless is fueling success for the Utah Jazz. 
Lauri Markkanen had 31 points and 10 rebounds, and the Jazz dominated on both ends of the court Monday night in a 121-105 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.
Utah repeatedly contested shots, crashed the boards and forced turnovers. On offense, the Jazz were equally relentless in knocking down one outside jumper after another. 
“Nobody is backing down or afraid of anything,” veteran guard Mike Conley said. “That’s who we are. We are that team and it’s fun to be around that — guys who are scrappy that don’t care about getting elbowed and don’t care about fouling too many times.” 
Markkanen made a season-high 11 field goals while shooting 69% from the floor. 
He made an equally forceful impact as a defender, contesting shots and keeping shooters uncomfortable in the paint. 
“He has good feet, and he knows how to use his size and length. He’s a legit 7-footer,” Jazz coach Will Hardy said. “His size, coupled with his ability to move, makes him a good defender.”
Malik Beasley added a season-high 18 points off the bench for the Jazz. Conley and Collin Sexton chipped in 15 apiece. Utah made 19 3-pointers to earn its second win over Memphis in three days. 
Ja Morant had 37 points to pace the Grizzlies. Dillon Brooks added 19 points and Tyus Jones chipped in 12. Memphis shot 6 of 26 from 3-point range. 
“Everything was on us,” Morant said. “We weren’t communicating, rotating, and we were just giving them easy looks.” 
Morant went 5 for 5 from the floor in the first quarter and helped Memphis grab a 26-23 lead. He had 21 points by halftime. 
Things unraveled for the Grizzlies in the second period amid a flurry of turnovers and a long shooting drought. Utah held Memphis to a single basket in 6 1/2 minutes. The Jazz also forced eight turnovers during the quarter and scored 10 points off those takeaways.
That opened the door for Utah to take control before halftime. The Jazz ripped off a 24-5 run, punctuated by Jordan Clarkson’s four-point play, to seize a 54-38 lead. 
Utah outscored the Grizzlies 38-18 in the second quarter and limited Memphis to 32% shooting from the field. The Jazz also had 38 second-quarter points in their win over the Grizzlies on Saturday night. 
“We lost our spirit there in the second quarter and they took advantage,” Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said. 
Utah extended its lead to 23 by the end of the third after making seven 3-pointers in the quarter. 
BETTER CHEMISTRY
Utah unraveled late last season amid reports of locker room strife between former stars Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell. This season, the Jazz have made a 180-degree turn with team chemistry. 
Clarkson said he's having fun and enjoying this season because everyone shares a hunger to prove themselves and it has led to working hard together and communicating well on the court. 
“We have a great thing going right now in terms of the vibe in the locker room,” Clarkson said. 
TIP-INS 
Grizzlies: Desmond Bane (right ankle soreness) was inactive. … Steven Adams had a team-high nine rebounds. … Memphis finished with only 13 assists. 
Jazz: Markkanen blocked a career-high four shots. … Jarred Vanderbilt totaled 12 assists in the two wins against Memphis. … Utah improved to 4-0 at home. 
UP NEXT 
Grizzlies: At the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday. 
Jazz: Visit the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday. 
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) &mdash; Playing fearless is fueling success for the Utah Jazz.
Lauri Markkanen had 31 points and 10 rebounds, and the Jazz dominated on both ends of the court Monday night in a 121-105 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.
Utah repeatedly contested shots, crashed the boards and forced turnovers. On offense, the Jazz were equally relentless in knocking down one outside jumper after another.
&ldquo;Nobody is backing down or afraid of anything,&rdquo; veteran guard Mike Conley said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s who we are. We are that team and it&rsquo;s fun to be around that &mdash; guys who are scrappy that don&rsquo;t care about getting elbowed and don&rsquo;t care about fouling too many times.&rdquo;
Markkanen made a season-high 11 field goals while shooting 69% from the floor.
He made an equally forceful impact as a defender, contesting shots and keeping shooters uncomfortable in the paint.
&ldquo;He has good feet, and he knows how to use his size and length. He&rsquo;s a legit 7-footer,&rdquo; Jazz coach Will Hardy said. &ldquo;His size, coupled with his ability to move, makes him a good defender.&rdquo;
Malik Beasley added a season-high 18 points off the bench for the Jazz. Conley and Collin Sexton chipped in 15 apiece. Utah made 19 3-pointers to earn its second win over Memphis in three days.
Ja Morant had 37 points to pace the Grizzlies. Dillon Brooks added 19 points and Tyus Jones chipped in 12. Memphis shot 6 of 26 from 3-point range.
&ldquo;Everything was on us,&rdquo; Morant said. &ldquo;We weren&rsquo;t communicating, rotating, and we were just giving them easy looks.&rdquo;
Morant went 5 for 5 from the floor in the first quarter and helped Memphis grab a 26-23 lead. He had 21 points by halftime.
Things unraveled for the Grizzlies in the second period amid a flurry of turnovers and a long shooting drought. Utah held Memphis to a single basket in 6 1/2 minutes. The Jazz also forced eight turnovers during the quarter and scored 10 points off those takeaways.
That opened the door for Utah to take control before halftime. The Jazz ripped off a 24-5 run, punctuated by Jordan Clarkson&rsquo;s four-point play, to seize a 54-38 lead.
Utah outscored the Grizzlies 38-18 in the second quarter and limited Memphis to 32% shooting from the field. The Jazz also had 38 second-quarter points in their win over the Grizzlies on Saturday night.
&ldquo;We lost our spirit there in the second quarter and they took advantage,&rdquo; Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said.
Utah extended its lead to 23 by the end of the third after making seven 3-pointers in the quarter.
BETTER CHEMISTRY
Utah unraveled late last season amid reports of locker room strife between former stars Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell. This season, the Jazz have made a 180-degree turn with team chemistry.
Clarkson said he's having fun and enjoying this season because everyone shares a hunger to prove themselves and it has led to working hard together and communicating well on the court.
&ldquo;We have a great thing going right now in terms of the vibe in the locker room,&rdquo; Clarkson said.
TIP-INS
Grizzlies: Desmond Bane (right ankle soreness) was inactive. &hellip; Steven Adams had a team-high nine rebounds. &hellip; Memphis finished with only 13 assists.
Jazz: Markkanen blocked a career-high four shots. &hellip; Jarred Vanderbilt totaled 12 assists in the two wins against Memphis. &hellip; Utah improved to 4-0 at home.
UP NEXT
Grizzlies: At the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday.
Jazz: Visit the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday.
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) &mdash; Playing fearless is fueling success for the Utah Jazz.
Lauri Markkanen had 31 points and 10 rebounds, and the Jazz dominated on both ends of the court Monday night in a 121-105 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.
Utah repeatedly contested shots, crashed the boards and forced turnovers. On offense, the Jazz were equally relentless in knocking down one outside jumper after another.
&ldquo;Nobody is backing down or afraid of anything,&rdquo; veteran guard Mike Conley said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s who we are. We are that team and it&rsquo;s fun to be around that &mdash; guys who are scrappy that don&rsquo;t care about getting elbowed and don&rsquo;t care about fouling too many times.&rdquo;
Markkanen made a season-high 11 field goals while shooting 69% from the floor.
He made an equally forceful impact as a defender, contesting shots and keeping shooters uncomfortable in the paint.
&ldquo;He has good feet, and he knows how to use his size and length. He&rsquo;s a legit 7-footer,&rdquo; Jazz coach Will Hardy said. &ldquo;His size, coupled with his ability to move, makes him a good defender.&rdquo;
Malik Beasley added a season-high 18 points off the bench for the Jazz. Conley and Collin Sexton chipped in 15 apiece. Utah made 19 3-pointers to earn its second win over Memphis in three days.
Ja Morant had 37 points to pace the Grizzlies. Dillon Brooks added 19 points and Tyus Jones chipped in 12. Memphis shot 6 of 26 from 3-point range.
&ldquo;Everything was on us,&rdquo; Morant said. &ldquo;We weren&rsquo;t communicating, rotating, and we were just giving them easy looks.&rdquo;
Morant went 5 for 5 from the floor in the first quarter and helped Memphis grab a 26-23 lead. He had 21 points by halftime.
Things unraveled for the Grizzlies in the second period amid a flurry of turnovers and a long shooting drought. Utah held Memphis to a single basket in 6 1/2 minutes. The Jazz also forced eight turnovers during the quarter and scored 10 points off those takeaways.
That opened the door for Utah to take control before halftime. The Jazz ripped off a 24-5 run, punctuated by Jordan Clarkson&rsquo;s four-point play, to seize a 54-38 lead.
Utah outscored the Grizzlies 38-18 in the second quarter and limited Memphis to 32% shooting from the field. The Jazz also had 38 second-quarter points in their win over the Grizzlies on Saturday night.
&ldquo;We lost our spirit there in the second quarter and they took advantage,&rdquo; Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said.
Utah extended its lead to 23 by the end of the third after making seven 3-pointers in the quarter.
BETTER CHEMISTRY
Utah unraveled late last season amid reports of locker room strife between former stars Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell. This season, the Jazz have made a 180-degree turn with team chemistry.
Clarkson said he's having fun and enjoying this season because everyone shares a hunger to prove themselves and it has led to working hard together and communicating well on the court.
&ldquo;We have a great thing going right now in terms of the vibe in the locker room,&rdquo; Clarkson said.
TIP-INS
Grizzlies: Desmond Bane (right ankle soreness) was inactive. &hellip; Steven Adams had a team-high nine rebounds. &hellip; Memphis finished with only 13 assists.
Jazz: Markkanen blocked a career-high four shots. &hellip; Jarred Vanderbilt totaled 12 assists in the two wins against Memphis. &hellip; Utah improved to 4-0 at home.
UP NEXT
Grizzlies: At the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday.
Jazz: Visit the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday.

Lauri Markkanen had 31 points and 10 rebounds, as the Jazz dominated the Grizzlies on Monday night for a 121-105 win.