Golden Bears

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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) &mdash; Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 22 points and the Oklahoma City Thunder strengthened their hopes of reaching the play-in tournament with a 114-98 victory over the short-handed Utah Jazz on Thursday night.
Josh Giddey had 17 points, eight assists and eight rebounds, while Aaron Wiggins scored 15 for the Thunder, who snapped a three-game losing streak. They are 10th in the Western Conference, a half-game ahead of Dallas with one game remaining.
Kris Dunn had 22 points, eight assists and seven rebounds for the Jazz, who were eliminated from postseason contention.
The Jazz played a 1-3-1 zone that flustered Oklahoma City in the first half, but the Thunder attacked it with patience later on and got plenty of open looks.
With most of their shooters on the bench with injuries, the Jazz made a season-low five 3-pointers on 31 attempts.
When the Jazz trimmed the lead to 75-74, Gilgeous-Alexander scored the first seven of a 19-2 run bridging the third and fourth quarters to take command of the game.
Kelly Olynyk, who had 16 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists, and Dunn were the only Utah players available averaging 10 or more points. Jordan Clarkson (finger), Rudy Gay (back), Talen Horton-Tucker (ankle), Walker Kessler (concussion) and Lauri Markkanen (hand) were all injured.&nbsp;
Even Collin Sexton, who returned after missing 18 games with a strained hamstring Tuesday against the Lakers, sat out.
Both teams had modest expectations this season but have chalked up surprising wins along the way and stayed competitive in most games.
The Thunder are still very young but further down the rebuilding road than the Jazz and have 2022 No. 2 overall pick Chet Holmgren returning next season. The Jazz have a bevy of draft picks in the coming years to similarly build back toward contention.
The Thunder led by as many as 16 in the first half before the Jazz closed the second quarter on a 10-0 run to cut the lead to 55-52 after the second of Olynyk&rsquo;s two three-point plays in the surge.
TIP-INS
Thunder: Despite playing without anyone over 6-foot-8 for much of the game, the Thunder gathered 17 offensive rebounds. &hellip; OKC shot 26 free throws to Utah&rsquo;s 16. &hellip; Dario Saric had a season-high two blocks, his first rejections since coming from Phoenix in a Feb. 9 trade.
Jazz: Juan Toscano-Anderson fell hard just before the end of the third quarter and left the court holding his right elbow, but came back to play in the fourth. &hellip; Utah outscored Oklahoma City 36-16 in the paint in the first half. &hellip; The inexperienced Jazz had 19 turnovers.
UP NEXT
Thunder: Finish the regular season at home Sunday against Memphis.
Jazz: Host Denver on Saturday.&nbsp;

Oklahoma City is 10th in the Western Conference, a half-game ahead of Dallas with one game remaining.

Thunder beat Jazz 114-98, strengthen play-in hopes

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) &mdash; Marcus Hammond and Cormac Ryan each scored 20 points as Notre Dame won longtime coach Mike Brey&rsquo;s final home game with an 88-81 victory over No. 25 Pittsburgh on Wednesday night.
Nate Laszewski and Trey Wertz each added 14 points as the Fighting Irish (11-19, 3-16 Atlantic Coast Conference) snapped a seven-game losing streak.
Brey, who is stepping down at season&rsquo;s end and received warm ovations from the crowd before and after the game, improved to 315-76 at Purcell Pavilion over 23 years as Notre Dame coach.
&ldquo;What an unbelievable night,&rdquo; Brey said over the public address. &ldquo;We defended pretty much the whole game. I thought we were good defensively. &hellip; It was neat for our seniors to finish like that.&rdquo;
Jamarius Burton, Nelly Cummings and Nike Sibande all scored 19 points, and Blake Hinson added 15 points and 13 rebounds, for the Panthers (21-9, 14-5), who entered with wins in eight of their last nine games. Pitt was playing its first game since moving into the AP Top 25 for the first time in seven years.
&ldquo;First and foremost, congrats to Notre Dame,&rdquo; Panther coach Jeff Capel said. &ldquo;They were terrific. I knew they would come out and be really inspired and emotional (with five grad players in their starting lineup), and obviously being the last game here for Coach Brey.&rdquo;
Pitt, the conference leader going in, had a chance to clinch at least a tie for its first ACC title across its 10 years in the league, but struggled with its shooting.
The Panthers finished 7 of 22 on 3-pointers and 20 of 36 at the line, while the Irish closed 10 of 27 and 26 of 31. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s a lot of things we didn&rsquo;t do well,&rdquo; Capel said, &ldquo;but I love the fight that we had.&rdquo;
Notre Dame led by a high of 61-41 at 11:49 remaining, after scoring the final 11 points of the first half for a 42-28 advantage at the break. Late-rallying Pitt got no closer than 84-79 at 38 seconds remaining.
BIG PICTURE 
Pittsburgh: While the Panthers appear safely into the NCAA Tournament field, their 2-2 mark over their last four games while facing entirely sub-.500 ACC teams won&rsquo;t help their seeding. They can still trend back up with a win at Miami or an extended league tourney run.
Notre Dame: While the win was sweet for the Irish, barring a miracle title in next week&rsquo;s ACC Tournament and thus the league&rsquo;s automatic NCAA Tourney bid, they&rsquo;ll be turning their full attention toward hiring Brey&rsquo;s successor.
BREY-KING AWAY 
Brey had declared Tuesday that he would be heading over to the Linebacker, an iconic bar just off the Notre Dame campus, immediately after Wednesday&rsquo;s game and that all others were welcome as well. &ldquo;I gotta get over to the Linebacker,&rdquo; Brey said to start his postgame radio interview over the PA while doubling down on his Tuesday intentions. True to his word the coach went to the bar. Brey said he had never been in the bar in all his 23 years at Notre Dame and thought this would be a fitting time. The PA interview lasted just three minutes and he did not conduct a postgame press conference.
CAPEL CIRCLES BACK 
Capel was asked if this was an emotional night for him as well. The first two years of his playing career at Duke, beginning in 1993, were also the final two years of Brey&rsquo;s time as an assistant with the Blue Devils. Brey has described Capel as &ldquo;like a son.&rdquo; &ldquo;Certainly I love Coach Brey, Capel said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s been a big part of my life since I was about 17 years old.&rdquo; Added Capel, &ldquo;We were excited about the opportunity to play them in Coach Brey&rsquo;s final home game here (given) how much he&rsquo;s put into this program.&rdquo;
UP NEXT 
Pittsburgh: At least a share of the ACC regular-season title goes to the winner when the Panthers visit No. 16 Miami (23-6, 14-5) in Saturday night&rsquo;s league finale. No. 13 Virginia (22-6, 14-5) remains in the mix as well and hosts last-place Louisville (4-26, 2-17) Saturday.
Notre Dame: The Irish conclude their regular season Saturday at Clemson (21-9, 13-6), where the Tigers may need a win to assure a top-four finish in the ACC and a double bye in next week&rsquo;s league tourney.

Brey is stepping down at season’s end and received warm ovations from the Notre Dame crowd before and after the game.

Notre Dame wins coach Mike Brey’s home finale, upsets Pitt

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) &mdash; Jahvon Quinerly scored 24 points, Brandon Miller made the clinching free throws with six seconds left and No. 2 Alabama rallied from a 17-point deficit before beating archrival Auburn 90-85 in overtime Wednesday night.
The Crimson Tide (26-4, 16-1 Southeastern Conference) clinched outright their second regular-season SEC title in three years but continued to live on the edge over a troubling eight days that included courtroom revelations in a capital murder trial.
Miller rebounded teammate Jaden Bradley&rsquo;s missed dunk and drew a foul, making both free throws. Noah Clowney had blocked K.D. Johnson&rsquo;s layup attempt on the other end.
The Tigers (19-11, 9-8), who had three key players foul out, couldn&rsquo;t close it out after leading almost the entire way in regulation. They were up 17 with under 11 minutes left.
Alabama won its fourth straight but the past three have gone down to the wire since courtroom revelations tied freshmen Miller and Bradley to the scene of a murder. Neither has been charged or accused of a crime, but then-teammate Darius Miles and another man are facing capital murder charges.
Police said Miles texted Miller asking him to bring the gun.
NO. 22 TCU 75, NO. 9 TEXAS 73
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) &mdash; Damion Baugh scored a career-high 24 points, Emanuel Miller had 20 and TCU denied Texas a chance to play for a share of the Big 12 title in its upcoming regular-season finale.
Baugh scored on a breakaway layup off the opening tip and the Horned Frogs (20-10, 9-8 Big 12) never trailed. It was the second loss in a row and third in five games for the Longhorns (22-8, 11-6), who haven&rsquo;t won a regular-season conference crown since 2008.
Texas hosts third-ranked Kansas (25-5, 13-4) on Saturday. The Jayhawks had already clinched at least a piece of the Big 12 title Tuesday night, and now know they won&rsquo;t have to share it.
Sir&rsquo;Jabari Rice scored 16 points for the Longhorns, and Tyrese Hunter had 15.
NO. 10 GONZAGA 104, CHICAGO STATE 65
SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) &mdash; Drew Timme scored 17 points in what&rsquo;s expected to be his final home game at Gonzaga, and the Bulldogs trounced Chicago State in a postseason tune-up.
Timme made his 99th start at Gonzaga. The senior forward ranks second on the school&rsquo;s career scoring list, 21 points behind Frank Burgess (1958-61).
The 6-foot-10 Timme has played four seasons at Gonzaga but could return for a fifth because of extra eligibility granted by the NCAA due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He has not announced any definitive plans.
Fellow senior Rasir Bolton added 15 points for the Zags (26-5), who won their seventh straight game. Malachi Smith scored 14.
Jahsean Corbett led Chicago State (11-19) with 22 points and seven rebounds.
Gonzaga added the game to avoid going more than a week without playing before the West Coast Conference Tournament in Las Vegas.
NO. 11 KANSAS STATE 85, OKLAHOMA 69
MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) &mdash; Desi Sills flirted with a triple-double in his Bramlage Coliseum farewell and Kansas State held on to beat Oklahoma.
Keyontae Johnson and Markquis Nowell also had big senior send-offs for the Wildcats. Sills finished with 15 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, while Johnson had 16 points and Nowell added 11 points and 10 assists to help Kansas State (23-7, 11-6 Big 12) snap a three-game skid against the Sooners.
Nae&rsquo;Qwan Tomlin scored 19 points for Kansas State, which led by 20 early in the second half before the Sooners (14-16, 4-13) made a late run. Milos Uzan had 20 points to lead Oklahoma.
NO. 14 UCONN 88, DEPAUL 59
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) &mdash; Adama Sanogo scored 26 points to lead five UConn players in double figures and the Huskies closed out their home schedule in emphatic style with an easy win over skidding DePaul.
Andre Jackson filled up the stat sheet for Connecticut (23-7, 12-7 Big East) with 11 points, nine assists and eight rebounds. Tristen Newton added 12 points for the Huskies, who have won four straight and seven of eight.
Nick Ongenda tied a career high with 17 points for DePaul (9-21, 3-16), which has lost 11 in a row.
UConn put the game away early, opening on a 29-2 run.
NO. 19 XAVIER 94, NO. 20 PROVIDENCE 89
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) &mdash; Souley Boum scored a season-high 33 points and Colby Jones added a career-best 29 to help Xavier beat Providence and clinch the No. 2 seed in the Big East Tournament.
Ed Croswell had 17 points with 13 rebounds, and Bryce Hopkins also scored 17 for Providence, which cut a 22-point first-half deficit to two in the second half.
It was the Friars&rsquo; first loss at home in 16 games this season.
With one game remaining, Xavier (22-8, 14-5 Big East) has a one-game lead over Providence (21-9, 13-6) and controls the tiebreaker, having swept their two regular-season matchups.
OHIO STATE 73, NO. 21 MARYLAND 62
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) &mdash; Felix Okpara had 12 points and 12 rebounds to help Ohio State finish its home schedule with a win over Maryland.
Justice Sueing had 16 points to lead six Buckeyes in double figures. Ohio State (13-17, 5-14 Big Ten) jumped ahead early with a 12-0 run and didn&rsquo;t give up the lead the rest of the way.
Julian Reese had 17 points and 12 rebounds for the Terrapins (20-10, 11-8).
VANDERBILT 68, NO. 23 KENTUCKY 66
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) &mdash; Jordan Wright hit a go-ahead fall-away jumper in the lane with 2.6 seconds remaining to finish with 23 points, and Vanderbilt topped Kentucky for its first win at Rupp Arena since January 2007.
The surging Commodores (17-13, 10-7 Southeastern Conference) earned their seventh win in eight games and are 7-3 since losing to Kentucky 69-53 last month in Nashville.
Wright&rsquo;s drive tied the game with 42 seconds left, and Tyrin Lawrence grabbed Antonio Reeves&rsquo; missed jumper with 20 seconds to go.
Reeves&rsquo; 3-point attempt missed the rim altogether as time expired. Kentucky had won its previous four and re-entered the rankings on Monday for the first time in seven weeks.
Oscar Tshiebwe had 21 points and 20 rebounds for the Wildcats (20-10, 11-6).
NOTRE DAME 88, NO. 25 PITTSBURGH 81
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) &mdash; Marcus Hammond and Cormac Ryan each scored 20 points as Notre Dame beat Pittsburgh to win longtime coach Mike Brey&rsquo;s final home game.
Nate Laszewski and Trey Wertz each added 14 points for the Fighting Irish (11-19, 3-16 Atlantic Coast Conference), who snapped a seven-game losing streak.
Brey, stepping down at season&rsquo;s end, received warm ovations from the crowd before and after the game. He improved to 315-76 at Purcell Pavilion over 23 years as Notre Dame coach.
Jamarius Burton, Nelly Cummings and Nike Sibande all scored 19 points for Pittsburgh. Blake Hinson added 15 points and 13 rebounds for the Panthers (21-9, 14-5), who lost for only the second time in 10 games. They were playing their first game since moving into the AP Top 25 for the first time in seven years.

A recap of Wednesday's top-25 action in men's college hoops includes the Crimson Tide winning the regular-season SEC title.

No. 2 Alabama rallies from 17 down to top rival Auburn in OT

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) &mdash; Jaren Jackson had 26 points, nine rebounds and four blocks and the Memphis Grizzlies beat the Utah Jazz 117-111 on Wednesday night in the last game for both teams before the All-Star break.
Desmond Bane scored 24 points and Ja Morant had 20 points &mdash; on 8-of-26 shooting &mdash; and nine assists. Jackson also had five steals.
Kelly Olynyk led the Jazz with 28 points and 14 rebounds, and Jordan Clarkson had 20 points, nine rebounds and six assists.
Utah, which trailed by 24 in the first half, cut the Memphis lead to 111-110 when Ochai Agbaji (17 points) scored on a dunk with 1:28 left. But Morant scored the next three points for Memphis and the Grizzlies held on for their second straight victory.
&ldquo;Being up 24, you definitely don&rsquo;t want to go into the All-Star break after losing a (big) lead, but we survived,&rdquo; Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said.
Jackson said there were several key factors that helped Memphis hold on. He said the performance &ldquo;wasn&rsquo;t great,&rdquo; but the Grizzlies had enough left at the end to escape the Utah comeback.
&ldquo;I can&rsquo;t tell you what it was,&rdquo; Jackson said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m just happy they missed some shots late, and we made some shots late. We got the ball to who we wanted to get it to and finished it out.&rdquo;
Utah scoring leader Lauri Markkanen was out with right knee soreness. Then, four minutes into the game, guard Collin Sexton went out with a left hamstring injury and did not return. That left the Jazz short-handed and relying on their reserves. Talen Horton-Tucker led the Utah bench, scoring 15 points, while grabbing seven rebounds and handing out an equal number of assists.
Memphis benefitted from poor ball protection by the Jazz in the first half. Fifteen first-half turnovers by Utah resulted in 26 Grizzlies points. Jackson already had 16 points, cashing in on four 3-pointers, while recording three blocks and four steals in the first half.
Utah outscored Memphis 33-25 in third quarter, cutting the lead to 88-80 entering the fourth.
&ldquo;You see everybody&rsquo;s energy and how they played tonight?&rdquo; Clarkson said. &ldquo;Nobody ever gave up throughout the whole game. We had turnovers and missed shots early.&rdquo;
But Clarkson noted that the youthful energy of the Jazz along with new teammates helped them overcome early problems in the game while missing key players.
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&ldquo;One shot away, two plays away from winning the game,&rdquo; Clarkson said.
TIP-INS
Jazz: F Juan Toscano-Anderson made his debut with the Jazz after he was traded from the Lakers at the deadline. He finished with seven points. ... Olynyk was 4 of 4 from 3-point range in the Jazz win over Indiana but missed all three 3-pointers in the first half. He finished 3 of 7 from outside the arc. ...In addition to Markkanen, reserve F Rudy Gay was out with non-COVID illness.
Grizzlies: Brandon Clarke started his seventh game of the season at center. ... Are 17-16 against the Western Conference. ... The win marks only the third time in franchise history that they have reached 35 wins before the All-Star break.
STANDINGS WATCH
The Jazz entered the night in 10th place in the Western Conference, holding onto the last play-in spot a mere half-game ahead of Portland and Oklahoma City. Utah coach Will Hardy said there has to be a balance to watching the logjam.
&ldquo;It can be daunting when you look at the standing,&rdquo; Hardy said. &ldquo;How tight everything is. Then you start trying to do math in your head about what you may have to do.&rdquo; Then he added: &ldquo;I&rsquo;d be lying if I said we don&rsquo;t look at the standings. You do.&rdquo;
</div>

Jaren Jackson had 26 points, nine rebounds and four blocks and the Memphis Grizzlies beat the Utah Jazz 117-111.

Jackson, Bane lead Grizzlies over Jazz, 117-111

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) &mdash; Lou Lopez Senechal scored 26 points and Aaliyah Edwards added 25 to lead No. 5 Connecticut to an 84-67 victory over Tennessee in a matchup of iconic women&rsquo;s basketball programs on Thursday night.
Aubrey Griffen and Dorka Juhasz each scored 13 points for the Huskies (19-2), who led by as many as 16 points at the end of the first quarter and extended their winning streak to 12 games. Nika Muhl had 14 assists.
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know if we could recreate the rivalry we&rsquo;ve had (in the past),&rdquo; Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma said. &ldquo;This is as good a nonconference game you can play anywhere.&rdquo;
Jordan Horston scored 27 points for the Lady Volunteers (16-7), who closed within two points early in the third period but couldn&rsquo;t complete the comeback.
&ldquo;It was tough to slow (UConn) down,&rdquo; Tennessee coach Kellie Harper said. &ldquo;They were making every open shot and some tough ones.&rdquo;
Rickea Jackson scored 13 points and Jillian Hollingshead added 11 as Tennessee lost for the first time in 10 games.
&ldquo;(Horston) is a terrific player,&rdquo; said Auriemma. &ldquo;We recruited her down to the end and she chose Tennessee. Those players tend to have big games against us.&rdquo;
&ldquo;I just wanted to get it done, whatever it takes,&rdquo; Horston said. &ldquo;Their post players were really physical.&rdquo;
All of Tennessee&rsquo;s losses have come against ranked teams.
UConn, which couldn&rsquo;t miss in the first quarter, and couldn&rsquo;t buy a basket in the second, carried a 40-36 lead into halftime.
&ldquo;In the second quarter, (Tennessee) punched us and we didn&rsquo;t punch back,&rdquo; said Lopez Senechal. &ldquo;We had to be more aggressive.&rdquo;
Edwards had 10 points and Lopez Senechal had nine in the first 10 minutes, when the Huskies shot 71% and led 33-17. Tennessee scored the last eight points of the second quarter &mdash; four by Horston, who had 11 at the break &mdash; to make it interesting.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a case of kids getting tired of getting their butts beat,&rdquo; said Auriemma. &ldquo;That takes over. We have to change our approach. The adrenaline starts flowing.&rdquo;
POLL IMPLICATIONS
UConn has been ranked in The Associated Press Top 25 poll for 557 straight weeks. That won&rsquo;t change. &hellip; On the other hand, Tennessee started the season No. 5, but has struggled with the toughest schedule in the country. ... When the Lady Vols take on LSU on Monday and South Carolina on Feb. 23, they will have played all of the top six teams in this week&rsquo;s poll.
BIG PICTURE
Connecticut: If the Huskies were healthy, they would be a powerhouse. However, their two top players, Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd, and top freshman Ice Brady, are out with injuries. &hellip; Jana El Alfy, a 6-foot-4 2023 recruit from Cairo, Egypt, has enrolled early. She&rsquo;s with the team, but not expected to play this season.
Tennessee: This 26th meeting (UConn leads 17-9) between the Vols and Huskies is the climax to the &ldquo;We Back Pat&rdquo; week that brings attention to Alzheimer&rsquo;s disease, which claimed the life of iconic Lady Vols coach Pat Summitt. &hellip; Tennessee coach Kellie Harper said playing UConn was important to Summitt, who she played for, so she hopes the series will continue. &hellip; Tennessee has had to deal with the loss of 6-6 Tamari Key, who was diagnosed with blood clots nine games into her senior year.
UP NEXT
Connecticut: Host a Big East meeting with No. 21 Villanova on Sunday.
Tennessee: Travel to No. 4 LSU on Monday night.

Lou Lopez Senechal scored 26 points and Aaliyah Edwards added 25 to lead No. 5 Connecticut to an 84-67 victory over Tennessee.

Senechal, Edwards lead No. 5 UConn past Tennessee 84-67

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) &mdash; Walker Kessler had career-highs of 20 points and 21 rebounds, Jordan Clarkson added 21 points and the Utah Jazz rallied from a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 126-125 on Monday.
Collin Sexton added 19 points off the bench for Utah, which had seven players score in double-digits in its third win in four games.
Anthony Edwards scored 17 of his 29 points in the third quarter and D&rsquo;Angelo Russell added 21 points for Minnesota, which struggled inside against Kessler, the big rookie center traded from the Timberwolves to the Jazz in July.
Kyle Anderson had 13 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists for the Timberwolves, who lost Rudy Gobert to lingering groin soreness early in the game.
Russell tied the game at 125 with 13.5 seconds left. Clarkson made one of two free throws for the winning margin, and Jaden McDaniels' 3-point attempt at the buzzer missed the mark.
Minnesota acquired Kessler, the Naismith defensive player of the year in 2022 for Auburn, in a draft night trade. Two weeks later, he was sent to Utah as the Timberwolves sought a difference-maker down low in Gobert.
Monday, it was Kessler demonstrating his ability to affect opponents inside. He started his fourth game in a row in place of Kelly Olynyk and is averaging 13.5 points, 13.25 rebounds and three blocks as a starter.
Gobert&rsquo;s transition to Minnesota hasn&rsquo;t been smooth, but he has begun to become more effective defensively as the Wolves have put together their recent run of success.
Edwards has been the offensive equivalent to Gobert&rsquo;s defensive performance.
After Utah took a lead midway through the third quarter, Edwards answered. Minnesota went on an 18-8 run to end the third, with Edwards scoring nine.
On three straight possessions, Edwards went right at Kessler at the hoop, getting a pair of free throws and two lay-ins.
SHORT STAY
Gobert was listed as questionable before the game with right groin soreness. He started against his former team, but only played five minutes before being leaving again due to the injury. Gobert was injured in the last game when he played only 13:25.
TIP-INS
Jazz: Lauri Markkanen missed his second straight game with a left hip contusion. Olynyk missed his fourth straight game due to a left ankle sprain. &hellip; Rudy Gay returned after missing one game with a left low back spasm. Sexton was back after missing six of the previous games for maintenance of a hamstring injury. &hellip; Kessler added four assists and two blocks.
Timberwolves: Edwards became the youngest player in NBA history to reach 500 3-pointers made. &hellip; Minnesota only had six turnovers to Utah&rsquo;s 18.
&nbsp;

Walker Kessler had career-highs of 20 points and 21 rebounds, and the Utah Jazz rallied to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 126-125.

Kessler's 20 points, 21 rebounds help Jazz beat T-Wolves

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) &mdash; Myles Turner scored 29 points, Buddy Hield had 21 and the Indiana Pacers capped the first half of their regular-season schedule with a 116-111 comeback victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday.
Tyrese Haliburton finished with 16 points, 13 assists and five rebounds for the Pacers, who trailed by nine early in the fourth quarter and needed a series of clutch plays in the final minutes to improve their record to 23-18 at the midpoint.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m just excited for us, excited that we&rsquo;re overachieving,&rdquo; Turner said. &ldquo;We still have a lot of work to do. We can&rsquo;t be satisfied.&rdquo;
P.J. Washington had 22 points and five rebounds for the Hornets. Terry Rozier chipped in 19 points, six assists and six boards, and Mason Plumlee wound up with 18 points and 13 rebounds.
Plumlee attempted a dunk with 13 seconds left that would have brought Charlotte within a point, but Turner&rsquo;s blocked shot sent the crowd into a frenzy. The 26-year-old rising star finished with nine rebounds and four blocks. His three-point play with 1:11 left had tied the game.
&ldquo;Myles is in his prime,&rdquo; Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s playing the best he&rsquo;s ever played. Down the stretch, he was tremendous. I coached Jermaine O&rsquo;Neal here, and Jermaine had that. It was uplifting to his teammates.&rdquo;
Two free throws from Aaron Nesmith made it 116-111 with 6.9 seconds left and secured Indiana&rsquo;s eighth win in its last 10 games.
&ldquo;Forty-one games: doesn&rsquo;t feel like 41 games, but it is,&rdquo; Carlisle said. &ldquo;The next 41 will go by pretty fast, too. We&rsquo;re getting a lot of clutch experience. We&rsquo;re not perfect, but we&rsquo;re gradually getting better, and we&rsquo;ve got a great crowd that has helped us get over the hump in a lot of these games.&rdquo;
Charlotte, which dropped to 11-30 at the halfway mark, has lost four of its last five. Top scorer LaMelo Ball fouled out in the final minute with 13 points and eight assists.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s hard for us when (Ball) only plays 24 minutes,&rdquo; Hornets coach Steve Clifford said. &ldquo;That is just part of his growth. We had a couple really bad fouls. We put ourselves in a good place for three quarters. Our defense in the fourth wasn&rsquo;t good enough.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Hornets: Starting forward Gordon Hayward, a former All-Star, sat out a third straight game because of a sore hamstring. The injury cost the 12-year veteran a homecoming affair; he played collegiately at Butler and is a native of nearby Brownsburg. &hellip; Kelly Oubre Jr., the team&rsquo;s third-leading scorer at 20.2 points per game, missed his fifth in a row due to a torn hand ligament that required surgery on Thursday.
Pacers: Indiana committed 16 turnovers but forced 18 by the Hornets. &hellip; The Pacers trailed 27-15 at the end of the first quarter but recovered for a 47-45 halftime advantage. It was 79-73 Indiana entering the final period. &hellip; Andrew Nembhard finished with 19 points and four steals, while Nesmith added 15 points, six rebounds and four steals.
&nbsp;

Myles Turner scored 29 points, and the Indiana Pacers scored a 116-111 comeback victory over the Charlotte Hornets.

Turner, Haliburton key Pacers’ 116-111 victory over Hornets

ATLANTA (AP) &mdash; A 25-0 run removed any suspense from Tony Bennett&rsquo;s pursuit of a Virginia coaching milestone.
The No. 13 Cavaliers&nbsp;blew away Georgia Tech&nbsp;with the spurt, which began in the closing minutes of the first half and carried over after the break to give Virginia a 74-56 victory Saturday.
For Bennett, it was win No. 326 as the Cavaliers&rsquo; coach,&nbsp;pushing him into a tie with Terry Holland&nbsp;for the most in school history.
&ldquo;Just the way he has represented basketball and this program, what he&rsquo;s built, it&rsquo;s just tremendous to be able to talk about him,&rdquo; Bennett said. &ldquo;I never got into coaching to break records. I just wanted to win because I love the game.&rdquo;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
With today's 326th win, Tony Bennett has tied Terry Holland for the most wins in program history! 🔶⚔️🔷<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoHoos?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoHoos</a> <a href="https://t.co/LF45Vtxtoe">pic.twitter.com/LF45Vtxtoe</a>
&mdash; Virginia Men's Basketball (@UVAMensHoops) <a href="https://twitter.com/UVAMensHoops/status/1609262555825831940?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 31, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Bennett improved to 326-119 in 14 years leading the Virginia men&rsquo;s basketball program. Holland went 326-173 over a 16-season tenure that ended in 1990.
Virginia (10-2, 2-1 Atlantic Coast Conference)&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/i/status/1609245239021113344" target="_blank" rel="noopener">scored the final nine points of the first half</a>&nbsp;&mdash; all on 3-pointers off Georgia Tech turnovers &mdash; to take a 36-25 lead into halftime.
It would get worse for the Yellow Jackets (7-6, 0-3) when the teams returned to the court, as the Cavaliers ripped off another 16 points to make it 52-25 before the home team finally made a basket.
&ldquo;For the most part defensively, we didn&rsquo;t give them anything easy,&rdquo; Bennett said. &ldquo;Then we got a few turnovers and made 3s. When you&rsquo;re not exchanging baskets, that&rsquo;s when stuff like that can happen.&rdquo;
Kihei Clark had 15 points and eight assists to lead Virginia, which kept up its domination of Georgia Tech with a 10th straight victory in the series.&nbsp;Jayden Gardner&nbsp;added 14 points, while Armaan Franklin and Kadin Shedrick added 11 apiece.
Looking to bounce back from an ugly 13-point home loss to Clemson before the 10-day Christmas break, Georgia Tech shook up its lineup by bringing top scorer Miles Kelly off the bench. It did no good.
The Yellow Jackets have lost their first three ACC games by an average margin of nearly 16 points and appear headed for another dismal season. They went 12-20 a year ago.
Kelly scored 20 points but none of his teammates reached double figures. The Yellow Jackets turned it over 23 times, leading to 30 points for the Cavaliers.
&ldquo;Virginia was knocking down a lot of shots,&rdquo; Kelly said. &ldquo;That was really the game. We couldn&rsquo;t get any stops on the defensive end."
DRE IN THE HOUSE
Former Virginia star De&rsquo;Andre Hunter was at McCamish Pavilion to cheer on his alma mater and&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/UVAMensHoops/status/1609270059989336066" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stopped by the locker room</a>&nbsp;afterward.
Hunter was a key player on the Cavaliers&rsquo; national championship team in 2019. He now plays for the NBA&rsquo;s Atlanta Hawks, who were off Saturday after losing to LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers the night before.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s been a while since we&rsquo;ve had one of those kind of runs,&rdquo; Bennett said. &ldquo;Maybe it was because De&rsquo;Andre was sitting behind the bench.&rdquo;
BIG PICTURE
Virginia: The Cavaliers set the tone with their accuracy beyond the arc. Eight of their 13 first-half baskets were 3-pointers, many coming in transition off Virginia&rsquo;s smothering defense. Bennett&rsquo;s team looked more like the team that rose to No. 2 in the rankings before consecutive losses to Houston and Miami.
Georgia Tech: Pastner has given little indication in his seven-year tenure that he can transform the Yellow Jackets into a perennial conference contender. Other than a surprising run to the ACC tournament title during the pandemic-marred 2020-21 season, the Yellow Jackets are 36-60 in league play under Pastner.
&ldquo;This was no fun for anybody,&rdquo; the coach said. &ldquo;But there&rsquo;s a lot of basketball to be played.&rdquo;
UP NEXT
Virginia: Bennett will look to break the tie with Holland when the Cavaliers travel to Pittsburgh for an ACC game Tuesday night.
Georgia Tech: Hosts another ranked ACC team, No. 14 Miami, to wrap up a four-game homestand Wednesday night.

The No. 13 Cavaliers beat Georgia Tech 74-56 on Saturday. It was Tony Bennett's 326th win, which is tied for most in school history.

No. 13 Virginia beats Georgia Tech, Bennett ties school wins mark

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Just weeks ago, the Golden State Warriors might not have pulled off a win like this without their superstars on the court.
The backups are making big strides for the defending champions.
Jordan Poole scored 26 points and converted a key layup with 1:27 left and the undermanned Warriors rallied to beat the Utah Jazz 112-107 on Wednesday night.
Ty Jerome hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 5:18 to play after his own steal, then made a key rebound to help set up Donte DiVincenzo’s 3 the next time down as Golden State got another big performance from the reserves.
“I think the stage we're at as a team right now, coach said after the game that was just straight grit,” Jerome said.
Rookie Patrick Baldwin Jr. contributed 11 points with three 3s in 13 minutes off the bench after practicing earlier in the day with the G League Santa Cruz Warriors then arrived about an hour before tip-off. He ate two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on the way.
“I thought Patrick changed the game when he stepped out there and knocked down those 3s,” coach Steve Kerr said.
Baldwin got called up given DiVincenzo had been questionable with right knee soreness while Draymond Green has been nursing a tender right foot.
DiVincenzo scored 19 points and Jerome 17 with the Warriors completing a back-to-back minus starters Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins. Poole tied it at 94 on a 3 with 11:03 left.
“It feels different to win this game based on the circumstances. This is a game we wouldn’t have won a few weeks ago," Kerr said. "I think our young guys are really growing.”
Lauri Markkanen scored 29 points and had seven 3-pointers and a season-best 16 rebounds for the Jazz. Jordan Clarkson's 3 with 1:37 left made it a one-point game before Poole delivered moments later. 
Markkanen found his early shooting stroke from long range and also scored with driving layups, making 10 of 22 shots. Clarkson added 22 points. while Mike Conley had 10 assists.
Kelly Olynyk returned from a four-game absence with a sprained left ankle to get nine points and six rebounds in 26 minutes for Utah, which squandered a second-half lead for the second straight game. The Jazz were up 121-110 in the waning minutes of a 126-122 loss at San Antonio on Monday night.
Green wound up with six points, nine rebounds, five assists and three blocks for the Warriors, who at 15-2 have the league's best home record and are just trying to establish that same consistency away from Chase Center.
TIP-INS
Jazz: The Jazz hit seven 3s in the first quarter, four by Markkanen. ... Utah is 7-13 on the road, 5-9 vs. the Western Conference. The Jazz have lost six straight on the Warriors' floor dating to a 129-96 victory on Jan. 22, 2020. ... The Jazz were edged on the boards 51-50. 
Warriors: All-Star Andrew Wiggins returned to the arena wearing a mask a day after being away with an illness. He had been scheduled to return to action Wednesday night from being sidelined by a strained muscle in his right thigh area but instead missed his 12th straight game. Wiggins needs to practice so he's doubtful for Friday with a team off day Thursday.
UP NEXT
Jazz: At Sacramento on Friday night.
Warriors: Hosts Portland on Friday night.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Jordan Poole scored 26 points and converted a key layup late and the undermanned Warriors rallied to beat the Utah Jazz 112-107

Jordan Poole has 26 points, Warriors rally past Jazz

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) &mdash; Jonathan Kuminga is earning more minutes for his defense, and he showed everybody the big strides he has made as a stopper with veteran Andre Iguodala as his guide and mentor.
Klay Thompson scored 29 points and Kuminga delivered on both ends down the stretch, including a gutsy steal that helped the Golden State Warriors hold off the Charlotte Hornets late for a 110-105 win Tuesday night.
Kuminga cherishes getting a chance with the game on the line late, which isn't always the case.
&ldquo;If Coach trusts you and puts you in there, you've got to go and execute things and make things happen,&rdquo; said Kuminga, a second-year forward.
In one flashy sequence, Kuminga had a steal on one possession and then a defensive rebound and go-ahead dunk moments later on the other end. He made a short floating jumper from the baseline with 1:22 to go, and then dunked again with 21 seconds left. He finished with 14 points and five rebounds.
&ldquo;He's playing really well defensively," coach Steve Kerr said. &ldquo;Just wanted to stay with him because of the impact he was making on the ball and with his energy.&rdquo;
Jordan Poole had 24 points and six assists for Golden State. Kevon Looney finished with 11 points and nine rebounds. Thompson went 5 for 12 from 3-point range and also had five rebounds and four assists.
LaMelo Bell overcame 7-of-25 shooting &mdash; 2 for 11 from deep &mdash; to finish with 21 points and 10 rebounds as Charlotte completed the second game of a back-to-back after losing 124-113 at Portland on Monday.
Terry Rozier scored 19 points and Mason Plumlee grabbed 13 rebounds for the Hornets, who went 2-4 on a six-game West Coast road swing.
The backcourt of Thompson and Poole delivered with Stephen Curry sitting out a sixth straight game with a partially dislocated left shoulder on a night when his father, Dell, was in town working the Hornets broadcast.
Golden State's Draymond Green contributed nine points, 10 rebounds and five assists while dealing with right foot soreness.
TALKING TECHS
After Golden State got six technicals in a 123-109 Christmas Day matchup with Memphis, Kerr chatted with his team about it leading into Tuesday.
&ldquo;The message is we have to show more poise than that, we can't be in a battle with officials every night,&rdquo; Kerr said. &ldquo;There's going to be some games where you get frustrated and there are plenty of games that go perfectly well. There's going to be some of both, you just have to be able to play through that. We haven't done that.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Hornets: Charlotte shot 4 for 23 from deep in the first half and 10 of 38 overall. ... G Kelly Oubre Jr. missed the game against his former team with a sprained right hand. He played part of the 2020-21 season with Golden State before signing with the Hornets as a free agent in August 2021. ... Charlotte has lost the last three on the Warriors' home floor dating to a 93-87 victory on Nov. 2, 2019, in the team's initial visit to Chase Center. ... The Hornets fell to 3-9 playing on consecutive days, swept for a third time.
Warriors: The Warriors are 3-3 without Curry. ... All-Star Andrew Wiggins missed his 11th straight game and 13th overall with a strained muscle in his right thigh area. &ldquo;Unfortunately, he's sick now,&rdquo; Kerr said. &ldquo;He's been cleared to play but he's not in the building tonight because he came down ill yesterday.&rdquo; ... F JaMychal Green remains in the league's health and safety protocols and there's no timetable for his return.
&nbsp;

Klay Thompson scored 29 points and the Golden State Warriors held off the Charlotte Hornets late for a 110-105 win.

Klay Thompson scores 29, leads Warriors past Hornets 110-105

The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced the list of eligible candidates for the Class of 2023, including several high-profile, first-time nominees including Pau Gasol, Dirk Nowitzki, Tony Parker, Gregg Popovich, Dwyane Wade and the 1976 U.S. Olympic Women&rsquo;s Basketball Team. &nbsp; A first look at the list of eligible nominees was provided by &ldquo;NBA Today&rdquo; on ESPN; the complete list of eligible candidates can be found below. &nbsp; Finalists from the North American and Women&rsquo;s committee for the Class of 2023 will be announced on February 17, at 5:30 p.m. ET in Salt Lake City, Utah, during NBA All-Star Weekend. &nbsp; The entire Class of 2023, including those selected by the direct-elect committees, will be unveiled during the NCAA Final Four in Houston, Texas, on April 1, in a nationally televised broadcast at 11 a.m. EST.
NORTH AMERICAN NOMINATIONS &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Ken Anderson (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; John Beilein (COA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Gene Bess (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Chauncey Billups (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Tom Chambers (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; John Clougherty (REF) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Michael Cooper (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Joey Crawford (REF) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Jack Curran (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Mark Eaton (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Cliff Ellis (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Michael Finley (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Pau Gasol (PLA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Leonard Hamilton (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Lou Henson (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Ed Hightower (REF) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; David Hixon (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Mark Jackson (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Marques Johnson (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Gene Keady (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Jim Larranaga (COA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Maurice Lucas (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Shawn Marion (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Rollie Massimino (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Dick Motta (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Dirk Nowitzki (PLA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Jake O&rsquo;Donnell (REF) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Tony Parker (PLA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Jim Phelan (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Gregg Popovich (COA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Bo Ryan (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Stan Spirou (COA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Reggie Theus (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Dwyane Wade (PLA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Buck Williams (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; John Williamson (PLA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Paul Westhead (COA)
WOMEN&rsquo;S NOMINATIONS &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Leta Andrews (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Jennifer Azzi (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Gary Blair (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Doug Bruno (COA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Becky Hammon (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Becky Martin (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Debbie Miller-Palmore (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kim Mulkey (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Valerie Still (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Marian Washington (COA) &nbsp; INTERNATIONAL DIRECT-ELECT &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Jackie Chazalon &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Mirza Delibasic &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Dusan Ivkovic &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Semen Khalipski &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Vladimir Kondrashin &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Eduardo Lamas &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Marcos Leite &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Shimon Mirrahi &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Amaury Pasos &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Manuel Sainz &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Togo Soares &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Ranko Zeravica &nbsp; WOMEN&rsquo;S VETERANS DIRECT-ELECT &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; 1976 US Olympic Team (TEA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; 1982 Cheyney University NCAA Final Four Team (TEA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Alline Banks Sprouse (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Edmonton Commercial Grads (TEA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; John Head (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Yolanda Laney (PLA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Nashville Business College (TEA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Lometa Odom (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Harley Redin (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Hazel Walker (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Valerie Walker (PLA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Dean Weese (COA)*
CONTRIBUTOR DIRECT-ELECT &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Pete Babcock &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Dick Baumgartner &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Henry Bibby &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Marty Blake &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Vic Bubas &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Doug Collins &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Wayne Duke &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Bill Foster &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Bob Gibbons &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Simon Gourdine &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Tim Grgurich &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Junius Kellogg &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Johnny &ldquo;Red&rdquo; Kerr &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Tom Konchalski &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Bobby Lewis &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Fred McCall &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Jack McCloskey &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Jon McGlocklin &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Speedy Morris &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Dennis Murphy &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Curly Neal &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Jack Powers &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Will Robinson &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Gene Shue &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Jim Valvano &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Donnie Walsh &nbsp; VETERANS DIRECT-ELECT &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; 1936 US Olympic Team (TEA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; 1972 US Olympic Team (TEA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Dick Barnett (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Tom Blackburn (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Sid Borgia (REF) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Charles Brown (PLA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Freddie Brown (PLA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Jack Coleman (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Charles Eckman (REF) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Leroy Edwards (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Leo Ferris (CONT) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Hy Gotkin (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Travis Grant (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Jack Hartman (COA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Cam Henderson (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Robert Hopkins (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Charles Keinath (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Greg Kelser (PLA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kentucky Wesleyan 1966, 1968, 1969 (TEA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Bob Love (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Loyola of Chicago (TEA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Billy Markward (CONT) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Ed McCluskey (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Jack McKinney (CONT) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Bill Melchionni (PLA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Francis Meehan (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Lucias Mitchell (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Donald &ldquo;Dudey&rdquo; Moore (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Joe Mullaney (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Willie Naulls (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; North Catholic High School Junior Varsity (Philadelphia, PA) (TEA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Don Otten (PLA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Philadelphia SPHAS (TEA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kevin Porter (PLA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Glenn Roberts (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Lennie Rosenbluth (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kenny Sailors (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Fred Schaus (CONT) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Sam Schulman (CONT) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Paul Silas (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Dick Van Arsdale (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Tom Van Arsdale (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Lambert Will (CONT)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Max Zaslofsky (PLA)

Pau Gasol, Dirk Nowitzki, Tony Parker, Gregg Popovich and Dwyane Wade are among the candidates for the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Basketball Hall of Fame announces candidates for Class of 2023

PHOENIX (AP) &mdash; Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown each scored 25 points, Malcolm Brodgon added 16 off the bench and the Boston Celtics embarrassed the Phoenix Suns 125-98 on Wednesday night.
The Celtics won for the eighth time in nine games, improving their NBA-best record to 21-5. The Suns &mdash; who came into the game with the best record in a crowded Western Conference race &mdash; lost for the third time in four games.
The expected showdown between two of the league&rsquo;s top teams never materialized with the Celtics leading by 45 points. The Celtics took a 31-21 lead after one quarter over the cold-shooting Suns, who missed all eight of their 3-point attempts.
Boston continued to build its lead in the second, taking a 69-42 lead into the break. Brown led the Celtics with 17 points in the first half, while Tatum scored had 14. Grant Williams and Brogdon both added 12.
The second half was essentially an afterthought. Tatum hit a free throw with 7:01 left in the third to push Boston&rsquo;s advantage to 40.
The Suns welcomed back All-Star point guard Chris Paul, who missed the past 14 games with a sore right heel. That&rsquo;s good news for the team&rsquo;s long-term prognosis, but it didn&rsquo;t help much Wednesday. Josh Okogie led the Suns with a career-high 28 points off the bench.
NETS 122, HORNETS 116
NEW YORK (AP) &mdash; Kyrie Irving scored 33 points, Kevin Durant had 29 and Brooklyn outlasted Charlotte.
Seth Curry added 20 points on 8-for-11 shooting to help the Nets won for the fifth time in six games.
Terry Rozier scored 30 points and Kelly Oubre Jr. had 29 for the Hornets. They have lost three straight and seven of 10.
Brooklyn led by 23 points at the start of the third quarter, but was outscored 32-23 in the period. The Hornets cut it to 109-107 with 6:28 left in the game.
RAPTORS 126, LAKERS 113
TORONTO (AP) &mdash; Pascal Siakam had 25 points and 10 rebounds and Toronto routed a short-handed Los Angeles team playing without LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
James sat out because of a sore left ankle, one night after he played 36 minutes in a 116-102 loss at Cleveland. Davis left after one quarter Tuesday night because of a non-COVID illness.
Some in the sellout crowd of 19,800 booed when the names of the injured players were displayed on the video board before the game.
Fred VanVleet also had 25 points for Toronto. Dennis Schroder led the Lakers with 18.
JAZZ 124, WARRIORS 123
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) &mdash; Simone Fontecchio dunked with 1.4 seconds remaining off Nickeil Alexander-Walker&rsquo;s steal and Utah beat Golden State in a matchup of short-handed teams.
Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins sat out for Golden State, while Utah was missing Lauri Markkanen and Mike Conley. Curry skipped the game because of soreness in his left ankle, Green has tightness in his left hip and Andrew Wiggins has a strained right adductor. For Utah, Markkanen was ill and Conley has an injured left knee.
Jordan Clarkson led Utah with 22 points. Fontecchio finished with a career-high 18 points. A rookie from Italy who will be 27 on Friday, he made four 3-pointers.
Jordan Poole tied a season high with 36 points for Golden State and Jonathan Kuminga had a season-high 24.
BUCKS 126, KINGS 113
MILWAUKEE (AP) &mdash; Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 35 points, Jrue Holiday added 31 and Milwaukee beat Sacramento for the Bucks&rsquo; 13th consecutive victory over the Kings.
The streak is Milwaukee&rsquo;s longest active streak against an opponent. The Bucks have won 12 straight against Orlando.
Brook Lopez had 17 points and nine rebounds and Khris Middleton added 14 points for the Bucks. They won their third straight to improve to 18-6.
Domantas Sabonis had 23 points and 12 rebounds for the Kings, who had won their last three. Harrison Barnes had 20 points, and Malik Monk added 16.
GRIZZLIES 123, THUNDER 102
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) &mdash; Ja Morant had 26 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists and Memphis used a second-half flurry to beat Oklahoma City.
Morant&rsquo;s triple-double was his second this season and the seventh of his career, and tied a career high for rebounds. Dillon Brooks added 24 points and Brandon Clarke finished with 17 points as the Grizzlies won their season-best fourth straight.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 26 points.
KNICKS 113, HAWKS 89
NEW YORK (AP) &mdash; Julius Randle had 34 points and 17 rebounds and New York capitalized on another key Atlanta injury to coast past the Hawks.
Trae Young showed up wearing sneakers in the Knicks&rsquo; blue-and-orange colors with &ldquo;King of Broadway&rdquo; on them, but he was left largely having to win this one alone after the Hawks lost a third starter when Dejounte Murray sprained his left ankle after 3 1/2 minutes.
Already without starting forwards John Collins and De&rsquo;Andre Hunter, the Hawks trailed by as many as 28 points in their fifth loss in seven games. Young finished with 19 points and six assists.
TIMBERWOLVES 121, PACERS 115
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) &mdash; D&rsquo;Angelo Russell had 15 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter, Anthony Edwards scored 26 points and Minnesota held on to beat Indiana.
Rudy Gobert added 16 points and 20 rebounds for Minnesota, which blew a 23-point lead and had to overcome an eight-point deficit. The Timberwolves &mdash; who had 23 turnovers &mdash; won for just the second time in six games.
Buddy Hield scored 26 points and hit 7 of 11 from 3-point territory for Indiana. Tyrese Haliburton had 26 points and 15 assists for the Pacers.
MAGIC 116, CLIPPERS 111, OT
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) &mdash; Rookie Paolo Banchero scored 10 of his 23 points in overtime and Orlando beat Los Angeles to snap a nine-game losing streak.
Banchero, the top overall pick in the NBA draft, made all six of his free throws in the final seven seconds of overtime, rallying the Magic from a 111-110 deficit.
Terrance Mann came off the bench to lead the Clippers with 19 points.
BULLS 115, WIZARDS 111
CHICAGO (AP) &mdash; DeMar DeRozan scored 15 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter, Nikola Vucevic had 25 points and 11 rebounds and Chicago beat Washington.
The Wizards lost their fourth in a row and played without leading scorer and three-time All-Star Bradley Beal. He strained his hamstring Sunday in a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Kristaps Porzingis had 28 points and nine rebounds for Washington.
PELICANS 104, PISTONS 98
NEW ORLEANS (AP) &mdash; Zion Williamson had 29 points and 10 rebounds and New Orleans beat Detroit for its fifth straight victory and 10th in 12 games.
Trey Murphy III, a 2021 first-round draft choice starting because of Brandon Ingram&rsquo;s left foot injury, hit four 3s and had 20 points for New Orleans.
Saddiq Bey, who scored 25 points for Detroit.

A recap of Wednesday night's NBA action highlights a Boston beat-down of the Suns in the Valley.

NBA-leading Celtics embarrass sloppy Suns in blowout

MILWAUKEE (AP) &mdash; Anthony Davis scored a season-high 44 points, LeBron James overtook Magic Johnson on the NBA&rsquo;s career assists list and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Milwaukee Bucks 133-129 in a thriller Friday night.
Davis and James helped give Lakers coach Darvin Ham a triumphant return to Milwaukee. Ham worked on Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer&rsquo;s staff from 2018-22, and the former colleagues shared a big hug before the game.
Ham, an assistant coach on Milwaukee&rsquo;s 2021 championship team, also played for the Bucks from 1999-2002.
The Lakers withstood a 40-point night from Milwaukee&rsquo;s Giannis Antetokounmpo, who also had seven rebounds and five assists. The Lakers also spoiled the seasondebut of Milwaukee&rsquo;s Khris Middleton, who had 17 points and seven assists in his return from offseason wrist surgery.
During a fourth quarter that featured three ties and six lead changes, James put the Lakers ahead for good by sinking a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 3:22 left.
James finished with 28 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds. He improved his career assist total to 10,144 and moved into sixth place on the list, ahead of Johnson (10,133).
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
LeBron James has officially passed Magic Johnson for the 6th most assists of all-time. History for the 👑 <a href="https://t.co/tE5s3gSqSg">pic.twitter.com/tE5s3gSqSg</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1598871221659381760?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 3, 2022</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

HEAT 120, CELTICS 116, OT
BOSTON (AP) &mdash; Bam Adebayo scored 28 points, Tyler Herro had 26 and Miami completed a split of two games in Boston, beating the Celtics after Boston's Jaylen Brown banked in a long 3-pointer to force overtime.
Heat scoring leader Jimmy Butler returned to the lineup and had 25 points in 36 minutes after missing the previous seven games with a sore right knee. He added 15 rebounds.
Kyle Lowry chipped in with 20 points before fouling out in OT for the Heat, who sent Boston to just its second loss in 16 games.
Brown sent the game to overtime by banking in his long 3 with 1.7 seconds to play in regulation. He finished with 37 points.
Boston star Jayson Tatum scored just 14 points on a cold shooting night, going 5 of 18 from the floor, including 0 of 7 on 3-point attempts. He had 49 points in the Celtics&rsquo; 134-121 victory on Wednesday night.
ROCKETS 122, SUNS 121
PHOENIX (AP) &mdash; Jalen Green scored 21 of his 30 points in the second half and Houston overcame a 16-point deficit to stun short-handed Phoenix.
Houston won after blowing a six-point lead in the final two minutes. Devin Booker and Cameron Payne made back-to-back 3-pointers to tie it at 121, but the Rockets pushed ahead by a point when Green made one of two free throws with 28.8 seconds remaining.
That set up a frantic final possession that included four missed shots by the Suns, including a 16-foot jumper by Booker at the buzzer.
It was one of the few blemishes for Booker, who led the Suns with 41 points on 15-of-25 shooting. The three-time All-Star is in the midst of one of the best scoring stretches of his career. He had 44 points at Sacramento on Monday night and 51 against Chicago at home Wednesday night.
JAZZ 139, PACERS 119
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) &mdash; Lauri Markkanen had 24 points and 13 rebounds to help Utah rout Indiana.
Rookie center Walker Kessler scored a career-high 20 points on 7-of-7 shooting and had 11 rebounds for Utah. Jordan Clarkson had 19 points and Collin Sexton added 18 as the Jazz shot 55% from the field and matched a season high for points.
Myles Turner scored 18 points for Indiana. The Pacers lost for the third time in four games on their trip.
HAWKS 117, NUGGETS 109
ATLANTA (AP) &mdash; Dejounte Murray scored 34 points, rookie A.J. Griffin tied a career high with 24 subbing for injured Trae Young and short-handed Atlanta beat Denver.
Denver star Nikola Jokic, the two-time defending NBA MVP, had just four points in the first half on 2-of-5 shooting, but finished with 24 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists.
The Hawks were riddled with injuries before the game with Young, their leading scorer, sidelined by soreness in his right shoulder and John Collins out at least two weeks and De&rsquo;Andre Hunter out at least one week. In all, Atlanta had eight players listed on the injury report.
HORNETS 117, WIZARDS 116
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) &mdash; Terry Rozier scored 25 points, Kelly Oubre Jr. added 22 and Charlotte held off a second-half rally by Bradley Beal and Washington to hand the Wizards their fifth loss in six games.
P.J. Washington had 21 points and Mason Plumlee added 17 points and 10 rebounds for the Hornets. They have won three of their last four.
Beal scored 33 points, but turned the ball over twice and missed an open jumper in the final minute with Washington trailing by one.
NETS 114, RAPTORS 105
NEW YORK (AP) &mdash; Kyrie Irving scored 27 points and Brooklyn built a huge lead in beating Toronto for its fourth victory in a row.
Brooklyn led by 36 points midway through the second quarter and held a 93-72 advantage at the start of the fourth.
Kevin Durant had 17 points and Nic Claxton added 15 for the Nets.
Pascal Siakam scored 24 points for Toronto.
PELICANS 117, SPURS 99
SAN ANTONIO (AP) &mdash; Zion Williamson scored 30 points and matched a career high with 15 rebounds and New Orleans past San Antonio, with the Spurs without coach Gregg Popovich.
Jonas Valanciunas added 21 points and 11 rebounds for New Orleans, which has won three straight and eight of 10 to remain atop the Southwest Division ahead of Memphis.
San Antonio has lost 10 straight, matching the franchise&rsquo;s longest losing streak set in 1987.
Popovich was at the AT&amp;T Cente.r but missed the game due to a minor medical procedure. He will also miss a home game Sunday against Phoenix. Former Philadelphia coach Brett Brown coached the Spurs in Popovich&rsquo;s absence.
GRIZZLIES 117, 76ERS 109
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) &mdash; Ja Morant had 28 points and eight rebounds, Jaren Jackson Jr. added 22 points and four blocks &mdash; one in the closing minute &mdash; and Memphis beat Philadelphia.
Dillon Brooks finished with 17 points to help Memphis win for third time in four games.
Joel Embiid had 35 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists for Philadelpia. Tobias Harris added 21 points and 11 rebounds, and Shake Milton had 17 points and six assists.
The Grizzlies led by 18 early in the fourth, but the 76ers had another push left, cutting the Memphis lead to single digits with about five minutes left and to 111-106 with three minutes to go.
CAVALIERS 107, MAGIC 96
CLEVELAND (AP) &mdash; Donovan Mitchell scored 34 points, Evan Mobley had 19 points and 13 rebounds and Cleveland beat Orlando.
Mitchell poured in 16 points in the first nine minutes, outscoring Orlando himself by one, and the Cavaliers never relinquished control. Cleveland eventually led by 20 in winning for the 10th time in 11 home games this season.
Rookie forward Paolo Banchero scored 22 points for NBA-worst Orlando. They have lost seven straight to fall to 5-18.

Anthony Davis and LeBron James lifted the Los Angeles Lakers past the Milwaukee Bucks 133-129 in a thriller on Friday night.

Anthony Davis, LeBron James help Lakers beat Bucks, 133-129

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) &mdash; As Klay Thompson stays patient searching for his shot, the Golden State Warriors' offense starts humming along like days of old.
The snappy ball movement matters for the defending champions as they still strive to find defensive consistency.
&ldquo;It's been fun to watch,&rdquo; coach Steve Kerr said. &ldquo;... &ldquo;I loved Klay&rsquo;s game tonight.&rdquo;
Stephen Curry scored 33 points with six 3-pointers to lead all five Golden State starters in double figures, and the Warriors beat the Utah Jazz 129-118 on Friday night.
Andrew Wiggins added 20 points, nine rebounds, five assists and three steals coming off a season-best 31 points in a 124-107 win against the Clippers on Wednesday.
Thompson hit back-to-back 3-pointers late in the third quarter and six on the night to finish with 20 points and six rebounds, while Kevon Looney contributed 10 points and 12 rebounds. Draymond Green scored 13 points.
Thompson is certainly finding his rhythm after a slow start.
&ldquo;That's really key for us when he is just playing under control, taking the shots when they're there and when they're not. It just kind of sets the table for us,&rdquo; Kerr said. &rdquo;It's a great display of patience and then shot-making when we really needed them in that late third."
Warriors guard Jordan Poole came off the bench for 19 points with a pair of 3-pointers after he went 0 for 8 from long range in Wednesday&rsquo;s win.
Lauri Markkanen scored 24 points for the Jazz, who managed just 11 assists in the first two quarters.
Curry knocked down a fall-away 3-pointer, got fouled and converted the four-point play at the 8:40 mark of the first quarter as the Warriors ran out to a 17-point lead, but they couldn't hold it.
The Warriors have won eight straight at home for their longest unbeaten run on their own floor since 11 in a row from Oct. 30-Dec. 3, 2021. They also have a five-game home winning streak against Utah.
Now, Kerr wants to see steady play on the road.
&ldquo;We still have things to work on but we are stabilized,&rdquo; Green said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re starting to play our brand of basketball on both ends of the floor.&rdquo;
Jordan Clarkson and Kelly Olynyk each had 21 points for Utah. The Jazz have lost three straight to match their longest skid of the season that has come during this stretch of six defeats in the last eight.
CURRY'S IMPACT
Jazz coach Will Hardy acknowledged he sometimes stops to watch Curry and has to &ldquo;snap out of it&rdquo; and remember to coach. Curry recorded his 12th 30-point game out of 17 -- the first time in his career he&rsquo;s been on that kind of pace.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s just as terrifying today as he was then," Hardy said of the reigning NBA Finals MVP's growth from even six or seven years ago.
TIP-INS
Jazz: Utah shot 2 for 20 to begin the game from 3-point range, 2 of 15 in the opening quarter, 4 for 26 at halftime and 11 of 45 overall. ... The Jazz are 5-5 on the road against the Western Conference. ... Clarkson also had 10 assists.
Warriors: Golden State has an NBA-leading 12 30-assist games, including six of the last seven. ... Looney played in his 131st straight game, the second-longest active streak. ... Golden State committed four quick turnovers early in the second quarter to squander a big chunk of its 17-point lead and led 59-51 at halftime. ... The Warriors haven't lost at home to the Jazz since a 129-96 defeat on Jan. 22, 2020. ... Golden State recorded its 440th consecutive sellout with a crowd of 18,064.
UP NEXT
Jazz: At Phoenix on Saturday night to complete the back-to-back.
Warriors: At Minnesota on Sunday, having lost the last six on the Timberwolves' home court since a 117-107 win on March 19, 2019.

Stephen Curry scored 33 points with 6 three-pointers, and the Warriors beat the Jazz 129-118 on Friday night.

Stephen Curry scores 33 points as Warriors beat Jazz 129-118

NBA referee Bill Kennedy, who came out as gay in 2015, spoke out in an emotional video Tuesday in response to the weekend shooting that killed five and left 17 others with gunshot wounds at a gay nightclub in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
<a href="https://twitter.com/nbacares/status/1595230617687539713?s=20&amp;t=i1nz8BGLjzUF3JG7vtfEHQ">The 41-second video</a> was released on the NBA&rsquo;s social media platforms.
&ldquo;These types of heinous crimes, these hideous hate crimes, need to stop in this country,&rdquo; Kennedy said. &ldquo;We, we as the people, have to figure out a way to do this and to get it done. Godspeed to the LGBT community in Colorado Springs and abroad.&rdquo;
The shooting at <a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-shootings-colorado-gay-rights-112e79c6886defbcc07e2c7cec32a246">Club Q</a> took place Saturday night. <a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-shootings-colorado-gun-politics-denver-766baba4c80bb470eba9e6146c7b42aa">The suspect in the shooting,</a> Anderson Lee Aldrich, 22, faces murder and hate crime charges. He is scheduled to make his first court appearance Wednesday by video from jail.
It&rsquo;s not the first reaction from the NBA to the incident. Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone spoke earlier this week, calling it &ldquo;another senseless mass shooting.&rdquo; The Nuggets also held a moment of silence before their home game Tuesday night against Detroit.
<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-shootings-colorado-denver-springs-79976bed902603de59bd7b6ba2b16aff">The victims were Raymond Green Vance, 22; Ashley Paugh, 35; Daniel Aston, 28; Kelly Loving, 40; and Derrick Rump, 38</a>.
&ldquo;I wanted to take an opportunity to reach out to the victims and their families and express my sincere condolences for those who were there at Club Q over the past weekend,&rdquo; Kennedy said.
In 25 seasons, Kennedy has officiated nearly 1,500 regular-season and playoff games.

NBA referee Bill Kennedy, who came out as gay in 2015, spoke out in an emotional video Tuesday in response to the weekend shooting.

NBA referee Bill Kennedy calls Colorado shooting 'heinous'

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) &mdash; LaMelo Ball&rsquo;s first home game of the season didn&rsquo;t go anywhere near as well as the All-Star point guard hoped.
Not only did the Charlotte Hornets lose 125-113 to the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night, but Ball reinjured his left ankle when he stepped on a fan&rsquo;s foot with 1:34 left in the game, an injury which likely will keep him out moving forward.
Ball was trying to save a ball from going out of bounds when he stepped on a seated fan&rsquo;s foot near the Hornets bench as he tried to brace himself from going into the crowd.
It&rsquo;s the same ankle that caused Ball to miss a portion of the preseason and the first 13 games of the regular season.
Hornets coach Steve Clifford had no immediate update on Ball's status and Ball was not made available to talk to reporters after the game.
The Hornets are at Cleveland on Friday night.
This was Ball's third game back since his initial ankle injury in the preseason, but his first at home. It began with him getting a big introduction from the public address announcer and a huge applause during pre-game introductions, but exiting with a grimace on his face and he limped to the locker room.
Ball was stellar when he played, finishing with 26 points on 10-of-17 shooting, including five 3-pointers. He also had six assists while turning the ball over four times.
&ldquo;He was great tonight,&rdquo; Clifford said.
The Hornets have been hit hard by injuries this season.
Along with Ball missing 13 games, Cody Martin has missed all but one game with quad and knee issues that eventually required surgery, Gordon Hayward has missed the last eight games with a shoulder injury and Dennis Smith the last three a ankle sprain. Earlier in the day, the Hornets also announced first-round draft pick Mark Williams suffered an ankle injury while playing for the G League's Greensboro Swarm.
Terry Rozier also missed seven games with an ankle injury.
"It's very tough but we have to be professionals about it," said Hornets guard Kelly Oubre Jr. &ldquo;It's the game of basketball and those things happen. But people who are suited up and who are healthy enough to go out there, we have to go pick up that slack.&rdquo;
Still, forward P.J. Washington said he's eager for the day the Hornets (4-12) are at full strength.
&ldquo;We all know at some point everybody&rsquo;s going to get back out there, and we can&rsquo;t wait for it," Washington said. "But right now the problem is we&rsquo;re losing games, so we&rsquo;ve got to figure it out and start getting some wins.&rdquo;
Charlotte (4-12) has lost nine of its last 10 games after starting the season 3-3 with a win over the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors.

LaMelo Ball was trying to save a ball from going out of bounds when he stepped on a seated fan’s foot near the Hornets bench.

LaMelo Ball re-injures ankle after stepping on fan's foot

MIAMI (AP) &mdash; Bam Adebayo scored 30 points, including a pair of free throws to put Miami up for good with 35 seconds left, and the Heat rallied from a 13-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat the Phoenix Suns 113-112 on Monday night.
Phoenix had three shots to win on its final possession &mdash; a missed layup by Cameron Payne, a jumper from Devin Booker that Jimmy Butler blocked, and then a 3-pointer from Booker that fell short.
Butler finished with 16 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists for Miami. Caleb Martin and Kyle Lowry each scored 15 for Miami, which got back to .500 at 7-7.
Booker led Phoenix with 25 points, and Duane Washington Jr. added 21. Deandre Ayton finished with 16 points and 12 rebounds for the Suns, who shot only four free throws compared to 25 for Miami.
CELTICS 126, THUNDER 122
BOSTON (AP) &mdash; Marcus Smart scored 20 of his 22 points in the second half, and Boston beat Oklahoma City for its seventh straight win.
Boston trailed by 15 in the third quarter but outscored Oklahoma City 37-26 in the fourth.
Jayson Tatum had 27 points and 10 rebounds for the Celtics. Jaylen Brown scored 26, and Al Horford added 12 points and 11 rebounds.
Smart also had eight assists and five rebounds, and reserve Payton Pritchard added 10 points, leading a key surge late in the third and early in the fourth as the Celtics rallied.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 37 points. Lu Dort scored 21 and Aleksej Pokusevski finished with 16 points and 14 rebounds.
HAWKS 121, BUCKS 106
MILWAUKEE (AP) &mdash; De&rsquo;Andre Hunter scored 24 points and Trae Young had 21 points and nine assists, leading Atlanta over Milwaukee.
Clint Capela added 19 points and 10 rebounds as the Hawks won for the fifth time in seven games. Dejounte Murray also scored 19, and John Collins had 16 points and nine boards.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, who missed the previous two games and three of the past four with left knee soreness, scored 27 points in 31 minutes. The Bucks have lost three of four after a 9-0 start.
It was the third meeting between the teams in 16 days. MarJon Beauchamp had 20 points for the Bucks, who dropped to 7-1 at home.
WARRIORS 132, SPURS 95
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) &mdash; Back in the starting lineup for a night, Jordan Poole scored a season-best 36 points on the debut of his first bobblehead and led Golden State past San Antonio.
Poole shot 13 for 20 and knocked down five 3-pointers. He exited with 8:04 left following his 13th career game of 30 or more points.
Stephen Curry added 16 points, five rebounds and five assists in 27 minutes. It was the second game of a back-to-back for the Warriors after they lost 122-115 at Sacramento on Sunday to fall to 0-7 on the road.
Keldon Johnson had 15 points for the injury-plagued Spurs.
RAPTORS 115, PISTONS 111
DETROIT (AP) &mdash; Dalano Banton scored 27 points and Chris Boucher added 20 as short-handed Toronto snapped a three-game losing streak with a victory over Detroit.
O.G. Anunoby added 19 points and seven rebounds for the Raptors, who played without Fred VanVleet (non-COVID-19 illness), Pascal Siakam (abdominal strain) and Gary Trent (hip).
Rookie guard Jaden Ivey scored 21 for the Pistons, who lost their fourth straight. Bojan Bogdanovic added 18 points.
HORNETS 112, MAGIC 105
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) &mdash; LaMelo Ball had 17 points and nine assists, and Charlotte stopped an eight-game slide by beating Orlando.
Seven players scored in double figures for the Hornets, including their entire starting lineup. Mason Plumlee had 18 points and 10 rebounds. Terry Rozier scored 17, and Kelly Oubre Jr. had 16.
Franz Wagner scored 23 points and Wendell Carter Jr. added 20 for Orlando, but the Magic committed 22 turnovers.
Ball, who missed the Hornets&rsquo; 113-93 loss at Orlando last month because of a sprained ankle, played in only his second game of the season after missing the first 13.
CLIPPERS 122, ROCKETS 106
HOUSTON (AP) &mdash; Paul George scored 22 points in three quarters to lead Los Angeles past Houston.
George, who also had eight rebounds and five assists, spent the fourth quarter on the bench with the game in hand as Clippers coach Tyronn Lue didn&rsquo;t play his starters in the final period on the front end of a back-to-back.
Jalen Green scored 25 points and Kevin Porter Jr. added 20 for the Rockets, who dropped their third in a row.
Reggie Jackson had 17 points and six assists to help the Clippers win for the third time in four games.

Bam Adebayo scored 30 points, and the Heat rallied from a 13-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat the Suns 113-112 on Monday.