Center Andrew Bogut ignited a third-quarter runaway with a 3-pointer at one end and a blocked shot at the other, sending the Golden State Warriors on the way to their 60th win of the season, a 125-107 thumping of the New Orleans Pelicans.
The Warriors’ league-record 49th consecutive home victory spanning two seasons also was the 17th in their past 18 meetings with New Orleans, which was Golden State’s first playoff victim en route to the NBA championship last year.
Jazz 94, Cavaliers 85
Rodney Hood scored 28 points and Shelvin Mack added 17 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds to lead the Utah Jazz to a 94-85 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Derrick Favors chipped in 19 points and Trey Lyles added 12 points for the Jazz. Utah (32-35) won its third straight game to keep pace with Dallas and Houston in the battle for the 8th seed in the Western Conference.
Heat 124, Nuggets 119
Rookies Justise Winslow and Josh Richardson combined to score 37 points as the Miami Heat defeated the Denver Nuggets 124-119 at AmericanAirlines Arena.
Winslow, a first-round pick from Duke, had a career-high 20 points. Richardson, a second-rounder from Tennessee, had 17 points, three blocks and two steals. Heat center Hassan Whiteside added 18 points and 10 rebounds.
Bulls 109, Raptors 107
Doug McDermott scored 29 points, and the Chicago Bulls led from the early stages of the first quarter on the way to a 109-107 victory over the Toronto Raptors at Air Canada Centre.
McDermott, who was averaging nine points per game, torched Toronto off the bench for the second straight game, having put up a career-high 30 points when the teams met in February.
Mavericks 107, Hornets 96
Chandler Parsons scored 24 points, hitting three clutch 3-pointers down the stretch, and two streaks came to an end as the Dallas Mavericks beat the Charlotte Hornets 107-96.
The Mavericks (34-33) snapped a five-game losing streak and ended the Hornets’ seven-game winning streak in the process.
Thunder 128, Trail Blazers 94
Enes Kanter scored 26 points to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 128-94 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers Monday at the Chesapeake Energy Arena.
Kanter shot 9 of 15 from the field to lead seven Oklahoma City players in double figures as the Thunder recorded their largest margin of victory this season. It was the first time a player other than Kevin Durant or Russell Westbrook led the team in scoring since January 4.
Rockets 130, Grizzlies 81
Trevor Ariza and Patrick Beverley sparked an early 3-point barrage and the Houston Rockets cruised to a 130-81 victory over the shorthanded Memphis Grizzlies at Toyota Center.
With Ariza and Beverley setting the pace by hitting 6 of 7 treys in the opening quarter, the Rockets (34-33) shot 16 of 33 from behind the arc. Ariza finished with 16 points, one of nine players to score in double figures for the Rockets, who led wire-to-wire against Memphis (39-28).
Wizards 124, Pistons 81
Nene scored a season-high 20 points, John Wall had 15 points and 12 assists, and the Washington Wizards snapped a five-game losing streak with a 124-81 win over the Detroit Pistons.
The Wizards (31-35) led by as many as 44 points in their return home following a disappointing 0-3 road trip. They responded with a dominant first quarter, outscoring the Pistons 34-15. The rampage continued throughout.
Suns 107, Timberwolves 104
Mirza Teletovic hit five 3-pointers including the game-winner with 1.2 seconds left and the Phoenix Suns rallied from a 10-point halftime deficit to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 107-104.
P.J. Tucker had a career-high 23 points and added 12 rebounds and Teletovic had 21 for the Suns (18-49), who shot 42 percent from the field and committed 24 turnovers but still found a way to win.
© Reuters
