Jalen Green scored 26 points, Dillon Brooks added 23 and three reserves scored in double figures as the Houston Rockets extended its winning streak to seven games with a 127-117 victory over the visiting Chicago Bulls on Thursday.
Jock Landale added 17 points and 12 rebounds while Aaron Holiday tallied 15 points and Jeff Green had 14 points and seven rebounds off the Houston bench. Brooks shot 10 of 13 before earning an ejection as the Rockets shot 50.5 per cent from the floor.
Ayo Dosunmu scored a career-high 35 points to pace the Bulls, who had all five starters score in double figures, including Nikola Vucevic (16 points, 14 rebounds, six assists).
After blowing nearly all of a 19-point, second-quarter lead, Houston reclaimed control following an altercation between Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan and Brooks just before the midpoint of the third quarter with the Rockets up by nine.
DeRozan delivered a hard foul on Jalen Green at the 6:02 mark, and while Green rolled on the floor in pain, Brooks and DeRozan locked arms, leading to a larger fracas. Both players were ejected, and the Rockets immediately found another gear, closing the period with 3-pointers from Fred VanVleet, Jeff Green, Jalen Green and Holiday.
Nuggets 113, Knicks 100
Nikola Jokic posted another triple-double and Michael Porter Jr. scored a game-high 31 points for host Denver, which continued surging with a win over New York.
Jokic finished with 30 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists in his seventh triple-double in the last 15 games and his 22nd of the season for the Nuggets, who improved to 13-2 since Feb. 22 to move into a virtual tie for first place in the Western Conference with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Jamal Murray scored 23 points while Aaron Gordon added 10 points.
Jalen Brunson had 26 points and nine assists for the Knicks, which had its four-game winning streak snapped. Isaiah Hartenstein scored a career-high 20 points while Alec Burks had 18 points off the bench. Donte DiVincenzo and Miles McBride added 11 points each.
Mavericks 113, Jazz 97
Dallas Mavericks forward Derrick Jones Jr. celebrates. | Photo Credit: Reuters
Luka Doncic scored 34 points and Daniel Gafford added 24 as Dallas defeated visiting Utah.
Gafford hit 10 of 11 field goals, all dunks, and Doncic added nine rebounds, eight assists and four steals as the Mavericks (41-29) won their third consecutive game. Kyrie Irving contributed 16 points and seven assists. Dallas ended with a franchise-record 18 dunks.
Lauri Markkanen returned to the lineup to lead the Jazz (29-41) with 21 points despite an off night shooting. He finished 6 of 20 overall and 1-for-9 from 3-point range. Utah made only 4 of 30 from beyond the arc. Collin Sexton scored 20 points off the bench for Utah, which has lost four straight. Keyonte George added 18 points, while Walker Kessler totaled 14 points and nine rebounds.
Magic 121, Pelicans 106
Paolo Banchero had a triple-double and surging Orlando cooled off visiting New Orleans.
Banchero finished with 20 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds as the Magic won for the 13th time in 16 games. Jalen Suggs scored 22 points and Franz Wagner had 18.
Trey Murphy III scored 21 points for the Pelicans, who lost for just the second time in nine games. Zion Williamson had 20 points, CJ McCollum finished with 18 and Brandon Ingram added 14 before leaving the game for good early in the third quarter after injuring his left knee.
Wizards 109, Kings 102
Washington Wizards guard Jordan Poole, drives against Sacramento Kings guard Keon Ellis | Photo Credit: AP
Kyle Kuzma scored a game-high 31 points, leading Washington to a win over visiting Sacramento.
Deni Avdija added 17 points and nine rebounds for the Wizards, while Corey Kispert scored 15 points. Jordan Poole chipped in 14 points and Richaun Holmes collected 16 rebounds for Washington, which ended a five-game skid.
De’Aaron Fox led the Kings with 25 points, six steals, five rebounds and five assists. Malik Monk scored 20 points off the bench, Keegan Murray chipped in 16 and Domantas Sabonis amassed 14 points, 14 rebounds and six assists.
Bucks 115, Nets 108
Damian Lillard had 30 points and 12 assists, Giannis Antetokounmpo added 21 points and nine rebounds and Milwaukee withstood a fourth-quarter rally to beat visiting Brooklyn.
Brook Lopez added 17 points for the Bucks, who completed a three-game sweep of the season series against the Nets. Brooklyn trailed by as many as 20 late in the first half before cutting the deficit to 81-69 at the end of the third quarter.
The Nets opened the fourth quarter on a 21-6 run to move ahead 90-87 with 6:41 remaining in the contest, but Milwaukee regained the lead and held a 103-98 advantage with 2:34 left. Mikal Bridges hit a trey to make it 103-101, but that was the closest Brooklyn would get. Bridges finished with 24 points.
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