Clippers improve NBA’s best record with win over Bulls
Los Angeles Clippers’ Blake Griffin, left, shakes hands with Chris Paul during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Chicago Bulls, Saturday, Nov. 19, 2016, in Los Angeles. The Clippers won 102-95. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
LOS ANGELES — Blake Griffin had 26 points and 13 rebounds and Chris Paul added 19 points as the NBA-leading Los Angeles Clippers rallied in the fourth quarter to beat the Chicago Bulls 102-95 on Saturday.
Maurice Speights scored 11 of his season-high 16 points in the fourth for the Clippers, who improved to 12-2 on the season. Their only two losses have come at home to Oklahoma City and Memphis.
Speights’ biggest assist came with 49 seconds left. Jamal Crawford missed a 3-pointer and Speights got the rebound, then fed Crawford for a driving reverse layup that restored the Clippers’ lead to five points.
Dwyane Wade led Chicago with 28 points, hitting five 3-pointers. The Bulls had their four-game winning streak ended.
In other games, Kevin Durant scored 33 points and Klay Thompson had 25 of his 29 in the second half as Golden State held on to beat Milwaukee 124-121 for its seventh straight victory.
The Warriors were ahead by as much as 14 before Jabari Parker and Giannis Antetokounmpo led a 13-4 run in the fourth quarter that cut it to 122-120 with about 2 ½ minutes left.
Draymond Green tipped away an inbounds pass intended for Antetokounmpo with 10 seconds left and Thompson was fouled after securing the loose ball. He hit both free throws to seal the win.
Antetokounmpo finished with 30 points, while Parker had 28.
In Detroit, Al Horford’s follow shot with 1.3 seconds left gave Boston a 94-92 victory over the Pistons.
Detroit became the last NBA team to lose at home this season.
Isaiah Thomas had 24 points and eight assists for Boston, while Horford added 18 points and 11 rebounds.
Marcus Morris led Detroit with 24 points and Andre Drummond had 20 points and 17 rebounds.
Houston’s James Harden had 31 points and 10 assists to lead the Rockets over Utah 111-102.
Eric Gordon added 20 points and fellow reserve Nene added a season-high 16 as the Rockets won for the third time in four games.
The injury-plagued Jazz dropped their third straight game following a 6-2 start to November. Rodney Hood led Utah with 25 points.
In New Orleans, Anthony Davis had 38 points and 16 rebounds and Jrue Holiday added 22 points and nine assists as the Pelicans beat Charlotte in overtime 121-116.
New Orleans, which hadn’t won back-to-back games all season, overcame a 14-point, fourth-quarter deficit to keep Charlotte from tying its best franchise start through 12 games.
Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid scored a career-high 26 points in 20 minutes as the 76ers climbed out of the NBA’s cellar by routing Phoenix 120-105.
Nik Stauskas added a season-high 21 points on 8-for-9 shooting for the Sixers, who have split their last six games after starting the season 0-7.
The 76ers improved to 3-10, leaving Dallas as the worst team in the league at 2-10.
The Mavericks’ struggles continued with a 95-87 loss at Orlando.
D.J. Augustin scored 18 points and Serge Ibaka added 15 points and nine rebounds for Orlando.
The Mavericks were playing without Dirk Nowitzki, Devin Harris and Deron Williams.
Memphis’ JaMychal Green had 19 points and eight rebounds and Zach Randolph added 18 points and seven boards as the Grizzlies beat Minnesota 93-71.
The Timberwolves had their worst offensive performance of the season with season lows in points and shooting percentage (39.1 percent)
Mike Conley and Andrew Harrison added 13 points apiece for Memphis, which won its fourth straight.
And in Washington, Goran Dragic scored 22 points and Hassan Whiteside added 18 points and 18 rebounds as the Heat held on to beat the Wizards 114-111.
James Johnson had 17 points off the bench for Miami, which scored its most points this season and got its first back-to-back wins.
John Wall scored a season-high 34 points for the Wizards.
