NBA Capsules: Chicago, New York, Memphis triumph
CHICAGO — Luol Deng scored 20 points, Carlos Boozer had 18 and the Chicago Bulls overcame the absence of starting center Joakim Noah to earn an 87-84 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Saturday night.
Deng had 13 points at halftime, but Chicago’s reserves sparked the Bulls’ second-half rally, outscoring Indiana’s reserves 32-15. Taj Gibson scored 11, and Daequan Cook and Nate Robinson had nine apiece.
The Bulls went on a 13-5 run starting the fourth quarter to take an 81-72 lead. A four-point play by George Hill brought Indiana within 87-84 in the final minute. After a missed driving shot by Chicago’s Kirk Hinrich with 16 seconds left, the Pacers had a chance to tie, but Paul George had two 3-point tries go off the rim in the final 10 seconds, including one at the final buzzer.
George led the Pacers with 23 points.
GRIZZLIES 110, CELTICS 106
MEMPHIS, Tennessee (AP) — Jerryd Bayless scored a season-high 30 points and Memphis weathered a fourth-quarter rally by Boston’s reserves to escape with the victory.
Seven Memphis players finished in double figures and three recorded double-doubles. Darrell Arthur, starting for Zach Randolph, scored 18 points, while Randolph had 15 points and 11 rebounds off the bench.
Paul Pierce led Boston with 26 points, while Jordan Crawford keyed a fourth-quarter rally, scoring 14 of his 21 points in the final frame. The Celtics lost their fourth straight game.
Both teams played without key players. Kevin Garnett and Courtney Lee sat out for Boston with left ankle sprains. Memphis center Marc Gasol is out indefinitely because of an abdominal tear.
KNICKS 110, RAPTORS 84
NEW YORK (AP) — Carmelo Anthony scored 28 points, Kenyon Martin had another big game against Toronto to help New York finish off a home-and-home sweep of the Raptors.
J.R. Smith added 25 points for the Knicks, who beat the Raptors for the second straight night and won their fourth consecutive game. Martin had 18 points and seven rebounds, a night after he had 19 points and 11 rebounds in the Knicks’ victory in Toronto that clinched a playoff berth.
DeMar DeRozan scored 17 points for the Raptors, who played without leading scorer Rudy Gay because of a bad back and lost their fourth straight.
Knicks guard Jason Kidd had three points, three rebounds and two assists on his 40th birthday.
PISTONS 92, BOBCATS 91
CHARLOTTE, North Carolina (AP) — Charlie Villanueva scored 14 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter, including a go-ahead driving layup with 15 seconds left, and Detroit beat Charlotte to snap a 10-game losing streak.
Villanueva hit three 3-pointers in the final period to help the Pistons avoid their longest losing streak since 2010.
Jason Maxiell added 14 points and Rodney Stuckey had 13 points and eight assists off the bench for the Pistons.
Kemba Walker had 25 points and Bismack Biyombo had 12 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Bobcats, who had their two-game winning streak snapped.
The NBA-worst Bobcats had the ball and a chance to win the game with 14 seconds left, but Walker missed an off-balanced leaner in the lane and Josh McRoberts’ reverse layup after an offensive rebound didn’t fall as time expired.
