Roundup: Pistons prolong win streak to 11 with victory over Hawks

ATLANTA — Cade Cunningham returned from harm with 25 factors and 10 assists as Detroit received its eleventh straight sport over short-handed Atlanta.

Jalen Duren added 24 factors for the Pistons (13-2), who’ve their finest begin since going 15-2 out of the gates in 2005-06. That group completed 64-18 and reached the Eastern Conference finals. The Pistons have the NBA’s longest successful streak this season and their longest since an 11-gamer throughout the 2007-08 season, the final time they received a playoff sequence. That group went 59-23 and in addition reached the East finals.

Duncan Robinson had 14 factors together with three 3-pointers within the first 5 minutes for an early spark for the Pistons, who beat Indiana at residence on Monday.

Cunningham grew to become the primary participant in Pistons historical past with 25-plus factors and 10-plus assists in 5 consecutive video games performed.

Jalen Johnson had 25 factors, eight rebounds, 9 assists and three steals for the Hawks (9-6), who snapped a five-game win streak. Atlanta was lacking beginning ahead Zaccharie Risacher with a hip harm from their earlier sport on Sunday suffered from an ungainly fall following a dunk. Star guard Trae Young and beginning middle Kristaps Porzingis have additionally been sidelined by knee accidents.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 24 factors and Onyeka Okongwu added 21 for the Hawks, who trailed by 19 within the second quarter and 94-80 late within the third earlier than an 18-5 run lower the deficit to 1 with 6:08 remaining.

Alexander-Walker’s two free throws with 1:36 left introduced the Hawks inside two, however Cunningham, who missed the final three video games with a hip harm, answered with a jumper and the Pistons inched away.

Dyson Daniels, who obtained his Most Improved Player award in a ceremony earlier than the sport, had 12 factors, 9 rebounds, six assists and three steals for the Hawks.

LOS ANGELES — LeBron James had 11 factors and 12 assists within the first sport of his unprecedented twenty third NBA season, and Luka Doncic had 37 factors and 10 assists within the Los Angeles Lakers’ 140-126 victory over the Utah Jazz on Tuesday night time.

The 40-year-old James made his season debut within the Lakers’ beginning lineup and performed half-hour after lacking coaching camp and their first 14 video games resulting from sciatica. Vince Carter is the one different participant in NBA historical past to take part in 22 seasons, however James handed him whereas opening the subsequent chapter of a professional profession that started in 2003.

James didn’t take lengthy to seek out the move: He placed on a playmaking clinic within the second half, and Doncic scored 17 factors within the third quarter whereas the Lakers pulled away from Utah.

Austin Reaves added 26 factors because the Lakers improved to 11-4 with their third straight victory.

Keyonte George, who was born 10 days after James’ NBA debut, matched his season excessive with 33 factors for the Jazz two nights after hitting the successful 3-pointer in a double-overtime thriller in opposition to Chicago.

Lauri Markkanen had 31 factors for Utah, which has misplaced 5 of seven.

James didn’t rating in his first 11 minutes on the court docket, however his two 3-pointers within the first half moved him previous Reggie Miller for the sixth-most in NBA historical past.

James made a driving layup within the third quarter to increase his streak of double-digit scoring performances to a document 1,293 video games — each sport by which he has performed since Jan. 6, 2007. The four-time NBA champion didn’t rating once more, however the Lakers moved comfortably forward.

George scored 23 factors and Markkanen had 22 in Utah’s 71-point first half. The Lakers took cost after halftime, closing the third on a 21-5 run.

Bronny James performed the ultimate 3:33 and hit a 3-pointer.

ORLANDO, Fla. — Desmond Bane had 23 factors and 5 steals, Anthony Black got here off the bench to attain 21 factors, and Orlando beat Golden State.

Six Orlando gamers scored not less than 13 factors, offsetting 34 factors and 9 assists from Golden State’s Stephen Curry and 33 factors from Jimmy Butler.

Franz Wager had 18 factors and eight rebounds and Wendell Carter Jr. had 17 factors and 12 rebounds for Orlando, which has received 4 of its final 5 video games. Tristan da Silva had 15 factors and Jalen Suggs completed with 13 factors and eight assists.

Orlando shot 50.6% general however made solely 8 of 32 3-point pictures. After making 5 of their first six 3-pointers, the Warriors made solely 8 of their subsequent 30. Curry, who scored 56 factors in Orlando in February and put up 49 and 46 factors in video games final week, shot 12 for 23 general and made 7 of 15 3-pointers.

The Magic led by 15 in the midst of the second quarter earlier than Curry closed the half with three 3-pointers and two free throws within the ultimate 4 minutes to drag Golden State inside 67-60 at halftime.

But after bursting down the lane for a layup late in he third quarter that left the Warriors down by 10, Curry went virtually 12 minutes with out a level. The Magic led 115-101 when Curry nailed a 3-pointer with 3:44 left.

Warriors ahead Jonathan Kuminga missed a 3rd straight sport with a knee harm and Magic ahead Paolo Banchero missed his third straight sport with a groin pressure.

BROOKLYN — Jaylen Brown scored 29 factors, Payton Pritchard had 22 factors and 10 rebounds, and Boston beat Brooklyn to maneuver above .500 for the primary time this season.

Derrick White added 15 factors for the Celtics, who received their third straight sport to enhance to 8-7. They performed the Nets even for about three quarters earlier than smothering them defensively within the fourth, permitting only one basket for the primary 10 minutes of the interval.

Michael Porter Jr. scored 25 factors for the Nets, his career-best seventh straight sport with not less than 20. But after his 3-pointer gave Brooklyn a 90-89 lead with 9:08 left, the Nets didn’t make one other basket till 1:56 remained.

Day’Ron Sharpe added 16 factors for the Nets, who fell to 2-12 general and 0-7 at residence.

The Celtics began the season 0-3 after which received their subsequent three. They dropped the subsequent two video games and hadn’t gotten their document again to even once more till beating the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday.

Porter had 18 factors at halftime and Pritchard scored 17. The groups mixed for 22 2-pointers and 21 3-pointers within the first half, which ended with Boston main 62-61.

The Celtics opened their first double-digit cushion when Brown adopted a three-point play with a 3-pointer to cap an 8-0 burst and make it 75-65 with 7 1/2 minutes remaining within the third. Brooklyn lower it to 1 late within the interval earlier than Brown made one other 3-pointer to ship the Celtics to the fourth with an 89-85 edge.

With the Celtics main 97-92, they chased down three missed pictures on one possession to arrange White’s 3-pointer. After a Brooklyn free throw, he made one other 3 to make it 103-93. Brown’s 3 with 2:55 left capped an 18-3 run to make it 107-93.

SAN ANTONIO, Texas — De’Aaron Fox had 26 factors, Harrison Barnes added 23 factors and San Antonio escaped with a victory over Memphis in a battle of injury-riddled rosters.

San Antonio was with out All-Star middle Victor Wembanyama and Memphis was with out star level guard Ja Morant.

Barnes was 9 for 14 from the sphere, together with seven straight factors on a operating hook, nine-foot floater and 3-pointer to present the Spurs a 107-101 lead with 53.2 seconds remaining. Keldon Johnson added 18 factors on 8-for-15 taking pictures.

Cedric Coward had 19 factors and Jaren Jackson Jr. added 18 factors for Memphis, which misplaced its fifth straight.

San Antonio has received two straight and 5 of seven.

The Spurs are additionally with out injured guards Dylan Harper (strained left calf) and Stephon Castle.

MRIs revealed Wembanyama has a left calf pressure and Castle has a left hip flexor pressure. Both Wembanyama and Castle are anticipated to overlook two to a few weeks.

The Spurs are 18-31 with out Wembanyama and the Grizzlies are 76-93 with out Morant.

Memphis took benefit of Wembanyama’s absence to outrebound San Antonio 59-38 and seize a 22-2 benefit on second-chance factors.

The Spurs have been in a position to overcome these lopsided margins by outscoring the Grizzlies 25-14 within the fourth quarter after a sloppy begin.

Memphis opened the sport on an 8-0 run, prompting San Antonio coach Mitch Johnson to name a timeout 89 seconds into the sport. The Spurs opened the sport taking pictures 17% from the sphere, lacking 10 of 12 makes an attempt.

SUNS 127, TRAIL BLAZERS 110

PORTLAND, Ore. — Devin Booker scored 19 factors and Phoenix pulled away within the second half for a victory over Portland.

Collin Gillespie added 19 factors off the bench for the Suns, who led by as many as 25 after the break. Phoenix coach Jordan Ott rested Booker within the fourth quarter.

Shaedon Sharpe had 29 factors for the Blazers, who have been with out Jerami Grant due to an sickness. Portland was additionally lacking guard Jrue Holiday for the second straight sport due to calf soreness.

Rookie middle Yang Hansen was again with the Blazers after a stint with the NBA G League Rip City Remix. Yang performed his first minutes for Portland since Oct. 29 within the second quarter and drew cheers from the Moda Center crowd when he dunked.

The 7-footer from China, the sixteenth general choose within the NBA draft, completed with 9 factors.

Phoenix rebounded from a 124-122 loss Sunday to the Atlanta Hawks, who rallied within the ultimate quarter from a 22-point deficit. That defeat snapped a five-game Suns successful streak.

Portland, coming off a 1-4 street journey, trailed for a lot of the primary half however stayed inside single digits of the Suns till late, when Booker’s quick basket and free throw put Phoenix in entrance 64-53.

Portland went on an 8-0 run to enter halftime trailing 64-61. But the Suns pulled away within the third quarter, going up 80-63 on Ryan Dunn’s dunk.

The Blazers made simply 10 of 41 makes an attempt from 3-point vary (24.4%). Portland has misplaced three straight and 5 of six.

Dillon Brooks, who completed with 12 factors and 4 assists for the Suns, bought his 1,000th profession help within the first half.