CHICAGO (AP) — Julius Randle scored 27 points and tied a career high by hitting five 3-pointers, and the New York Knicks beat the Chicago Bulls 107-103 on Wednesday night.
New York outscored the Bulls 34-17 in the first quarter. The Knicks withstood a huge run in the fourth and came away with the win after losing two nights earlier in Chicago.
Randle made 5 of 7 from beyond the arc to equal his career best at Brooklyn on Dec. 26, 2019. He hit three in a row late in the opening quarter.
“That’s what we expect from him,” coach Tom Thibodeau said. “A veteran leader. Plays strong on both sides of the ball. Shared the ball. Make the right plays. Set an example for everyone as to how you’re gonna work. You give the team the belief that we can win. And you get to that by making hustle plays.”
Elfrid Payton added 20 points and eight rebounds. RJ Barrett scored 17, and the Knicks picked up the win after dropping five of six.
Zach LaVine led Chicago with 24 points, though he was 0 for 7 on 3’s. Thaddeus Young scored 19. Lauri Markkanen, coming off back-to-back outings with 30 or more, cooled off with nine points.
The Bulls shot about 49% overall despite making just 6 of 36 3-pointers. They have lost four of their past five games overall and are 3-7 at home.
“I’m hopeful it’s a real good learning experience competitively for our guys,” coach Billy Donovan said. “We shot the ball miserably tonight. That happens. You have to find other ways to win. I thought we got dirty and grimy and physical, but it needed to be that way a lot earlier.”
76ers 118, Hornets 111
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Joel Embiid had 34 points and 11 rebounds, and the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Charlotte Hornets 118-111 on Wednesday night for their fourth straight win.
Tobias Harris scored 26 points and Ben Simmons added 15 points and nine assists for the 76ers, who stretched their winning streak against the Hornets to 14 games, tied for the longest active streak in the NBA. The Clippers have also won 14 straight against the Magic.
Gordon Hayward and LaMelo Ball each had 22 points for the Hornets, who had their three-game win streak snapped.
Clippers 121, Cavaliers 99
CLEVELAND — Paul George made a season-high eight 3-pointers and scored 36 points, Kawhi Leonard added 24 and Los Angeles found enough energy on tired legs to end a six-game road trip with a victory over Cleveland.
Just 24 hours after dropping a tight game in Brooklyn that had an NBA Finals vibe, the Clippers made 20 3-pointers to avoid losing two straight for the first time this season.
Collin Sexton scored 27 and Darius Garland 23 for the Cavaliers, who played well in spurts but couldn’t stop the Clippers’ 3-point barrage.
Bucks 130, Pacers 110
MILWAUKEE — Giannis Antetokounmpo had 21 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists despite sitting out the fourth quarter, and Milwaukee routed Indiana.
The reigning two-time MVP shot 7 of 8 from the floor and 7 of 8 from the line in a remarkably efficient performance.
Indiana’s Domantas Sabonis scored a career-high 33 points and had 12 rebounds and six assists. Justin Holiday had 15 points for the Pacers. Doug McDermott had 13, Malcolm Brogdon 12.
Mavericks 122, Hawks 116
ATLANTA — Luka Doncic scored 27 points and dished out 14 assists as Dallas snapped a six-game losing streak, defeating Trae Young and Atlanta.
Kristaps Porzingis added 24 points and 11 rebounds for the Mavericks, including a crucial tip-in of a miss by Doncic with 32 seconds remaining that helped Dallas hold off a furious Atlanta comeback.
John Collins led the Hawks with 35 points and 12 rebounds.
Kings 116, Celtics 111
SACREMENTO, Calif. — De’Aaron Fox had 26 points and 11 assists, Buddy Hield made two free throws with six-tenths of a second remaining and Sacramento held off short-handed Boston.
Hield finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds, Harrison Barnes scored 24 points and Tyrese Haliburton added 21.
Jayson Tatum had 27 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds for the Celtics. Jaylen Brown scored 21.
Wizards 103, Heat 100
MIAMI — Bradley Beal scored 32 points and Washington rallied from a 13-point, second-half deficit to beat freefalling Miami.
Deni Avdija added 13 for Washington, which pulled off this comeback just three nights after digging its way out of an 18-point hole to beat the Brooklyn Nets.
Rui Hachimura and Davis Bertans each scored 11 for Washington.
Tyler Herro scored 20 points for Miami, which fell to 7-14 after making the NBA Finals last season. Jimmy Butler had 19 and Bam Adebayo scored 17.
Thunder 104, Rockets 87
OKLAHOMA CITY — Kenrich Williams scored 19 points and Oklahoma City bounced back from a 30-point loss two days earlier and beat Houston.
Darius Bazley had 18 points and a career-high 12 rebounds, Al Horford scored 17 points and Hamidou Diallo added 16 for the Thunder. Oklahoma City had allowed 147 and 136 points in its previous two games — both losses. On Wednesday, the Thunder allowed a season-low point total.
The Rockets scored a season high for points on Monday and a season low on Wednesday. Houston made a franchise record 28 3-pointers on 52 attempts on Monday, but connected on just 12 of 46 in the rematch.
Eric Gordon scored 22 points and Victor Oladipo added 19 for the Rockets, whose win streak ended at six games.
Spurs 111, Timberwolves 108
SAN ANTONIO — DeMar DeRozan scored 30 points and San Antonio rallied from a 16-point deficit to beat Minnesota.
Jakob Poeltl added 19 points and Dejounte Murray had 15 points and 11 rebounds.
Malik Beasley scored 29 points and D’Angelo Russell added 20 for Minnesota, which was outscored 32-18 in the final quarter. The Timberwolves dropped to 1-9 on the road this season.
Pelicans 123, Suns 101
NEW ORLEANS — Zion Williamson punctuated a 28-point performance with a soaring, one-handed alley-oop jam during a decisive fourth-quarter surge, and New Orleans routed Phoenix.
Brandon Ingram scored 23 and Lonzo Ball added 18 points for New Orleans, which led by as many as 28 in the fourth quarter en route to ending a two-game slide while also stopping the Suns’ winning streak at three.
Steven Adams, who returned from a sore left calf that had sidelined him a game-and-a-half, scored 11 points and grabbed 13 rebounds.
Devin Booker scored 25 for the Suns. Deandre Ayton had 13 points and 11 rebounds and Chris Paul had 10 points.
