dyton mupawaenda
ZACH LaVine scored 14 of his game-high 35 points in the fourth quarter and grabbed 10 rebounds for the game while Nikola Vucevic had 24 points and 11 boards to lift the host Chicago Bulls to a 114-110 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Monday night.
Chicago overcame a 19-point deficit that it faced in the third quarter, taking its first lead of the night on Coby White’s driving layup with 47.1 seconds left in the fourth that made it 111-110. The Bulls ended the game on an 11-0 run. Chris Paul missed a desperation 3-pointer in the final second for San Antonio. The shot followed a jump ball that was the result of a won challenge by the Bulls, who were able to get a foul call on a 3-point attempt by the Spurs reversed.
San Antonio went scoreless over the game’s final 3:52. Victor Wembanyama had 23 points and 14 rebounds to go along with eight blocks while pacing eight Spurs scorers in double figures.
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Cole Anthony scored 14 of his team-high 24 points in the second half Monday night as the undermanned Orlando Magic grabbed the lead and didn’t let go in a 103-94 win over the host New York Knicks.
Wendell Carter Jr. had 19 points off the bench while Kentavious Caldwell-Pope added 15 points and reserve Jonathan Isaac netted 13 for the Magic, who avoided being swept in the four-game regular season series despite missing leading scorers Franz Wagner (torn right oblique), Jalen Suggs (back) and Moritz Wagner (torn left ACL).
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Anthony Edwards drained back-to-back 3-pointers late in the fourth quarter, and the Minnesota Timberwolves held on for a 108-106 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night in Minneapolis.
Edwards finished with 37 points, seven rebounds and eight assists for Minnesota, which snapped a three-game skid. Naz Reid scored 18 points off the bench, Donte DiVincenzo had 15, and Rudy Gobert grabbed a game-high 18 rebounds to go along with his eight points.
Norman Powell scored 25 points to lead Los Angeles. James Harden collected 22 points, eight rebounds and eight assists, and Ivica Zubac had 17 points, 16 boards and six blocked shots.
Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard scored eight points on 3-for-11 shooting in his second game of the season since returning from a knee injury. He played 21 minutes.
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Giannis Antetokounmpo had 11 points, 12 rebounds and 13 assists in only 29 minutes and the visiting Milwaukee Bucks trounced the Toronto Raptors 128-104 on Monday night.
Damian Lillard had 15 of his 25 points in the third quarter for the Bucks, who were coming off two straight home losses.
Milwaukee led by as many as 33 points in the fourth quarter.
Bobby Portis scored 20 points off the bench for Milwaukee. Former Raptors player Gary Trent Jr. scored 17 points, Brook Lopez contributed 16 points and Ryan Rollins chipped in 10 points.
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Bradley Beal scored 25 points and Kevin Durant added 23 as the Phoenix Suns snapped a four-game losing streak with a 109-99 road victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday.
Rookie forward Ryan Dunn chipped in 15 points for Phoenix, which overcame a 3-of-16 shooting night from Devin Booker (10 points, 10 assists).
Tyrese Maxey notched 31 points and 10 assists to pace Philadelphia, which played without Joel Embiid (foot sprain). Kelly Oubre added 26 points and 11 rebounds, while Paul George chipped in 13 points, nine boards and five assists but shot just 5-of-18 from the field. — Reuters.
Mathew Masinge
Online Reporter