DENVER — Marco Belinelli scored 27 points, Tim Duncan had 20 and the San Antonio Spurs extended their winning streak to 16 games by beating the Denver Nuggets 133-102 on Friday night. ADVERTISING DENVER — Marco Belinelli scored 27 points,
DENVER — Marco Belinelli scored 27 points, Tim Duncan had 20 and the San Antonio Spurs extended their winning streak to 16 games by beating the Denver Nuggets 133-102 on Friday night.
DENVER — Marco Belinelli scored 27 points, Tim Duncan had 20 and the San Antonio Spurs extended their winning streak to 16 games by beating the Denver Nuggets 133-102 on Friday night.
Reserve Patty Mills had 16 points for the Spurs, who scored a season-high in points. This is their longest regular season win streak since reeling off 17 straight from Feb. 29 to March 31, 1996.
San Antonio also maintained a three-game lead for the top seed in the Western Conference. It’s a quick turnaround for the Spurs, who host New Orleans on Saturday.
Randy Foye scored 20 for a banged-up Nuggets squad that lost for the fourth time in five games. Wilson Chandler was out with a strained groin, while Timofey Mozgov and Kenneth Faried were hampered by an illness. Faried still finished with 18 points and 13 rebounds.
Belinelli stepped into the starting lineup with Danny Green hobbled by an inflamed right foot and quickly found his rhythm. Belinelli scored 14 in the first quarter. He finished 10 of 15 from the field.
HEAT 110, PISTONS 78
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — LeBron James had 17 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds to help Miami build a big lead, and then rested in the fourth quarter.
It was James’ first triple-double of the season and No. 37 for his career.
Udonis Haslem scored 12 of his 17 points in the first quarter, when James already had seven assists. Chris Bosh scored 15 for Miami.
Greg Monroe and Will Bynum each had 12 points for the Pistons, who honored their 1989 championship team at halftime.
WIZARDS 91, PACERS 78
WASHINGTON — John Wall scored 20 points, and Washington avenged two of its biggest losses of the season.
Marcin Gortat added 17 points and 12 rebounds for the Wizards, who dropped their first two games against the Pacers this season by a combined 47 points.
Paul George scored 19 points, and Lance Stephenson had 13 points and matched a career-high with 14 rebounds for the Pacers, who have lost a season-high four straight road games.
RAPTORS 105
CELTICS 103
TORONTO — Amir Johnson scored the winning basket with seven seconds remaining, and Toronto clinched its first playoff berth in six seasons.
DeMar DeRozan scored 30 points as the Raptors won for the 18th time in 24 home games. Terrence Ross had 17 points, Greivis Vasquez scored 15 and Jonas Valanciunas finished with 13.
Jerryd Bayless scored 14 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter, but it wasn’t enough for Boston, which has dropped three straight and eight of nine. Jeff Green added 16 points.
TIMBERWOLVES 143
LAKERS 107
MINNEAPOLIS — Kevin Love had 22 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for his second career triple-double, leading Minnesota to the easy win.
Nikola Pekovic scored 26 points on 9-for-10 shooting in his first game back from an ankle injury and Love hit three of five 3-pointers in just three quarters. Kevin Martin scored 17 points for the Wolves, who led by 19 points in the first quarter, 37 in the second and 40 in the third.
Steve Nash made a surprise appearance for the Lakers, picking up four points and six assists in 14 minutes of just his 12th game of the season. It was about the only notable development for the Lakers, who allowed the Timberwolves to shoot 67.1 percent.
THUNDER 94, KINGS 81
OKLAHOMA CITY — Kevin Durant scored 29 points to power Oklahoma City to the victory.
Durant has scored at least 25 points in 37 consecutive games, the longest streak since Michael Jordan’s 40-game run for the Chicago Bulls during the 1986-87 season. Durant could have done more damage, but he sat for good with 1:25 left in the third quarter.
Russell Westbrook had 18 points and six assists for the Thunder, who have won five of six.
Ben McLemore scored 18 points and Travis Outlaw added 17 for the Kings. DeMarcus Cousins, who entered the game ranked 10th in the league in scoring, finished with four points on 2-for-8 shooting while dealing with foul trouble.
BLAZERS 91, BULLS 74
CHICAGO — Mo Williams scored 18 points to lead five players in double figures, and Portland won on the road for a second straight night.
Damian Lillard had 16 points for the Blazers, who won in Atlanta on Thursday after dropping the first three games of their road trip. Nicolas Batum and Robin Lopez had 13 points apiece.
Carlos Boozer had 16 points and 12 rebounds in 24 minutes for Chicago. Joakim Noah added 11 points and 10 rebounds.
NETS 108, CAVS 97
NEW YORK — Paul Pierce scored 17 of his 22 points in a flawless first quarter, and Brooklyn quickly pulled away in the second on the way to its 12th straight home victory.
Joe Johnson added 14 points for the Nets, who played three straight overtime games on their road trip, losing the last two of them. But things were much easier back home, where they won for the 19th time in their last 21 games.
PELICANS 102, JAZZ 95
NEW ORLEANS — Tyreke Evans had 22 points and a career-high 15 assists, and the short-handed Pelicans overcame the loss of Anthony Davis to extend their winning streak to a season-high five games.
Davis left in the first quarter with a left ankle injury, further depleting New Orleans’ already injury-riddled roster.
Anthony Morrow scored 20 points for New Orleans. Alexis Ajinca, playing extended minutes in Davis’ absence, had 10 rebounds, nine points and three blocks.
Derrick Favors had 18 points and 11 rebounds for the Jazz, who lost their third straight. Gordon Hayward added 21 points.
The Pelicans played without guards Eric Gordon (left knee tendinitis) and Brian Roberts (left knee bone bruise).
MAGIC 110, BOBCATS 105
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Nikola Vucevic had 24 points and 23 rebounds for Orlando, and Jameer Nelson scored five points in overtime.
Aaron Afflalo, who finished with 17 points, sent the game into overtime with a 3-pointer with 7.6 seconds remaining as Orlando won its second straight. Nelson’s 3-pointer with 2:26 left in OT put the Magic ahead for good.
Josh McRoberts had a career-high 24 points for Charlotte. Kemba Walker also scored 24 points and Al Jefferson added 20 points and eight rebounds.
Tobias Harris had 15 points for the Magic, while Victor Oladipo added 14 and Kyle O’Quinn 13. Nelson, who missed the last four games with a sore knee, had 11 points and eight assists.
