By Field Level Media
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Luka Doncic had 32 points and 10 rebounds, LeBron James scored 25 points and the visiting Los Angeles Lakers beat the Nuggets 123-100 on Saturday night to end Denver’s nine-game winning streak.

Doncic logged 31 minutes, his most in four games with Los Angeles, which won for just the second time in its last 15 games against Denver, including the playoffs.

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Austin Reaves scored 23 points and Rui Hachimura contributed 21 points for the Lakers. Los Angeles has won 14 of 18.

Nikola Jokic had 12 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists for his 26th triple-doubles, but also committed six of the Nuggets’ 20 turnovers. Aaron Gordon scored 24 points, Jamal Murray added 19, Russell Westbrook finished with 17, Michael Porter Jr. scored 13 and Christian Braun contributed 10 points.

The Lakers led 63-54 at halftime behind 19 points from Doncic. They also capitalized on 12 Denver turnovers that led to 23 points.

The Nuggets opened the third quarter with eight straight points to pull within one, but Los Angeles responded with a 10-0 run to lead by 11. Westbrook’s 3-pointer cut the deficit to 80-74, but Hachimura and Reaves hit two each from long range to extend the lead to 94-82 late in the third.

Westbrook made two driving layups to cut Los Angeles’ lead to 96-87 heading into the fourth.

James opened the final period with a layup, Gordon answered with a short hook, then the Lakers started to pull away.

James hit a jumper, the Nuggets committed their 18th turnover, Gabe Vincent hit from deep and Jordan Goodwin hit a jumper in the lane and a corner 3-pointer to extend the Los Angeles lead to 108-91 with 7:31 left.

Denver missed out of a timeout and James made two free throws to make it a 19-point game. Braun then drained one from deep, but Jokic turned it over in consecutive possessions and Doncic turned them into buckets to give the Lakers a 117-97 lead with 4:16 left.

The Nuggets emptied their bench and Los Angeles closed it out.

Nets extend Sixers’ skid with buzzer -beating tip-in

Nic Claxton put in an offensive rebound at the buzzer as the Brooklyn Nets slipped past the host Philadelphia 76ers 105-103 on Saturday.

After Tyrese Maxey tied it with a 3-pointer, the Nets opted not to call timeout. Brooklyn’s Keon Johnson missed a 3-pointer from the wing with two seconds remaining, but Claxton hustled to the rebound, caught it in mid-air along the left side of the lane and shot it in as the horn sounded.

Cameron Johnson led Brooklyn with 23 points, although he shot just 1-of-9 from 3-point range. Trendon Watford chipped in with 16 points off the bench and Claxton added 16 points, nine rebounds and three blocks for the Nets, who have won seven of their last nine.

Maxey paced the Sixers with 31 points, while Quentin Grimes pitched in with 16 points. Joel Embiid had 14 points on 4-of-13 shooting from the field as Philadelphia lost its seventh in a row.

The Nets led by 17 early in the third quarter before the Sixers eventually got within 83-76 heading into the fourth.

Watford scored nine points in the first seven minutes of the fourth, helping Brooklyn lead 94-88 with 5:40 to play. However, Philadelphia responded with nine straight points, capped by Grimes’ go-ahead 3-pointer and Kelly Oubre Jr.’s follow slam shortly thereafter for a 97-94 lead with 3 1/2 minutes left.

Maxey’s 3-pointer snapped a tie with about three minutes left, but Keon Johnson’s 3-pointer about a minute later gave the Nets a 102-100 lead. Maxey’s transition 3-pointer with 23 seconds remaining tied it at 103-103, setting up the exciting finish.

Brooklyn shot a blistering 75 percent (15 of 20 from the field in the first quarter en route to a 40-30 lead after 12 minutes.

The Nets led by double digits for most of the second quarter, going ahead by as many as 17 before settling for a 63-52 lead at the break.

Maxey led all scorers with 15 first-half points. Cameron Johnson had 12 for Brooklyn.

Suns beat Bulls to end four-game losing streak

Devin Booker scored 29 points, Kevin Durant added 27 points and 11 rebounds, and the visiting Phoenix Suns snapped a four-game skid by beating the Chicago Bulls 121-117 on Saturday.

Bradley Beal added 25 points in his return to the starting lineup for Phoenix, which took its first lead late in the second quarter and never trailed in the second half. Nick Richards added 15 points and nine rebounds, and Mason Plumlee had 10 points.

Chicago lost its season-high sixth straight game despite mounting a late rally in the fourth quarter. The Bulls trailed by eight before using a 10-2 run to tie the game at 111 with 2:22 left in regulation.

Durant made four foul shots and Booker’s trey put Phoenix ahead 118-111 with 1:08 remaining.

Chicago responded with four straight points to make it a one-possession game before Beal drained a 3-pointer with 13.4 seconds left to seal the victory.

Josh Giddey led the Bulls with 24 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds. Coby White scored 20 points and added eight assists, Nikola Vucevic had 16 points and 11 rebounds, Matas Buzelis scored 15 points, and Kevin Huerter added 14 off the bench.

Phoenix won its 10th straight meeting against Chicago, which shot 18 of 53 (34 percent) from 3-point range. The Suns were 10 of 30 (33.3 percent) from beyond the arc.

Making his first start since being replaced in the lineup by Tyus Jones on Jan. 6, Beal finished 10-of-19 shooting with six rebounds and four assists.

Chicago led 30-20 at the end of one period and extended its lead to 13 early in the second quarter before Phoenix answered with an 11-2 run.

The Suns held a 60-58 advantage at the half after outsourcing the Bulls 40-28 in the second quarter. Phoenix shot 16 of 21 (76.2 percent) from the field for the period.

Durant, Booker and Beal recorded 37 of the Suns’ 60 points in the first half.

Phoenix carried the momentum into the third quarter and led 81-69 with 5:08 left in the period before Chicago pulled within 93-90 after closing the period on a 21-12 run.

Chicago played without forward Jalen Smith (concussion protocol) and guard Ayo Dosunmu (left shoulder soreness).

Keyonte George scores 30 as Jazz rebound to beat Rockets

Keyonte George hit five 3-pointers and scored 30 points to lift the Utah Jazz to a 124-115 win over the visiting Houston Rockets on Saturday night in Salt Lake City.

Lauri Markkanen broke out of a slump, scoring 23 points with 10 rebounds, and Walker Kessler hauled in 17 rebounds with 11 points, three assists and two blocked shots for Utah.

The Jazz shot 50 percent — despite a 13-for-27 free-throw performance — to bounce back from a 23-point loss to Oklahoma City on Friday night to pick up just their seventh home win this season.

Alperen Sengun totaled 27 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists for the Rockets, who also played in a back-to-back after beating Minnesota in Houston on Friday night.

Jalen Green contributed 25 points and 10 assists, while Amen Thompson added 22 points and nine boards as the Rockets lost for the second time in three games.

Houston had a seven-point lead early in the fourth quarter after 3-pointers by Thompson and Aaron Holiday when Utah turned things around for its 14th win this season.

The Jazz went on a 16-2 run, regaining the lead early in the fourth on a George 3-pointer and then seized a seven-point edge after Johnny Juzang scored a bucket after a Brice Sensabaugh 3.

The Jazz took their biggest lead, 119-107, with just over three minutes remaining when Isaiah Collier capped a 30-11 run with a scoring drive.

Houston scored five straight to cut the deficit to seven, but Markkanen hit a big 3 to regain the double-digit advantage.

Collier finished with a double-double, notching 12 points and 10 assists, while Sensabaugh also scored 12. KJ Martin added 11 points and Cody Williams had nine points and six rebounds off the bench.

George, who finished hitting 10 of 17 shots and 5 of 8 3-pointers, scored 20 points in the first half as Utah kept it close. The Jazz were up 29-28 after the first, with the Rockets taking a 62-56 advantage into the locker room.