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Balanced Pistons play results in win over Bucks

Tayshaun Prince made two free throws with 10.9 seconds left to give Detroit a 96-94 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday night after the Pistons blew a 14-point lead.

Prince scored 20 points, and Greg Monroe added 14 points and 10 rebounds for Detroit, which had five players in double figures. Charlie Villanueva and Brandon Knight added 11 points apiece, and Jason Maxiell scored 10 for the Pistons.

Monta Ellis had 30 points and nine assists, and Erson Ilyasova scored 24 points for the Bucks.

Both teams were coming off wins over the defending NBA champion Miami Heat. Detroit beat Miami 109-99 in Auburn Hills on Friday night and the Bucks beat the Heat 104-85 in Milwaukee one night later…

Detroit G Rodney Stuckey didn’t play because of a left ankle sprain. … Sheila E. performed at halftime. … Mbah a Moute left early in the first quarter with a cut on his lip. He received three stitches and returned late in the quarter.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Bucks step up, hold Heat to 85 points

Brandon Jennings scored 25 points and Mike Dunleavy had 13 of his 18 in the fourth quarter as the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Miami Heat 104-85 on Saturday night to spoil Dwyane Wade’s return.

Wade was back after serving a one-game suspension for flailing his leg and making contact with guard Ramon Sessions’ groin during the Heat’s 105-92 victory over Charlotte on Wednesday. Wade sat out Miami’s 109-99 loss to Detroit on Friday night, which snapped the Heat’s six-game winning streak.

Wade had 24 points on 10-of-19 shooting, four assists, six rebounds and three turnovers. LeBron James added 25 points as Miami failed to reach 100 points for just the third time in 28 games.

Luc Richard Mbah a Moute scored 19 points for the Bucks, and Larry Sanders had 16 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks. Monta Ellis added 14 points for Milwaukee as it avenged a 113-106 overtime loss to the Heat in Miami on Nov. 21.

Dunleavy also had nine rebounds, six assists and three steals in the fourth as the Bucks outscored Miami 35-14…

Bosh had 12 points and 16 rebounds for the Heat, who came in averaging 103.4 points a game while the Bucks were at 95.6…

Miami F Udonis Haslem missed the game. He hurt his right shoulder early in the Detroit game when he landed hard after an acrobatic block on Kyle Singler Haslem stayed in the game and finished with seven points and two rebounds in 20:29. Shane Battier started in his place.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Thunder destroy Rockets by 30

Russell Westbrook scored 28 points and Kevin Durant added 26 as the Oklahoma City Thunder built a big lead in the second quarter and rolled to a 124-94 win over the Houston Rockets on Saturday night.

Durant scored 11 points during a 16-0 run by the Thunder to end the first half and extend the lead to 18. Oklahoma City had another big run early in the third quarter to put the game further out of reach.

Former Thunder sixth man James Harden scored 25 for the Rockets, who went cold on offense for long stretches.

It was Oklahoma City’s second win this season over Houston, after taking the first meeting 120-98.

Kevin Martin, who came to Oklahoma City in the trade for Harden, finished 19 points and five 3-pointers. Westbrook had eight rebounds and eight assists.

Marcus Morris scored a career-high 24 points for Houston…

Houston had cut its 18-point halftime deficit to 13 early in the third quarter before it hit another scoring drought, going more than 5 minutes without a field goal.

— Reported by Kristie Rieken of the Associated Press

Brook Lopez scores 35 in Nets win over Cavs

Brook Lopez scored a season-high 35 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, and the Brooklyn Nets improved to 2-0 under interim coach P.J. Carlesimo by beating the Cleveland Cavaliers 103-100 on Saturday night.

Lopez followed his 26-point, 11-rebound performance in a victory Friday over Charlotte by shooting 13 of 20 from the field, making a number of timely baskets in the fourth quarter that the Nets ultimately needed to hold on.

Deron Williams and Joe Johnson each scored 15 points for the Nets, who fired coach Avery Johnson on Thursday and followed with two victories over losing teams. But now, they head off for major tests at San Antonio and Oklahoma City.

CJ Miles scored 33 points and made eight 3-pointers for the Cavs, but Kyrie Irving capped a miserable shooting night when his tying 3-point attempt went in and out. He finished with 13 points on 5-of-16 shooting.

Tristan Thompson added 17 points and 15 rebounds for the Cavaliers, who played without center Anderson Varejao because of a knee injury. He had a career-high 35 points and 18 rebounds in the previous meeting in Brooklyn and perhaps could have slowed Lopez, who fouled out rookie Tyler Zeller.

— Reported by Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press

Eric Gordon back as Hornets beat Bobcats

Eric Gordon made his return to the lineup Saturday night. And for the better part of 24 minutes, he looked as if he’d never been away.

Gordon had 24 points and seven assists, helping the New Orleans Hornets overcome a 21-point first-half deficit and extend the Charlotte Bobcats’ losing streak to 18 games with a 98-95 victory Saturday night.

The Bobcats are one game away from a winless December. They haven’t won since Nov. 24 and are closing in on their franchise-record 23-game losing streak to close the 2011-12 season.

Gordon, who hadn’t played since April 22 following arthroscopic right knee surgery, was 5 of 13 from the field and 12 of 14 from the free throw line. He had two steals and two turnovers.

“I felt pretty good, I was kind of surprised,” Gordon said. “Now I’m just going to try to get better and better from here. I wouldn’t have had a chance to help this team earlier with my knee, but I’m glad everything is working out now.”

Ryan Anderson had 19 points and made a pair of 3-pointers in the final period as the Hornets won for the second time in three games…

“He’s a special player,” Anderson said of Gordon. “There are not a lot of guys like him in the NBA. He hasn’t quit warmed up to be 100 percent comfortable yet with this group on the court, but to come out and take over like that, that is the mark of a special player.”

— Reported by Steve Reed of the Associated Press

Raptors destroy Magic by 35 points

DeMar DeRozan scored 21 points and Jose Calderon added 15 points and 10 assists, helping the Toronto Raptors to an easy 123-88 victory over the injury-depleted Orlando Magic on Saturday night.

Rookie Ed Davis had 18 points and seven rebounds as Toronto won for the seventh time in eight games. The Raptors, who hit a season-high 15 3-pointers, got 16 points apiece from Kyle Lowry and Terrence Ross.

Rookie Andrew Nicholson led Orlando with a career-high 22 points. Arron Afflalo added 14 points and Ish Smith had 13 points and six assists.

The Raptors hit nine of their first 10 attempts from behind the 3- point line and built a 67-47 halftime lead. Orlando cut the deficit to 76-65 after two free throws by Nicholson with 5:16 left in the third quarter, but that was as close as the Magic would get the rest of the game.

The Magic played without starting point guard Jameer Nelson (hip) and his backup E’Twaun Moore (elbow). But their real problem was at the defensive end.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Clippers beat Celtics by 29 for 15th straight win

Matt Barnes tied his season high with 21 points off the bench, Chris Paul had 11 assists and the Los Angeles Clippers defeated Boston 106-77 on Thursday night, becoming the first team to win 15 consecutive games since the Celtics four years ago.

Fellow reserve Jamal Crawford added 17 points, Blake Griffin had 15 points and Caron Butler 14 to help the Clippers improve the NBA’s best record to 23-6.

Kevin Garnett scored 16 points for Boston, which never led in dropping to .500 at 14-14 with its fifth loss in seven games. Paul Pierce and Jeff Green added 12 points each to go with 10 apiece from Jason Terry and Rajon Rondo…

Barnes had the Clippers’ first five points in a 9-0 run that opened the fourth quarter and boosted their lead to 90-67. Willie Green briefly played; otherwise the Clippers’ other starters rested to close out the game.

The Celtics were held to 10 points in the final 12 minutes…

The game got chippy at times. In the third, Jared Sullinger was called for a flagrant-1 foul for grabbing the front of Griffin on his way up to dunk. Then Butler and Pierce emerged from a big mass both holding onto the ball, leading to a jump ball. In the first, Rondo was lying on the ball and Paul tried to take it out from under him on the sideline, leading to a testy moment…

Justin Bieber (who had Paul’s young son sitting on his lap), Billy Crystal and Olympic 200 sprint champion Allyson Felix were among the Clippers’ 67th consecutive sellout crowd.

— Reported by Beth Harris of the Associated Press

Kevin Durant scores 40, Thunder beat Mavericks in overtime

Kevin Durant scores 40, Thunder beat Mavs in overtime

Kevin Durant scored 40 points while Russell Westbrook added eight of his 16 points in overtime to help the Oklahoma City Thunder beat Dallas 111-105 on Thursday night for their 11th straight win at home.

Serge Ibaka added 19 points and matched his season high with 17 rebounds as Oklahoma City charged back from 10 points down in the final 7:17 of regulation and found a way to win after losing back-to-back games for the first time this season.

Darren Collison scored a season-best 32 points for Dallas. Dirk Nowitzki scored nine points in his second game back after offseason knee surgery, showing some rust down the stretch.

Westbrook turned the game around with six straight points after the Mavs had gone up 104-101 on Chris Kaman’s bucket inside midway through overtime. Westbrook had a layup, hit a jumper over Nowitzki and then made a leaping steal of an O.J. Mayo pass that led to a fast-break layup. The sequence left Mavericks owner Mark Cuban shaking his head in his seat near the team’s bench…

Kaman ended up with 17 poitns and Marion chipped in 14 points and nine rebounds for the Mavericks, who were swept on a treacherous three-game road trip that featured stops at West contenders Memphis, San Antonio and Oklahoma City despite getting Nowitzki back. Dallas has lost seven of eight…

Beaubois, a reserve guard for the Mavericks, did not play because of an illness. Carlisle said he hoped to have Beaubois back for Friday’s home game against Denver. … Reggie Jackson took Eric Maynor’s minutes as Westbrook’s backup at point guard for the second straight game.

— Reported by Jeff Latzke of the Associated Press

Omer Asik helps Rockets smoke Bulls 120-97

Omer Asik enjoyed his trip back to Chicago. And he got help from James Harden and Jeremy Lin.

Asik returned to the United Center and had a double-double with 20 points and 18 rebounds [plus three blocks] to lead the Houston Rockets to a 120-97 win over the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday night.

It was his first trip to Chicago since signing with the Rockets in the offseason…

Harden scored 26 points and Lin added 20 points and 11 assists for Houston, which had all five starters score in double figures.

Chandler Parsons scored 23 points and Marcus Morris had 10.

Houston has won six of seven…

Lin capped a 14-2 run midway through the quarter with a drive and a layup to make it 55-34. He scored 12 in the second quarter and Harden had 13…

Nate Robinson led the Bulls with 27 points, and Marco Belinelli scored 15…

Harden, fourth in the league in scoring, followed up two strong performances – 37 points against Detroit and 45 against Atlanta – with another strong game. He was 7 for 13 from the field and 11 for 13 from the free throw line.

Houston improved to 11-2 against the Eastern Conference.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Heat win Finals rematch over Thunder, 103-97

LeBron James and Kevin Durant exchanged words. Dwyane Wade and Serge Ibaka did a little shoving. Five technical fouls were called, and Russell Westbrook punched a table in frustration.

This NBA Finals rematch met expectations.

And like that series, it ended with Miami on top.

James had 29 points, nine assists and eight rebounds, Wade scored 21, and the Heat survived a frantic finish to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 103-97 on Tuesday…

Mario Chalmers scored a season-high 20 for the Heat, who were 19 for 19 from the foul line, the second-best effort in franchise history behind only a 30-for-30 game in Boston on March 24, 1993. Chris Bosh added 16 for Miami, which has beaten the Thunder five straight times going back to last June’s title series.

Durant scored 33 points and Westbrook added 21 for Oklahoma City, but both Thunder stars missed potential game-tying 3-point attempts in the final seconds…

The game had a little of everything – a fast start by the reigning champions, a one-handed dunk by James on an offensive rebound that will be added to his copious highlight reel, a scrum after a hard foul that led to double-technicals on Wade and Ibaka early in the fourth, an easy rally by the Thunder from an early double-digit deficit, and even workout partners in Durant and James barking back and forth in the final minutes…

Oklahoma City got within one when Durant made a jumper over James, but no closer. Ray Allen’s two free throws with 15.6 seconds left made it 100-97, and Miami’s last three points came from the line. Durant missed a 3-pointer that James contested, Westbrook wound up with a second chance that Wade defended, and the Thunder guard smacked a nearby table arguing that he was fouled…

Chalmers had 12 points, matching his season high, in the opening quarter alone, and that was also Miami’s lead after his layup for a 15-3 edge.

— Reported by Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press