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Chris Paul ejected, NBA-leading Suns rally to beat Rockets

Chris Paul ejected, NBA-leading Suns rally to beat Rockets
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PHOENIX (AP) — Devin Booker scored 24 points, Deandre Ayton added 23 and the NBA-leading Phoenix Suns extended their winning streak to seven games, rallying after Chris Paul was ejected to beat the Houston Rockets 124-121 on Wednesday night.

Phoenix improved to 48-10 heading into the All-Star break. The Suns won despite losing Paul in the third quarter after the star point guard was ejected for arguing and then bumping into an official.

The Rockets fell to 15-42 and have lost six straight. Eric Gordon missed a tightly guarded 3-pointer at the buzzer that could have tied it.

Mikal Bridges added 17 points and seven rebounds for Phoenix.

Dennis Schroder led the Rockets with 23 points. Jae’Sean Tate added 22 points and 10 rebounds, and Gordon scored 20 points. Houston has lost 10 of its last 11 games.

NETS 111, KNICKS 106

NEW YORK (AP) — Rookie Cam Thomas led Brooklyn back from a 28-point deficit with 16 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter, stunning New York

Thomas hit a deep 3-pointer to clinch it with 6.8 records remaining, a shot that had Kevin Durant dancing far off the bench in delight. The Nets didn’t have Durant or Kyrie Irving, but it didn’t matter with Thomas doing a good impression of either All-Star.

Just 2 for 11 through three quarters, Thomas sparked the 15-0 run in the fourth that gave Brooklyn its first lead of the game with just under 4 minutes remaining.

Seth Curry added 20 points and Andre Drummond grabbed 19 rebounds, most by a Nets player this season, in their second game with the Nets after coming with Ben Simmons in the trade for James Harden.

Simmons also watched from the bench, seeing his new teammates come from 54-26 down in the second quarter to win their second straight after an 11-game losing streak.

Julius Randle had 31 points and 10 rebounds in perhaps the most embarrassing loss of a disappointing season for the Knicks.

TRAIL BLAZERS 123, GRIZZLIES 119

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Jusuf Nurkic had 32 points and eight rebounds, Anfernee Simons added 31 points and six assists and Portland overcame Ja Morant’s 44-point performance to beat Memphis.

Josh Hart added 22 points, six assists and seven rebounds for the Trail Blazers. They have win four straight.

Morant matched his career high in scoring as Memphis had its six-game winning streak halted. Desmond Bane scored 30 points.

PISTONS 112, CELTICS 111

BOSTON (AP) — Jerami Grant hit the winning basket and scored 24 points to help Detroit end an eight-game losing streak and Boston’s nine-game winning streak.

Jayson Tatum had a chance to send the Celtics into the All-Star break on a 10-game roll, but his jumper from the top of the key bounced high off the rim. Tatum scored nine of his 22 points in the fourth quarter.

Cade Cunningham scored 20 points and had a key lock in the final minute in the Pistons’ first victory since Jan. 30.

Grant completed the scoring with a jumper from 10 feet with 19.1 seconds left. Cunningham blocked a shot by Jaylen Brown with 8.9 seconds left and the Pistons survived after Boston’s Derick White broke-up the inbounds play, giving the Celtics one more shot to extend their streak.

Brown led Boston with 31 points.

BULLS 125, KINGS 118

CHICAGO (AP) — DeMar DeRozan scored 38 points and broke an NBA record set by Hall of Famer Wilt Chamberlain to help Chicago beat Sacramento.

DeRozan, who made 16 of 27 field goals, became the first player in NBA history to score 35 or more points and shoot 50% or better in seven consecutive games. Chamberlain did it in six straight twice — during the 1960-61 and 1962-63 seasons.

Chicago moved a half-game ahead of Miami for the Eastern Conference lead. Coby White set a season high with 31 points and matched one with six 3-pointers.

De’Aaron Fox led Sacramento with 33 points and nine assists. Domantas Sabonis added 22 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists in his fourth game since a trade from Indiana.

HAWKS 130, MAGIC 109

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — All-Star starter Trae Young had 22 points and six assists and Atlanta routed Orlando.

Young played only 25 minutes after scoring 41 points in Atlanta’s home victory over Cleveland on Tuesday night. Bogan Bogdanovic led Atlanta with 23 points. The Hawks made 18 of 32 3-point shots and shot 50% overall.

Cole Anthony led Orlando with 23 points and seven rebounds.

PACERS 113, WIZARDS 108

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Tyrese Haliburton had 21 points and 14 assists, Terry Taylor added 18 points and nine rebounds and Indiana beat Washington.

Indiana snapped a season-worst seven-game losing streak as it heads into the All-Star break. Tristan Thompson had a season-high 17 points and six rebounds.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope led the Wizards with 27 points. Kyle Kuzma finished with 26 points, 15 rebounds and matched his season best with six 3-pointers.

RAPTORS 103, TIMBERWOLVES 91

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Gary Trent Jr. scored 30 points in his home state, Pascal Siakam added 17 points, eight rebounds and nine assists and Toronto beat Minnesota.

Trent went 5 for 12 from 3-point range and had 10 points in the fourth quarter to help the Raptors win for the ninth time in 11 games.

Karl-Anthony Towns led Minnesota with 24 points and 11 rebounds.

SPURS 114, THUNDER 106

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Keldon Johnson scored 22 points and San Antonio beat Oklahoma City.

Jakob Poeltl had 20 points and 17 rebounds, All-Star Dejounte Murray had 18 points, eight assists and seven rebounds, and Lonnie Walker IV added 17 points for the Spurs.

Josh Giddey had his third straight triple-double with 17 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for the Thunder. Tre Mann scored 24 points.

The Associated Press

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