NBA: Miami beat Detroit to end a four-game losing streak
DETROIT (AP) — Bam Adebayo had 22 points and nine rebounds in 29 minutes, and the Miami Heat ended a four-game losing streak with a 108-95 victory over the Detroit Pistons in the NBA Friday night.
Adebayo went 10 for 14 from the floor before sitting out the fourth quarter as Miami coasted to the win. Caleb Martin and Terry Rozier each had 18 points.
The Pistons were trying for their first three-game winning streak since the 2021-22 season, but committed 18 turnovers that led to 33 Miami points. Simone Fontecchio scored 24 points and Jalen Duren added 15 points and 17 rebounds.
SUNS 107, HORNETS 96
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Devin Booker led a balanced Phoenix Suns attack with 21 points and 11 assists as the Suns beat the Charlotte Hornets for their fourth win in six games.
Grayson Allen and Bradley Beal each scored 15 points, and Jusuf Nurkic chipped in with 13 points and 21 rebounds for the Suns (39-28), who bounced back from a lopsided 127-112 loss to the NBA-best Boston Celtics on Thursday night.
Vasa Micic followed up a career-high 25-point effort on Wednesday night against the Memphis Grizzlies with 21 points to lead Charlotte. Miles Bridges added 17 points and 10 rebounds for the Hornets.
MAGIC 113, RAPTORS 103
TORONTO (AP) — Franz Wagner scored 19 points, Paolo Banchero had 17 and Orlando Magic beat short-handed Toronto Raptors handing the Raptors their season-worst sixth straight loss.
Jalen Suggs scored 16 points, Wendell Carter Jr. added 15 and Cole Anthony had 12 for the Magic, who led by as many as 19 and have won seven of nine.
Banchero also had nine rebounds and eight assists.
Gary Trent Jr. scored a season-high 31 points for the Raptors and Immanuel Quickley had 10 points and 10 assists. Quickley has a career-high eight games with 10 or more assists this season, all of them coming since he was traded to Toronto last Dec. 30.
PELICANS 112, CLIPPERS 104
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Zion Williamson scored 34 points and New Orleans Pelicans beat Los Angeles Clippers, pulling within two games of the Clippers for the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference.
New Orleans also won the season series, 3-1. The fourth and fifth seeds meet in the first round of the NBA playoffs, and the Pelicans would own the regular-season, head-to-head tiebreaker over the Clippers, if it came to that in mid-April.
Spending most of the game as New Orleans’ primary ball-handler, Williamson initiated the Pelicans’ offense and ultimately took over the game, scoring time after time on explosive moves to the hoop that were both powerful and shifty.
Trey Murphy III scored 14 points and Brandon Ingram 13 for New Orleans, which made five 3-pointers in the fourth quarter to keep the Clippers at bay.
Paul George scored 26 points and Kawhi Leonard had 23 for Los Angeles, which played without James Harden (left shoulder strain) for a second straight game. Harden has averaged 17.4 points this season.
NUGGETS 117, SPURS 106
AUSTIN (AP) — Nikola Jokic scored 31 points and Denver Nuggets beat San Antonio Spurs in a game played in the Texas capital as the Spurs drew a record crowd in their bid to broaden their regional fan base.
Jamal Murray added 15 points and 10 assists for Denver, which won their fifth straight game and for the 11th time in 12 games to remain atop the Western Conference standings.
Jeremy Sochan scored 19 points and Devin Vassell and Victor Wembanyama each had 17 points for San Antonio, which lost their third straight.
JAZZ 124, HAWKS 122
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Keyonte George scored 25 points and Collin Sexton added 21 to lead Utah Jazz to a victory over Atlanta Hawks.
George and Sexton combined for 11 assists to help the Jazz snap a three-game losing streak. John Collins had 18 points and 11 rebounds, while Johnny Juzang made five 3-pointers and finished with a career-high 19 points off the bench.
Utah finished with 56 points in the paint and 24 fast-break points.
Dejounte Murray led the Hawks with 33 points, nine assists and seven rebounds. De’Andre Hunter chipped in 27 points, Jalen Johnson added 26 and Clint Capela had 15 rebounds to go with 10 points.