NBA Recap: Houston Rockets Extend Win Streak to 7 Games with Victory Over Chicago Bulls
NBA roundup: The Houston Rockets continued their impressive form with a seventh consecutive win, defeating the Chicago Bulls 127-117 in a thrilling matchup on Thursday.
From the Houston bench, Jock Landale contributed 17 points and 12 rebounds, Aaron Holiday scored 15 points, and Jeff Green finished with 14 points and 7 rebounds.
From the Houston bench, Jock Landale contributed 17 points and 12 rebounds, Aaron Holiday scored 15 points, and Jeff Green finished with 14 points and 7 rebounds. The Rockets shot 50.5% from the field while Brooks made 10 of 13 shots before being sent off.
The Bulls, led by Ayo Dosunmu, scored a game-high 35 points. Nikola Vucevic (16 points, 14 rebounds, 6 assists) was one of the five starters who scored in double digits.
Just before the third quarter’s halfway mark, with the Rockets up nine points, a fight between Bulls player DeMar DeRozan and Brooks caused Houston to regain possession after the team had nearly completely blown a 19-point lead in the second quarter.
At 6:02, DeRozan fouled Jalen Green hard. As Green sprawled around on the floor in agony, Brooks and DeRozan locked arms, starting a more serious altercation. After both players were sent out, the Rockets quickly found a new gear and ended the half with 3-pointers from Holiday, Jeff Green, Jalen Green, and Fred VanVleet.
Nuggets 113, Knicks 100
Denver, the home team, defeated New York with a game-high 31 points from Michael Porter Jr. and another triple-double from Nikola Jokic.
With his seventh triple-double in the last 15 games and his 22nd of the season, Jokic ended with 30 points, 14 rebounds, and 11 assists to lead the Nuggets—who have improved to 13-2 since February 22—into a virtual tie for first place in the Western Conference with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Aaron Gordon contributed ten points, and Jamal Murray scored twenty-three.
With nine assists and 26 points, Jalen Brunson led the Knicks, who lost their last four games. A career-high 20 points were scored by Isaiah Hartenstein, and Alec Burks contributed 18 points off the bench. Miles McBride and Donte DiVincenzo both contributed 11 points.
Mavericks 113, Jazz 97
Daniel Gafford scored 24 points and Luka Doncic scored 34 as Dallas trounced Utah in a visit.
With nine rebounds, eight assists, four steals, and ten of his eleven field goals coming from dunks, Gafford led the Mavericks (41-29) to victory for the third straight game. With seven assists, Kyrie Irving scored sixteen points. Dallas finished with eighteen dunks, a franchise high.
Despite having a poor shooting night, Lauri Markkanen came back into the starting lineup and led the Jazz (29-41) with 21 points. He shot 1-for-9 from three-point range and finished 6 of 20 overall. Utah only made 4 of 30 attempts from distance. Utah has dropped its last four games, and Collin Sexton scored 20 points off the bench for the Utes. Walker Kessler finished with 14 points and nine rebounds, and Keyonte George contributed 18 points.
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Magic 121, Pelicans 106
When Orlando came to New Orleans, Paolo Banchero recorded a triple-double and the team was on the decline.
The Magic triumphed for the thirteenth time in sixteen games behind Banchero’s 20 points, 11 assists, and 10 rebounds. Franz Wagner had eighteen points, and Jalen Suggs had twenty-two.
For the Pelicans, who have only dropped two games in the last nine, Trey Murphy III scored twenty-one points. After suffering a left knee injury early in the third quarter, Brandon Ingram left the game permanently. Zion Williamson ended with 20 points, CJ McCollum with 18, and Brandon Ingram with 14.
Wizards 109, Kings 102
With a game-high 31 points, Kyle Kuzma helped Washington defeat visiting Sacramento.
Corey Kispert scored 15 points, and Deni Avdija added 17 points and nine rebounds for the Wizards. With 14 points by Jordan Poole and 16 rebounds from Richaun Holmes, Washington snapped a five-game losing streak.
With 25 points, six steals, five rebounds, and five assists, De’Aaron Fox led the Kings. Domantas Sabonis finished with 14 points, 14 rebounds, and six assists, while Malik Monk scored 20 points off the bench and Keegan Murray added 16 points.
Bucks 115, Nets 108
Giannis Antetokounmpo added 21 points and nine rebounds, Damian Lillard finished with 30 points and 12 assists, and Milwaukee defeated visiting Brooklyn despite a late-game comeback.
The Bucks finished the season series against the Nets with a three-game sweep, with Brook Lopez contributing 17 points. After falling behind by as many as 20 points late in the first half, Brooklyn closed the gap to 81-69 at the conclusion of the third quarter.
With 6:41 left in the game, the Nets led 90-87 after starting the fourth quarter on a 21-6 run. However, Milwaukee took back the lead and led 103-98 with 2:34 remaining. Brooklyn got as close as 103-101 when Mikal Bridges made a three-pointer, but that was all they could manage. Bridges scored 24 points in the end.