So far, each team has won on its home court, which may bode well for Miami as it plays host Thursday.

The Raptors, who have lost three straight games overall, are just 1-11 on the road. Their only road win was at New Orleans on Nov. 27.

RJ Barrett leads Toronto in scoring (23.6), and he ranks second in assists (5.8) and third in rebounds (6.6).

He is coming off a 30-point game on Monday against the team that drafted him with a first-round pick in 2019, the New York Knicks. It was Barrett's seventh game of the season with at least 30 points.

Unfortunately for the Raptors, Scottie Barnes sprained his right ankle against the Knicks. Barnes, who is expected to be out at least one week, leads the Raptors in assists (7.4), and he ranks second in points (20.6) and rebounds (8.4).

The other key injury regarding Toronto belongs to Immanuel Quickley (elbow), who has been ruled out. Quickley, 25, hasn't played since Nov. 10. However, he averaged a career-high 17.0 points last season, and he is regarded as part of Toronto's young core.

That core includes Barrett (age 24), Barnes (23), Gradey Dick (21), Ochai Agbaji (24), Davion Mitchell (26), and Ja'Kobe Walter (20).

All seven of those players were first-round NBA draft picks.

"We believe in what we can do," Barrett said following that tough 113-108 loss to the Knicks on Monday. "We've seen in little segments what we can build upon."

But while the Raptors are rebuilding -- Chris Boucher is the only player on the roster remaining from the team that won the NBA title in 2019 -- the Heat are in a win-now mode.

The Heat have won a season-best three straight games, beating, in order, the Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns and Cleveland Cavaliers. All three of those opponents have winning records.

In fact, the Cavaliers have the best record in the NBA.

In other words, the Heat are on their best roll of the season. Miami's top three scorers are Tyler Herro (24.2), Jimmy Butler (19.0), and Bam Adebayo (16.0).

The trio of stars is in their sixth straight season together after first uniting in the summer of 2019. Herro was Miami's first-round pick (13th overall) in that June's draft, then the Heat traded for Butler on July 6. The two joined Adebayo who had been on the roster since being a first-round pick in 2017.

But as good as those three players have been for Miami, the Heat has long been known as a franchise that uncovers hidden gems.

It is happening again this season with Dru Smith, a 6-2 guard who played his college ball at Evansville and Missouri, going undrafted in 2021.

Unfortunately for Smith, his pro career has been slowed by knee injuries that ended his season in February of 2022 and again in November of 2023.

On July 1, 2024, Smith signed a two-way contract (G League/NBA) with the Heat, and he is just now -- finally -- beginning to make his mark.

In Miami's past two games, Smith played all 12 minutes of the fourth quarter each time. He logged a career-high 29 minutes against the Suns, and he was used for 26 minutes against the Cavaliers.

In those two games, Smith totaled 18 points, eight rebounds, three assists, two steals and one block.

Said Adebayo following the win over the Cavaliers: "Dru comes in and he changes the game (with his defense)."

The Celtics haven't played since they dropped a 127-121 decision to the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday at home. Boston overcame a 14-point second-half deficit to take a four-point lead in the fourth quarter but couldn't keep pace in the final minutes.

"Effort was good," Boston coach Joe Mazzulla said. "You're down 14, take the lead. In the fourth quarter I felt like we didn't really have a rhythm to the game, but we were able to take the lead. I thought we kind of just ran out of gas here towards the end."

It was Boston's fifth game in seven nights, and the Celtics shot 18 of 60 from 3-point territory.

"These are the games you've just gotta fight through it," Jaylen Brown said. "Tough schedule, but we don't make any excuses. We know what the journey is about and we're not skipping any steps. I thought we fought as a team. We didn't let the rope go. We didn't give up."

Sam Hauser, one of Boston's top reserves, left Saturday's game in the second quarter with what the team called right adductor tightness. Mazzulla downplayed the injury in his postgame comments, saying, "He's doing pretty good. He said he'd be OK, but he just wasn't able to finish (Saturday's game). But afterwards, he said he was good."

However, Hauser was listed as doubtful for Thursday's game. Listed as questionable are All-Star Jayson Tatum (right patella tendiopathy), Jaden Springer (non-COVID illness) and Jordan Walsh (rib contusion).

Cade Cunningham had 29 points, 15 assists and 10 rebounds to help the Pistons end a three-game losing streak by beating the New York Knicks 120-111 Saturday. Cunningham, Detroit's first-round draft pick in 2021, is averaging 23.9 points, 9.4 assists and 7.3 rebounds in 21 games this season.

"I try to do whatever it takes to help my team win, and my teammates have made me look great this year," Cunningham said. "I'm just trying to help my team win and we'll see what happens with it."

The Pistons used an 18-4 run in the fourth quarter to pull away from the Knicks. Detroit's Malik Beasley made 7 of 10 3-pointers and finished the game with 23 points.

"We're trying to build and taking steps," Detroit coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. "The hardest thing to do in the NBA is find consistency, whether as an individual or as a team. But it's the habits we do every single day and, hopefully, (the victory over New York) is another game that's a big step for us. But we keep seeing the value in those habits and we keep getting better and better."

Thursday's matchup will be the third time the Pistons and Celtics have met this season. Boston prevailed 124-118 at Detroit on Oct. 26, and Cunningham had 27 points, nine rebounds and 14 assists when Detroit lost at Boston 130-120 on Dec. 4.

"I don't say this lightly by any means but being around (Cunningham) and spending time with him -- he's the guy," Bickerstaff said. "He has the ability to be an elite guy on a basketball team because of all of the things he's capable of doing. He can manipulate the game, he can score, he can rebound, and he makes his teammates better."

The Cavaliers, 21-4 without Strus, host the Washington Wizards on Friday. Strus will play barring any setbacks, ESPN added Wednesday.

Strus injured the ankle during individual workouts in mid-October.

The 28-year-old Strus averaged 12.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.0 assists in 70 starts last season in his first campaign with the Cavaliers. He made 168 3-point baskets last season.

Strus spent his previous three seasons with the Miami Heat and emerged as a reliable bench player and part-time starter. He departed as a free agent after the 2022-23 season and joined the Cavaliers as part of a sign-and-trade with the Heat.

Strus has career averages of 10.6 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 259 games (119 starts) in five seasons with the Chicago Bulls (2019-20), Heat (2020-23) and Cavaliers.

President-elect Donald Trump is expected to appoint the 67-year-old billionaire businessman to the post, according to a CBS News report on Tuesday.

If he is nominated by Trump and confirmed by the Senate, Fertitta could follow similar appointments made during Trump's first administration with New York Jets owner Woody Johnson (United Kingdom) and late Pittsburgh Steelers owner Dan Rooney (Ireland).

Fertitta, who also owns the Landry's restaurant chain as well as car dealerships, hotels and casinos, has made $2 million in political donations to Trump and other Republican candidates since January 2023, according to filings reviewed by Front Office Sports.

In another report published Tuesday, Fertitta expressed his interest in purchasing the NFL's New Orleans Saints.

The Saints, owned by Gayle Benson, are not currently on the market.

"I've always loved the New Orleans Saints, but (Benson) won't sell them right now," Fertitta told the Houston Business Journal.

Barnes, 23, sustained the injury midway through the third quarter in Monday night's 113-108 home loss to the New York Knicks. X-rays were negative and further imaging confirmed the diagnosis.

Barnes is averaging career highs of 20.6 points, 8.4 rebounds and 7.4 assists in 14 games (all starts) this season. He has recorded seven double-doubles, including one triple-double.

The NBA Rookie of the Year in 2021-22 and a first-time All-Star last season, Barnes has averaged 16.9 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.9 assists in 225 games (224 starts) since the Raptors selected him with the No. 4 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft.

Oklahoma City will play the Warriors or Rockets in Las Vegas on Saturday, with the winner advancing to the championship game of the in-season tournament. Golden State and Houston will collide in the semifinals on Wednesday.

The Thunder's win, their fourth consecutive, snapped Dallas' seven-game winning streak.

Gilgeous-Alexander did a lot of his damage from outside, hitting five of Oklahoma City's season-high 20 3-pointers (on 50 attempts). The star guard also had eight rebounds and five assists.

Defense also paved the way for the Thunder, who scored 36 points off of 19 Mavericks turnovers. Oklahoma City also held Dallas stars Luka Doncic (16 points on 5-of-15 shooting) and Kyrie Irving (17 points on 7-of-14 shooting) in check.

Doncic added 11 boards while Klay Thompson and Naji Marshall each posted 19 points for the Mavericks.

Oklahoma City took charge in the third quarter, turning a three-point halftime lead into a 90-73 advantage heading into the final 12 minutes of action. Gilgeous-Alexander went off for 16 points in the third, nine of which came during a 13-2 run to open the period.

It was a 20-point game early in the fourth, as the Thunder were up 97-77 following a hook shot from Jalen Williams with 10:34 to go.

Back-to-back triples from Irving punctuated a 10-0 run from Dallas that made it 97-87, and the Mavericks later had their deficit down to eight, 100-92, thanks to an Olivier-Maxence Prosper 3-pointer with 7:50 remaining.

However, Oklahoma City scored the next 11 points to put the game away.

Williams chipped in 18 points for the Thunder, who also got 11 apiece from Luguentz Dort and Cason Wallace.

Oklahoma City held a 57-54 lead at the break. Doncic couldn't get anything going in the first two quarters, scoring two points on 1-of-7 shooting.

Damian Lillard tied the game at 106 a piece with a step-back 3-pointer with 52.2 seconds to go, then gave Milwaukee the lead with a layup and four free-throws in the final seconds. He finished with 28 points while teammate Bobby Portis added 22 points and 10 rebounds off the bench.

Jalen Suggs led Orlando with 32 points while Anthony Black added 17. Goga Bitadze scored 12 and pulled down a game-high 14 boards.

The visitors started strong as they held a 33-25 lead at the end of the first quarter. However, Milwaukee rallied in the second quarter and moved on top 49-47 when Lillard's layup capped a 6-0 run.

The end of the quarter went back-and-forth and Milwaukee took a 60-59 lead into halftime thanks to a last-second Lillard-to-Antetokounmpo alley-oop dunk to cap off a 7-0 surge.

Antetokounmpo scored 20 in the half while Portis had 16. Moritz Wagner led Orlando with 13 on 6-of-6 shooting, while Black had 10. Wagner wound up scoreless in the second half.

In the third, the Magic powered to a six-point lead, but the Bucks went on an 18-4 run to close the quarter and take an 80-72 lead.

Orlando started the fourth strong after scoring just 13 in the third, as an 9-2 stretch pulled the Magic within one. The visitors pulled level twice before Suggs hit a shot that gave Orlando a 104-103 edge with 1:45 to go.

Lillard's clutch shooting then gave Milwaukee the lead before the Bucks sealed it on defense, forcing Suggs to miss what would have been a game-tying 3-pointer with five seconds to play.

Milwaukee improved to 5-0 in NBA Cup play and will play on Saturday night in Las Vegas against the winner of the Wednesday game between the Atlanta Hawks and the New York Knicks.

The Bucks posted their ninth straight home win against Orlando and their 17th victory in the teams' past 19 matchups overall.

When VanVleet is unavailable, the Rockets remain a work in progress. But Houston took a step forward on Sunday when VanVleet was sidelined with a knee injury, cruising to a 117-106 road win over the Los Angeles Clippers.

The Rockets could get their trusty veteran back on Wednesday, as VanVleet told The Houston Chronicle that he is good to go for the team's NBA Cup quarterfinal clash against the visiting Golden State Warriors.

VanVleet averages 16 points per game -- good for third on the team -- and leads the Rockets with 5.9 assists while committing just 1.2 turnovers.

Against the Clippers, the Rockets' ran offense through Alperen Sengun, Jalen Green and VanVleet's replacement, Amen Thompson. The results were positive, as Sengun and Thompson combined for 10 assists while Green led all scorers with 31 points. VanVleet was missed, but Houston found an alternate path to victory.

"He's such a calming influence for the team that kind of gets us into what we need to a lot," Rockets coach Ime Udoka said of VanVleet, who is in his ninth NBA season and his second with Houston.

"You still want guys to grow and learn that, so when he's not out there they're forced to do it a little bit more," Udoka said. "We then can go through a few different guys to initiate offense. Figure out other ways to do it. When a guy is down we've done a good job of stepping up. Figure out how to do it by committee."

Added Green: "Fred is a big part of our team but I think we held it down for him. It's going to be good momentum going into Wednesday."

Houston will need all the positive momentum it can generate against the Warriors, who have won 15 consecutive games in the series following a 99-93 win last Thursday in San Francisco.

The Rockets trailed by 31 points in the first half of the first meeting between the teams this season and rallied to force overtime before falling 127-121 in overtime at home on Nov. 2.

Wednesday's winner will advance to face either Dallas or Oklahoma City in the NBA Cup semifinals on Saturday in Las Vegas.

The Warriors were without Stephen Curry for both of the teams' prior meetings this season and Draymond Green (left calf) was sidelined in the victory last week.

Both returned and played pivotal roles in a 114-106 home win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday. Curry tallied a game-high 30 points with eight assists, while Green added six points, six rebounds and seven assists.

The Rockets and Warriors have contested memorable postseason battles in the past decade, with Golden State eliminating Houston in 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2019. The Warriors' wins in 2015 and 2018 sent them to the NBA Finals.

While the NBA Cup won't match the intensity of those playoff matchups, the energy on Wednesday will still be higher than a normal regular-season meetup.

"There's still an appreciation for a moment, like a build-up for a game," Curry said. "We all want to get to Vegas for sure so we'll give everything we've got to it. It's a little different context than the playoffs."

But Trae Young is still with the Hawks, which should be more than enough to ensure Wednesday's NBA Cup quarterfinal clash between Atlanta and host New York carries with it the most intense postseason-like environment of the knockout rounds.

The winner of Wednesday's game advances to Saturday's semifinals in Las Vegas against the winner of Tuesday night's Milwaukee Bucks-Orlando Magic game.

The Knicks last played Monday, when they mounted a fourth-quarter comeback to edge the host Toronto Raptors 113-108. The Hawks have been off since Sunday, when they fell to the visiting Denver Nuggets 141-111.

Both teams advanced to the NBA Cup quarterfinals by winning their respective groups. The Knicks went 4-0 in East Group A play while the Hawks went 3-1 in East Group C and earned the title via a 117-116 win over the Boston Celtics, who also finished 3-1.

The pursuit of the in-season tournament crown hasn't noticeably motivated the Knicks, who have turned into an NBA title contender under famously all-business head coach Tom Thibodeau. New York, which has reached the Eastern Conference semifinals in each of the last two seasons after doing so just once in the preceding 22 seasons, hasn't won it all since 1973.

Thibodeau channeled his inner Bill Belichick Dec. 3, when he repeatedly said he was "... just worried about Charlotte," the Knicks' next opponent, after New York clinched the Group A crown by beating the Magic 121-106.

But Jalen Brunson, the on-court version of Thibodeau, acknowledged the prize money for teams that reach the knockout rounds will get everyone's attention. Players on teams that lose in the quarterfinals get a bonus of $51,497 while the eventual champions receive $514,971 apiece.

"I think there's money involved," Brunson said. "So I think there's a lot of motivation regardless."

As the modern version of Reggie Miller -- the Indiana Pacers superstar who reveled in being public enemy No. 1 at Madison Square Garden in the 1990s -- Young might not need any money to get motivated against the Knicks.

Young was taunted by sellout crowds in New York throughout the 2021 series, but the point guard repeatedly got the last word. He made a shushing motion after hitting the game-winning floater in the final second of a 107-105 win in Game 1 and finished the five-game set averaging 29.2 points and 9.8 assists per game.

Knicks fans have even taken to the road to taunt Young, who was booed at State Farm Arena Nov. 6, when he scored 23 points and had 10 assists in the Hawks' 121-116 win Nov. 6.

"I hope these New York fans find their way to the exit real, real quick," Young said during a postgame on-court interview. "Boooo! Take y'all (rear ends) home."

The Hawks were routed Sunday, but Young's flair for the dramatic hasn't disappeared. He became the first NBA player in at least 45 years to collect at least 30 points and 20 assists while draining at least five 3-pointers last Friday, when Young hit the game-winning 3-pointer with eight seconds left in a 134-132 overtime win over the Los Angeles Lakers.

"My confidence comes from the work that I've put in over the years," Young said afterward.

Barnes exited the game with 6:47 remaining in the third after colliding with New York big man Karl-Anthony Towns. While on the ground, Barnes was seemingly telling medical staff that he couldn't feel his foot.

Barnes had 15 points on 5-of-11 shooting prior to his departure. He also snagged five rebounds.

Monday marked Barnes' 10th game back after a broken orbital bone kept the 23-year-old out for nearly a month.

Entering Monday, Barnes was averaging 21.0 points, 8.7 rebounds and 7.8 assists in 13 games (all starts) this season.

Towns followed his key basket with a 3-pointer to clinch New York's fifth win in its past six games.

Mikal Bridges added 23 points for New York, Jalen Brunson had 20 points and 11 assists, Josh Hart scored 10 points, and former Raptor OG Anunoby had 14 points and three blocked shots.

Former Knick RJ Barrett scored 30 points for the Raptors. Scottie Barnes scored 15 points before leaving the game with an ankle injury in the third quarter. Jakob Poeltl had 10 points and 12 rebounds and Ja'Kobe Walter scored a career-best 19 points off the bench.

The Knicks led 34-27 after one quarter and used a 7-0 spurt to lead by 11 points with 7:18 to play in the second quarter. Toronto scored 13 straight points to take a 55-53 lead with 2:35 remaining. The Raptors led 61-60 at halftime after Brunson missed two free throws with six seconds remaining.

Barnes hit consecutive 3-pointers to give Toronto a five-point lead with 8:23 to play in the third quarter.

Barnes and Towns were both down on the floor after tangling feet with 6:47 to play in the third. Barnes, who was called for a foul on the play, limped to the dressing room. Towns stayed on the court and made two free throws. Barnes (sprained right ankle) did not return. Toronto led 86-83 after three quarters.

New York took a two-point lead on a 3-pointer by Towns with 5:12 to go in the game. Barrett tied the game on a layup and Davion Mitchell's 3-pointer gave Toronto a 104-101 lead.

Brunson converted a four-point play to put New York ahead by one with 3:03 left. Toronto regained the lead on Mitchell's layup but Bridges answered with a 3-pointer with 1:38 left. Barrett's layup tied the game with 42 seconds remaining, setting up the final sequence in which Towns put the game away.

On Tuesday, the Mavericks and host Thunder square off in the first round of the NBA Cup's knockout stage.

The game is a rematch of last season's second-round playoff series, which Dallas won 4-2.

Doncic has been particularly hot since returning from a right wrist sprain that kept him out five games in late November. In four games since his return, Doncic is averaging 31.0 points, 10.5 rebounds and 9.5 assists per game.

Doncic comes into Tuesday's game with two consecutive triple-doubles.

In Saturday's win at the Toronto Raptors, Doncic had 30 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists to move past Wilt Chamberlain and James Harden and into seventh on the NBA's all-time triple-double list with 79.

"When you talk about his skill set, filling up the stat sheet, he's had two here, he can run them off," Dallas coach Jason Kidd said of Doncic. "We always expect him to have a triple-double, or we sometimes take him for granted for triple-doubles. I think right now you can see that he's starting to get into a groove."

In last season's playoff matchup, Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 32.2 points, 8.0 rebounds and 7.3 assists. Doncic averaged 24.7 points, 10.5 rebounds and 8.7 assists, with a triple-double in each of the final three games of the series.

Gilgeous-Alexander has scored at least 30 points in six of his past seven games this season.

Oklahoma City has won seven of its past eight games, including three consecutive, while the Mavericks enter the contest as the NBA's hottest team with seven straight wins.

Tuesday's game, which also counts in the regular-season standings, will be the second between the teams this season.

Doncic missed the Mavericks' 121-119 win on Nov. 17 in Oklahoma City with a bruised right knee. P.J. Washington had 27 points and a career-high 17 rebounds in that game for Dallas.

That tight game has become the norm for the series as of late, as six of the past nine regular-season meetings between the teams have been decided by single digits.

The first meeting of the season was one of the Thunder's last without Isaiah Hartenstein, a 7-footer who missed the first 15 games of the campaign with a fracture in his hand.

In eight games since returning, Hartenstein has helped Oklahoma City adjust to the loss of Chet Holmgren. Hartenstein is averaging 11.8 points, 12.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists. He's never averaged more than 2.5 assists per game in any of his first six NBA seasons.

"He's a phenomenal passer," teammate Alex Caruso said of Hartenstein. "People don't talk about him as a passer as a big in the league. Obviously (Denver's Nikola) Jokic is in a category of his own. That's a different guy."

For the Mavericks, Washington and Naji Marshall are questionable for Tuesday's game due to illnesses, while Jaden Hardy (right ankle sprain) and Maxi Kleber (illness) are out.

Washington was the only one of the four to play in Saturday's win against Toronto.

The Magic enter Milwaukee following a 115-110 win over Phoenix on Sunday to remain the only team undefeated at home this season (10-0).

Jalen Suggs led the way with 26 points, including 14 in the final quarter. Goga Bitadze added 21 points and 16 rebounds.

"It was by committee. Each person that played stepped up, gave to the group," Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said. "That's what we said this team is, we're gonna defend, pull for one another and try to play the right way for one another."

The Bucks return home from a two-game trip to Boston and Brooklyn. They snapped a two-game skid with a 118-113 win over the Nets on Sunday.

Giannis Antetokounmpo dropped 34 points along with 11 boards. Bobby Portis and Gary Trent Jr. added 23 and 20 points off the bench, respectively, and Damian Lillard scored 15 while dishing 11 assists.

"They had that stretch where they were about to get away from us, and Giannis took the game over," Bucks coach Doc Rivers said. "That's what makes him so great, he sensed that. Stayed aggressive, made the right plays."

Antetokounmpo leads the NBA with 32.5 points per game and is first on the Bucks in rebounding at 11.6. Lillard leads Milwaukee in assists at 7.5 per game.

Franz Wagner, who is out with a torn oblique, leads Orlando with 24.4 points, 5.7 assists and 1.7 steals per game. Bitadze is the Magic's top rebounder (7.3) and shot blocker (1.6).

On the injury front, Wagner went down on Dec. 7 and will be re-evaluated in January, joining young star Paolo Banchero (torn oblique) on the sidelines.

After Sunday's game, Mosley gave an update on Banchero: "He's responded to the things that we're having him do, but we'll take it one day at a time and see how he responds each day."

Mosley did not give an updated timeline for Banchero's return.

Jonathan Isaac and Gary Harris missed Sunday's game for Orlando with hamstring injuries. Harris will also miss Tuesday's game, while Isaac is questionable.

Despite Orlando's injury woes and a 3-6 start, it has surged to first place in the Southeast Division thanks in large part to its defense. The Magic entered Monday third in the NBA with a 105.7 defensive rating.

Milwaukee is more balanced, ranking 10th in offensive rating (113.9) and 14th on defense (113.0), although it excels from deep, ranking third in 3-point percentage (39.4 percent) entering Monday.

The Bucks are fully healthy after Khris Middleton made his season debut on Friday in Boston. The three-time All-Star scored 11 points in 20 minutes on Sunday.

The Bucks lead the all-time series 73-55. They had a 14-game win streak over Orlando going into last season, when the teams split four games. The Magic have not won a season series over Milwaukee since a four-game sweep in the 2011-12 season.

The winner will head to Las Vegas on Saturday to compete in the NBA Cup semifinals against the winner of Wednesday night's New York Knicks-Atlanta Hawks matchup.

The incident occurred during the postgame media availability after the Timberwolves' 107-90 win over Golden State on Friday night. He scored 30 points in the win on 11-of-18 shooting.

The top pick of the 2020 NBA Draft, Edwards is averaging a career-best 26.4 points to go with 5.4 rebounds and 4.0 assists in 23 starts this season.

Embiid carried Philadelphia to its fourth win in five games after sitting out to manage a left knee injury. Tyrese Maxey backed the big man with his first career triple-double, collecting 25 points, 11 rebounds and 14 assists.

Zach LaVine racked up 30 points and the Bulls sank 19 threes, but they still couldn't avoid their second straight loss. Nikola Vucevic and Coby White each finished with 13 points, with Vucevic also snatching eight boards.

After facing a 19-point deficit just over four minutes into the second half, the Bulls came to life at the end of the third quarter. They closed the frame on an 8-0 run, with Jalen Smith canning a 3-pointer at the buzzer to get Chicago within 88-79 heading into the fourth.

The Bulls trailed by only four after LaVine connected on a trey with 5:24 left in the game to make it 96-92, but that was the closest the hosts would get.

Nuggets 141, Hawks 111

Nikola Jokic scored 48 points to guide visiting Denver to a win over Atlanta, ending the Hawks' six-game winning streak.

Jokic went 17-for-29 from the field and added 14 rebounds and eight assists. After scoring a career-high 56 points against the Washington Wizards on Saturday, Jokic set the pace by scoring 13 points in the first quarter on Sunday, and he had 25 at halftime. The Nuggets also got 26 points and seven rebounds from Michael Porter Jr.

Atlanta's top scorers were De'Andre Hunter (20 points) and Dyson Daniels (18), with Daniels also grabbing five steals.

Spurs 121, Pelicans 116

Victor Wembanyama scored 25 points, including the last seven for San Antonio over the final 36.9 seconds of the game, as the Spurs defeated visiting New Orleans.

Chris Paul had 10 assists for the Spurs to pass Jason Kidd for second on the all-time assists list. Paul's 12,099 helpers trail only John Stockton (15,806) in that category.

Trey Murphy III led New Orleans with 25 points, with CJ McCollum adding 19, Dejounte Murray racking up 18 points and 11 assists and Yves Missi amassing 18 points and 14 rebounds. The Pelicans have dropped two straight games and 11 of their past 12.

Bucks 118, Nets 113

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 34 points and Milwaukee rallied to beat Brooklyn in New York.

Bobby Portis added 12 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter, canning an open 3 from the left side that gave the Bucks a 109-108 lead with 2:08 left. The reserve made 9 of 10 shots overall and was 5-for-5 from behind the arc.

Dennis Schroder scored a season-high 34 points and added 11 assists, but the Nets lost for the fourth time in five games and blew a 12-point lead that they held late in the third quarter.

Hornets 113, Pacers 109

Brandon Miller scored 26 points as Charlotte snapped an eight-game skid by beating Indiana in Indianapolis.

Vasilije Micic had 18 points and nine assists, Cody Martin scored 14 points and Nick Richards finished with nine points and 14 rebounds for the Hornets.

T.J. McConnell came off the bench to post a career-best 30 points for the Pacers, while fellow reserve Jarace Walker had 15 points.

Heat 122, Cavaliers 113

Tyler Herro scored 19 of his game-high 34 points in the third quarter as host Miami beat Cleveland.

Duncan Robinson had 23 points, Jimmy Butler finished with 18 and Bam Adebayo added 16 points and 13 rebounds for the Heat. Herro tallied a game-high seven assists in the win.

Darius Garland led Cleveland with 23 points. Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell -- who entered the game ranked among the top 20 in the league in scoring at 24.2 points per game -- managed just 12 on 5-for-16 shooting.

Magic 115, Suns 110

Jalen Suggs had a game-high 26 points, including 14 in the fourth quarter, and helped short-handed Orlando finish with a flourish to beat visiting Phoenix.

Orlando earned the win despite not having star forwards Paolo Banchero, who has been out over a month, and Franz Wagner, who suffered a torn oblique in the Magic's loss to the 76ers on Friday.

Orlando leaned on its balanced attack to make up for the absences, as four Magic players scored in double figures to help the Magic remain the NBA's only unbeaten team at home at 10-0. Devin Booker led the Suns with 25 points.

Grizzlies 140, Wizards 112

Jaren Jackson Jr. led seven Memphis scorers in double figures with 21 points, and his four blocked shots contributed to a stifling defensive effort as the Grizzlies cruised to their ninth win in 10 games with a rout of host Washington.

Santi Aldama headlined a 76-point effort from the Memphis bench with 19 points. The second unit also got 17 points from Jay Huff and 14 from Cam Spencer.

Jonas Valanciunas led the Wizards with 20 points and a game-high 14 rebounds. Bilal Coulibaly finished with 17 points, five rebounds and four assists, and Justin Champagnie swiped a career-best five steals to go along with 14 points and eight rebounds.

Warriors 114, Timberwolves 106

Stephen Curry, Buddy Hield and Jonathan Kuminga combined for 77 points, Gary Payton II made two big defensive plays and Golden State held Minnesota scoreless over the final 4:46 to pull out a win in San Francisco.

Curry finished with a game-high 30 points, Hield went for 27 and Kuminga added 20 for the Warriors, who avenged a 107-90 loss to the Timberwolves on Friday with just the second win in their past eight games.

After a 3-pointer from Anthony Edwards put Minnesota up 106-105 with 4:47 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Timberwolves didn't score again. With the Warriors up 109-106, Payton blocked a Nickeil Alexander-Walker layup before stealing an Edwards pass to keep Minnesota at bay.

Rockets 117, Clippers 106

Jalen Green scored 31 points and Amen Thompson added 22 as Houston rebounded from consecutive defeats to upend Los Angeles in Inglewood, Calif.

Dillon Brooks added 19 points and Jabari Smith Jr. finished with 13 points and 12 rebounds as the Rockets went 1-2 on a three-game California road trip after losing to the Sacramento Kings and the Warriors.

Ivica Zubac scored 21 points to go along with 12 rebounds and Norman Powell added 17 points for the Clippers, who were without James Harden because of right groin soreness.

Kings 141, Jazz 97

Kevin Huerter scored 26 points off the bench and De'Aaron Fox added 21 points and nine assists as host Sacramento blew out Utah.

Huerter made 10 of his 14 attempts from the field and was 6-for-9 from 3-point range. He had 23 points through three quarters, including five of the Kings' last eight in the third as Sacramento opened up a 31-point lead.

Domantas Sabonis tallied 19 points, 12 rebounds and six assists to help the Kings' cause. The Jazz were led by Keyonte George, who scored 25 points on 8-of-14 shooting.

Lakers 107, Trail Blazers 98

Anthony Davis recorded 30 points, 11 rebounds and five blocked shots to help Los Angeles cruise to a victory over visiting Portland.

D'Angelo Russell achieved season bests of 28 points and 14 assists for the Lakers, who played without LeBron James (foot). Rui Hachimura added 23 points and four steals for Los Angeles, which halted a three-game losing streak.

Shaedon Sharpe scored 19 points and Deandre Ayton had 14 points and a season-high 19 rebounds before fouling out for the Trail Blazers, who lost their fourth straight game.

D'Angelo Russell achieved season bests of 28 points and 14 assists for the Lakers, who played without LeBron James (foot). Rui Hachimura added 23 points and four steals for Los Angeles, which halted a three-game losing streak.

Shaedon Sharpe scored 19 points and Deandre Ayton had 14 points and a season-high 19 rebounds before fouling out for the Trail Blazers, who lost their fourth straight game and eighth of their past 10. Anfernee Simons also scored 14 points, while Scoot Henderson and Deni Avdija added 13 apiece.

The Lakers created distance in the fourth quarter when Russell made two 3-pointers and Cam Reddish hit one during a 9-0 spurt that gave the Lakers a 97-81 advantage with 7:14 to play.

Hachimura and Davis added 3-pointers as the advantage grew to 103-85 with 5:31 to play. The lead topped out at 20 points as the Lakers won for just the third time in their past 10 games.

Los Angeles made 45.8 percent of its shots, including 13 of 34 from 3-point range. Russell made five from beyond the arc.

Austin Reaves (back/pelvis) missed his fifth straight game for Los Angeles.

Jerami Grant finished with just three points on 1-of-12 shooting as Portland shot 41.7 percent overall and 9 of 36 from 3-point range.

Portland's Robert Williams III (concussion) missed his sixth straight game.

The Trail Blazers were behind by 14 points at halftime before scoring the first nine points of the second half to move within 59-54 on a three-point play by Simons.

The Lakers answered with a 9-2 run, which was capped by Dalton Knecht's dunk that pushed Los Angeles' lead to 68-56 with 4:50 left in the third.

Henderson intercepted Russell's long pass in the final seconds of the quarter, dribbled to midcourt and hit the 48-foot shot to bring Portland within 77-74 as time expired in the third.

The Blazers led 35-27 after Avdija's basket with 8:43 left in the first half before Los Angeles scored 15 straight points to start a 30-8 surge.

Max Christie and Gabe Vincent capped the stretch with back-to-back 3-pointers for a 57-43 advantage.

The Lakers led 59-45 at the break behind 18 points from Davis and 16 from Hachimura. Sharpe had 12 in the half for the Trail Blazers.

Huerter made 10 of his 14 attempts from the field and was 6 of 9 from 3-point range. Huerter had 23 points through three quarters, including five of the Kings' last eight in the third as they opened up a 31-point lead.

The Kings' lead ballooned to 37 in the fourth quarter after Huerter and Fox buried consecutive shots with around nine minutes remaining. They would lead by as many as 46 points before it was all said and done.

Domantas Sabonis tallied 19 points, 12 rebounds and six assists to help his teammate's cause. He made eight of his 13 attempts from the field. DeMar DeRozan finished with 18 points on 8-of-14 shooting.

Doug McDermott added 18 points for Sacramento, making his first six 3-point attempts after the Kings put their reserves in to cap the blowout.

The Kings broke things open early, starting the second quarter on a 14-4 run as they outscored the Jazz 36-22 in the frame. Huerter led the way for Sacramento in the first half, making 4 of 7 3-point shots.

The Jazz were led offensively by Keyonte George, who scored 25 points on 8-of-13 shooting, with 14 points coming in the first half. John Collins added 19 points and seven rebounds, while Walker Kessler led Utah with 14 boards despite scoring only eight points.

Collin Sexton was the only other player on the Jazz in double figures, scoring 15 points on 4-of-8 shooting. Lauri Markkanen was held to just eight points on 2-of-9 shooting.

The Kings made 57-of-100 (57 percent) field-goal attempts in total, shooting 22-of-44 (50 percent) from beyond the arc. They outscored the Jazz 19-7 in fast-break points and 44-32 in points in the paint.

In addition, they forced 20 Utah turnovers while committing only eight of their own. The Jazz shot 38 percent (31 of 80) from the field were and 15 of 42 (35.7 percent) from 3.

Dillon Brooks added 19 points and Jabari Smith Jr. finished with 13 points with 12 rebounds as the Rockets went 1-2 on a three-game California road trip after losing at Sacramento and Golden State. Alperen Sengun had 11 points with 10 rebounds and Aaron Holiday also chipped in 11 points.

Houston won without Fred VanVleet, who was out with a right knee contusion and missed his second game of the season. The Rockets also were without Tari Eason, who missed his second consecutive game while in concussion protocol.

Ivica Zubac scored 21 points with 12 rebounds and Norman Powell added 17 points for the Clippers, who were without James Harden because of right groin soreness.

Los Angeles has been playing without Kawhi Leonard (knee) all season, while Terance Mann is out indefinitely with a fractured finger.

Kevin Porter Jr., who missed three games with an ankle injury, returned to score 19 points for the Clippers, who lost their second consecutive home game after a nine-game winning streak in their new arena.

After leading by as many as 14 points in the first half, Houston pushed its advantage to 16 in the third quarter and led 95-83 heading into the fourth. The Rockets were never threatened in the final period while improving to 3-0 against the Clippers after winning a pair of games at home in November.

The Rockets shot 48.8 percent from the floor, while holding the Clippers to 44.6 percent and winning the rebounding battle 50-33.

The Rockets led 30-28 after one quarter by shooting 54.2 percent, then dominated the second quarter to take a 64-52 lead into halftime. Green scored 11 points in the opening quarter and 18 in the first half, while Brooks added 14 points before the break.

Curry finished with a game-high 30 points, Hield went for 27 and Kuminga added 20 for the Warriors, who avenged a 107-90 loss to the Timberwolves on Friday with just the second win in their past eight games.

After each team held double-digit leads over the course of the contest, the Timberwolves used a 3-pointer from Anthony Edwards to go up 106-105 with 4:47 remaining in the fourth quarter. But Minnesota didn't score again, missing its final nine shots from the field and a pair of free throws.

Kuminga gave the hosts the lead for good on a dunk off a Curry assist with 2:55 left.

Edwards then missed consecutive 3-pointers, the first of which could have put Minnesota back on top, and the second, following two Curry free throws, could have forged a tie.

Down 109-106, the Timberwolves had two other possessions to cut the deficit or tie the game, but Payton put his defensive brilliance on full display, blocking a Nickeil Alexander-Walker layup before stealing an Edwards pass.

Hield doubled the margin, making it 112-106 with a 3-pointer with 57.7 seconds remaining, and Draymond Green capped the scoring with a dunk with 28.3 seconds to go.

Edwards contributed six misses to the Timberwolves' 0-for-9 finish. He still led Minnesota with 27 points to go along with a team-high six assists.

Alexander-Walker had 19 points off the bench for Minnesota, which saw a four-game winning streak come to an end. Julius Randle (14 points), who completed a double-double with a game-high 11 rebounds, Mike Conley (12) and Naz Reid (10) also scored in double figures for the visitors.

Complementing a game-high eight assists, Curry did half of his scoring on a 5-for-11 showing from deep, while a majority of Hield's point total came on 7-for-13 shooting from beyond the arc.

Kevon Looney contributed 12 points and a team-high nine rebounds to the win, which was Golden State's first in its past six meetings with the Timberwolves.

Memphis, playing without Ja Morant -- who was a late scratch from the lineup with back soreness -- showed no hangover one night removed from a hotly contested win on Saturday at Boston. The Grizzlies jumped out to a double-digit-point lead in the first quarter and never looked back against the Wizards, picking up their third straight win.

Memphis successfully pushed the tempo, scoring 18 fast-break points to Washington's eight. The Grizzlies capitalized on opportunities, both from forcing 21 Wizards turnovers and from holding the hosts to just 43-of-100 shooting from the floor, including a 6-for-32 effort from 3-point range.

Washington, coming in off a Saturday win over Denver that snapped the Wizards' franchise record-tying 16-game losing streak, briefly pulled to within single digits early in the third quarter during a mini run ignited by Jordan Poole's first points of the game.

Coming off a 39-point performance on Saturday in which he hit a career-high nine 3-pointers, Poole went scoreless in the first half en route to nine points overall. His first basket came at the 9:50 mark of the third quarter, part of a 6-0 Wizards run that cut the deficit to nine points.

Memphis responded with a 16-0 eruption to blow the game open.

Scotty Pippen Jr. capped the run with a pair of assists to Brandon Clarke and Santi Aldama -- two of Pippen's 12 assists for the game. Pippen added 14 points for his fifth double-double of the season.

Aldama's 19 points led a 76-point effort from the Memphis bench, more than half of the Grizzlies' output in their second-highest game of the season. That production also included 17 points from Jay Huff and 14 from Cam Spencer, with Spencer also registering five assists and four rebounds.

Washington's reserves managed just 41 points despite 20 points from Marvin Bagley III. Bagley also grabbed seven rebounds, while fellow Wizards backup Jared Butler scored 14 points and passed for seven assists.

Jonas Valanciunas led the Wizards with 20 points and a game-high 14 rebounds. Bilal Coulibaly finished with 17 points, five rebounds and four assists, and Justin Champagnie, coming off a career-high 23 points in Saturday's win, swiped a career-best five steals to go with 14 points and eight rebounds.