Bulls Bounce 76ers, NBA Roundup

Bulls Extend 76ers' Losing Streak

(Philadelphia, PA)  --  The Bulls sent the 76ers to their 22nd straight loss with a 102-94 victory at the Wells Fargo Center behind 14 points, 10 rebounds and six assists from Joakim Noah.  D. J. Augustin paced Chicago with 20 points off the bench including four hits from behind the arc.  Carlos Boozer contributed a double-double with 12 points and 11 boards for the Bulls, who have won three of four.  Thaddeus Young tallied a game-high 24 points in the loss.  Philly's starting backcourt of Michael Carter-Williams and Tony Wroten combined for 33 points.

 

Celtics Clip Heat

(Boston, MA)  --  Avery Bradley scored a game-best 23 points to lead the Celtics to a 101-96 win over the Heat at TD Garden.  Rajon Rondo added nine points and 15 assists for Boston, which snapped a five-game slide.  Brandon Bass chipped in with 18 points in the win.  Chris Andersen scored 16 points with eight rebounds off the bench for Miami, which has lost six of its last nine.  Dwyane Wade had a team-high 17 points in the loss.  Heat forward LeBron James was out with back problems.

 

Nets Sneak By Bobcats

(Brooklyn, NY)  --  Deron Williams' 25 points and eight assists led the Nets to an important 104-99 win against the Bobcats at the Barclays Center.  Brooklyn is a two-and-a-half games behind the Raptors for first place in the Atlantic Division and the third-seed in the East.  Joe Johnson added 20 points and eight rebounds as the Nets won their 10th straight at home.  Al Jefferson had 18 points and 12 rebounds, while Gary Neal tallied 17 off the bench in the loss.  Charlotte has lost two straight following a four-game losing streak.

 

Knicks Squeak Past Pacers

(New York, NY)  --  The Phil Jackson era is off to a good start for the Knicks as they pulled out a 92-86 win against the Pacers behind 34 points and five assists from Carmelo Anthony at Madison Square Garden.  Amar'e Stoudemire added 21 points for New York, which earned a seventh straight "W."  The Knicks were able to get the victory despite shooting 39-percent from the field.  Paul George was 4-of-17 from the field including 2-of-9 from three in the loss.  Lance Stephenson led Indiana with 21 points and nine rebounds, and Roy Hibbert added 20 points.  The Pacers had won their four previous games.

 

Grizzlies Maul Jazz

(Memphis, TN)  --  Zach Randolph posted 21 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Grizzlies to a 96-86 win over the Jazz in Memphis.  Marc Gasol chipped in with 20 points and 10 rebounds to go with four blocks for Memphis, which has won six-of-seven.  Mike Conley helped out with 18 points and seven assists in the win.  Alec Burks, Trey Burke and Gordon Hayward had 16 points each for Utah, which has lost six straight.  Enes Kanter totaled 12 points and 12 boards in defeat.

 

Timberwolves Down Mavericks In OT

(Dallas, TX)  --  Dirk Nowitzki bricked a mid-ranger jumper from 18-feet out in the closing moments of overtime to give the Timberwolves a 123-22 win over the Mavericks at American Airlines Center.  Kevin Love knocked down the game-winner with 17 seconds left to cap off a 35-point, eight-rebound night.  Ricky Rubio posted a triple-double with 22 points, 15 assists, 10 boards and four steals.  Minnesota has won three of four to get to 34-32.  Nowitzki totaled 27 points, but it was an unusual off shooting night as he missed 16 of his 27 attempts.  Monta Ellis added 22 points for Dallas, which saw a three-game winning streak come to an end.

 

Nuggets Streak Past Pistons

(Denver, CO)  --  Aaron Brooks went off for 27 points, 17 assists and six rebounds to lead the Nuggets to a 118-109 victory against the Pistons at the Pepsi Center.  Denver outscored Detroit by 16 in the second on its way to a fourth win in five tries.  Randy Foye knocked down five threes and scored 22 points in the victory.  Josh Smith was ejected for Detroit and finished with eight points and seven rebounds in 23 minutes.  Greg Monroe had a team-high 22 points on 9-of-12 shooting in the loss.  The Pistons have lost six of seven.

 

Suns Cruise Past Magic

(Phoenix, AZ)  --  Goran Dragic led a balanced attack with 18 points and six rebounds as the Suns cruised past the Magic 109-93 at US Airways Center.  Gerald Green netted 14 points, while Markieff Morris and Channing Frye scored 12 apiece for the Suns, who have won three-of-four.  Miles Plumlee posted 10 points and nine boards in the victory.  Tobias Harris dropped in a game-high 23 points to go with nine boards in Orlando's seventh straight loss.  Arron Afflalo added 20 points and Victor Oladipo had 14 points and nine assists in the setback.

 

Spurs Rock Lakers

(Los Angeles, CA)  --  After a tight first half the Spurs pulled away from the Lakers in the second for a 125-109 win at STAPLES Center behind 25 points and five assists from Tony Parker.  Tim Duncan chipped in 12 points, 16 rebounds and six assists, while Kawhi Leonard tallied 22 points, 10 boards and four dimes.  San Antonio has 11 in-a-row.  Xavier Henry paced Los Angeles off the bench with 24 points.  Pau Gasol filled up the stat sheet in the loss with 22 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and four blocks.  LA has lost six of seven.

 

Wednesday, March 19 Scoreboard

NBA

Chicago Bulls 102, Philadelphia 76ers 94

Boston Celtics 101, Miami Heat 96

Brooklyn Nets 104, Charlotte Bobcats 99

New York Knicks 92, Indiana Pacers 86

Memphis Grizzlies 96, Utah Jazz 86

Toronto Raptors 107, New Orleans Pelicans 100

Minnesota Timberwolves 123, Dallas Mavericks 122 (OT)

Denver Nuggets 118, Detroit Pistons 109

Phoenix Suns 109, Orlando Magic 93

San Antonio Spurs 125, Los Angeles Lakers 109

Thursday, March 20 Schedule (All Times Central)

NBA

6:00 p.m. - Oklahoma City Thunder at Cleveland Cavaliers

7:00 p.m. - Minnesota Timberwolves at Houston Rockets

9:00 p.m. - Washington Wizards at Portland Trail Blazers

9:30 p.m. - Milwaukee Bucks at Golden State Warriors