Jazz Rout Bulls, NBA Scores

(Chicago, IL) -- Derrick Favors led a balanced attack with 20 points and 11 rebounds as the Jazz picked up a 97-77 win over the Bulls at the United Center.  Gordon Hayward chipped in 18 points and Rudy Gobert recorded 11 points and 14 boards. Trey Burke added 17 points as Utah won for the fifth time in its last eight.

Jimmy Butler paced Chicago with 16 points and 11 rebounds while Derrick Rose scored just seven points on 3-of-15 shooting in the loss. Taj Gibson tallied 15 points off the bench for the Bulls, who saw their three-game winning streak come to an end.

Rockets Cruise Past Cavaliers

(Cleveland, OH) -- Dwight Howard racked up 17 points and 19 rebounds to lead the Rockets past the Cavaliers 105-93 at The Q. James Harden had 21 points, nine assists and seven boards for Houston, which has alternated wins and losses over its last six games. Josh Smith added 16 points and five boards off the bench in the victory. Kyrie Irving dropped in a game-high 38 points for the Cavs, who have lost three in-a-row and six of their last seven overall. Kevin Love posted 17 points and 16 rebounds, while J.R. Smith went 0-for-5 in his Cleveland debut. Help is on the way for the Cavs, who acquired center Timofey Mozgov from the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday for two future first-round picks.

Bucks Top 76ers

(Philadelphia, PA) -- Zaza Pachulia tallied 11 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists as the Bucks defeated the 76ers 97-77 from Philly. Khris Middleton and Brandon Knight added 18 points apiece for Milwaukee, which has won two of three. O.J. Mayo chipped in with 15 points off the bench in the win.  K.J. McDaniels scored a team-high 14 points for Philadelphia, which has lost six of seven. Nerlens Noel posted 13 points and five boards in defeat.

Wizards Ease Past Knicks

(Washington, D.C.) -- The Knicks suffered a franchise-record breaking 13th straight loss as the Wizards picked up a 101-91 win at the Verizon Center. Nene Hilario led the way for Washington with 20 points, six rebounds and four assists. John Wall added 18 points and eight assists as the Wizards picked up a second straight victory. Jose Calderon had a team-high 17 points in the defeat. Jason Smith added 13 points and five boards off the bench for the Knicks.

Hornets Sneak By Pelicans

(Charlotte, NC) -- Kemba Walker dropped in 31 points with four assists and four rebounds leading the Hornets to a 98-94 victory over the Pelicans at Time Warner Cable Arena. Gerald Henderson added 16 points with seven boards and six helpers for Charlotte, which outscored New Orleans by 11 in the second half.  The Hornets have won three straight. Anthony Davis went off for 32 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks, but it wasn't enough for the Pelicans. Jrue Holiday and Eric Gordon combined for 30 points as New Orleans dropped its second straight.

Celtics Top Nets

(Brooklyn, NY) -- Avery Bradley tallied 21 points to power the Celtics to an 89-81 win over the Nets at the Barclays Center. Tyler Zeller added 18 points and six rebounds for Boston, which snapped a three-game skid. Mason Plumlee totaled 16 points and 12 rebounds for Brooklyn, which has lost three in-a-row.  Joe Johnson scored 17 points to pace the Nets.

Hawks Put Down Grizzlies

(Atlanta, GA) -- One of the better stories of the NBA season kept rolling with the Hawks beating the Grizzlies, 96-86, at Philips Arena behind 25 points and six assists from Jeff Teague. Kyle Korver hit four threes on his way to 14 points as Atlanta knocked down 13-of-25 from deep. The Hawks have won nine straight versus the tough Western Conference. Mike Conley posted 17 points, nine rebounds and six assists in the defeat. The only other starter in double figures was Marc Gasol with 16. Memphis is 2-2 in its last four.

Pistons Stay Hot Dumping Mavericks

(Dallas, TX) -- The Pistons turnaround since releasing Josh Smith continued with a 108-95 victory against the Mavericks at the American Airlines Center.  Detroit swept a back-to-back versus the Spurs and Dallas to improve to 7-and-0 in the post Smith era. Greg Monroe led the way with 27 points, 18 rebounds and six assists. D.J. Augustin went off for 26 points, while Andre Drummond added six points and 19 boards. Dirk Nowitzki had a team-high 19 points in the defeat. Monta Ellis chipped in 16 with five rebounds and four helpers. The Mavs six-game winning streak came to an end.

Nuggets Nip Magic

(Denver, CO) -- Ty Lawson tallied 23 points as the Nuggets nipped the Magic 93-90 at the Pepsi Center. Arron Afflalo added 17 points and six rebounds, while Nate Robinson scored all of his 13 points in the fourth quarter for the Nuggets, who have won three in-a-row for the first time since November. Wilson Chandler chipped in with 12 points and six boards in the victory. Nikola Vucevic posted 20 points and 11 rebounds to pace Orlando, which suffered its fourth straight loss.  Victor Oladipo had 17 points and Evan Fournier donated 14 off the bench but missed a three-pointer at the end that would have tied the game.

Suns Hand Timberwolves 13th Straight Loss

(Minneapolis, MN) -- The Suns outscored the Timberwolves 42-33 in the fourth quarter to pull out a 113-111 win at the Target Center. Andrew Wiggins missed a three-pointer at the buzzer that would have won it for Minnesota. Goran Dragic dropped in a game-high 25 points while Gerald Green added 21 off the bench for Phoenix, which won its fourth straight. Eric Bledsoe and Isaiah Thomas both tallied 17 points in the victory. Wiggins netted 25 points and Mo Williams posted 23 to go with 11 assists for the T'wolves, who have dropped 13 in-a-row. Anthony Bennett recorded 14 points and 10 boards off the pine in the setback.

Kings Roll Past Thunder

(Sacramento, CA) -- Rudy Gay finished with 28 points and nine rebounds as the Kings crushed the Thunder 104-83 at Sleep Train Arena. DeMarcus Cousins recorded 23 points and 15 rebounds and Darren Collison tallied 24 points and seven assists. Ben McLemore chipped in 11 points for Sacramento, which has won two of three. Kevin Durant put up 24 points and grabbed nine boards as Oklahoma City dropped its second straight game. Russell Westbrook scored 10 points on just 3-of-19 shooting and Reggie Jackson added 14 off the bench in the loss.

Thompson Leads Warriors Past Pacers

(Oakland, CA) -- Klay Thompson went off for 40 points on 14-of-25 shooting as the Warriors defeated the Pacers 117- 102 at ORACLE Arena. Stephen Curry recorded a double-double scoring 21 points and dishing out 15 assists for Golden State, which has won five in-a-row. Marreese Speights chipped in 18 points and David Lee had 13 points off the bench. Solomon Hill paced Indiana with 21 points and David West finished with 16 points and seven rebounds in the loss.  The Pacers had won three of their last four coming in.

Clippers Stomp Lakers

(Los Angeles, CA) -- It was never close as the Clippers demolished the Lakers, 114-89, at the STAPLES Center. Blake Griffin led the way posting 27 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, while Chris Paul compiled a 24-point and 11-assist double-double. Matt Barnes hit five threes leading to 19 points for the Clippers, who have won four of five. Kobe Bryant struggled missing 10-of-12 shots and turning the ball over six times. Bryant finished with four points, eight boards and seven helpers. Jordan Clarkson had a team-high 14 points off the bench as the Lakers lost their second straight game.

Wednesday, January 7 Scoreboard

NBA

Houston Rockets 105, Cleveland Cavaliers 93

Milwaukee Bucks 97, Philadelphia 76ers 77

Washington Wizards 101, New York Knicks 91

Charlotte Hornets 98, New Orleans Pelicans 94

Boston Celtics 89, Brooklyn Nets 81

Atlanta Hawks 96, Memphis Grizzlies 86

Utah Jazz 97, Chicago Bulls 77

Detroit Pistons 108, Dallas Mavericks 95

Denver Nuggets 93, Orlando Magic 90

Phoenix Suns 113, Minnesota Timberwolves 111

Sacramento Kings 104, Oklahoma City Thunder 83

Golden State Warriors 117, Indiana Pacers 102

Los Angeles Clippers 114, Los Angeles Lakers 89

Friday, January 8 Schedule (All Times Central)

NBA

6:30 p.m. - Charlotte Hornets at Toronto Raptors

7:00 p.m. - Houston Rockets at New York Knicks

9:30 p.m. - Miami Heat at Portland Trail Blazers