Crabbe Scores 21, Nets Top Bulls to Snap 8-Game Skid

By ESPN

NEW YORK -- With a pair of familiar faces back in action Monday night, the Brooklyn Nets won for the first time all month.

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Caris LeVert returned to the court and Alan Crabbe scored 21 points to help Brooklyn snap an eight-game losing streak with a 104-87 victory over the Chicago Bulls.

LeVert had six points and four assists in just over 21 minutes. Hollis-Jefferson finished with seven points and four rebounds in just under 22 minutes.

Hollis-Jefferson hadn't played in a month and LeVert missed five games. The Nets hadn't won since a 116-108 victory over the 76ers on Jan. 31.

"They precipitated a few things. Their athleticism really stands out," Brooklyn coach Kenny Atkinson said. "Their energy, how hard they play, just a big help to our bench and a big help to our defense."

Jarrett Allen and DeMarre Carroll each scored 18 points for the Nets, and Joe Harris added 15.

Kris Dunn led Chicago with 23 points and Lauri Markkanen had 19.

The Nets trailed 51-49 at halftime, but scored the first nine points of the second half and took the lead for good. Brooklyn increased its advantage to 80-66 on Spencer Dinwiddie's 3-pointer with 3:08 left in the third and still led by 14 at the end of the quarter.

The Nets shot 63.6 percent from the field in the decisive third period, outscoring Chicago 35-19 and holding the Bulls to 36.8 percent from the floor.

The Bulls never got closer than 11 the rest of the way.

"We got stops and it led to us getting out in transition," Crabbe said. "It opened up things for us offensively. We made shots tonight."

Brooklyn increased its lead to a game-high 22 points, 104-82, on Quincy Acy's 3-pointer with 2:46 remaining.

The Bulls, who have lost four straight and 13 of 16, took their first lead of the game, 14-13, on Dunn's two free throws midway through the first quarter. But the Nets scored 11 straight points and went on to take a 28-19 lead after one.

"We didn't get stops that we needed," Dunn said. "You know when you don't get stops in this league, you are going to get into trouble."

Chicago pulled within a point on two occasions in the second quarter before the Nets opened a 49-40 lead on Hollis-Jefferson's jumper with 2:24 left.

Those were the final points Brooklyn scored in the half, however, as the Bulls went on an 11-0 run to take their halftime lead.

"The end of the first half was great and then we came out so sluggish with no energy and the adversity hit and we got stagnant," Chicago coach Fred Hoiberg. "You have to keep playing through the tough times and we did not do that well tonight."

Allen and Dante Cunningham each had nine rebounds to lead the Nets.

Denzel Valentine finished with 11 points and 13 rebounds for the Bulls. Bobby Portis scored 12.

Mavericks 109, Pacers 103

DALLAS -- For one night, at least, things returned to normal for the Dallas Mavericks. With new leadership in the front office, the team turned to veteran leadership on the court.

Harrison Barnes scored 21 points and J.J. Barea added 19 points and nine assists as the Mavericks ended a four-game losing streak and a turmoil-filled week with a 109-103 win over the Indiana Pacers on Monday.

Dallas scored 41 points in the fourth quarter on 60 percent shooting to open a double-digit lead and made seven of eight free throws down the stretch to hang on. The loss halted Indiana's four-game winning streak, and the Mavericks finished a season sweep of the Pacers.

Myles Turner led Indiana with 24 points, and Victor Oladipo scored 13 of his 21 in the fourth quarter as the Pacers cut a 13-point deficit to two in the final minute before the Mavs put the game away.

Earlier in the day, the Mavericks named Cynthia Marshall interim CEO, less than a week after a Sports Illustrated report included allegations of sexual misconduct against team employees and the NBA levied a $600,000 fine against owner Mark Cuban for suggesting the club would be best served by losing to secure a higher draft pick.

On the court, the team got a huge spark from Barea, who had nine points and four assists in the final quarter. The 12-year veteran has played nine seasons with the Mavericks over two stints, and he returned to the bench Monday after starting five of the previous six games.

"I'm playing great basketball," Barea said. "I love my teammates and my coaches; they put me in great situations. My job is to bring a lot of energy, whether I start or come off the bench."

Doug McDermott added another 15 points off the Dallas bench, and Dwight Powell had 10 points and 14 rebounds.

The Mavericks, held to 40 percent shooting through three quarters, hit 10 of their first 13 shots in the fourth, five of them 3-pointers, to build a 93-80 lead.

Oladipo missed the previous meeting, a 98-94 Dallas win on Dec. 27, with a knee injury and played just 14 minutes over the first three quarters this time, picking up two quick fouls early in the game and never getting into a rhythm until late.

But he helped lead Indiana back, scoring seven straight points for his team to pull the Pacers twice within two in the final minute.

"It just felt like every time I tried to do something, it was a foul," Oladipo said. "Unfortunately, we came up short and I wish I had the opportunity to play a little bit more, but you can't do nothing about it."

Wesley Matthews hit a 3 with 32.4 seconds remaining to restore a five-point lead for Dallas, and the Mavericks put the game away at the line.

Monday, February 26 Scoreboard

Los Angeles Lakers 123, Atlanta 104

Boston 109, Memphis 98

Brooklyn 104, Chicago 87

Golden State 125, New York 111

Toronto 123, Detroit 94

New Orleans 125, Phoenix 116

Oklahoma City 112, Orlando 105

Dallas 109,  Indiana 103

Houston 96, Utah 85

Minnesota 118, Sacramento 100

Tuesday, February 27 Schedule (All Times Central)

Chicago at Charlotte, 6 p.m.

Brooklyn at Cleveland, 6 p.m.

Philadelphia at Miami, 6:30 p.m.

Washington at Milwaukee, 7 p.m.

Sacramento at Portland, 9 p.m.

Los Angeles Clippers at Denver, 9:30 p.m.