Gibson Leads Bulls To Win, NBA Roundup

Bulls Beat Suns Behind Gibson

(Chicago, IL) -- Taj Gibson recorded 19 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Bulls past the Suns 92-87 at the United Center. Joakim Noah racked up 14 points, 16 boards and six assists for the Bulls, who have won three in-a-row and six of their last eight overall. D.J. Augustin had 13 points and nine assists off the bench, while Jimmy Butler also had 13 points in the victory. Goran Dragic scored a game-high 21 points to pace Phoenix, which opened its five-game road trip with its second loss in three games. Gerald Green donated 14 points in defeat.

The Bulls waived center Andrew Bynum Tuesday, allowing the team to save over $20-million. Bynum was acquired on Monday in a trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers that sent forward Luol Deng to the Cavs. Chicago head coach Tom Thibodeau is reportedly unhappy with the move.

Cavaliers Crush Sixers

(Cleveland, OH) -- C.J. Miles dropped in a game-high 34 points with 10 threes as the Cavaliers crushed the 76ers 111-93 at Quicken Loans Arena. Anderson Varejao racked up 18 points and 14 rebounds, while Kyrie Irving added 16 points and eight assists for the Cavs, who won for just the second time in 10 games.  Tristan Thompson chipped in with 12 points and 10 boards in the victory. Michael Carter-Williams was the only starter in double-figures with 33 points for the Sixers, who have dropped two in-a-row after a season-high four-game winning streak. Evan Turner finished with just four points on 2-of-13 shooting from the field and Thaddeus Young was 0-for-7.

Wizards Romp Bobcats

(Charlotte, NC) -- Bradley Beal's 21 points on 10-of-18 shooting helped the Wizards crush the Bobcats, 97-83, at Time Warner Cable Arena. Marcin Gortat posted a double-double with 18 points and 13 rebounds, while John Wall added 17 points and eight assists. Washington ended a three-game losing streak.  Gerald Henderson scored a game-high 27 points in the loss. Kemba Walker chipped in with 19 points and eight assists for Charlotte, which has lost six-of-seven.

Knicks Hold Off Pistons

(New York, NY) -- Carmelo Anthony knocked down six from behind the arc on his way to 34 points as the Knicks snuck past the Pistons, 89-85, at Madison Square Garden. New York has won two in-a-row for the second time this season and three of its last four. Ray Felton returned to the lineup after missing the last six games with 12 points and six assists. Detroit shot 37-percent from the field and missed 16 of its 19 three point attempts. Josh Smith scored a team-high 21 points with 12 rebounds, five assists and eight turnovers. The Pistons have lost five straight.

Heat Scorch Pelicans

(Miami, FL) -- LeBron James powered the Heat to a 107-88 win over the Pelicans with 32 points at AmericanAirlines Arena. Dwyane Wade added 22 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. Miami shot 51-percent from the field and outscored New Orleans by 25 in the second half. Anthony Davis scored 22 points with 12 rebounds for the Pelicans. New Orleans has lost three of its last four games to drop to 15-18. Miami won its third straight to improve to 27-8.

Warriors Blast Bucks

(Milwaukee, WI) -- David Lee's 22 points and 18 rebounds led sizzling Golden State to a 101-80 win over the Bucks at the BMO Harris Bradley Center. The Warriors won their 10th straight game and improved to 24-13. They can become the first team in NBA history to finish 7-and-0 on a road trip with a win in Brooklyn on Wednesday. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson added 15 points each in the victory. Ersan Ilyasova led Milwaukee with 20 points. Brandon Knight added 18 but the Bucks lost their third straight and sixth in the past seven. They fell to 7-27.

Grizzlies Comeback Falls Short Against Spurs

(Memphis, TN) -- Manu Ginobili's layup in the closing moments of overtime gave the Spurs a 110-108 victory over the Grizzlies at the FedExForum. San Antonio blew a 16-point lead in the final five minutes of the fourth quarter. Tim Duncan posted 24 points, 17 rebounds, four assists and two blocks as the Spurs won for the fifth time in their last six games. Mike Conley scored a game-high 30 points with six boards and five helpers, but missed a desperation three as time expired in the OT. James Johnson added 15 off the bench for the Grizz, who are 4-and-4 in their last eight.

Dirk Leads Mavericks Past Lakers

(Dallas, TX) -- Dirk Nowitzki scored a game-high 27 points to lead the Mavericks past the Lakers 110-97 at American Airlines Center. Monta Ellis notched 16 points, nine assists and five steals for the Mavs, who snapped a brief two-game skid. Vince Carter chipped in with 19 points off the bench, while DeJuan Blair had 15 points and nine boards in the victory. Jodie Meeks netted 24 points and Pau Gasol posted 15 points, 13 boards and five assists for LA, which has lost eight-of-nine. Kendall Marshall added 18 points and Wesley Johnson had 17 in the setback.

Nuggets Blow Away Celtics

(Denver, CO) -- Kenneth Faried had 21 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Nuggets to a 129-98 win over the Celtics at the Pepsi Center. Randy Foye added 23 points while Ty Lawson had 19 points and 13 assists for Denver. J.J. Hickson netted 17 points and eight boards as the Nuggets won their third straight following an eight-game slide. Jeff Green scored a team-high 17 points for Boston while Brandon Bass added 15 points and seven boards. The Celtics have lost five in-a-row.

Jazz Hold Off Thunder

(Salt Lake City, UT) -- Gordon Hayward scored the last 17 points of the game for the Jazz as Utah pulled away from Oklahoma City, 112-101 at EnergySolutions Arena.  Hayward finished with 37 points to offset the 48 from the Thunder's Kevin Durant. It was Durant's second game in the past three in which he scored 48 points. Hayward also had 11 rebounds. Derrick Favors added 15 points for Utah and Reggie Jackson had 20 for OKC. The Jazz won its third game in the past four to go to 12-25. The Thunder fell to 27-8.

Kings Clip Blazers

(Sacramento, CA) -- DeMarcus Cousins went off for 35 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Kings to a 123-119 win over the Trail Blazers at Sleep Train Arena.  Rudy Gay continued his strong play with 32 points on only 16 shots for Sacramento, which snapped a two-game losing streak. The Kings were able to withstand a 46-point fourth quarter from Portland. Damian Lillard scored 26 of the 46 points as he posted a career-high with 41. Lillard knocked down seven threes along with seven rebounds and four assists. The Blazers 2-4 in their last six games.

Pacers Take Out Raptors

(Indianapolis, IN) -- Roy Hibbert posted 22 points with eight rebounds as the Pacers notched an 86-79 win over the Raptors last night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Lance Stephenson added 13 points with 10 rebounds and eight assists as Indiana moved to 28-6. The Pacers play at Atlanta tonight.

Tuesday, January 7 Scoreboard

NBA

Cleveland Cavaliers 111, Philadelphia 76ers 93

Washington Wizards 97, Charlotte Bobcats 83

Indiana Pacers 86, Toronto Raptors 79

New York Knicks 89, Detroit Pistons 85

Miami Heat 107, New Orleans Pelicans 88

Golden State Warriors 101, Milwaukee Bucks 80

Chicago Bulls 92, Phoenix Suns 87

San Antonio Spurs 110, Memphis Grizzlies 108 (OT)

Dallas Mavericks 110, Los Angeles Lakers 97

Denver Nuggets 129, Boston Celtics 98

Utah Jazz 112, Oklahoma City Thunder 101

Sacramento Kings 123, Portland Trail Blazers 119

Wednesday, January 8 Schedule (All Times Central)

NBA

6:00 p.m. - Dallas Mavericks at San Antonio Spurs

6:00 p.m. - Detroit Pistons at Toronto Raptors

6:30 p.m. - Golden State Warriors at Brooklyn Nets

6:30 p.m. - Indiana Pacers at Atlanta Hawks

7:00 p.m. - Los Angeles Lakers at Houston Rockets

7:00 p.m. - Washington Wizards at New Orleans Pelicans

8:30 p.m. - Phoenix Suns at Minnesota Timberwolves

9:00 p.m. - Orlando Magic at Portland Trail Blazers

9:30 p.m. - Boston Celtics at Los Angeles Clippers