NBA roundup: Rockets rout reeling Spurs

The Rockets, with point guard Chris Paul back in the lineup after sitting out
three games with a hamstring injury, emphatically snapped a four-game losing
streak, taking a 70-47 lead into halftime and never looking back.

It was the second straight blowout loss suffered by the Spurs, who were
defeated 128-89 in Minnesota on Wednesday.

San Antonio has dropped five of its past seven games and eight of the 11 games
it has played since beating the Rockets, also on the Spurs' home court, on
Nov. 10. It marks the first time since 1987 that the Spurs have lost
consecutive games by 30 or more points.

Grizzlies 131, Nets 125 (2OT)

Mike Conley scored 13 of his season-high 37 points in the second overtime, and
Memphis recorded a wild victory over Brooklyn, which saw its home losing
streak reach six games.

Rookie Jaren Jackson scored a career-high 36 points, and his 3-pointer with
15.9 seconds left in regulation forged a 111-111 deadlock and forced overtime.
He had cut the deficit to three just 12 seconds earlier by converting a
four-point play.

Conley hit the game-tying basket with nine seconds left in the first overtime
to forge a 117-117 tie. Then he scored all but one of Memphis' points in the
second overtime. Conley finished one point shy of his career high as he shot
13 of 25 and also handed out 10 assists.

Heat 106, Pelicans 101

Josh Richardson scored a team-high 20 points -- including a key drive with 26
seconds left -- as Miami snapped a six-game home losing streak by defeating
New Orleans.

Pelicans star Anthony Davis scored 41 points, 19 of them in the third quarter.
It was his third game of at least 40 points this season. New Orleans guard
Jrue Holiday added 21 points and eight assists.

Miami led by as many as 31 points in the second quarter and then held on to
snap its longest home losing streak since 2008. New Orleans got as close as
three points late in the fourth quarter. Dwyane Wade provided 18 points off
the Heat bench.

76ers 123, Wizards 98

Joel Embiid scored 16 points and grabbed 15 rebounds, recording his
league-best 22nd double-double, as host Philadelphia dismantled Washington.

Ben Simmons had 13 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds for his 15th
double-double this season. Eight Sixers reached double figures in the win,
half of them reserves, as they improved to 12-1 at home and won their third in
a row.

Bradley Beal scored 19 points for the Wizards, who fell to 2-9 on the road and
dropped their second straight. They played without center Dwight Howard, who
could be lost for several months after undergoing back surgery.

Jazz 119, Hornets 111

Kyle Korver scored 14 points off the bench, 12 of those on 3-pointers, in his
first game back with Utah in helping overpower host Charlotte to win a second
straight to start its three-game trip.

Donovan Mitchell led all scorers with 30, Jae Crowder came off the bench for
24 points and a team-high seven assists, and Rudy Gobert contributed 20 points
and 17 rebounds for the Jazz, who had not won at Charlotte since December
2013, when the opponents were known as the Bobcats.

Jeremy Lamb had 24 points, Kemba Walker 21 and Tony Parker 20 points and a
game-high nine assists to pace the Hornets.

Celtics 128, Cavaliers 95

Kyrie Irving scored 29 points, and six other Celtics scored in double figures
as Boston defeated visiting Cleveland.

Irving, the former Cavaliers guard who demanded a trade out of Cleveland
before last season, haunted his old team to the tune of 11-of-15 shooting from
the field, including 5 for 7 from beyond the arc. Irving also grabbed four
rebounds and dished out four assists.

The Celtics were deadly from 3-point range, connecting on 17 of 31 attempts.
They recorded season highs in points, margin of victory and field-goal
percentage (53.3 percent).

Thunder 124, Hawks 109

Russell Westbrook scored 23 points, finishing one rebound short of a second
consecutive triple-double, to lead Oklahoma City to a win over visiting
Atlanta.

The Thunder took control with a 38-point second quarter, with Paul George
scoring 13 of his 20 points in the quarter to help Oklahoma City turn what was
a two-point lead into a 20-point cushion by the break.

Alex Abrines hit a career-high seven 3-pointers, going 7 of 11 from the field
with all of his attempts coming from long distance to finish with 21 points.
Oklahoma City was 43.9 percent from behind the 3-point line, hitting 18 of 41
shots from distance.

Pistons 107, Bulls 88

Blake Griffin had 20 points, 10 rebounds and five assists and host Detroit
extended its winning streak to four games by defeating Chicago.

Reggie Jackson also scored 20 points, while Andre Drummond piled up 19 points,
20 rebounds, four blocks, two assists and two steals for Detroit. Reggie
Bullock added 13 points and six assists, and Ish Smith tossed in 12 points off
the bench.

Rookie Wendell Carter Jr.'s career-high 28 points led the Bulls, who have lost
five straight and nine of their last 10.

Magic 99, Suns 85

Terrence Ross single-handedly broke open a tight game with three consecutive
hoops to open the fourth quarter, propelling Orlando to victory over host
Phoenix.

Nikola Vucevic recorded a 25-point, 15-rebound double-double, helping the
Magic complete a five-game Western swing with a 2-3 record.

Deandre Ayton had a team-high 19 points for Phoenix, which learned just before
the start of the game that standout guard Devin Booker would miss the contest
with a toe injury. The loss was the Suns' fourth straight overall and seventh
in their last eight games.

--Field Level Media