Pistons snap Hornets' 9-game streak with 110-104 win in game marred by fight, ejections
Cade Cunningham had 33 points and nine rebounds, and the Detroit Pistons hung on to beat Charlotte 110-104 on Monday night, snapping the Hornets’ nine-game winning streak in a wild game that included a fight and four player ejections.
Charlotte coach Charles Lee was also ejected after having to be restrained from going after an official while arguing a no-call in the fourth quarter.
Duncan Robinson scored 18 points for the Pistons and Jalen Duren added 15 before being ejected when he ignited the brawl by hitting Moussa Diabate with an open right hand in the third quarter.
Brandon Miller scored 24 points for the Hornets, while LaMelo Ball and Kon Knueppel each had 20.
Midway through the third quarter Duren was driving toward the basket when he was fouled by Diabate. Duren got face-to-face with Diabate and the two appeared to butt heads. Duren then hit Diabate in the face with his open right hand, igniting a confrontation that lasted more than 30 seconds.
While Pistons forward Tobias Harris was holding Diabate back, Diabate threw a punch at Duren. Duren walked away and Bridges charged at him, throwing a left-handed punch. Duren retaliated with a punch. Diabate attempted to charge again at Duren and had to be held back. Isaiah Stewart left the bench to confront Bridges, who responded with a punch, and the players tussled.
Diabate, Bridges, Duren and Stewart were ejected.
NETS 123, BULLS 115
NEW YORK (AP) — Nic Claxton scored 28 points and had 10 rebounds to lead Brooklyn to a win over Chicago.
Noah Clowney added 20 points for Brooklyn, which won its second in a row. Drake Powell had 14 points off the bench, rookies Danny Wolf and Nolan Traore each had 13 and Ziaire Williams added 11.
The Nets won three of the four meetings between the Eastern Conference teams that are rebuilding.
Anfernee Simons scored 23 points for Chicago, which lost its fifth straight. Collin Sexton scored 19 off the bench and Matas Buzelis had 18.
JAZZ 115, HEAT 111
MIAMI (AP) — Brice Sensabaugh made a go-ahead 3-pointer with 47 seconds remaining to lift Utah to a victory over Miami.
Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 22 points, Lauri Markkanen added 17, Kyle Filipowski had 16 points and 11 rebounds, and Ace Bailey also scored 16 for the Jazz, who won for only the fifth time in their last 23 games.
The Jazz erased a 108-103 deficit with 3:32 left and got within one at 111-110 on Isaiah Collier’s jumper with 1:23 remaining. Sensabaugh, who finished with 14 points, then connected with his shot from behind the arc.
Miami twice had opportunities at a tying or go-ahead score. Andrew Wiggins missed a short jumper with 36 seconds left and Kasparas Jakucionis’ corner 3-point attempt bounced off the rim with 4 seconds left.
Sensabaugh’s two free throws with 3 seconds remaining clinched the win for Utah.
Wiggins scored 26 points, Bam Adebayo had 23 points and 11 rebounds and Jakucionis finished with 20 points for the Heat.
MAGIC 118, BUCKS 99
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Anthony Black scored 26 points, Desmond Bane added 25 and Orlando beat Milwaukee to snap the Bucks’ season-long three-game win streak.
Magic forward Franz Wagner played 17 minutes after missing 23 of the last 25 games due to a high ankle sprain. Wagner came off the bench for the first time in his career and finished with 14 points and five rebounds.
Kevin Porter Jr. led Milwaukee with 28 points and seven assists, but the Bucks committed 20 turnovers and gave up 67 points in the second half. that ended their season-long three-game win streak.
TIMBERWOLVES 138, HAWKS 116
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Anthony Edwards scored 21 of his 30 points in the first half as Minnesota used a dominant second quarter to cruise to a win against the short-handed Atlanta.
Edwards led seven Minnesota players scoring in double figures, pushing the Timberwolves to a commanding win after a pair of disappointing losses to New Orleans and the Los Angeles Clippers. Julius Randle has 18 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists for Minnesota, which had lost three of four.
A game without much intensity changed early in the fourth when Atlanta’s Mouhamed Gueye appeared to trip up Wolves center Naz Reid. The two came together in an altercation that included a crowd of people trying to break up the two players. Both players were ejected.
Newcomer Ayo Dosunmu, playing his second game after being acquired in a trade from Chicago, had 21 points off the bench as Minnesota led by as many as 31.
CJ McCollum had 38 points for the Hawks, who have lost four of five and were playing without Jalen Johnson (left knee inflammation), Antonio Daniels (right ankle inflammation) and newly acquired Jonathan Kumiga (left knee bone bruise).
PELICANS 120, KINGS 94
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Trey Murphy III made five 3-pointers and finished with 21 points, Jeremiah Fears scored 14 of his 20 in the second half and New Orleans sent Sacramento to their 13th straight loss.
The Kings have their most consecutive losses since the franchise moved from Kansas City to Sacramento ahead of the 1985-86 season.
Murphy has made 23 3-pointers on 40 attempts (72.5%) in the last three games. Zion Williamson scored 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting and had six assists for New Orleans.
Maxime Raynaud had 21 points and career-high 20 rebounds — the 7-foot-1 rookie’s eighth double-double this season — for Sacramento. Russell Westbrook added 17 points, Devin Carter scored 12 and Nique Clifford 10.