Jimmy Butler made an impressive return from injury, scoring 30 points to lead the Miami Heat to a 106-89 win over the struggling Philadelphia 76ers on Monday. Butler, who had missed four games due to a sprained right ankle, also grabbed 10 rebounds and added 5 assists. Tyler Herro contributed 16 of his 18 points in a strong third quarter as Miami came from behind, overcoming a 19-point deficit in the second quarter.
Rookie Jared McCain led Philadelphia with 20 points, and Paul George added 18 points. Joel Embiid, playing through illness, finished with 11 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists. The Heat earned just their second home win of the season with this victory.
Bucks 101, Rockets 100
Damian Lillard made a key driving layup with 3.9 seconds left, scoring the game-winner and helping the Milwaukee Bucks edge the Houston Rockets 101-100. Lillard finished with 18 points and 10 assists. After Houston had a 100-94 lead with 1:58 to go, Lillard made two free throws and then assisted on a 3-pointer from AJ Green.
Giannis Antetokounmpo blocked a shot from Houston’s Alperen Sengun, leading to the game-winning play. Brook Lopez led the Bucks with 27 points and 10 rebounds, and Giannis added 20 points and 13 rebounds. Fred VanVleet scored 26 points for Houston in the loss.
Clippers 102, Warriors 99
Norman Powell scored 23 points and Ivica Zubac grabbed 17 rebounds as the Los Angeles Clippers beat the Golden State Warriors 102-99. The Clippers secured their fifth straight home win after losing their first four games at their new arena. James Harden added 12 points and 16 assists in the win. Stephen Curry led the Warriors with 26 points, but missed a potential game-tying 3-pointer with 12.3 seconds left. The Warriors had their three-game win streak snapped.
Bulls 122, Pistons 112
Nikola Vucevic scored 29 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, leading the Chicago Bulls to a 122-112 win over the Detroit Pistons. Zach LaVine and Coby White each scored 25 points. Cade Cunningham led Detroit with 26 points and 10 assists, while Malik Beasley scored 21 points off the bench. The Bulls bounced back after allowing over 140 points in their last two games.
Raptors 130, Pacers 119
RJ Barrett scored a season-high 39 points and Jakob Poeltl added 30 points and 15 rebounds as the Toronto Raptors defeated the Indiana Pacers 130-119. Barrett scored 15 points in the fourth quarter to help Toronto snap a seven-game losing streak. Former Raptor Pascal Siakam posted 25 points and 10 rebounds for the Pacers, but they have now lost three of their last four games.
Knicks 134, Wizards 106
Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns each posted a double-double as the New York Knicks beat the Washington Wizards 134-106. Brunson finished with 26 points and 11 assists, while Towns contributed 24 points and 12 rebounds.
New York has won three straight games and is now two games above .500. The Wizards, led by Carlton Carrington, Jonas Valanciunas, and Corey Kispert, who each scored 18 points, have lost nine consecutive games.
Magic 109, Suns 99
Franz Wagner scored 32 points, matching his season high, to lead the Orlando Magic to a 109-99 victory over the Phoenix Suns. The Magic extended their win streak to six games, with Anthony Black contributing a season-high 20 points and 9 assists. Goga Bitadze also had a strong game with 17 points and 10 rebounds. The Suns, missing stars Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal due to calf injuries, were led by Tyus Jones with 18 points and 8 assists.
Hawks 109, Kings 108
The Atlanta Hawks held off the Sacramento Kings 109-108, with Dyson Daniels knocking the ball away from De’Aaron Fox just before the buzzer to seal the win. Fox, who had scored 137 points in his previous three games, finished with 28 points but missed a potential game-winner.
De’Andre Hunter scored 24 points off the bench to lead the Hawks, who won their third game in the past four. Keon Ellis set career highs with 33 points and 9 three-pointers for the Kings.
