NBA Roundup: Nets Bury Bulls in Showdown Between East Leaders

Brooklyn Nets guard James Harden (13) dribbles the ball up court against the Chicago Bulls during the second half at United Center in Chicago, on Jan. 12, 2022. Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports via Field Level Media

Kevin Durant scored a game-high 27 points and James Harden notched 25 points and 16 assists to lift the visiting Brooklyn Nets to a 138–112 blowout of the Chicago Bulls in a matchup of the top two teams in the Eastern Conference.

A 22–0 run spanning the third and fourth quarters shifted the advantage to Brooklyn, which avenged a 23-point defeat in Chicago on Nov. 8 and a four-point home loss to the Bulls on Dec. 4.

Patty Mills scored 21 points for the Nets, and Day'Ron Sharpe had 20. Zach LaVine paced the Bulls with 22 points. Kyrie Irving added nine points in his third game this season.

Zach LaVine finished with 22 points and DeMar DeRozan followed with 19 for the Bulls, who committed 17 turnovers while allowing a season high in points.

Cavaliers 111, Jazz 91

Lamar Stevens scored a career-high 23 points and Lauri Markkanen had 20 as Cleveland handed Utah its fourth straight loss with a surprising blowout victory in Salt Lake City.

Stevens, who came into the game averaging 4.5 points, hit 10 of 15 shots overall. He scored 15 during the decisive third quarter when Cleveland surged way ahead of the struggling Jazz with a 21–0 run.

Jordan Clarkson scored 22 points off the bench for the Jazz, who were missing eight players, including leading big men Rudy Gobert and Hassan Whiteside. Donovan Mitchell added 17 points but struggled from the floor, making just 6 of 16 shots. Mike Conley was the only other Jazz starter in double digits with 12 points.

Knicks 108, Mavericks 85

RJ Barrett scored a game-high 32 points for host New York, who moved back to the .500 mark with a win over Dallas.

Barrett, who had 31 points in Monday’s win over the Spurs, is the youngest player in franchise history to record consecutive games with at least 30 points and has scored at least 30 three times in his last five games. He scored at least 30 points just three times in his first 158 NBA games.

Julius Randle (17 points, 12 rebounds) and Mitchell Robinson (19 points, 10 rebounds) each had double-doubles for the Knicks, who have won four of five to improve to 21–21. Luka Doncic had 21 points and 11 rebounds for the Mavericks, whose six-game winning streak was snapped.

Hornets 109, 76ers 98

Gordon Hayward scored 30 points, Terry Rozier added 22, and Charlotte defeated host Philadelphia.

Miles Bridges contributed 21 points, LaMelo Ball added 13, and Cody Martin had 11 for the Hornets, who won their fourth in a row despite using only eight players.

Joel Embiid scored 31 points, marking his eighth straight game with at least 30, and Tobias Harris added 17 for the Sixers. Furkan Korkmaz contributed 14 off the bench while Tyrese Maxey and Seth Curry had 10 each for the Sixers, who had their seven-game winning streak broken.

Heat 115, Hawks 91

Tyler Herro came off the bench to score 21 points and help visiting Miami to a win over Atlanta.

Herro shot 9-for-19, matched his career high with 11 assists, and came within one rebound of a triple-double. Caleb Martin added 18 points and 10 rebounds, Duncan Robinson and Gabe Vincent each scored 14 points, and Omer Yurtseven had 13 points and 10 boards.

John Collins led Atlanta with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Trae Young scored 15 points on 4-for-15 shooting, and Bogdan Bogdanovic also netted 15 points. The Hawks have dropped three straight games.

Kings 125, Lakers 116

Sacramento used a 24–3, third-quarter flurry to take the lead and De'Aaron Fox capped a 29-point performance with a key jumper to stall a late Lakers rally as the Kings earned a home victory.

The Kings ended a five-game losing streak and finished with a 2–2 record in the season series against the Lakers. Harrison Barnes finished with 23 points, Marvin Bagley III 16, Chimezie Metu and Tyrese Haliburton 14 apiece, and Buddy Hield 10 off the bench in a balanced Kings attack.

LeBron James produced a game-high 34 points for the Lakers, who dropped their second straight after winning four in a row. Malik Monk backed James with 22 points, a majority of which coming on 6-for-9 shooting from deep.

Wizards 112, Magic 106

Kyle Kuzma posted his fifth double-double of the month and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had 12 points and 10 rebounds, leading host Washington to a victory over Orlando.

Kuzma continued his strong play in January—and narrowly missed his first career triple-double—finishing with 19 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists. Spencer Dinwiddie contributed 17 points for Washington, which won their third game in a row.

The Magic took their 10th consecutive loss. Cole Anthony scored all 19 of his points in the second half, and he also wound up with 11 rebounds and nine assists. Terrence Ross added 17 points, Robin Lopez totaled 16 points and 11 rebounds, rookie Franz Wagner had 14 points and a career-high 10 assists, and Gary Harris scored 14 points.

Celtics 119, Pacers 100

Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum combined for 67 points and Boston completed a home-and-home sweep of Indiana in Indianapolis.

Brown scored 34 points, Tatum 33 and Dennis Schroder contributed 23 for Boston, which earned its third straight win after shooting an impressive 51.3 percent (40-of-78). The Celtics improved to 6–0 all-time when both Tatum and Brown score at least 30 points.

Myles Turner had 18 points to lead the Pacers. Domantas Sabonis added 17 points and Caris LeVert had 16 for Indiana, which has dropped eight of nine overall.

Rockets 128, Spurs 124

Eric Gordon scored 31 points and Kevin Porter Jr. contributed 12 of his 18 points in the final four-plus minutes as visiting Houston defeated San Antonio to snap a three-game losing streak.

Christian Wood added 23 points and 11 rebounds for Houston, while Jalen Green scored 14 points, and Jae'Sean Tate chipped in 13.

Dejounte Murray racked up his 11th career triple-double with 32 points, 11 assists, 10 rebounds for the Spurs, who have lost four straight and eight of nine.