Hornets edge Pistons 123-121 in OT behind Brandon Miller’s career-high 38 points
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Brandon Miller scored eight of his career-high 38 points in overtime, and the Charlotte Hornets hung on to beat the Detroit Pistons 123-121 on Thursday night.
Miller was 8 for 12 from 3-point range — two of those coming in overtime — and LaMelo Ball had 35 points and nine assists before fouling out one second into OT as Charlotte prevailed after squandering a 20-point lead in the third quarter.
Detroit’s Cade Cunningham had 27 points and 10 assists before leaving the game with a hip injury with 48 seconds remaining in regulation after being fouled by Grant Williams. Cunningham made two free throws before leaving the game.
Ball, who has struggled with foul trouble issues this season, picked up three in the first quarter and took a on the bench. He returned to score 13 of Charlotte’s 15 points in a stretch of the third quarter.
The Pistons stormed back and took the lead on Cunningham’s free throws. Ball tied the game with a floater and Malik Beasley missed two short-range shots. Ball had a chance to win the game at the end of regulation but his floater didn’t fall.
RAPTORS 110, TIMBERWOLVES 105
TORONTO (AP) — RJ Barrett scored 31 points, Scottie Barnes added 17 points in his return from injury, and Toronto won back-to-back games for the first time this season by beating Minnesota.
Chris Boucher scored 22 points and Jakob Poeltl had 15 points and 12 rebounds for his fourth straight double-double as the Raptors beat Minnesota in Toronto for the 20th straight time.
Anthony Edwards scored 21 of his 26 points in the second half and Julius Randle added 23 for the Timberwolves. Edwards shot 2 for 5 in the first half but made 7 of 15 attempts in the second half.
Minnesota’s Jaden McDaniels scored 22 points and Rudy Gobert had 13 points and 11 rebounds.
Minnesota has not won in Toronto since Jan. 21, 2004, when Sam Cassell, Kevin Garnett and Latrell Sprewell were the Wolves’ leading scorers in a 108-97 victory.
SPURS 126, JAZZ 118
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Harrison Barnes had 25 points and 10 rebounds, rookie Stephon Castle scored 18 points and San Antonio rallied to defeat Utah for their second straight win without Victor Wembanyama.
Zach Collins added 18 points and Chris Paul had 13 points and 10 assists for San Antonio.
Lauri Markkanen scored 27 points and Keyonte George added 19 for Utah, which lost its fourth straight.
MAGIC 119, LAKERS 118
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Franz Wagner hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 2.5 seconds to play, and Orlando roared back to snap Los Angeles’ six-game winning streak with a victory.
Anthony Davis missed two free throws with 19 seconds left and then missed an 18-foot jumper at the buzzer for the Lakers, who lost to a Magic team playing without three starters in its third game in four nights.
Wagner scored 15 of his 37 points in the fourth quarter and added 11 assists for the Magic, who have won seven of eight. Jalen Suggs added 23 points, and Moritz Wagner had a season-high 19.
Davis had 39 points and nine rebounds for the Lakers, while LeBron James scored 14 of his 31 points in the fourth quarter.
Los Angeles lost at home for the first time in eight games.