CHICAGO (AP) — Derrick Rose scored 22 points and the struggling Chicago Bulls beat the San Antonio Spurs 104-81 on Thursday night.
The Bulls came away with a much-needed win after dropping six of eight and handed the defending champions their most lopsided loss of the season.
The Central division leaders broke this one open in the third quarter, outscoring the Spurs 31-20, and snapped San Antonio’s four-game win streak.
Rose, who called out his team after Monday’s loss at Cleveland, backed it up by going hard to the rim and hitting 9 of 16 shots. He led six Bulls in double figures.
Pau Gasol added 12 points and 17 rebounds after being voted to his fifth All-Star game and first as a starter.
The Spurs’ Kawhi Leonard scored all of his team-leading 16 points in the first half.
Jazz 101, Bucks 99
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Gordon
Hayward scored 13 of his game-high 24 points in the fourth quarter and the Utah Jazz held on for the win as the Bucks missed their last five shots in the closing minute.
The Jazz appeared to be in control after a 15-3 run, taking a 101-92 lead on two free throws by Hayward with 2:35 remaining. But the Bucks pulled within the final score on Jared Dudley’s 3-pointer from the top right with 1:29 left.
The Bucks had a final opportunity when an officials review awarded them the ball out of bounds under the basket with 7.1 seconds left. Brandon Knight missed a jumper with two seconds left and Zaza Pachulia missed the tip-in at the buzzer.
Clippers 123, Nets 84
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Blake Griffin scored 22 of his 24 points in the first half, when the Clippers led by 33 points, and Los Angeles went on to its largest victory ever over the Brooklyn Nets.
J.J. Redick and Jamal Crawford added 17 points each, DeAndre Jordan had 14 points and 12 rebounds, and Chris Paul had a seasonhigh 17 assists for the Clippers, who have won nine of their last 12 and three in a row.
With Kevin Garnett resting, the Nets were led by Mason Plumlee with 16 points. Darius Morris and Jerome Jordan had 11 points each, and Jordan had 11 rebounds. They have lost nine of 11.
The Clippers put the game away in the first half, when they shot 66 percent and Jordan had already secured his double-double.
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