Post Up: Stepped Out

Pacers 97 (22-20), Cavaliers 95 (26-16)

The Cavaliers went on a 22-0 run early on and led by 22 at the end of the first quarter. And still, the Pacers managed to make it a game by the end of the third and come away with the win. Down two in the final seconds, LeBron James (27 points, 11 assists, eight rebounds) drove the baseline looking for the game-tying layup, but stepped out of bounds in the process. Darren Collison (22 points) made one of two free throws on the other end and James missed at the buzzer to seal the Cavs’ third straight loss and eighth in 11 games.

Hornets 99 (16-24), Jazz 88 (17-25)

Donovan Mitchell went for 35 points, but it wasn’t enough to carry the Jazz past the Hornets. Despite Mitchell’s 10-20 shooting performance, Utah was just 36 percent from the field. With the game tied and just under six minutes to go, Jeremy Lamb put the Hornets ahead for good on a layup. Nick Batum scored a few seconds later and Charlotte closed the game on a 14-3 run. Kemba Walker had 22 to lead the Hornets.

Wizards 125 (24-18), Magic 119 (12-31)

John Wall scored his 10,000th point as he and Bradley Beal each went for 30 to lead Washington. The two of them combined to go 25-38 from the field and the Wizards needed every bit of it to escape a game that was in doubt until the final minutes. Elfrid Payton led the Magic with 27 points.

Nets 110 (16-26), Hawks 105 (11-31)

Spencer Dinwiddie‘s layup with 11 seconds left proved to be the game-winner on a night where he did just about everything. Dinwiddie’s final stat line: 20 points, 10 assists, nine rebounds. That final rebound came off his own missed free throw after that layup to prevent Atlanta from getting a shot to win the game. Dennis Schroder led all scorers with 34 points.

Timberwolves 118 (28-16), Knicks 108 (19-23)

The Timberwolves opened the fourth quarter on a 10-2 run to take control and send the Knicks to their ninth loss in 11 games. Eight of the nine Minnesota players to see action scored in double figures, led by Karl Anthony Towns, who barely missed a triple-double (23 points, 15 rebounds, nine assists). Jarrett Jack led the Knicks with 18.

Warriors 108 (34-9), Bucks 94 (22-19)

The Warriors held the Bucks to just 12 points in the fourth quarter to improve to 18-3 on the road this season. Kevin Durant led the way with 26 points, while Klay Thompson had 21, 10 rebounds, and seven assists. Thompson also keyed a 13-4 fourth-quarter run to put the game away. Giannis Antetokounmpo had 23 for the Bucks.

Pelicans 119 (21-20), Trail Blazers 113 (22-20)

Anthony Davis returned to action and scored 36 points to lead the Pelicans over the Blazers. New Orleans shot 55 percent for the game but committed 18 turnovers to go with it. DeMarcus Cousins had 24 points, 19 rebounds, and eight assists. As for the Blazers, Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum each had 23.

Nuggets 87 (22-20), Grizzlies 78 (13-28)

The Nuggets started slow, but held Memphis to just 39 percent shooting and 31 second-half points to win. Marc Gasol led all scorers with 22 points and Will Barton had 17 to lead Denver. With the win, the Nuggets snapped a three-game losing streak.

Rockets 112 (30-11), Suns 95 (16-27)

Devin Booker scored 27 points, but the Suns could not overcome 19 turnovers, falling to the Rockets at home. Chris Paul had 25 points to lead the Rockets, who are still playing without the services of James Harden. Houston also hit 18 threes, including eight combined from Trevor Ariza and Ryan Anderson.