|
The world didn’t come to an end on Friday, and neither did the Los Angeles Clippers’ winning streak. |
Chris Paul collected 24 points with 13 assists, Blake Griffin had 21 points and 13 rebounds, as the Clippers posted their franchise-record 12th consecutive victory, 97-85 over the visiting Sacramento Kings. The dozen straight wins break the previous mark owned by the 1974-75 Buffalo Braves.
“It’s been a great run, my teammates have been doing an unbelievable job,” Griffin said. “Each game hasn’t been perfect, but we’ve figured it out.”
“It’s pretty cool and it feels great but we can’t be satisfied. We have bigger sights. Our measurement is only the playoffs,” Paul added.
Matt Barnes netted 13 points off the bench for the Clippers (20-6), who haven’t lost since November 26 and now own the season’s longest active win streak, to move one game behind idle Oklahoma City for Western Conference supremacy.
Sacramento’s Jimmer Fredette netted a team-high 16 points off the bench, but centre DeMarcus Cousins was ordered to stay in the locker room for the entire second half by coach Keith Smart as the Kings lost for the sixth time in their last seven contests overall and dropped to 1-11 on the road.
Britain’s Luol Deng scored 29 points and grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds while Italy’s Marco Belinelli added 22 points to spark the Chicago Bulls to a 110-106 NBA victory Friday over New York.
France’s Joakim Noah had 15 points and 12 rebounds for the Bulls while Kirk Hinrich added 16 points, nine rebounds and eight assists as Chicago improved to 15-10 to remain one game ahead of Milwaukee and Indiana in the Central division.
Carmelo Anthony scored 29 points, J.R. Smith added 26 and Raymond Felton contributed 21 for Atlantic division-leading New York, who fell to 19-7 but still have the best record in the Eastern Conference.
Anthony, Noah and New York’s Tyson Chandler were thrown out after a fourth-quarter incident. That came after Knicks coach Mike Woodson had been ejected.
It was only the second home loss in 13 starts for the Knicks, who had won five of their six prior games.
The Bulls, who won for the seventh time in nine games overall, improved to 7-4 on the road this season. They also defeated the Knicks on December 8 in Chicago and have now beaten the Knicks in six of their past seven meetings.
Deng, who was briefly out of the game with a sore left shoulder, made 11 of 24 shots from the field and four of five free throws while Noah went four of 12 from the field but seven of eight from the free-throw line and also added six assists.
Evan Turner tossed in 21 points, Thaddeus Young had 18 with 11 rebounds and the Sixers caged the visiting Hawks to snap a five-game slide as their top scorer Jrue Holiday returned after missing four games with an ankle sprain.
DeMar DeRozan scored 17 points, Spaniard Jose Calderon had 13 with nine assists and the Raptors stretched their winning streak to a season-high five by snapping the four-game success of the visiting Magic despite a game-high 26 points by Aaron Afflalo.
Monta Ellis scored five of his 27 points in overtime, including the tie-breaking free throw with 27 seconds left, sending the Bucks to their sixth win in the last eight games after slipping past the Celtics despite 35 points from Paul Pierce.
Roy Hibbert scored 18 points, Lance Stephenson added a season-high 16 and the visiting Pacers won for the fifth time in six games while sending the Cavaliers to their sixth straight loss.
Greg Monroe and Brandon Knight scored 15 points apiece as the host Pistons stopped a six-game slide by pounding the league-worst (3-21) Wizards.
Rudy Gay scored 26 points, Zach Randolph had 17 and 13 rebounds as the Grizzlies spoiled O.J. Mayo’s (10 points) first trip back to Memphis, with their fourth win in a row while handing the visiting Mavericks their fifth loss in six games.
Frenchman Tony Parker scored 25 points, Tim Duncan had 15 with 10 rebounds and the host Spurs sent the reeling Hornets to their 10th straight setback despite 18 and 11 boards from rookie Anthony Davis.
Stephen Curry buried eight threes balls en route to 27 points, while David Lee recorded his third career triple double with 23 points along with 11 rebounds and a career-high 11 assists as the Warriors sent the visiting Bobcats to their 14th straight defeat.
Gerald Henderson had a season-high 23 points for Charlotte, which hasn’t won since November 4.