NBA Capsules: Heat erase 19-point deficit, top Lakers
MIAMI – Justise Winslow and Hassan Whiteside each finished with 23 points and 13 rebounds, and the Miami Heat rallied from 19 points down to beat the Los Angeles Lakers 115-107 on Thursday night.
Winslow set a career high for points and tied a career best in rebounds for the Heat, who raised Shaquille O’Neal’s No. 32 jersey to the rafters in a halftime ceremony.
Goran Dragic scored 21 and James Johnson added 19 for Miami, which snapped a three-game slide and went 3-3 on its six-game homestand.
Lou Williams scored 27 points for the Lakers, who fell to 5-14 on the road. Nick Young scored 20 and D’Angelo Russell had 17.
Warriors 117, Nets 101
NEW YORK – Kevin Durant had 26 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, and Golden State turned an ugly start into an easy finish.
Klay Thompson added 23 points for the Warriors, who opened a three-game road trip that leads into their NBA Finals rematch in Cleveland on Christmas. They didn’t look ready while falling behind by 16 at halftime, but were back to their sometimes unstoppable selves while outscoring the Nets by 32 points over the final 24 minutes.
Stephen Curry and Zaza Pachulia each finished with 15 points for the Warriors, who played without Draymond Green, who returned to the Bay Area early Thursday after the birth of his son, Draymond Jamal Green Jr.
Brook Lopez scored 28 points for Brooklyn, but just five in the second half as the Nets dropped their fourth straight.
Clippers 106, Spurs 101
LOS ANGELES – Chris Paul scored 19 points before injuring his left hamstring to lead the Clippers to a win over the Spurs.
Paul added seven rebounds and six assists before leaving the game late in the third quarter. The Clippers used their bench in the fourth quarter to seal the victory, only the Spurs second on the road this season.
The Clippers reserves outscored San Antonio’s 58-33.
The Spurs had started the season 15-1 on the road. Kawhi Leonard led the Spurs with 27 points and nine rebounds, while Pau Gasol added 19 points and eight rebounds.
Celtics 109, Pacers 102
INDIANAPOLIS – Isaiah Thomas had 28 points and nine assists, helping Boston to its fourth straight win.
Avery Bradley and Jae Crowder each scored 15 points for the Celtics, who led 51-40 at halftime. Marcus Smart had 12 points, and Amir Johnson and Kelly Olnyk finished with 11 apiece.
The Pacers pulled within four late in the game, but were unable to catch the Celtics down the stretch.
Jeff Teague led Indiana with 31 points and eight assists. Paul George and CJ Miles scored 19 points apiece, and Thaddeus Young had 15 points and 12 rebounds.
Knicks 106, Magic 95
NEW YORK – Derrick Rose scored 19 points, Kyle O’Quinn had 14 points and a career-high 16 rebounds, and the Knicks got the win at home.
Carmelo Anthony and Willy Hernangomez each had 15 points for New York, which has won two in a row since a three-game losing streak. Kristaps Porzingis scored 12 points, and reserve Brandon Jennings had 12 assists in 22 minutes.
Serge Ibaka led the Magic with 23 points and 10 rebounds. Evan Fournier scored 21 points.
Orlando closed to 104-95 on Jeff Green’s free throws with 1:29 left, but Rose scored with 1:08 remaining to help the Knicks close it out.