NBA Capsules: Tyson Chandler’s late dunk gives Suns victory over Grizzlies.
NBA Capsules
PHOENIX – Tyson Chandler dunked Dragan Bender’s inbounds pass from the opposite sideline with 0.4 seconds remaining to give the Phoenix Suns a 99-97 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday night.
Bender threw a perfect pass and Chandler jumped over a defender to slam it down, though the play was reviewed by officials to see if there was offensive basket interference. After replay review, the basket counted, and Kobi Simmons missed the Grizzlies’ last attempt to tie at the buzzer.
Devin Booker scored 32 points in his return from a three-week injury absence before fouling out in the final minute, but the Suns needed one final play after Jarell Martin slammed in a rebound with 0.6 seconds remaining to tie it at 97.
The Suns beat the Grizzlies in a tight game at home for the second time in six days after handing them a 97-95 defeat on Dec. 21. Phoenix has won four of its last six games while Memphis has lost nine of 11.
Mavericks 98, Raptors 93
DALLAS – J.J. Barea scored 20 points, including a clinching a layup in the final seconds, and the Maverick’s ended another six-game winning streak by visiting Toronto with a victory over the Raptors.
The Mavericks held DeMar DeRozan and the Raptors to season lows in shooting percentage as Toronto lost for just the second time in 14 games, with each loss coming after six straight wins.
Dirk Nowitzki scored 18 points and fellow German Maxi Kleber had 15 points and matched his rookie season best with five blocks. Harrison Barnes had 16 points and 10 rebounds.
Kyle Lowry led Toronto with 23 points but didn’t score in the fourth quarter, while DeRozan couldn’t get going at all after averaging 37 points on a three-game road winning streak that ended.
Bulls 115, Bucks 106
MILWAUKEE – Nikola Mirotic came off the bench to score 24 points in 28 minutes and the Bulls won for the eighth time in 10 games, beating the Bucks.
Chicago’s surge coincides with the return of Mirotic, who missed the beginning of the season after suffering facial fractures in an October fight with teammate Bobby Portis.
Kris Dunn rebounded from a 1-for-12 shooting game Saturday against Boston with 20 points and 12 assists in 33 minutes for the Bulls.
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 28 points and Eric Bledsoe had 22 to pace Milwaukee, which has lost five of seven.
Mirotic led Chicago’s bench in outscoring Milwaukee’s reserves 54-25. It was the second time the Bulls won at Milwaukee in 12 days, including a 115-109 victory on Dec. 15.
Pistons 107, Pacers 83
DETROIT – Tobias Harris scored 30 points to help the Pistons rout the Pacers.
The victory moved the Pistons (19-14) past the Pacers (19-15) and into second spot in the NBA’s Central Division.
Andre Drummond added 21 points for the Pistons. Ish Smith (12 points) and Reggie Bullock (11) also reached double digits for Detroit.
Victor Oladipo led the Pacers with 13 points. Domantas Sabonis, Bojan Bogdanovic and Myles Turner each scored 10 points.
The win gave the Pistons a 3-1 decision in the season series between the two teams, the first time Detroit had won the season set from Indiana since going 4-0 against the Pacers in 2007-08.
Heat 107, Magic 89
MIAMI – Josh Richardson scored 20 points, Wayne Ellington had 12 of his 18 points in a dominant fourth quarter and the Heat beat the struggling Magic.
Tyler Johnson added 17, Kelly Olynyk scored 15 and Goran Dragic had 14 for the Heat, who outscored Orlando 39-21 in the fourth – the biggest margin by Miami in a final quarter this season.
Hassan Whiteside returned from an 11-game absence with a bone bruise in his left knee, adding seven points and eight rebounds in 18 minutes.
Elfrid Payton scored 19 points for Orlando, which now has two separate nine-game losing streaks this season. The Magic started 8-4, and are 3-20 since.
Evan Fournier and Mario Hezonja had 14 apiece for Orlando, which got 12 from Marreese Speights. The Magic led by 10 in the third quarter, and got outscored by 28 in the final 20 minutes.
Spurs 109, Nets 97
SAN ANTONIO – Kawhi Leonard scored 21 points, LaMarcus Aldridge added 20 and the Spurs beat the Nets in their first game of the season with every player healthy and available.
San Antonio is third in the Western Conference at 24-11 despite being without Leonard and/or Tony Parker for 30 games this season.
Playing with a full roster for the first time led to some hesitation, as the Spurs scored just 19 points in the opening quarter while trying to involve all their scoring options. San Antonio settled into a rhythm, shooting 51 percent overall in capturing its 15th straight win at home over Brooklyn.
Pau Gasol added 15 points, Parker had 14 and Patty Mills and Manu Ginobili each had 11 for the Spurs.
Nuggets 107, Jazz 83
DENVER – Jamal Murray scored 13 of his 22 points in the first quarter and the Nuggets overcame the ejection of Nikola Jokic to beat the Jazz.
Jokic had 13 points and seven rebounds before getting tossed in the fourth quarter. Wilson Chandler and Gary Harris scored 15 apiece to help Denver win its third in a row.
Despite the rout, Jokic got tangled up with Jonas Jerebko early in the fourth and was called for a flagrant 2 foul and ejected from the game.
The Jazz cut it to 13 after Jokic left, but Murray converted a three-point play and Trey Lyles had a driving dunk to push the lead to 90-72 with 5:38 left.
Derrick Favors had 20 points, and Jerebko and Donovan Mitchell each scored 13 for the Jazz.
Clippers 122, Kings 95
LOS ANGELES – Montrezl Harrell scored 22 points and Lou Williams added 21, both off the bench, to lead the Los Angeles Clippers to a rout of the Sacramento Kings.
Jamil Wilson had 17 points for the Clippers, whose bench outscored their Kings counterparts, 72-43. Center DeAndre Jordan finished 13 points and 15 rebounds.
Willie Cauley-Stein scored 17 points for Sacramento. Buddy Hield and Malachi Richardson each scored 10 points, the only other Kings to finish in double figures.
The Clippers took control with a dominating close to the first half, finishing with a 37-14 run to take a 71-53 at the break.