Heat stifle Bucks, get 2nd win of season over NBA leaders

MIAMI (AP) — Jae Crowder and Jimmy Butler each scored 18 points, Goran Dragic added 15 and the Miami Heat beat the Milwaukee Bucks 105-89 on Wednesday night — moving to 2-0 against the NBA’s best team.

Bam Adebayo had 14 points and 12 rebounds for the Heat, who improved to 39-22 and matched their win total from last season with 19 games remaining. Kendrick Nunn had 13 points and Kelly Olynyk added 11 for Miami.

It was a season low in points for the Bucks, set for the second straight day after Milwaukee managed only 93 in a win Sunday at Charlotte. The difference was from the 3-point line: Miami was 18 for 37, Milwaukee was 7 for 34.

Brook Lopez led the Bucks (52-9) with 21 points. Giannis Antetokounmpo matched a season-low with 13 points on 6-for-18 shooting, and grabbed 15 rebounds.

KNICKS 125, ROCKETS 123

NEW YORK (AP) — Rookie guard RJ Barrett tied his season high with 27 points and New York snapped Houston’s six-game winning streak.

The Knicks pummeled the small-ball Rockets on the boards and in the paint to make a successful first impression in front of Leon Rose, the longtime player agent who was hired Monday as team president.

Julius Randle added 16 points and 16 rebounds for the Knicks, who held on after building a 21-point lead. They ended a nine-game home losing streak against the Rockets with their first victory over them since Jan. 26, 2009 — when Houston coach Mike D’Antoni was on the other sideline.

James Harden had 35 points and eight assists for the Rockets. Russell Westbrook had 24 points and nine rebounds but missed a pull-up jumper on Houston’s final attempt.

PACERS 116, SPURS 111

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Malcolm Brogdon scored 26 points, T.J. Warren added 23 and Indiana rallied to beat San Antonio after blowing a 15-point lead.

Indiana won its fourth straight, moving into a fifth-place tie with Philadelphia in the Eastern Conference.

Patty Mills scored 24 points to lead San Antonio and Trey Lyles added 20. The Spurs, who have lost eight of 11, dropped four games behind the Memphis Grizzlies for eighth place in the West.

BULLS 109, MAVERICKS 107

CHICAGO (AP) — Coby White scored 19 points, Otto Porter Jr. added 18 in his return from a broken left foot and Chicago hung on to beat Dallas when Luka Doncic’s desperation heave bounced off the rim.

Denzel Valentine added a season-high 17 points and the Bulls won for just the second time in 12 games even though leading scorer Zach LaVine sat out with a strained left quadriceps.

Tim Hardaway Jr. led Dallas with 26 points. Doncic scored 23 after sitting out Sunday’s win at Minnesota because of a sprained left thumb.

GRIZZLIES 127, HAWKS 88

ATLANTA (AP) — Gorgui Dieng had 17 points and 10 rebounds, leading nine Memphis scorers in double figures, and the Grizzlies pulled away in the second half to beat cold-shooting Atlanta.

Memphis, trying to protect its No. 8 spot in the Western Conference playoff field, has won two straight following five consecutive losses.

Jonas Valanciunas had 15 points with 15 rebounds for the Grizzlies. Josh Jackson had 15 points and Ja Morant scored 13.

Trae Young led Atlanta with 19 points on 5-of-17 shooting. The Hawks were denied their first three-game winning streak of the season.

JAZZ 126, CAVALIERS 113

CLEVELAND (AP) — Bojan Bogdanovic scored 28 points, Rudy Gobert added 20 and Utah began a four-game trip with a win over Cleveland, which dressed only nine players and used just seven.

Donovan Mitchell had 19 points and nine rebounds, and the Jazz made 20 3-pointers while staying in the fifth Western Conference playoff spot.

Collin Sexton scored a career-high 32 points and Kevin Love scored 22 for Cleveland, which dropped to 3-4 under coach J.B. Bickerstaff.

TRAIL BLAZERS 130, MAGIC 107

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — CJ McCollum scored 41 points and Gary Trent Jr. added 24 to help Portland run away from Orlando.

Hassan Whiteside had 16 points and 13 rebounds and Trevor Ariza scored 11 as the Blazers ended a 3-game losing streak by outscoring Orlando 38-19 in the final period.

Nikola Vucevic led Orlando with 30 points and 11 rebounds. Terrence Ross scored 23 points, but the Magic struggled offensively in the final period, hitting just six of 21 shots. The Magic tied a season high for points allowed.