Forward Solomon Hill scored a career-high 30 points and Anth ny Davis finished with 24 points and 14 rebounds as the New Orleans Pelicans defeated the Houston Rockets 128-112, spoiling a triple double performance by James Hardin. Hill, who entered Friday›s NBA contest averaging just 6.5 points per game, shot six-of-nine from beyond the arc. He tallied 16 points in the opening quarter as New Orleans jumped out to a 36-23 lead. The Pelicans improved to 28-41 on the season despite playing without center DeMarcus Cousins. Cousins was out with a sore left knee and a bruised rib and the Pelicans didn›t appear to miss him, building a 68-50 lead at the half at the Smoothie King Center arena. The Rockets got a game-high 41 points from James Harden to go with his 14 rebounds and 11 assists. Wizards 112, Bulls 107: John Wall set a career high with 20 assists and Bradley Beal scored 24 points as Washington rebounded from a rare home loss with a win over Chicago. The Wizards (42-26) let most of a 19-point halftime lead slip away thanks to their latest suspect defensive performance but ultimately held on to snap a two-game losing streak. Otto Porter and Wall each made two free throws inside the final 19 seconds after Jimmy Butler›s 3-pointer made the score 108-107 with 39.7 seconds left. The Wizards (42-26) let most of a 19-point halftime lead slip away, but ultimately held on to snap a two-game losing streak. Otto Porter and Wall each sank two free throws inside the final 19 seconds remaining after Jimmy Butler›s 3-pointer made the score 108-107 with 39.7 seconds. Bucks 107, Lakers 103: Khris Middleton scored 30 points and Giannis Antetokounmpo contributed 26 points, eight rebounds and five assists, helping Milwaukee defeat the Los Angeles Lakers in a game that featured a scuffle between both clubs. Antetokounmpo made 11 of 16 shots from the floor as the Bucks (34-34) won for the eighth time in the last nine games. Jordan Clarkson had 21 points and Ivica Zubac added 18 points and eight rebounds for the Lakers (20-49), who lost their fourth in a row. Nick Young had 16 points and D›Angelo Russell finished with 14 before both were ejected late in the third quarter along with Bucks center Greg Monroe. Heat 123, Timberwolves 105: Miami, which started the season 11-30, continued its amazing turnaround, drawing to within one game of .500 with a victory over Minnesota at AmericanAirlines Arena. Miami, which is 23-5 in its past 28 games, was led by reserve guard Tyler Johnson, who had 23 points, and center Hassan Whiteside, who had 23 points and 14 rebounds. Heat point guard Goran Dragic had 12 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter and finished with 10 assists. Miami shot a season-best 58.8 percent from the floor. Celtics 98, Nets 95: Jae Crowder collected a season-high 24 points and 12 rebounds and Boston overcame the absence of star point guard Isaiah Thomas and held on for a victory over Brooklyn. Avery Bradley added 16 for the Celtics, who shot 40 percent from the field. Al Horford contributed 14 despite shooting 6 of 16 while Marcus Smart added 12 in place of Thomas. Raptors 87, Pistons 75: Serge Ibaka had 17 points and nine rebounds and Toronto rallied from a nine-point fourth-quarter deficit to down Detroit at The Palace. Toronto shooting guard DeMar DeRozan, who entered the game as the NBA›s fifth-leading scorer at 27.1 points per game, supplied all of his 14 points in the second half. DeMarre Carroll contributed 12 points, Norman Powell had 11 and Jonas Valanciunas added 10 for the Raptors. 76ers 116, Mavericks 74: Justin Anderson matched his career high of 19 points against his former team as Philadelphia routed Dallas, the 76ers› most lopsided victory in nine years. Nerlens Noel, who spent two and a half seasons with the Sixers, had nine points and five rebounds off the bench for Dallas. — Agencies
