Jimmy Butler hit a game-winning three-pointer with 0.4 seconds left to earn the Philadelphia 76ers a dramatic 127-125 win over the Brooklyn Nets.
Philadelphia 76ers 127-125 Brooklyn Nets
Jimmy Butler hit the game-winning three-pointer with 0.4 seconds remaining as the Philadelphia 76ers rallied for a wild 127-125 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday night.
Butler, who was questionable to play with a sprained left ankle, scored 18 of his 34 points in the fourth quarter and hit his second game-winner since joining Philadelphia in a trade from Minnesota on November 12.
He gave Philadelphia the dramatic win when he took the inbounds pass from Ben Simmons, began to move slightly inside the three-point line, stepped back and released a three-ball in front of Brooklyn's bench with Rondae Hollis-Jefferson's hand in his face.
The Nets committed a turnover on the ensuing inbounds pass, and the Sixers celebrated their eighth win in 11 games.
Butler's shot capped a terrific finish for the Sixers, who led briefly in the opening minute and did not regain the lead until JJ Redick's three-pointer with 63 seconds remaining.
Joel Embiid posted his league-leading 20th double-double with 32 points and 12 rebounds after attending the New York Jets-New England Patriots NFL game in East Rutherford, New Jersey, earlier in the day as the Sixers pulled off their biggest comeback of the season by overcoming a 20-point deficit.
Brooklyn's D'Angelo Russell led all scorers with a season-high 38 points but did not score in the final 7:26, as the Nets gave up an 11-0 run to allow Philadelphia to start their comeback.
Miami Heat 115-125 Toronto Raptors
Kawhi Leonard scored 29 points and grabbed 10 rebounds as the Toronto Raptors defeated the visiting Miami Heat 125-115 for their fifth win in a row.
Toronto also received double-doubles from Jonas Valanciunas (17 points and 10 rebounds) and Kyle Lowry (12 points and 10 assists).
Pascal Siakam added 21 points while Fred VanVleet, CJ Miles and Delon Wright each scored 10.
Dwyane Wade scored a season-best 35 points off the bench for the Heat, losers of seven of their past nine games. Bam Adebayo added a double-double with 16 points and 21 rebounds, Josh Richardson scored 19 points, Kelly Olynyk had 11 and Wayne Ellington 10.
The Raptors led by as many as 26 points during the third quarter, but the Heat twice cut the deficit to eight on Wade's three-pointers early in the fourth.
But they could get no closer than that eight points, and when Lowry knocked down a 32-foot three-pointer with 4:54 to play, the lead was 15.
Richardson's three-pointer with 19 seconds to play cut the margin to 10 as the Raptors notched their 17th win of the season to extend their lead at the top of the Eastern Conference.
New York Knicks 103-98 Memphis Grizzlies
Trey Burke hit the tying and go-ahead free throws with 1:49 left then came up with the steal on the next possession that led to a three-point play by Emmanuel Mudiay as the visiting New York Knicks edged the Memphis Grizzlies 103-98.
The win was the third in a row for the Knicks, who trailed by as many as 13 points in the third quarter and squandered a nine-point lead in the fourth before ending the game on an 11-5 run. The Grizzlies have lost two straight following a five-game winning streak.
Enes Kanter scored 21 points and pulled down 26 rebounds - the most in a single game by an NBA player this season - for the Knicks. Tim Hardaway Jr scored 22 points while Emmanuel Mudiay (17 points), Burke (13 points) and Allonzo Trier (10 points) also scored in double digits for New York.
Mike Conley had a double-double with 23 points and 11 assists for the Grizzlies while Marc Gasol finished with 27 points and eight rebounds. Rookie Jaren Jackson Jr collected 16 points, seven blocks and six rebounds.
A see-saw game finally turned the Knicks' way for when Burke drained the pair of free throws to give New York a 94-93 lead. Burke then stole the ball near half-court and dished to Mudiay, who dunked over Garrett Temple and drew the foul before converting the free throw.
The Grizzlies never got any closer the rest of the way.
Orlando Magic 108-104 Los Angeles Lakers
Nikola Vucevic scored 31 points and grabbed 15 rebounds on Sunday as the visiting Orlando Magic upended the Los Angeles Lakers for the second time in eight days, earning a 108-104 victory.
The Lakers tied the game at 104 with 2:24 remaining on a pair of free throws by LeBron James, but Los Angeles missed four three-point attempts down the stretch.
Terrence Ross made a cutting lay-up with 34 seconds remaining to give the Magic a 106-104 lead, and Aaron Gordon sealed the victory on a dunk with 10 seconds remaining.
Gordon finished with 17 points, while Ross had 16 as Orlando ended a two-game slide. The Magic now have four victories in their past six games.
James scored 24 points for the Lakers, who have seven victories in their last nine games, but both of those defeats came to the Magic.
Phoenix Suns 107-118 Detroit Pistons
Andre Drummond led a balanced attack with 19 points, 16 rebounds and five steals and the host Detroit Pistons dispatched the Phoenix Suns 118-107.
The Pistons, who have won four of their last five games, received contributions from Reggie Jackson (19 points and eight assists), Blake Griffin (16 points and 11 assists) and Langston Galloway (15 points).
Detroit shot 46.2 per cent from the field and made 39 per cent of their three-point attempts. They had assists on 30 of their 43 field goals. Phoenix shot 51.9 per cent overall but just 32 per cent on their long-range attempts.
Devin Booker's 37 points led Phoenix. Rookie center Deandre Ayton supplied 25 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks.
Suns guard Jamal Crawford reached the 19,000-point mark for his career with a first-half three-pointer. He finished with 12 points and five assists.
Charlotte Hornets 123-124 Atlanta Hawks
Kent Bazemore scored 20 points, including the go-ahead basket with 4.6 seconds remaining, to give Atlanta a 124-123 win over the visiting Charlotte Hornets, ending the Hawks' 10-game losing streak.
Charlotte had one final chance to win, but Kemba Walker's jumper was swatted away by John Collins with 1.1 seconds remaining.
Walker had come to life in the fourth quarter and scored seven of his 22 points in the final three minutes. He gave the Hornets the lead on a jumper with 48.2 seconds remaining, and Atlanta appeared finished after Trae Young missed a driving lay-up and the Hornets got the rebound.
But the Hornets turned it back over to Atlanta on a 24-second violation. That gave the Hawks new life, and Bazemore scored on a contested drive.
Atlanta also got 23 points and 11 rebounds from Collins, 18 points and five assists from Young and 16 points, six rebounds and six assists from DeAndre' Bembry.
Charlotte was led by Malik Monk with 26 points, and former Hawk Marvin Williams finished with 20 points and 13 rebounds.
Utah Jazz 133-112 Sacramento Kings
Ricky Rubio amassed 27 points, seven rebounds and five assists while Rudy Gobert added 18 points, 15 rebounds and five assists to lead the Utah Jazz to a 133-112 road win over the Sacramento Kings.
Joe Ingles added 18 points and six assists for the Jazz, and Jae Crowder and Alec Burks chipped in 14 points apiece. Utah snapped a three-game losing streak and won for just the second time in seven games.
The Jazz played without leading scorer Donovan Mitchell, who was sidelined due to a rib contusion. Mitchell's status for Utah's Monday home game against the Indiana Pacers was uncertain.
Bogdan Bogdanovic scored 20 points and Marvin Bagley III added 18 off the bench to lead Sacramento.
The Kings lost to the Jazz at home for the second time this season after allowing Utah to shoot 53.3 per cent from the field.
Los Angeles Clippers 104-100 Portland Trail Blazers
Tobias Harris scored a season-high 34 points and matched his season high with 11 rebounds as the visiting Los Angeles Clippers rallied for a 104-100 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers.
Danilo Gallinari contributed 17 points, eight rebounds and five assists for the Clippers, who have won eight of their last nine.
Damian Lillard scored 30 points and CJ McCollum had 18 points and a season-high nine rebounds for the Trail Blazers, who have lost three in a row.
Lillard scored 18 points as Portland - shooting 55.3 per cent from the field - seized a 58-45 half-time lead.
The Clippers outscored the Blazers 38-16 in the third quarter, taking an 83-74 edge into the final period.
Gallinari sank a pair of free throws, then buried a three-pointer to give the Clippers a 97-91 lead with 3:46 remaining in the game. Meyers Leonard scored on a jump hook to close the gap to 97-93, but Harris hit a three to make it 100-93 with 2:44 left.
Lillard got the Blazers even in a hurry, converting a four-point play and following it with a three-point shot to tie it 100-100 with 1:53 remaining.
Gallinari made a jump shot to push the Clippers ahead 102-100 with 47.3 seconds to play.
Neither team scored again until Patrick Beverley sank a pair at the line with 2.5 ticks left.
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