NBA game roundup: Raptors remain atop conference

TORONTO — Reserve guard Lou Williams scored 22 points and the Toronto Raptors defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 124-83 on Friday night. The margin of victory was one short of the largest in Raptors franchise history.

Toronto’s third victory in a row gave it a 6-1 record in the longest homestand in franchise history and a 10-2 record overall to lead the Eastern Conference.

The Raptors have played only three games on the road, where they are 2-1.

The Bucks (7-6) had won three in a row before meeting the Raptors.

Suns 122, 76ers 96

PHILADELPHIA — The jury is out as to whether the University of Kentucky could beat winless Philadelphia, as Phoenix guard Eric Bledsoe, a former Wildcat, claimed earlier this week.

Bledsoe’s current team did just fine against the Sixers, however.

Guard Isaiah Thomas scored 23 points off the bench, matching his season high, as the Suns blitzed the Sixers.

Forward Markieff Morris added 18 points for the Suns (8-5), who placed eight players in double figures while winning their third straight.

Magic 105, Hornets 100

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Evan Fournier scored 21 points, and Orlando rallied from a 23-point deficit in the second half to stun Charlotte.

The Magic trailed 70-47 with 6:41 left in the third quarter, and still trailed 79-64 entering the fourth quarter. But Elfrid Payton, Willie Green and Ben Gordon provided a spark off the bench and the Magic wound up outscoring Charlotte 41-21 in the final period.

The Hornets (4-9) lost their fourth straight and lost for the sixth time in their last seven games.

Hawks 99, Pistons 89

ATLANTA — Detroit’s road woes continued as Atlanta remained successful at home.

Guard Jeff Teague had a season-high 28 points and forward Paul Millsap had a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds as the Hawks (6-5) improved to 5-1 in Atlanta with a victory over the Pistons (3-10).

Center Andre Drummond had 16 rebounds to go with 13 points, but Detroit fell to 1-6 on the road with their fourth straight overall loss. The Pistons have won just once in their past eight games.

Grizzlies 117, Celtics 100

MEMPHIS — Center Marc Gasol scored 32 points to tie his career high, forward Zach Randolph added 16 points and 16 rebounds and reserve forward Jon Leuer scored a season-high 19 points to lead Memphis to a victory over Boston.

The win was the 21st consecutive at home for the Grizzlies dating to Feb. 11 and the franchise’s fifth straight victory over the Celtics. At 11-2, Memphis owns the league’s best record.

The Grizzlies never trailed in the game and breezed to the win despite missing several players because of a stomach virus. Starting guard Tony Allen and reserve guard Quincy Pondexter did not play because of the illness.

Wizards 91, Cavaliers 78

WASHINGTON — Guard John Wall had 17 of his 28 points in the third quarter and Washington’s reserves finished with a 40-9 scoring advantage as the Wizards downed Cleveland.

Forward LeBron James and guard Kyrie Irving each had 22 points for the Cavaliers (5-6), who scored their fewest points this season.

Cleveland has dropped three in a row, marking the first time James has suffered three straight losses since the Miami Heat were vanquished by the San Antonio Spurs in the 2014 NBA Finals.

Nuggets 117, Pelicans 97

DENVER — Guard Arron Afflalo and forward Kenneth Faried scored 19 points each, forward Wilson Chandler had 18 and surging Denver beat New Orleans.

Forward Danilo Gallinari had a season-high 17 points and center JaVale McGee scored 14 for the Nuggets, who held Pelicans forward Anthony Davis in check.

Davis has been historically good in the early going. Through the first 10 games, he was averaging 25.5 points, 11.4 rebounds, 3.9 blocks and 2.3 steals, numbers that only four players have averaged for an entire season — and all are in the Hall of Fame.

He had 18 points, nine rebounds and two blocks against Denver, which has experienced a resurgence over the last eight days. The Nuggets were 1-6 after being routed at home by Portland on Nov. 12 but have won four of their last five.

Mavericks 140, Lakers 106

DALLAS — Led by Dirk Nowitzki’s 19 first-half points, endless scoring options all whirring in high-scoring harmony and a 42-point third-quarter shellacking, Dallas won for the sixth consecutive time to improve to 10-3. The Mavs haven’t won as many as six in a row since 2012. Kobe Bryant and the Lakers surrendered their modest win streak of two vanished in a fog of Mavs’ shot-making from everywhere and from seemingly everybody.

Dallas gained control with an 11-2 burst in the final 1:26 of the first quarter that ended with a fury, five Mavs points coming in four seconds capped by Mavs guard J.J. Barea’s 3-pointer after Lakers center Robert Sacre regrettably tossed the inbounds pass directly to a Dallas defender.

Nets 94, Thunder 92

OKLAHOMA CITY — Jarrett Jack scored 23 points off the bench to lead Brooklyn to a victory over Oklahoma City at the Chesapeake Energy Arena.

The win ended a five-game losing streak for the Nets (5-7). But it took a foiurth-quarter comeback to do it.

As in its previous two contests, Oklahoma City began to fall apart in the final quarter. It allowed Brooklyn to scratch and claw its way into the lead using a 19-11 run to begin the fourth quarter.