NBA game roundup: Durant, Thunder edge Pistons

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Kevin Durant pumped in 28 points in his third game back from a broken right foot, and the Oklahoma City Thunder handed the Detroit Pistons their 12th consecutive loss, 96-94 on Sunday at The Palace.

Durant bounced back from a 10-point performance at Philadelphia on Friday, his lowest output since April 2009. Point guard Russell Westbrook supplied 22 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists for the Thunder (7-13), who won for the fourth time in five games. Power forward Serge Ibaka contributed 13 points and 13 rebounds, and reserve guard Jeremy Lamb added 12 points.

Shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope led Detroit (3-18) with 19 points, and he also had five assists. Center Andre Drummond had 16 points and nine rebounds, while forwards Josh Smith and Greg Monroe added 12 points each.

Smith missed a 3-pointer in the closing seconds, ensuring the Pistons of their longest losing streak since they dropped 13 in a row during the 2009-10 season.

Grizzlies 103, Heat 87

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Shooting a season-high 58.9 percent from the floor, Memphis defeated Miami to prevent its first three-game losing streak of the season.

Memphis dropped a game at Houston on Wednesday, then lost at home Friday to the San Antonio Spurs. The Grizzlies bounced back Sunday, shooting 43-for-73 from the floor, including 61.5 percent from 3-point range (8-for-13).

Reserve forward Jon Leuer led Memphis with a season-best 20 points and a season-best 12 rebounds. Point guard Mike Conley finished with 18 points, and power forward Zach Randolph and shooting guard Courtney Lee each scored 17. Miami got a game-high 25 points from guard Dwyane Wade.

Celtics 101, Wizards 93

BOSTON — Boston blew almost all of a 25-point second-half lead but held on for its third consecutive victory, nipping former captain Paul Pierce and Washington.

Guard Avery Bradley nailed a 3-pointer from the right corner with 37 seconds left, after Pierce had missed one at the other end, and the Celtics survived. The loss ended a four-game winning streak for the Wizards.

Forward Jeff Green, who further nailed the victory down with four points in the final 22 seconds, led the Celtics with 25 points. Boston guard Rajon Rondo recorded a triple-double with 13 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists, while guard Marcus Thornton had 21 points in 17 minutes off the bench. Washington forward Rasual Butler came off the bench to contribute 22 points, 14 in the fourth quarter.

Hawks 96, Nuggets 84

ATLANTA — Forward Paul Millsap scored 23 points as Atlanta defeated Denver for its sixth win in a row. The Hawks moved into a tie for first place in the Southeast Division with the Washington Wizards. The winning streak is the Hawks’ longest since a six-game run in November 2012.

The Hawks, up by 24 points early in the third quarter, won despite shooting just 41.4 percent and making only 10 of 27 3-point attempts. The Nuggets shot just 6-for-35 from behind the arc and 36.6 percent overall.

It was the third loss in a row for Denver, which was without four players because of injuries. Nuggets forward Wilson Chandler had 29 points and 10 rebounds.

Trail Blazers 103, Knicks 99

NEW YORK — Portland started its season-high five-game road trip with a win over New York. The Blazers improved to 6-2 on the road.

The Knicks lost their eighth straight game and fell to 3-8 at home.

Forward LaMarcus Aldridge led Portland with 24 points and 11 rebounds and guard Damian Lillard added 20 points. Blazers guard Wes Matthews contributed 17 points. New York received 23 points from forward Carmelo Anthony and 20 points from guard J.R. Smith.

Mavericks 125, Bucks 102

DALLAS — The forward duo of Chandler Parsons and Dirk Nowitzki combined for 49 points, leading Dallas to a dominating victory over Milwaukee.

The Mavericks won for the fifth time in six games, and they beat the Bucks for the second time in five days. Dallas improved to 6-1 in its past seven matchups with Milwaukee, sweeping the season series in back-to-back years for the first time since the 1980s.

Parsons scored 28 points on 11-of-14 shooting, knocking down four 3-pointers in an efficient 31 minutes. Nowitzki, who sat out the two-point triumph at Milwaukee last week, shot 8-for-12 from the floor and scored 21 points.

Pelicans 104, Lakers 87

LOS ANGELES — Forward Anthony Davis scored 23 points, and point guard Jrue Holiday added 22 points and eight assists, guiding New Orleans past Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center.

The Pelicans, who were coming off a 120-100 setback to the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday night, snapped a two-game losing streak.

Guard Kobe Bryant scored 14 points on 6-of-18 shooting to lead six Lakers in double figures, but it didn’t prevent Los Angeles from dropping its third in a row. Reserve guard Nick Young managed 13 points despite hitting just three of 13 shots from the floor.