RAPTORS PRICK LAKERS BUBBLE
NUGGETS TURN BACK WOLVES IN OVERTIME
LOS ANGELES – Pascal Siakam had 24 points and 11 rebounds, Fred VanVleet finished with 23 points and 10 assists and the Toronto Raptors snapped the Los Angeles Lakers’ seven-game winning streak with a 113-104 victory Sunday night.
Chris Boucher matched his career high with 15 points for the Raptors, who have won three straight and six of seven. The defending NBA champions played without two key regulars after losing starter Kyle Lowry to a broken left thumb and top reserve Serge Ibaka to a sprained right ankle, but Toronto still rallied in the fourth quarter and hung on late for its 10th consecutive win over the Lakers.
Anthony Davis scored 27 points and LeBron James had 13 points, 15 assists and 13 rebounds in his 85th career triple-double, but the Lakers lost for the first time since opening night against the Clippers.
Toronto led 104-92 with 3:50 to play on Terence Davis’ third 3-pointer after a rally by four reserves and Siakam, but Kyle Kuzma hit back-to-back 3-pointers while LA scored eight straight points.
The Lakers then missed four consecutive 3-pointers with the chance to pull even, and Siakam threw down back-to-back dunks on the fast break to seal it.
NUGGETS 100, TIMBERWOLVES 98, OT
MINNEAPOLIS – Nikola Jokic hit a fadeaway jumper with 2.4 seconds left in overtime to lift Denver past Minnesota.
Jokic had 20 points, six rebounds and seven assists to help Denver win its fourth straight game. Will Barton had 13 points, including a pair of 3s in overtime, and 12 rebounds. Paul Millsap scored all 14 of his points during a big third-quarter run and had 10 rebounds.
Karl-Anthony Towns had 25 points and 16 rebounds for Minnesota. Towns sent it to overtime with a corner 3, but the Wolves shot a season-low 13.3 percent from 3-point range and 35.1percent overall from the field.
SUNS 138, NETS 112
PHOENIX – Devin Booker scored 27 points and hit four 3-pointers, Ricky Rubio added a season-high 22 points and 12 assists and Phoenix routed Brooklyn.
Booker was 10 of 14 from the field, making 4 of 5 3-pointers, hit all three of his free throws and had nine assists.
Kelly Oubre Jr. added 18 points, rookie Cameron Johnson had a careerhigh 15. The Suns trailed just once, at 1-0.
NBA RESULTS: INDIANA 109, ORLANDO 102; PHILADELPHIA 114, CHARLOTTE 106; MILWAUKEE 121, OKLAHOMA CITY 119; CLEVELAND 108, NEW YORK 87; PORTLAND 124, ATLANTA 113 (OT).