Norman Powell hit seven 3-pointers and scored 36 points as the visiting Miami Heat won their fourth straight game, defeating the Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons 118-112 on Thursday night.
Jaime Jaquez Jr. scored 19 points off the bench while Andrew Wiggins had 17 points and eight rebounds. Bam Adebayo supplied 15 points and 14 rebounds and Kel’el Ware added 13 boards.
Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with 31 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds. Reserve Marcus Sasser contributed 18 points, while Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson had 12 points each. Duren played only 18 minutes due to a sprained right ankle as Detroit lost for the third time in four games.
Powell had 19 points by halftime, including five 3-pointers, as the Heat took a 63-54 lead. Jaquez scored 13 by the break, while Cunningham led Detroit with 17 points. Cunningham also scored the first points of the second half on two free throws. Miami then assumed command by logging 15 consecutive points.
Rockets 120, Nets 96
Kevin Durant totaled 22 points and 11 assists against one of his former teams as Houston pulled away in the third quarter for a wire-to-wire victory over short-handed Brooklyn in New York.
Amen Thompson made 10 of 12 shots and led Houston’s potent offense with 23 points, including 12 in the third when the Rockets outscored the Nets 37-25 en route to their fourth straight win. Durant had 10 assists for the first time since Dec. 29, 2023, when he was with Phoenix. Alperen Sengun added 20 points and Tari Eason contributed 15.
The Rockets shot 57.3% from the field and made 12 of 29 3-point attempts (41.4%) while outrebounding the Nets 45-27. Michael Porter Jr. (illness), rookie Egor Demin (back) and Terance Mann (hip) were held out and Brooklyn struggled offensively throughout. Reserve Cam Thomas led the Nets with 21 points and Ziaire Williams added 14.
76ers 123, Mavericks 108
Tyrese Maxey scored 34 points against his hometown team, lifting Philadelphia to a road win over Dallas.
Maxey added 10 assists while receiving plenty of support from VJ Edgecombe (23 points), Joel Embiid (22) and Quentin Grimes (19). Grimes was 5-of-7 from 3-point range, while Maxey hit four 3-pointers and Edgecombe knocked down half of his six attempts from beyond the arc.
Max Christie led the Mavericks with 18 points. Brandon Williams chipped in with 14 points for Dallas, while Anthony Davis added 13 points and eight boards in the team’s fourth straight defeat. Rookie Cooper Flagg shot just 5-of-15 and finished with 12 points.
–Field Level Media
