Antetokounmpo, Ibaka shine
After losing six consecutive games, the Milwaukee Bucks stunned the New York Knicks 101-98 on Monday, but they remain with the worst record in the NBA this season.
Brandon Knight sent home fans into frenzy after hitting a three-pointer with 1.4 second remaining to help Milwaukee improve their record to 9-39.
Greek rookie Giannis Antetokounmpo, whose Nigerian parents were in the attendance, had one of the best games of his NBA career with the Bucks, contributing 15 points including a tremendous dunk in the fourth quarter.
In the other electrifying game of Monday NBA action, the Denver Nuggets bounced back from a 36-point deficit to beat Los Angeles Clippers 116-115 thanks to a Randy Foye’s three-pointer in the waning seconds of the game.
The Indiana Pacers’ battle for the best NBA record this season continued as they edged out the Orlando Magic 98-79.
Danny Granger came off the bench contributing 16 points in 24 minutes, Paul George and Lance Stephenson scored 15 points apiece as the Pacers reclaimed the best record (37-10) in the league ahead of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Kevin Durant poured in 31 points, and Serge Ibaka added 21 to lift the Thunder to a 86-77 home win over the Memphis Grizzlies.
Spaniard Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph contributed 13 points apiece for Memphis, but they dropped their six-game winning streak, while Oklahoma extended their home winning streak to seven.
John Wall led the Washington Wizards to their second straight win as they saw off the Portland Trail Blazers 100-90, and moved above the 50% winning mark for the first time in four years.
The Brooklyn Nets continue their resurgence after a poor start to the season as they beat the Philadelphia 76ers 108-102 thanks to a superb showing from Paul Pierce who led all scorers with 25 points.
Although the Detroit Pistons had beaten the reigning champions Miami Heat away from home in early December, they could not repeat it on Monday night, falling 102-96.
Dwyane Wade sparked the Heat with 30 points and 10 rebounds, and LeBron James added 24 points and 11 assists, while Brandon Jennings had 26 points and seven assists for the Pistons.
For the third consecutive time this season, the San Antonio Spurs beat the New Orleans Pelicans.
Tony Parker finished with a game-high 32 points as the Spurs held on to 102-95 victory, after trailing by as many as 14 points.
The Dallas Mavericks eased past the Cleveland Cavaliers 124-107, the Toronto Raptors remained in the top-4 of the Eastern Conference following a 94-79 win at Utah Jazz, and the Sacramento Kings ended their seven-game losing streak after beating the Chicago Bulls 99-70.
