NBA postpones 5 more games
UNDATED (AP) — The NBA has postponed five games for Sunday, Monday and Tuesday because of coronavirus-related concerns.
Three games on Sunday night have been called off: Cleveland at Atlanta, Denver at Brooklyn and New Orleans at Philadelphia. Also postponed are Orlando’s game at Toronto on Monday and Washington’s game at Brooklyn on Tuesday.
The Cavaliers said they had five players enter protocols on Sunday. Brooklyn has 10 players — plus some staff — in the protocols. More than 50 players have been placed on the protocols list in recent days.
The league and the National Basketball Players Association have been discussing a plan in which teams would be able to sign reinforcements to 10-day contracts without those deals affecting salary cap and luxury tax figures.
NBA-leading Suns rout Hornets
UNDATED (AP) — The NBA-leading Suns set a season-scoring high in a 137-106 victory over the Charlotte Hornets.
The Suns improved to 24-5 and had nine players score in double figures. Javale McGee had 19 points in 16 minutes off the bench.
After missing seven games because of a hamstring injury, Devin Booker returned to Phoenix’s lineup, scoring 16 points in 26 minutes of playing time.
Phoenix was 20 of 41 on 3-pointers and shot 56.8% overall.
Elsewhere in the NBA:
— DeMar DeRozan scored 38 points after missing two weeks in the NBA’s health and safety protocols to lead the Chicago Bulls to a 115-110 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. It was Chicago’s first game since Dec. 11 after having two postponed last week because of a COVID-19 outbreak that put 10 players in the health and safety protocols.
— The Detroit Pistons managed to snap their franchise record-tying, 14-game losing streak with a 100-90 victory over the Miami Heat. Saddiq Bey scored 26 points while Hamidou Diallo had 15 points and seven rebounds for Detroit, which recorded its first victory since Nov. 17.
— The Portland Trail Blazers beat Memphis 105-100, snapping the Grizzlies’ five-game winning streak. Dillon Brooks scored a career-high 37 points for Memphis, but it wasn’t enough as Damian Lillard scored 32 points and Norman Powell added 28 for Portland.
— Buddy Hield scored 18 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter and made seven 3-pointers to help the Sacramento Kings beat the San Antonio Spurs 121-114. Tyrese Haliburton added 27 points and matched his career high with 11 assists.
— The Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Dallas Mavericks 111-105 in another matchup between short-handed teams dealing with recent COVID-19 issues. Karl-Anthony Towns scored 24 points, D’Angelo Russell added 22 for Minnesota, who now have three players in the NBA health and safety protocols. Dallas, already without star guard Luka Doncic, placed two players in the protocols the past two days.
