UNDATED (AP) — LaMelo Ball hit the go-ahead basket with 15 seconds left, Terry Rozier scored 27 points and the Charlotte Hornets beat the NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks for the second time in three nights, 103-99. Ball scored 18 of his 23 points in the second half, and Miles Bridges added 17 points and 11 rebounds for the Hornets, who have won six of eight games and improved to 12-5 at home.
Khris Middleton had 27 points and 11 assists, and Giannis Antetokounmpo added 26 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists for the Bucks, who also lost 114-106 to the Hornets on Saturday night.
In other NBA action:
— Anfernee Simons had 23 points and 11 assists, and the short-handed Portland Trail Blazers took advantage of James Harden’s absence for a 114-108 victory over the Brooklyn Nets Monday night. Harden was out with a hyperextended left knee. Kyrie Irving started in his second game of the season and finished with 22 points. Kevin Durant led all scorers with 26 points and 10 rebounds for the Nets. Robert Covington had 21 points, including five 3-pointers, for the Blazers, who had all five starters in double figures.
— Jarret Allen had 18 points and 17 rebounds, Darius Garland also had a double-double and the Cleveland Cavaliers held off the Sacramento Kings 109-108. Kevin Love scored 19 points, Evan Mobley added 17 and Lauri Markkanen and Cedi Osman finished with 15 points apiece. Garland had 12 points and 11 assists as the Cavaliers completed the season sweep of the Kings. Tyrese Haliburton had 21 points and eight assists for Sacramento. Buddy Hield added 19 points. The Kings have lost a season-worst five straight.
— Joel Embiid had 31 points and eight rebounds to lead the Philadelphia 76ers over the Houston Rockets 111-91 for their seventh straight win. Embiid turned in his seventh straight 30-point game and also had six assists. He was 9 of 16 from the field and made all 13 of his free throws. He’s the second player in NBA history to score exactly 31 points in four straight games. Bob McAdoo was the first to do it for the Buffalo Braves in November 1973. Embiid entered Monday averaging 26.8 points per game, sixth in the NBA.
— RJ Barrett scored 31 points in his first home game since hitting his first career buzzer beater, leading the New York Knicks to a 111-96 victory over the San Antonio Spurs. Evan Fournier returned from a one-game absence with 18 points for the Knicks, who broke open a game that had been close throughout by outscoring the Spurs 18-2 to start the fourth quarter. Barrett had five straight points to open the final period, which started with the Knicks ahead just 82-75. By the time the Knicks hit three consecutive 3-pointers to end their spurt, it was 100-77.
— Cade Cunningham scored 18 of his career-high 29 points in the third quarter to help the Detroit Pistons erase a 22-point deficit and beat the Utah Jazz 126-116 on Monday night. Saddiq Bey added 29 points for Detroit, which is 4-2 in 2022 after finishing 2021 with 18 losses in 19 games. Lead assistant coach Rex Kalamian took charge with coach Dwane Casey having entered COVID-19 protocol. Donovan Mitchell scored 31 points for Utah, and Hassan Whiteside had a season-high 21 points as well as 14 rebounds.
— Jaylen Brown scored 26 points and Jayson Tatum had 24, carrying the Boston Celtics to a 101-98 overtime victory over the Indiana Pacers in the first of a home-and-home series between the teams. Robert Williams III had 14 points and 12 rebounds for Boston, including a key block in OT. The Celtics won for the fourth time in six games. Torrey Craig led the Pacers with 19 points and Lance Stephenson scored 14 but missed a potential tying 3-pointer late in OT. Indiana has lost seven of eight. Pacers scoring leader Domantas Sabonis was held to 11 points.
Nuggets trade Bol Bol to Pistons for McGruder, draft pick
DENVER (AP) — The Denver Nuggets finalized a trade with Detroit that will send big man Bol Bol to the Pistons. The Nuggets acquired guard Rodney McGruder along with a 2022 second-round pick via Brooklyn in exchange. The 7-foot-2 Bol is the son of the late Manute Bol, who played 10 years in the NBA.
Bol Bol played in 53 games over three seasons with the Nuggets and averaged 2.7 points.
McGruder saw action in 17 games for the Pistons this season. He averaged 2.5 points and 1.6 rebounds.
