Grizzlies halt Thunder runCHICAGO – The Chicago Bulls record run of avoiding successive NBA defeats is over after a 99-93 loss to the Houston Rockets on Monday. Goran Dragic scored 21 points and Luis Scola added 18 points and 12 rebounds for Houston, which trailed by 15 points in the first half before a 14-1 run late in the third, and then a 17-2 burst turned the game on its head. Luol Deng scored 24 points for the Bulls, who had gone a team-record 86 regular-season games without dropping successive games. That is second only to Utah's 95-game effort in the late 1990s. Grizzlies 94, Thunder 88: In Oklahoma City, the hosts' six-game winning streak was ended by Memphis. O.J. Mayo scored 22 points, including a key 3-pointer with 17 seconds left, while Tony Allen added 15 for the Grizzlies, who were without starting point guard Mike Conley for a second straight game because of an ankle injury. Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 21 points. Clippers 94, Mavericks 75: In Dallas, Los Angeles brought up its longest winning streak for 20 years, notching a sixth straight victory by comfortably beating defending champion Dallas. Randy Foye had 28 points with a career-high eight 3-pointers while Blake Griffin had 15 points and 16 rebounds for the Clippers, who last won six in a row in March 1992. Foye was 10 of 19 from the floor, including 8 of 15 from 3-point range. Dirk Nowitzki led Dallas with 19 points. Jazz 102, Blazers 97: In Portland, Paul Millsap had 31 points and pulled down 11 rebounds as Utah won its first game in four, beating Portland. The Blazers led 97-94 but the Jazz reeled off the last eight points to snatch the game. Al Jefferson hit a short jumper to cut the gap to one and then Millsap's dunk gave Utah the lead. Millsap added another dunk to make it 100-97 and seal the game. Wesley Matthews led Portland with 33 points. Kings 116, Timberwolves 108: In Sacramento, Tyreke Evans had 24 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists to lead Sacramento over slumping Minnesota. The Kings, who came in having lost five of six, opened the fourth quarter with an 11-0 run and never trailed the rest of the way. Kevin Love had 23 points and seven rebounds for the Timberwolves, who lost their third straight. Bucks 112, Wizards 98: In Washington, Milwaukee moved within two games of the final playoff spot in the East by defeating Washington. Brandon Jennings scored 19 points while Monta Ellis and Mike Dunleavy scored 17 points apiece for the Bucks, who edged closer to New York for that prized eighth position. Milwaukee has now won four straight and 11 or the last 14 contests against Washington. Milwaukee now returns home for a five-game homestand that starts with very winnable games against Cleveland, Charlotte and Portland. Jordan Crawford scored 23 points to lead the Wizards.
