Bulls Down Pistons, NBA Roundup

Bulls Beat Pistons At The Palace

(Auburn Hills, MI) -- Joakim Noah recorded his second triple-double in the last three games as the Bulls beat the Pistons 105-94 at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Noah had 10 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists for his sixth career triple-double. D.J. Augustin scored a team-best 26 points off the bench, while Taj Gibson added 22 for Chicago, which has won five of its last six games. Greg Monroe dropped in 27 points to lead the Pistons, who have lost five-of-six. Josh Smith had 15 points, nine boards, six blocks and five assists in the setback.

Rockets Cruise Past Magic

(Orlando, FL) -- James Harden dropped in a game-high 31 points to lead the Rockets to a 101-89 win over the Magic at the Amway Center. Dwight Howard notched 19 points and 13 rebounds against his former team while Chandler Parson pitched in with 19 points, seven assists and six boards for Houston, which has won three in-a-row and 13 of its last 15 overall. Terrence Jones donated 17 points and 11 boards in the victory. Arron Afflalo netted 18 points to pace the Magic, who have dropped four-of-six. Nikola Vucevic  posted 15 points and 10 rebounds, and Maurice Harkless also had 15 points in the setback.

Bobcats Dump Pacers

(Charlotte, NC) -- Al Jefferson went off for 34 points, eight rebounds and three assists as the Bobcats rocked the Pacers, 109-87, at Time Warner Cable Arena.  Despite the loss, Indiana became the first team in the NBA to clinch a playoff berth. Charlotte outscored Indiana 28-to-8 in the first quarter and never looked back on its way to ending a three-game losing streak. Kemba Walker added 19 points and nine assists in the victory. Paul George missed all nine of his shot attempts in a two-point effort. Evan Turner scored 22 points off the bench for Indiana, which has lost two in-a-row for the first time since mid-December.

Wizards Handle Jazz

(Washington, DC) -- Trevor Ariza and Bradley Beal combined for 48 points as Washington defeated the visiting Utah Jazz, 104-91. Ariza finished with 26 points while Beal added 22. John Wall turned in a 14 point, 10 assist performance and Marcin Gortat had 16 points and nine boards for the Wizards. Utah was led by Alec Burks, who poured in 19 points. Trey Burke contributed 14 points as the Jazz fell to 21-40 and are in the middle of a four-game skid. Washington is 7-3 in its last 10 games with an overall record of 32-29.

Warriors Rock Celtics

(Boston, MA) -- David Lee and Klay Thompson each scored 18 points to help the Warriors cruise past the Celtics, 108-88, at the TD Garden. Lee added 10 rebounds and four assists. Jordan Crawford posted 15 points off the bench against his former team.  Golden State has won three of four. Boston shot slightly under 40-percent from the field and turned the ball over 22 times. Kelly Olynyk scored a game-high 19 points off the bench for the Celtics, who have lost seven of eight.

Nets Hold Off Grizzlies

(Brooklyn, NY) -- Joe Johnson scored 21 points and Marcus Thornton tallied 20 as the Nets held off the Grizzlies 103-94 at the Barclays Center. The Nets led 87-60 after three quarters but were outscored 34-16 in the fourth. Deron Williams recorded 16 points, seven assists and four steals for Brooklyn, which won its fourth straight to move back above the .500 mark at 30-and-29. Paul Pierce posted 14 points and eight boards in the victory. Jon Leuer led six players in double figures with 19 points, while Marc Gasol added 18 for the Grizz, who had won their previous two. Tony Allen chipped in with 15 points off the bench in defeat.

Nuggets Hold Off Mavericks To Snap Skid

(Denver, CO) -- Wilson Chandler and Ty Lawson combined for 41 points as the Nuggets held off the Mavericks 115-110 at the Pepsi Center. Lawson ended with 20 points, seven assists and six rebounds, while Kenneth Faried donated 16 points and eight boards for the Nuggets, who put an end to their six-game losing streak and won for just the second time in 13 contests. Randy Foye and J.J. Hickson added 16 points apiece in the victory. Dirk Nowitzki scored a game-high 27 points to go with seven boards for Dallas, which has lost three straight since a four-game winning streak. Brandan Wright notched 18 points and Vince Carter had 17 in the setback.

Knicks End Losing Streak In Minnesota

(Minneapolis, MN) -- The Knicks put an end to a seven-game losing streak with a 118-106 win over the Timberwolves at the Target Center behind 33 points, five rebounds and five assists from Carmelo Anthony. Raymond Felton played one of his strongest games of the season with 18 points, eight helpers and four steals, while Amar'e Stoudemire contributed 18 and eight boards. Kevin Love shot 6-of-17 from the field, finishing with 19 points and eight rebounds. Ricky Rubio contributed 11 points, eight assists and six rebounds for Minnesota, which had won its three previous games.

Kings Slam Bucks

(Milwaukee, WI) -- Isaiah Thomas tallied 25 points with six assists to help the Kings top the Bucks 116-102 in Milwaukee. Rudy Gay chipped in with 22 points, seven rebounds and six assists for Sacramento, which has won two straight. DeMarcus Cousins totaled 21 points and 10 boards in the win. Brandon Knight scored a team-high 25 points for Milwaukee, which has lost three-of-four. Jeff Adrien had 15 points off the bench in the loss.

Blazers Hammer Hawks

(Portland, OR) -- Nicolas Batum racked up 14 points and 18 rebounds as the Trail Blazers hammered the Hawks 102-78 at the Moda Center. Mo Williams scored 15 points off the bench, while Robin Lopez and Damian Lillard added 12 points apiece for the Blazers, who have won six of their last seven. Cartier Martin netted a game-high 16 points for Atlanta, which has lost two-of-three. Jeff Teague and Pero Antic both had 10 points in defeat. Kyle Korver was 0-for-5 from deep, thus ending his three-point streak at 127 games.

Wednesday, March 5 Scoreboard

NBA

Houston Rockets 101, Orlando Magic 89

Charlotte Bobcats 109, Indiana Pacers 87

Washington Wizards 104, Utah Jazz 91

Chicago Bulls 105, Detroit Pistons 94

Golden State Warriors 108, Boston Celtics 88

Brooklyn Nets 103, Memphis Grizzlies 94

Denver Nuggets 115, Dallas Mavericks 110

New York Knicks 118, Minnesota Timberwolves 106

Sacramento Kings 116, Milwaukee Bucks 102

Portland Trail Blazers 102, Atlanta Hawks 78

Thursday, March 6 Schedule (All Times Central)

NBA

7:00 p.m. - Miami Heat at San Antonio Spurs

8:00 p.m. - Oklahoma City Thunder at Phoenix Suns

9:30 p.m. - Los Angeles Clippers at Los Angeles Lakers