Bulls Sneak By Pacers, NBA News

(Indianapolis, IN) -- The Bulls held off a fourth-quarter rally from the Pacers to pull out a 92-90 win at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Jimmy Butler led the way, posting 27 points, nine rebounds and four steals as Chicago won its seventh straight. Pau Gasol added 20 and Derrick Rose put up 17 despite shooting 5-of-20. Indiana outscored the Bulls by 14 in the fourth quarter, but it wasn't enough. Chris Copeland had a team-high 17 points off the bench. The Pacers had won three of their last four prior to the defeat.

Bucks Sink Hornets In OT

(Charlotte, NC) -- The Bucks rebounded from a poor second half to grab a 104-94 win in overtime over the Hornets at Time Warner Cable Arena. Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 16 points on 7-of-9 shooting with eight rebounds, four assists and three blocks. Brandon Knight paced Milwaukee with 18 points, but turned the ball over eight times. Jared Dudley chipped in 17 off the bench for the Bucks, who are back at .500 with a 16-and-16 record. Charlotte outscored Milwaukee by 17 after halftime to send the game to OT. Kemba Walker had a game-high 28 points and Gerald Henderson added 19. Al Jefferson missed 9-of-12 shots and scored only six points. It was the second time in three games he scored less than double digits, plus "Big Al" left the game with a groin injury.  The Hornets have lost three straight.

Nets Knock Off Kings

(Brooklyn, NY) -- Mason Plumlee led a balanced attack with 22 points as the Nets knocked off the Kings 107-99 in Brooklyn. Joe Johnson added 16 points and six assists for the Nets, who have won four-of-five. Jarrett Jack also had 16 points in the victory. Rudy Gay finished with 25 points and nine rebounds for Sacramento, which came up short for the third time in four games. DeMarcus Cousins collected 24 points and 13 boards in the loss.

Heat Fall To Magic Late

(Miami, FL) -- Dwyane Wade missed a long jumper as time expired in the fourth quarter, giving the Magic a 102-101 win over the Heat at AmericanAirlines Arena. Orlando took the one-point lead when Victor Oladipo split a pair of three throws with six seconds left. Oladipo scored seven of Orlando's final 10 points and finished with 22. Nikola Vucevic had a team-high 26 points and nine rebounds for the Magic, who have won three-of-four. Chris Bosh made his return to the lineup for Miami, putting up 20 points and eight rebounds. Bosh had missed the previous eight games with a calf injury. Wade tallied 25 points and six assists, while Danny Granger knocked down three from deep on his way to 21 points off the bench. The Heat are 2-5 in their last seven.

Wizards Slip Past Rockets

(Houston, TX) -- Bradley Beal knocked down five from deep on his way to a season-high 33 points in the Wizards' 104-103 win over the Rockets at the Toyota Center. John Wall added 13 points, 12 assists and four steals, while Paul Pierce hit 7-of-9 shots for 21 points. Washington has won three in-a-row. Houston rallied in the fourth quarter by outscoring the Wizards by 10, but fell short. James Harden also had 33 points along with six boards and four helpers. Corey Brewer chipped in 15 off the bench. The Rockets have lost two straight and four-of-six.

Clippers Sneak By Jazz

(Los Angeles, CA) -- Blake Griffin posted 24 points, seven assists and six rebounds in the Clippers' 101-97 victory against the Jazz at the STAPLES Center.  Chris Paul chipped in 20 points, eight assists and four steals. DeAndre Jordan piled up 19 rebounds and four blocks for Los Angeles, which is 5-6 in its last 11. Gordon Hayward paced Utah with 22 points and seven helpers. Rudy Gobert had a double-double off the bench with 11 points and 13 rebounds. The Jazz had won four of their previous five before the loss.

Monday, December 29 Scoreboard

NBA

Chicago Bulls 92, Indiana Pacers 90

Milwaukee Bucks 104, Charlotte Hornets 94  (OT)

Brooklyn Nets 107, Sacramento Kings 99

Orlando Magic 102, Miami Heat 101

Washington Wizards 104, Houston Rockets 103

Los Angeles Clippers 101, Utah Jazz 97  

Tuesday, December 20 Schedule (All Times Central)

NBA

6:00 p.m. - Detroit Pistons at Orlando Magic

6:30 p.m. - Cleveland Cavaliers at Atlanta Hawks

7:00 p.m. - Brooklyn Nets at Chicago Bulls

7:00 p.m. - Phoenix Suns at New Orleans Pelicans

7:00 p.m. - San Antonio Spurs at Memphis Grizzlies

7:30 p.m. - Washington Wizards at Dallas Mavericks

8:00 p.m. - Los Angeles Lakers at Denver Nuggets

8:00 p.m. - Minnesota Timberwolves at Utah Jazz

9:00 p.m. - Toronto Raptors at Portland Trail Blazers

9:30 p.m. - Philadelphia 76ers at Golden State Warriors