McDermott, Butler Leads Bulls to Win, NBA Scores

Doug McDermott is getting comfortable in his second NBA season -- and coming on just when the Chicago Bulls need him.

McDermott scored 25 points and Jimmy Butler added 22 to help the Bulls beat the Brooklyn Nets 118-102 on Thursday night.

It's the third straight 20-plus point game for McDermott, and Chicago moved a half-game in front of idle Detroit into eighth place and the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Bobby Portis added 12 points and 14 rebounds.

McDermott, the 11th overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft, is pumping in some timely points for an injury-ravaged Bulls team that's struggling to make the postseason.

"His confidence is at a very high level right now," coach Fred Hoiberg said. "He's finding good shots and taking them.

"His overall movement is helping us. He's running off the screen. Sometimes taking a very difficult shot, but he is making them."

The 24-year-old McDermott said he's getting into a rhythm as Hoiberg puts him in key situations.

"Just the belief that the coaches and the guys on the team have in me," McDermott said. "I got it going early, which always helps, so I just have to build off that."

The Bulls raced to a 24-point lead in the second quarter, then held on and finally finished off the lowly Nets, who outscored Chicago 37-24 in the third and closed within four points early in the fourth.

Chicago got a season-high 60 points from its reserves, including McDermott's output that included five 3-pointers.

Raptors 101, Pacers 94

With Kyle Lowry and DeMar Derozan driving from the backcourt, the Toronto Raptors are on track for the best season in franchise history.

Against Indiana on Thursday night, the Raptors duo wore down the Pacers late and gave the Raptors the clutch plays they needed to keep pace with Eastern Conference-leading Cleveland.

Both Lowry and DeRozan finished with 28 points and Bismack Biyombo set a franchise record with 25 rebounds in guiding the Raptors to a 101-94 win in overtime at Indiana after the Pacers appeared to be headed for yet another win against an Eastern Conference playoff team. Indiana was coming off a home win Wednesday over Boston.

"We understand that someone on our team is eventually going to get hot late in the game," DeRozan said. "I started to hit some shots and then Kyle got going."

Toronto's All-Star guard combo did it when it mattered most.

DeRozan scored 14 points in the fourth quarter and overtime combined, and it was his play during a 4-minute stretch in the middle minutes of the fourth that swung the game in Toronto's favor. After Paul George gave the Pacers a 74-70 advantage with 6:35 left, DeRozan scored 10 of Toronto's next 15 points. His fallback jumper on the right wing with 1:25 left gave Toronto an 85-84 lead.

Monta Ellis had a chance at the foul line to put Indiana ahead, but he missed his first free-throw attempt. He made the second, tying the game at 85. DeRozan then had a chance to win the game at the end of regulation but missed a fade-away jumper on the wing as time expired.

Thursday, March 17 Scoreboard

Toronto 101, Indiana 94 (OT)

Washington 99, Phildelphia 94

Charlotte 109, Miami 106

Atlanta 116, Denver 98
     
Chicago 118, Brooklyn 102
    
Milwaukee 96, Memphis 86
    
San Antonio 118, Portland 110
     
Utah 103, Phoenix 69

Friday, March 18 Schedule (All Times Central)

Cleveland at Orlando, 5 p.m.

Oklahoma City at Philadelphia, 5 p.m.

Sacramento at Detroit, 5:30 p.m.

Boston at Toronto, 5:30 p.m.

Minnesota at Houston, 6 p.m.

Portland at New Orleans, 6 p.m.

Golden State at Dallas, 6:30 p.m.

Phoenix at Los Angeles, 8:30 p.m.

Saturday, March 19 Schedule (All Times Central)

Denver at Charlotte, 4 p.m.

Brooklyn at Detroit, 5 p.m.

Oklahoma City at Indiana, 5 p.m.

New York at Washington, 5 p.m.

Houston at Atlanta, 5:30 p.m.

Cleveland at Miami, 5:30 p.m.

Utah at Chicago, 6 p.m.

Los Angeles at Memphis, 6 p.m.

Golden State at San Antonio, 6:30 p.m.

Sunday, March 20 Schedule (All Times Central)

Portland at Dallas, 2 p.m.

Orlando at Toronto, 2:30 p.m.

Boston at Philadelphia, 4 p.m.

Los Angeles at New Orleans, 4 p.m.

Utah at Milwaukee, 5 p.m.

Sacramento at New York, 5:30 p.m.