Arrow-right Camera
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

NBA capsules: Spurs fall to Bulls 95-91 after winning first 13 road games

San Antonio Spurs center Pau Gasol, right, and Chicago Bulls guard Rajon Rondo (9) go for a loose ball during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game in Chicago, Thursday, Dec. 8, 2016. (David Banks / Associated Press)
Associated Press

CHICAGO – Dwyane Wade scored 20 points, and the Chicago Bulls handed San Antonio its first road loss after a 13-0 start, hanging on to beat the Spurs 95-91 on Thursday night.

San Antonio fell one win shy of matching the NBA’s best road start set by the Golden State Warriors last season. The Spurs cut an 18-point deficit midway through the third quarter to four in the closing minutes, only to come up short.

Kawhi Leonard scored 24 for San Antonio. Patty Mills added 16 points, hitting 4 of 6 3-pointers. Former Bull Pau Gasol had 13 points and 10 rebounds in his first game in Chicago since signing with San Antonio in the summer, but the Spurs lost a road game for the first time since Oklahoma City knocked them out in the Western Conference semifinals last season.

Jimmy Butler scored all of his 13 points for Chicago in the second half. Rajon Rondo added 12 points, nine assists and 10 rebounds, and Chicago picked up the win after dropping three in a row and six of nine.

The Spurs hadn’t dropped a regular-season road game since Denver beat them on April 8.

Warriors 106, Jazz 99

SALT LAKE CITY – Stephen Curry scored 26 points and Golden State controlled Utah from start to finish.

Curry had 14 points during a 29-1 run that made it 29-5. The Jazz’s only lead of the game was 4-2.

Kevin Durant added 21 points and 11 rebounds for Golden State.

Jazz center Rudy Gobert had 20 points and 17 rebounds, Joe Ingles scored a career-high 21 points, and Shelvin Mack added a season-high 19.

76ers 99, Pelicans 88

NEW ORLEANS – Ersan Ilyasova scored 23 points, Sergio Rodriguez added 16, and Philadelphia snapped a franchise record-tying 23-game road losing streak, beating New Orleans.

The Pelicans became the first team to lose at home to the Sixers since last season when Orlando fell to Philadelphia on Jan. 20.

Joel Embiid had 14 points, four blockes and three steals. Nik Stauskas also scored 14 points.

Anthony Davis had 26 points and 11 rebounds, and Langston Galloway added 19 points for New Orleans. The Pelicans labored through shooting droughts and made only 12 of 40 shots during the second half.

Raptors 124, Timberwolves 110

TORONTO – DeMar DeRozan had 27 points, Kyle Lowry added 25 and the Raptors handed Minnesota its 13th straight loss in Toronto.

Lowry was 5 of 7 from 3-point range and had 11 assists, and Jonas Valanciunas had 20 points and 10 rebounds for his team-leading sixth double-double of the season.

Zach Lavine scored 29 points for the Timberwolves, and Toronto-area native Andrew Wiggins had 25. Center Karl-Anthony Towns added 17 points and 11 rebounds. The Timberwolves last won at the Air Canada Centre on Jan. 21, 2004.

Grizzlies 88, Trail Blazers 86

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Marc Gasol scored 36 points and Toney Douglas made two free throws with less than a second left to lift Memphis past Portland.

Douglas had 11 points, scoring the game’s final six points to seal Memphis’ fifth straight victory.

CJ McCollum led the Trail Blazers with 24 points, and Damian Lillard had 19 on 6-of-18 shooting. Evan Turner had 15 points and 10 rebounds.

Wizards 92, Nuggets 85

WASHINGTON – Bradley Beal scored 26 points and Washington overcame a sluggish start in front of a sparse, silent crowd and with a malfunctioning scoreboard.

John Wall scored only 15 points one game after a career-best 52, but nine came in the fourth quarter for Washington. The Wizards trailed by as many as 14 in the first half.

Nikola Jokic had 17 points for Denver.