NBA: Pacers sink Bulls on Pascal Siakam's buzzer shot

Pascal Siakam hit a 14-foot jumper at the buzzer, finishing with 24 points and nine rebounds, as the Indiana Pacers edged the Chicago Bulls 103-101 on Saturday night in Indianapolis. Tre Jones had tied the game for Chicago with a driving layup with 7.5 seconds left, but Siakam’s shot over two defenders secured Indiana’s back-to-back wins for the first time this season. Bennedict Mathurin added 19 points for the Pacers, while Isaiah Jackson, Jay Huff, and Andrew Nembhard each contributed 14 points. For the Bulls, Jones and Josh Giddey scored 17 points each. Nikola Vucevic had 16 points, eight rebounds, and six assists, and Kevin Huerter and Ayo Dosunmu each had 15 points. Giddey also added 11 boards and seven assists as Chicago dropped three straight games and four of their last five.

In Dallas, Klay Thompson turned back the clock with six 3-pointers, scoring a season-high 23 points, while Cooper Flagg had a career-best 35, leading the Mavericks to a 114-110 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers. Resting Anthony Davis, Dallas trailed 103-101 after a John Collins 3-pointer with 2:22 left. Thompson capped a 17-point final period with a go-ahead three with 1:52 remaining, helping the Mavericks hold on.

Anthony Edwards led the Minnesota Timberwolves with 39 points, rallying his team to a 119-115 win over the Boston Celtics in Minneapolis. Julius Randle contributed 16 points and nine rebounds, while Donte DiVincenzo added 15 points. Minnesota outscored Boston 60-46 in the second half, overcoming a deficit after Neemias Queta’s dunk put the Celtics ahead 71-59 in the third quarter.

The Charlotte Hornets ended the Toronto Raptors’ nine-game winning streak with a 118-111 overtime victory. Miles Bridges scored 10 of his 35 points in OT, while Kon Knueppel had 20 points and Collin Sexton 18. LaMelo Ball contributed 14 points as Charlotte rallied from a 17-point first-quarter deficit. Scottie Barnes scored 30 points for Toronto, while Brandon Ingram and Immanuel Quickley each had 22 points. The Hornets made only 10 of 39 three-pointers but capitalized on 16 Raptors turnovers.

Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Milwaukee Bucks with 29 points as they defeated the Brooklyn Nets 116-99, snapping a seven-game losing streak. AJ Green added 15 points, Bobby Portis scored 13 off the bench, and all five Bucks starters reached double digits. Brooklyn’s reserve Danny Wolf scored a career-high 22 points in the loss.

Detroit Pistons held off the Miami Heat 138-135 as Cade Cunningham recorded 29 points and eight assists. Tobias Harris added a season-high 26 points, and Paul Reed contributed 13 points with 10 rebounds. Miami’s Andrew Wiggins led all scorers with 31 points, while Normal Powell and Tyler Herro added 28 and 24 points, respectively.

In Phoenix, the Denver Nuggets beat the Suns 130-112 behind Nikola Jokic’s near triple-double of 26 points, 10 assists, and nine rebounds. Tim Hardaway Jr. tied a season high with 23 points, including seven 3-pointers, while Jamal Murray added 24 points. Dillon Brooks scored 27 points for Phoenix, with Devin Booker contributing 24.

Golden State Warriors outlasted the New Orleans Pelicans 104-96 without All-Star Stephen Curry. Jimmy Butler III and Gary Payton II posted double-doubles, and Brandin Podziemski sparked a late scoring run. Zion Williamson led the Pelicans with 25 points and seven rebounds, while Saddiq Bey had 21 points.