NEW YORK: The Memphis Grizzlies emphatically defended their home court at FedExForum with a 119-93 victory over the Houston Rockets in a battle of the top teams in the West.
Memphis (10-1) led by as many as 36 points in the fourth quarter and finished with its largest margin of victory this season.
Houston (9-2) never pulled closer than 20 points after halftime. Point guard Mike Conley led the Grizzlies with 19 points and six assists while forward Trevor Ariza paced Houston with 16 points.
Nuggets 106, Cavaliers 97
Arron Afflalo had a season-high 23 points, guard Ty Lawson had 24 points and 12 assists and the Denver Nuggets ended the Cleveland Cavaliers’ four-game winning streak with a 106-97 victory on the road.
The Nuggets (3-7) led throughout the second half as the Cavs (5-4) struggled with forward LeBron James battling a head cold, limiting him to 22 points, nine rebounds and five assists in the match.
Mavericks 107, Hornets 80
Guard Monta Ellis scored 18 points and forward Chandler Parsons added 17 points and nine rebounds as the Dallas Mavericks routed the Charlotte Hornets 107-80.
The Mavericks rolled to a 24-point halftime lead by shooting 61.9 percent from the field, then led by as many as 33 in the second half before resting their starters the entire fourth quarter.
Dallas (8-3) earned its fourth consecutive win while Charlotte (4-7) has lost four of its past five matches.
Magic 107, Pistons 93
Nikola Vucevic powered for 25 points and 14 rebounds, and the Orlando Magic defeated the Detroit Pistons and their former coach Stan Van Gundy 107-93 after a fiery display.
Magic forward Tobias Harris scored 16 of his 24 points in the second half to spoil Van Gundy’s first game against the team he coached for five seasons. Shooting guard Evan Fournier supplied 14 points and eight assists for Orlando (5-7) while reserve forward Caron Butler led Pistons (3-8) with 20 points. AGENCIES
