Atlanta Hawks guard Jeff Teague holds the ball as Detroit Pistons guard Brandon Jennings defendsDale Zanine
The NBA's best defence kept the Atlanta Hawks' winning streak intact.
The Hawks won their 13th straight game, one shy of tying the team record, as Mike Scott and Paul Millsap each scored 20 points Monday in a 93-82 victory over the Detroit Pistons.
Atlanta is allowing 96.3 points per game, tops in the league. Strong defence helped the Hawks overcome poor shooting from some of their usual scoring leaders against Detroit.
The Pistons, held to a season-low 12 points in the opening quarter, made only 35.4 per cent of their shots – 29 of 82.
"Our defence has got to be there every night and I think that is what put us in position ... to pull out a tough win," Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer said.
The Hawks haven't lost since Dec. 26 against Milwaukee. They have won 27 of 29 to move to the top of the Eastern Conference. Monday's win before a sellout crowd of 19,108 opened a seven-game homestand.
"We want to stay humble as well," Scott said.
Scott had eight points as the Hawks pulled away in the fourth quarter. His scoring off the bench helped offset poor shooting from Jeff Teague and Kyle Korver, who combined to make only 8 of 23 shots.
"We needed someone to score because a lot of us were off in the first half," Korver said. "Mike came in and gave us that spark."
Al Horford added 14 points, seven assists and six rebounds.
The Pistons were trying for their franchise-record eighth straight road win. Detroit had won 11 of 13 overall before its third straight loss to the Hawks this season.
Detroit coach Stan Van Gundy said Atlanta's defence "was really good ... a big part of it."
"I couldn't find anything for us to run that was consistently getting us shots," Van Gundy said. "So it was frustrating on my part, too, not just with our players, with myself. We just couldn't get it going offensively. But I give their defence a lot of credit."
Greg Monroe led Detroit with 16 points and 20 rebounds. Andre Drummond added 13 points and 18 rebounds, but made only 3 of 12 free throws.
"They're just active," said Monroe of the Hawks' defence. "Obviously they're a good defensive team."
Atlanta took an 8-0 lead and led 16-12 at the end of a first quarter that included 34 missed shots. The Hawks led 44-41 at the break.
Korver warmed up with two 3-pointers in the third quarter and had 13 points.
The Hawks stretched the advantage to double figures for the first time in the final four minutes.
CAVALIERS 108, BULLS 94
CLEVELAND – LeBron James scored 26 points and J.R. Smith added 20 as Cleveland entered a favourable portion of its schedule with a win over Chicago.
Back home after winning two games in Los Angeles to salvage a trip out West, the Cavs had little trouble with the Central Division-leading Bulls. Cleveland opened a 25-point lead in the third quarter and handed Chicago its fourth loss in five games.
Smith made six 3-pointers, Kyrie Irving scored 18 with 12 assists and Kevin Love added 16 points and 12 rebounds for the Cavs, who have won three straight. Cleveland can improve its record with three more home games this week and nine of its next 12 in Quicken Loans Arena.
Jimmy Butler scored 20 points and Derrick Rose had 18 for the Bulls, who played their third game in a row without starting centre Joakim Noah (sprained ankle).
Cavs centre Timofey Mozgov scored 15 with 15 rebounds in his first home game for Cleveland since being acquired in a Jan. 7 trade from Denver.
KNICKS 99, PELICANS 92
NEW YORK – The Knicks snapped their 16-game losing streak, getting 24 points and nine rebounds from Carmelo Anthony to beat the short-handed Pelicans.
Jose Calderon made his biggest basket of a difficult first season in New York, a 3-pointer with 32 seconds left that gave the Knicks a four-point lead. That was just enough to help them hold on for their first victory since Dec. 12 and end the longest single-season skid in franchise history.
Langston Galloway added 21 points for the Knicks, who improved the NBA's worst record to 6-36.
Tyreke Evans had 23 points and nine rebounds for the Pelicans, who were still without Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday.
ROCKETS 110, PACERS 98
HOUSTON – James Harden scored a season-high 45 points, including 18 in the third quarter, and the Rockets beat the Pacers.
It was the 18th 30-point game and fourth with 40 this season for Harden, the NBA's leading scorer.
Houston led by 10 at halftime and used a 33-point third quarter, thanks in large part to four 3-pointers from Harden, to push the lead to 20 entering the fourth.
C.J. Miles had 23 points to lead the Pacers, who have lost five straight.
Harden finished one point shy of his career high. Dwight Howard had 14 points and 17 rebounds for the Rockets.
WIZARDS 111, 76ERS 76
WASHINGTON – Marcin Gortat scored 20 points, John Wall had 11 points and 10 assists and the Wizards beat the overmatched 76ers.
Washington went on a 20-3 run for a 27-11 lead late in the first quarter and coasted to the win.
Washington coach Randy Wittman removed his starters after three quarters. Seven Wizards scored in double figures. Kevin Seraphin, who played most of his minutes after the game was decided, had 14.
Henry Sims scored 13 points for the Sixers.
TRAIL BLAZERS 98, KINGS 94
PORTLAND – Damian Lillard scored 22 points, including the go-ahead basket with 1:20 remaining, and Portland ended a three-game losing streak with a win over Sacramento.
Lillard had six points during the final 80 seconds and helped rally the Trail Blazers (31-11) from an 11-point, second-half deficit. Wesley Matthews scored 17 for Portland.
Blazers forward LaMarcus Aldridge left in the second quarter with a left hand injury and did not return. The status of Aldridge, who had 10 first-quarter points, was unknown. Aldridge leads Portland with averages of 23.5 points and 10.4 rebounds per game.
Rudy Gay scored 26 points and DeMarcus Cousins had 22 points and 19 rebounds for Sacramento (16-25). The Kings, who led by 13 in the first half, lost their fourth consecutive game.
HORNETS 105, TIMBERWOLVES 80
CHARLOTTE – Gerald Henderson scored 17 points, Brian Roberts added 16 and the Hornets defeated the Timberwolves – their seventh win in eight games.
Charlotte's Al Jefferson returned after a nine-game absence due to a groin injury. He had eight points and five rebounds in his 25 minutes. In all, Charlotte's bench outscored Minnesota's reserves 52-31. Reserves Gary Neal had 12 points and P.J. Hairston had 11 for Charlotte.
Thaddeus Young had 18 points to lead Minnesota.
CLIPPERS 102, CELTICS 93
LOS ANGELES – Blake Griffin scored 22 points, DeAndre Jordan had 19 points and 12 rebounds, and the Clippers held off the Celtics after losing most of a 23-point lead.
J.J. Redick and reserve Jamal Crawford added 16 points each in Los Angeles' eighth win in 11 games. Griffin came up one rebound short of a double-double in helping the Clippers improve to 4-1 against the Celtics in their last five meetings.
Boston's bench provided most of its offence, with Brandon Bass scoring a leading 17 points, Marcus Thornton adding 15 and Marcus Smart 14.
WARRIORS 122, NUGGETS 79
OAKLAND – Klay Thompson scored 22 points, Stephen Curry had 20 points and eight assists, and the State Warriors matched a franchise record with their 16th consecutive home win in impressive fashion.
The NBA-leading Warriors (33-6) out did Denver (18-23) in nearly every major category, including shooting percentage (54.3 per cent to 34.5 per cent), rebounds (53 to 39), assists (30 to 17), blocks (six to three) and steals (10 to nine).Ty Lawson had 19 points and six assists, and Jameer Nelson had 14 points and five assists for the Nuggets, who have lost three in a row.
MAVERICKS 103, GRIZZLIES 95
MEMPHIS – Dirk Nowitzki scored 21 points, including the last eight for Dallas in the final 2 minutes, and the Mavericks defeated the Grizzlies.
The Grizzlies took a two-point lead with about 4 minutes left, but Dallas outscored Memphis 14-4 the rest of the way.
Monta Ellis led the Mavericks with 25 points and seven assists. Chandler Parsons added 15 points, but was 5 of 14 from the field.
Mike Conley, back after missing two games with a right ankle sprain, led Memphis with 22 points.
SUNS 115, LAKERS 100
PHOENIX – Goran Dragic and Isaiah Thomas scored 24 points apiece, fellow guard Eric Bledsoe added 17 and Phoenix pulled away in the second half to hand Los Angeles its fifth loss in a row, the last two without Kobe Bryant.
Nick Young scored 24 for the Lakers, who were tied 51-all at halftime but fell behind by 10 in the third quarter and 19 in the fourth.
The Suns won their sixth in a row at home, their longest such streak in four years, and 13th in their last 17 overall.
Bryant sat out the loss at Utah on Friday to rest and then took Monday off, too. He is expected to rejoin the team for practice on Tuesday.
The Lakers have lost seven of eight, eight of 10 and 13 of 17.