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[av_heading heading=’Nuggets stops Warriors’ 11-game winning streak’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”][/av_heading]
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OAKLAND – Gary Harris scored 19 points to lead a balanced Denver offense and the Nuggets stopped the Warriors’ 11-game winning streak with a second impressive road victory in two nights, beating Golden State 96-81 on Saturday.
Nikola Jokic added 18 points and nine rebounds and Jamal Murray had 14 points, six rebounds and five assists for the Nuggets after their Friday win at Portland. They held the defending NBA champions to a season low for points.
Kevin Durant had 18 points in a particularly poor shooting performance for the typically efficient NBA Finals MVP. He was 6 for 17 and missed all five of his 3-point attempts as the Warriors shot 38.6 percent.
Draymond Green had 10 points, six assists and five rebounds in his second game back after missing five of six with soreness in his right shoulder. He took a sharp elbow to the face from Jokic with 7:27 remaining and went down hard.
Klay Thompson scored 15 for the Warriors, still minus two-time MVP Stephen Curry because of a sprained ankle.
Meanwhile, Kyrie Irving scored 25 points, Jaylen Brown had 20 and Boston coasted past Chicago.
Jayson Tatum added 13 points for the Eastern Conference-leading Celtics (27-9) as all five starters were in double figures. Reserve guard Marcus Smart scored 11 and rookie Daniel Theis grabbed a season-high 15 rebounds to go with 10 points.
Bobby Portis paced the Bulls (10-22) with 17 points. Chicago lost its second straight after a seven-game winning streak.
The Celtics avenged a lopsided defeat in Chicago on Dec. 11, when they lost by 23. Irving didn’t play in that game because he was rested.
Russell Westbrook had 27 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, and Oklahoma City beat Utah for its fourth straight win.
Utah had no answer for the trio of Westbrook, Paul George and Carmelo Anthony.
Westbrook had his 11th triple-double of the season. George had 26 points, five rebounds, six steals and two blocks, and Anthony added 16 points.
Rookie guard Donovan Mitchell scored 29 points for the Jazz after missing the last two games with a big toe contusion.
In Miami, Ian Clark scored 19 points, Anthony Davis added 17 and New Orleans went on a big second-half run to pull away from the Heat.
DeMarcus Cousins had 16 points, eight assists and seven rebounds for the Pelicans, who were 15 for 25 from 3-point range and shot 53 percent overall. E’Twaun Moore scored 15 and Jrue Holiday had 13.
Tyler Johnson had 20 points for the Heat, who got outscored 27-16 in the third quarter. A 17-2 run put New Orleans up by 17 late in the third, and the outcome was not in doubt from there.
In Washington, Mike Scott scored 18 points, Otto Porter Jr. and Bradley Beal each had 17, and the Wizards handed injury-ravaged Orlando its eighth straight defeat.
Washington, which scored its most points this season, rebounded from a 35-point loss at Brooklyn on Friday night. The Wizards had seven players in double figures.
Markieff Morris and Kelly Oubre scored 16 apiece. John Wall had 10 points and 13 assists.
Orlando, which has lost 19 of 22, was led by Elfrid Payton’s career-high 30 points.
Magic center Nikola Vucevic broke his left index finger in the first quarter and will be out indefinitely. Vucevic joins three of Orlando’s opening-night starters on the sidelines with injuries. Evan Fournier, Aaron Gordon and Terrence Ross are also hurt. (AP)
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