NEW YORK - The Toronto Raptors had their franchise-record winning streak stopped at 15 games with a 101-91 loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday night.
The defending NBA champions were hoping to keep rolling right into the All-Star break but couldn't find the form that helped them average 121.2 points and shoot 50% over the previous 15 games.
This time, the Raptors hit only 37.8%, with Kyle Lowry's triple-double coming on a night the All-Star point guard was just 4 for 13.
Caris LeVert scored 20 points for the Nets, who ended a six-game losing streak against the Raptors. That included a loss Saturday in Toronto, where LeVert scored a career-best 37 points.
Joe Harris added 19 points and Spencer Dinwiddie had 17 points and nine assists for the Nets, who head into the break 25-28 after having Kyrie Irving for just 20 games. He sat out again with a sprained right knee.
Serge Ibaka had 28 points and nine rebounds for the Raptors after returning from a one-game absence with flu-like symptoms. Fred VanVleet scored 22 points and Lowry had 12 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds.
The Nets extended a 10-point lead after three quarters to 80-65 in the opening 90 seconds of the fourth and spent the rest of the game turning back every Toronto attempt to get back in it. The Raptors' best shot came when Ibaka made a 3-pointer and VanVleet converted a three-point play to cut it to 91-82 with 4:13 remaining, but LeVert made consecutive baskets to quickly push the lead back into double figures.
The Nets scored the first seven points of the second quarter to open a 30-19 lead. The Raptors had the deficit down to six in the final minute of the period, but Harris made three free throws and then a 3 to make it 52-40 at halftime.
TIP-INS
Raptors: Toronto had won 10 straight on the road. The Raptors lost for the first time since Jan. 12 against San Antonio.
Nets: Brooklyn has won five straight at home. Jarrett Allen had 10 points and 13 rebounds, while backup center DeAndre Jordan also had 10 rebounds against a Toronto team playing without injured center Marc Gasol.
UP NEXT
Raptors: Host Phoenix on Feb. 21.
Nets: Visit Philadelphia on Feb. 20.
Cavaliers 127, Hawks 105
CLEVELAND - Tristan Thompson scored 27 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, Larry Nance Jr. had a career-high 23 points, and the Cleveland Cavaliers broke a 12-game home losing streak, defeating the Atlanta Hawks 127-105.
Cleveland, coming off the worst home loss in franchise history, went ahead midway through the first quarter and won at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse for the first time since beating the Hawks on Dec. 23.
Cleveland was routed 133-92 by the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday and had lost 13 of 14 overall.
Nance, starting in place of the injured Kevin Love, had 12 rebounds. Andre Drummond scored 14 points and had 15 rebounds. Drummond, acquired from Detroit at the trade deadline, has had a double-double in both games with Cleveland.
Collin Sexton, added to the Rising Stars roster this week, scored 23 points.
Trae Young scored 27 points and had 12 assists for the Hawks, who rallied after trailing 86-63 midway through the third quarter. Atlanta cut the lead to nine in the fourth, but got no closer.
Atlanta's All-Star guard was 8 of 17 from from the field. John Collins scored 23 points and rookie Cam Reddish had 16.
The Hawks (15-41) are trying to hold off the Cavaliers (14-40) for the worst record in the Eastern Conference. Both teams played their final game before the All-Star break .
The Cavaliers finally remembered what it's like to have fun during a game with highlight-reel plays that brought Cleveland's bench players and the crowd to their feet several times.
Thompson added a personal flurry in the second quarter. The 6-foot-9 center hit 3-pointers from the top of the key on back-to-back possessions and ran upcourt with his arms in the air. He drove into the lane and finished with a resounding dunk the next time down the court.
Drummond later dribbled upcourt after grabbing a rebound, passed to Darius Garland, who made an underhand lob pass to Nance for a dunk.
Thompson added another 3-pointer in the closing minutes. Rookie Kevin Porter Jr. scored 18 points
Hawks center Dewayne Dedmon made his first start since being acquired from Sacramento on Feb. 6, but was limited to 18 minutes and had four fouls.
TIP-INS
Hawks: Dedmon's return moved C Damian Jones to a reserve role. C Clint Capela (plantar fasciitis) and F Skal Labissiere (left knee) were out.
Cavaliers: Love didn't play because of a sore right Achilles. Coach John Beilein said he slightly injured the Achilles last week and played with the soreness Sunday. Thompson is 7 for 23 on 3-pointers in his career.
HALL OF FAME SALUTE
Hawks forward Vince Carter, likely playing his final game in Cleveland, was given a long ovation during a photo presentation on the video board before the second quarter. Carter waved to the crowd and pointed to Cleveland's bench, exchanging hugs with several players.
UP NEXT
Hawks: host Miami on Feb. 20.
Cavaliers: visit Washington on Feb. 21.
Magic 116, Pistons 112, OT
ORLANDO, Fla. - Aaron Gordon scored 25 points and Markelle Fultz added 21 as the Orlando Magic rallied to beat the Detroit Pistons 116-112 in overtime.
Gordon, who also had nine rebounds and nine assists, hit consecutive 3-point shots late in he fourth quarter to help Orlando erase a seven-point deficit.
A 3-pointer by Nikola Vucevic gave Orlando a three-point lead with 5.5 seconds left before Detroit's Reggie Jackson hit a 3-pointer with 1.4 seconds left in regulation to send the game into overtime.
Christian Wood had 26 points and 12 rebounds for the Pistons, who rallied from a 22-point deficit but lost for the 11th time in 13 games.
The Pistons fell behind 47-25 after committing nine turnovers in the first quarter. But Wood and Markieff Morris scored 11 points apiece to help Detroit outscore the Magic 30-12 over the final seven minutes of the first half.
Tony Snell's 3-pointer pulled the Pistons even, 75-75, with 5:30 left in the third quarter. Orlando regained a six-point lead by the end of the period, but the Magic missed their first 11 shots of the fourth quarter.
Three-pointers by Svi Mykhailiuk, Jackson and Morris gave the Pistons nine straight points, and Jackson's jumper with 5:25 left gave Detroit a 98-91 lead.
Gordon scored eight straight points to help Orlando erase that deficit in the final 3 1/2 minutes of the fourth quarter.
TIP-INS
Pistons: Derrick Rose played 17 minutes and shot 1 for 13 after missing five games with a hip injury. F Luke Kennard (knee) and G Khyri Thomas (foot surgery) are hopeful of returning after the All-Star break.
Magic: C Mo Bambo had the flu and did not play. G D.J. Augustin (knee) expects to play after the All-Star break. At 24-31, the Magic are one game better than last season after 55 games.
UP NEXT
Pistons: Play at home against Milwaukee on Thursday, Feb. 20.
Magic: Play at home against Dallas on Friday, Feb. 21.
Pacers 118, Bucks 111
INDIANAPOLIS - T.J. Warren scored 35 points and Malcolm Brogdon added 17 points and tied a career high with 13 assists, helping the Indiana Pacers hold on for a 118-111 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks.
The victory sent Indiana into the All-Star break with some momentum after beating the league's best team to end a season-worst seven-game losing streak. The Pacers also had lost five straight home games.
Donte DiVincenzo led the Bucks with 19 points and Khris Middleton added 17 as reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo missed his second straight game following the birth of his first child. Milwaukee's five-game winning streak also ended.
The Bucks trailed by as much as 25 in the first half and were still down 73-52 midway through the third.
Then they went on a 16-5 run to get within 11 at 82-71 after three quarters, opened the fourth with six straight points and cut the deficit to 90-86 on Eric Bledsoe's layup with 8:18 to play.
But Jeremy Lamb and Warren made consecutive 3s to spur the decisive run that allowed the Pacers to rebuild a 100-86 lead.
Milwaukee didn't get closer than seven again.
OLADIPO UPDATE
Oladipo came into the game averaging 10.8 points, shooting 29.5% from the field and 23.1% on 3s.
Unexpected? Not really.
But coach Nate McMillan said the Pacers will use the All-Star break to contemplate how best to use Oladipo when Indiana returns to action.
"We've already made one adjustment when he went from coming off the bench to starting," McMillan said. "We'll look at how he's playing, how he's feeling and figure out if we need to adjust his role after the break."
Oladipo went 5 of 7 from the field and 1 of 2 on 3s on Wednesday.
"He's been out more than a year. You can't expect him to be the Victor of old in two weeks," McMillan said.
UP NEXT
Bucks: return from the All-Star break Feb. 20 at Detroit.
Pacers: visit New York on Feb. 21, following the All-Star break.