Clippers post 12th win

[caption id="attachment_100178" align="alignleft"] Los Angeles Clippers’ forward Blake Griffin shoots against Chicago Bulls’ forward Jimmy Butler during their NBA game at Staples Center in Los Angeles Saturday. — Reuters
[/caption] LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Clippers overturned a double-digit deficit to defeat the Chicago Bulls 102-95 and maintain their league-best start to the season. Blake Griffin scored 26 points while Marreese Speights added 16 in a crucial second half rally to see the Clippers improve to 12-2 for the season, the best record in the NBA. But the Clippers were made to work hard for the win, falling behind by 19 points at one point in the second quarter after a blistering start by the Bulls at the Staples Center. The Clippers slowly started chipping into the Chicago lead and had slashed the deficit to five points at the halftime break. They finally took the lead with 6:01 left in the game. Dwyane Wade — making his first appearance in Los Angeles with the Bulls — led all scorers with 28 points, including 18 in the first half. Speights, meanwhile, played a key role for the Clippers in their second half comeback after failing to score in the first two quarters. He tied the game at 87-87 with a driving layup in the fourth quarter and then gave the Clippers the lead with a three-pointer. Warriors 124, Bucks 121: Kevin Durant scored 33 points and Klay Thompson finished with 29 as the Golden State Warriors extended their winning streak to seven games by holding off the Milwaukee Bucks for a 124-121 road victory. Durant and Thompson combined to shoot 17-for-38 from the floor as the Warriors connected at a 44.2 percent clip and made 14 of 38 3-point attempts. Golden State also got 20 from Steph Curry and 10 each from Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala. The Bucks shot 52.3 percent for the game and were 10-for-20 from beyond the arc. Giannis Antetokounmpo led the team with 30 points and Jabari Parker added 28. Rockets 111, Jazz 102: James Harden produced a double-double and the Houston Rockets bench helped carry the load in a 111-102 victory over the Utah Jazz. While Harden finished with 31 points and 10 rebounds, the Houston (8-5) bench produced 44 points, 19 rebounds and seven assists. Rodney Hood and Trey Lyles combined for 46 points for Utah (7-7), which dropped its third straight. Grizzlies 93, Timberwolves 71: Forward JaMychal Green scored 19 points and grabbed eight rebounds and Zach Randolph added 18 points and seven rebounds off the bench as the Memphis Grizzlies stretched their winning streak to four games with a 93-71 trouncing of the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Timberwolves (4-8) were led by guard Zach LaVine’s 22 points. Heat 114, Wizards 111: Goran Dragic scored 22 points, Hassan Whiteside had 18 points and 18 rebounds as the Heat’s offense carried Miami past the Washington Wizards for a 114-111 win. Bradley Beal and John Wall each scored a season-high 34 points for the Wizards (3-9). Celtics 94, Pistons 92: Al Horford scored on a putback with 1.3 seconds remaining in his return to action, giving the Boston Celtics a 94-92 victory over the Detroit Pistons. Horford had 18 points, 11 rebounds and five assists for Boston. He also sealed the victory by blocking an Aron Baynes shot just before the final buzzer. Pelicans 121, Hornets 116 (OT): Anthony Davis scored 38 points, including a basket that forced overtime and eight points in the extra period, as New Orleans won consecutive games for the first time this season, 121-116 over the Charlotte Hornets. Magic 95, Mavericks 87: Veteran guard D.J. Augstin provided a spark off the bench for Orlando, scoring 10 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter as the Magic escaped with an ugly 95-87 win over the undermanned Dallas Mavericks. 76ers 120, Suns 105: Joel Embiid scored a career-high 26 points, Nik Stauskas added a season-high 21 points and the Philadelphia 76ers led from start to finish in a 120-105 victory over the Phoenix Suns. — Agencies