PHOENIX (AP) – Chris Paul had a triple-double with 14 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists to help the understaffed Phoenix Suns beat the Los Angeles Clippers 106-89. Cam Johnson added a career high of 24 points and Jalen Smith had another good game with 19 points and 14 rebounds. Suns manager Monty Williams said center Deandre Ayton, strikers Jae Crowder and JaVale McGee had all cleared the league’s COVID-19 logs but were kept out of the game as they got back on shape.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) – Brandon Ingram broke a shooting slump on 32 points and the New Orleans Pelicans grabbed a three-game skid with a 101-96 win over the Golden State Warriors. Ingram hit 12 of 20 shots after scoring 8 of 36 in his two previous games combined, and helped New Orleans lose Golden State one game behind Phoenix for the league’s best record. The Warriors had to do without the starters Steph Curry and Draymond Green due to injury.
LOS ANGELES (AP) – Fifth-place UCLA was able to return to the basketball court after a 25-day absence due to COVID-19. Jules Bernard scored 22 points and Johnny Juzang (JOO’-zang) added 18 as the Bruins beat Long Beach State 96-78. Bernard’s points were one of his career highs and his four 3-point points were the best connection between his career.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) – The Pittsburgh Penguins own a 10-game winning streak for the sixth time in franchise history. Jake Guentzel and Bryan Rust each scored two goals for the Penguins in a 6-2 humping of the Flyers. Rust has made the most recent rise, with seven goals in the last three games, since returning from an 11-game absence with an undisclosed injury.
UNDATED (AP) – The Colorado Avalanche rolled 7-1 over the Winnipeg Jets when Gabriel Landeskog scored his fourth career hat trick and had an assist. Nathan MacKinnon had one goal and four assists, and Mikko Rantanen added one goal and two assists to give Colorado’s top line 12 points that night. And Nikita Kucherov (KOO’-cheh-rahv) had two nifty assists on his return from a long injury and triggered the third third of the Tampa Bay Lightning in a 4-1 judgment against Calgary.
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