WASHINGTON (AP) - Luol Deng and Derrick Rose scored 21 points apiece, Joakim Noah had 19, and the Chicago Bulls beat the Washington Wizards 105-77 Monday night to move within a game of the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference.
The Bulls never trailed as they won their third straight and seventh in eight games. Rose brought out some oohs and aahs with a backward between-the-legs pass to Noah for a fast-break dunk, and Deng was already walking to the locker room before his 3-pointer at the halftime buzzer from the corner swished through the net to give Chicago a 13-point lead at the break.
Rose also had nine assists, Noah pulled down 11 rebounds, and Carlos Boozer had 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Bulls.
Andray Blatche scored 15 points, and Nick Young had 14 for the Wizards, who have lost six in a row and 15 of 17. Mike Bibby was so anxious to get out of town that he gave up $6.2 million in a contract buyout on Monday after playing just two games with Washington; he had been acquired last week in a trade with Atlanta.
Celtics 107, Jazz 102
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Ray Allen scored 25 points and Paul Pierce added 21, including a late 3-pointer and pair of free throws, to help Boston hold on.
The loss spoiled the home debut of new Jazz players Devin Harris and Derrick Favors, who were acquired last week in the trade that sent for All-Star Deron Williams to New Jersey.
Al Jefferson had 28 points and a season-high 19 rebounds for Utah, which has dropped six straight at home - the team's worst home skid since 1982.
Allen hit a 23-footer for a 103-99 Celtics lead with 42.3 seconds left. Jefferson had a chance to cut it to one point but couldn't convert a three-point play.
Rajon Rondo then hit a 15-foot jumper to seal the win for Boston.
Nuggets 100, Hawks 90
DENVER (AP) - Newcomers Raymond Felton and Wilson Chandler combined to score 31 points to help Denver rally and improve to 3-1 since the deal that sent Carmelo Anthony to New York.
Felton had 16 points and Chandler added 15 as the Nuggets used a 8-0 surge early in the fourth quarter to pull away from the road-weary Hawks. J.R. Smith scored a team-high 19 points, while Kenyon Martin contributed 14 points and 11 rebounds.
Joe Johnson finished with 22 points and Al Horford added 21 points and 16 rebounds for the Hawks, who wrapped up a seven-game road swing with a 3-4 mark.
Suns 104, Nets 103, OT
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) - Channing Frye hit a 3-pointer with 6.6 seconds to play in overtime and Phoenix spoiled Deron Williams' home debut for New Jersey.
The Nets narrowly missed pulling this one out, but Kris Humphries tip-in of Williams' floater came a split second after the final buzzer.
Reserve Marcin Gortat led the Suns with 17 points and Hakim Warrick had 16. Robin Lopez added 14 points and Steve Nash had 10 points and 15 assists.
Williams had 13 points and a season-high 18 assists, including five in rallying New Jersey from a seven-point deficit late in the fourth quarter. Brook Lopez had 28 points for the Nets and Anthony Morrow added 22.
Kings 105, Clippers 99
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - Marcus Thornton scored 16 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter to help rally Sacramento.
Amid rumors that the team is moving to Anaheim, Kings fans organized a "Here We Stay" campaign to help keep the team in Sacramento, where they have been since the 1985-86 season. A sellout crowd, only the second of the season, began to chant "Here we stay" during player introductions.
Blake Griffin had 27 points and 12 rebounds for the Clippers, who lost their fifth straight and eighth in nine games. Randy Foye scored 23 points and newly acquired Mo Williams had 16.
Beno Udrih had 19 points and seven assists and Omri Casspi had 15 points and eight rebounds for the Kings.