NBA round-up: LaMarcus Aldridge heroics in vain as Atlanta Hawks stretch record run

Atlanta Hawks guard Dennis Schroder, front, reacts after an Atlanta basket late in the second half against the Portland Trail Blazers. Atlanta won 105-99. John Bazemore / AP

The seemingly unstoppable Atlanta Hawks stretched their team-record winning streak to 18 games with a 105-99 victory over Portland on Friday, despite LaMarcus Aldridge scoring 37 points for the Trail Blazers.

The Hawks stretched their lead in the Southwest Division to eight games, and moved 1-1/2 games above Golden State for the overall best record in the league after the Warriors lost at Utah.

Golden State did, though, maintain its advantage atop the Pacific Division as the Los Angeles Clippers also lost at New Orleans.

Chicago joined the list of divisional leaders who lost, as the Bulls were defeated at Phoenix.

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Atlanta had six players score in double figures, led by Paul Millsap’s 21 points and 17 from Al Horford.

Led by Aldridge, who also had 11 rebounds, Portland looked like ending the Hawks’ lengthy streak as the Blazers led narrowly after each of the first three quarters but were outscored 36-25 in the fourth quarter.

Phoenix came up with some late baskets to hold off a Chicago surge and beat the Bulls 99-93.

Chicago went on a 7-0 run to cut the Suns’ lead to two points with 31.9 seconds to go, but Eric Bledsoe pushed that out to four and the hosts held on. Bledsoe scored 23 points and Goran Dragic had 21.

Derrick Rose scored 23 for the Bulls, who were coming off a double-overtime loss to the Lakers in Los Angeles on Thursday night and didn’t arrive in Phoenix until 3:30am on Friday.

New Orleans ended Los Angeles’ six-game streak by beating the Clippers 108-103, with Eric Gordon scoring a season-high 28 points.

With power forward Anthony Davis out with a groin strain, the Pelicans benefited from exceptional shooting from beyond the 3-point line, hitting 13 of 25, and at the foul line, where they made 23 of 26 free throws, including their last 17.

Ryan Anderson, starting for Davis, scored 24 as New Orleans won for the fifth time in six games.

Chris Paul had 24 points for Los Angeles.

Utah’s Gordon Hayward had 26 points, 15 rebounds and six assists to lead the Jazz to a 110-100 victory over Golden State, helping the Jazz beat the Warriors for the first time this season.

Hayward was 9 for 20 from the field and 7 for 8 at the line, showing no lingering effects from the illness that kept him out of practice the previous day. Trevor Booker had 17 points for the Jazz.

Stephen Curry scored 32 points for the Western Conference-leading Warriors, but Klay Thompson was held to 12 after averaging 31.6 points over his previous seven games.

Dallas went on an extraordinary 37-2 scoring run in the second half to power past host Miami 93-72.

Charlie Villanueva scored 20 points while Dirk Nowitzki and Monta Ellis each scored 12 for the Mavericks, who were down by 16 in the third quarter, trailed by nine with about 3 minutes to go in the third and then turned the game completely around.

The win ended a run of four successive losses and belatedly gave coach Rick Carslisle his 600th win.

Hassan Whiteside had 16 points and 24 rebounds for the Heat.

Houston’s Donatas Motiejunas scored 10 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter to guide the Rockets to a 93-87 win against Boston; their fourth-straight win.

Toronto’s Amir Johnson made the tiebreaking basket with 41 seconds left in overtime to give the Raptors a 127-122 victory at Brooklyn.

Cleveland won its ninth successive game, beating Sacramento 101-90, with 23 points from Kevin Love.

Philadelphia’s Michael Carter-Williams had a triple-double with 17 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists to lead the 76ers past Minnesota 103-94 in a clash of two lowly teams.

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