Clarkson, Jazz stretch win streak by toppling Wizards

LOS ANGELES, USA – Bojan Bogdanovic scored 31 points as the Utah Jazz won their ninth straight game with a 127-116 victory over the Washington Wizards on Sunday, January 12 (Monday, January 13, Philippine time).

Frenchman Rudy Gobert finished with 21 points and 14 rebounds, one of a half-dozen players who finished in double figures for the Jazz, which improved to 27-12 for the No. 3 spot in the Western Conference.

The Jazz tightened up their defense in the second half to knock the Wizards off their game, then pulled it out in the final quarter.

Jordan Clarkson added 23 points off the bench and Joe Ingles chipped in 20 points for the Jazz, who are now 14-1 in their last 15 games.

Gobert made 3 dunks over a two-minute stretch after Washington cut the deficit to 111-108 on a driving layup from Bradley Beal with 3:32 left. 

Beal scored 25 points to lead the Wizards. Davis Bertans scored 18 points, Jordan McRae added 16, and Ian Mahinmi chipped in 15 for the Wizards, who lost for the second time in 5 games. 

After missing several games with injuries, Beal returned to the lineup. 

Donovan Mitchell of the Jazz missed his first game of the season while recovering from an illness.

In New York, Taj Gibson made a clutch free throw with 98 seconds left to give New York the lead for good as the Knicks stormed back from a 14-point deficit in the second half to beat the Miami Heat, 124-121.

Julius Randle score a game-high 26 points to lead 7 players in double figures for the Knicks, who snapped a five-game losing streak. – Rappler.com