pistons 123, wizards 103

Cade Cunningham had 27 points and 10 assists, and the Detroit Pistons beat NBA-worst Washington in a physical game that included two late flagrant fouls by the Wizards.

Washington’s Richaun Holmes was ejected in the fourth quarter for throwing an elbow to the face of Detroit’s Ausar Thompson while securing a rebound. A few minutes later, the Wizards’ Marcus Smart was assessed a flagrant-1 foul for elbowing the Pistons’ Tim Hardaway Jr.

Jalen Duren added 15 points and 13 assists for the Pistons, who ended a two-game skid. Detroit entered the night in sixth place in the Eastern Conference.

Smart led the Wizards with 16 points. Bub Carrington and Jordan Poole scored 15 apiece.

Washington (13-51) had won three of four entering the game, with veterans Smart and Khris Middleton helping the rebuilding squad play more competitively after being acquired at the trade deadline.

cavaliers 109, nets 104

All-Star Darius Garland scored 18 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter and the NBA-leading Cleveland Cavaliers rallied for a victory over the Brooklyn Nets, matching the longest winning streak in franchise history at 15 games.

Jarrett Allen had 23 points and 13 rebounds, and Evan Mobley had 21 points, nine rebounds and six assists for Cleveland, which also began this season with a 15-game win streak. The Cavaliers trailed by 18 points in the third quarter.

Cleveland is 55-10 -- tying the fifth-best start in NBA history -- and owns the best home record in the league at 30-4. All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell (left groin soreness), forward De’Andre Hunter (illness) and guard Ty Jerome (rest) didn’t dress for the game.

pelicans 127, clippers 120

Zion Williamson had 22 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds, and the New Orleans Pelicans snapped a four-game slide with a victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.

The Pelicans briefly lost a lead that was as large as 21 points in the first half, when the Clippers missed 13 of their first 14 3-point shots. But New Orleans rallied back in front late in the third quarter and held off the Clippers thanks in large part to Williamson. He had 10 points, five rebounds and five assists in the fourth quarter, invigorating the crowd with one clutch play after another.

CJ McCollum scored 23 points and Trey Muphy III added 21 points for New Orleans, highlighted by his reverse alley-oop dunk of McCollum’s lob.

Rookie center Karlo Matkovic chipped in 15 points and Jose Alvarado scored 14.

Kawhi Leonard scored a game-high 29 points and James Harden added 25 points and 17 assist for the Clippers, who had won six of their previous seven, but didn’t take their first lead until Ivica Zubac dunked Harden’s lob with 5:08 left in third quarter.