Jazz nips Cavaliers, 97-96, with three-pointer at buzzer

at Utah 97, Cleveland 96: Rookie Sundiata Gaines made a three-pointer at the buzzer to end a frenzied series of comebacks and give the Jazz a victory over the Cavaliers. LeBron James had led the Cavaliers on a 22-4 run earlier in the fourth quarter and put the Cavaliers up by six points with 32.5 seconds left, but Cleveland couldn’t clinch it from the free-throw line. Zydrunas Ilgauskas went one of two from the line with 5.6 seconds left and the Jazz needed only a field goal to tie it or three-pointer to win it. Gaines, signed to a 10-day contract, finished with nine points.

Chicago 96, at Boston 83: Luol Deng scored 25 points and the Bulls won their third straight game. The Celtics trailed, 86-80, after Paul Pierce hit a three-pointer with 3:50 left, but the Bulls scored eight of the next nine points, six by Joakim Noah, to build the lead to 94-81. Pierce scored 20 points for the Celtics, playing their fourth game in five nights and lacking Kevin Garnett (hyperextended right knee) and Rasheed Wallace (sore left foot). The Celtics fell to 11-6 at home after they went 35-6 there in each of the past two seasons.

-- associated press