Dirk Nowitzki scored 21 points to lead the Dallas Mavericks to an 83-77 victory over the Bulls on Friday night.Nowitzki hit a 3-pointer with 2:15 to play to put the Mavericks up 79-72 after the teams had traded the lead most of the fourth quarter. Jimmy Butler missed two 3-pointers in the final 12 seconds as the Bulls tried to rally.Butler was limited to four points on 2-for-11 shooting from the field, one night after scoring a career-high 53 in a victory at Philadelphia.Deron Williams had 18 points for the Mavericks and Zaza Pachulia grabbed 10 rebounds.Derrick Rose, back in the lineup after missing one game with knee pain, led the Bulls with 18 points. Pau Gasol added 17 points and Taj Gibson had 11 rebounds.Joakim Noah left the game after separating his left shoulder with just under 10 minutes to play in the second quarter. Noah was in obvious pain after tangling with the Mavericks’ JaVale McGee under the basket. Noah had been playing in his fourth game after returning from a nine-game absence because of an injury to the same shoulder.The Bulls led most of the first half, but Dallas used a 15-2 run in the third quarter to catch up and the game was close from there.

NOTES—Nowitzki played in his 1,303rd career game to move into a tie for 15th place on the NBA’s career list with Elvin Hayes. Next on the list is Buck Williams at 1,307. Nowitzki is one of just 17 NBA players to have played in 1,300 or more games….Rose returned to the lineup after sitting out Thursday night in a win over Philadelphia. … Kirk Hinrich left the game with a left quad bruise and didn’t return. The Bulls had scored over 100 in their previous 13 games, the team’s longest streak of 100-plus point games since the 1991-92 season….Bulls are at Detroit on Monday

TORONTO—Patrick Kane had three goals for his first hat trick of the season and the Blackhawks beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-1 Friday night for their 10th straight win.Artemi Panarin also scored and assisted on two of Kane’s goals for the Blackhawks. Scott Darling made 28 saves to earn the win in net while Corey Crawford took the night off after a 2-1 win in Montreal the night before.Kane, who added an assist for a four-point night, now has an NHL-leading 28 goals on the season.The win puts the Hawks in first in the Central Division, a point ahead of the Dallas Stars, who played at Anaheim later Friday night.Morgan Rielly scored for Toronto, which has lost four in a row. James Reimer stopped 25 shots.Kane scored his first goal of the night midway through the second period just as a Toronto penalty ended, putting away a cross-ice pass from Duncan Keith, who was down low after the Blackhawks had briefly been stripped of the puck in the waning seconds of its power play.Kane struck again on the power play with 2:47 left in the second as he one-timed the puck past a diving Reimer from almost an identical spot as his first goal. This goal was on the power play as Matt Hunwick served a high-sticking penalty.Hunwick’s penalty was one of four that Toronto took in the second, including a high-sticking penalty Nazem Kadri took with a second left in the period.Roman Polak then earned a cross-checking penalty 12 second into the third.Panarin made the most of the Hawks ensuing two-man advantage, giving the Blackhawks a 3-0 lead just 21 seconds into the third.Rielly ended Darling’s shutout bid 3:47 into the third, wiring a wrist shot from the faceoff circle over the goaltender’s shoulder to cut the Blackhawks lead to 3-1.Brad Boyes almost added a goal for Toronto near the midway point of the third, firing a one-timer at close range at Darling, who made a stunning save. Boyes could’ve collected his own rebound for a second shot but mishandled the puck.Kane completed his hat trick with 2:12 left in regulation by putting the puck into an empty net.It looked as though Andrew Shaw had opened scoring for the Hawks with 7:53 left in the first period, banging in his own rebound after putting a shot on net. However, Toronto coach Mike Babcock challenged the play and it was overruled because Marian Hossa was a stride ahead of Shaw on the play, making it offside.

NOTES—The game was played before an announced crowd of 20,049 at Air Canada Centre. … Toronto LW James van Riemsdyk was a scratch as he continues to heal a fractured foot. … D Frank Corrado and LW Rich Clune were healthy scratches for the Maple Leafs.

MONTREAL—After moving into second place on the career wins list, Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville had good news the list’s leader, Scotty Bowman. ”Scotty’s safe,” Quenneville quipped. He’s the only one. Quenneville won his 783rd game, Corey Crawford made 39 saves in his hometown and the Blackhawks beat the Montreal Canadiens 2-1 on Thursday night for their ninth straight win.Quenneville broke a tie with Al Arbour but is still a ways off Bowman’s record of 1,244 wins.

”It’s pretty amazing,” said Toews, who has won three Stanley Cups under Quenneville. ”There’s been a lot of great coaches and the amount of wins he has is so rare. To be part of it is something special. I’ve played for him pretty much my entire career and it means a lot to be part of something like that. The success we’ve had in the playoffs goes with it.”

Toews and Ryan Garbutt scored first-period goals and Crawford starred in front of family and friends. The goalie is from nearby Chateauguay, Quebec, and is 4-0-2 in six career meetings with the Canadiens.

”I grew up here, I used to come watch games here and it’s still kind of surreal stepping onto the ice,” Crawford said. ”I don’t think that’ll change any time soon.”

The Blackhawks haven’t lost since Dec. 27, against Carolina, and will try to make it 10 straight Friday night in Toronto.

”There are a lot of factors, but it seems like our team is just coming together,” Crawford said. ”We’re not taking as many penalties.We’re playing a simple game with speed and skill. And there’s a lot more chemistry throughout the lineup.”

Paul Byron scored but Montreal fell to 5-14 since Dec. 1 despite a spirited effort against the defending Stanley Cup champions. It was the ninth time in the Canadiens recent slump they scored one or fewer goals.

”The effort was there,” Canadiens coach Michel Therrien said. ”We got lots of pucks to the net, lots of chances, but Crawford was very good.”

Shots were 40-33 in favor of the Canadiens and both Crawford and Montreal’s Mike Condon had strong performances in net.His biggest test came in the second period when he made four saves in rapid succession during a hectic sequence.The Blackhawks were first on nearly every puck to open the game and scored 8:26 in when Andrew Shaw got past P.K. Subban and fed the puck across the front of the net for Toews to bang in his 17th of the season.Byron tied it at 10:36 when he went to the net and tipped David Desharnais‘ feed past Crawford.The Hawks fourth line had Montreal stuck in its zone for a long stretch before Garbutt beat Condon from the left circle at 12:56.

NOTES—Montreal had defenseman Jeff Petry back after missing a game with a lower-body injury. … Artem Anisimov flew in on time to be in the lineup after missing a game with an illness. … The Blackhawks play at the Maple Leafs on Friday night. … The Canadiens play at St. Louis on Saturday night.

PHILADELPHIA—There was no secret formula to Jimmy Butler‘s career night. He kept taking shots, and they kept going in.Butler scored a career-high 53 points and E’Twaun Moore had seven of his 14 in overtime to lead the Bulls to a 115-111 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday.

”I was just shooting the ball,” Butler said. ”I just kept being aggressive, taking the shots the defense was giving me.”

Butler also had 10 rebounds and six assists while making 15 of 30 field goals and 21 of 25 free throws to help the Bulls snap a three-game losing streak. He became the first Bulls player to score 50 points since Jamal Crawford in 2004.

”That’s as good of a performance as I’ve seen,” Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said. ”The guys hopped on his shoulders and he carried us home. Play after play, it was an unbelievable performance.”

Robert Covington scored 25 points and Ish Smith had 24 for the 76ers, who fell to 4-37.But the Sixers didn’t go down easily in this one.Nerlens Noel‘s follow put Philadelphia in front 108-104 just more than a minute into overtime. Moore followed with a 3-pointer, a drive and then a 15-footer for a 7-0 run that put the Bulls up 111-108 with 2:35 remaining.Butler’s layup made it 113-108 before Smith’s 3-pointer cut the lead to 113-111 with 1:05 remaining.Smith had a chance to tie it but his layup with 25.9 seconds left rimmed out, and Doug McDermott clinched the victory with a pair of free throws with 10.4 seconds to play.

”E’Twaun making big baskets late, that guy gets a lot of the credit for this win,” Butler said.

The Bulls were without Derrick Rose (knee) and Pau Gasol (rest). Joakim Noah, making just his second start of the season, had six points, 16 rebounds and eight assists in Gasol’s place.And, of course, the Bulls had Butler. ”I got some help from my teammates. Keep giving me the ball, telling me to score, be aggressive, just supporting me on defense,” he said. ”This is a team win.” The Bulls outrebounded the 76ers 53-34.Philadelphia scored the first eight points of the fourth quarter, capped by one of Covington’s four fourth-quarter 3s, to take an 87-77 lead. But the Bulls, behind Butler’s array of offensive skills, whittled away at the lead. He finally put the Bulls ahead on a layup with 2:24 left in the fourth that made it 98-97.After Smith’s jumper put Philadelphia back in front on the ensuing possession, Butler converted a three-point play after draining a 15-footer to eclipse 50 points.Smith then tied it at 101 on a drive before Moore’s 3-pointer from the left wing put the Bulls ahead 104-101 with 1:17 left in regulation. Smith responded with a 3 of his own with 17.6 seconds left to tie it at 104.The Bulls had a chance to win in regulation, but Butler lost control of the ball before attempting a shot.The 76ers led by as many as 24 in the opening half, shooting 54.5 percent from the field while taking a 62-46 lead into the break.

”Turnovers, hanging heads, no urgency at all on the defensive end,” Hoiberg said. ”It couldn’t have been a worse start for us.” Butler said the coach lit into the Bulls at halftime. ”He was fired up,” Butler said. ”I like it, though. He let us know, this is not how we’re going to play. ”We came out lazy, weren’t guarding, turned the ball over, but we picked it up in the second half,” he added.

A day after team president Jerry Colangelo said the rebuilding 76ers could turn things around ”sooner than people understand,” they put on one of their better performances of the season.

NOTES—The Sixers led by as much as 24 points in the second quarter….Rose sat out after participating in pregame warmups. He left in the fourth quarter of a 106-101 loss at Milwaukee on Tuesday. … Butler’s previous career high was 43 points on Dec. 18 in a four-overtime game against Detroit….Celebrities in attendance included Meek Mill, George Lopez and Montell Jordan, who sang the national anthem and performed at halftime. … F Jerami Grant (calf) didn’t play. … Noel left the court due to nausea just prior to the opening tip. He was replaced in the starting lineup by Carl Landry. … Nik Stauskas left early in overtime with a bruised left shoulder…..The Bulls host Dallas on Friday night.

Turner Botz made a pair of free throws with one second remaining, lifting Green Bay to a 78-76 victory over UIC on Thursday night.After sinking the first free throw, Botz tried to miss the second, but banked it in. He then stole the inbounds pass.Paris Burns had given the Flames a 75-74 lead after his steal and layup before Khalil Small scored to put the Phoenix back on top with a minute left. Tai Odiase made 1 of 2 free throws for UIC to tie before Botz’s free throws.Jordan Fouse had 10 points, seven rebounds, six assists and five blocks for Green Bay (11-6, 4-1 Horizon). Small scored 15 points and Carrington Love 12.Odiase blocked a career-high eight shots and had nine rebounds and 12 points for the Flames (2-13, 0-4). Dikembe Dixson scored 19 points, Jake Wiegand 18 and Burns 15 for UIC.

Donte Thomas sank a 3-pointer with 13 seconds to play to give Bradley the edge over Loyola 54-53 on Wednesday night, snapping a six-game slide.Luuk van Bree scored 14 points and grabbed five rebounds for the Braves (3-15, 1-4 Missouri Valley). Callum Barker added 10 points and nine rebounds, Ronnie Suggs had nine points and Antoine Pittman chipped in eight points. Bradley averaged 40 percent shooting from the field and 100 percent from the line.Thomas sank the game-winning 3-pointer with 13 second to go, capping a 9-2 surge by the Braves that took them from a six-point deficit to lead by one for the win.Loyola led 23-21 at the break and had an 11-point advantage, 39-28, early in the second half.Devon Turk led the Ramblers (7-10, 0-5) with 15 points and five rebounds.

It was a very happy birthday for Marian Hossa. Quite a day for Andrew Shaw and coach Joel Quenneville, too.Hossa assisted on both of Shaw’s goals and the Blackhawks celebrated Quenneville’s new contract with a 3-2 win over the Nashville Predators on Tuesday night for their eighth consecutive victory.Brent Seabrook also scored for the Hawks, which was without Artem Anisimov after the center got sick right before the game. Corey Crawford made 41 saves in his 24th win of the season. ”Everyone’s playing well together as a team,” Crawford said. ”Making the right plays. We’re not making too many mistakes out there in all three zones. I think our team is very well-rounded right now.” The Blackhawks closed out a perfect four-game homestand hours after they announced a three-year extension with Quenneville that runs through the 2019-20 season. Quenneville, the only active coach with three Stanley Cup titles, also moved into a tie with Al Arbour for second on the NHL list with his 782nd victory, trailing only Scotty Bowman (1,244). ”It’s been a special place here in Chicago for us,” Quenneville said. ”We’ve had a lot of success. Great group, right on through from Rocky (owner Rocky Wirtz) on down through the organization. It’s been eight great years.” Nashville has lost four in a row and six of seven, falling off the pace in the tough Central Division. Mike Ribeiro and Filip Forsberg scored, and Pekka Rinne made 20 stops. ”Just not good enough,” defenseman Roman Josi said. ”Again, the first two periods, even the third, we’re playing but we’re not playing well enough to win. We’re not attacking the game. We’re just playing so-so and that’s not good enough to win.” Forsberg swatted in a loose puck on a power play with 36.3 seconds left, getting the Predators within one. But the Hawks held on from there, dropping Nashville to 4-9-1 against Central Division foes. ”A lot of games have been like tonight,” coach Peter Laviolette said. ”They’re hard-fought. We’re coming out on the wrong side of the stick. We’re not scoring.” The Hawks winning streak is its longest since it won eight in a row from Nov. 26 to Dec. 11, 2014, It’s also the longest active streak in the NHL.The Predators outshot the Blackhawks 20-6 in the second, but they had two of the three goals in the period.Hossa, who turned 37 on Tuesday, threw his own rebound out front and Shaw sent it into a wide-open net for a 2-0 lead at 6:14. Seabrook and Patrick Kane had a perfect give-and-go with 6:42 left in the period, with the big defenseman driving a slap shot past Rinne for his seventh of the season.Shaw also slammed one in from in front in the first. ”Greasy goals are good for anyone,” a grinning Shaw said. Ribeiro had a quick response in the second, stuffing one home from the side of the net just 18 seconds after Seabrook’s goal, but Crawford kept the Predators at bay until the very end.Nashville went 1 for 5 on the power play.

NOTES—Richard Panik played in his first game with the Blackhawks since he was acquired in a trade with Toronto on Jan. 3. He wasn’t supposed to play after just joining the team for the morning skate after resolving a visa issue, but was pressed into action with Anisimov out. ”It’s a really good team,” Panik said. ”I have to earn a spot, so going to do my best and hopefully it’s going to work out for me.” … Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman said there have been no setbacks for C Marcus Kruger, who had surgery last month to repair a dislocated left wrist. He could return for the end of the regular season or the start of the playoffs. … The Predators scratched D Petter Granberg, LW Eric Nystrom and C Colin Wilson. … Quenneville said he isn’t sure if Anisimov will be able to travel with the team for its two-game road trip beginning Thursday night in Montreal.

MILWAUKEE—After being held to single digits in back-to-back games, Giannis Antetokounmpo broke out of his scoring slump.Antetokounmpo connected on 10 of 14 shots, hit key free throws down the stretch and scored 29 points, tying his second-best career performance, in sparking the Milwaukee Bucks past the Bulls 106-101 on Tuesday night.”I was just trying to be aggressive and make plays” Antetokounmpo said as he also contributed 10 rebounds for his fourth double-double of the season. ”That’s what we need from him,” said Greg Monroe, who added 17 points and 12 rebounds for Milwaukee. ”He’s at his best when he’s attacking the rim and getting into the lane.” Turnovers played a big part in the outcome. Milwaukee scored 30 points off of 17 Bulls turnovers. The Bucks had just five turnovers, easily besting the team’s previous season-low of 10. ”We took care of the ball. We were strong with it,” Milwaukee’s interim head coach Joe Prunty said. ”The effort we made to take care of it was outstanding.” It marked the team’s lowest turnover total in a regular season game since committing four against Atlanta on April 12, 2010. ”The turnovers were big. That’s the game,” said Jimmy Butler, who scored 30 points to lead the Bulls. ”There’s nothing else to say.” Nikola Mirotic and Tony Snell added 17 apiece for the Bulls, who used a 25-9 run late in the third quarter and early into the fourth to seemingly gain control of the game.The Bulls, who have lost three straight, have scored 100 or more points for 12 consecutive games. But the Bulls have allowed at least 100 points in eight of those games.The Bucks used an 8-0 run to tie the game at 91 in the fourth. Monroe’s three-point play with 2:58 remaining gave the Bucks a 96-95 lead. Khris Middleton hit a 3-pointer from the corner to extend the lead to four.Butler got the Bulls within two with a pair of free throws, but then Middleton made a jumper, and after Butler missed a reverse layup, Antetokounmpo snared the rebound with 8.7 left and sank both free throws to grow Milwaukee’s lead to 104-98.The Bulls sprinted to an early 11-point lead and held a 29-20 margin after the first quarter. Milwaukee shot 32 percent in the period.Milwaukee trailed 51-46 at the half. The Bulls outrebounded the Bucks 35-19 in the first half, including 14 offensive boards. Snell had 12 first-half points off the bench for the Bulls. NOTES—Derrick Rose, who briefly went to the locker room late in the first quarter, left the game again in the third with left patellar tendinitis. He returned in the fourth, before departing again. ”With my jumpers, it just didn’t feel right. I’m not concerned. I’m just trying to be smart,” Rose said. … Butler, who played at Marquette University in Milwaukee, wore blue and gold high-top shoes adorned with a Marquette Golden Eagle logo…..Bucks Guard Jerryd Bayless missed a fourth consecutive game with a sprained left ankle. . Guard O.J. Mayo returned after missing one game with a sore left hamstring. … For the second time this season, the Bucks used an alternate court, the only one in the league, and uniforms that featured jerseys with only the team’s logo against a black backdrop….A moment of silence was held for John ”J.J.” Johnson, a high school basketball star in Milwaukee who later played on the Seattle SuperSonics’ only NBA championship team. Johnson died last week at the age of 68. A two-time all-star with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Johnson scored 11,200 points in a 12-year career that ended in 1982….Milwaukee Brewers manager and local native Craig Counsell attended the game….The Bulls are Philadelphia on Thursday night.

EVANSTON—There is no doubt in coach Chris Collins’ mind that he has one of the Big Ten’s best players in Bryant McIntosh who scored 28 points to lead Northwestern to a rare win over Wisconsin, 70-65, on Tuesday night.McIntosh scored all but eight of his points in the second half as the Wildcats (15-3, 3-2 Big Ten) beat the Badgers (9-9, 1-4) for just the third time in 17 games. ”He was just magnificent,” Collins said. ”Forget about guards, he’s one of the best players in the Big Ten. You ask coaches in this league, this kid is an elite, elite player.” NU went on run midway through the second half to grab a seven-point lead and hung on for its second straight win after back-to-back losses to Maryland and Ohio State. Wisconsin dropped its third in a row and is struggling, with Greg Gard trying to land the head coaching job after getting it on an interim basis following Bo Ryan’s retirement last month. ”I’m extremely (ticked) right now with the way things are going,” the Badgers’ Nigel Hayes said after scoring 17 points. ”Got to push the guys and guys will push me. We’ll start to do things the right way and get some wins.” McIntosh, the lone Wildcat to score in double figures, did a little bit of everything with four rebounds and five assists. The point guard hit three runners while scoring eight points in the game’s first four minutes and started looking for his shot again in the second half after he tried to get his teammates going.Another big key for the Wildcats was a 34-25 rebounding edge. Their work on the glass helped them come away with the win even though they hit just 4 of 12 3-pointers with Wisconsin guarding them tight on the perimeter.That left the inside open and Northwestern took advantage, outscoring the Badgers 30-18 in the paint while handing them their third straight loss. ”We aren’t a one-dimensional team,” McIntosh said. ”We find other ways to win.” That’s exactly what the knock on the Wildcats is, though – take away the 3 and they won’t win. It didn’t play out that way on Tuesday. ”A lot of people don’t think we can win without making 3s, but I guess we can,” Collins said. Hayes had six rebounds and six assists for the Badgers. Ethan Happ scored 12, but Wisconsin again came up short after losing by three to Maryland on a last-second 3-pointer by Melo Trimble on Saturday.Northwestern, which recorded its most lopsided Big Ten road win since 1944 at Minnesota on Saturday, went on a 12-3 run midway through the second half to wipe out a 47-45 deficit.The Wildcats scored seven straight, Joey van Zegeren’s alley-oop dunk off a feed from McIntosh igniting the crowd.McIntosh then scored on a layup and answered a 3 by Bronson Koenig with one of his own. Two free throws by Aaron Falzon finished the run, making it 57-50 with 4:45 remaining.

CINCINNATI—Trevon Bluiett scored a career-high 24 points – 19 in the first half – and No. 7 Xavier took advantage of open shots on the perimeter while pulling away to an 84-64 victory over DePaul.Xavier (15-1, 3-1 Big East) led most of the way as Bluiett got going right away, making his first four shots from beyond the arc. He tied his career high with five 3-pointers on 11 attempts. The Musketeers made a season-high 12 3-pointers.Bluiett had been in a shooting slump, going only 2 of 15 beyond the arc in his last three games. ”I’ve been spending time in the gym and waiting for that to come out,” Bluiett said. ”You go through some tough droughts. You’ve got to stay persistent.” Myles Davis had 14 points and seven assists for the Musketeers, who had four double-figure scorers. Freshman Kaiser Gates had nine of his career-high 11 points in the second half as Xavier pulled away, leading by as many as 26 points. ”That’s what kind of sets us apart,” Bluiett said. ”We’ve got seven to nine guys who can go out there and easily get 20 points if they want to. What also sets us apart is that we play together.” Myke Henry scored 16 points for DePaul (6-11, 0-5), which dropped its fifth straight game. The Blue Demons couldn’t handle all of Xavier’s options on offense. ”They’re so balanced in how they go about things,” DePaul coach Dave Leitao said. ”They have a half-dozen guys who can make a major impact and put their fingerprints on the game.” Xavier forward Jalen Reynolds didn’t start a 74-66 win at St. John’s on Wednesday because coach Chris Mack was unhappy with his conduct during practice. He was back in the lineup on Tuesday and had six points and seven rebounds.Point guard Edmond Sumner was in uniform and warmed up before the game, the first time he had done that since he fell hard on the court and suffered a concussion at Villanova on Dec. 31. He has missed three games, with Xavier showing its depth and versatility in his absence.Bluiett made his first four 3-point attempts, including one when he came off a pick and did a catch-and-shoot. Rashaun Stimage fouled him on another attempt, and Bluiett made all three free throws as Xavier pulled ahead 18-8. The Musketeers made six of their first 10 shots from beyond the arc.After DePaul cut it the lead to two points, Davis hit two 3s – one while falling backward – during a 10-point spurt that made it 28-16, Xavier’s biggest lead of the first half. The Musketeers led 41-31 at the break.Xavier got so many open shots on the perimeter because the Blue Demons packed in their defense to take away the Musketeers’ front-line scoring. Reynolds and James Farr were a combined 1 for 7 in the first half.J.P. Macura scored 11 points, including two three-point plays, as Xavier built the lead to 18 points early in the second half.The Musketeers had a moment of silence before the game for former Butler player Andrew Smith, who died of cancer on Tuesday at age 25. ”He’s been on our team’s mind,” Mack said. ”We’ve got guys who played against him and coaches who have coached against him and have the utmost respect. It’s a terrible reminder of how fragile things are. Our thoughts and prayers go to the Butler community, especially the Smith family.” NOTES—The Blue Demons haven’t beaten a Top 10 team since a 64-57 win over No. 5 Kansas on Dec. 2, 2006…..DePaul: Hosts Creighton on Sunday.