Joel Embiid powers the Philadelphia 76ers past the Minnesota Timberwolves 127-113
Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid reacts during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2023, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Joel Embiid scored a season-high 51 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, and the Philadelphia 76ers used a big fourth quarter to close out the Minnesota Timberwolves for a 127-113 win on Wednesday night.
Tyrese Maxey scored 35 points as Philadelphia (19-8) won for the seventh time in eight games, bouncing back nicely after a 108-104 loss to Chicago on Monday night.
Minnesota (20-6) got 27 points from Anthony Edwards, 23 points from Karl-Anthony Towns and 21 from Jaden McDaniels. The Timberwolves entered Wednesday night as winners of nine of its last 10 games and possessors of the league’s best record.
Embiid recorded his 12th straight game with 30 or more points and 10-plus rebounds. It is the NBA’s longest such streak since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar did it in 16 straight games for the Milwaukee Bucks in the 1971-72 season.
CLIPPERS 120, MAVERICKS 111
DALLAS (AP) — Kawhi Leonard scored 30 points, and the Clippers held on for their ninth consecutive victory.
Norman Powell scored 21 points off the bench with Paul George sidelined by an illness, and James Harden had 17 points and 11 assists. The Clippers are on their longest winning streak since a 10-game run in 2015-16.
Dallas star Luka Doncic’s franchise record of 11 consecutive games with at least 30 points ended with 28 in a sixth straight game without All-Star guard Kyrie Irving, who has a bruised right heel.
Doncic recorded his sixth triple-double by getting 10 rebounds and 10 assists.
KNICKS 121, NETS 102
NEW YORK (AP) — Julius Randle scored 26 points, Donte DiVincenzo added 23 and the Knicks beat the Nets for their first victory in Brooklyn in four years.
Immanuel Quickley had 19 points and Jalen Brunson finished with 16 points, eight assists and seven rebounds for the Knicks, who have swung New York’s NBA basketball rivalry back in their favor with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving no longer in town. The Knicks have won all three meetings since the Nets traded the two stars last season, after never beating the Nets when they were on the floor.
Now the Knicks have ended a six-game losing streak at Barclays Center, where they hadn’t won since Dec. 26, 2019.
Cam Thomas and Cam Johnson each scored 20 points for the Nets, who lost their fourth straight.
PACERS 144, HORNETS 113
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Buddy Hield scored 25 points, helping Indiana stop a four-game losing streak.
Tyrese Haliburton had 19 points and 13 assists for the Pacers, who shot 61.3% from the field. Aaron Nesmith scored 19 points, and Myles Turner had 18.
Terry Rozier had 25 points, nine rebounds and seven assists for Charlotte, and rookie Brandon Miller added 21 points and six rebounds.
Playing without starting point guard LaMelo Ball (sprained right ankle) and center Mark Williams (back contusion, the Hornets dropped their sixth in a row to fall to 7-19.
BULLS 124, LAKERS 108
CHICAGO (AP) — DeMar DeRozan had 27 points, nine assists and seven rebounds, and the Bulls beat LeBron James and the Lakers.
Chicago shot 54.5% from the field and had eight players score in double figures. Coby White had 17 points and reserve Ayo Dosunmu added 14.
Despite the continued absence of All-Star guard Zach LaVine due to right foot inflammation, the Bulls opened a six-game homestand with their third win in four games.
James had 25 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists for Los Angeles, falling just shy of a second consecutive triple-double. Anthony Davis had 19 points and 14 rebounds in his hometown.
The Lakers have dropped four of five since winning the NBA In-Season Tournament.
NUGGETS 113, RAPTORS 104
TORONTO (AP) — Nikola Jokic had 31 points and 15 rebounds, and Denver won for the fifth time in six games.
Jamal Murray scored 20 points for the Nuggets, who evened their road record at 8-8. Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter Jr. each scored 12 points.
Jokic shot 13 for 23 and led the Nuggets with six assists, including a behind-the-back dish to Gordon in the first quarter.
Scottie Barnes had 30 points and 10 rebounds for Toronto. Pascal Siakam added 18 points.
CAVALIERS 124, JAZZ 116
CLEVELAND (AP) — Sam Merrill set career highs with 27 points and eight 3-pointers, sending short-handed Cleveland to the victory.
Merrill buried three 3-pointers during a 17-2 run to open the fourth quarter, giving Cleveland its largest lead at 109-95. The reserve guard finished 9 of 16 from the field, including 8 of 14 beyond the arc, in a career-best 30 minutes.
Caris LeVert had 23 points for Cleveland, which made 23 3-pointers on a franchise-record 51 attempts.
Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell missed the game against his former team with an illness.
Lauri Markkanen had 26 points and 10 rebounds for Utah. Collin Sexton scored 20 points, and Talen Horton-Tucker had 19 points and tied his career high with 11 assists.
HEAT 115, MAGIC 106
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Tyler Herro had 28 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, helping Miami to the road win.
Bam Adebayo added 18 points and seven rebounds as Miami won for the fourth time in six games. Haywood Highsmith made four of the Heat’s 15 3-pointers and finished with a season-high 15 points.
Miami played without Jimmy Butler, who has a strained left calf, and Kevin Love, who is out with an illness.
Cole Anthony led the Magic with 20 points. Franz Wagner added 15 points, and Paolo Banchero had 10 points on 2-of-12 shooting to go along with eight rebounds and eight assists.
Orlando center Wendell Carter Jr. returned to the lineup after missing 20 games with a fractured left hand. He played 23 minutes, finishing with eight points and six rebounds.
HAWKS 134, ROCKETS 127
HOUSTON (AP) — Trae Young had 30 points and 14 assists, and Atlanta held off a late charge by Houston.
It was Young’s fifth straight game with at least 30 points and 10 assists, the longest such streak of his career.
Houston used a 14-0 run to close to 127-123 with about 90 seconds to go. Atlanta’s Saddiq Bey made a big 3-pointer with 35 seconds left, and the Hawks held on for the win.
Jabari Smith Jr. led the Rockets with a career-high 34 points and also grabbed 13 rebounds. Fred VanVleet had a season-high 32 points with 15 assists.
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