NBA Roundup: Embiid-less 76ers beat Kings to end three-game slide

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Tobias Harris had 37 points, Tyrese Maxey added 21 and the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Sacramento Kings 112-93 on Friday night end a three-game losing streak.

Reigning NBA MVP Joel Embiid missed his third straight game for Philadelphia because of soreness in his left knee.

Harris scored 14 points in the first period, his most in any quarter this season, and never slowed down. It was the most points he’s scored in a regular-season game in six seasons with Philadelphia, and his most since a career high with 39 for the Los Angeles Clippers in December 2018 against Portland.

De’Aaron Fox had 21 points for Sacramento. 

TIMBERWOLVES 116, TRAIL BLAZERS 93

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MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Rudy Gobert had 24 points and 17 rebounds, Karl-Anthony Towns scored 23 points and Minnesota beat Portland.

Gobert and Towns dominated an undermanned and young Portland squad that was on the second game of a back-to-back after losing 139-77 in Oklahoma City a night earlier, matching the fifth-biggest loss in NBA history.

Gobert and Towns combined to shoot 16 of 19 from the field and Towns was 3 of 3 from 3-point territory. Minnesota shot 55%, while holding the Trail Blazers to 39%.

Duop Reath had 14 points for Portland. It was 1-6 on a seven-game trip.

NUGGETS 125, PELICANS 113

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DENVER (AP) — Nikola Jokic had 27 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds for his 10th career triple-double against New Orleans, leading Denver past the Pelicans.

Jokic has 12 triple-doubles this season and 117 overall, with the 10 against the Pelicans the most versus one one opponent. He also has scored 25 or more points in 14 straight games against New Orleans.

Denver rebounded from a loss to Utah on Wednesday night to snap New Orleans’ seven-game road winning streak.

Zion Williamson scored 30 points for New Orleans.

CLIPPERS 128, GRIZZLIES 119

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MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Paul George scored a season-high 37 points, Kawhi Leonard added 22 and Los Angeles edged Memphis.

George made 12 of 18 shots, going 7 for 10 from 3-point range, in his sixth game this season with at least 30 points. Leonard, who signed a three-year contract extension Wednesday, was 10 of 16 from the field.

Jaren Jackson Jr. led Memphis with 21 points.

PACERS 126, HAWKS 108

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ATLANTA (AP) — Buddy Hield and Obi Toppin each scored 18 points and Indiana overcame star Tyrese Haliburton’s absence with balanced scoring to beat Atlanta for its ninth victory in 10 games.

Haliburton, the NBA assists leader, missed his second straight game because of a strained left hamstring.

Indiana scored at least 150 points while winning each of its first two games of the season against Atlanta, including a 150-116 rout on Jan. 5 at Indianapolis. On Friday, the Pacers had eight players in double figures and shot a season-high 67.1%.

Dejounte Murray led Atlanta with 29 points.

WARRIORS 140, BULLS 131

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CHICAGO (AP) — Klay Thompson scored 30 points, Stephen Curry had 15 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter and Golden State beat Chicago.

Thompson and Curry started slow, missing a combined 10 of their first 11 shots from the field. But the tide turned at halftime, with Thompson making five 3-pointers and scoring 17 points as the Warriors carved out a 16-point lead entering the fourth.

Curry finished 8 of 24 from the field, but had nine assists as the Warriors needed just over five minutes in the third quarter to erase a 13-point halftime deficit.

DeMar DeRozan scored 39 points to lead the Bulls. They shot 58.1% from the field.

SPURS 135, HORNETS 99

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SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Victor Wembanyama had 26 points and 11 rebounds and San Antonio routed Charlotte, spoiling Hornets star LaMelo Ball’s return from a 20-game absence.

Wembanyama was 9 for 14 from the field, hitting 2 of 3 3-pointers, and had two blocks in 20 minutes.

Ball had 28 points, five assists and five steals in his first game since spraining his right ankle Nov. 26 at Orlando.

ROCKETS 112, PISTONS 110

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DETROIT (AP) — Fred VanVleet scored 17 of his 20 points in the second half and Houston handed Detroit its seventh straight loss.

Detroit is 1-35 after a 2-1 start, including an NBA-record matching 28-game losing streak. The current streak started with a 136-113 loss to Houston. Jaden Ivey had an open look at a 3-pointer with three seconds left, but it went in and out.

Alperen Sengun scored 29 points and Jalen Green added 28 for Houston. VanVleet also had 12 assists. Alec Burks and Kevin Knox II had 19 points for Detroit.

HEAT 99, MAGIC 96

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MIAMI (AP) — Duncan Robinson scored 23 points, Bam Adebayo hit the go-ahead jumper with 18.5 seconds left and Miami beat Orlando,

Adebayo finished with 21 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists for the Heat, and Jaime Jaquez Jr. had 19 points.

Paolo Banchero had 25 points, eight rebounds and six assists for Orlando.

JAZZ 145, RAPTORS 113

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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Lauri Markkanen had 22 points and nine rebounds and Ytah beat Toronto for its 10th victory in 12 games

Jordan Clarkson scored 21 points and Collin Sexton added 20 for the Jazz.

Pascal Siakam led Toronto with 27 points.