Embiid powers Sixers past Hawks 129-112
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Joel Embiid scored a career-high 49 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, Tobias Harris had 25 points and the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Atlanta Hawks 129-112 on Monday night.
Missing All-Star Ben Simmons for the second time in three games because of a back injury, the Sixers mixed up their starting lineup and got 15 points from Furkan Korkmaz in a reserve role.
Trae Young led Atlanta with 28 points despite missing nine of 11 from 3-point range. De’Andre Hunter added 22 and John Collins had 21 for the Hawks.
Simmons only played five minutes in a loss at Milwaukee on Saturday before exiting. He had tests on Sunday and needs further evaluation.
ROCKETS 123, KNICKS 112
HOUSTON (AP) — James Harden scored 37 points, and the Rockets earned their fourth straight victory.
Harden had 31 by halftime, helping Houston to a 72-57 lead at the break. He cooled down eventually, but his first-half work put the Rockets in control against the struggling Knicks, who lost their fourth in a row.
Harden, Russell Westbrook and P.J. Tucker arrived at the arena about 70 minutes before tip-off after attending Kobe and Gianna Bryant’s memorial service in Los Angeles. Westbrook was expected to play against the Knicks, but was scratched minutes before the game with a sore thumb.
The Knicks got 21 points from RJ Barrett, and Julius Randle added 17 points with 12 rebounds.
BUCKS 137, WIZARDS 134, OT
WASHINGTON (AP) — Khris Middleton scored Milwaukee’s final nine points, helping the Bucks outlast Bradley Beal and the Wizards in overtime.
Middleton, who finished with 40 points, hit a 3-pointer with 30.2 seconds left to give the Bucks a 135-132 lead.
After Beal — who had his second straight 50-point game — made two free throws, Middleton was fouled with 7.8 seconds left and made both attempts from the line to make it 137-134. Troy Brown, Jr.’s 3-pointer rimmed out at the buzzer.
Beal scored a career-high 55 points one night after he had 53 in a loss at Chicago.
Giannis Antetokounmpo had 22 points and 14 rebounds for Milwaukee.
SUNS 131, JAZZ 111
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Ricky Rubio had 22 points, 11 assists and seven steals, leading Phoenix to the victory.
In his first game back in Salt Lake City after playing for the Jazz for two seasons, Rubio led an offense that shot 56% and seemed a step ahead of the Jazz all night.
Devin Booker had 24 points and 10 assists for the Suns.
Donovan Mitchell scored 38 points for Utah. The Jazz made a season-high 37 free throws — on 43 attempts — but looked disjointed while committing 19 turnovers.
MAGIC 115, NETS 113
NEW YORK (AP) — Aaron Gordon had 27 points, 10 rebounds and a big blocked shot in the final seconds, helping Orlando rally for the win.
The Magic charged back from a 19-point deficit in the second half to move within 1 1/2 games of the Nets for seventh place in the Eastern Conference.
Terrence Ross added 21 points and eight rebounds for the Magic.
Spencer Dinwiddie had 24 points and eight assists for the Nets, who had won five straight at home by double digits.
CAVALIERS 125, HEAT 119, OT
CLEVELAND (AP) — Rookie Kevin Porter Jr. scored a season-high 30 points, including the go-ahead basket in overtime, and Cleveland rallied from a 22-point deficit to defeat Miami.
Porter’s dunk after a pass from Kevin Love gave Cleveland a 119-118 lead with 1:20 to play. Fellow rookie Darius Garland’s runner in the lane put the Cavaliers ahead 121-118 with 40 seconds remaining.
Jae Crowder missed a 3-pointer from the corner before Love scored after an offensive rebound with six seconds left and Porter hit two free throws to seal it.
Bam Adebayo had 22 points and 13 rebounds for Miami. Goran Dragic also scored 22 and Kendrick Nunn, who tied the game with six seconds left in regulation, added 21.
The Cavaliers played their first home game since J.B. Bickerstaff replaced John Beilein as coach. Beilein resigned during the All-Star break.
Miami played without All-Star Jimmy Butler, who missed his second straight game because of personal reasons.
MAVERICKS 139, TIMBERWOLVES 123
DALLAS (AP) — Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 23 points and Luka Doncic had 20, sending Dallas to the win.
The Mavericks rested most of their starters in the fourth quarter after scoring 81 points before halftime. Hardaway, Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis did not play in the final period.
The reeling Timberwolves, playing without injured star Karl-Anthony Towns, lost their fifth in a row and 18th in 19 games.
Dallas shot 56% in the first half and went 12 of 23 from 3-point range en route to an 81-65 halftime lead.
D’Angelo Russell led Minnesota with 29 points and Malik Beasley had 21.
