From The Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) — Joel Embiid had 37 points and hit a career and NBA season high with 23 free throws, James Harden had 29 points, 16 assists and 10 rebounds, and the Philadelphia 76ers had two straight wins with their new duo on Am On Sunday he beat the New York Knicks 125-109.
The 76ers made 39 free throws, the most in the NBA this season, and almost all of their work to open a tight game midway through the fourth quarter came off the line. Embiid finished 23 of 27 with free throws and the NBA’s top scorer added nine rebounds.
After a strong showing in a 133-102 win in Minnesota on Friday in Harden’s 76ers debut, that game turned into a grind-it-out game that the 76ers handled better. It was tied at 100 in the fourth, but Philadelphia pulled away by scoring 10 of their next 12 at the line. Embiid made six free throws, Harden four, and the only 76ers basket during that stretch came when Harden fed Embiid on the quick break.
Harden added five steals and matched his best season in assists.
People also read…
RJ Barrett and Evan Fournier each scored 24 points for the Knicks. They have lost five times in a row and nine out of ten.
MAVERICS 107, WARRIOR 101
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Luka Doncic made two free throws with 7.9 seconds left en route to 34 points and Dallas came back from 21 in the third quarter to stun Golden State.
Spencer Dinwiddie scored 10 of his 24 points in the final period for Dallas.
Stephen Curry hit a 3-pointer with 10 seconds left and had 27 points and 10 assists in his first home game since receiving All-Star Game MVP honors, but the Warriors failed at either end during crunch time as Dallas do enough hit all the big shots.
Doncic went 10-21 from the floor in the first of two matchups in five days between two of the NBA’s top-five defenders: No. 1 Golden State and the fifth-ranked Mavericks. Dinwiddie scored five straight points midway through the fourth set that put Dallas at 93-90.
Golden State’s Klay Thompson was out with an illness after missing practice on Saturday.
PHOENIX (AP) — Donovan Mitchell scored 26 points, Rudy Gobert added 16 points and 14 rebounds and Utah beat NBA-leading Phoenix.
Utah has won eight of nine, improving to 38-22. Phoenix lost two games for the first time in two months, 49-12. Before the two losses, the Suns had won eight straight games and 19 of 20.
Phoenix has played its last three games without All-Star point guard Chris Paul. He broke his thumb on February 16 and could be out for the rest of the regular season.
Devin Booker led Phoenix by 30 points. The Suns had a chance to equalize in the final seconds but Jae Crowder threw the ball wide.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — CJ McCollum scored 22 points, Jonas Valanciunas and Brandon Ingram each added 19 and New Orleans rolled past tumbling Los Angeles.
The 28-point victory margin is the largest in franchise history for the Pelicans over the Lakers, surpassing their 139-117 win in 2018. New Orleans has won five straight road games, making it the fifth since the team left Charlotte in 2002.
LeBron James led the Lakers by 32 points. Los Angeles has lost two straight and five of its last six have fallen 27-33 in its worst six games of the season under .500.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Oshae Brissett scored 27 points and Buddy Hield had 11 of his 21 points in the last eight minutes to help Indiana beat Boston.
Brissett hit a career-high six 3-pointers and the Pacers finished with 17 points. Tyrese Haliburton had 22 points and nine assists for Indiana.
Jayson Tatum had 24 points for Boston. Jaylen Brown added 23.
PISTON 127, HORNET 126, OT
CHARLOTTE, NC (AP) — Kelly Olynyk made a fadeaway jump from the baseline at the overtime buzzer and Detroit beat Charlotte for the first time in almost 4 1/2 years.
Saddiq Bey had 28 points and eight rebounds for Detroit, Jerami Grant added 26 points, and Olynyk finished the tournament with 20 points and eight rebounds. The Pistons had lost 15 games to the Hornets since their last win on October 18, 2017.
Terry Rozier had 33 points for Charlotte. The Hornets are 0-6 in overtime.
HOUSTON (AP) — Reggie Jackson scored 26 points, including three key points down the stretch, to lead the Los Angeles Clippers to a 99-98 win over the Houston Rockets on Sunday night to open a two-game streak.
Jackson’s jumper by about 90 seconds gave the Clippers a 97-95 lead.
Garrison Mathews had 17 points for Houston and Dennis Schroder added 11 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds. The Rockets have lost nine straight games and 13 of 14.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, transcribed or redistributed without permission.