Basketball
Grizzlies defeat short-handed 76ers
LOS ANGELES, April 5, (AP): Marcus Morris scored 22 points and the Los Angeles Clippers dominated the short-handed Lakers in a 104-86 victory on Sunday to end a two-game skid.
Kawhi Leonard had 19 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists, and Paul George added 16 points for the Clippers.
The Lakers trailed the entire game in which they were without injured All-Star duo LeBron James and Anthony Davis, as well as Andre Drummond and Wesley Matthews. They’ve dropped six of nine.
Montrezl Harrell led the Lakers with 19 points against his old team. Marc Gasol was the only starter in double figures with 11 points.
Grizzlies 116, 76ers 100
In Philadelphia, Grayson Allen had 11 of his 15 points during a gamechanging third quarter, lifting Memphis over short-handed Philadelphia, which was without All-Star center Joel Embiid.
Dillon Brooks scored 17 points and Jonas Valanciunas had 16 points and 12 rebounds for the Grizzlies, who began play ninth in the Western Conference. Memphis had seven players in double-figures.
Tobias Harris scored 21 points for the 76ers, who have played 11 of their last 12 games without Embiid. Embiid returned from a 10-game absence due to a bone bruise in his left knee in Saturday night’s 122-113 victory over the Minnesota
Timberwolves, but he didn’t play in the second game of a back-to-back in order to recover from that outing.
Pelicans 122, Rockets 115
In Houston, Lonzo Ball had 27 points and a career-high eight 3-pointers, and New Orleans beat Houston to end a two-game skid.
Ball was on fire early, making all four of his 3-point attempts in the first quarter in his return after missing seven games with a hip injury. He cooled off after that and didn’t hit from long range again until the third quarter, when he made two. He had nine assists, and his 27 points tied a seasonbest on a night he outdid his previous career mark of seven 3s, which he’d accomplished four times.
Kelly Olynyk had a season-high 26 points in his second 20-point game in the five games since he was traded to Houston from Miami. The Rockets lost their fourth straight.
Bulls 115, Nets 107
In Chicago, Nikola Vucevic had 22 points and 13 rebounds, Zach LaVine added 25 points and Chicago beat Brooklyn to snap a six-game losing streak.
Tomas Satoransky had a seasonhigh 19 points and 11 assists as Chicago won for the first time since acquiring Vucevic before the trade deadline.
Kyrie Irving had 24 points and 15 assists to lead short-handed Brooklyn, which played without James Harden and Kevin Durant. Jeff Green added 21 off the bench. The Nets had won five straight and 10 of 12.
Hawks 117, Warriors 111
In Atlanta, Clint Capela had 24 points and 18 rebounds, Danilo Gallinari scored 25 points and Atlanta beat Golden State for its third straight win.
Stephen Curry and Draymond Green returned after injuries forced both to miss an embarrassing blowout against Toronto on Friday. The Warriors were a different team, but they still couldn’t close out the Hawks.
Curry, returning from a tailbone injury, had 37 points as the Warriors lost their third straight and seventh in the last eight games.
Celtics 116, Hornets 86
In Boston, Jayson Tatum had 22 points and eight rebounds, and Boston blew past short-handed Charlotte.
Evan Fournier had four 3-pointers and 17 points. Robert Williams finished with 16 points and eight rebounds to help Boston post its second straight victory.
Terry Rozier led Charlotte with 22 points and seven assists. Devonte’ Graham added 11 points. The 30-point loss is the Hornets’ worst of the season.
Charlotte was without LaMelo Ball (fractured right wrist), Malik Monk (sprained right ankle) and Gordon Hayward, who went on the injured list Friday after he sprained his right foot during a win at Indiana.
Nuggets 119, Magic 109
In Denver, Aaron Gordon scored 24 points against his former team, rallying Denver past Orlando.
Gordon scored Denver’s first dozen points, then helped the Nuggets erase an 18-point halftime deficit for their 14th win in 17 games and their 10th straight over the Magic.