Sixers bury Nuggets back into the ground as Fultz returns

NEW YORK: Outscoring the visiting Denver Nuggets 34-15 in the third quarter, Philadelphia 76ers moved a step closer to locking down home-court advantage for the first round of the NBA playoffs with a 123-104 win.

Seven players scored in double figures for the 76ers, who remain the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference, a half-game ahead of Indiana Pacers.

Dario Saric led the way with 20 points while Joel Embiid contributed 20 points and 13 rebounds despite foul trouble.

Sixers rookie Markelle Fultz, the No. 1 overall pick in last June’s NBA draft, returned from a five-month absence due to a shoulder injury and finished with 10 points and eight assists in 14 minutes.

Will Barton led the Nuggets with 25 points.

Jayson Tatum scored 23 points and Marcus Morris had 20 against his former team before leaving with an injury as Boston won at Phoenix.

Al Horford added 19 points, nine rebounds and seven assists for the Celtics, who picked up their fourth straight win.

Morris sustained a right ankle injury in the second half and did not return.

X-rays on Morris’ ankle came back negative, the team announced.

Josh Jackson had 23 points, Tyler Ulis had 19 points and eight assists and Troy Daniels scored 18 as Phoenix took their 12th straight defeat and lost for the 22nd time in 23 games.

Wayne Selden canned four three-pointers and scored 23 points as Memphis defeated Minnesota in Minneapolis.

Marc Gasol added 20 points, including a pair of foul shots with 14.5 seconds left to up the lead to six and also grabbed 10 rebounds for a double-double.

Jeff Teague notched a game-high 25 points and seven assists for Minnesota, who managed just 11 points in the fourth quarter.

Andrew Wiggins and Taj Gibson each finished with 18 points, while Karl-Anthony Towns contributed 15 points, 12 rebounds and six assists.

Kemba Walker had 31 points, including 11 in overtime and Dwight Howard added 23 points to lead Charlotte over visiting New York. — Reuters