Embiid scores 50 as 76ers top Bulls
Nuggets’ Murray also hits 50 in win over Cavs
PHILADELPHIA — All-Star Joel Embiid scored a career-high 50 points in the Philadelphia 76ers’ 112105 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Friday night.
Embiid added 17 rebounds, five assists, four blocks and two steals.
Tobias Harris had 22 points and 12 rebounds for the Eastern Conference-leading 76ers. They played without Ben Simmons (illness) for the second straight gamem and clinched coaching duties for Doc Rivers at the All-Star Game.
Zach LaVine had 30 points for Chicago.
With the 76ers clinging to a 107-103 lead, Embiid blocked LaVine’s driving attempt with 1:02 remaining, then hit a 17-foot baseline jumper with 41 seconds left.
NUGGETS 120, CAVALIERS 103: In Cleveland, Jamal Murray scored a career-high 50 points and All-Star starter Nikola Jokic had a tripledouble as Denver gave Cleveland its ninth straight loss.
Murray hardly missed, making 21 of 25 shots, including 8 of 10 3-pointers. He didn’t attempt a free throw.
With the Cavs still hanging around in the fourth, Murray made three 3-pointers in 65 seconds to push Denver’s lead to 21. He scored 20 in the final quarter before being replaced with 2:23 left.
CLIPPERS 116, JAZZ 112: In Los Angeles, Kawhi Leonard scored 29 points, reserve Lou Williams had 19 and Los Angeles edged Utah, snapping the Jazz’s nine-game winning streak.
The Clippers avenged an 18-point loss to Utah two nights earlier, when starters Leonard, Paul George and Nicolas Batum were sidelined.
MAGIC 124, WARRIORS 120: In Orlando, Fla., Nikola Vucevic had 30 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists for his third career triple-double and Orlando overcame a 13-point, fourth-quarter deficit to beat Golden State.
Vucevic made two free throws with 16 seconds left to put Orlando ahead 123-120 after Warriors star Stephen Curry hit back-to-back 3-pointers in the final minute.
Curry missed an off-balance 3-pointer from 27 feet with five seconds left that could have tied it. He finished with 29 points, 11 assists and six rebounds.
SUNS 132, PELICANS 114: In New Orleans, Chris Paul had 15 points and a season-high 19 assists, spearheading an 11-point, fourth-quarter comeback in Phoenix’s victory.
Paul appeared to be gesturing that he owned the arena after hitting a step-back 3 that gave Phoenix a 118107 lead with less than five minutes to go. Brandon Ingram scored 25 points for the Pelicans.
BUCKS 98, THUNDER 85: In Milwaukee, Giannis Antetokounmpo had 29 points, a season-high 19 rebounds and eight assists, and Milwaukee beat Oklahoma City to snap a five-game skid.
The Bucks avoided their first sixgame losing streak since March 12-22, 2015..
CELTICS 121, HAWKS 109: In Boston, Kemba Walker scored 28 points as Boston held off Atlanta.
The Celtics’ Jayson Tatum added 25 points and eight rebounds.
Trae Young led the Hawks with 31 points. Atlanta has lost five of six.
GRIZZLIES 109, PISTONS 95: In Memphis, Tenn., Ja Morant scored 21 of his 29 points in the second half, and Jonas Valanciunas added 17 points as Memphis beat Detroit.
RAPTORS 86, TIMBERWOLVES 81: In Minneapolis, Norman Powell scored a season-high 31 points and Toronto closed with an 11-0 run to beat Minnesota for its third straight victory.