Clippers overcome early hole, push Denver out of first place
Paul George scored 28 points and James Harden 20 as the host Los Angeles Clippers overcame a 17-point first-half deficit to beat Denver 102-100 on Thursday.
The Clippers won for the fourth time in five games and halted a five-game home skid despite top scorer Kawhi Leonard (23.7 ppg) missing a second straight game because of a sore right knee.
Nikola Jokic had 36 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists for the Nuggets, who had won two in a row and six of eight. They fell a half-game behind Minnesota atop the West.
Los Angeles took a 75-70 lead into the fourth quarter. The Clippers made 9 of 10 free throws while extending their lead to 90-79.
■ Knicks 120, Kings 109: At New York, Jalen Brunson had 35 points and 11 assists and Josh Hart 31 points for New York, which erased a 21-point first-half deficit, halted a three-game skid and tied Orlando for fourth place in the East. De’aaron Fox had 29 points, seven assists and seven rebounds for Sacramento.
■ 76ers 109, Heat 105:
At Miami, Tyrese Maxey had 37 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds for Philadelphia in its third straight win. Joel Embiid, in his second game back after missing two months following knee surgery, had 29 points for the Sixers, who were outscored by 19 in Embiid’s 32 minutes.
■ Warriors 133, Rockets 110: At Houston, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson each scored 29 points for Golden State, which never trailed in its season-high sixth straight win. Houston, which lost its third straight after an 11-game win streak, has lost 13 straight regular-season games to the Warriors.
■ Mavericks 109, Hawks 95: At Dallas, Luka Doncic had 25 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists despite being held scoreless in the first quarter for Dallas, which won for the eighth time in nine games and 12th time in 14. Atlanta had won two in a row and six of seven.