Simmons, Embiid lead 76ers over short-handed Raptors

76ERS 126, RAPTORS 101

PHILADELPHIA — Joel Embiid had 27 points and 11 rebounds, Ben Simmons added 26 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists and the Philadelphia 76ers routed the shorthanded Toronto Raptors 126101 on Saturday night.

JJ Redick added 22 points for the 76ers, who pulled within 2½ games of firstplace Toronto in the Atlantic Division.

Pascal Siakam scored 26 points and Kyle Lowry added 20 for the Raptors, who slipped to 25-10. Toronto played without two-time defensive player of the year Kawhi Leonard, as well as Serge Ibaka and Jonas Valanciunas.

Leonard was held out of the lineup to rest on the second game of a back-to-back after scoring a season-high 37 points in the Raptors’ 126-110 home win over Cleveland on Friday night. Toronto coach Nick Nurse said prior to Saturday’s contest that Leonard may be available for the second game of a back-to-back going forward.

Ibaka missed his third straight contest with a sore right knee, while Valanciunas is sidelined for at least three more weeks after having thumb surgery. Lowry and Danny Green returned after missing time with injuries. Lowry sat out the last four contests with a sore left thigh and Green watched Friday’s win with a sore left knee.

It was Philadelphia’s third victory in the last 23 games against the Raptors.

The Raptors led by as many as seven in the opening half and were within range entering the break trailing 6559. But the 76ers took advantage of Toronto’s many missing players in the second half, methodically pulling away.

Philadelphia led by as many as 25 points in the fourth quarter.

CLIPPERS 132, NUGGETS 111

LOS ANGELES — Danilo Gallinari and Tobias Harris each scored 21 points, Montrezl Harrell added 20 and the Los Angeles Clippers beat Denver for the Nuggets’ worst loss of the season.

ROCKETS 108, SPURS 101

HOUSTON — James Harden had 39 points and 10 assists to lead the Houston Rockets past the San Antonio Spurs.

Clint Capela had 21 points and a season-high 23 rebounds, and Eric Gordon had 18 points on 4-of-12 shooting from three-point range.

WIZARDS 149, SUNS 146, 3OT

WASHINGTON — Bradley Beal had 40 points and his first career triple-double to lift the Washington Wizards over the Phoenix Suns in triple-overtime.

WARRIORS 120, MAVERICKS 116

OAKLAND, Calif. — Kevin Durant had 29 points with a key 3-pointer with 15 seconds left, and added 12 rebounds and eight assists, as the Golden State Warriors held off a fourth-quarter rally and beat the Dallas Mavericks.

Durant and Andre Iguodala made consecutive 3s for the Warriors late in the third for a 94-87 lead entering the final 12 minutes, then the Warriors extended the lead to double digits before the Mavericks made a game of it in the closing minutes.

HEAT 94, BUCKS 87

MIAMI — Josh Richardson scored 16 points, Dwyane Wade had a pair of big baskets in the final minutes and the Miami Heat held Giannis Antetokounmpo to a season-low scoring effort on their way to a win over the Milwaukee Bucks.

Wade finished with 13 points for Miami, which extended its season-high winning streak to four games.