Clippers win defensive battle
Los Angeles gets first victory after Westbrook fractured left hand
Kawhi Leonard had 32 points and the Los Angeles Clippers beat the host Minnesota Timberwolves, 89-88, on Sunday in a physical and defensive game between two of the top four teams in the Western Conference.
Norman Powell matched a season high with 24 points, and Paul George added 15 points but shot just 5 of 16 from the field and was 3 of 11 from 3-point range.
“This was an old-school, 1985 game,” Los Angeles coach Tyronn Lue said. “But I loved the way we kept competing and kept guarding, defending.”
The Clippers played without Russell Westbrook after he fractured his left hand in a home victory against Washington on Friday. Ivica Zubac returned after missing two games with an illness.
Anthony Edwards scored 27 points for Minnesota. The Timberwolves lost back-toback games for just the third time this season.
Other games 76ers 120, Mavericks 116:
Tobias Harris scored 28 points, Tyrese Maxey added 24 and visiting Philadelphia beat the Dallas despite Luka Doncic’s tripledouble. Kelly Oubre Jr. had 19 of his 21 points after the four-minute mark of the third quarter as the Sixers won consecutive games for the second time in the 14 straight games Joel Embiid has missed, improving to 6-8 overall.
Celtics 140, Golden State 88:
Jaylen Brown scored 29 points, Jayson Tatum had 27 on his 26th birthday, and NBA-best Boston posted its third-largest winning margin in franchise history, drubbing weary visiting Golden State. Payton Pritchard added 19 points for the Celtics, who set a league record with their third win this season by 50 points or more and extended their season-best winning streak to 11 games.
Raptors 111, Hornets 106: Immanuel Quickley scored 22 points and matched his season high with 11 assists, RJ Barrett had 23 points and host Toronto held on to beat Charlotte for its seventh consecutive home win against the Hornets.
Magic 113, Pistons 91:
Paolo Banchero scored 29 points for a second straight game and Orlando completed a four-game season sweep of visiting Detroit as the Magic have won three straight games. Wendell Carter Jr. had 19 points and eight rebounds for Orlando. Evan Fournier led the Pistons with 17 points.
Spurs 117, Pacers 105:
Victor Wembanyama had 31 points and 12 rebounds to lead host San Antonio past Indiana. Wembanyama added six blocks, six assists and a steal while going 3 for 4 on 3-pointers. The 7-foot-4 rookie has posted five or more blocks in five of his past six games. Chartiers Valley grad T.J. McConnell had 26 points for the Pacers.
Knicks 107, Cavaliers 98:
Josh Hart had a triple-double, Donte DiVincenzo scored 28 points and visiting New York regrouped after losing All-Star guard Jalen Brunson in the first minute with a left knee injury to beat Cleveland. Hart finished with 13 points, 19 rebounds and 10 assists in helping the Knicks cope for one night without Brunson, their latest starter to get hurt.