Embiid’s 43 points help Sixers outlast Hornets
Joel Embiid had a seasonhigh 43 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists, and the 76ers held off the shorthanded Hornets 127-124 in overtime in Charlotte, N.C., on Monday night.
Tobias Harris returned from a one-game absence because of illness and had 21 points and 11 rebounds as the 76ers shot 52.9% from the field and earned back-to-back wins for the first time since Nov. 4-6.
Embiid had six of Philadelphia’s eight points in overtime and assisted on the other score.
“It’s what I have to do,” Embiid said. “Coaches trust me to put me in those situations. Sometimes I make mistakes, but I feel like I’m getting better and better in those situations.”
Former Warriors forward Kelly Oubre Jr. had 35 points with six 3-pointers for the Hornets, but missed from beyond the arc at the end of overtime that would have tied the game and sent it to a second extra period.
Charlotte played without five players, including starters Lamelo Ball, Terry Rozier and Mason Plumlee, because of NBA health and safety protocols.
Suns 108, Spurs 104: Chris Paul had 21 points and 10 assists, Jae Crowder added a season-high 19 points and host Phoenix held off San Antonio.
Paul had multiple highlights in the final few minutes, helping the Suns become the first team to 20 wins this season. Clippers 102, Blazers 90: Paul George scored 21 points as Los Angeles beat host Portland, which was without Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. Bulls 109, Nuggets 97: Zach LaVine scored 32 points as host Chicago beat Denver and moved into a virtual tie with Brooklyn atop the Eastern Conference.
The Bulls took a big hit a few hours before tip-off when leading scorer DeMar DeRozan entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols.
Bucks 112, Cavaliers 104: Giannis Antetokounmpo came back from a two-game absence and scored 27 points on his 27th birthday to help Milwaukee defeat visiting Cleveland.
The two-time MVP also had 12 rebounds in his return from a sore right calf as the Bucks won for the 10th time in 11 games.
Hawks 121, Timberwolves 110: Trae Young had 29 points and 11 assists, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot scored 23 points and shorthanded Atlanta beat host Minnesota.
Atlanta was without injured Cam Reddish, Bogdan Bogdanovich, Solomon Hill and De’Andre Hunter.
Grizzlies 105, Heat 90: Dillon Brooks and Desmond Bane scored 21 points each, and surging Memphis beat host Miami.
The win was Memphis’ fifth straight without leading scorer Ja Morant, who hurt his left knee against Atlanta on Nov. 26. Pacers 116, Wizards 110: Domantas Sabonis finished with 30 points, 10 rebounds and six assists to help Indiana snap a four-game losing streak with a win over visiting Washington.
Thunder 114, Pistons 103: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 30 points and 13 assists, Luguentz Dort scored 28 points and visiting Oklahoma City rallied past Detroit in a matchup of teams that entered with eight-game losing streaks.