NBA, MLB: How do leagues stop teams from tanking? Not easily.
PHOENIX — Russell Westbrook had 43 points, including the go-ahead 3-pointer with 56 seconds to play, and the Oklahoma City Thunder scored the final 10 points of the game to escape with a 124-116 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Friday night.
Westbrook also had 14 rebounds and eight assists for the Thunder, who had lost three straight to Phoenix. Paul George scored 20 points.
WARRIORS 114, HAWKS 109
In Atlanta, Stephen Curry scored 28 points, including 15 in the final seven minutes of the first half after returning from an ankle injury, and Golden State beat the Hawks for its fifth straight victory.
Curry turned his right ankle and left the game in the first quarter. He returned for his high-scoring second period before returning to the locker room for good in the third. The Warriors said a “tweaked right ankle” was the reason Curry would not return.
76ERS 110, HORNETS 99
In Philadelphia, Joel Embiid had 23 points and 14 rebounds to help the 76ers pull away from Charlotte down the stretch.
The Sixers won their 13th straight game at the Wells Fargo Center and looked strong in the fourth quarter on the second night of a back-to-back. JJ Redick and newly signed Ersan Ilyasova scored clutch buckets in the final minutes to continue the Sixers’ late charge up the East standings.
RAPTORS 102, WIZARDS 95
In Washington, DeMar DeRozan scored 23 points, reserve CJ Miles added 20 and Toronto beat the Wizards.
The Raptors have won 10 of their last 11 games, including a seasonhigh four straight on the road.
Miles scored 11 points in the second half and was 6 of 9 from 3-point range in the game as the Raptors’ bench outscored the Wizards’ reserves 50-15.
PACERS 103, BUCKS 96
In Milwaukee, Victor Oladipo had 21 points, and Indiana nearly blew a 17-point lead in the middle of a mistake-laden fourth quarter before holding off the Bucks.
NUGGETS 102, GRIZZLIES 102
In Memphis, Tenn., Gary Harris scored 26 points, hitting a key basket with just under a minute left, and Denver weathered a fourthquarter rally to beat the Grizzlies.
Harris was 11 of 18 from the field to help the Nuggets snap a twogame skid. Will Barton added 24 points, and Paul Millsap added 15 as Denver sent the Grizzlies to their 12th straight loss.
MAGIC 115, PISTONS 106 (OT)
In Orlando, Fla, Aaron Gordon had 27 points and 13 rebounds to help the Magic stop a seven-game losing streak.
Nikola Vucevic added 22 points and 12 rebounds, and D.J. Augustin had 20 points and nine assists for the Magic. Evan Fournier scored 17, including seven in the extra period.
BULLS 108, MAVERICKS 100
In Chicago, Bobby Portis scored 22 points and made three straight shots during the decisive run late in the fourth quarter to help the Bulls charge back and beat Dallas.
Portis had 15 in the second half and Chicago used a 16-4 run in the final five minutes to end a five-game losing streak. Kris Dunn finished with 18 points and rookie Lauri Markkanen had 17 points and 12 rebounds as Chicago won for just the third time in 16 games.