Timberwolves outlast 76ers in double OT
Timberwolves 121, 76ers 120 (2OT): D’Angelo Russell scored 35 points and had a decisive steal and assist in the final seconds of the second overtime in the Timberwolves’ victory over Joel Embiid and the host 76ers.
Embiid had 42 points and 14 rebounds in his return to the lineup after missing nine games because of COVID-19 protocols. Philadelphia lost seven of those games without the fourtime All-Star and has now dropped eight of 10.
Russell also made a go-ahead 3 late in the first overtime. Karl-Anthony Towns added 28 points and 10 rebounds but didn’t play in the extra sessions after fouling out, and Anthony Edwards had 19 points. Minnesota has won six of seven.
Embiid scored all seven of Philadelphia’s points in the second overtime, and his 12-foot baseline jumper put them up 120-117 with 1:58 to play.
Naz Reid’s layup pulled Minnesota within a point with 30.8 seconds left.
Then, Russell stole Tyrese Maxey’s pass that was intended for Embiid before assisting on Reid’s driving layup that put the Timberwolves up a point.
Knicks 99, Hawks 90: Alec Burks scored 23 points, Evan Fournier added 20 and the visiting Knicks snapped Atlanta’s seven-game winning streak.
Burks, starting with Kemba Walker and Derrick Rose nursing injuries, hit three of his four 3s and scored 15 points in the third quarter.
Trae Young finished with 33 points, scoring 30 for the fourth straight game, but it wasn’t enough as Atlanta dropped to 8-2 at home and 11-10 overall. Clint Capela had 16 points and 21 rebounds.
Both teams were playing the second game of a back-to-back, with the Hawks winning the night before at Memphis and the Knicks losing at home to Phoenix.
Heat 107, Bulls 104: Kyle Lowry scored 19 points, Jimmy Butler added 18 and the visiting Heat beat the Bulls.
Gabe Vincent made four threepointers and had 20 off the bench, and Bam Adebayo added nine points, six assists, and seven rebounds.
Cavaliers 105, Magic 92: Darius Garland scored a season-high 26 points, rookie Evan Mobley had 13 points in his return from a sprained right elbow and the host Cavaliers beat the Magic.
Mobley missed four games after getting entangled with Boston’s Enes Kanter on Nov. 15.
He had nine rebounds, three assists and four blocked shots, helping Cleveland end its longest losing streak of the season at five.
Wizards 120, Mavericks 114: Bradley Beal scored 26 points, Kyle Kuzma had 10 of his 22 in the fourth quarter and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored the clinching four points in the closing seconds for the visiting Wizards.
Luka Doncic had 33 points and 10 rebounds for the Mavericks. They for only the second time in eight home games.