76ers crush Timberwolves
PHILADELPHIA — Ben Simmons had a triple-double, Joel Embiid dazzled while getting the better of Karl-Anthony Towns, and the Philadelphia 76ers inched closer to their first playoff berth in six years with a 120-108 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night.
Simmons had 15 points, 12 rebounds and 13 assists for the 10th triple-double of his rookie season. Embiid scored 19 points, and had a left-handed block of Towns, a 3-pointer and a windmill dunk in the Sixers’ 20-4 run to start the third quarter.
Dario Saric added 18 points as the Sixers (42-30) won their sixth straight game, ensured a winning season and moved within one win or Detroit loss from their first postseason appearance since 2012.
Andrew Wiggins scored 16 points, and Towns had 15 points and 11 rebounds, but shot just 3 of 15 from the field for Minnesota as its two-game winning streak was snapped.
Simmons secured his triple-double with 3:19 left in the third quarter when he put back his own miss for his 10th point. It was part of a dominating 39-19 period for the Sixers that broke open a close game.
Embiid provided the biggest roar when his acrobatic, breakaway dunk made it 79-56 with 6:39 left. After Minnesota coach Tom Thibodeau called a timeout, Embiid egged on the crowd by raising his arms and screaming.
Coach Brett Brown was forced to reinsert Simmons and Embiid with 2:39 left after the Wolves’ reserves cut a 29-point deficit to 111-101.
Minnesota, which entered in seventh place in the Western Conference, shot 38 percent from the field and were 6 of 23 from 3-point range a night after a victory over the Knicks in New York.
PISTONS 117, BULLS 95: Anthony Tolliver scored 25 points, and Detroit made 13 3-pointers in the first half on its way to a home victory over Chicago.
ROCKETS 114, PELICANS 91: James Harden scored 27 points in three quarters and Houston routed New Orleans Pelicans at home for its eighth straight victory. The NBA-leading Rockets improved to 59-14 to overtake the 1993-94 championship team for the most wins in franchise history.
CELTICS’ IRVING OUT 3 TO 6 WEEKS: The Boston Celtics said Kyrie Irving will miss three to six weeks after surgery on his left knee. Irving had a “minimally invasive” procedure to remove a wire that was placed in his knee during surgery to repair his broken kneecap from the 2015 NBA finals. The team said that Irving’s kneecap is fully healed and structurally sound, but the tension wire was irritating his tendon. WARRIORS’ CURRY OUT 3 WEEKS: Golden State’s Stephen Curry will miss at least three weeks with a sprained left knee. Curry could be back at the start of the playoffs next month. An MRI showed a Grade 2 sprain of his medial collateral ligament and the team said Curry would be re-evaluated in three weeks.