Embiid scores 41 as Sixers down Pacers
76er 133, Pacers 120: Joel Embiid made his closing argument for MVP votes and improved his chances of winning the NBA scoring title, scoring 41 points while collecting 20 rebounds and dishing out four assists to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a victory Saturday over the Indiana Pacers.
Embiid shot 14 for 17 from the floor, went 11 of 15 from the foul line and made both his 3-point attempts in a game that Philadelphia (50-31) needed to win to remain alive in the hunt for the third seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. James Harden had 22 points and 14 assists for Philadelphia, who also got double-digit point performances from Tobias Harris (18), Tyrese Maxey (18) and Danny Green (15).
Oshae Brissett scored 20 points and Tyrese Haliburton had 19 for Indiana (25-56), which lost its ninth straight game. The Pacers fell behind by 21 points in the first half, then cut the deficit to five late in the third quarter before Embiid and Harden began to take control of the game.
Embiid entered Saturday as the leader in the NBA scoring title race with a 30.4 points-per-game average, ahead of Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo at 29.9 points a game.
The Sixers can move up to the third seed in the East and a first-round matchup with Chicago with a victory over Detroit on Sunday and a Boston loss at Memphis.
Grizzlies 141, Pelicans 114: Ja Morant had 21 points and nine assists in his return from soreness in his right knee, Dillon Brooks scored 23 points and host Memphis routed New Orleans to tie the 2012-13 franchise record for victories in a season at 56.
After missing nine games, Morant played almost 27 minutes as the second-seeded Grizzlies got their starting lineup back together as they prepare for the postseason. They will close the regular season at home against Boston on Sunday night.
Clippers 117, Kings 98: Paul George scored 23 points, Ivica Zubac had 15 points and 12 rebounds and host Los Angeles beat Sacramento for its fourth straight victory. Norman Powell added 20 points off the bench for the Clippers, who will face Minnesota on Tuesday in the play-in tournament. A victory would send Los Angeles to the postseason for the fourth straight year and a first-round matchup against Memphis.
Warriors 100, Spurs 94: Jonathan Kuminga and Jordan Poole each had 18 points and the visiting Warriors won their fourth straight, beating the Spurs to strengthen their hopes for a topthree seed.
Golden State is a game ahead of Dallas in the Western Conference and can secure the third seed with a victory Sunday at New Orleans in the season finale. If the Warriors lose, and the Mavericks beat the Spurs on Sunday, Dallas will finish third after going 3-1 in its season series with Golden State.