Towns delivers big win on birthday
He scores 26 points, helps Wolves break drought against Spurs
Karl-Anthony Towns had 26 points and 16 rebounds on his 22nd birthday, and the Minnesota Timberwolves stopped a 12-game losing streak to the San Antonio Spurs with a 9886 victory on Wednesday night.
Jeff Teague pitched in 16 points and six assists, and Nemanja Bjelica added 11 points off the bench as the host Timberwolves put together one of their most complete performances with their fewest points allowed this season.
LaMarcus Aldridge fell off from his 32-point game the night before, finishing with a quiet 15 points and 10 rebounds. The Wolves used a 13-3 fast-break scoring advantage to stave off the Spurs despite a minimal contribution from stars Andrew Wiggins (11 points) and Jimmy Butler, who shot a combined 6 for 24 from the floor.
The Spurs were the only previous opponent to hold Minnesota under 100 points this season when they beat the Wolves 107-99 on opening night.
76ERS 115, LAKERS 109 >> Joel Embiid scored a careerhigh 46 points, the most by a Philadelphia player in 11 years, and grabbed 15 rebounds, and Sixers rookie Ben Simmons added 18 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds.
Embiid also had seven assists and seven blocked shots, making him the first NBA player with 40 points, seven assists and seven blocks in a game since Julius Erving did it for the 76ers against Detroit in 1982, according to ESPN Stats & Info. Embiid shot 14 for 20 from the field and 16 of 19 at the free throw line, the most points by a Sixers player since Allen Iverson scored 46 against Chicago on Nov. 24, 2006.
For the second consecutive game, prized rookie Lonzo Ball sat out the fourth quarter for the Lakers. He played just 21 minutes, going 1 for 9 and missing all six of his 3-point attempts. THUNDER 92, BULLS 79 >> Russell Westbrook had 21 points and seven assists, and Oklahoma City won its third straight game. Carmelo Anthony returned to the Thunder lineup after missing the previous game with a sore lower back and finished with 18 points and 11 rebounds.
KNICKS 106, JAZZ 101 >> Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 26 points, and Kristaps Porzingis had 22 to help New York rally in the second half to beat visiting Utah. Rodney Hood scored 30 points off the bench for the Jazz, which dropped to 1-2 since losing star center Rudy Gobert for four weeks with a bone bruise in his right leg.
HAWKS 126, KINGS 80 >> Dewayne Dedmon scored a career-high 20 points and had 14 rebounds, and Atlanta rode a dominant first half to the most lopsided win in franchise history. Atlanta’s 46-point margin of victory was two points better than its previous best, a 141-97 win over Detroit on Feb. 7, 1994.
BUCKS 99, PISTONS 95 >> Khris Middleton scored 27 points, Giannis Antetokounmpo added 21, and Milwaukee beat Detroit for its fourth straight victory. Recently acquired Eric Bledsoe had 12 points, all in the second half, to help the Bucks halt Detroit’s fivegame winning streak. WIZARDS 102, HEAT 93 >> John Wall scored 27 points, Bradley Beal had 26, and Washington held on despite missing its first nine shots after intermission and being outscored 25-10 in the third quarter.
CAVALIERS 115, HORNETS 107 >> LeBron James scored 31 points, and Cleveland continued its dominance against Charlotte. The Cavaliers have won seven straight against the Hornets and 11 of 12. RAPTORS 125, PELICANS 116 >> DeMar DeRozan scored 25 points, and Toronto shot 16 for 34 on 3-pointers. TRAIL BLAZERS 99, MAGIC 94>> Damian Lillard had 26 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists, and Portland handed Orlando its third straight loss.
ROCKETS’ PAUL EXPECTED BACK >> Chris Paul is expected to return for the Houston Rockets on Thursday night after missing all but one game this season with a bruised left knee. The point guard returned to practice Wednesday. Coach Mike D’Antoni says the plan is for him to start when Houston visits Phoenix.