Embiid, 76ers roll past Celtics
Center scores 35 as Philadelphia wins third consecutive
Joel Embiid scored 35 points and the Philadelphia 76ers rolled to a 106-96 win over the Boston Celtics on Tuesday night.
Danny Green added 17 points as the 76ers posted their third straight victory over the Celtics to sweep the season series.
The 76ers have won both games since Embiid returned from a 10-game absence while he recovered from a bruised bone in his left knee. They have won three of four overall.
Philadelphia led by 21 in the second half of the opener of a four-game trip.
Boston was trying for its first three-game win streak since early March. Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 20 points, and Jaylen Brown finished with 17.
Boston had been inching closer to having its full roster available. That progress took a hit hours before the game when recent acquisition Evan Fournier entered the health and safety protocols.
Hawks 123, Pelicans 107:
Trae Young scored 30 points and helped lead a third-quarter 3-point barrage as the surging Hawks beat Zion Williamson and the Pelicans. Bogdan Bogdanovic had 21 points as he continues to emerge as a highscoring complement to Young. Shenendehowa grad Kevin Huerter had 17 points for Atlanta, which has won four consecutive games to improve to 13-4 under Mcmillan. Williamson led
the Pelicans with 34 points.
Bulls 113, Pacers 97: Nikola Vucevic took advantage of Indiana’s missing big men by posting 32 points and 17 rebounds to help the Bulls overwhelm the short-handed Pacers. Chicago has won two straight since snapping a six-game losing streak and moved within one game of the Pacers for the No. 9 spot in the Eastern Conference.
Lakers 110, Raptors 101:
The Lakers made 18 3-pointers, including seven of their first eight attempts, in a win over the Raptors. L.A. built a 34-point lead in the first 20 minutes and was never threatened in the second half.
Grizzlies 124, Heat 112:
Dillon Brooks scored 28 points on 10-for-16 shooting and Memphis ended another Miami winning streak. Jonas Valanciunas had 20 points and 10 rebounds, Kyle Anderson finished with 19 points and Desmond Bane added 15 points for the Grizzlies, who won their third straight.
Notes: James Harden is headed to the sideline just as the Nets prepare to welcome back Kevin Durant. The Nets announced that Harden would miss at least the next 10 days with a hamstring injury, a day before Durant is expected to rejoin the lineup. Harden had an MRI exam that revealed a right hamstring strain. The Nets said he will continue to rehab the injury before being re-evaluated. He was originally hurt last Wednesday, missing the fourth quarter of a victory over Houston with right hamstring tightness. Harden sat out two games before returning Monday, only to leave after just four minutes of a victory over New York. The Nets have had their Big Three of Durant, Harden and Kyrie Irving together for only seven games. ... The Lakers signed guard Ben Mclemore for the rest of the season. The defending NBA champions put the eight-year veteran in their final open roster spot, hoping to improve their poor 3-point shooting performances as they prepare for their push toward the postseason.