National Basketball Association results | Wednesday
76ers 129, Pistons 111
DETROIT — Joel Embiid scored 30 of his 41 points in the first half and the Philadelphia 76ers handed the Detroit Pistons their 21st straight loss to open a home-and-home series.
Detroit matched the longest streak in franchise history, set at the end of the 1979-80 season and start of 1980-81. It is the sixth-longest single-season losing streak in the NBA.
Only the 2010-11 Cleveland Cavaliers and the 2013-14 Philadelphia 76ers (both lost 26 straight), along with the 1995-96 Vancouver Grizzlies, the 199798 Denver Nuggets and the 2011-12 Charlotte Bobcats (all lost 23 in a row) have lost more games in a row in a season. Philadelphia holds the overall mark of 28, set at the end of 2014-15 and start of 2015-16.
Detroit dropped to 2-22, with the teams set to meet again Friday night in Philadelphia. Bojan Bogdanovic led the Pistons with 33 points.
Pelicans 142, Wizards 122
WASHINGTON — Brandon Ingram scored a season-high 40 points, Trey Murphy III added six 3-pointers and 27 points and short-handed New Orleans had its best offensive showing of the season to rout Washington.
CJ McCollum had 22 points and Jonas Valanciunas added 16 points and 18 rebounds. Zion Williamson sat out because of a sprained ankle.
Kyle Kuzma scored 27 points for Washington. The Wizards lost for the 20th time in 23 games, the fastest the team has reached that loss total since the 2012-13 season.
Raptors 135, Hawks 128
TORONTO — Pascal Siakam scored 33 points, Scottie Barnes had 27 points and 10 rebounds and Toronto beat Atlanta to end a four-game losing streak.
O.G. Anunoby added 22 points for the Raptors in the opener of a two-game home set against the Hawks. Trae Young scored 35 points and matched a season high with 17 assists, but Atlanta’s seasonworst losing streak reached five.
Heat 115, Hornets 104
MIAMI — Duncan Robinson scored 23 points, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Kyle Lowry each added 17 and Miami beat Charlotte to finish off a two-game home-and-home sweep.
Lowry was perfect shooting — 5 for 5 from the floor, 4 for 4 of those on 3-pointers and 3 for 3 from the line. Jimmy Butler had 15 points and 10 assists.
Terry Rozier scored 28 points for Charlotte.
Rockets 117, Grizzlies 104
HOUSTON — Tari Eason scored a careerhigh 25 points, Jabari Smith Jr. added 20 points and 10 rebounds and Houston beat Memphis to extended its home winning streak to 11.
Eason came off the bench to shoot 10 for 16 and matched a career high with 14 rebounds.
Jaren Jackson Jr. had a career-high 44 points for Memphis.
Bucks 140, Pacers 126
MILWAUKEE — Giannis Antetokounmpo scored a franchiserecord 64 points to help the Milwaukee Bucks outscore the Indiana Pacers.
Antetokounmpo broke the team record of 57 set by Michael Redd in 2006 in a 113111 loss to the Utah Jazz. Antetokounmpo’s previous career high was 55 in a 123-113 victory over Washington in January 2023. He had 54 at Indiana on Nov. 9.
Antetokounmpo was 20 of 28 from the field, made 24 of 32 free throws and had 14 rebounds.
Damian Lillard added 21 points for the Bucks.
Tyrese Haliburton and Myles Turner had 22 points apiece for the Pacers.
Nets 116, Suns 112
PHOENIX — Cam Thomas scored 24 points, Mikal Bridges added 21 in his return to the desert and Brooklyn spoiled the debut of Phoenix’s All-Star trio.
It was the first time this season — in the 24th game — that Phoenix’s Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal played on the same night. The trio’s debut was delayed because of various injuries, particularly Beal’s sore back, which has limited him to five games this season.
Booker had 34 points and 12 assists, Durant added 27 points and Beal had 14. Jusuf Nurkic had 15 points and a seasonhigh 22 rebounds.
Jazz 117, Knicks 113
SALT LAKE CITY — Collin Sexton scored a season-high 26 points, Lauri Markannen punctuated his return to the court with 23 points and Utah beat New York.
After missing eight games because of a strained left hamstring, Markkanen scored both inside and on the perimeter and was only slowed by a minutes restriction. In 25 minutes, Markkanen went 7 for 13 from the field, had four 3s and eight rebounds.
Julius Randle had 32 points and 12 rebounds for New York.