Kings defeat 76ers; Wizards, Bucks win
PHILADELPHIA—Zach Randolph scored 27 points and Buddy Hield added 24 to lead the Sacramento Kings to a 10195 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday night.
Frank Mason III added 16 points for the Kings, who came back from a 16-point second-half deficit.
Ben Simmons had 13 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists for slumping Philadelphia, which lost for the seventh time in eight games while playing without center Joel Embiid for the second straight night due to a back injury. Robert Covington led the 76ers with 17 points.
Embiid did not travel with the team to Chicago for Monday’s 117-115 loss to the Bulls. He was expected to play against the Kings on the second night of back-to-back games, but coach Brett Brown said the team’s medical staff advised him to keep the 7-foot center on the sideline.
The injury has kept Embiid out for four of the last six games. Brown said Embiid’s back “is still a little bit sore.”
Philadelphia looked out of sync without Embiid and Sacramento took advantage.
Hield gave the Kings a 79-78 lead with a 3-pointer with 9:48 remaining. Vince Carter made a full-court outlet pass to Garrett Temple for a layup that made it 92-86 Sacramento with 4:18 left.
Carter made another crucial play down the stretch, hustling for an offensive rebound that led to Randolph’s jumper with 1:59 to play.
Simmons answered with a driving basket that made it 96-92, but he couldn’t convert the free throw after being fouled and the rally fizzled from there.
Wizards 116, Pelicans 106
WASHINGTON — Bradley Beal scored 26 points, Mike Scott had a season-high 24 and the Washington Wizards beat the New Orleans Pelicans 116-106 on Tuesday night.
John Wall added 18 points and 10 assists, helping Washington win for the third time in four games. Marcin Gortat had 10 points, 14 rebounds and three blocked shots.
New Orleans got another big game from Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins, but the Pelicans dropped their second straight after alternating losses and wins in their first nine games in December. Davis scored 37 points, and Cousins finished with 26 points and 13 rebounds.
After New Orleans tied it at 61 early in the third quarter, the Wizards went on a 24-5 run to take an 85-66 lead with 1:23 to play.
Beal added two 3-pointers to make it 91-68 just before the end of the third quarter.
It was a welcome change of pace for Washington after struggling to put teams away of late. In two wins last week against Memphis and the Los Angeles Clippers, the Wizards surrendered sizable secondleads before holding on.
Bucks 119, Cavaliers 116
MILWAUKEE—G iann is Antetokounmpo scored 27 points, Eric Bledsoe had 26 and the Milwaukee Bucks held off the Cleveland Cavaliers 119-116 on Tuesday night.
Milwaukee ended a five-game losing streak to Cleveland. Khris Middleton had 18 points and 10 assists, and Malcolm Brogdon scored 16 points.
LeBron James scored 39 points for Cleveland, which lost for just the second time in its last 20 games. James had seven assists but grabbed just one rebound in the waning seconds. Kevin Love finished with 21 points.
After a slow start, the Bucks got to the Cavaliers for 39 second-quarter points. Milwaukee cracked the 100-point barrier early in the fourth, but then stalled.
Milwaukee led 103-83 when Cleveland launched a furious comeback. Back-toback 3-pointers by Dwyane Wade put the Cavaliers up 107-105, capping a 24-3 run and giving the visitors their first lead since the second quarter.
A 3-pointer by Brogdon put the Bucks back in front with 3:38 remaining. A traditional three-point play by James put the Cavaliers ahead 113-112 with about two minutes left.