Leonard’s late play lifts Clippers past 76ers
Kawhi Leonard converted a go-ahead three-point play with 15.7 seconds remaining to lift the Los Angeles Clippers past the host Philadelphia 76ers 108-107 on Wednesday.
The Clippers trailed by 15 points in the first half and by nine in the fourth quarter before rallying.
Paul George had 22 points and 10 rebounds and Leonard added 17 points and nine rebounds for the Clippers (4527), who snapped a two-game losing streak. James Harden, a former Sixer, contributed 16 points and 14 assists.
Los Angeles’ Terance Mann scored 14 points while Norman Powell and Ivica Zubac had 11 apiece. Amir Coffey chipped in with 10.
Tyrese Maxey led the Sixers (39-34) with 26 points and eight assists, and he also pulled down seven rebounds. Kelly Oubre Jr. added 17 points and 11 rebounds. Oubre Jr. had a chance to win the game but couldn’t get a shot off as the final buzzer sounded.
Lakers 136, Grizzlies 124
Rui Hachimura scored a game-high 32 points to go along with 10 rebounds, helping lead visiting Los Angeles over Memphis.
LeBron James, back after missing one game due to an ankle injury, logged 23 points, 14 rebounds and 12 assists for the Lakers (41-32), who won their fifth straight game. D’Angelo Russell also had 23 points, Taurean Prince scored 15 points, and Jaxson Hayes and Spencer Dinwiddie logged 14 points apiece.
Los Angeles’ Austin Reaves chipped in 13 points and 11 rebounds.
Desmond Bane led Memphis (24-49) with 26 points and 16 assists, while Jake LaRavia scored 25 off the bench. Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 17, and Lamar Stevens and Scotty Pippen Jr. each had 11. GG Jackson scored 10 points for the Grizzlies, who have lost six of seven games.
Building on their eight-point halftime lead, the Lakers opened the second half on a 9-3 run, getting two 3-pointers from Hachimura and one from Russell for a 78-64 advantage.
Rockets 132, Thunder 126, OT
Jalen Green scored 37 points to lift Houston to an overtime win over host Oklahoma City.
The Rockets have won 10 consecutive games, their longest winning streak since the 2017-18 season.
The Thunder have lost two of their last three.
Houston was 7 of 11 from the floor in overtime, scoring 20 points in the extra period.
Dillon Brooks started overtime with back-to-back 3-pointers after Oklahoma City came back to force overtime in the closing seconds of regulation.
Warriors 101, Magic 93
Gary Payton II stalled an Orlando run with an interior hoop, Stephen Curry saved his only two fourth-quarter baskets for the final 1:09 and Golden State overcame the early ejection of Draymond Green to hold off the host Magic.
Andrew Wiggins had 13 of his teamhigh 23 points in the fourth quarter as the Warriors (38-34) followed up a win at Miami with a second Florida victory in two nights.
Cole Anthony had a game-high 26 points along with eight rebounds off the bench for the Magic (42-30), including a 15-footer that capped a 7-0 Orlando run that got the hosts within 94-93 with 2:41 remaining.
Timberwolves 106, Pistons 91
Naz Reid had 21 points and 10 rebounds and Minnesota used a late third-quarter run to take control in a victory over visiting Detroit.
Jaden McDaniels had 20 points and Kyle Anderson supplied 14 points and five assists off the bench for Minnesota.
Rudy Gobert added 11 points with 14 rebounds and Nickeil Alexander-Walker also scored 11 points. All-Star Anthony Edwards was limited to nine points.
Knicks 145, Raptors 101
Miles McBride scored 29 points, Jalen Brunson added 26 points and visiting New York demolished Toronto.
The Knicks (44-28) won for the seventh time in eight games while sending the Raptors (23-50) to their 12th consecutive loss.
McBride made six 3-pointers in the first quarter to match his career best for a game. He finished 9 of 14 from 3-point range.
Nets 122, Wizards 119, OT
Cam Thomas scored 38 points and hit two clutch baskets in overtime as Brooklyn hung on for a victory over host Washington.
After missing Monday’s eight-point win over the Toronto Raptors due to back spasms and being questionable for Wednesday’s game, Thomas made 14 of 27 shots, including his first two in the extra period.
With 3:29 left, Thomas converted a step back 21-footer after Kyle Kuzma lost him for a 116-112 lead. Following a Washington shot clock violation, Thomas sank a 16-footer by the foul line over Marvin Bagley III with 2:44 left.
Hornets 118, Cavaliers 111
Brandon Miller scored 31 points and Charlotte rode solid fourth-quarter defense to avenge a loss from two nights earlier, defeating visiting Cleveland.
Tre Mann and Miles Bridges each scored 17 points and Grant Williams had 16 off the bench for the Hornets (18-54), who snapped a five-game losing streak.
But the big development down the stretch was the Cavaliers’ inability to score. Cleveland managed just two points in the final 5:29.
Hawks 120, Trail Blazers 106
Dejounte Murray scored 30 points and Garrison Mathews netted a seasonhigh 21 to help host Atlanta get its third straight win.
Murray has scored 28-plus points in three of his last four games. He was 13for-20 from the field, including 4-for-8 on 3-pointers, with seven assists. It was his 11th game with 30-plus points and the 22nd time he has led the team in scoring.
Mathews made a season-high five 3point baskets before fouling out in the fourth quarter.
Bulls 125, Pacers 99
DeMar DeRozan scored a game-high 27 points and Nikola Vucevic and Andre Drummond both had double-doubles to help host Chicago defeat Indiana to stop a three-game losing streak.
Six Bulls scored in double figures compared to five for Indiana, which has lost two of three.
Held under 100 points for the first time this season, the Pacers are two victories ahead of the idle Miami Heat for sixth place in the Eastern Conference. Indiana (41-33) has clinched a playoff spot and is aiming to avoid the play-in tournament by staying in the conference’s top six.
Spurs 118, Jazz 111
Devin Vassell scored 31 points and Victor Wembanyama contributed 19 points in his return to the lineup as San Antonio defeated host Utah.
Julian Champagnie, Jeremy Sochan and Malaki Branham each added 17 points as the Spurs won their second straight game. This marks only the fifth time all season that San Antonio (17-56) has won consecutive games.
Collin Sexton led Utah with 26 points and nine assists, but the Jazz (29-44) lost their seventh game in a row.
Lauri Markkanen added 25 points and John Collins scored 18 for Utah, which couldn’t recover after a rough start. The Jazz trailed 29-15 after the first quarter and fell behind by as many as 19 points in the second quarter.
Suns 104, Nuggets 97
Kevin Durant had 30 points, 13 rebounds and five blocked shots, Devin Booker had 17 points and nine assists in his first game vs. Denver this season, and visiting Phoenix beat the Nuggets.
Grayson Allen scored 13 points and Bradley Beal and Eric Gordon finished with 10 each for Phoenix (43-30).
Nikola Jokic had 22 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds for Denver (51-22), which lost for just the third time in 18 games. Two of those losses have been to the visiting Suns.
Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter Jr. scored 18 points each, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope added 13 points and Reggie Jackson finished with 11 points for the Nuggets, who were without guard Jamal Murray (right knee inflammation) for the third straight game.