Bulls outlast 76ers in double OT
Zach Lavine scored 26 points, Demar Derozan had 25 and the Chicago Bulls defeated Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers 109-105 in double overtime Monday night to snap their eight-game winning streak.
Nikola Vucevic added 21 points and 12 rebounds for the Bulls, who have won three games in a row and five of six. Chicago is fighting for the final playoff spot in the East.
Embiid had 37 points, 16 rebounds and three blocks before fouling out with 3:54 left in the second overtime. It was the 10th straight game in which he has scored at least 30 points.
The teams meet again in the second game of a homeand-home on Wednesday night in Chicago.
Philadelphia could’ve clinched a playoff spot with a victory, but the 76ers struggled once Embiid left the court after a foul on Lavine.
Tyrese Maxey hit an elbow jumper and Tobias Harris followed with a baseline jumper to put the 76ers ahead 105-101 with 2:36 left in the second OT. But those were the last points Philadelphia scored, with Embiid only able to watch from the bench.
TIMBERWOLVES 140, KNICKS 134
Julius Randle scored 57 points to tie the third-highest game in Knicks history, but Minnesota rode a sizzling start and a steady finish to beat New York.
Taurean Prince scored a season-high 35 points and went 8 for 8 from 3-point range for the Timberwolves.
Randle finished tied with Richie Guerin behind the only two 60-point games in Knicks history, Carmelo Anthony’s 62 on Jan. 24, 2014, and Bernard King’s 60 on Christmas Day in 1984.
HORNETS 115, PACERS 109
Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 28 points, and Charlotte erased a 21-point first-half deficit to beat Indiana behind a strong finish to snap a six-game home losing streak.
Terry Rozier added 23 points and Gordon Hayward had 22 for the Hornets, who outscored the Pacers 19-4 over the final six minutes to deal the Pacers’ postseason hopes a big blow.
Myles Turner and Buddy Hield each had 20 points for the Pacers.
WARRIORS 121, ROCKETS 108
Stephen Curry scored 30 points and Klay Thompson added 29 as Golden State snapped an 11-game road skid with a win over Houston.
The game was close most of the way before the Warriors used a 12-2 spurt early in the fourth quarter to pull away and hold on for their first win away from home since Jan. 30 at Oklahoma City.
The Western Conference-worst Rockets got 21 points and 12 rebounds from Tari Eason and Jalen Green added 20.
GRIZZLIES 112, MAVERICKS 108
Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 28 points, including a key layup with 17 seconds left as Memphis defeated Dallas in Ja Morant’s first game back with the team after an eight-game league suspension.
Kyrie Irving led the Mavericks with 28 points, but missed all eight of his shots in the fourth quarter as Memphis outscored Dallas 29-12 in the period.
Morant did not dress for the game but was on the Memphis bench, coming out to a hearty ovation from the fans just before tipoff.