Sixers Top Hornets For Third Straight Win
(Philadelphia, PA) — Joel Embiid scored 24 points and grabbed eight rebounds as the 76ers knocked off the Hornets 102-93 in Philadelphia. Dario Saric added 15 points off the bench for the Sixers, who have won three straight games for the first time in three years. Philly is now 12-and-25. Nicolas Batum had 19 points to lead Charlotte, which lost its fourth straight to slip back to .500 at 20-and-20.
Raptors Rip Lowly Nets
(Toronto, Ontario) — The Raptors outscored the Nets 42-to-24 in the fourth quarter to run away for a 132-113 win in Toronto. DeMar DeRozan led seven Raptors in double-figures with 28 points. Kyle Lowry added 20 points as Toronto won its second straight to improve to 26-and-13. Bojan Bogdanovic led the Brooklyn attack with 23 points, while Brook Lopez added 20. The Nets have lost nine in-a-row and own the NBA’s worst record at 8-and-31.
Timberwolves Stymie Thunder
(Minneapolis, MN) — Karl-Anthony Towns scored 29 points to go along with 17 rebounds as the Timberwolves held off the Thunder 96-86 in Minneapolis. Ricky Rubio also recorded a double-double with 14 points and 14 assists as Minnesota won its third straight. Andrew Wiggins contributed 19 in the winning effort. The T’wolves improved to 14-and-26. Russell Westbrook recorded his 19th triple-double of the year with 21 points, 12 assists and 11 boards. Westbrook also turned it over 10 times in defeat. Oklahoma City had won three straight coming in.
Bucks Turn Back Heat
(Milwaukee, WI) — The Bucks raced out to a 17-point halftime lead and hung on turn back the Heat 116-108 in Milwaukee. Jabari Parker scored 24 points and Giannis Antetokounmpo added 19 for the Bucks, who have won two straight and five of their last seven games. Goran Dragic and Hassan Whiteside each had 19 points to lead Miami, which has lost four in-a-row and 10 of its last 11 games.
Grizzlies Rally Past Rockets In Second Half
(Houston, TX) — The Grizzlies overcame a 13-point halftime deficit to soar past the Rockets 110-105 at the Toyota Center. Tony Allen scored a season-high 22 points as Memphis won for the third time in four games. Zach Randolph added 16 points and 12 rebounds in the win. James Harden had 27 points and nine assists for Houston, which lost for just the fourth time in 20 home games this season. Eric Gordon contributed 13 points in the loss.
Celtics Hang On, Clip Hawks
(Atlanta, GA) — An Isaiah Thomas jump shot with two seconds left lifted the Celtics past the Hawks 103-101 in Atlanta. Thomas finished with 29 points and nine assists as Boston won for the eighth time in 10 games. Kelly Olynyk [[ oh-LIN-ick ]] had a big night off the bench, scoring 26 and grabbing eight rebounds. The Celtics sit a game-and-a-half out of first in the Atlantic division. Paul Millsap and Tim Hardaway Junior paced the Hawks with 23 points apiece in defeat. Atlanta had its seven-game winning streak snapped and fell to 22-and-17.
Magic Trip Up Trail Blazers Behind Vucevic
(Portland, OR) — Nikola Vucevic scored 30 points and pulled down 10 rebounds as the Magic tripped up the Trail Blazers 115-109 in Portland. Elfrid Payton added 19 points for Orlando, which opened the game on a 20-to-3 run. The Magic snapped a four-game losing streak to improve to 17-and-24. Damian Lillard poured in 34 points for Portland, which had won its previous two. C.J. McCollum added 26 points in the setback.
Jazz Pummel Road Weary Pistons
(Salt Lake City, UT) — Rodney Hood led a balanced attack with 27 points as the Jazz pummeled the Pistons 110-77 in Salt Lake City. George Hill added 22 points and Gordon Hayward 20 for Utah, which outscored Detroit 65-to-34 in the second half. The Jazz have won three-of-four to run their record to 25-and-16. Tobias Harris had 13 points and Andre Drummond pulled down 19 rebounds for the Pistons, who lost their third straight on a five-game road trip.
Cavs Cut Down Kings
(Sacramento, CA) — Kyrie Irving knocked down 26 points to pace the Cavaliers to a 120-108 win over the Kings in Sacramento. LeBron James had 16 points and 15 assists for Cleveland, which snapped a two-game skid. Kevin Love contributed 15 points and 18 rebounds in the win as the Cavs moved to 29-and-10. DeMarcus Cousins compiled 26 points, eight rebounds and 11 assists for Sacramento, which has lost four of five to fall to 16-and-23.
Streaking Caps Crush Blackhawks
(Washington, DC) — The Capitals scored three times in the first period and cruised to a 6-0 win over the Blackhawks in D.C. Jay Beagle, Nicklas Backstrom and Brett Connolly each found the net in the opening frame. Beagle also finished the scoring in the third period for Washington, which got 24 saves from Brian Holtby to extend its winning streak to eight games. Corey Crawford gave up the first five goals for Chicago, which had won four in-a-row.
Maple Leafs Double Up Rangers
(New York, NY) — The Maple Leafs jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period and never trailed in a 4-2 win over the Rangers at Madison Square Garden. James van Riemsdyk and Connor Carrick had power-play goals for Toronto, which has traded wins and losses in its last five games. Chris Kreider and J.T. Miller lit the lamp for New York, which went 0-for-6 on the power play. The Rangers had won two straight and five of their previous six games.
Islanders Ride Tavares Hat Trick To Win Over Panthers
(Sunrise, FL) — John Tavares notched a hat trick as the Islanders skated to a 5-2 win over the Panthers in Florida. Tavares staked New York a 2-0 lead in the first and also had the final two goals, including an empty-netter, to reach 14 for the season. Jason Chimera and Nick Leddy also scored as the Isles ended a three-game skid to earn a split of the home-and-home series. Vincent Trocheck and Reilly Smith tallied for Florida, which had won two straight.
Blue Jackets Beat Lightning
(Tampa, FL) — Nick Foligno’s power-play goal in the third period helped lift the Blue Jackets to a 3-1 win at Tampa Bay. Joonas Korpisalo stopped 31 shots in his first game of the season for Columbus. The Blue Jackets are 2-and-3 since having their 16-game winning streak snapped. Josh Anderson and Boone Jenner also scored for the Blue Jackets. Jonathan Drouin had the lone goal for the Lightning, who have lost five-of-six.
Devils Hold Off Flames
(Calgary, Alberta) — Kyle Palmieri had a goal and an assist in the first period as the Devils held off the Flames 2-1 in Calgary. Taylor Hall scored with 1:29 left in the opening period for what proved to be the decisive goal. Keith Kinkaid made 31 saves as New Jersey ended a four-game losing streak. Sean Monahan scored in the second period for the only Flames goal. Calgary saw its four-game home winning streak come to an end.