NBA: Embiid, Paul shine as Sixers, Suns clinch series

The Philadelphia 76ers and Phoenix Suns booked their place in the NBA playoff conference semi-finals on Thursday after wrapping up series-clinching victories in contrasting fashion.

In Toronto, Joel Embiid scored 33 points in a 132-97 Sixers blowout over the Raptors to seal a 4-2 series victory that sets up a showdown with top seeds Miami.

Western Conference top-seeds Phoenix, meanwhile, were pushed all the way by a gutsy New Orleans Pelicans team before completing a nerve-jangling 115-109 win in the Big Easy.

Veteran Chris Paul led Phoenix through a bruising battle with 33 points -- including a perfect 14-from-14 from the field -- while Deandre Ayton added 22 points and Mikal Bridges 18. 

The Suns' 4-2 series win sees them advance to a semi-final meeting against the winner of the Dallas-Utah series. The Mavericks can clinch later Thursday with victory over the Jazz in Salt Lake City.

It marked an emotional return to New Orleans for 12-time NBA All-Star Paul, who began his professional career in the city with six seasons for the then New Orleans Hornets.

"I always say this city raised me," Paul said afterwards. "It's nice to do it here in New Orleans...It's home for me. I root for this team when I'm not playing against them. So to beat them was nice."

The Suns were also buoyed by the return from injury of Devin Booker, whose 13-point haul included a crucial three-pointer late in the fourth quarter to edge Phoenix ahead.

"Having Book back was everything," Paul added. "Down the stretch they started to blitz and they forgot we had Devin Booker standing over there on the wing."

Booker, meanwhile, paid tribute to the performance of the 36-year-old Paul.

"I've been watching him since I was eight years old," Booker said of Paul. "It doesn't surprise me. 

"The most surprising thing is after the games we dropped, the disrespect that was put on his name. He's a first ballot Hall-of-Famer, arguably the GOAT in his position. And he deserves those flowers."

The Suns will play the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference semi-finals. 

The Mavericks dug deep to defeat Utah, 98-96, on the road in Salt Lake City to complete a 4-2 series win over the Jazz.

Luka Doncic and Jalen Brunson scored 24 points apiece as Dallas fought back from a 12-point third-quarter deficit for a gutsy win. 

Utah's Bogdan Bogdanovic missed a wide-open three to win the game on the buzzer as Dallas escaped with victory.

Embiid dominant

Earlier in Toronto, the Sixers made sure there was no chance of a game seven decider as they thrashed the Raptors.

Embiid, who has been bothered by torn ligaments in his thumb in recent games, delivered a dominant display which also included 10 rebounds, three blocks and two steals.

MVP candidate Embiid was given backing by Tyrese Maxey with 25 points while James Harden also came up big with 22 points, 15 assists and six rebounds.

It was a welcome return to form for the Sixers, who had looked vulnerable after losing games four and five to Toronto after earlier leading the series 3-0.

"We had a great practice yesterday and we needed that," said Embiid, who said the Sixers had been motivated by their back-to-back losses.

"It was a blessing in disguise to lose those two games, because that wasn't us," he said. "We didn't play the way we wanted to. We were extremely sloppy.

"Tonight we wanted to come in here and play with more intensity. Especially me. I was really bad last game, defensively. I wanted to play with a lot of energy and be physical."

Maxey meanwhile said the Sixers had been ready for a "fight."

"Whether we get hit in the mouth we get back up and keep fighting, and that's what we did tonight," he said.

"Joel (Embiid) told me on the plane on the way up here 'We lose if we don't be aggressive.' And that's what I tried to do."

The Sixers edged into a 62-61 lead at halftime after two hard-fought opening quarters.

But Philadelphia erupted after the break to outscore Toronto 37-17 in the third quarter and effectively ice the contest.

The Sixers kept the hammer down in the fourth quarter, never giving Toronto any kind of opportunity to cut into Philadelphia's double-digit lead.

Tobias Harris added 19 points for Philadelphia, while Danny Green also posted a double digit total with 12 points.

Chris Boucher led the Raptors scoring with 25 points off the bench while Pascal Siakam added 24.

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Rivers defends playoff record as Sixers prepare for Raptors

LOS ANGELES -- Philadelphia 76ers coach Doc Rivers defended his record in the NBA playoffs on Wednesday as his team prepared for a nervy game-six duel with the Toronto Raptors.

After surging into a 3-0 series lead, the Sixers have missed two chances to clinch the series, losing game four last Saturday before being defeated at home on Monday in a lackuster 103-88 defeat.

The nature of Monday's loss -- and the fact that Sixers star Joel Embiid is nursing a thumb injury -- has raised the prospect of Philadelphia becoming the first team to blow a 3-0 series lead in NBA history.

It has also invited scrutiny of Rivers' record in the playoffs. 

The Sixers coach is the only coach in the NBA who has blown multiple 3-1 playoff series leads in his career. 

Rivers' Orlando Magic were pipped in seven games by the Detroit Pistons in 2003 after taking a 3-1 lead in the playoffs, and the Los Angeles Clippers suffered the same fate twice during Rivers’ reign, losing in 2015 to the Houston Rockets and in 2020 against the Denver Nuggets.

Rivers bristled on Wednesday when quizzed by reporters about his history of playoff near-misses ahead of Thursday's game six in Toronto.

"Well, it's easy to use me as an example," Rivers said. "But I wish y'all would tell the whole story with me. All right?

"My Orlando team was the eighth seed. No one gives me credit for getting up against the Pistons, who won the title. 

"That was an eighth seed. I want you to go back and look at that roster. I dare you to go back and look at that roster. 

"And you would say, 'What a hell of a coaching job.' Really."

Rivers added that his Clippers team in 2015 was hobbled by an injury to Chris Paul, while the team that lost to Denver in 2020 were playing in the unique fan-free environment of the pandemic bubble in Orlando.

"The 2015 Clipper team that we lost 3-1, Chris Paul, didn't play the first two games, and was playing on one leg, and we didn't have home court," Rivers said.

"And then the last one (in 2020) to me, is the one we blew. That's the one I took. We blew that. And that was in the bubble. 

"And anything can happen in the bubble. There's no home court. Game seven would have been in LA."

"But, it just happens. So I would say with me, some of them is ... I got to do better always. I always take my own responsibility. And then, some of it is, circumstances happen. 

"This one, let's win it, and we don't have to talk about it."

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Embiid, Harris stop Sixers rot as Hornets routed

NEW YORK -- Joel Embiid scored 29 points as the Philadelphia 76ers halted their three-game losing streak with an emphatic 144-114 rout of the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday.

The Sixers had slumped to defeats against the Phoenix Suns, Milwaukee Bucks and lowly Detroit Pistons heading into Saturday's early home game at the Wells Fargo Center.

But Embiid and a balanced Sixers offense were in no mood to concede a fourth straight loss against a Charlotte team in 10th place in the Eastern Conference.

The Sixers held a narrow 58-53 lead at half-time but pulled away with a 45-point third-quarter performance before pouring in 41 points in the fourth quarter to seal a crushing win.

Embiid finished with 29 points, 14 rebounds and six assists while Tobias Harris had 23 points, five rebounds and four assists.

Tyrese Maxey added 19 points while James Harden finished with 12 points and 13 assists.

The Sixers improved to 47-30 with the victory to remain in fourth place in the Eastern Conference, within touching distance of a playoff place.

Miles Bridges led the Charlotte scoring with 20 points, with P.J. Washington adding 14 and point guard LaMelo Ball 13.

"That was a great game for us, coming back off a disappointing loss in Detroit," the Sixers' Harris said afterwards. 

"Just being able to push the pace today and get going was big for us."

Harris said the Sixers had been determined to start strongly after half-time following recent poor performances in the third quarter.

"We haven't had the greatest of starts in the third quarter in the last few games, so that was an emphasis for us - we had a lot of energy in that third quarter," he said.

The Sixers can clinch a playoff place on Sunday with a win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, who defeated the already-eliminated New York Knicks 119-101 in Saturday's other early game.

The Cavaliers are in seventh place in the Eastern Conference on 43-35, just outside the top six automatic playoff places.

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Tyrese Maxey’s big 2nd half propels 76ers past Cavs

Tyrese Maxey scored 33 points, James Harden added 25 points and 11 assists and the host Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 125-119 on Friday.

The Sixers improved to 4-0 with Harden in the lineup and won their 5th in a row overall.

Joel Embiid had 22 points and 9 rebounds, Georges Niang scored 17 points off the bench and Tobias Harris contributed 15. Shake Milton chipped in with 11.

Darius Garland led the Cavaliers with 26 points and 19 assists, Isaac Okoro scored 22 points while Cedi Osman and Jarrett Allen had 20 each. Kevin Love also had 11 points and 10 rebounds.

Cleveland has dropped 3 straight.

Maxey knocked down consecutive treys and the Sixers moved out to a 110-106 lead with 6:46 left. Maxey soon threw down a dunk for a 6-point advantage.

Allen followed with a dunk with 5:34 left to cut the deficit to 4. He made back-to-back short baskets in the lane, and Cleveland trailed 116-112 with 2:21 to go.

Embiid hit a tough shot off one leg with 1:24 remaining for a 120-114 advantage, and Maxey made two free throws down the stretch to close it out. Twenty-four of his 33 points came in the second half.

The Cavaliers bolted to a 21-point lead after Love's deep 3-pointer with two minutes remaining in the first quarter.

Cleveland maintained a double-digit lead and moved ahead 65-52 when Osman dropped in a trey with 2:43 left in the second. Allen then hit a pair of free throws for a 15-point advantage.

The Sixers chipped away and closed within 71-63 at halftime. Maxey made 2 of 3 free throws with 0.4 seconds remaining after being fouled on a 3-pointer. Embiid led the way with 14 points in the half while Harris added 13.

Okoro hit his first five shots and paced the Cavaliers with 13. Five Cavaliers scored in double figures in the first half.

The Sixers came out aggressive in the third and closed within 82-79 with 6:56 left following a 12-foot jumper by Maxey. Cleveland led just 99-97 at the end of the third.

Niang opened the fourth with a 3-pointer from the wing for a one-point Sixers lead. Harden then drove to the basket and finished with his right hand for a 102-99 advantage.

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Joel Embiid outduels DeMar DeRozan as 76ers beat Bulls

Joel Embiid had 40 points, 10 rebounds and two blocked shots to lift the Philadelphia 76ers past the host Chicago Bulls 119-108 on Sunday.

It was the seventh game that Embiid scored at least 40 points this season.

Tobias Harris scored 23 points, Tyrese Maxey added 16 and Seth Curry contributed 12 for the Sixers, who snapped a two-game losing streak.

DeMar DeRozan led the Bulls with 45 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. Nikola Vucevic added 23 points and Javonte Green had 17.

The Bulls played without several key injured players -- Zach LaVine, Lonzo Ball, Alex Caruso and Coby White.

The Sixers have won all three meetings against the Bulls thus far this season.

The Sixers bolted to a 51-36 lead after Embiid dropped in two free throws with 5:19 left in the second quarter.

DeRozan completed a three-point play with 1:49 remaining as the Bulls closed within 53-46.

Embiid hit a late 3-pointer, finishing the half with 22 points, and the Sixers led 61-52 at halftime. DeRozan kept the Bulls close with 26 on 10-of-15 shooting.

After the Bulls closed within five early in the third, Curry and Maxey each connected on a trey and the Sixers went ahead 67-56.

The Bulls cut the deficit to 81-75 with 4:23 to go in the third after a 3-pointer by Vucevic. Philadelphia led 89-81 at the end of the third.

Furkan Korkmaz hit a jumper, Danny Green followed with a trey and Harris scored on back-to-back trips to open the fourth as the Sixers took a 98-81 lead.

Matt Thomas came back with a 20-foot jumper for the Bulls to end a 9-0 run. The Bulls eventually countered with a 13-0 stretch of their own to get within 98-94 with 8:06 remaining after another jumper by DeRozan.

Embiid threw down a dunk with 6:03 left and Philadelphia held a 109-100 advantage.

Harris essentially sealed the win when he drove to the basket and scored for a 116-106 lead with 2:01 to go.

-reuters

NBA: Doncic posts 33-point triple-double, as Mavs beat 76ers

Luka Doncic tallied 33 points, 15 assists and 13 rebounds and the host Dallas Mavericks defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 107-98 on Friday.

It was the 8th triple-double of the season and the 44th of Doncic's career. The guard tied his season high for assists.

Reggie Bullock added 20 points, Jalen Brunson contributed 19 and Dwight Powell had 14 for Dallas. Dorian Finney-Smith also chipped in with 13.

The Mavericks played without Kristaps Porzingis for the 3rd straight game, as he has a bone bruise on his right knee.

Joel Embiid led the Sixers with 27 points and 13 rebounds, Tyrese Maxey added 18 points and Tobias Harris had 13. Georges Niang also contributed 13 and Seth Curry had 11.

In a bizarre scene, the game was delayed for 45 minutes with 6:03 remaining in the first quarter due to a crooked rim. Doncic hit a 3-pointer then pointed to the referees regarding the rim. After a quick check by maintenance workers, a new basket stanchion was brought in to replace the original one.

The Sixers bolted to a 40-24 lead early in the 2nd quarter and held on for a 63-53 advantage at halftime. Embiid led the way with 18 points and 9 rebounds before the break.

Doncic paced the Mavericks with 15 first-half points.

Dallas came out aggressive in the 3rd and quickly closed within 68-67 when Powell dropped in 2 free throws with 8:08 left.

The Mavericks tied the game at 76 when Doncic completed a 3-point play with 3:36 to go. Bullock drained a trey on their next possession for a 3-point lead.

The Sixers looked out of sync on offense for most of the 3rd and trailed 85-78 at the end of the quarter. Doncic scored 11 points in the 3rd.

Maxey hit a pair of free throws on the Sixers' first possession of the 4th. Niang added a short runner in the lane, Maxey made a difficult layup, and the deficit was one with 9:26 remaining.

Niang then hit a 3-pointer, Danny Green drove to the basket and scored and the Sixers capped an 11-0 run to lead 89-85.

Bullock hit consecutive 3-pointers and the Mavericks went back ahead 96-91 with 5:25 to go.

Doncic's three-point play with 1:39 left gave the Mavericks a 103-96 advantage.

-reuters

NBA: Jazz roll past 76ers for sixth straight win

Donovan Mitchell scored 22 points, and Rudy Gobert had 17 points and 21 rebounds as the Utah Jazz beat the host Philadelphia 76ers 118-96 on Thursday night.

Hassan Whiteside contributed 14 points and 10 rebounds, Bojan Bogdanovic had 14 points, and Joe Ingles and Jordan Clarkson chipped in with 11 each for the Jazz, who won their sixth in a row. Mike Conley and Rudy Gay also had 10 points apiece.

Joel Embiid led the 76ers with 19 points and nine rebounds, but he appeared to be hampered by an apparent rib injury in the second half. Seth Curry scored 18 points, Tobias Harris added 17 and Tyrese Maxey had 11 for the 76ers, who had their three-game winning streak snapped.

Mitchell dropped in a 3-pointer to put the Jazz ahead 47-44 with 4:43 remaining in the second quarter.

The Jazz took advantage of some hot shooting down the stretch and moved out to a 61-54 lead at halftime. Mitchell led the way with 17 points as Utah hit 9 of 20 from beyond the 3-point arc.

Embiid paced the 76ers with 13. But Philadelphia struggled on treys, going 3-for-18.

After the 76ers closed within two early in the third, Royce O'Neale and Conley responded with back-to-back 3-pointers for a 69-61 lead.

When Curry hit a trey from the wing with 4:14 left, the 76ers trailed 73-68.

But the Jazz came right back with an 8-0 run and went on to lead 88-76 at the end of the third.

Embiid went to the locker room with 2:27 left in the third and returned with 9:53 to go in the fourth, but the Jazz pulled ahead 94-78 while the All-Star was out.

After Clarkson hit a 3-pointer with 8:29 left, the Jazz led 97-80.

Embiid drove to the basket and scored over Gobert with 6:33 remaining and the 76ers cut the deficit to 99-86.

On Utah's next possession, Gobert grabbed an offensive rebound and converted a three-point play to extend its advantage back to 16.

The Jazz had more than enough of a cushion to cruise to another win.

-Field Level Media 

NBA: Jazz obliterate slumping Sixers

Bojan Bogdanovic scored 27 points, Rudy Gobert logged his 11th double-double of the young season and the Utah Jazz snapped out of a mini-funk by dominating the Philadelphia 76ers in a 120-85 victory Tuesday night in Salt Lake City.

Gobert took advantage of the Sixers being without Joel Embiid, who has missed five consecutive games -- all losses -- because of COVID-19 protocols.

The Jazz center scored 15 points, grabbed 17 rebounds and blocked four shots while helping Utah win for just the second time in six games. He spearheaded a Jazz defense that limited Philadelphia to 36.7 percent shooting.

Bogdanovic hit 9 of 12 shots overall and 5 of 7 from 3-point range to lead a Utah offense that made 51 percent of its field-goal attempts and earned its largest margin of victory this season.

Four other Utah players reached double digits: Jordan Clarkson (20 points with four 3-pointers), Mike Conley and Donovan Mitchell (13 apiece) and Hassan Whiteside (10).

Shake Milton scored 18 points and Tyrese Maxey added 16 points for the Sixers, who have lost five in a row after reeling off a six-game winning streak. This was the second stop on a five-game road trip for Philadelphia.

Utah, which lost the first two games on its four-game homestand, led by only two points after the first quarter

That changed quickly, though, as the Jazz opened the second quarter on a 14-point scoring streak thanks, in part, to six points from Clarkson.

Furkan Korkmaz finally put the Sixers on the scoreboard at the 7:56 mark of the quarter. Minutes later, however, Clarkson and Bogdanovic hit 3-pointers during an 8-0 run, putting the Jazz up 52-32.

The third quarter was much of the same, with the Jazz scoring the first five points and starting the second half on a 15-4 spurt. Utah's 16-point halftime lead blossomed to 31, 97-66, after three quarters.

-reuters

NBA: Kevin Huerter, Hawks upset No. 1 seeded 76ers in Game 7

Kevin Huerter scored a playoff career-high 27 points, Trae Young added 21 points and 10 assists and the fifth-seeded Atlanta Hawks stunned the host Philadelphia 76ers, 103-96, in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Sunday.

The Hawks will face the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Young shot 5 of 23, but made a couple of clutch shots down the stretch.

John Collins had 14 points and 16 rebounds, while Danilo Gallinari had 17 points and Clint Capela 13 for the Hawks, who reached the conference finals for the first time since 2015. The Hawks won three games at Philadelphia in this series.

Joel Embiid led the top-seeded Sixers with 31 points and 11 rebounds yet committed eight turnovers. Tobias Harris added 24 points and 14 rebounds, Seth Curry had 16 points and Ben Simmons contributed 13 assists.

The Sixers haven't reached the conference finals since 2001.

The Hawks led, 48-46, at halftime, thanks in large part to Huerter's 12 points. Young shot just 1 of 12 in the opening half.

Embiid had 15 points but committed four turnovers and appeared to tweak his injured right knee shortly before halftime.

The game was tight throughout the third as the Hawks moved out to a 64-63 advantage with 4:45 left after a tough jumper by Huerter. He was fouled as well but missed the free throw.

Matisse Thybulle scored four late points in the period, but the Hawks closed the third strong and led, 76-71.

Embiid scored the first five points of the fourth -- a jumper and a 3-pointer -- to tie the game at 76 with 10:37 to go.

The Hawks missed their first nine shots of the fourth but only trailed 81-77. Gallinari then connected on a trey to close the Hawks within one.

When Young drove to the basket and scored with 5:11 left, the Hawks took an 86-84 lead.

Embiid responded with a jumper with 4:14 remaining to tie the game at 86.

Young drained a deep 30-foot trey with 2:31 to go and the Hawks led 93-87.

The Sixers went on a 5-0 run to close within one with 1:09 remaining.

Huerter was then fouled on a 3-pointer and dropped in all three for a 96-92 lead with 54 seconds left.

-reuters

76ers' Embiid fined for attack on referees

NEW YORK – The National Basketball Association slapped Joel Embiid with a $25,000 fine on Wednesday (Thursday Manila time) after the Philadelphia 76er player openly criticized the referees following a loss to the Boston Celtics.

Embiid was wrapping up a post-game news conference with reporters after a 112-109 defeat on Tuesday night when he leaned into the microphone, yelled a profanity and said the referees "suck."

The league responded by fining Embiid for "public criticism of the officiating which included use of inappropriate language".


Embiid's outburst was apparently the result of not getting a foul call in his favor in the final minute of the Celtics' game.

He finished the game with 23 points and 14 rebounds after shooting just nine-of-22 from the field.

Embiid's discipline is just the latest in a series of recent fines for criticism of NBA referees.

Detroit's Blake Griffin and Cleveland's JR Smith were both fined $15,000 each last month for "verbal abuse of officials" while Rudy Gobert of Utah was fined $15,000 in December for criticizing the referees.

source: philstar.com

Raptors, Bucks, 76ers boost stock in East; Davis still in wait list

MANILA, Philippines — Toronto, Milwaukee and Philadelphia made their moves. Anthony Davis will have to wait until the summer for his.

The New Orleans Pelicans held onto Davis but dealt Nikola Mirotic to the Bucks, one of the Eastern Conference contenders who fortified their teams Thursday before the NBA trade deadline.

The Raptors are getting former All-Star center Marc Gasol from Memphis. The 76ers, a day after acquiring forward Tobias Harris from the Clippers, sent Markelle Fultz to Orlando and will hope Jonathan Simmons can provide some production where the former No. 1 pick couldn’t.


“Those teams were already really good. And the assumption would only be that they’d only benefit from those moves,” Boston coach Brad Stevens said. “It will be quite a challenge. As we knew it would be.”

A busy swap season that included Dallas’ acquisition of Kristaps Porzingis from New York ended without a move for Davis, the player who dominated the discussion in recent weeks. The Pelicans didn’t find a deal for Davis, who had requested a trade and informed the team he wouldn’t sign a contract extension this summer.

But the Lakers couldn’t put together a strong enough package to the Pelicans’ liking for the All-Star forward, who will go back into the trade market after the season ends. There will be other marquee names available then with a free agent class that could be highlighted by players such as Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Kawhi Leonard.

Boston didn’t jump into the trading deadline fray but may try to get involved in the summer.

For now, the Celtics appear to feel they have enough to win the East.

The other conference contenders looked for upgrades – and went out and got some that likely will fit well.       

source: philstar.com

76ers rally past Nets

Butler hits winning 3 Again

NEW YORK – Jimmy Butler made a 3-pointer with 2.3 seconds remaining to give the Philadelphia 76ers a 127-125 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday.

Butler’s shot from the right wing, similar to the one that beat Charlotte in overtime on Nov. 17, capped Philadelphia’s rally from 20 points down in a game the Nets led nearly all the way.

Butler finished with 34 points and 12 rebounds, and Joel Embiid had 32 points and 12 boards for the 76ers.


D’Angelo Russell had 38 points, his highest total with the Nets, and added eight assists and eight rebounds. Spencer Dinwiddie scored 31 points off the bench.

In Los Angeles, Nikola Vucevic had 31 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists and Terrence Ross made a go-ahead lay-up with 34 seconds left to help Orlando beat Los Angeles, 108-104.

Ross scored 16 points as the Magic defeated the Lakers for the second time in eight days. Orlando won 130-117 at home on Nov. 17.

Aaron Gordon had 17 points and D.J. Augustin added 12 points and nine assists for the Magic.

LeBron James had 24 points and seven assists for the Lakers, who had won three straight games and six of their past seven. Kyle Kuzma scored 21 points and Brandon Ingram added 17.

In Toronto, Kawhi Leonard had 29 points and 10 rebounds, Kyle Lowry added 12 points and 10 assists, and Toronto won its fifth straight game, beating Miami, 125-115.

Jonas Valanciunas had 17 points and 10 rebounds, and Pascal Siakam scored 21 points, two shy of his career high, as the Raptors improved their NBA-leading record to 17-4.

Dwyane Wade scored a season-high 35 points, the most ever by a Miami bench player. Josh Richardson scored 19 points and Bam Adebayo had 16 points and a career-high 21 rebounds, but the Heat lost for the seventh time in nine games.

Elsewhere, it was Knicks 103, Grizzlies 98; Clippers 104, Trail Blazers 100;  Pistons 118, Suns 107; Hawks 124, Hornets 123; Jazz 133, Kings 112.

source: philstar.com

Nets trap sloppy Sixers; Lebron, Lakers drowning

NEW YORK – D’Angelo Russell snapped out of a slump with 13 of his 21 points in the second half, and the Brooklyn Nets kept the sloppy Philadelphia 76ers winless on the road with a 122-97 victory on Sunday night.

The 76ers committed 28 turnovers, most in the NBA this season, leading to 39 points for the Nets. They fell to 0-5 away from home. They are 6-0 in Philadelphia.

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson also scored 21 points and Caris LeVert had 20 for the Nets. They took a small lead into halftime thanks to 17 Philadelphia turnovers, then blew it open with a 41-point third quarter that was one of the biggest in Barclays Center history.


They kept pouring it on in the fourth and 76ers coach Brett Brown pulled Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons midway through the period facing a 24-point deficit.

Embiid finished with 16 points and 15 rebounds, taking only eight shots a day after going for 39 points and 17 rebounds in a victory over Detroit. Simmons had 20 points and 12 boards.


In Milwaukee, Giannis Antetokounmpo had his second triple-double this season with 26 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists to help Milwaukee rout Sacramento, 144-109.

The Bucks improved to 8-1 – the best nine-game start in franchise history. They set a season high for points in a game and also set the franchise record for 3s made with 22.

Antetokounmpo’s first triple-double came against the Philadelphia 76ers on Oct. 24 when he had 32 points, 18 rebounds and 10 assists.

In Los Angeles, Serge Ibaka made his first 14 shots on the way to a career-high 34 points, and Toronto didn’t need an injured Kawhi Leonard in a 121-107 victory over the Lakers.

Ibaka had 10 rebounds and didn’t miss a shot until 5:16 remained in the third quarter, finishing 15 of 17 in a masterful performance. Kyle Lowry added 21 points and 15 assists as the Eastern Conference-leading Raptors improved to 9-1 with their eighth consecutive win over the Lakers since 2014.

Toronto opened a stunning 31-point lead in the first quarter and didn’t let it dwindle significantly until the final minutes, when the Lakers’ youngster got the margin down to 117-107 with LeBron James on the bench. Toronto was forced to re-insert its starters in the final minutes to preserve the win.

James finished with 18 points and six assists. Kyle Kuzma scored 24 points and Brandon Ingram added 16 for the Lakers, They are 4-6 after their first 10 games with James.

In other NBA games, it was Wizards 108, Knicks 95; Trail Blazers 111, Timberwolves 81; Magic 117, Spurs 110; Phoenix 102, Grizzlies 100.   

source: philstar.com

Warriors avoid upset axe against lowly Sixers on Barnes’ game-winner

Golden State’s Harrison Barnes drained a three-pointer with two-tenths of a second left as the mighty Warriors held on for a 108-105 victory over the 76ers in a duel of the NBA’s best and worst in Philadelphia.

Up by 24 midway through the third period and by 15 with 5:42 remaining, the reigning champion Warriors appeared headed for a predictable win over the lowly 76ers.

But they had to fight to the wire to improve to 43-4, matching the 1966-67 76ers for best 47-game start in NBA history while the current Sixers fell to 7-41.

A 20-5 late 76ers scoring run included seven points from guard Ish Smith.

Smith’s steal and breakaway dunk with 22.3 seconds left knotted the score at 105-105.

On the final Warriors’ possession, guard Stephen Curry fired a pass from the right wing to forward Draymond Green at the top of the circle.

He found Barnes in the right corner for the winning three-pointer.

“He always shoots a tremendous percentage from the corner,” Green said of Barnes. “It’s like a layup for him.”

Guard Klay Thompson led the Warriors with 32 points. Curry finished with 23 points, while Green contributed 10 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists. Barnes, who had made just three of 10 shots until his game-winner, finished with 11 points.

Guard Isaiah Canaan scored 18 points off the bench for Philadelphia, including a four-point play with 38.6 seconds left.

Thompson, who notched a season-high 45 points in a victory over Dallas on Wednesday night, had 21 in Saturday’s first half, staking the Warriors to a 73-54 lead.

Despite a welter of turnovers that totalled 23 for the game, Golden State were up 100-85 after Thompson made a layup with 5:42 to play before Philadelphia stormed back, electrifying a sell-out crowd — many of whom had turned out to cheer the Warriors.

Cavs rout Spurs

LeBron James scored 29 points and the Cleveland Cavaliers dominated San Antonio 117-103 to consolidate their spot atop the Eastern Conference with 34 victories in 46 games.

They have now won four straight since dropping their first game under new head coach Tyronn Lue, who took over a week ago after the surprise dismissal of David Blatt.

Going into the game, Cleveland were 0-3 against the top two teams in the West, having fallen at San Antonio earlier this month and lost twice to Golden State.

But they took full advantage of the absence of Spurs star Tim Duncan and the fact that San Antonio forward LaMarcus Aldridge was in foul trouble much of the night.

With their new-look offense firing, the Cavaliers shot 64 percent in the second quarter and led 66-49 at halftime.

San Antonio opened the third with an 8-0 scoring run, but their rally was quickly squelched by the Cavs, who had 21 points apiece from Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving.

Irving and backup point guard Matthew Dellavedova combined for the first 18 points of the fourth quarter as Cleveland powered to the win.

“We’re just pushing the pace, pushing it every single night,” said James, whose Cavs have scored at least 114 points in four straight games.

“Coach Lue is getting on us every single day to keep the tempo going and we’ve been able to do that and not turn the ball over. So that’s resulting in us playing some really good basketball so far.”

Pelicans swoop late

Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday drained a three-pointer from the left wing with 9.3 seconds remaining, then made a game-winning 15-foot jump shot with 1.3 seconds left to lift New Orleans to a 105-103 home win over the Brooklyn Nets.

The Pelicans notched their seventh win in nine games.

In Indianapolis it went to overtime, with Pacers guard Monta Ellis scoring a season-high 32 points in a 109-105 overtime triumph over the Denver Nuggets.

The Pacers led 106-105 when Ellis drove for a layup with 20.4 seconds left, drawing a foul and making the free throw to complete the three-point play that sealed the win.

source: interaksyon.com

Rockets, Grizzlies off to perfect 4-0 starts early in NBA season

The Houston Rockets routed the rebuilding Philadelphia 76ers 104-93 on Monday to improve to 4-0 in the fledgling NBA season, with their toughest test to date looming Tuesday at Miami.

James Harden made just seven field goals but hit 17 of 18 free throws to finish with 35 points for the Rockets, adding nine rebounds and five assists for a Houston team off to its first 4-0 start since they won six straight to launch the 1996-97 campaign.

Trevor Ariza added 24 points and Dwight Howard chipped in 11 points with 14 rebounds and four blocks for the Rockets, who made seven three-pointers in the first quarter to take a 32-19 lead after one period and used another barrage of long-range shots — including two from Isaiah Canaan — to put the game away in the fourth.

The victory over the winless 76ers, who fell to 0-4, was no surprise.

The Rockets will face a tougher test on Tuesday when they visit the Heat, who are off to a 3-0 start despite the departure of superstar LeBron James for Cleveland after four seasons in Miami.

On Thursday the Rockets face another searching examination when they host the defending champion San Antonio Spurs.

They won’t be able to get away with the kind of mistakes they made against Philadelphia, notably 22 turnovers.

“Give our guys credit, in what was a ragtag game for us they found a way to get a win,” Rockets coach Kevin McHale said.

They’ll have to do better in Miami, where Chris Bosh, often overshadowed by James and Dwyane Wade in his first four seasons with the Heat, has emerged as a leader.

Bosh earned Eastern Conference Player of the Week honors for the first week of the season with an average of 25.7 points per game and 11.3 rebounds per contest while handing out four assists per game.

“It’s just time,” Bosh told reporters of his emergence after finishing with 21 points and 11 rebounds against Toronto on Sunday.

“I knew I couldn’t settle into that same position I’ve been in the past four years, floating outside and shooting a couple jumpers.”

Against the Rockets on Tuesday the Heat will be trying to maintain their status as the only unbeaten team left in the Eastern Conference.

Grizzlies improve to 4-0

The Memphis Grizzlies also improved to 4-0 on Monday with a 93-81 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans.

Spanish big man Marc Gasol led all five Grizzlies starters in double figures with 16 points and 11 rebounds.

Gasol and Zach Randolph both contributed double-doubles, Randolph delivering 15 points and 11 rebounds while the two combined to provide a formidable interior defense.

Gasol and Randolph limited the Pelicans’ Anthony Davis to 14 points and eight rebounds, lackluster numbers compared to the 28.5 points and 16 rebounds Davis was averaging through two games coming into the contest.

The Grizzlies are 4-0 for the first time in franchise history.

source: interaksyon.com

Timberwolves reach .500 mark with win over 76ers

PHILADELPHIA — The Minnesota Timberwolves routed the Philadelphia 76ers 126-95 Monday night to once again reach the .500 mark.

Now the Timberwolves (17-17) want something more.

“We need to get over that hump,” forward Kevin Love said after a 26-point performance. “It’s something we need to get past.”

Minnesota has not been above the break-even mark since Nov. 23, when the T-wolves beat Houston to move to 8-7. Monday marked the eighth time they have been right at .500 since then. On each of the previous seven occasions, they have lost their next game.

Center Nikola Pekovic added 16 points and 14 rebounds for the T-wolves, who in snapping Philadelphia’s season-high four-game winning streak scored their most points of the season. They also sank a season-high 16 3-pointers on 26 attempts (61.5 percent).

Love, who shot 7-for-12 in all, went 4-for-7 from the arc. Guard Kevin Martin, who finished with 18 points, drilled three 3-pointers, as did guard/forward Corey Brewer and guard J.J. Barea. Brewer and Barea finished with 15 and 13 points, respectively.

Minnesota coach Rick Adelman called it “a really solid win” for his club, which has beaten Philadelphia five straight times.

“I just liked the way we played, and our attitude, too,” he said.

Forward Thaddeus Young, just named Eastern Conference Player of the Week, had 20 points to pace Philadelphia (12-22), which was coming off a six-game road trip. But coach Brett Brown was not eager to blame the loss on fatigue.

“I do think that there is a physical side of what you saw tonight,” he said, “but the mental side of it upsets me far more. I feel that, I see that, far more than I do a fatigue factor.”

The Sixers turned the ball over 23 times, after averaging just 13.5 during their winning streak. Those miscues led to 30 Minnesota points. The Timberwolves also owned a 53-40 rebounding advantage.

“That’s not us,” Brown said of his team’s effort. “That’s not who we are. That’s not a reflection of the improvement that we have made, and it’s no reflection of them as competitors.”

The game was tied nine times in the first 17 minutes, the last time at 46-46 on a basket by Sixers guard Michael Carter-Williams with 7:06 left in the first half. But the Timberwolves ended the second quarter on a 24-8 spree to take a 70-54 lead at the break. Pekovic registered eight of his points in that stretch, and finished the half with 10.

Brewer led Minnesota with 15 in the half, and Young topped the Sixers with 15.

The T-wolves then limited the Sixers to 8-for-23 shooting while outscoring them 35-20 in the third quarter, a period that saw Love score 16 of his points.

NOTES: F Kevin Love has scored 20 points or more in 14 consecutive games, the longest streak by a T-wolves player since Kevin Garnett eclipsed the 20-point mark in 16 straight in 2003. … Sixers F Thaddeus Young became the second Sixer to be named Eastern Conference Player of the Week this season, after averaging 25 points and nearly eight rebounds in three victories between Dec. 30 and Jan. 5. Coach Brett Brown called Young “a gentleman” and said he boasts an “elite” skill set. “He’s a good person,” Brown said, “who puts in a lot of time and is now exploring different skills at 25 years old.” … G Michael-Carter Williams had been honored earlier. It is the first time since the ’01-02 season two Philadelphia players have been named Player of the Week in the same season. Allen Iverson and Eric Snow did it that year. … Young also averaged 26.4 points over his previous seven games, a hot streak that came immediately after his name surfaced in trade rumors. “It’s always motivation, any time somebody says anything negative or tries to put a block in front of you,” he said. “My mindset is to always crush that block or go through it.” … The Timberwolves’ game against the San Antonio Spurs, originally scheduled for Dec. 4 in Mexico City, has been rescheduled for Tuesday, April 8 at 7 p.m. CT at Target Center in Minneapolis. … The Sixers were without G Tony Wroten (flulike symptoms). … Minnesota C Ronny Turiaf returned after missing the previous 31 games with a fractured right elbow. … T-wolves F Luc Richard Mbah a Moute sat out his second straight with a strained groin.

source: interaksyon.com