Celtics overcome 22-point deficit to beat 76ers in London

By SAM JOHNSTON
Associated Press

LONDON (AP) -- Ten seasons ago, the Boston Celtics came to London and won. They went on to win the NBA title.

As they repeated the first half of that feat with a comeback victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday night, the Eastern Conference-leading Celtics provided more evidence that they can emulate that 2007-08 squad.

Kyrie Irving had 20 points, seven assists and six rebounds and Boston overcame a 22-point deficit to beat the 76ers 114-103 in the eighth regular season NBA game played in England.

"It's always great to believe in fate," Irving said. "But for us we have to be dogged in every moment we're afforded. It's great for that to happen for that past team but it's the past. We have to be very present. Winning an NBA championship is one of the hardest things you can do in life."

Jaylen Brown added 21 points, and Marcus Morris had 19 points and eight rebounds to help the Celtics extend their winning streak to seven games.

JJ Redick had 22 points and hit five 3-pointers for Philadelphia, but the 76ers were unable to take advantage of their fast start as the Celtics' NBA-best defense tightened at O2 Arena.

Joel Embiid had 16 points, and fellow All-Star hopeful Ben Simmons added 15 for the 76ers.

"This team that we just played today is the best defensive team in the NBA and we felt all of that," 76ers coach Brett Brown said. "When you look at their individual defensive players to a man, they're as strong positionally as any team in the NBA."

Irving and Embiid struggled early, going a combined 1 for 10 from the field in the first quarter. Despite ending the quarter pointless, Embiid was able to make an impact on defense, notably swatting away Irving's attempted layup.

Embiid and Simmons helped out Redick at the start of the second and the 76ers made their first nine shots of the quarter to open the 22-point lead with 6:56 remaining in the quarter.

However, Irving finally made a 3, sparking a strong Celtics finish to the half as they closed to 57-48.

Having been outshone by fellow Rookie Of The Year contender Simmons in the first half, Jayson Tatum began the second half hot, making his first five shots to bring the Celtics within a point.

The Celtics took their first lead midway through the third quarter, and soon took control as Morris and fellow reserve Marcus Smart stretched the lead.

Irving returned early in the fourth and was fouled making a trademark driving layup and made the free throw to give the Celtics a 105-88 advantage midway through the quarter, all but ending the contest.

PLAYOFF PREVIEW?

With the Celtics top of the Eastern Conference with a 34-10 record and the 76ers (19-20) ninth and fighting to make the post-season a first round playoff meeting between the two is a possibility.

Despite having lost all three games to the Celtics this season, Embiid is confident the 76ers could compete in a seven-game series.

"If we end up meeting in the playoffs, I feel like we got a pretty good chance," Embiid said. "We just need to correct whatever has been careless the whole season and that's turnovers and fouling a lot."

TIP-INS

Celtics: The Celtics held Philadelphia without a field goal for the final 4:37 of the second quarter to trim the halftime deficit to nine points

76ers: Embiid was the only player on either team to finish with a double-double, adding 10 rebounds to his 15 points.

UP NEXT:

Celtics: Host New Orleans on Tuesday night.

76ers: Host Toronto on Monday night.

Embiid, Redick help 76ers beat Knicks, end 5-game skid

By BRIAN MAHONEY
Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) Joel Embiid has endured too much misery in the NBA to miss one of the fun days on the schedule.

So as soon as he knew his back felt up to it, he couldn't wait to get on the court for his first Christmas Day game.

Embiid had 25 points and 16 rebounds, JJ Redick scored 24 points, and the Philadelphia 76ers snapped a five-game losing streak with a 105-98 victory over the New York Knicks on Monday.

"Especially after what we've been through the past four years, I was so excited to play tonight because we've been through so much losing," Embiid said. "And to be able to be one of the few teams in our league that can play on this day, it just shows you how much we've improved."

Neither Embiid nor Redick was cleared to play until going through pregame warmups, and their presence gave the 76ers just enough to win their first Christmas Day appearance since 2001.

Embiid, who has been battling a bad back, powered through a big-man duel with Enes Kanter, who had a season-high 31 points and tied a career best with 22 rebounds. He joined Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell and Bob Lanier as the only players with a 30-20 game on Christmas, according to research provided to the Knicks by Elias.

"I respect the guy a lot because that guy didn't play three, four years and coming back (at the) level he's playing right now," Kanter said of Embiid. "So it's cool to play against, go against a guy like that."

Redick, who missed the last game with right hamstring tightness, helped the 76ers pull away from an 89-all tie midway through the fourth quarter. He's played in Christmas games before - and made clear again he's not a fan of them - and he thought his young teammates responded well to their first opportunity.

"There's a tendency to try to put on a show instead of just going out and competing, and I think we did a great job of just going out and competing," Redick said.

Kristaps Porzingis scored 22 points for the Knicks, who fell to 22-30 on Christmas with their fifth straight loss on the holiday.

Backup point guard T.J. McConnell had Philadelphia's final eight points of the third quarter, and the 76ers pushed the lead to nine with about 9 minutes left in the game. The Knicks battled back to tied it 89 on Porzingis' three-point play with 5:20 left, but Philadelphia promptly scored the next seven to go up 96-89 on Redick's 3-pointer with 3:34 to play.

Philadelphia's young stars kept the Knicks from getting much closer, with Embiid making a 3-pointer and Ben Simmons stealing Porzingis' pass and dunking it, both times hiking the lead back to eight.

TIP-INS

76ers: Coach Brett Brown called Embiid a "borrowed stud" who they get to "inherit" when he is able to play. "He doesn't practice and he comes in and plays games and we're trying to grow him into a situation where he is a normal part of a team," Brown said. ... The Sixers franchise is 17-13 on Christmas.

Knicks: Hall of Famer Bernard King, who set the Christmas record when he scored 60 points for the Knicks against the Nets in 1984, was at the game. ... New York had won seven straight at home over Philadelphia.

FULTZ UPDATE

No. 1 pick Markelle Fultz, who has missed two months with right shoulder soreness, is on the trip with the 76ers. Brown said the purpose of having the guard from Washington with the team was "to make sure that he understands completely he is a significant part of our future and that we are with him unconditionally."

"We will help move him forward in a timeline that's responsible and I just like having him with his extended family, his teammates, with me, with us," Brown added. "Those types of things."

WHAT COULD'VE BEEN

Porzingis could've been playing for the 76ers instead of against them Monday. The Knicks took him with the No. 4 pick in 2015, one spot after Philadelphia went with Jahlil Okafor, who eventually fell out of the rotation entirely and was dealt earlier this month to Brooklyn. But Brown declined to look back, saying "next question" when asked if he ever wondered "what if?" when it came to Porzingis.

UP NEXT

76ers: Visit Portland on Thursday.

Knicks: Visit Chicago on Wednesday.

Booker erupts for 46, Suns blister Sixers

PHILADELPHIA -- Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker missed nine of his first 10 shots Monday night against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Unfazed, he went on to score a season-high 46 points as the Suns beat the Sixers 115-101.

Booker attributed his turnaround to "shooter's mentality -- keeping the same confidence: never get too high, never get too low."

He added that he was missing shots early in the game that he felt he should have made, but was not the least bit discouraged.

"Shooters never stop shooting," Booker said. "I've been living by that motto since I was 3 years old."

Booker, whose career high of 70 points came in Boston in March, finished 17 of 32 from the floor, including 5 of 8 from 3-point range, as Phoenix (9-16) won for just the second time in seven games.

He notched 13 of his points, including three triples, in a clinching 16-3 run late in the game.

"He gets that look," Suns coach Jay Triano said, "and it doesn't matter how closely you guard him, it doesn't matter who guards him -- he just finds a way to create space and be electric."

Certainly the Sixers had no answers.

"You have to guard him is what you have to do, and we didn't," Philadelphia coach Brett Brown said.

TJ Warren added 25 points and Tyler Ulis had 12 points and a season-high 12 assists for the Suns.

J.J. Redick scored 25 points for Philadelphia, which lost for the second time in three games. Joel Embiid collected 22 points, 12 rebounds and four blocked shots, and Ben Simmons had 20 points, eight rebounds and seven assists despite, he said, being "pretty sick" earlier in the day with flu-like symptoms.

"I think we lost that game from the jump ball," Embiid said. "I think we took them lightly, and we paid for it."

Redick did not disagree.

"There's a spirit and a disposition and sort of a competitive fire that you have to play with in this league to win a basketball game against anyone," Redick said. "We're playing against NBA players -- really good NBA players. To win, you have to have that. We were just flat."

Phoenix led by as many as 17 points in the first half and was up 93-79 after a basket by Josh Jackson with 11:26 left in the game. Redick then poured in 13 points in a 15-6 Philadelphia rush, the last of those on a 3-pointer from the right wing with 4:49 remaining, making it 99-94.

Ulis answered with a 3-pointer and Booker nailed two more, the second a contested fadeaway from the top of the circle with the shot clock running down.

Booker's steal and breakaway dunk made it 110-94.

After Robert Covington made a 3-pointer for the Sixers (13-10), Booker made yet another triple, then a jumper to give the Suns a 115-97 advantage.

The Suns crafted a 60-47 halftime lead behind 15 points from Warren and 14 from Booker. Phoenix, which outscored Philadelphia 32-19 in the second quarter, converted 10 offensive rebounds into 10 second-chance points in the half, while the Sixers had five such points on five offensive boards.

Embiid had 14 points, seven rebounds and two blocks at that point, while Simmons contributed 12 points.

The Suns maintained a double-digit lead until Philadelphia ran off six straight points late in the third quarter to cut the gap to 82-75.

Booker scored the last seven Phoenix points of the period, including a three-point play with 6.1 seconds left, to give the Suns an 89-79 cushion entering the fourth quarter.

NOTES: Sixers G T.J. McConnell missed his third consecutive game with a shoulder sprain but said he hopes to return for the Thursday home game against the Los Angeles Lakers. "Range of motion is getting back," he said before the game, "but when I tried to shoot it wasn't quite where I wanted to be. I'm not going to play limited. I'm going to get some more treatment on it and go from there." ... Philadelphia G/F Ben Simmons said his illness left him feeling like he "kind of hit a wall." He first felt sick last Friday, when he managed a season-low five points in a victory over Detroit, and on Sunday, he said, "I could not move." ... The Sixers continue to be without G/F Justin Anderson (shin splints). ... Phoenix C Alex Len returned after missing one game with an ankle sprain. He scored seven points. ... The Suns play at Toronto on Tuesday.

Fired-up Joel Embiid powers 76ers over Jazz 107-86

By MIKE CRANSTON
Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Joel Embiid was missing shots and upset with his play.

That all changed with a theatrical, crowd-pleasing and game-changing flop.

Ben Simmons had a career-high 27 points and 10 rebounds, a fired-up Embiid added 15 points and 11 rebounds despite a sore knee, and the Philadelphia 76ers beat the cold-shooting Utah Jazz 107-86 on Monday night.

The injury-prone Embiid skipped the morning shootaround because of pain his surgically-repaired left knee. But he posted his seventh double-double and got under Utah’s skin at a decisive time in the fourth quarter.

“The whole game I thought I was kind of flat,” Embiid said. “I was kind of going through the motions. I needed that, getting the crowd going.”

The Jazz had cut a 21-point deficit to 11 and were down 92-79 with 4:13 left when rookie Donovan Mitchell drove the lane and Embiid emphatically swatted away his shot.

After Mitchell fell underneath the basket, Embiid turned and jawed at him. While the 6-foot-3 Mitchell claimed he couldn’t hear what he said, he got up and lightly shoved Embiid.

The 7-foot-2 Embiid crashed to the floor.

“He just got up kind of fake-shouldered and I flopped and he got a technical for it,” Embiid said with a grin.

As Mitchell drew the technical foul, Embiid got up and motioned to the fans, who started to chant “MVP” and “Trust the Process,” the team’s mantra during a lengthy rebuild.

“The young kid in me kind of showed,” Mitchell said. “Inexperience right there in that moment, because I think we were down (13) and we ended up losing by 21.”

Embiid later hit a jumper to make it 95-82. When he exited to a standing ovation with 1:50 left, the Sixers were up 18 and had secured their second win in five games.

“It was all fun after the game. We shook hands,” Embiid said of Mitchell. “It was just about having fun.”

Mitchell scored 17 points on 6 of 19 shooting, Rodney Hood added 13 while making 5 of 17 shots, and the Jazz shot 35.3 percent from the field in losing for the eighth time in 10 games.

After blowing a 22-point halftime lead Saturday against Golden State, Simmons hit 11 of 15 shots after halftime and the Sixers pulled away this time.

J.J. Redick shook off a scoreless first half to finish with 20 points, and Amir Johnson grabbed 13 rebounds.

The Sixers didn’t know they’d have Embiid until about 45 minutes before the game after he successfully tested the knee in warmups.

Embiid sat out a win at Utah two weeks ago for what the Sixers called “load management” as they try to keep him healthy after a number of injuries. He made just 7 of 16 shots, but again proved the team’s emotional leader.

“I like our guys playing with an edge. I like them having some level of swagger and feeling good about themselves,” Sixers coach Brett Brown said. “That was a big play. It certainly got the crowd involved.”

The Jazz, at the end of a four-game trip, have been struggling as they deal with injuries to four key players. But even without Rudy Gobert, they were coming off a 40-point rout of Orlando on Saturday for their first road win.

The offense remained stuck in Florida early, and Utah couldn’t contain the 6-foot-10 Simmons, who scored on a variety of drives and pull-ups while facing several defenders.

“They were driving us, particularly in the open floor. And we didn’t do a good job of staying in front of them,” Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. “When you get guys like Simmons downhill with his size, they’re going to finish down there.”

TIP-INS

Jazz: Alec Burks was 1 of 10 from the field. . Utah hasn’t won consecutive games since Nov. 1.

76ers: G Jerryd Bayless (wrist) had five points in his return from a six-game absence. ... The 36 points allowed in the first half were the fewest since Dec. 11, 2016 at Detroit. ... The team began selling Australian beef pies at concession stands in a promotion tied to Simmons, an Aussie.

UP NEXT

The Jazz face Chicago on Wednesday to begin a three-game homestand.

The 76ers play Portland on Wednesday in the third game of six straight at home.

Simmons helps 76ers beat Rockets 115-107

Associated Press

HOUSTON (AP) — The Houston Rockets allowed Philadelphia 76ers point guard Ben Simmons to take jump shots on Monday night and he made them pay.

In Philadelphia’s 115-107 win in Houston, Simmons made 10 of 15 shots, many of them from mid-range, to score a career-high 24 points, adding nine assists and seven rebounds. When asked why he took more jumpers than he had in his first six games, Simmons’ teammate Amir Johnson answered from behind the group of reporters.

“People don’t know he can shoot,” Johnson said. “Buckets.”

Philadelphia head coach Brett Brown said Simmons’ ability to reliably make jump shots will complement his ability to drive or use his length in the paint even more effective.

“I’m really leaving the whole evolution of his jump shot -- when he wants to shoot it, when he feels comfortable shooting it -- with him,” Brown said. “When he feels the confidence to shoot things and people sag off of him, he’s going to shoot it. If he doesn’t, so be it, he’ll go find another way to impact the game. It’s coming.”

Simmons, the 2016 first-overall pick, is shooting 51 percent through his first seven games but has struggled at times outside of the paint and has missed all four 3-point attempts.

“I’m comfortable taking them,” Simmons said of jump shots. “I’ve got to start doing that more often.”

After losing 105-104 on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from Eric Gordon in Philadelphia on Oct. 18, the 76ers snapped an eight-game losing streak against the Rockets, winning in Houston for the first time since Feb. 16, 2011.

The Rockets missed nine of their last 10 shots, scoring just four points in the final 3:28 and dropped consecutive games for the first time this season.

Brown credited his team’s defense, particularly on the perimeter, down the stretch for getting late stops against Houston.

“That’s what won us the game,” Brown said. “Because if you blink or you’re a step short on a switch, you get punished badly with this team because of their ability to shoot and to shoot 3s.”

James Harden scored 29 points and Gordon had 25. The Rockets shot just 39.8 percent from the floor. Last season, they were 1-7 when shooting below 40 percent.

“I would never put a lot of stock into that,” Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni said of the poor shooting. “They make them, they don’t make them, whatever. The defense, the ball movement and running the floor is going to be constant, and that requires an effort that I don’t think we’re there yet.”

Harden called the team’s energy “terrible, terrible,” and said the defense allowed too many easy points in the first and third quarters.

“We can’t have those mental lapses on the defensive end, they get momentum,” Harden said. “They start making shots they probably normally don’t make.”

The 76ers led 58-56 at halftime.

TIP-INS

76ers: SG JJ Redick missed his third straight game with lower back tightness. ... PG Markelle Fultz (shoulder) missed his fourth straight game. Fultz is out indefinitely and will be reevaluated in three weeks, the 76ers said Sunday.

Rockets: Nene entered the game questionable with left Achilles soreness but played 10 minutes in the game, getting seven points, three rebounds and a block off the bench. ... After shooting 17-for-35 (48.5 percent) in a three-game road trip, PF Ryan Anderson shot 2-for-9 from beyond the arc.

TRUST THE PROCESS

The 76ers arrived in Houston a day early on Sunday to attend Game 5 of the MLB World Series at Minute Maid Park in downtown Houston, blocks away from the Toyota Center. The players represented both the Dodgers and Astros with a mix of customized jerseys with their names and numbers on the back.

LIKE A BOSS

Houston-native rapper Slim Thug was the celebrity guest shooter for Houston’s new “First Shot,” promotion. The 6-foot-6 rapper swished his free throw before tipoff, ensuring a $5,000 donation from the Rockets to charity. His shot followed banked shots off the glass from both Texans WR DeAndre Hopkins and Blue October lead singer Justin Furstenfeld in the first two games.

EFFICIENT EMBIID

Joel Embiid had 22 points, nine rebounds and five assists with two steals in 25 minutes. Dating back to 1983-84, it is just the third time a player has posted those numbers in 25 minutes of play or less. Pau Gasol did it in 2015 for Chicago and Fat Lever did it in 1990 for Denver.

UP NEXT

76ers: Host the Hawks on Wednesday night.

Rockets: Visit the Knicks on Wednesday night.

Eric Gordon hits 3 at the buzzer to lift Rockets past 76ers

By DAN GELSTON
Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Eric Gordon and Ryan Anderson kept an eye on the TV in the Houston locker room, which was appropriately showing the World Series.

“Justin Verlander is a neighbor of mine,” Anderson said. “He’s obviously a clutch guy. The city is lucky to have him.”

The Rockets’ own Mr. October was pretty clutch in the NBA’s version of the bottom of the ninth.

Gordon pumped-faked a lunging Joel Embiid, took one dribble, and then buried a 3 at the horn over an outstretched Embiid that completed a furious rally and lifted the Rockets to a 105-104 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night.

“You’ve got to be prepared to try and knock down shots like that,” Gordon said. “You miss it, you miss it.”

He didn’t miss.

Gordon’s winner from the corner gave Houston its only lead over the final 18 minutes and shook a 76ers team that made a series of bad plays and bad decisions down the stretch.

Embiid, who scored 21 points, did not shoot over the final 3:44. He was whistled for a goaltending that cut Houston’s gap to three, and the Sixers’ attempt to run down the clock backfired when Jerryd Bayless — and not Embiid or Ben Simmons — missed a shot with the game in the balance.

“I think that we let one slip. Some of it was luck,” 76ers coach Brett Brown said.

The Rockets scored the final nine points and Gordon hit three 3s in the fourth. If luck was Brown’s code word for bad D, he nailed it.

Gordon scored 29 points, James Harden had 27 and Clint Capela had 16 points and 20 rebounds.

J.J. Redick scored 22 points, and Robert Covington had 20 for the Sixers.

“It’s a learning experience,” Embiid said. “We’re going to need that in the future. We’re young. That’s not an excuse, but we can all get better.”

Embiid, the 7-foot center out of Cameroon, again had the Sixers playing like a playoff team and not pushovers when he’s healthy and energized. His 3 off the glass from the top of the arc in the fourth gave the Sixers a nine-point lead. Embiid pointed toward the sky as he ran back on defense and his bucket about blew the roof off an arena packed with fans who have had little reason to cheer the last five years.

Harden and Gordon hit 3s that stunned the Sixers and cut the gap to three, starting a rally that lasted down to the final bucket.

Both teams played without key cogs to their offense: Chris Paul was out again for the Rockets because of an injured left knee, and Markelle Fultz, the No. 1 pick of the 2017 draft, missed the game with a sore right shoulder. Fultz will miss the next two games and will be evaluated next week.

The Sixers drew another big crowd — 20,682 — as fans have bought into “The Process,” and big plays had fans going wild. They were given souvenir signs that had a picture of Simmons, Embiid and Fultz, the trio expected to soon carry the Sixers into the playoffs.

Embiid, who sat out the second quarter, waved his arms and exhorted the crowd to get louder on a “Trust the Process” chant, and then hit a free throw for a 72-69 lead. He egged on the crowd on a “Ref, you suck” chant and soaked in the calls for “MVP! MVP!”

Simmons and Embiid have been a fantastic 1-2 punch and helped the Sixers win at Detroit on Monday night. Simmons, the No. 1 pick in the 2016 draft, struggled for most of Tuesday’s game until he connected on a rim-rattling dunk off the break that kept the Sixers’ lead at five.

It just wasn’t enough.

“For us to be a good team, we have to win in games like this,” Gordon said.

TIP-INS

Rockets: G Trevor Ariza will miss the three-game trip with a sprained left foot. He will be evaluated next week when the Rockets return home. ... C Nene sat out with a sore left Achilles.

76ers: Team president Bryan Colangelo said there had been “no medical reason” not to play Fultz this season and the shoulder had no structural damage. ... Fultz is shooting 33 percent, 50 percent from the free-throw line and has not attempted a 3-point shot all season, all as a reserve.

PAUL OUT

Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni said the offense remains “uneven” without Paul, who is week-to-week with his knee injury.

NUMBERS GAME

Houston and the 76ers each hit 12 3s. But the Rockets made 21 of 24 from the free-throw line while the Sixers were just 6 of 10.

UP NEXT

Rockets: Friday at Charlotte.

76ers: Saturday at Dallas.

Simmons’ triple-double lifts 76ers over Pistons 97-86

By NOAH TRISTER
Associated Press
DETROIT (AP) — Four games into his NBA career, Ben Simmons already has a triple-double to his credit.

And with some help from Joel Embiid, he finally led the Philadelphia 76ers to a victory.

Simmons had 21 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists, and Embiid scored 30 points to lift the 76ers to a 97-86 win over the Detroit Pistons on Monday night.

Detroit, which rallied from a 21-point deficit to beat the New York Knicks on Saturday night , fell behind by 21 again in the second quarter against the 76ers. The Pistons chipped away and were within three in the fourth, but Philadelphia held on.

“It’s awesome to have a triple-double, but at the same time, it’s even better to have a win,” Simmons said.

Simmons was the No. 1 pick in the 2016 draft before missing all of last season with a foot injury. He finished two assists shy of a triple-double at Toronto on Saturday night, and his skill and versatility were evident in Detroit.

Philadelphia never trailed. It was 56-43 at halftime and 75-67 after three quarters before the Pistons cut the deficit to three on a 3-pointer by Anthony Tolliver. The teams traded baskets for a bit before a three-point play by Robert Covington and 3-pointer by T.J. McConnell put the 76ers up by nine.

Detroit trailed by four after a 6-0 run late in the fourth, but an awkward-looking hook shot by Andre Drummond missed everything, and the 76ers were able to close out the game.

“It’s mind boggling to have two games in a row where we weren’t ready to play. We have to figure out a way to fix that, whether those five guys can boost the intensity or if we have to change the lineup,” Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy said. “I’m going to take the blame for Simmons. I’m not saying the players couldn’t have done things better, but we didn’t have a good game plan for him.”

Drummond had 14 points and 14 rebounds for the Pistons.

TIP-INS

76ers: Simmons had double-doubles in his first three games, but Philadelphia lost them all.

Pistons: Drummond moved into sixth place on Detroit’s career rebounding list, passing Walter Dukes. Drummond is now four shy of 5,000. ... All Detroit starters scored in double figures except Stanley Johnson, who went without a point. Reggie Jackson had 16 points and seven assists.

SLIPPERY

This was the second Pistons game at Little Caesars Arena, the new downtown venue they share with the Detroit Red Wings. The people mopping the floor were pretty busy trying to keep it dry in the second half, and 76ers coach Brett Brown said he was glad nobody was hurt.

“You can appreciate our reaction when you see Joel Embiid slip and slide and then hold his knee,” Brown said. “And then 30 seconds later, Jerryd Bayless goes down and starts holding his hip. We’ve experienced a lot of injuries. It’s not anybody’s fault. It just happened. There was a wet part of the floor and we were lucky to get away without any injuries.”

Embiid (left knee) sat out the game at Toronto. He shot 11 of 15 from the field against Detroit, although he did turn the ball over seven times.

NEW FACILITY

The Pistons and Henry Ford Health System broke ground on a new complex a couple miles north of Little Caesars Arena that will house a training facility and corporate headquarters for the franchise. It’s scheduled to open in 2019.

UP NEXT

76ers: Philadelphia hosts Houston on Wednesday night.

Pistons: Detroit hosts Minnesota on Wednesday night before heading on a three-game western trip.

Celtics, 76ers finalize deal to swap top picks

The Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers made their agreed-upon trade official Monday, a deal that will see the teams swap the Nos. 1 and 3 picks in Thursday night's NBA Draft.

The 76ers acquired the top overall pick from Boston in exchange for their No. 3 selection and a future first-round pick, according to statements released by both teams.

The Celtics and 76ers had agreed on the parameters of a deal on Saturday night after Philadelphia held a workout with point guard Markelle Fultz, who will become the fourth No. 1 overall pick in franchise history by the 76ers on Thursday night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.

"We are very pleased with the outcome of this trade, which puts us in the enviable position of selecting first overall in consecutive draft years," Philadelphia president of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo said. "History suggests that No. 1 has the greatest odds of producing franchise-level talent and we are confident that this year's draft class has that very potential. Thursday night will see us take another significant step toward building a successful and sustainable basketball program."

Boston, with leading scorer Isaiah Thomas already manning the point guard position, was equally thrilled to drop down two spots and receive what they expect to be a high first-round pick in either 2018 or 2019.

"We're thrilled to be able to select what we expect be an impact player with the third pick in this year's very talented draft class, while also adding a highly valuable future asset as we continue to build towards Banner 18," Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said.

Boston will receive the 2018 first-round pick of the Los Angeles Lakers -- if that selection falls between the No. 2 to No. 5 range. Otherwise, the Celtics will have a choice of first-rounders in 2019 -- either from Sacramento or Philadelphia, whichever pick is higher.

Philadelphia will pair Fultz, a high-scoring point guard out of the University of Washington, with Ben Simmons, last year's No. 1 overall pick who missed the entire season with a foot injury.

In his only season with Washington, the 6-foot-5, 186-pound Fultz averaged 23.2 points and 5.9 assists. He shot 47.6 percent, averaged along with 5.9 assists, 5.7 rebounds and 1.6 steals over 25 games during his freshman season with the Huskies, who posted a 9-22 record.

Boston, meanwhile, could potentially own the draft rights to seven first-round selections over the next three seasons.

The Celtics have been linked with either Josh Jackson of Kansas or Jayson Tatum of Duke at No. 3, although multiple media outlets reported the team may be willing to deal the pick.

Lonzo Ball of UCLA is expected to go No. 2 to the Lakers, although the sides have yet to reach agreement on a deal. Ball hosted a second workout for the Lakers on Friday.

Butler has triple-double, fuels Bulls past 76ers 102-90

By DAN GELSTON
AP Sports Writer

PHILADELPHIA (AP) Dwyane Wade was declared finished for the season around the time Chicago's season was all but over.

The Bulls rallied back and have the postseason in sight - just like Wade.

Jimmy Butler had 19 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists and helped give Chicago's playoff hopes a needed boost in the Bulls' 102-90 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday night.

The Bulls and Indiana both won to improve to 39-40, and Miami (38-40) had the night off in the chase for the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

"I know where I want to take this team," Butler said.

He should have some help over the next three games.

Rajon Rondo sat out with a sprained right wrist and Wade missed another game with a fractured right elbow. Wade, who scrimmaged on Wednesday for the first time since he was injured on March 15, could return as early as Saturday's game at Brooklyn. Wade, who averaged 18.6 points in his first season with his hometown team, had been ruled out for the season. But Wade was worked hard at joining the team minus any serious setbacks.

"We're not quite there yet," coach Fred Hoiberg said. "We'll practice (Friday) and hopefully get him through another good, solid contact practice. Hope we'll get him back in the lineup here soon."

Rondo was hurt Tuesday night in a loss to New York and had his wrist packed in ice in Chicago's locker room after beating the Sixers. He's considered day-to-day.

With Rondo and Wade sidelined, the Bulls still cruised against the lowly Sixers. Jerian Grant scored 15 points starting for Rondo, Nikola Mirotic scored 22 and the Bulls took a 14-point lead in the first half.

Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot led the Sixers with 18 points.

The Bulls wasted a major opportunity when they lost to New York and could not afford a second straight road defeat to an Eastern Conference also-ran. The Bulls, who hold a tiebreaker over the Heat and the Pacers, improved to 7-4 since they lost Wade.

The Sixers gave up 141 points Tuesday against Brooklyn and their defense was only slightly better against the Bulls.

"There was a stage I felt like we were getting back in it," coach Brett Brown said. "You look at the results defensively, I'm fine with all of that."

The Bulls seemed on the brink of missing the postseason for a second straight year just a few weeks ago. Mirotic hit his fifth 3 of the game late in the fourth to make it 97-82 and the Bulls firmed up a playoff spot with two key cogs set to return. Butler earned his 10th assist on Mirotic's sixth three to clinch his fourth career triple-double.

"On the last one, Niko's like, `yo, you need one more.' I was like, `you don't think I know that,'" Butler asked. "He says, `throw it to me and I'll shoot it.' Say no more."

Mirotic buried the 3 and Butler broke into a wide smile.

TIP-INS

Bulls: Chicago has won 13 of 14 against the Sixers. ... The Bulls have defeated the Sixers seven straight times in Philadelphia. ... Michael Carter-Williams, 2013-14 NBA Rookie of the Year with the 76ers, received mostly boos when he checked in off the bench.

76ers: Brown brought his parents to the game. Brown's father, Bob Brown, was a standout high school and college coach for years in New England. But it's mom, Bonny Brown, who might be the family's biggest hoops junkie. "My mom is addicted, my mom watches more than dad," Brown said. "The best Christmas gift I give them is League Pass." ... Robert Covington (knee), Jahlil Okafor (knee) and Sergio Rodriguez (hamstring) all sat out. ... The Sixers' 10-5 mark in January (which matched last season's total wins) was just a mirage and they crashed down the stretch.

DOUBLE-DOUBLES

Chicago's Bobby Portis had 12 points and 11 rebounds. Philadelphia's Richaun Holmes had 10 points and 10 rebounds.

UP NEXT:

Chicago plays Saturday at Brooklyn and play its two final games at home.

The Sixers finish their home slate Saturday against Milwaukee and Monday against Indiana.

Nets seek 3rd in row at Sixers

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PHILADELPHIA -- The Brooklyn Nets will attempt to stretch their winning streak to a season-long three games when they visit the depleted Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday night.

The Nets (18-59) beat Atlanta 91-82 on Sunday behind 29 points from Brook Lopez. It was the second time this season they won consecutive games, and the first time since the 2014-15 season that they won on back-to-back days.

Lopez, who is 60 points away from equaling Buck Williams' franchise scoring record (10,440), also had five rebounds, five assists and five block shots. The only other Net to total more than 25 points, five rebounds, five assists and five blocks in a game was Darnell Hillman in 1977.

"Brook quite honestly carried us offensively," coach Kenny Atkinson said. "We were struggling to get looks and he made some really tough shots."

Jeremy Lin added 15 points, six rebounds and six assists for Brooklyn, which limited Atlanta to a season-low point total. The Hawks, who shot 37.5 percent from the floor, made just 30 field goals, a season low for a Nets opponent. Atlanta also turned the ball over 19 times.

"I think our defense is getting better in general," said Atkinson, whose club won despite shooting 39 percent from the floor and committing 21 turnovers.

He attributed the defensive improvement to more "competitive fire."

"You need to get stops," Atkinson said, "and I think our guys are, again, raising our defensive standards, getting better."

The Sixers (28-49) lost 113-105 in Toronto on Sunday, their third straight defeat. They lost Robert Covington and Jahlil Okafor for the season to knee injuries last week, after earlier seeing Joel Embiid (knee) and Jerryd Bayless (wrist) ruled out for the year as well.

Ben Simmons, the top overall pick in the 2016 draft, is out for the entire season after breaking a foot in training camp.

"We are kind of just dropping like flies, man," point guard T.J. McConnell told Philly.com on Sunday. "We are just giving new opportunities to new guys. We have to continue to play hard. You'd be surprised in the month of April what playing hard will do for you."

Rookie guard Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot scored a career-high 23 points Sunday for Philadelphia, which because of all its injuries was allowed a hardship exception to sign a 16th player, forward Alex Poythress of the NBA Development League's Fort Wayne Mad Ants, to its roster. Poythress scored 11 points off the bench against Toronto.

Rookie forward Dario Saric, placed on a minutes restriction because of a sore left heel, notched 16 points in 23:47 and said he felt fine afterward.

"It's not something that can be serious like some injury that can take me out for one month or two months," Saric told Philly.com. "It's just soreness (from) too many games, too much jumping and running."

Coach Brett Brown told the same outlet that the Sixers, who like the Nets have five games left in their season, want to play hard to the end.

"None of us intend on just rolling over," he said. "We're playing with a spirit, which I've said many times, I hope that the city of Philadelphia is proud of."

Howard has 22 points, 20 rebounds in Hawks' win over 76ers

By DAN GELSTON
AP Sports Writer

PHILADELPHIA (AP) Dwight Howard has Atlanta revved up for a playoff push.

"Our focus should be, we need to step on the floor from the tip," he said.

The Hawks also hope they're done with the detour through lengthy losing streaks that almost derailed their drive.

Howard had 22 points and 20 rebounds to lead the Hawks to a 99-92 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night.

The Hawks have won two straight following a seven-game losing streak that stunted their push in the Eastern Conference playoff standings. Atlanta is still in the fight for a fifth seed with Milwaukee, Indiana and Miami. The Hawks boosted their playoff hopes with a win a night earlier against Phoenix.

"We gave seven games away," Howard said. "We need these games going into the playoffs. I thought the level of play was pretty good over most of those games."

Tim Hardaway Jr. and Kent Bazemore each scored 19 points for the Hawks.

Richaun Holmes led the Sixers with 25 points and Dario Saric had 15. Saric was only 5 of 18 from the floor, but remains the leading contender for NBA Rookie of the Year.

The Hawks led by as many as 11 points, but struggled to put the Sixers away.

Nicknamed "Simba," Justin Anderson had the Sixers fans roaring when his monster dunk cut it to 83-81. He converted a three-point play that pulled the Sixers within four and kept alive the hope they could knock off playoff-bound Atlanta.

The short-handed Sixers (they had only eight players) had the verve but not the talented depth to do much more than keep it close down the stretch.

Coach Brett Brown remained optimistic that better days are ahead for the Sixers and these are the type of games they win with a healthy core.

"I've got, like, nine or 10 guys that we can legitimately move forward," he said. "That wasn't that many (in prior years) when we were circling three or four, maybe five. This year is different. For that reason, you feel like the corporate knowledge and the purpose of what we're teaching and how we're growing these guys has a greater chance to be with us next year."

Howard, shooting 53 percent from the line, extended Atlanta's lead from the line and he grabbed his 20th rebound with about 48 seconds left to help seal the win. Howard actually shot 6 of 7 from the line and was 8 of 17 from the floor.

Holmes was charged with stopping Howard and found the player called "Superman" was out to dominate.

"I just tried to make him work as much as possible on the defensive end, and try to go at him; not just take my lumps on the defensive end but give him something, too," he said.

TIP-INS

Hawks: The Hawks went 4-0 against the Sixers this season and have won seven straight against them overall. Atlanta swept the Sixers for the seventh time in franchise history. ... Howard has 10-plus rebounds in 17 straight games.

Sixers: Missed 14 of 20 3s in the first half. ... Jahlil Okafor (right knee) and Robert Covington (right knee) sat out. ... Brown stormed out to midcourt to argue with the refs and was hit with a technical.

GOOD EFFORT

A season after the Sixers won 10 games, they've reached their highest win total in Brown's four seasons. Joel Embiid's rookie season was cut short with injuries and No. 1 overall draft pick Ben Simmons never played because of a broken foot. Brown said the Sixers have "fought in a higher weight class all year," and smart moves in the draft and free agency could raise expectations.

"There's not anybody that you say had a rough year this year. Not any of them," he said. "That collective stuff trumps individual stuff and we have exceeded expectations and have milked and squeezed everything possible out of this group. I'm enamored with these guys. I respect them. I enjoy coaching them."

He added: "This group has exceeded expectations all over the place. We will reap the benefit of that spirit and attitude and that excitement with a very, very calculated disciplined summer."

UP NEXT

Hawks: finish a three-game road trip Saturday at Chicago and Sunday at Brooklyn.

Sixers: hit the road for two games, playing Friday at Cleveland and Sunday at Toronto.

Short-handed Hawks and Sixers face off

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PHILADELPHIA -- The injury-riddled Atlanta Hawks, after ending a seven-game losing streak Tuesday night, will look to continue their reversal of fortunes when they visit the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night.

The Hawks (38-36) snapped their slump with a 95-91 victory over the Phoenix Suns. Atlanta received 27 points and nine assists from point guard Dennis Schroder and 18 points and 12 rebounds from veteran forward Ersan Ilyasova, who was acquired from Philadelphia in a Feb. 22 trade.

The victory came after the Hawks blew an 18-point lead before recovering.

"Just keep competing," Atlanta coach Mike Budenholzer said. "That was our message, our mantra. Can we compete harder? Even when we were down, they stepped up and did that."

Schroder said, "It feels great to get a win. Now it's time to start a winning streak."

Dwight Howard contributed 15 points and 11 boards for Atlanta, which remains in a fifth-place tie in the Eastern Conference with Milwaukee, one game ahead of Indiana.

Hawks forward Paul Millsap missed his sixth straight game Tuesday with a sore left knee, and fellow forward Kent Bazemore sat out his fifth straight with a bruised right knee. Guard Thabo Sefolosha also missed his second straight with a groin strain.

Millsap, the team's top scorer at 18.1 points a game, will also miss Wednesday's game, as well as Saturday's game in Chicago, before he is re-evaluated. Budenholzer told the Journal-Constitution he is nonetheless encouraged.

"I would actually say it's positive," he said before Tuesday's game. "I think we are excited. We feel like he is making progress. I think we have what we feel is a good plan. I think the knee is going to get better and better. Assuming nothing happens between now and the weekend, I'm actually upbeat. I think it's a positive where we are."

Bazemore is expected to play against the Sixers, and Sefolosha is expected to make the trip to Philadelphia, though his status remains in question.

The Sixers (28-46) have health concerns of their own. Center Joel Embiid (knee) and forward Ben Simmons (foot) are out for the season, and center Jahlil Okafor (sore right knee) sat out his third straight game Tuesday, a 106-101 victory at Brooklyn.

Guard Sergio Rodriguez also missed that game with a strained left hamstring, and guard Gerald Henderson was forced to the sideline with a sore left hip. Rodriguez will be re-evaluated in a week, but Henderson is expected to play Wednesday.

It is not clear when Okafor will be available.

Former Hawks center Tiago Splitter, playing his first game since Jan. 31, 2016, contributed two points and three rebounds in seven minutes off the bench for Philadelphia. Splitter, acquired from Atlanta in exchange for Ilysova in that Feb. 22 deal, had been out with hip and calf problems.

"Of course, you always have (nerves)," he told Philly.com. "It's my first game after 13 months. Every game, you feel a little bit (nervous). That's the beauty of the game. That's why we like to play so much."

Splitter was one of just nine players available to Sixers coach Brett Brown. Rookie forward Dario Saric scored 23 points to lead Philadelphia, and forward Robert Covington collected 21 points and 13 rebounds.

Saric, Covington lift 76ers over Nets 106-101

By ADRY TORRES
Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) Philadelphia's rebuild has been marked by setbacks and stumbles, but the 76ers hit one clear marker of progress Tuesday night.

Dario Saric scored 23 points, Robert Covington had 21 points and 13 rebounds and the undermanned 76ers beat the Brooklyn Nets 106-101 to get their 28th win, matching their combined total from the previous two seasons.

"It's just a testament to all the hard work," Covington said. "This team is very resilient. We fight each and every night we step on the court.

"It's a relief to see everything we've been working for paying off even though we're not there where we want to be just yet," Covington added. "But it's all about the process and it's all about the steps that you have to take."

Philadelphia got its 11th road victory of the season. They had just nine the previous two years combined.

"People, maybe, think we're not doing a good job, but Joel (Embiid) got 30 games this year, Ben Simmons got no games this year and we still have 28 wins," Saric said. "We've gotten an opportunity. That means we're doing good, especially when Joel and Ben come back. This team has a lot of talent and a big opportunity to make something after waiting two or three years."

Rookie guard Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot had 17 points and nine boards for the 76ers, who dressed only nine players and still led by 10 points early in the second quarter before 18 lead changes in the second half.

Philadelphia was without center Jahlil Okafor, who missed his third straight game due to right knee soreness, and veteran guard Gerald Henderson, who did not play because of soreness in his left hip.

Brook Lopez led the Nets with 26 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Jeremy Lin and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson each chipped in 11 points.

"I don't know if it was a combination of the juice or concentration and focus," Lopez said. "But we were just throwing a lot of balls away and just missing opportunities."

Philadelphia trailed 96-95 after Lin's jumper with 5:05 remaining in the fourth quarter.

The 76ers then went on a 10-5 run paced by Saric and Covington to close out their third straight win over Brooklyn this season.

"The wiggle room this group has is tiny," 76ers coach Brett Brown said. "The margin for error is tiny and when you look at links to pair up with our wins, it's certainly Dario and we need Robert right next to him performing well."

Richaun Holmes hit a pair of free throws to put Philadelphia ahead 97-96 before Lopez's layup gave the Nets a 98-97 lead with 3:37 left. A nifty layup by Saric again gave the visitors the advantage, 99-98, but Isaiah Whitehead's 3-pointer in front of the 76ers bench briefly put the Nets ahead, 101-100 with 2:29 left.

An alert Covington picked up the rebound after T.J. McConnell's failed attempt and started a 6-0 run with 1:26 to go, ending with Holmes' two free throws.

TIP-INS

Sixers: Point guard Sergio Rodriguez missed the game after an MRI earlier in the day revealed a left hamstring strain. The Spaniard is averaging 7.8 points and 5.1 assists in 68 games.

Nets: Guard Sean Kilpatrick, who missed the last six games due to a hamstring injury, played 12 minutes and scored nine points

SPLIT DECISION

Tiago Splitter, who had been nursing a right calf injury, entered late in the first quarter for his first game since Jan. 31, 2016 while with the Atlanta Hawks before undergoing hip surgery. Splitter, who was acquired from the Hawks on Feb. 22, ended up with two points and three rebounds in seven minutes.

UP NEXT

Sixers: Host Atlanta on Wednesday night.

Nets: Visit Detroit on Thursday night.

Turner leads Pacers to 107-94 victory over 76ers

By COREY ELLIOT
Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Myles Turner celebrated his 21st birthday this weekend, then delivered a performance that made it easy to forget how young he is.

Turner had 17 points and tied a career high with 16 rebounds, Paul George scored 21 points, and the Indiana Pacers beat the Philadelphia 76ers 107-94 on Sunday night.

Indiana (37-36) moved into a tie for fifth place in the Eastern Conference with Atlanta and Milwaukee. The Pacers will play both the Bucks and the Hawks during their final nine games of the regular season.

The Pacers are 8-4 when Turner records a double-double.

"That's the Myles we need," George said. "He's got to rebound the ball. He had that mindset and he had that motive to go get every ball tonight."

Jeff Teague added 16 points for the Pacers, who used a 30-point third quarter to turn a six-point halftime lead into a 12-point advantage and snapped a two-game skid.

Al Jefferson finished with 14 points before leaving in the fourth quarter with a sprained ankle. Monta Ellis, Aaron Brooks and CJ Miles all had 10 for Indiana.

Sergio Rodriguez scored 16 for the Sixers, while Richaun Holmes finished with 11 points and 11 rebounds. Philadelphia took 41 3-pointers, making 14.

"They show why they're tied for fifth in the East and about to go play on and play in a serious time in the season. I think defensively they were really good. I think that's where we felt them the most," Sixers coach Brett Brown said.

Turner came in third in the league with 2.1 blocked shots per game and had two Sunday. The second-year forward had 20 points and four blocks Friday on his birthday, but grabbed just four rebounds in a 125-117 loss to Denver and was disappointed with his play. That might have motivated him Sunday, Pacers coach Nate McMillan said.

"I think Myles was a little upset with how we played in last game. He made an effort to go after (rebounds) tonight," McMillan said. "The attack was what we wanted."

The Pacers led by as many as 11 in the first half before the Sixers made a push late to close the deficit to six points by halftime.

George then scored nine points in the third quarter and Teague had eight as the Pacers led by as much as 19 in the period. They extended the advantage to 25 in the fourth.

TIP-INS

76ers: Jahlil Okafor was held out with soreness in his right knee and Jerryd Bayless did not play due to a left wrist injury. ... Philadelphia (27-46) is ahead of only Brooklyn in the Eastern Conference standings.

Pacers: Jefferson was wheeled off the court with 9:43 remaining. He was holding his left leg near the shin area before he landed from attempting a rebound underneath the Indiana basket.

MYLES AHEAD

Turner has grabbed 10 or more rebounds in 12 games this season and scored 10 or more points in 54 of Indiana's 73 contests. On Oct. 26, Turner scored 30 points, blocked four shots and grabbed his career-high 16 rebounds in a win over Dallas. Turner joined Shaquille O'Neal and Anthony Davis as just the third player in NBA history to record at least 30 points, 16 rebounds and four blocks before the age of 21.

CONSISTENTLY INCONSISTENT

The Pacers have lost two-or-more consecutive games this season eight times, with their longest losing streak being six games. Indiana has only won two or more in a row seven times, with a season-best, six-game win streak.

UP NEXT

76ers: Visit Brooklyn on Tuesday.

Pacers: Host Minnesota on Tuesday.

Career nights for Saric, Long lift 76ers past Bulls, 117-107

By MATT SCHOCH
Associated Press

CHICAGO (AP) – With many of his fellow high draftees sidelined, Dario Saric has turned into the leader for whatever is left of the Philadelphia 76ers.

He even deferred credit on his career night to one of his less-heralded teammates.

With only 10 players available, Saric scored a career-high 32 points to lead the 76ers to a 117-107 win over the Chicago Bulls, who are fighting for their playoff lives.

Saric added 10 rebounds but deflected praise to rookie teammate Shawn Long, who had 18 points in his ninth career game.

"The main reason is because of Shawn Long," Saric said. "He came off the bench, he brought the same kind of energy. Usually, he gets four or five fouls, but he was smart."

With Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons and Jahlil Okafor sidelined, veteran point guard Sergio Rodriguez led the 76ers to a 35-18 advantage in the second quarter. Coach Brett Brown kept Rodriguez in the whole quarter and the Spaniard scored nine points and had six assists.

"You guys should speak and write great things about what he did in the first half," Brown said. "I kept Sergio going because he was playing so well."

Philadelphia turned a 59-46 halftime lead into a 20-point advantage early in the third quarter.

The lead reached 81-55 on T.J. McConnell's jumper midway through the third as Bulls fans at the United Center grew restless, booing coach Fred Hoiberg and the team.

"For us to come out and play with that type of effort at this time of year is maddening," Hoiberg said. "We finally showed some fight in the last quarter, but it was way too late."

The Bulls had the lead cut to 102-92 midway through the fourth quarter, but Denzel Valentine missed an open 3-pointer. Saric then knocked down a contested 3-pointer off Valentine's miss to quiet the crowd with 5:55 to play.

"That was the back-breaker," Brown said of Saric, who scored 13 points in the fourth. "In that fourth period, he sort of willed his way to the basket and found multiple ways to score in big times when the game really felt in the balance."

The Bulls remained even with Detroit for ninth place in the Eastern Conference. The Pistons were blown out by one of the East's worst teams, 115-87 in Orlando. The Bulls and Magic are each 1 1/2 games behind Miami, which is eighth.

Jimmy Butler led the Bulls with 36 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds.

"We do enough talking around here. I think everybody knows where we stand right now: on the outside looking in," Butler said. "Everybody knows where we want to be. Ain't too much to say."

Rodriguez had 12 points and seven assists for the 76ers, and Gerald Henderson added 14 points.

TIP-INS

76ers: Okafor missed his second game this week with right knee soreness. He played Wednesday in Oklahoma City, but re-aggravated the injury, which kept him out of Monday's game. ... The 76ers snapped a 12-game losing streak against Chicago, including six straight at the United Center. ... Saric extended his double-digit points streak to 22 games, the longest by a rookie this season.

Bulls: Robin Lopez returned after a one-game suspension for fighting with Toronto's Serge Ibaka. He started and had one point and one rebound in 18 minutes. ... Cristiano Felicio missed his second straight game with a lower back contusion. Hoiberg said before the game that he could return for Sunday's game at Milwaukee. ... Bobby Portis had 17 points and 11 rebounds, and Nikola Mirotic had 15 points.

SURGERY FOR EMBIID

Embiid had minor surgery on his left knee Friday to repair a torn meniscus. He should be able to transition to full weight-bearing workouts in about two weeks, according to a statement from Dr. Neal S. ElAttrache, who performed the surgery in Los Angeles.

The 23-year-old rookie has had a long history with injuries in his short career. It was announced March 1 that he would miss the rest of the season.

"He deserves some luck," Brown said before the game. "He's been through a lot, and he's a different person than his first injury."

After missing the first two seasons of his career with right foot injuries, Embiid played in 31 games this season. He was averaging 20.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.5 blocks in 25.4 minutes. His last game was Jan. 27 in Houston.

CHAMPIONSHIP DINNER

Okafor took his high school alma mater's basketball team out for dinner on Thursday. Whitney Young won the Class 4A state title on Saturday. The Chicago native won a state championship in 2014 at Whitney Young.

UP NEXT

76ers: At Indiana on Sunday for the fourth game of a five-game road trip.

Bulls: At Milwaukee on Sunday for a meeting between teams fighting for one of the final playoff spots in the Eastern Conference.

Westbrook posts 35th triple-double; Thunder roll past 76ers

By MURRAY EVANS
Associated Press

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Add another first for Russell Westbrook - a triple-double without missing a shot.

Westbrook recorded his 35th triple-double of the season with 18 points, 11 rebounds and 14 assists and the Oklahoma City Thunder cruised to a 122-97 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night.

He did so while making all six of his field-goal attempts and all six of his free throws. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, no NBA player previously has had a triple-double without missing a shot attempt or free throw.

"It's amazing, especially for a point guard, because he's shooting threes, twos, inside, outside," said Oklahoma City center Enes Kanter of his teammate's perfect shooting. "For a point guard, he's doing an unbelievable job, playing his game, having fun."

Westbrook's perfect shooting night could partially be attributed to a conscious decision to not shoot a 3-pointer in a game for the first time since March 14, 2016. He said he wasn't aware during the game that he hadn't missed a shot.

"I was just trying to play, trying to take my time," Westbrook said. "I've been watching some film, trying to pick my spots better. I found ways to continue to get my teammates involved throughout the game and it just happened that way.

The Thunder have won 16 straight games against Philadelphia, a run that stretches to the 2008-09 season, the franchise's first in Oklahoma City. That dominance was perhaps most evident in the final rebounding numbers on Wednesday: Oklahoma City 54, Philadelphia 25.

"It's a fantastic example for our young guys on the physicality of playoff-type teams," Philadelphia coach Brett Brown said. "That side of it to me stood out more than it has in a long time. ... You look at the discrepancy on the boards, the rebounding differential, and it felt that.

"It's a reminder. If you want to play late in April, if you want to play in May, maybe June one day, that's the physicality that the playoffs bring."

Nik Stauskas led the 76ers with 20 points, reaching the 20-point mark in consecutive games for the first time in his career.

After 11 lead changes in the opening minutes, the Thunder seized control with a 14-3 run near the end of the first quarter that put them ahead 29-22. Oklahoma City pushed its lead to 14 at one point before settling for a 63-50 halftime lead.

Philadelphia scored to start the third quarter, then the Thunder scored the next 15 points to build a 26-point lead and the triple-double watch intensified. Westbrook's 10th assist came when Taj Gibson rattled in a 15-foot jumper at the 9:10 mark and the 10th rebound came with 7:08 left in the quarter.

It was the 13th time this season, and the 27th time in his career, Westbrook clinched a triple-double in the third quarter. He left the game with 2:39 left in the quarter and didn't return.

Westbrook has recorded five triple-doubles against Philadelphia, his highest total against any NBA team. He needs six triple-doubles in Oklahoma City's final 11 games to tie Oscar Robertson's single-season record, set during the 1961-62 season.

Kanter posted his 17th double-double of the season for the Thunder with 24 points and 11 rebounds. Victor Oladipo (18 points) and Doug McDermott (13 points) also reached double figures for the Thunder.

TIP-INS:

76ers: Jahlil Okafor, who missed Monday's game at Orlando with right knee soreness, started against the Thunder and played 17 minutes, scoring six points. ... Dario Saric scored 12 points, extending his double-figure scoring streak to 21 games, the longest by a rookie this season. ... Stauskas matched his season high with five 3-pointers, going 5-of-5 from behind the arc in the first half.

Thunder: With its 41st win of the season, Oklahoma City is assured of a .500 or better record for the eighth straight season. Only two other teams, the Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs, have as long a streak. ... Westbrook has 72 triple-doubles and needs six more to tie Wilt Chamberlain for fourth on the NBA all-time list.

SURGERY FOR EMBIID

The 76ers said before the game that rookie center Joel Embiid will undergo surgery on a torn meniscus in his left knee. Team spokesman Mike Preston said the 7-footer, who has been plagued with injuries during his professional career, will have the surgery "in the coming days."

Brown said "there has been tremendous due diligence ... and research" about the decision concerning surgery and that Embiid "took an active role" in making the decision. Brown wouldn't say if he thought Embiid would return by the start of next season: "That's stuff we will talk more about and learn more about."

Embiid missed his first two NBA seasons with a foot injury. He played in 31 games this season, averaging 20.2 points and 7.8 rebounds per game but hasn't played since Jan. 27, when he scored 32 points in a loss to the Houston Rockets.

QUOTABLE:

Philadelphia guard T.J. McConnell on guarding Westbrook: "It's not a one-person job. It's an entire team."

UP NEXT:

76ers: Will continue a five-game road swing at Chicago on Friday.

Thunder: Will have a three-day break before a road back-to-back at Houston on Sunday and Dallas on Monday.

Magic storm back to beat 76ers 112-109 in OT

By TERRANCE HARRIS
Associated Press

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) Magic coach Frank Vogel had a simple message for his players at halftime, and he wrote it in bold letters on the locker room white board:

ENERGY - Orlando found it after the break.

The invigorated Magic rallied from a 17-point second-half deficit, then outlasted the Philadelphia 76ers 112-109 in overtime Monday night.

Orlando won consecutive games for the first time since late December. It was coming off a three-game West Coast swing.

"It did a lot," point guard Elfrid Payton said Vogel's halftime emphasis on energy. "Obviously, we knew we were sluggish. Playing against a team like that that just plays hard, we have to match that. I think we were able to do a good job of that."

The Magic, which had fallen behind by 16 points in the first two quarters, bounced back when their hustle level went up a notch in the third quarter and continued to elevate in the fourth and overtime periods. Players like Terrence Ross, Evan Fournier, Bismack Biyombo and Payton all came out with improved energy in the second half.

Nikola Vucevic led the Magic with 26 points and 13 rebounds, but it was the play of Ross, Fournier, Biyombo and Payton after halftime that seemed to make a difference against a Philadelphia team that had just nine available players.

Ross had all 11 of his points after halftime, including a jumper to put Orlando up 106-104 with 34.7 seconds remaining in overtime - he was just 3 for 14 from the field when he took the shot. The Magic made six straight free throws from there to hold off Philadelphia.

"He is a confident guy and he knows we have the utmost confidence in him. If he is open, we want him to shoot that shot, we know he can make that," Payton said of Ross. "It's tough to go out when you are shooting 3 for 14 and shoot that shot with the same confidence as you shot that first one. He did, and that's a big shot for us."

The Sixers, meanwhile, feel like they let one slip away on a night they were severely undermanned but got a dominant performance from their third-string center Richaun Holmes, who was pressed into duty with Jahlil Okafor out. Holmes tied a career high in points with 24 and established a career best in rebounds with 14. Philadelphia also got 24 points and 13 rebounds from Robert Covington after defeating Boston on Sunday.

"We ended up with a beaten down group," 76ers coach Brett Brown said. "We played yesterday, but I think it really does show the character of the team and how we've been trying to play almost the entire year."

TIP-INS

76ers: Okafor missed the game with right knee soreness, and veteran Gerald Henderson was given the night off to rest because it was a back-to-back game. ... With Okafor and Henderson out, the 76ers were down to eight healthy players, but second-year swingman Justin Anderson flew out to Orlando on Monday morning to join the team. Anderson missed Sunday's game and was listed as doubtful for Monday with the flu.

Magic: Meeks was on the floor for the first time since dislocating his thumb on Jan. 18. Meeks, acquired in a trade with Detroit last summer, had missed 26 straight games and has missed a total of 45 games this season after sitting out the first 19 games after undergoing foot surgery after the trade. ... Payton had a rough start, scoring two points, committing two turnovers and committing three fouls in the first 6:50 of the game. He didn't play the rest of the first half.

UP NEXT

76ers: Philadelphia continues its five-game trip in Oklahoma City on Wednesday. The Thunder are 14-1 against the 76ers since moving to Oklahoma City.

Magic: Orlando will host Charlotte on Wednesday night. The Hornets have won six straight over the Magic.

Warriors hold off Sixers 106-104 to snap three-game skid

By JANIE McCAULEY
Associated Press

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) Even after a series of misses from deep where he makes his money, Stephen Curry kept letting it fly from long range.

Then, at last, the ball started falling.

Curry scored 29 points on his 29th birthday, Klay Thompson added 28 and the Golden State Warriors used a frenetic fourth-quarter rally to snap a three-game skid and beat the Philadelphia 76ers 106-104 on Tuesday night.

"It's frustrating only because in the moment, everything feels good. You want to make shots, as a competitor and a gamer, that's what you expect to happen," Curry said. "It's one of those things you just will yourself through."

Dario Saric intentionally missed his second free throw with 2.6 seconds remaining to try to give the Sixers one last shot, but Curry secured the ball.

Curry struggled to knock down open 3-pointers again but came through from deep with 5:38 left and again with a key baseline 3 at 3:42. Matt Barnes hit one a minute later from the opposite corner for a 104-99 lead.

"He found it at the right time and he came through for us when we needed it the most," Draymond Green said of Curry.

Curry's jumper with 9:55 to play pulled the Warriors within 90-86 after Golden State trailed 90-78 to begin the final quarter. Green's 3 at 8:04 made it a one-point game, and Shaun Livingston gave Golden State the lead the next time down.

Green had 20 points with 11 free throws, eight assists, eight rebounds and six blocks for the Warriors, who trailed by as many as 16 in the third.

Saric had 25 points in the Sixers' eighth straight loss to Golden State. The Warriors' winning streak in the series matches their longest ever, along with a stretch from Dec. 16, 1971, to March 11, `73.

"It should hurt," 76ers coach Brett Brown said. "We put in the time, we were in a position on the road to try to get a great win."

Curry shot just 8 for 23 and 5 of 13 from 3-point range, making him 26 for 89 from deep in his past eight games.

The Warriors aren't worried. Thompson and others remind him of all his incredible feats.

"He'll have a huge breakout game coming soon," Thompson said. "He's better missing now than come May or June."

Earlier in the day, Curry refused to call his shooting of late a slump, and coach Steve Kerr insists nobody can expect the two-time reigning MVP to match his NBA-record 402 3s last season.

"That's what I love about Steph is that he's never going to stop shooting and he never loses confidence," Kerr said. "That's the mark of a star, when it's not your night and you still hit big shots to help your team win."

The Warriors returned to the Bay Area following a brutal road stretch - which included losing Kevin Durant to a sprained left knee - and barely bounced back to avoid their first four-game losing streak since Feb. 26, 2013, to March 2, `13.

Golden State moved a half-game ahead of the idle Spurs for the top spot in the Western Conference.

KD'S HEALTH

Durant took set shots and moved around the court earlier in the day without his knee brace and soon could add jumpers. He is scheduled to be re-evaluated late this month to determine whether he might return before the regular season concludes.

TIP-INS

76ers: The Sixers shot 56 percent in the first to stay within 35-34. ... F Robert Covington started after he missed Sunday's win at the Lakers with soreness in his right knee. ... Philadelphia has lost five straight at Oracle Arena since its last win in Oakland, 104-97, on Dec. 31, 2011.

Warriors: Green became the 11th player in franchise history with 400 blocked shots. He moved past Andrew Bogut for 10th place on the franchise list. ... The Warriors are 11-1 at home vs. the Eastern Conference with three in a row against the East at Oracle this week. ... Curry, playing on his birthday for the fourth straight year, has scored at least 25 points on his past four birthdays.

UP NEXT

76ers: Return home from a four-game West Coast trip to host Dallas on Friday.

Warriors: Host Orlando on Thursday looking for an eighth straight win vs. the Magic.

Nurkic leads Trail Blazers over 76ers 114-108

By ANNE M. PETERSON
AP Sports Writer

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts called it "Nurkic Fever" before the game, and the love for Jusuf Nurkic had only grown by the end of the night.

The 7-foot center had a career-high 28 points and 20 rebounds, and Portland beat the Philadelphia 76ers 114-108 in overtime on Thursday.

Nurkic, who was acquired last month in a trade with Denver, also had eight assists and six blocks in Portland's season-high fourth straight win.

The "Bosnian Beast" has quickly become a fan favorite for the Trail Blazers, and Stotts was asked before the game if he was surprised. "It's easy to do," the coach said. "Nurkic fever? Why not?"

On the court afterward, Nurkic smiled when he was told about the coach's comments. The crowd roared.

"I love being here," he said. "I appreciate what the city is doing for me. I just want to give them back something."

Damian Lillard added 24 points for Portland, but did not make a 3-pointer, snapping a streak of 42 games with at least one 3.

Philadelphia rookie Dario Saric had a season-best 28 points, while Robert Covington scored 24 in the 76ers' sixth loss in seven games.

Covington's layup at the buzzer in regulation tied at 97. Nurkic's tip-in gave the Blazers a 102-99 lead, but Covington made a 3-pointer to tie it again at 102.

Lillard's free throws gave Portland a 106-104 lead with under two minutes left in the extra period. His layup extended the lead to four.

Allen Crabbe's floater with 20.9 seconds left helped seal the victory for the Blazers.

"That's as dominant a performance as we have played against this year from an interior player," 76ers coach Brett Brown said about Nurkic. "Twenty rebounds and 28 points. That's a dominant effort."

Nurkic has been a spark for Portland, one of a number of teams jockeying for a playoff spot in the Western Conference. It began the day in ninth in the standings, just below the Denver Nuggets.

"Different teams are at different stages," Stotts said about the urgency at this time of the season. "Obviously with us, with 20 games to go, every win and every loss is magnified."

Philadelphia is near the bottom of the Eastern Conference and well out of the playoff picture.

The Sixers got center Jahlil Okafor back after he missed two games because of right knee soreness. Philadelphia has been so short-handed it received a hardship exception to sign Shawn Long to a 10-day contract earlier this week.

Portland led by as many as 12 points in the first quarter and took a 57-52 lead into the half, but the focus was on Nurkic, who had 13 points, seven rebounds and five assists before the break.

Philadelphia grabbed a 95-94 lead on Saric's free throws with 55.9 to go. Nurkic made the second of two free throws to tie it again, and Covington fouled CJ McCollum, who made his foul shots to give Portland a 97-95 lead.

Nurkic was asked if he was on top of the world following the performance. He was the first Blazer with 20 or more points and rebounds in a game since LaMarcus Aldridge in January 2014.

"Nah, I'm gonna stay on the ground, because I know what I'm capable of," he said. "I don't like to talk about myself, I'm gonna show it on the court."

Portland was coming off a 126-121 victory at Oklahoma City on Tuesday.

TIP-INS

76ers: Brown praised former 76er Elton Brand, who now serves as player development consultant for the team. Brown said Brand has "an incredible sense of perspective, a calm mind."

Trail Blazers: The Sixers beat the Blazers 93-92 earlier this year at the Wells Fargo Center. Covington hit a 3-pointer with 4.5 seconds left for the win.

QUESTIONABLE FOUL?

Brown was asked why Covington fouled McCollum near the end of regulation with the game tied.

"He thought Nurkic made both free throws. Stuff like that happens. I think what we should all finally remember is how good an effort he made to get that putback at the end of the game and what a game he played," Brown said. "It was a mistake and we move on."

UP NEXT

76ers: Head to Los Angeles to face the Clippers for the second of their four-game road trip.

Trail Blazers: Host the Washington Wizards on Saturday night.

Sixers aiming for sweep of Trail Blazers

Stats, LLC

PORTLAND, Ore. — The Portland Trail Blazers seem to be getting solid contributions from a lot of players not named Damian Lillard or CJ McCollum as they get serious about a run at a playoff berth.

Newly acquired center Jusuf Nurkic has scored at least 15 points in four consecutive games for the first time in his career and is averaging 14.9 points, 8.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists in his six games as a Trail Blazer.

Reserve power forward Al-Farouq Aminu has averaged 13.7 points and 7.9 rebounds and shot .478 from 3-point range over the last 10 games.

In his last four games, reserve center Meyers Leonard has shot .667 from the field and .500 from the 3-point line and averaged 8.5 points in only 16 minutes a game.

Then there is reserve guard Allen Crabbe, who could be an important weapon as Portland (27-35) tries to up its win streak to four games Thursday night against the Philadelphia 76ers at Moda Center.

Crabbe scored 23 points, sinking 7 of 10 from the field and 5 of 7 from 3-point range, in the Blazers’ 126-121 win at Oklahoma City Tuesday night.

A year ago, Crabbe averaged a career-high 10.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists, shooting .459 from the field and .394 from 3 and .867 from the free-throw line. That landed him a four-year, $75-million free-agent contract.

After a slow start this season, Crabbe has compiled similar numbers, averaging 10.5 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists while shooting .469 from the field and .866 from the line. The biggest different is from beyond the arc, where he is shooting a much-improved .444.

The Blazers need Crabbe’s offense when their top two scorers, Lillard and McCollum, are out of the game.

“We need him to be super aggressive,’ Lillard told the media. “I’ve been telling him since last year: ‘Shoot the ball.’ “

Against OKC, “He was hitting a bunch of 3’s and then he missed one,” Lillard said. “The next possession, the ball came back to him and he didn’t shoot it. At a timeout, I was like, ‘Man, I don’t care if you missed the last three. You gotta take that shot.’ Because that’s a good shot for the team.”

Added McCollum: “I always tell him, ‘Whenever you want the pill, let me know.’ We need him to be aggressive, miss or make.”

After trading Nerlens Noel to Dallas and losing Joel Embiid for the season due to a knee injury, Philadelphia was left with Jahlil Okafor at center. Okafor is questionable for Thursday’s game with right knee soreness. The 76ers are down to Ricaun Holmes, a 6-10 second-year pro who was drafted out of Bowling Green in the second round as a power forward, and Shawn Long, who signed a 10-day contract out of the D-League, at the post.

“The realities of our roster are very clear to everyone,” 76ers coach Brett Brown told reporters. “There’s no mystery to what our roster is right now. … It’s going to take some extra effort and extra luck in finding ways to compete.”

The 76ers (23-40) have lost five of six and are lottery-bound, but they beat Portland 93-92 at Wells Fargo Center on Jan. 20, Robert Covington sinking a game-winning 3 with 4.5 seconds remaining. A win at Moda Center would give them their first series sweep of the Blazers since 2008-09.