Black Immigrant Daily News
Kristaps Porzingis scored a career-high 41 points, including 29 in the first half, and the Washington Wizards beat Minnesota 142-127 in the NBA on Monday after Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony-Towns was helped off the court in the third quarter with a right leg injury.
Towns grabbed at his leg and went down near midcourt. He was helped off without putting weight on the leg, and the team announced that he had a right calf strain.
Porzingis made all six of his 3-pointers in the first half. Washington shot 57% from the field for the game.
Kyle Kuzma scored 23 points for the Wizards and Bradley Beal added 22.
Anthony Edwards led the Timberwolves with 29 points.
NETS 109, MAGIC 102
NEW YORK (AP) — Kevin Durant scored a season-high 45 points and Brooklyn Nets beat Orlando Magic to get back to .500.
Durant shot 19 of 24 from the field and added seven rebounds and five assists, playing 39 minutes on the second night of back-to-back games.
Kyrie Irving added 20 points and Nic Claxton had 17 points and 13 rebounds for the Nets (11-11), who had to play the second half without Ben Simmons after he was bothered by knee soreness.
Paolo Banchero and Bol Bol each scored 24 points and Franz Wagner chipped in 21 for the Magic, who have lost five straight games and seven of their last eight.
PACERS 116, LAKERS 115
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Rookie Andrew Nembhard hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer, and Indiana Pacers rallied from a 17-point deficit in the fourth quarter for a stunning victory over Los Angeles Lakers.
Tyrese Haliburton scored 24 points and hit a tying layup with 39 seconds left for the Pacers, who trailed 101-84 early in the fourth. LeBron James hit a one-handed floater with 20.9 seconds left, and Myles Turner missed an ensuing 3-point attempt for Indiana — but Haliburton got the rebound and found Nembhard alone on the perimeter, where the Canadian second-round pick from Gonzaga drilled his fourth 3-pointer of the night.
Haliburton had 14 assists while rookie Bennedict Mathurin added 23 points for the Pacers, who avoided their first back-to-back losses since October in dramatic fashion.
Anthony Davis had 25 points and 13 rebounds for the Lakers, who were well on their way to their sixth victory in seven games before their defense faltered down the stretch.
76ERS 104, HAWKS 101
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Joel Embiid sank the go-ahead 14-footer with 18.6 seconds left and scored 30 points in his return from a sprained left foot as Philadelphia 76ers beat Atlanta Hawks.
Embiid scored seven points in the final minute as the 76ers rallied. He had missed the previous four games with a sprained left foot.
Tobias Harris scored 24 points and Shake Milton had 21 for the Sixers.
Young and De’Andre Hunter led the Hawks with 18 points apiece.
CELTICS 140, HORNETS 105
BOSTON (AP) — Jayson Tatum scored 35 points, Marcus Smart had 22 points and a career-high 15 assists, and Boston Celtics cruised past Charlotte Hornets
The Celtics led by 27 points in the first quarter. It was the ninth straight win at home and the 13th in 14 games for the reigning Eastern Conference champions, who have the best record in the NBA.
Malcolm Brogdon had 21 points, six assists and five rebounds for Boston.
Jalen McDaniels scored 24 points and Kelly Oubre Jr. had 22 for the Hornets, who lost for the 12th time in 15 games.
SUNS 122, KINGS 117
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Devin Booker had 44 points, eight rebounds and six steals and Phoenix Suns extended their winning streak to five.
Sacramento have lost three straight after a seven-game win streak.
Deandre Ayton added 17 points and 12 rebounds for his ninth double-double of the season for Phoenix, which have won six of seven.
Malik Monk scored 30 points for the Kings, his fourth game over 20 points this season. Domantas Sabonis finished with 17 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds.
RAPTORS 100, CAVALIERS 88
TORONTO (AP) — Pascal Siakam had 18 points and 11 rebounds in his return from injury, O.G. Anunoby scored 20 and Toronto Raptors beat Cleveland Cavaliers.
Gary Trent Jr. scored 14 points, Fred VanVleet had 13 and Scottie Barnes 11 as the Raptors improved to 8-2 at home.
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Siakam returned after missing 10 games because of a strained right adductor. Toronto went 5-5 in his absence.
Evan Mobley had 18 points and 15 rebounds and Darius Garland added 18 points and 10 assists, but the Cavaliers lost to Toronto for the second time.
PELICANS 105, THUNDER 101
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Zion Williamson scored 23 points, matched his career high with eight assists and converted a go-ahead three-point play with 44 seconds left to lift short-handed New Orleans Pelicans past Oklahoma City Thunder.
With the Pelicans playing without Brandon Ingram and C.J. McCollum, Williamson also had eight rebounds and three blocked shots. Trey Murphy III scored 20 points for the Pelicans.
The Pelicans slowed down Shai Gilgeous-Alexander from the floor, but the penetrating guard still scored 31 points on 7-of-21 shooting. He did most of his damage from the foul line, going 16 of 18.
Oklahoma City took a 101-100 lead on Jeremiah Robinson-Earl’s 3-pointer with 51 seconds left, but New Orleans scored the final five points.
NUGGETS 129, ROCKETS 113
DENVER (AP) — Nikola Jokic had 32 points and 12 rebounds, Jamal Murray scored a season-high 31 and Denver Nuggets beat Houston Rockets.
The win was the Nuggets’ third in a row following a home loss last Tuesday against lowly Detroit. Jokic and Murray combined to shoot 64.7% from the field.
Alperen Sengun led five Rockets in double figures with 18 points. Houston (5-15) have the worst record in the Western Conference, but had won three of its previous five games.
BULLS 114, JAZZ 107
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — DeMar DeRozan had 26 points and six assists to lead Chicago Bulls past Utah Jazz.
Zach LaVine added 20 points, six rebounds, and five assists for the Bulls. Nikola Vucevic finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds.
Lauri Markkanen scored 32 points for the Jazz. Kelly Olynyk added 23 points and Collin Sexton chipped in 17. Utah lost their fifth straight.
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