PHILADELPHIA — Joel Embiid scored 38 points and the NBA-leading Philadelphia 76ers overcame a Washington record-tying 60-point performance by Bradley Beal in a 141-136 win over the Wizards on Wednesday night.
The Sixers are an NBA-best 7-1 in coach Doc Rivers’ first season in Philadelphia
Beal was stuffed on a layup and missed a 3-pointer inside the final minute. But the dynamic guard, who once scored 53 and 55 points in consecutive games, sank a free throw with 4.4 seconds left to reach 60. He went 20 of 25 from the floor, 7 of 10 on 3-pointers and was 13 for 15 from the line to match Gilbert Arenas for the franchise mark.
Beal hit seven 3s and reached 57 points through three quarters, but the Wizards gave up 82 points and trailed by as many as 21 in the first half.
MAGIC 105, CAVALIERS 94
ORLANDO, Fla. — Former top overall draft pick Markelle Fultz suffered a season-ending tear of the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during the first quarter of Orlando’s win over Cleveland.
Fultz, off to the best start of his career, was driving to the basket less than five minutes into the game when he was cut off by Isaac Okoro and his left knee buckled without contact. The Orlando point guard writhed in pain on the floor for several minutes before he was helped into a wheelchair.
Fultz signed a three-year, $50 million extension last month and was finally showing the promise that made him the No. 1 pick in the 2017 draft as he led the Magic to a quick start this season. He came in averaging a career-best 14.3 points in seven games.
Fultz was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers as part of their lengthy rebuild but struggled for years with a tough-to-diagnose shoulder injury that ruined his jump shot. He was traded to the Magic in February 2019.
Terrence Ross scored 20 points and hit five 3-pointers to lead the Magic, who beat the Cavaliers for a second time in three nights.
Collin Sexton scored 21 for Cleveland, his eighth straight game with at least 20 to start the season. That broke LeBron James’ franchise record from 2004-05.
CELTICS 107, HEAT 105
MIAMI — Rookie guard Payton Pritchard’s putback with 0.2 seconds left capped a wild finish, and Boston beat Miami in their first matchup since last year’s Eastern Conference finals.
Jayson Tatum scored 27 points and Jaylen Brown had 21 for the Celtics, who wasted an early 17-point lead and a 10-point lead in the final minute before winning.
Jimmy Butler had 26 points for Miami.
The Celtics went on a late 13-0 run to go up 10 with 1:17 left — only to see the Heat score 10 points in 55 seconds to tie the game on a pair of 3-pointers by Duncan Robinson, one while getting fouled, and another from Goran Dragic.
KNICKS 112, JAZZ 100
NEW YORK — Austin Rivers scored 23 points, including 14 straight for the Knicks down the stretch, and Julius Randle had 30 points, 16 rebounds and seven assists as New York won its third straight by beating Utah.
The Knicks trailed by 18 in the first half but outplayed the Jazz in the second and won for the fifth time in six games. It was tied at 96 with under five minutes to play before Rivers made four 3-pointers in the final 4:17.
Elfrid Payton scored 22 points for the Knicks.
Jordan Clarkson had 19 points and Donovan Mitchell added 18 for the Jazz, who were swept in a back-to-back set of games in New York. The Brooklyn Nets routed them 130-96 on Tuesday.
THUNDER 111, PELICANS 110
NEW ORLEANS — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 21 points, George Hill hit the go-ahead free throws with 12 seconds left, and Oklahoma City edged New Orleans.
The Pelicans had the final possession of the game, and top scorers Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson both touched the ball. But it was second-year reserve guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker who took the last shot from 3-point range and it rimmed out.
Darius Bazley had 20 points and 12 rebounds for the Thunder, who avenged a home loss to New Orleans last week while winning for just the second time in six games.
Williamson scored 29 points and Ingram 24. Steven Adams had 10 points, 10 assists and 11 rebounds for his first career triple-double.
PACERS 114, ROCKETS 107
INDIANAPOLIS — Malcolm Brogdon scored a career-high 35 points and made the go-ahead 3-pointer with 2:22 to go, leading Indiana past Houston.
Justin Holiday added a season-best 20 points for Indiana, winner of two straight. It was the first time the Pacers the Rockets at home since January 2017.
John Wall had a season-high 28 points in his fourth game with his new team but James Harden finished with 15. Harden also had 12 assists for Houston, which gave up the final eight points after taking a 107-106 lead.
SUNS 123, RAPTORS 115
PHOENIX — Devin Booker scored 24 points, Jae Crowder added 21 and Phoenix made 21 3-pointers against Toronto.
The Suns hit at least 20 3s for the fourth time in franchise history. Crowder led the way with six and Cameron Johnson added four as the Suns finished 21 of 40 (52.5%) from 3-point range.
Johnson scored 16 points to lead Phoenix’s reserves, who poured in 42 points. Dario Saric added 15.
The Suns have won five of six and improved to 6-2, tied for tops in the Western Conference with the Lakers.
Pascal Siakam scored 32 points and Kyle Lowry added 24 for the Raptors, who fell to 1-6 and had their six-game winning streak against Phoenix snapped.
BUCKS 130, PISTONS 115
MILWAUKEE — Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 25 points and Khris Middleton added 23 as Milwaukee rolled past Detroit for its third straight victory.
The Bucks (5-3) also beat the Pistons (1-7) on Monday night in Milwaukee and have won their last nine regular-season meetings with Detroit. Milwaukee was ahead 82-56 at halftime and led by 34 in the third quarter.
Jerami Grant had 31 points for the Pistons.
The Bucks improved to 4-0 at home, where they’re outscoring teams by an average margin of 23.5 points.
HORNETS 102, HAWKS 94
ATLANTA — Gordon Hayward scored a career-high 44 points and Charlotte recovered to beat Atlanta after trailing for the first time in the fourth quarter.
The Hornets led by double figures most of the game before the Hawks claimed their first lead, 86-85, on John Collins’ three-point play with 5:22 remaining. Hayward answered with a jumper and his own three-point play, and the Hornets never trailed again.
Collins led Atlanta with 23 points and 11 rebounds. Trae Young, averaging 28.6 points, scored only seven while going 2 of 9 from the field.
CLIPPERS 108, WARRIORS 101
SAN FRANCISCO — Kawhi Leonard had 21 points, including the tying and go-ahead baskets midway through the fourth quarter, and Los Angeles beat Golden State in the first of two consecutive matchups between the Pacific Division rivals.
Paul George returned from a one-game absence with a sore right ankle to add 21 points and 12 rebounds in the Clippers’ fourth straight win against Golden State, which got just 13 points from Stephen Curry on a cold shooting night for the two-time MVP.
Curry had scored 92 points in the previous two games, including his career-high 62 against Portland on Sunday night.
KINGS 128, BULLS 124
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Buddy Hield converted a four-point play with 38 seconds left to make up for a horrible shooting night, and Sacramento held off Chicago.
Hield missed 12 of his first 14 shots and was 1 of 8 on 3-pointers before hitting one from the top of the arc and getting fouled by former Kings teammate Garrett Temple. Hield sank the free throw and finished with 10 points.
First-round draft pick Tyrese Haliburton scored 15 of his season-high 17 points in the fourth quarter and made a key steal in the backcourt. Haliburton followed Hield’s pivotal 3 with one of his own against a pair of Chicago defenders to help the Kings end a three-game losing streak.
Marvin Bagley III had 21 points and 12 rebounds for Sacramento, which played most of the game without De’Aaron Fox. The point guard strained his right hamstring midway through the first quarter and did not return.
Richaun Holmes had 24 points, eight rebounds and five assists for the Kings. Harrison Barnes added 20 points.
Coby White had a career-high 36 points and seven assists for the Bulls. Zach Lavine scored 32 and Wendell Carter Jr. pulled down a career-best 17 rebounds.
