Tyrese Maxey scored 16 of his 29 points in the first quarter as the Philadelphia 76ers got off to a fast start and extended their winning streak to four games with a 128-113 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday in Inglewood, Calif.
Dominick Barlow scored a career-high 26 points and grabbed 16 rebounds and Joel Embiid added 24 points as the 76ers matched their longest winning streak of the season.
The Sixers grabbed an 18-2 lead five minutes into the game, led by as many as 23 points in the first half and swept the two-game season series against Los Angeles.
Kawhi Leonard scored 29 points and Jordan Miller added 21 as the Clippers’ five-game home winning streak came to an end. The Clippers were playing their second consecutive game without guard James Harden because of personal reasons, with the veteran starting to emerge in trade rumors ahead of the Thursday deadline.
Rockets 118, Pacers 114
Alperen Sengun matched his season high with 39 points and helped seal Houston’s win over host Indiana with the last of his game-high 16 rebounds in Indianapolis.
Sengun picked up the offensive slack for a Houston team down Kevin Durant, a late scratch due to a left ankle sprain. The Houston center shot 13-for-25 from the floor and 13-for-18 at the foul line, and it was on one of his missed attempts at the charity stripe he made a critical play.
With Houston leading 117-114 and eight seconds remaining, Isaiah Jackson sent Sengun to the free-throw line with a take foul. Sengun missed both foul shots, but he chased down the second carom. The rebound shaved half of the remaining time off the clock and resulted in Amen Thompson going to the free-throw line, where he extended the Rockets’ lead to two possessions.
Grizzlies 137, Timberwolves 128
Jaren Jackson Jr. had 30 points, Ty Jerome added 19 points with eight assists and Jaylen Wells scored 18 to lead Memphis past visiting Minnesota.
The Grizzlies also got 16 points and five assists each from reserves Vince Williams Jr. and Cam Spencer while snapping a six-game losing streak.
Anthony Edwards led the Timberwolves with 39 points and Jaden McDaniels had 29 on 11-of-14 shooting. Donte DiVincenzo added 21 points for Minnesota, which had won four straight.
Hornets 102, Pelicans 95
LaMelo Ball scored 24 points and Charlotte won its seventh consecutive game by overcoming a 22-point deficit to defeat visiting New Orleans.
Kon Knueppel chipped in 17 points and nine rebounds and Brandon Miller added 16 points and eight rebounds. Grant Williams provided 16 points and nine rebounds off the bench and fellow reserve Ryan Kalkbrenner supplied 10 points for Charlotte, which is on its longest winning streak in nearly 10 years.
New Orleans, which scored just 13 points in the fourth quarter and 31 for the whole second half, lost for the third time in their last four games despite Trey Murphy III’s 27 points. Derik Queen contributed 16 points and eight rebounds, while Zion Williamson added 14 points and 11 boards.
