UNDATED (AP) — Joel Embiid made sure the Philadelphia 76ers were able to beat the Boston Celtics for the second time in three days.
Embiid followed his 42-point performance in Wednesday’s win by dropping 38 points on Boston while grabbing 11 rebounds in the Sixers’ 122-110 win. He made 14 of 15 from the free-throw line after Marcus Smart accused him two days earlier of flopping to get calls.
Seth Curry provided 15 points in his return to the Sixers’ starting lineup following a seven-game absence because of a positive COVID-19 test.
Checking out Friday’s other NBA action:
— Kawhi Leonard pumped in 31 points and Paul George added 29 in the Clippers’ sixth consecutive win, 120-106 against the Thunder. Serge Ibaka had 17 points and 11 rebounds to help Los Angeles improve to 12-4, tying the Lakers for the NBA’s best record.
— Luka Doncic contributed 36 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds for the Mavericks in a 122-117 win against the Spurs. Kristaps Porzingis and Tim Hardaway Jr. had 21 points each for Dallas.
— Nikola Jokic scored 31 points and the Nuggets rallied to force overtime before outlasting the Suns, 130-126. Gary Harris added 19 points for Denver, which shot nearly 52% from the field and had six players scored in double figures.
— Trae Young scored a season-high 43 points and Clint Capella recorded a rare instance of a triple-double as the Hawks battered the Timberwolves, 116-98. Capella’s triple-double included 10 blocks to go with 13 points and 19 rebounds.
— Collin Sexton dropped in 25 points and had nine assists as the Cavaliers knocked off the Nets for the second time in three days, 125-113. Andre Drummond added 19 points and 16 rebounds to help Cleveland withstand Kyrie Irving’s 38 points for Brooklyn.
— Malcolm Brogdon capped his 23-point performance by draining the decisive 3-pointer with 2.8 seconds left in overtime, sending the Pacers past the Magic, 120-118. Jeremy Lamb and Myles Turner each scored 22 points, and Domantas Sabonis contributed 18 in the victory.
— The Raptors were 101-81 winners over the Heat as Norman Powell scored 23 points and OG Anunoby added 21. Pascal Siakam had 15 points and 14 rebounds for Toronto, which never trailed on its way to avenging Wednesday’s loss to Miami.
— Harrison Barnes had 21 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in carrying the Kings to a 103-94 victory over the Knicks. Sacramento made only three shots over the final six minutes but made up for it by going 7 of 8 on free throws down the stretch to end New York’s three-game winning streak.
— The Rockets were able to celebrate a 103-102 win over the Pistons after Jerami Grant’s driving layup on the final play came too late. Eric Gordon scored 20 points for Houston, which blew a 20-point lead before snapping a three-game losing streak.
— The Bulls picked up a 123-110 win over the Hornets behind Zach LaVine’s 25 points and nine assists. Lauri Markkanen chipped in with 23 points and Coby White added 18 with eight assists in Chicago’s third win in a row.
