UNDATED (AP) — The Philadelphia 76ers are 1-1 on their four-game homestand after pulling away in the second half against Oklahoma City.
Joel Embiid had 25 points, 19 rebounds and five blocks as the 76ers defeated the Thunder, 100-87. Tyrese Maxey finished with 24 points and Tobias Harris added 17 for the Sixers, who will continue to play without newly-acquired James Harden because of a hamstring injury. The team announced that Harden will miss Saturday’s game at Cleveland.
The game was close until Philly outscored OKC, 31-20 in the third quarter to go ahead by 16.
Darius Bazley had 14 points and 15 rebounds for the Thunder, while Derrick Favors added 16 points and nine boards.
Checking out Friday’s other NBA action:
— Caris LeVert scored 22 points and had five assists in his return to Indiana, helping the Cavaliers earn a 120-113 win versus the Pacers. LeVert was acquired by the Cavs on Sunday in a trade with the Pacers. Jarrett Allen had 22 points and 14 rebounds in Cleveland’s fourth straight win.
— DeMar DeRozan delivered 35 points, Nikola Vucevic added 26 and the Bulls used a big fourth quarter to beat the Timberwolves 134-122. Tied with Milwaukee and Cleveland for second place in the Eastern Conference coming in, the Bulls went on a 15-2 run early in the fourth and outscored the Timberwolves 42-31 in the period. DeRozan scored 16 in the final quarter on the way to his fifth straight game with more than 30 points.
— Marcus Smart contributed 22 points, five steals and two crucial free throws as the Celtics held on for their seventh win in a row, 108-102 against the Nuggets. Jayson Tatum had 24 points to help Boston overcome Nikola Jokic, who had 23 points, 16 rebounds and 11 assists in his 71st career triple-double. Derrick White had 15 points, six rebounds and two assists in his debut with Celtics after being acquired from San Antonio in a trade-deadline deal.
— Donovan Mitchell dropped in 24 points and grabbed seven rebounds to lead the Jazz to a 114-99 victory over the Magic. Mitchell hit three baskets and four free throws to fuel an 17-0 run that helped Utah carve out a 24-7 lead. Hassan Whiteside added 15 points and a season-high 18 rebounds for the Jazz, who have their first five-game home winning streak of the season.
— The Hornets’ six-game skid is over after LaMelo Ball had 31 points and 12 assists in their 141-119 romp over the Pistons. Terry Rozier added a triple-double of 25 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds. Miles Bridges had 25 points for the Hornets, who hadn’t won since beating the Lakers on Jan. 28.
— The Spurs were 136-121 winners over the Hawks as Dejounte Murray tied his career highs with 32 points and 15 assists to go with 10 rebounds for his 11th triple-double this season. Keldon Johnson scored 26 points and San Antonio tied a season high with 18 3-pointers, going 8-for-9 from downtown in the first quarter. Bogdan Bogdanovic had 23 points in a reserve role for Atlanta.
