UNDATED (AP) — James Harden made a big impact in his first game since joining the Philadelphia 76ers.
Harden delivered 27 points and 12 assists as the Sixers posted a 133-102 drubbing of the Timberwolves. Joel Embiid had 34 points and 10 rebounds in the 76ers’ fourth win in five games.
Karl-Anthony Towns led Minnesota with 25 points and D’Angelo Russell scored 21.
Checking out Friday’s other NBA action:
— RJ Barrett poured in a career-high 46 points, but it wasn’t enough for the Knicks in a 115-100 loss to the Heat. Tyler Herro provided 25 points and Jimmy Butler added 23 in the Heat’s first game since the All-Star break. Kyle Lowry added 19 points for Miami, which reclaimed a share of the Eastern Conference lead with Chicago.
— The league’s overall leaders ended an eight-game winning streak as McCollum dropped in 32 points on 11 of 18 from the field to carry the Pelicans past the Suns, 117-102. Brandon Ingram added 28 points for the Pelicans, and Jonas Valanciunas had 18 points and 17 rebounds. Devin Booker finished with 30 points but had just five assists as Phoenix fell for just the second time in 21 games.
— The Jazz shot 54% in a 114-109 downing of the Mavericks. Donovan Mitchell hit a career-high seven 3-pointers and finished with 33 points. Bojan Bogdanovic added 18 points, Mike Conley had 15 and Rudy Gobert finished with 14 points, 17 rebounds and three blocks.
— The Hornets rolled over the Raptors, 125-93 with Terry Rozier and Kelly Oubre Jr. each scoring 23 points. Montrezl Harrell added 20 points for Charlotte, which never trailed and led by 41 near the end of the third quarter. The Hornets won for just the second time in 11 games with runs of 14-2 and 19-0.
— Amir Coffey furnished 12 of his 14 in the fourth quarter and the Clippers returned from the All-Star break with a 105-102 victory over the Lakers. Terance Mann had 19 points and 10 rebounds, while Luke Kennard added 18 points in the Clippers’ sixth straight win over the Lakers. LeBron James had 21 points and 11 rebounds while Carmelo Anthony and Russell Westbrook scored 18 points apiece for the Lakers.
— Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 36 points and made the decisive 3-point play with 20.4 seconds left in overtime to give the Thunder a 129-125 triumph over the Pacers. Tre Mann finished with 22 points to help Oklahoma City snap a two-game losing streak and a five-game skid in the series. Buddy Hield and RJ Barrett led the Pacers with 29 points.
— Dejounte Murray had 31 points, 14 assists and 13 rebounds as the Spurs outlasted the Wizards, 157-153 in double overtime. Keldon Johnson scored a career-high 32 points and Jakob Poeltl added a career-best 28 points for San Antonio. The Spurs have won five of seven to get coach Gregg Popovich within one victory of Lenny Wilken’s NBA record of 1,335.
— Chuma Okeke scored a career-high 26 points to lead the Magic to a 119-111 win over the Rockets. Wendell Carter Jr. added 24 points and 12 rebounds for the Magic, who broke a four-game losing streak in a matchup of the bottom teams in each conference. Jalen Green led Houston with 23 points in Houston’s eighth straight loss.
Rondo shelved
UNDATED (AP) — Cavaliers guard Rajon Rondo will miss at least two weeks with a sprained toe, the latest injury to hit Cleveland’s backcourt.
Rondo sprained his right big toe in the fourth quarter of Cleveland’s loss at Detroit on Thursday.
The 36-year-old Rondo joins guards Caris LeVert and Collin Sexton on the sidelines, with Darius Garland receiving fewer minutes because of a bone bruise in his back.
Also around the NBA:
— Heat forward Jimmy Butler has been fined $25,000 for violating league rules regarding media interview access and for his noncompliance with the resulting NBA investigation. The league says the punishment stems from Butler’s failure to comply with his media availability obligations during the NBA All-Star weekend, including after the game on Sunday.
— Knicks guard Derrick Rose has undergone another procedure on his right ankle. The 33-year-old point guard had recently begun practicing fully after he had surgery on the ankle in December. No timetable was given for Rose’s return and coach Tom Thibodeau said he had no details other than the procedure had gone well.
