76ers head toward playoff spot
Philly sits starters in fourth quarter of 5th straight win
Published 11:57 pm, Thursday, March 22, 2018
Orlando, Fla.
Joel Embiid had 17 points and nine rebounds in just 20 minutes and the surging Philadelphia 76ers moved closer to a playoff berth with a 118-98 victory over the Orlando Magic on Thursday night.
Ersan Ilyasova scored 18 points, leading six Philadelphia players in double figures as the 76ers (41-30) won their fifth straight and clinched their first non-losing season in six years. Robert Covington and Marco Belinelli added 15 points.
Rodney Purvis came off the bench to score 19 points for the Magic, who have lost eight of nine. Aaron Gordon, the only Orlando starter to score in double figures, had 10 points and 11 rebounds.
Hornets 140, Grizzlies 79: Kemba Walker scored 46 points and made 10 3-pointers, and Charlotte rolled to the most lopsided victory in franchise history. Walker had the ninth 40-point game of his career as the Hornets easily overcame the absence of the suspended Dwight Howard. In his 32-point, 30-rebound performance Wednesday night in Brooklyn, Howard was whistled for his 16th technical foul of the season, meaning he had to serve a one-game suspension on Thursday night.
Rockets 100, Pistons 96 (OT): James Harden scored 21 points, including 10 of Houston's 12 points in overtime. Blake Griffin had 21 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for Detroit. Andre Drummond had 17 points and 20 rebounds.
Pelicans 128, Lakers 125: Anthony Davis capped a 33-point performance with two clutch free throws and a game-sealing steal in the final seconds, Rajon Rondo had 24 points and 10 assists, and New Orleans erased an 11-point, fourth-quarter deficit.
Jazz 119, Mavericks 112: Donovan Mitchell scored 26 points to lead Utah to victory.