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NBA roundup: Simmons shoots Sixers past Nets

Ben Simmons scored a playoff-career-high 31 points and handed out nine assists to lead the visiting Philadelphia 76ers past the Brooklyn Nets 131-115 on Thursday in New York for a 2-1 lead in an Eastern Conference opening-round playoff series. Simmons, whose wayward shooting was the subject of a "Missing" poster outside of Barclays Center pregame, made 11 of 13 attempts from the field and 9 of 11 from the foul line. Tobias Harris also scored a playoff-career-high, adding 29 points to go along with 16 rebounds, and JJ Redick added 26 points for Philadelphia. Sixers center Joel Embiid was scratched before the game due to left knee soreness. Greg Monroe, who signed late in the regular season, received the emergency start in place of Embiid and contributed nine points and 13 boards. Warriors 132, Clippers 105 Kevin Durant exploded for 38 points, and Golden State never let up after building an early lead, cruising to a win at Los Angeles to take a 2-1 edge in their Western Conference first-round playoff series. The Warriors, who blew a 31-point, second-half lead in Game 3, ran up 41 first-quarter points, building as much as a 19-point advantage in the first 12 minutes. Stephen Curry, who battled foul trouble most of the night, complemented Durant with 21 points in 20 minutes for the Warriors. Ivica Zubac had a team-high 18 points to go with a game-high 15 rebounds for the Clippers. Spurs 118, Nuggets 108 Derrick White poured in a career-high 36 points on 15-of-21 shooting to lift San Antonio to a win over visiting Denver in Game 3 of a Western Conference first-round playoff series. San Antonio, the seventh seed in the West, grabbed a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. The Spurs led just 89-87 in the first minute of the fourth quarter before they pulled away, forging a 19-4 run that was capped by a White 3-pointer with 5:57 left that gave San Antonio a 108-91 advantage. DeMar DeRozan added 25 points, 21 of those in the second half, while LaMarcus Aldridge contributed 18 points and 11 rebounds for the Spurs. Nikola Jokic paced Denver with 22 points, and Malik Beasley added 20. --Field Level Media