Warriors secure NBA Cup knockout round spot with 112-108 win over Pelicans

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Andrew Wiggins scored 30 points and the Golden State Warriors secured a knockout round spot in the NBA Cup with a 112-108 victory over the reeling New Orleans Pelicans on Friday night.

Stephen Curry scored 19 for the Warriors, who improved to 3-0 in West Group C.

Buddy Hield capped his 12-point performance with two free throws with 18.5 seconds left to help hold New Orleans at bay and ensure Golden State would advance out of group play as a wild card at least, if not the group winner.

Trey Murphy III led New Orleans with 24 points but missed a 3-pointer for the lead with 5 seconds remaining — a shot made possible by Brandon Boston Jr’s steal of a Golden State inbound pass.

Golden State’s Draymond Green was fouled as he grabbed the rebound of Murphy’s miss and hit both free throws for the final margin.

Jeremiah Robinson-Earl scored 19 points, Brandon Ingram added 18 and Boston 16 for the Pelicans, who fell to 1-2 in group play and lost for the 10th time in 11 games.

76ERS 113, NETS 98

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jared McCain scored 30 points and Tyrese Maxey added 26 as Philadelphia snapped a five-game losing streak with a win over Brooklyn.

Playing without Joel Embiid (left knee swelling) and Paul George (left knee bone bruise), Philadelphia’s young backcourt took over in the fourth quarter with an extended scoring burst that helped the Sixers rally from a nine-point deficit.

Both Embiid and George are expected to miss Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers before being re-evaluated early next week.

Kelly Oubre Jr. added 11 points and nine rebounds for the Sixers (3-12, 1-2 NBA Cup), who won just their third game of the season and for the first time in regulation. Philadelphia’s other wins came against Indiana (Oct. 27) and Charlotte (Nov. 10).

Brooklyn was led by Cameron Johnson, who scored 37 points. Keon Johnson added 18 points for the Nets (6-10, 1-2 NBA Cup), who have lost four of their last five games.

CELTICS 108, WIZARDS 96

WASHINGTON (AP) — Jaylen Brown scored 31 points, and Boston overcame an off night for Jayson Tatum to beat Washington.

The Celtics improved to 2-1 in East Group C of this competition with one game remaining. Washington is 0-2 and has lost 10 in a row overall.

The Wizards hung in there in front of a crowd that included recently injured Capitals star Alex Ovechkin. Washington trailed by five in the final minute when Brown made a high arcing jumper to make it 99-92 with 46 seconds remaining.

Tatum went 0 for 10 from 3-point range and scored 16 points, although a couple free throws with 11 seconds left enabled him to extend his streak to 55 consecutive games with at least 15 points.

Jordan Poole led Washington with 23 points. Neither team shot well from 3-point range, with Boston finishing 11 of 46 and the Wizards going 7 of 28.

BULLS 136, HAWKS 122

CHICAGO (AP) — Zach LaVine scored 26 points, Ayo Dosunmu and Coby White each had 20 and Chicago beat Atlanta.

Nikola Vucevic had 18 points and 13 rebounds for his 11th double-double and Josh Giddey scored 18 as all five Chicago starters — and two bench players — reached double figures. The Bulls shot a season-high 57% (49 of 86) from the floor

The Bulls beat Atlanta for the second time this season and improved to 1-1 in NBA Cup play. Chicago won in the in-season tournament after going 0-4 last season.

Trae Young had 25 points and 13 assists for Atlanta, while Jalen Johnson finished with 25 points and 13 rebounds. Clint Capela had 21 points and 11 rebounds as the Hawks closed out a four-game trip at 1-3.

Atlanta is 2-1 in NBA Cup play.

ROCKETS 116, TRAIL BLAZERS 88

HOUSTON (AP) — Dillon Brooks scored a season-high 28 points and led Houston to a win over Portland.

Brooks matched a career-high with six 3-pointers on eight attempts, and the Rockets made 15 of 39 (38.5%) from beyond the arc.

Tari Eason scored 22 points off the bench, Jalen Green had 17 and Alperen Sengun added 14 as the Rockets won for the seventh time in eight games. Six of those wins were by double figures. Houston is 2-0 in NBA Cup play

For Portland, Deni Avdija and Shaedon Sharpe scores 13 points apiece and Toumani Camara had 11.

Portland has lost two straight games to open a four-game trip. They previously won three straight at home. The Trail Blazers are 1-1 in the in-season tournament.

BUCKS 129, PACERS 117

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo had 37 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds for his second triple-double in his last four games, and Milwaukee beat Indiana.

Antetokounmpo had 22 points, 15 rebounds and 12 assists Saturday in a 115-114 loss at Charlotte.

Damian Lillard had 24 points and 12 assists for the Bucks. Gary Trent Jr. scored a season-high 18 points and Bobby Portis added 17.

Pascal Siakam scored 25, Bennedict Mathurin 20 and Tyrese Haliburton 18 for the Pacers. Haliburton also had nine assists.

The Bucks have won three straight and five of six. The Pacers have lost three straight and five of six.

Milwaukee improved to 2-0 in NBA Cup action. Indiana, the tournament runner-up last season, is 0-2. Both are playing in East Group B.

CLIPPERS 104, KINGS 88

LOS ANGELES (AP) — James Harden had 22 points and nine assists to lead Los Angeles to a victory over Sacramento.

Playing arguably their cleanest half of the season, the Clippers never looked back after ripping off a 20-1 run in the first quarter to take control. They led 51-29 at the break, having turned the ball over just three times.

Derrick Jones Jr. added 17 for Los Angeles, which is 1-1 in the NBA Cup and has won seven straight home games after dropping its first four at the new Intuit Dome.

De’Aaron Fox had 25 of his 29 points in the second half for the Kings, who put up a fight but couldn’t overcome their early struggles. Domantas Sabonis had 24 points and 15 rebounds after missing the previous two games because of a back injury, and DeMar DeRozan chipped in with 16 points in his first game since Nov. 15 because of a back injury.

MAVERICKS 123, NUGGETS 120

DENVER (AP) — Naji Marshall scored a career-high 26 points, P.J. Washington had 22 and Dallas recovered after blowing a 24-point lead to beat Denver.

Playing without Luka Doncic, Dallas built a 20-point halftime lead by was down by five before Washington scored nine points in the final 2:41 to improve to 2-1 in the West Group C. Denver was eliminated from the knockout round.

Doncic will be out at least four games with a right wrist sprain.

Nikola Jokic returned from a three-game absence to notch his sixth triple-double of the season. Jokic, who didn’t go on the three-game road trip while he and his wife waited for the birth of their second child, finished with 33 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists.

Russell Westbrook scored 16 points.

Dallas led 77-53 early in the third quarter but the Nuggets rallied to take a 113-108 lead late in the fourth. The Mavericks went on an 11-2 run to lead 119-115 with 50 seconds left.

The Associated Press