By Devin Vassell scored a career-high 36 points to help lift San Antonio to a 129-115 win over the visiting, short-handed Los Angeles Lakers on Friday that snapped the Spurs’ franchise-record 18-game losing streak.
It was the second of back-to-back games between the teams over three nights in the Alamo City. The Lakers won the first game in the set on Wednesday without LeBron James, who sat out with a left calf contusion. Los Angeles could not repeat that win on Friday with James in the lineup but without three starters — Anthony Davis, D’Angelo Russell and Cam Reddish — due to nagging injuries.
Instead, it was Vassell who made the plays, while Keldon Johnson poured in 17 points (all of them in the first half), Zach Collins had 16, Cedi Osman scored 15 and Victor Wembanyama racked up 13 points and 15 rebounds for the Spurs. San Antonio won for the first time since Nov. 2; the Lakers have dropped two of their past three games.
James led Los Angeles with 23 points and 14 assists. Austin Reaves added 22 points for the Lakers, with Rui Hachimura hitting 20 and Christian Wood tallying 17 — both off the bench — and Taurean Prince contributing 12 points.
76ers 124 – Pistons 92
Joel Embiid had 35 points, 13 rebounds and four blocked shots in less than three quarters and host Philadelphia crushed reeling Detroit, which set the all-time franchise record of 22 straight losses.
Embiid compiled at least 30 points and 10 rebounds for the ninth consecutive game, extending his franchise mark. Tyrese Maxey added 19 points and Marcus Morris Sr. contributed 15 along on 5-for-5 shooting from 3-point range. Tobias Harris had 13 points and Kelly Oubre Jr. put up 11 for the Sixers, who won their fifth in a row.
The Pistons’ old mark of 21 losses was set between the 1979-80 and 1980-81 seasons. James Wiseman led the Pistons with 20 points and 13 rebounds while Bojan Bogdanovic added 17 points and Jaden Ivey had 13. Marcus Sasser chipped in with 11.
Knicks 139 – Suns 122
Jalen Brunson established career highs of 50 points and nine 3-pointers while leading New York to a victory over host Phoenix.
Brunson scored 35 points in the second half and made all 12 of his shots, including eight from behind the arc. He was 17-of-23 shooting overall, didn’t miss a single 3-point shot and had nine assists as the Knicks won for just the second time in the past five games. Brunson matched the NBA record for most 3-pointers without a miss, shared by Ben Gordon (2006, 2012) and Latrell Sprewell (2003).
Julius Randle scored 23 points and RJ Barrett added 21 for New York. Immanuel Quickley had 10 points for the Knicks, who outscored Phoenix 42-23 in the fourth quarter. Kevin Durant scored 29 points and Devin Booker added 28 for Phoenix, which lost for the sixth time in eight games. Jusuf Nurkic had 21 points and 12 rebounds and Grayson Allen scored 13 for the Suns.
Wizards 137 – Pacers 123
Kyle Kuzma scored 31 points, Jordan Poole added a season-high 30 and Tyus Jones recorded a triple-double as Washington snapped a six-game skid with a defeat of visiting Indiana.
All five Washington starters each dished at least four assists, with Jones’ 11 leading the way. The 11 assists combined with 13 points and 10 rebounds for Jones’ second career triple-double, and he matched NBA assists leader — the Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton — for the game-high. Poole dished eight assists, while Kuzma, Daniel Gafford and Deni Avdija distributed four apiece. Gafford also grabbed 10 rebounds.
Haliburton scored 19 points to go with his 11 assists for the Pacers. Three Indiana reserves scored in double-figures, led by Isaiah Jackson’s team-high 20. Jackson shot 10 of 13 from the floor and grabbed 13 rebounds.
Celtics 128 – Magic 111
Short-handed Boston overcame a slow start en route to dominating visiting Orlando.
Jayson Tatum had 30 points, six rebounds and four assists to lead six double-figure scorers for Boston, which has won four straight and is 13-0 at home. Payton Pritchard added 21 on a season-high six 3-pointers, while Derrick White contributed 19 points, eight assists, four rebounds and four steals. The Celtics played without centres Kristaps Porzingis (calf), Al Horford (rest) and Luke Kornet (thigh).
Orlando also had six players in double figures, including Jalen Suggs with 19 after suffering a wrist injury in the first half. Cole Anthony and Franz Wagner had 17 apiece. Goga Bitadze posted a 15-point, 11-rebound double-double. Paolo Banchero added 14 points, and Anthony Black 13.
Rockets 103 – Grizzlies 96
Fred VanVleet broke a late tie with a jumper, Dillon Brooks disappointed his old fans with a last-minute 3-pointer and visiting Houston overcame an early deficit to defeat Memphis.
Brooks finished with a season-high-tying 26 points, helping the Rockets complete a three-day, home-and-home sweep of the Grizzlies, who had lost 117-104 on Wednesday night in Houston.
Desmond Bane had a game-high 28 points and a career-high 13 rebounds for his second double-double for the Grizzlies, who dropped to 0-3 against the Rockets this season after having already been beaten 111-91 in Houston last month.
Hawks 125 – Raptors 104
Trae Young scored 38 points and added 11 assists as Atlanta defeated host Toronto to split the two-game series and end a five-game losing streak.
Bogdan Bogdanovic added 20 points for the Hawks, Dejounte Murray scored 17 points and Clint Capela had 18 points and 15 rebounds.
Scottie Barnes posted 23 points for the Raptors, who have lost five of six. Pascal Siakam and Jakob Poeltl each scored 15 and Malachi Flynn added 11.
Pelicans 112 – Hornets 107
Jonas Valanciunas cranked out 29 points and 13 rebounds and CJ McCollum scored 13 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter as New Orleans won in Charlotte.
Zion Williamson finished with 21 points and Trey Murphy III added 13 points off the bench for the Pelicans, who matched their season-best streak with three wins in a row.
The Hornets were stuck with their third consecutive loss despite Terry Rozier’s 30 points and Miles Bridges’ 27 points and 10 rebounds. Brandon Miller and Nick Richards each had 16 points.
