De’Aaron Fox scored a season-high 43 points to help the visiting Sacramento Kings do just enough to outlast the struggling San Antonio Spurs 129-120 in on Friday.
All of the night’s action was part of the NBA in-season tournament.
Fox put up 14 of his points in the final quarter and Domantas Sabonis scored eight points in the final period as the Kings improved to 2-0 in the tournament and eliminated the Spurs, who have dropped all three of their tourney games. The Kings have won five straight while San Antonio has dropped seven in row.
Sabonis finished with 27 points and 14 rebounds and Malik Monk added 20 points off the bench for the Kings. Zach Collins scored a season-high 28 points for the Spurs, with Victor Wembanyama adding 27.
Celtics 108, Raptors 105
Derrick White hit a 3-pointer with 26.8 seconds to play and Boston edged host Toronto for its fifth straight win.
White finished with 13 points and Jaylen Brown had 23 for the Celtics, who have won both of their NBA in-season tournament games. The Raptors were playing their first tournament game.
Pascal Siakam and Dennis Schroder each scored 23 points for the Raptors, who are 1-2 on their four-game homestand. Scottie Barnes and Gary Trent Jr. each added 14 points.
Magic 103, Bulls 97
Franz Wagner scored 21 points and Jonathan Isaac had 18 points and nine rebounds to lead visiting Orlando over Chicago.
Gary Harris (15 points), Paolo Banchero (13), Cole Anthony (11) and Mo Wagner (10) also finished in double figures for the Magic.
Chicago’s Zach LaVine scored 25 of his 34 points after halftime. Back after missing a loss to the Orlando Magic on Wednesday while tending to a personal issue, DeMar DeRozan had 23 points.
76ers 126, Hawks 116
Joel Embiid had 32 points, eight assists and seven rebounds to lift Philadelphia past host Atlanta.
Embiid went 11-for-11 free-throw attempts. Tobias Harris added 29 points and 10 rebounds and Tyrese Maxey scored 19 as the 76ers ended a two-game skid.
Trae Young led the Hawks with 22 points and 13 assists while Jalen Johnson added 18 points and 10 rebounds. Atlanta lost for the third time in four games.
Knicks 120, Wizards 99
Jalen Brunson scored a game-high 32 points for visiting New York, which never trailed in a win over Washington.
Brunson added seven rebounds and seven assists as the Knicks won for the fifth time in their past six games dating back to Nov. 6. Immanuel Quickley came off the bench to score 27 points, including 17 in a fourth quarter.
Kyle Kuzma scored 19 points for the Wizards, who have dropped five straight overall. Deni Avdija had 18 points.
Bucks 130, Hornets 99
Damian Lillard scored 27 points for visiting Milwaukee, which spoiled the return to action of Charlotte forward Miles Bridges.
The Bucks also received 20 points from Malik Beasley. Lillard and Beasley combined to make 11 of 20 shots from 3-point range as part of Milwaukee’s 22-for-45 (48.9 percent) shooting from deep.
Bridges, who was suspended for the season’s first 10 games, was back after a 583-day gap between games related to a domestic violence case. He scored 17 points in 33 minutes off the bench. LaMelo Ball scored 37 points for the Hornets.
Cavaliers 108, Pistons 100
Darius Garland’s 28 points led six Cleveland scorers in double figures to overcome the absence of Donovan Mitchell, who was out with a hamstring injury, and beat visiting Detroit, which has lost 10 in a row.
Evan Mobley contributed 18 points and 10 rebounds for the Cavaliers, and Max Strus also scored 18 points.
Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with 20 points and a game-high eight assists, while Isaiah Stewart and Kevin Knox each recorded double-doubles of 11 points and 10 rebounds.
Pelicans 115, Nuggets 110
Zion Williamson scored 26 points, Jonas Valanciunas added 22 and host New Orleans defeated Denver for its second consecutive victory after a five-game losing streak.
Brandon Ingram scored 21 points, Naji Marshall had 12 and Dyson Daniels 10 for the Pelicans.
Nikola Jokic had 26 points, 18 assists and 16 rebounds, Christian Braun scored 25 points and Michael Porter Jr. had 18 points with 11 rebounds for the Nuggets, who lost for the second time in three games.
Clippers 106, Rockets 100
James Harden completed a four-point play with six seconds remaining to cap a 24-point night and Los Angeles ended a six-game losing streak with a victory over Houston.
Kawhi Leonard had 26 points and Paul George added 23 for the Clippers, who had dropped five in a row since Harden was acquired in a trade with the Philadelphia 76ers. It was his second game of at least 20 points in a Clippers uniform, both in the past two contests.
Alperen Sengun scored 23 points and Jalen Green added 20 as the Rockets saw their six-game winning streak come to an end. Fred VanVleet contributed 19 points and 10 assists.
Lakers 107, Trail Blazers 95
LeBron James recorded 35 points and nine assists to lead Los Angeles to a victory over host Portland.
Anthony Davis added 16 points and 14 rebounds and D’Angelo Russell had 14 points and six assists for the Lakers, who won for the fourth time in five games.
Jerami Grant scored 24 points for the Trail Blazers, who have lost six consecutive games. Deandre Ayton had 17 points and 12 rebounds, and Shaedon Sharpe added 17 points and nine rebounds but also committed a career-worst 10 turnovers.
Suns 131, Jazz 128
Kevin Durant scored 38 points and hit a late clutch 3-pointer to help Phoenix defeat Utah in Salt Lake City.
Durant, whose trey with 18 seconds left put the Suns up by four, made 15 of 22 shots while grabbing nine rebounds and dishing out nine assists. Devin Booker added 24 points and a career-high 15 assists for the Suns, who earned their second consecutive victory.
Jordan Clarkson hit five 3-pointers and scored 37 points, John Collins contributed 15 points and 14 rebounds and Lauri Markkanen chipped in 21 points for the Jazz.
–Field Level Media
