NBA roundup: Joel Embiid comes back to push 76ers past Bulls
Mon Dec 9 3:12am ET
Field Level Media
Joel Embiid returned from a seven-game absence to provide 31 points and 12 rebounds as the Philadelphia 76ers held off the host Chicago Bulls for a 108-100 win on Sunday afternoon.
Embiid carried Philadelphia to its fourth win in five games after sitting out to manage a left knee injury. Tyrese Maxey backed the big man with his first career triple-double, collecting 25 points, 11 rebounds and 14 assists.
Zach LaVine racked up 30 points and the Bulls sank 19 threes, but they still couldn't avoid their second straight loss. Nikola Vucevic and Coby White each finished with 13 points, with Vucevic also snatching eight boards.
After facing a 19-point deficit just over four minutes into the second half, the Bulls came to life at the end of the third quarter. They closed the frame on an 8-0 run, with Jalen Smith canning a 3-pointer at the buzzer to get Chicago within 88-79 heading into the fourth.
The Bulls trailed by only four after LaVine connected on a trey with 5:24 left in the game to make it 96-92, but that was the closest the hosts would get.
Nuggets 141, Hawks 111
Nikola Jokic scored 48 points to guide visiting Denver to a win over Atlanta, ending the Hawks' six-game winning streak.
Jokic went 17-for-29 from the field and added 14 rebounds and eight assists. After scoring a career-high 56 points against the Washington Wizards on Saturday, Jokic set the pace by scoring 13 points in the first quarter on Sunday, and he had 25 at halftime. The Nuggets also got 26 points and seven rebounds from Michael Porter Jr.
Atlanta's top scorers were De'Andre Hunter (20 points) and Dyson Daniels (18), with Daniels also grabbing five steals.
Spurs 121, Pelicans 116
Victor Wembanyama scored 25 points, including the last seven for San Antonio over the final 36.9 seconds of the game, as the Spurs defeated visiting New Orleans.
Chris Paul had 10 assists for the Spurs to pass Jason Kidd for second on the all-time assists list. Paul's 12,099 helpers trail only John Stockton (15,806) in that category.
Trey Murphy III led New Orleans with 25 points, with CJ McCollum adding 19, Dejounte Murray racking up 18 points and 11 assists and Yves Missi amassing 18 points and 14 rebounds. The Pelicans have dropped two straight games and 11 of their past 12.
Bucks 118, Nets 113
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 34 points and Milwaukee rallied to beat Brooklyn in New York.
Bobby Portis added 12 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter, canning an open 3 from the left side that gave the Bucks a 109-108 lead with 2:08 left. The reserve made 9 of 10 shots overall and was 5-for-5 from behind the arc.
Dennis Schroder scored a season-high 34 points and added 11 assists, but the Nets lost for the fourth time in five games and blew a 12-point lead that they held late in the third quarter.
Hornets 113, Pacers 109
Brandon Miller scored 26 points as Charlotte snapped an eight-game skid by beating Indiana in Indianapolis.
Vasilije Micic had 18 points and nine assists, Cody Martin scored 14 points and Nick Richards finished with nine points and 14 rebounds for the Hornets.
T.J. McConnell came off the bench to post a career-best 30 points for the Pacers, while fellow reserve Jarace Walker had 15 points.
Heat 122, Cavaliers 113
Tyler Herro scored 19 of his game-high 34 points in the third quarter as host Miami beat Cleveland.
Duncan Robinson had 23 points, Jimmy Butler finished with 18 and Bam Adebayo added 16 points and 13 rebounds for the Heat. Herro tallied a game-high seven assists in the win.
Darius Garland led Cleveland with 23 points. Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell -- who entered the game ranked among the top 20 in the league in scoring at 24.2 points per game -- managed just 12 on 5-for-16 shooting.
Magic 115, Suns 110
Jalen Suggs had a game-high 26 points, including 14 in the fourth quarter, and helped short-handed Orlando finish with a flourish to beat visiting Phoenix.
Orlando earned the win despite not having star forwards Paolo Banchero, who has been out over a month, and Franz Wagner, who suffered a torn oblique in the Magic's loss to the 76ers on Friday.
Orlando leaned on its balanced attack to make up for the absences, as four Magic players scored in double figures to help the Magic remain the NBA's only unbeaten team at home at 10-0. Devin Booker led the Suns with 25 points.
Grizzlies 140, Wizards 112
Jaren Jackson Jr. led seven Memphis scorers in double figures with 21 points, and his four blocked shots contributed to a stifling defensive effort as the Grizzlies cruised to their ninth win in 10 games with a rout of host Washington.
Santi Aldama headlined a 76-point effort from the Memphis bench with 19 points. The second unit also got 17 points from Jay Huff and 14 from Cam Spencer.
Jonas Valanciunas led the Wizards with 20 points and a game-high 14 rebounds. Bilal Coulibaly finished with 17 points, five rebounds and four assists, and Justin Champagnie swiped a career-best five steals to go along with 14 points and eight rebounds.
Warriors 114, Timberwolves 106
Stephen Curry, Buddy Hield and Jonathan Kuminga combined for 77 points, Gary Payton II made two big defensive plays and Golden State held Minnesota scoreless over the final 4:46 to pull out a win in San Francisco.
Curry finished with a game-high 30 points, Hield went for 27 and Kuminga added 20 for the Warriors, who avenged a 107-90 loss to the Timberwolves on Friday with just the second win in their past eight games.
After a 3-pointer from Anthony Edwards put Minnesota up 106-105 with 4:47 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Timberwolves didn't score again. With the Warriors up 109-106, Payton blocked a Nickeil Alexander-Walker layup before stealing an Edwards pass to keep Minnesota at bay.
Rockets 117, Clippers 106
Jalen Green scored 31 points and Amen Thompson added 22 as Houston rebounded from consecutive defeats to upend Los Angeles in Inglewood, Calif.
Dillon Brooks added 19 points and Jabari Smith Jr. finished with 13 points and 12 rebounds as the Rockets went 1-2 on a three-game California road trip after losing to the Sacramento Kings and the Warriors.
Ivica Zubac scored 21 points to go along with 12 rebounds and Norman Powell added 17 points for the Clippers, who were without James Harden because of right groin soreness.
Kings 141, Jazz 97
Kevin Huerter scored 26 points off the bench and De'Aaron Fox added 21 points and nine assists as host Sacramento blew out Utah.
Huerter made 10 of his 14 attempts from the field and was 6-for-9 from 3-point range. He had 23 points through three quarters, including five of the Kings' last eight in the third as Sacramento opened up a 31-point lead.
Domantas Sabonis tallied 19 points, 12 rebounds and six assists to help the Kings' cause. The Jazz were led by Keyonte George, who scored 25 points on 8-of-14 shooting.
Lakers 107, Trail Blazers 98
Anthony Davis recorded 30 points, 11 rebounds and five blocked shots to help Los Angeles cruise to a victory over visiting Portland.
D'Angelo Russell achieved season bests of 28 points and 14 assists for the Lakers, who played without LeBron James (foot). Rui Hachimura added 23 points and four steals for Los Angeles, which halted a three-game losing streak.
Shaedon Sharpe scored 19 points and Deandre Ayton had 14 points and a season-high 19 rebounds before fouling out for the Trail Blazers, who lost their fourth straight game.
- NBA roundup: Joel Embiid comes back to push 76ers past Bulls
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- Lakers' LeBron James (foot) questionable vs. Hawks
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- Pelicans say Zion Williamson (hamstring) to miss at least two more weeks
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Portland Trail Blazers center Duop Reath (back) will be absent on Sunday against the Lakers. He's dealing with back soreness and has been ruled out after initially being regarded as doubtful for the game. Reath gobbled up a season-high 25 minutes on Friday versus Utah, but it came in a blowout loss, and his usual workload is a lot smaller. Across the season, Reath has averaged only 6.4 minutes in 13 games, so his unavailability on Sunday won't have an impact on how the Trail Blazers frontcourt operates.
Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (pelvis) will miss a fifth straight game on Sunday versus Portland. He was initially regarded as doubtful for the contest before eventually getting ruled out. D'Angelo Russell and Gabe Vincent have shared starts while Reaves has been on the shelf. Russell offers the most fantasy value out of the two, although he struggled in the previous game against Atlanta, finishing a 134-132 overtime loss with eight points, three rebounds, and three assists.
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (foot) will miss his first game of the season on Sunday against Portland. He was initially considered probable for the contest but was downgraded to doubtful and has now been ruled out. Cam Reddish and Armel Traore will likely play a larger role in the rotation on Sunday, but they aren't reliable sources for fantasy value. A monster game offensively could be on the horizon for Anthony Davis (foot), as Austin Reaves(pelvis) also remains out on Sunday.
Los Angeles Lakers forward/center Anthony Davis (foot) will play against Portland on Sunday. As usual, the team has upgradEd Davis from probable to available. Following a brief slump, Davis was back firing against Atlanta last time out, scoring 38 points, and he will need to do a lot of the heavy lifting offensively again on Sunday because LeBron James (foot) will be out of the lineup for the first time this season. The Trail Blazers have previously done decent work against opposing centers, but they sit among the worst teams in the West and just got blown out 141-99 by fellow strugglers Utah.
Portland Trail Blazers forward Toumani Camara (foot) has been upgraded to available ahead of Sunday's meeting with the Lakers. He was previously sporting a questionable tag. Camara was in danger of missing his first game of the season after hurting his right foot in Friday's blowout loss to Utah. The 24-year-old has been a starter for all 23 Trail Blazers games, averaging 9.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.4 steals in 30.0 minutes.
Portland Trail Blazers point guard Scoot Henderson (quadriceps) will be back from a four-game absence on Sunday versus the Lakers. He's been upgraded from questionable to available. Henderson has seen the court just once in the past eight games, so he might have quite a bit of rust to shake off. Leading Portland's second unit, Henderson has averaged 11.7 points and 5.4 assists during his sophomore campaign. Dalano Banton took on a larger workload during Henderson's absence and will likely have to settle for a lesser role now.
Utah Jazz forward/center Kyle Filipowski (lower leg) will return to action on Sunday against Sacramento. He's missed seven games with a lower leg injury. The rookie out of Duke made five consecutive starts for the Jazz before getting injured. John Collins has cemented a spot in the first unit during his absence. Filipowski's return might send Collins back to the second unit, but he has also been productive coming off the bench, so this won't hurt his fantasy value too much.
Golden State Warriors guard/forward Moses Moody (knee) will be in the lineup on Sunday against Minnesota. Moody was forced to make an early exit against the Timberwolves on Friday, logging only seven minutes, but he won't miss any additional time. The 22-year-old will provide Golden State with a valuable option off the bench that could be useful during Andrew Wiggins' (ankle) absence. Gary Payton II will replace Wiggins in the starting lineup.
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (foot) has been downgraded from probable to doubtful ahead of Sunday's contest against Portland. This is not a great sign, and it now looks like the veteran superstar might have to miss his first game of the season. James' absence will likely give a larger role to Cam Reddish in the rotation, with the Lakers' starting group, led by Anthony Davis, needing to do extra offensively.
Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (back) will return from a one-game absence on Sunday versus Sacramento. Utah has upgraded him throughout the day, and he's now officially available for the contest. The Finnish star was a late scratch on Friday against Portland due to a back issue. Markkanen is Utah's leading scorer, averaging 19.2 points per game, and he should enjoy a productive comeback game in a meeting against a team that plays with the seventh-highest pace in the league and has a mediocre defense. The Kings gave up 25 points on 75 percent shooting to Markkanen in the previous head-to-head matchup.
Los Angeles Clippers center Mo Bamba (knee) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against Houston. The injury-prone big man will take the night off for knee injury management purposes. Bamba has been limited to 10 appearances this season, averaging 4.9 points and 3.9 rebounds with 1.2 blocks in 13.6 minutes. With him out, we should see Kai Jones take care of the backup center minutes behind Ivica Zubac. Jones offers next to no fantasy value.
Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden (groin) will not play against Houston on Sunday. He's been ruled out for the game after Harden was initially handed a questionable tag. This will be the first absence of the season for Harden, who's been back in MVP form recently. Kevin Porter Jr. and Bones Hyland figure to receive an uptick in minutes without Harden, while top scorer Norman Powell should get even more usage on the offensive end.
Houston Rockets point guard Fred VanVleet (knee) has been ruled out for Sunday's matchup against the Clippers. He will miss his second game of the season. Amen Thompson replaced VanVleet in the first unit when he was out on Nov. 11 versus Washington, and the same will happen in Sunday's game. Thompson went close to a double-double against the Wizards and had a whopping four steals and four blocks. He's a very versatile player, and the starting role will only add to his fantasy value.
Los Angeles Clippers guard Kris Dunn (illness) has received the green light to play in Sunday's contest against Houston. His status was initially up in the air as Dunn has been battling an illness. The 30-year-old has worked as a starter for the Clippers this season, though his productivity has been limited. Dunn has produced 6.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.5 steals across the season. However, there's a strong chance we will see Dunn more involved in the offense on Sunday, as James Harden (groin) won't play against his former team.
San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (back) will return from a two-game absence on Sunday against New Orleans. A back problem has kept Wembanyama on the sidelines for a couple of games, but he's good to go again on Sunday in a juicy matchup. The Pelicans have a weak frontcourt, resulting in the team allowing the ninth-most fantasy points in the league to opposing centers. Wembanyama will head out for his fourth consecutive double-double, and his recent work also includes a triple-double.
Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant (back) will not suit up for Sunday's clash against Washington. After going close to a 30-point triple-double in Saturday's win over Boston, Morant steps aside for at least one game due to back soreness. This is a signal for fantasy managers to fire up Scotty Pippen Jr, who produced his first career triple-double in a matchup against the Wizards earlier in the season. Marcus Smart should also benefit from Morant's absence, especially after he had a light 19-minute workload on Saturday versus the Celtics.
Memphis Grizzlies guard/forward Desmond Bane (toe) will not play on Sunday against Washington. A sore toe will end a spell of 12 consecutive appearances for Bane, who's had a quiet campaign in 2024-25. Ja Morant (back) also won't play on Sunday, allowing players like Scotty Pippen Jr., Marcus Smart, and Jaylen Wells to step into larger roles. Memphis' reserves should do plenty of damage against a team that shares the league's worst defensive record, allowing 123.0 points per game on average.
New Orleans Pelicans forward Javonte Green (ankle) has been ruled out for Sunday's contest against San Antonio. He was already iffy for the game due to ankle soreness and will sit out his first action of the campaign. Green recently had a good spell as a starter on the New Orleans team, but he's been limited to a bench role in the last couple of games. Herbert Jones is fresh back from injury and should soak in Green's minutes, along with Trey Murphy III and Brandon Boston Jr. All three players also benefit from Brandon Ingram's (ankle) absence.
Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins (ankle) has been ruled out for Sunday's matchup against Minnesota. The 29-year-old was limited to 19 minutes against the Timberwolves on Friday due to an ankle injury and isn't considered healthy enough to play in Sunday's rematch. Due to Wiggins' absence, Kyle Anderson, Lindy Waters III, and Gary Payton II could all receive additional playing time on Sunday. However, Golden State has been staggering minutes across the team this season, so there may not be a clear beneficiary in this situation.
Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon (calf) will return to the lineup on Sunday versus Atlanta. He missed Saturday's battle against Washington and was downgraded from probable to questionable earlier in the day, but Gordon is in the starting lineup for Denver. The 29-year-old will make only his 11th appearance of the season. Gordon has averaged 15.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 3.3 assists in 30.3 minutes. He should have a good offensive outing against a Hawks team that allows the third-most points in the league (119.0).
