PHILADELPHIA — Joel Embiid scored 27 points, including the go-ahead dunk with 13.2 seconds remaining, to lift the Philadelphia 76ers to a 98-97 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night.
Josh Richardson added 17 points and Ben Simmons had 15 for Philadelphia, which won despite missing 30 of 38 3-point attempts. Tobias Harris missed all 11 of his 3-point tries.
Jordan Clarkson and Kevin Love each had 20 points to pace Cleveland. Collin Sexton added 18 points and Tristan Thompson had 17 points and 12 rebounds for the Cavaliers.
The Cavaliers trailed for most of the contest, but took advantage of Philadelphia’s poor shooting in the fourth quarter, going up by as many as five points on three occasions.
Cleveland led 97-92 with 3:34 remaining after Sexton’s driving layup, but the Cavaliers wouldn’t score again. Harris pulled Philadelphia within 97-94 with a follow layup and then hit a 17-footer on the ensuing possession to make it a one-point game with 1:42 left.
Cleveland had chances to build the lead after that, but Love missed a close-range shot before a shot-clock violation on the Cavaliers’ next possession.
The 76ers were having their own trouble scoring with Richardson and Embiid failing to convert on consecutive possessions.
After a timeout with 26.6 seconds left, Coach Brett Brown called a high-percentage play with Harris finding Embiid close to the basket. Embiid slammed it home to give the 76ers their first lead, 98-97, since early in the fourth quarter. Cleveland had a chance to win it, but Love’s attempt from the top of the key rimmed out.
Simmons returned after missing two games due to a sprained AC joint in his right shoulder, but Philadelphia played without Al Horford (rest).
Philadelphia missed its first eight 3-pointers before Embiid connected from long range with 1:49 left in the first quarter. The 76ers finished the first period 1 for 11 from the arc with Harris missing all five of his 3-point attempts.
The 76ers finished the first half going 3 for 20 from 3-point range, but led 54-48.
PACERS 111, THUNDER 85: T.J. Warren scored 11 of his 23 points in the third quarter to lead Indiana over visiting Oklahoma City.
Malcolm Brogdon had 20 points, six rebounds and five assists, and Domantas Sabonis had 18 points and 16 rebounds for the surging Pacer, who have won 7 of 8, including four straight.
Danilo Gallinari scored 14 points, Deonte Burton had 13 points and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 11 points and six rebounds for the Thunder, who have lost 3 of 4 and remained winless on the road.
The Pacers went on a 15-2 run in the third quarter to take a 26-point lead. Aaron Holiday hit two 3-pointers and Warren made another in the spurt that ended with Doug McDermott’s layup to put Indiana ahead 84-58 with 1:49 to go.
HEAT 117, PISTONS 108: Jimmy Butler scored 11 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter, added 13 assists and host Miami wasted most of what was a 29-point lead before hanging on to beat short-handed Detroit.
Kendrick Nunn also had 20 for Miami, and Bam Adebayo scored 18 points and grabbed 14 rebounds for the Heat. Goran Dragic also had 18 points.
Miami is 7-3, matching the third-best 10-game start in Heat history.
Luke Kennard was 0 for 7 in the first half, but recovered to score 22 for Detroit. Andre Drummond had 16 points and nine rebounds before fouling out, and Christian Wood added 16 for the Pistons – who never led, but made the second half plenty interesting.
Detroit held Blake Griffin (hamstring, knee) and Derrick Rose (hamstring) out, not wanting to play either on a back-to-back after both played Monday.
That wasn’t the Pistons’ only issue.
Record snow – Detroit’s biggest November storm ever, according to the National Weather Service, with 9.2 inches as the official mark and some suburbs reporting more than a foot – made just getting to Miami a problem for the Pistons, who played Monday night at home and then were hoping to be airborne sometime in the 11 p.m. hour.
The Pistons didn’t leave their airport gate in Detroit until 2:40 a.m., got in the air 10 minutes later and were at their gate at Miami International Airport at 5:34 a.m. That was more than four hours behind their intended schedule.
BULLS 120, KNICKS 102: Coby White made a franchise-record seven 3-pointers in the fourth quarter, and host Chicago pulled away from slumping New York.
White missed his first five shots from the field and began the final quarter with just four points. But the rookie guard put on a dazzling show down the stretch, delighting a United Center crowd that included Roy Williams, White’s coach at the University of North Carolina.
White connected from deep on three straight Chicago possessions during a 24-2 run that made it 109-89 with 5:51 remaining. Backed by chants of “Co-by! Co-by!” he made one last 3 to run the Bulls’ lead out to 120-100 before checking out with 1:31 to go.
White finished with 27 points. Zach LaVine had 25 for Chicago, and Wendell Carter Jr. finished with 17 points and 12 rebounds.
New York lost for the sixth time in seven games. Marcus Morris scored 22 points for the Knicks, and RJ Barrett finished with 21 points and nine assists.
NOTES
WARRIORS: Yet another member of the Golden State Warriors is injured, with two-way guard Damion Lee now out because of a broken right hand.
The injury occurred during Golden State’s 122-108 home loss to the Jazz on Monday night. Lee underwent an MRI exam Tuesday morning that revealed a nondisplaced fracture of the fourth metacarpal.
The team said he will be re-evaluated in two weeks.
Lee joins a long list of injured players on the depleted Warriors, who are 2-9 following five straight trips to the NBA finals.
Stephen Curry had surgery on his broken left hand, which he injured Oct. 30, and will need another procedure next month to have pins removed. He said he expects to be playing again come spring.
The two-time MVP joins Klay Thompson, who is recovering from a July 2 surgery on a torn ACL in his left knee suffered during Game 6 of the NBA finals. Thompson could miss the entire season.
Kevon Looney, who is dealing with a nerve issue that has kept him out since a brief appearance in the opener, is going through more extensive workouts but is still not ready to return, while guard Jacob Evans III is still dealing with a strained inner thigh muscle and also will miss Wednesday’s game. Kerr said he is likely still at least a couple of weeks from playing again.
Backup center Omari Spellman was listed as doubtful to face the Lakers because of a sprained left ankle and already sat out Monday’s loss to the Jazz.
PACERS: The Indiana Pacers temporarily assigned guard Victor Oladipo to their G League affiliate in Fort Wayne.
It’s largely a procedural move that gives the two-time All-Star an opportunity to get extra practice time. The Pacers played at Orlando on Sunday and did not hold a shootaround before Tuesday’s game against Oklahoma City.
Oladipo is working his way back from a ruptured quad tendon in his right knee. He suffered the injury in January and is not expected to return to game action until at least December.
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