NBA ROUNDUP: LeBron James surpasses 38,000 career points while losing to 76ers 113-112

LeBron James became the second player in NBA history to score 38,000 career points, but Joel Embiid had 35 points and 11 rebounds as the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Los Angeles Lakers 113-112 on Sunday. for their seventh win in nine games.

Russell Westbrook failed to make a clean shot or pass at the last second under Embiid’s defense, allowing the 76ers to hold on to their fourth straight road win. James Harden added 24 points and 13 assists for Philadelphia, which swept the season series and beat Los Angeles for the sixth straight time.

James had 35 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds for the Lakers, who have lost three in a row following a five-game winning streak.

James topped 38,000 points with a jumper that was part of his 8-for-9, 16-point start in the first quarter. The Lakers crowd gave him a standing ovation as the milestone was announced at the ensuing timeout, and Philadelphia coach Doc Rivers hugged James to a laugh in celebration.

James and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar are the only members of the NBA’s 38,000-point club, and James will pass Abdul-Jabbar (38,387 points) to the top of the career scoring list next month if he maintains his current pace.

No team led by more than eight points in a well played game. Georges Niang hit a 3-pointer off an assist by Embiid with 1:28 left to put Philadelphia up 111-109.

A lengthy video review then overturned a call and resulted in a turnover for James before Embiid drained a 14-foot jumper with 45.5 seconds remaining. Troy Brown Jr. hit a corner 3-pointer to cut Philadelphia’s lead to one point, and Embiid missed a jumper with Westbrook right in the face.

Westbrook drove to the rim with a chance to win it, but was unable to land a shot or pass, with an apparent cross pass attempt deflecting out of Niang’s hands before time ran out.

Westbrook had 20 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists, extending his NBA record with his 198th career triple-double. Westbrook has four triple-doubles off the bench this season, passing Detlef Schrempf for the career record for triple-doubles as a reserve.

Tyrese Maxey scored 16 points and Tobias Harris had 15 in Philadelphia’s fourth straight win over the Lakers since March 2020.

TRAIL BLAZERS 140, MAVERICKS 123

Damian Lillard scored 40 points as Portland beat Dallas for back-to-back wins for the first time since mid-December.

It was the second straight game between the teams. Portland snapped a five-game losing streak with a 136-119 victory Saturday in Game 1.

The Mavericks rested star Luka Doncic, who scored a season-low 15 points in 35 minutes in Saturday night’s loss. But he came after a double-overtime victory against the Lakers in Los Angeles on Thursday, when he played 53 minutes and had 35 points, 14 rebounds and 13 assists.

Doncic has missed five games this season, all second straight games.

NUGGETS 119, MAGIC 116

Nikola Jokic hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 1.2 seconds remaining, capping his 12th triple-double of the season, and the Denver Nuggets won their 13th straight at home by beating the Orlando Magic 119-116 on Sunday night. .

Jokic connected from the top of the key, dropping back to get the shot over Franz Wagner to finish with 17 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds. It was the 88th triple-double of his career.

Aaron Gordon led the Nuggets with 25 points, including a pair of free throws that gave the Nuggets a 116-115 lead with 16 seconds remaining. Jamal Murray added 18 points.

Markelle Fultz had 20 points for the Magic and made one of two free throws with 14 seconds left to tie it at 116, setting the stage for Jokic’s shot. Wagner added 19 points and Paolo Banchero had 18.

BULLS 132, WARRIORS 118

Nikola Vucevic matched a career high with 43 points as Chicago snapped an 11-game losing streak against Golden State.

Vucevic last scored 43 points on February 2, 2021 against the Bulls as a member of the Orlando Magic.

Chicago beat Golden State for the first time since March 2, 2017.

Zach LaVine added 27 points despite shooting 1-for-8 from 3-point range as the Bulls (20-24) snapped a three-game losing streak. They won without leading scorer DeMar DeRozan, who missed his third straight game with a strained right quadriceps.

Klay Thompson scored 26 points and Stephen Curry added 20 for Golden State (21-22), which has lost four of its last five games. The Warriors committed 23 turnovers that led to 31 points.

CLIPPERS 121, ROCKETS 100

Terance Mann scored a career-high 31 points, Kawhi Leonard added 30 and Los Angeles extended Houston’s season-worst skid to 10 straight games.

Both teams were shorthanded. Houston starters Jalen Green and Jae’Sean Tate served one-game suspensions for leaving the bench area during an on-court altercation in Friday’s loss at Sacramento.

The Clippers were missing starters Paul George (right hamstring pain) and Marcus Morris (left knee bruise). They had lost eight of nine.

Eric Gordon led the Rockets with 24 points. Kenyon Martin Jr. had 22 points and nine rebounds and Alperen Sengun had 15 points, eight rebounds and six assists.

The Clippers opened a close game in the fourth when they outscored the Rockets 30-10.

KNICKS 117, PISTONS 104

Julius Randle had 42 points and 15 rebounds as New York extended its winning streak against Detroit to 11 games.

Detroit hasn’t beaten the Knicks since Nov. 6, 2019, the end of its eight-game winning streak over New York.

Jalen Brunson added 27 points for the Knicks and Immanuel Quickley added 17.

Jaden Ivey had 21 points, six rebounds and six assists for the Pistons and Saddiq Bey added 21 points.

THUNDER 112, NETWORKS 102

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey each scored 28 points to lead Oklahoma City over Brooklyn.

Lu Dort added 22 points for the Thunder, who picked up three straight wins to wrap up a road trip to the East and improved to 21-23.

Brooklyn suffered its second straight loss since losing Kevin Durant to a sprained knee ligament. Seth Curry scored 23 points and Nic Claxton posted his team-high 12th double-double of the season with 17 points and 12 rebounds.

Claxton also had four blocks, stretching his streak of games with at least three to eight. The franchise record is 11 held by Shawn Bradley, who did it twice in the 1995-96 season.

KINGS 132, SPURS 119

Harrison Barnes scored 29 points, Domantas Sabonis had 18 points and 18 rebounds, and Sacramento extended its winning streak to four games with a win over San Antonio.

De’Aaron Fox added 23 points and Davion Mitchell had 19 points for Sacramento. The Kings remain atop the Pacific Division, having won seven of 10.

San Antonio, which has lost four straight, was led by Jakob Poeltl’s 23 points. Josh Richardson added 21 points and Keldon Johnson had 20.