LeBron James scored 28 points, Russell Westbrook had a triple-double and the Los Angeles Lakers stopped a four-game slide, beating the Orlando Magic 129-110 on Tuesday night.
James also had seven rebounds and five assists in 31 minutes. The four-time NBA MVP had scored at least 30 points in each of his last seven games.
Thomas Bryant added 21 points and 10 rebounds for the Lakers, who shot 54.4% from the field. Westbrook finished with 15 points, 13 rebounds and 13 assists in a reserve role.
Markelle Fultz led Orlando with 16 points. Franz Wagner and Wendell Carter Jr. each had 15.
Orlando had won eight of nine.
WIZARDS 116, 76ERS 111
Kristaps Porzingis scored 24 points, and Washington Wizards stopped Philadelphia 76ers’ eight-game winning streak.
The Wizards withstood a 48-point effort by Joel Embiid and a 26-point, 13-assist performance by James Harden. The 76ers cut a 16-point deficit to one late in the game but couldn’t overtake Washington, which played the final 4:17 without star guard Bradley Beal.
Beal appeared to injure himself when he collided with Embiid and left the game immediately. It wasn’t clear what was wrong, but he seemed frustrated as he walked toward the tunnel.
Beal finished with 19 points.
CELTICS 126, ROCKETS 102
Jaylen Brown scored 14 of his 39 points in the third quarter, pouring it on after he was knocked to the parquet by a flagrant foul that sparked Boston Celtics to its third straight win.
Celtics star Jayson Tatum added 38 points and eight rebounds, and Robert Williams III grabbed 15 rebounds to go with his 11 points.
Jalen Green scored 28 and Kevin Porter Jr. had 22 points and nine assists for the Rockets, who snapped a five-game losing streak in Chicago Rockets on Monday.
Boston led 65-62 midway through the third quarter when Brown got the ball to the left of the basket and Porter came across the top of him with an emphatic shot block that sent the ball flying into Brown’s face. The Celtics All-Star went to the ground, and Porter apologetically came over to check on him.
The play was ruled a flagrant foul; Brown hit both free throws to make it 67-62. The Rockets never got closer than five points after that sequence.
Interim Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla missed the game because of eye irritation and was replaced on the bench by assistant Damon Stoudamire.
CLIPPERS 124, RAPTORS 113
Paul George scored 23 points, and the Los Angeles Clippers won for the seventh time in nine games.
Ivica Zubac had 23 points and 16 rebounds for Los Angeles, and Reggie Jackson scored 20 points.
Norman Powell scored 22 points and Kawhi Leonard had 15 as the two members of Toronto Raptors’ 2019 championship team returned to Canada for the first time since before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Leonard played in Toronto for the first time since Dec. 11, 2019, when he received his championship ring. Fans cheered when he was introduced before tipoff.
Pascal Siakam scored 36 points, topping 25 for the career-high fifth straight game, and Scottie Barnes had 17 points and 13 rebounds as the Raptors’ home losing streak reached four.
PACERS 129, HAWKS 114
Buddy Hield made six 3-pointers on his way to 28 points, leading Indiana Pacers to the win.
Hield hit 11 of 16 shots, including 6 of 7 from deep. He leads the NBA with 132 3s this season.
The Pacers led by 10 entering the fourth quarter and doubled that margin in about six minutes. Tyrese Haliburton had 23 points and seven assists. Myles Turner scored 18.
John Collins had 26 points and 10 rebounds for the Atlanta Hawks, who were without injured starters De’Andre Hunter and Clint Capela. Trae Young had 22 points and 10 assists.
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