Tobias Harris shook off a minor ankle scare early in the third quarter to score a season-high 24 points as the short-handed Philadelphia 76ers beat the visiting Brooklyn Nets 115-106 on Tuesday night in Ben Simmons’ return to the team.
Harris, who had missed the previous two games with a sore left hip, appeared to get injured again when he grabbed his right ankle in pain in the opening minute of the third after colliding with Kevin Durant under the rim after missing a short jumper. After getting the ankle taped up, Harris scored 18 of his 24 points. He hit 10 of 21 shots as the Sixers shot 43.4 percent and survived allowing 55 percent.
Kyrie Irving led the Nets with 23 points, but Durant finished with 20 -- held under 25 for the first time this season. Nic Claxton added 12 while Simmons collected 11 points and 11 assists while hearing boos throughout the night.
Consecutive putbacks by Paul Reed and De’Anthony Melton opened a 96-87 lead with 8:10 remaining. Harris then made an open 3 for a 99-89 lead when Durant hesitated on a defensive switch a little over a minute later. Three straight hoops by Shake Milton gave Philadelphia a 111-97 lead with 3:08 left, prompting the Nets to empty their bench.
Kings 113, Grizzlies 109
De’Aaron Fox continued his hot shooting with a team-high 32 points, Harrison Barnes and Kevin Huerter aided in a 3-point barrage with four apiece and Sacramento won its seventh straight game, beating host Memphis.
Ja Morant returned from an ankle injury to put up a game-high 34 points for the Grizzlies, who lost for the fourth time in five games. Sabonis led the Kings in rebounds (13) and assists (eight) while adding nine points. Barnes finished with 26 points, Huerter 18, Malik Monk 14 and Chimezie Metu 10.
Down three, Memphis had a chance to tie when Morant was fouled on a 3-point shot attempt with 1.7 seconds remaining. But he misfired on his first try, then intentionally missed his third attempt, after which Fox completed the scoring with two foul shots of his own.
Pistons 110, Nuggets 108
Bojan Bogdanovic had 22 points and nine rebounds, Alec Burks scored 21 and visiting Detroit ended a seven-game losing streak with a win over Denver.
Kevin Knox II had 17 points and Marvin Bagley III scored 14 for Detroit, which improved to 1-10 on the road this season. The Pistons played without Cade Cunningham (left shin soreness) for the seventh straight game, and Saddiq Bey (sprained right ankle) missed his second in a row.
Denver’s Nikola Jokic had 31 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds in his return from a three-game absence caused by the NBA’s health and safety protocols. Michael Porter Jr. scored 18 points, Aaron Gordon had 17 after missing three games due to an illness, Bruce Brown finished with 11 and Jamal Murray and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had 10 each.
Suns 115, Lakers 105
Devin Booker and Mikal Bridges scored 25 points apiece to help Phoenix post a victory over road-challenged Los Angeles.
Duane Washington Jr. scored 15 points and Deandre Ayton added 14 points and 15 rebounds for Phoenix, while Anthony Davis had 37 points, five blocked shots and season bests of 21 rebounds and five steals for the Lakers. Davis is the third Laker to score 30 or more points and grab 15 or more rebounds in four straight games, joining Elgin Baylor and Shaquille O’Neal.
Tension was evident down the stretch after an incident with 3:55 remaining in which the Lakers’ Patrick Beverley was ejected. Booker was called for a flagrant foul 1 for hitting Austin Reaves in the face while contesting his shot and knocking him to the ground. Ayton stood over Reaves and said something, and Beverley came charging from behind and delivered a hard bodycheck into Ayton’s left side.
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