Joel Embiid scored 31 points, James Harden had 21 points and 15 assists, and the Philadelphia 76ers scored 80 points in the first half and cruised to a 123-103 win over the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday night.
Tobias Harris also scored 21 points while adding nine assists for the Sixers, who have won three straight to start a seven-game homestand.
‘We’re playing pretty well offensively,’ said Embiid, who has scored 30 or more points in five straight games. ‘James is doing a great job getting everyone easy shots. My teammates are doing a fantastic job moving the ball and being in the right spots. That’s what we’ve got to do – all we have to do is stay healthy. But we’re not there yet. We have a long way to go.’
Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid, right, tries to get past Sacramento Kings’ Domantas Sabonis
Domantas Sabonis led the Kings with 22 points. Sacramento has lost three of the first four games of its six-game East Coast swing.
‘I saw a little clip on news on the late Mike Leach (the Mississippi State football coach who died Monday night) saying ‘It’s not sweet unless its hard,” Kings coach Mike Brown said. ‘The NBA year and grind is really hard and we’re going to have to experience the downs like we have ups in this short time together.’
Two nights after Embiid scored 53 points in a victory over Charlotte, Harden and Harris took advantage of Sacramento’s defensive focus on the big man. With two defenders often on Embiid, Harris camped out in the corner for wide-open 3s while Harden dished from the top of the key until his own shot got warm in the second quarter.
‘The ball was moving and the floor was wide open,’ Sixers coach Doc Rivers said. ‘That’s exactly what we’ve been talking about. They are moving the ball and playing together.’
James Harden dribbles the ball up court during a fast break en route to a double-double
Philadelphia led 80-55 at halftime, thanks in part to a 20-9 edge in fast-break points. Fourteen of those 20 points came off Sacramento turnovers.
‘We had a ton of breakdowns, we didn’t have a lot of help on drives and they got to the rim very easily,’ Brown said. ‘We have to figure some things out and dig a little deeper.’
The 76ers shot 51.2% – the third straight game they’ve been better than 50% from the floor. They only topped 50% once in the nine games before that. They also recorded a season-high 34 assists.
‘We got settled in and we know what we’re trying to accomplish possession by possession,’ Harden said. ‘That’s the most important thing. If everyone is trying to accomplish different agendas, the team is not going to be successful. Knowing what we’re trying to accomplish and doing what we have to do on both sides of the ball is critical.’
Malik Monk had 16 points off the bench for the Kings.
Embiid reacts during the fourth quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Wells Fargo Center
WARRIORS 128, BUCKS 111
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 30 points while Bobby Portis finished with 25 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Milwaukee Bucks over the Golden State Warriors 128-111 Tuesday night in a matchup of the NBA´s last two champions.
Stephen Curry scored 20 points despite missing seven of 10 3-point attempts. Jordan Poole added 18 points and Klay Thompson 14 for Golden State.
The Warriors dropped their third straight road game and fell to 2-12 away from home this season. The defending NBA champions have allowed at least 114 points in every road game.
The Warriors trailed 64-52 at the break and the Bucks created some separation with an 8-2 run to open the second half. Golden State coach Steve Kerr cleared his bench early in the fourth quarter.
Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo is fouled by Golden State Warriors’ Jordan Poole
ROCKETS 111, SUNS 97
Jalen Green had 26 points and Kevin Porter Jr. added 18 Houston never trailed against slumping Phoenix.
The Rockets led by as many as 23 and held a comfortable lead for most of the night in the return of coach Stephen Silas, who was back after missing the previous game following the death of his father, longtime NBA player and coach Paul Silas.
The Suns dropped their fifth straight. Phoenix was playing without Devin Booker, and Deandre Ayton (left ankle) and Cameron Payne (right foot) were hurt in the first half.
Mikal Bridges led the Suns with 18 points but shot a horrific 4 of 24 from the field and 2 of 10 from 3-point range.
Jalen Green #4 of the Houston Rockets dunks the ball against the Phoenix Suns
JAZZ 121, PELICANS 100
Malik Beasley made five 3-pointers and scored 21 points, and Utah cooled off Zion Williamson and New Orleans.
Williamson scored 26 points in 26 minutes and Jonas Valanciunas scored 15, but the Pelicans´ seven-game winning streak was snapped. Only one of those wins came on the road.
After missing three games with an illness, Utah´s Lauri Markkanen showed little rust in scoring 19 points, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker also scored 19 and had a season-high six assists for the Jazz.
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Walker Kessler had 11 points, a career-high 16 rebounds and three blocked shots. Jarred Vanderbilt had season bests of 18 points and 14 rebounds.
Williamson played just 11 minutes in the first half because of foul trouble. The Pelicans never recovered the lead they lost when he left the game.
Utah Jazz guard Malik Beasley looks to pass the ball during game against the Denver Nuggets
