Tyrese Maxey scored 40 points and Paul George added 33 points, each making six 3-pointers, to help the injury-depleted Philadelphia 76ers defeat the Charlotte Hornets 121-108 on Monday night.
The game lost some of its excitement due to the return of Charlotte point guard LaMelo Ball, who scored 15 points and had 11 assists in his comeback from a calf injury that had kept him out since November 27.
The 76ers made 16 of 38 3-pointers in their first game without center Joel Embiid (sinus fracture) and rookie guard Jared McCain (torn meniscus) who were both injured on Friday.
The Hornets lost for the 10th time in 11 games, despite Miles Bridges scoring 24 points.
Bulls 122, Raptors 121
Nikola Vucevic scored 24 points as the Chicago Bulls, who had a 16-point lead cut to just one, managed to defeat the Toronto Raptors. The Raptors scored a 3-pointer at the last second, but it wasn’t enough.
Coby White added 19 points for the Bulls, who have won two games in a row. Josh Giddey contributed 11 points, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists before leaving with an ankle injury in the third quarter.
RJ Barrett scored 32 points, and Gradey Dick had 27 points for the Raptors, who have now lost five games in a row. Toronto’s Jakob Poeltl left the game with a groin injury in the fourth quarter.
Pistons 125, Heat 124 (OT)
Malik Beasley had a season-high 28 points, and Cade Cunningham posted a triple-double as Detroit beat Miami in overtime.
Cunningham finished with 20 points, 18 assists, and 11 rebounds for Detroit, who nearly lost after squandering a 19-point lead in the fourth quarter.
Ausar Thompson added 19 points, and Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 16, hitting three straight 3-pointers in overtime to erase an 8-point Miami lead.
Jimmy Butler recorded 35 points, 19 rebounds, and 10 assists for the Heat, who saw their four-game winning streak end. Tyler Herro scored 23 points.
Cavaliers 130, Nets 101
Evan Mobley scored 19 of his 21 points in the second half, and Caris LeVert scored all 19 of his points in the first half, helping Cleveland take control early and beat Brooklyn easily in New York.
Cleveland led by as many as 37 points, improving to a 23-4 record, the best start in team history. They are 8-4 since winning their first 15 games.
Cameron Johnson led the Nets with 22 points, and Day’Ron Sharpe added 15 points. Brooklyn committed a season-high 22 turnovers, which led to 34 points for Cleveland.
