NBA
roundup: Leonard, Raptors rout 76ers
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[October 31, 2018]
Kawhi Leonard scored 31 points
and grabbed seven rebounds, and Jonas Valanciunas added 23 points
off the bench as the Toronto Raptors defeated the visiting
Philadelphia 76ers 129-112 on Tuesday night.
Kyle Lowry added 20 points and 12 assists for his fifth
double-double of the season for Toronto, and Pascal Siakam finished
with 15 points and 15 rebounds. Serge Ibaka chipped in with 16
points and eight rebounds, and Danny Green scored 10 points, putting
all five starters in double digits in points.
It was the sixth straight home victory to open the season for the
Raptors, a franchise best. They also have defeated the 76ers in 12
consecutive home games.
Joel Embiid scored 31 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for
Philadelphia, and Ben Simmons finished with 11 points, 10 assists
and eight rebounds -- along with 11 turnovers. Robert Covington
added 15 points while JJ Redick (13) and Mike Muscala (12) combined
for 25 off the bench.
Trail Blazers 104, Rockets 85
Jusuf Nurkic, Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum combined for 63 points
and visiting Portland dismantled suddenly hapless Houston, the
Rockets' fourth straight loss.
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The Trail Blazers, completing a four-game, six-day road trip,
overcame a sluggish start and pulled away from the rested Rockets
with a 15-3 run in the second quarter. Nurkic and Lillard each had
22 points, and McCollum added 19.
The Rockets, playing a second consecutive game without All-NBA guard
James Harden (Grade 1-plus left hamstring strain), offered token
resistance in the second half, trailing by as many as 28 points
while remaining winless at home. Chris Paul led Houston with 17
points and nine assists, and Clint Capela had 14 points and 14
rebounds.
Celtics 108, Pistons 105
Kyrie Irving capped a 23-7 third-quarter run with 11 consecutive
points, including three 3-pointers, propelling host Boston to a big
lead -- which the Celtics nearly blew before hanging on in a wild
one against Detroit.
Irving led all scorers with 31 points, helping the Celtics beat the
Pistons for the second time in four days. Blake Griffin (24 points,
15 rebounds) and Andre Drummond (17 points, 12 rebounds) each had
double-doubles for the Pistons.
Detroit led 60-58 in the third minute of the third quarter before
the Celtics scored 10 straight points to take a lead they never
relinquished. The Pistons rallied within 90-89 on a Reggie Bullock
free throw with 4:21 remaining, but Irving, Jaylen Brown and Marcus
Morris countered with consecutive hoops to create some breathing
room and the Celtics went on to win their third straight.
Thunder 128, Clippers 110
Russell Westbrook and Paul George each scored 32 points, and
Oklahoma City used an offensive eruption to open the second half and
ultimately overrun visiting Los Angeles.
Trailing 67-54 at halftime, the Thunder went on a 23-2 run to open
the third quarter, winning their second consecutive game after
opening the season with four consecutive defeats.
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Westbrook, who missed the first two games of the season after
undergoing a knee procedure, has scored at least 23 points in three
of the four games he has played. He has scored at least 30 points
twice. He was not on the court when Oklahoma City lost to the
Clippers 108-92 on Oct. 19 at Los Angeles.
[to top of second column] |
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Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard (2)protects the ball from Philadelphia
76ers center Joel Embiid (21) at Scotiabank Arena. Toronto defeated
Philadelphia. John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports
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Cavaliers 136, Hawks 114
Rodney Hood scored a season-high 26 points and helped Cleveland beat
visiting Atlanta to earn its first win in seven games this season.
The win marked the debut of Cleveland coach Larry Drew, who took
over following the firing of Tyronn Lue on Sunday.
The Cavaliers also got 20 points from Cedi Osman, who has reached
that mark in the past two games. The Cavaliers were playing without
Kevin Love, who missed his third straight game with a sore left
foot. Trae Young led Atlanta with 24 points, and Alex Len had 20
points and nine rebounds.
Kings 107, Magic 99
Sacramento won for the fourth straight time, beating host Orlando
for the Kings' best start in four seasons.
Sacramento's 5-3 start this season is its best since a 5-3 opening
to the 2014-15 season, and the Kings are two games over .500 for the
first time since Nov. 28 that same season.
Buddy Hield led the Kings with a season-high 25 points and 11
rebounds, and Nemanja Bjelica added 21 points. Willie Cauley-Stein
contributed 14 points and 11 rebounds. Aaron Gordon (18 points, 10
rebounds) and Nikola Vucevic (15 points, 15 boards) had
double-doubles for the Magic.
Hornets 125, Heat 113
Tony Parker came off the bench for 24 points and 11 assists as host
Charlotte beat Miami for the second time in 11 days.
Parker, a 17-year veteran in his first season with the Hornets, shot
8 of 15 from the field on a night when the Hornets hit 54.3 percent
from the floor and were 13 of 28 from 3-point range.
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Malik Monk and Nicolas Batum each had 20 points for Charlotte.
Dwyane Wade topped the Heat with 19 points, and Hassan Whiteside
contributed 16 points and 12 rebounds.
Grizzlies 107, Wizards 95
Garrett Temple scored 20 points, and Mike Conley and Marc Gasol
added 19 apiece as Memphis topped visiting Washington for its second
straight win.
Temple hit 4 of 7 3-point attempts and all six of his foul shots. He
also grabbed seven rebounds.
John Wall scored 22 points and Bradley Beal added 17 for the
Wizards, who dropped the final four games of their five-game road
trip. Wall had seven assists and nine turnovers.
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