NBA roundup: Suns send Sixers to first loss

[November 05, 2019]  Devin Booker scored a season-high 40 points on Monday, and Ricky Rubio added 21 points and 10 assists as the host Phoenix Suns handed the Philadelphia 76ers their first loss of the season, 114-109.

Aron Baynes had 15 points and made three 3-pointers, Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 14 points, and the Suns shot 53.2 percent from the field. Phoenix won for the fifth time in seven games, its best start since beginning the 2013-14 season with the same record.

Al Horford had a season-high 32 points and tied a career high with five 3-pointers, Tobias Harris had 24 points and 10 rebounds, and Furkan Korkmaz contributed a career-high 20 points for the Sixers. Philadelphia had been the last undefeated team in the league after winning its first five.

The 76ers played without leading scorer and rebounder Joel Embiid, who served the final game of a two-game suspension after an altercation with Minnesota center Karl-Anthony Towns last Wednesday. Kurkmaz started in his place.

Rockets 107, Grizzlies 100

James Harden scored 44 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead Houston to a victory at Memphis.

Harden was the foundation of a bounce-back effort for the Rockets, whose defense was torched for an average of 126 points in back-to-back losses at Brooklyn and Miami over the weekend. Houston, playing without Russell Westbrook (rest) for the first time this season, got 16 points from Eric Gorgon and 15 points and nine rebounds from Danuel House Jr.

Rookie Ja Morant paced the Grizzlies with 23 points. Dillon Brooks chipped in 17 points and nine boards, and Jonas Valanciunas had 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Bucks 134, Timberwolves 106

Giannis Antetokounmpo recorded 34 points and 15 rebounds as Milwaukee rode a third-quarter surge and overcame a bizarre delay to the game and roll past Minnesota in Minneapolis.

Antetokounmpo, who was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week earlier on Monday, shot 14 of 19 from the field in a game that began after a delay of nearly an hour caused by a basket malfunction as one of the rims was found to be uneven during warmups.

Khris Middleton scored 26 points following a 9-of-15 effort from the field for the Bucks, who have won three in a row overall and nine of their last 11 encounters with the Timberwolves. Andrew Wiggins recorded 25 points for Minnesota, which played without Karl-Anthony Towns as the two-time All-Star center served the second contest of his suspension for the altercation with Embiid.

Warriors 127, Trail Blazers 118

Rookie Eric Paschall scored a season-best 36 points as Golden State surprised Portland and won for the first time at its new home arena, Chase Center in San Francisco.

Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) reacts against the Philadelphia 76ers in the second half at Talking Stick Resort Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The win capped a six-day, four-game homestand during which the Warriors had lost to Phoenix, San Antonio and Charlotte to fall to 0-4 at home before finally getting the win Monday. Portland took just its second loss in five road games.

Damian Lillard, an Oakland native playing his first game in San Francisco, paced the Trail Blazers with 39 points, including five 3-pointers. The Warriors shot 33-for-36 from the foul line while the visitors were 11-for-14 on free throws.

Nets 135, Pelicans 125

Kyrie Irving totaled 39 points and nine assists while leading six players in double figures as host Brooklyn nearly blew all of a 20-point lead but recovered to knock off New Orleans.

Irving scored at least 20 points for the seventh straight game, matching Brook Lopez for the most in Nets history since the franchise moved from New Jersey in 2012. He posted his third 30-point game and scored 24 of his points after halftime while shooting 13 of 21 from the floor overall and hitting all 11 of his free-throw attempts.

The Nets rebounded from blowing a 14-point lead at Detroit on Saturday and headed into a five-game road trip at 3-4. They withstood a career-high 40 points from New Orleans forward Brandon Ingram and survived allowing 48 points in the third quarter. Caris LeVert added 23 for the Nets.

Wizards 115, Pistons 99

Bradley Beal scored 22 points to lead six players in double figures for host Washington, which pulled away in the second half to defeat Detroit and snap a three-game losing streak.

Troy Brown Jr. scored 14 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, Thomas Bryant had 14 points, and Washington's defense clamped down after allowing 131 points to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night and 159 to the Houston Rockets on Wednesday.

Three Wizards chipped in 12 points apiece, including CJ Miles, who was making his season debut after recovering from a foot injury. Luke Kennard led Detroit with 24 points, and Andre Drummond had 15 points and 24 rebounds.

--Field Level Media

[© 2019 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

Copyright 2019 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.  Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.