Amen Thompson scored 21 points, Jabari Smith Jr. added 19 and Alperen Sengun posted a double-double as the Houston Rockets fended off the visiting Dallas Mavericks 111-107 on Saturday to level the in-state season series at two wins apiece.
All five starters scored in double figures for the Rockets. That collective effort was key down the stretch after Dallas pulled even on a Naji Marshall pull-up jumper with 47 seconds remaining.
Sengun (14 points, 14 rebounds) scored in the paint with 28.6 seconds left as Houston reclaimed a 109-107 lead. After Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg missed a contested layup, Kevin Durant found Tari Eason (17 points, seven rebounds) for an open dunk to cap the scoring with 14.4 seconds left.
Flagg (34 points, 12 rebounds, five assists) carried the momentum from his career-high 49-point showing in the previous game vs. Charlotte. He and Brandon Williams (13 points on 5-of-7 shooting) combined for 22 first-quarter points before Williams left the game in the second quarter with a lower leg contusion and didn’t return.
Hornets 111, Spurs 106
Brandon Miller combined a strong start and key late-game offense for 26 points as Charlotte defeated visiting San Antonio for its sixth consecutive victory.
Collin Sexton poured in 21 points off the bench, LaMelo Ball supplied 16 points, Miles Bridges had 14 points, Kon Knueppel notched 13 points and Moussa Diabate chipped in 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Hornets, who held on after building a 20-point lead in the third quarter.
Dylan Harper paced San Antonio’s seven double-figure scorers with 20 points off the bench. Stephon Castle and Victor Wembanyama each finished with 16 points while Devin Vassell and Julian Champagnie both ended with 13 points.
76ers 124, Pelicans 114
Joel Embiid had 40 points and 11 rebounds and host Philadelphia held off New Orleans.
Kelly Oubre Jr. added 19 points and 10 rebounds, while Tyrese Maxey scored 18. VJ Edgecombe had 15 points, and Jared McCain added 12 for the Sixers, who have won three in a row.
Saddiq Bey scored 34 points, Trey Murphy III had 19, Jeremiah Fears scored 12, Zion Williamson had 11 and Jose Alvarado recorded 10 for the Pelicans, who have lost two of their last three.
Pacers 129, Hawks 124
Andrew Nembhard collected 26 points and 10 assists, Pascal Siakam added 25 points and Indiana topped Atlanta in Indianapolis.
Aaron Nesmith scored 23 points for the Pacers, who have won two straight and three of their last four games. Jay Huff scored 16 points, Bennedict Mathurin had 14 and Jarace Walker chipped in 11 points and 10 rebounds.
Jalen Johnson recorded his eighth triple-double of the season for the Hawks with 33 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists. Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 21 points, CJ McCollum added 18, Mouhamed Gueye had 15, and Corey Kispert and Luke Kennard scored 11 apiece.
Timberwolves 131, Grizzlies 114
Anthony Edwards scored 33 points and Naz Reid added 20 points — including six 3-pointers — to lead visiting Minnesota to a victory over short-handed Memphis.
Julius Randle added 27 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, and Jaden McDaniels contributed 20 points for the Timberwolves, who won their fourth straight game and led by double figures for all but the opening two minutes of the second half.
The Grizzlies, who lost their sixth straight game, were without leading scorers Ja Morant (elbow) and Jaren Jackson Jr. (quad). Memphis was led by guard Ty Jerome, making his season debut after missing the first 46 games of the season with a right calf strain, who finished with 20 points and six assists in 20 minutes.
Bulls 125, Heat 118
Ayo Dosunmu scored a season-high 29 points and added nine assists and eight rebounds to help visiting Chicago post a victory over Miami.
Matas Buzelis added 21 points and Isaac Okoro chipped in 20 for the Bulls, who broke off a 7-0 run out of a 116-all deadlock to snap a three-game losing streak. Patrick Williams had 15 points, while Jevon Carter scored 11 for Chicago.
Pelle Larsson led Miami with 22 points, Bam Adebayo finished with 21 points and 11 rebounds, and Jaime Jaquez Jr. scored 20 off the bench for the Heat, who will wrap a rare three-game set in four days against the Bulls at home on Sunday. Miami won 116-113 at Chicago on Thursday.
