LeBron James returned to action and scored 24 points to help the Los Angeles Lakers to a 123-120 overtime win against the host Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday night.
James, who missed the previous 17 games due to a groin injury sustained in a Christmas night win against the Golden State Warriors, also matched his season high with 14 rebounds and distributed nine assists while playing 40 minutes.
Lance Stephenson matched his career high with five 3-pointers on eight attempts and scored 20 points off the Lakers’ bench.
Brandon Ingram added 19 points, and Rajon Rondo had 14 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists for the Lakers.
Lou Williams scored 24 points off the bench to lead the Clippers, who had won 22 of their previous 25 matchups against the Lakers.
Patrick Beverley had 17 points and eight rebounds, and Tobias Harris and Montrezl Harrell scored 15 apiece.
Joel Embiid scored 11 of his 26 points in the third quarter as Philadelphia built a lead and held off Golden State in Oakland, Calif.
The win snapped the 76ers’ 10-game losing streak against the Warriors that dated back to the 2013-14 season. It also ended Golden State’s 11-game winning streak this season.
Embiid completed a double-double with a game-high 20 rebounds while Ben Simmons contributed 26 points, eight rebounds and six assists for Philadelphia. Golden State’s Stephen Curry bombed in a game-high 41 points, making 10 3-pointers, and Kevin Durant scored 25 points.
Final scores 76ers 113, Warriors 104.
Andre Drummond recorded his eighth 20-20 game of the season with 24 points and 20 rebounds and host Detroit escaped with a win over depleted Dallas..
Blake Griffin, who was named as an All-Star reserve earlier in the day, supplied 24 points, 10 rebounds and six assists for Detroit.
Reggie Jackson had 17 points, nine assists and seven rebounds, and Langston Galloway added 11 points off the bench.
The Mavericks were missing four of their usual starters.
De Andre Jordan, Dennis Smith Jr. and Wesley Matthews were traded to the New York Knicks prior to the game in a blockbuster deal.
Rookie sensation Luka Doncic sat out due to left ankle soreness. Harrison Barnes, the lone remaining regular, led Dallas with 27 points.
Final scores Pistons 93, Mavericks 89.
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 19 points and grabbed nine rebounds in spite of picking up his fifth foul early in the fourth quarter, and visiting Milwaukee defeated Toronto.
The Bucks won the season series 3-1 in meetings between the top two teams in the Eastern Conference standings. First-place Milwaukee earned its eighth win in nine games overall while second-place Toronto fell to 1-3 in its past four games.
Khris Middleton, selected a first-time All-Star earlier Thursday, added 18 points for Milwaukee. Pascal Siakam scored 28 points for the Raptors, while Kawhi Leonard added 16 points and eight rebounds.
Final scores Bucks 105, Raptors 92.
Terrence Ross scored a season-high 30 points to help host Orlando snap a four-game losing streak with a victory over Indiana.
It was the most the most points Ross has scored since he dropped 51 with the Toronto Raptors back in 2014. Nikola Vucevic added 17 points and 10 rebounds after finding out he was selected an All-Star reserve before the game.
Myles Turner led the Pacers with 27 points and grabbed seven rebounds, and Bojan Bogdanovic added 21 points. Indiana has lost four straight since losing leading scorer Victor Oladipo to a season-ending quadriceps tendon injury.
Final scores Magic 107, Pacers 100.
Derrick White scored a career-high 26 points, and LaMarcus Aldridge racked up five of his 20 points in the final 51 seconds as host San Antonio won its fourth straight game, outlasting Brooklyn.
Aldridge hit two free throws with 3.6 seconds left to push the lead to three points.
While being guarded by Aldridge and DeRozan just outside the arc, Brooklyn’s Shabazz Napier missed a 3-point attempt at the buzzer that would have tied the game.
Patty Mills scored 17 points off the bench for the Spurs while Rudy Gay and DeMar DeRozan, back after missing three games with a sore left knee, scored 15 apiece. D’Angelo Russell led the Nets with 25 points.
Final scores Spurs 117, Nets 114. (Reuters/NAN)
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