Brandon Miller scored 26 points and grabbed eight rebounds, leading the Charlotte Hornets to a 111-106 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday, marking their sixth consecutive NBA win.
Miller, who
was selected just after the Spurs’ top pick Victor Wembanyama in the 2023 NBA Draft, helped the home team maintain their lead after San Antonio narrowed a 20-point gap to 106-104 with 97 seconds remaining.
After Wembanyama missed a potential game-tying three-pointer, Miller made two free throws, extending his streak to 38 consecutive made shots from the line, with 10.6 seconds left to secure the win.
“Got to take my hat off to them. Very competitive players,” Miller said about the Spurs’ comeback effort. “Everybody came out with the mindset of competing at the highest level and making every winning play they can and that’s how we got the win.”
Collin Sexton contributed 21 points off the bench, and LaMelo Ball added 16 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists for Charlotte, achieving their longest winning streak since March 2016.
Spurs reserve Dylan Harper scored 20 points, while French All-Star Wembanyama had 16 points and eight rebounds. Stephon Castle added 16 points and nine assists.
In Philadelphia, Joel Embiid scored 40 points and secured 11 rebounds, helping the 76ers to a 124-114 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans. This came hours after Sixers star Paul George was suspended for 25 games for violating the NBA Anti-Drug Program. George explained to ESPN that he mistakenly took an unapproved medication for mental health treatment and vowed to use the suspension to prepare for his return in March.
Without George, the 76ers had to fight hard. Former NBA MVP Embiid scored 17 points in the fourth quarter. Philadelphia led by as many as 15 points in the first half and entered the final quarter with a six-point lead.
Embiid’s turnover allowed Jose Alvarado to hit a three-pointer that put New Orleans ahead 105-104 midway through the fourth. However, Embiid’s turnaround jump shot with 3:48 remaining broke a 109-109 tie, and the Sixers pulled away for their third consecutive win.
“I actually think I had a bad game,” Embiid said of his first 40-point game of the season. “I missed a lot of easy shots. The efficiency wasn’t there, but I’m glad we locked in in the fourth quarter. We got some stops and we made the right plays.”
Kelly Oubre Jr added 19 points and 10 rebounds, and Tyrese Maxey scored 18 points for Philadelphia. Saddiq Bey led the Pelicans with 34 points.
Indiana guard Andrew Nembhard scored 26 points, Pascal Siakam added 25, and Aaron Nesmith contributed 23 as the Pacers held off the Atlanta Hawks 129-124. The Pacers, leading 80-73 at halftime, never trailed after the break, despite the Hawks closing the gap to one point twice in the fourth quarter before Indiana pulled away.
The Minnesota Timberwolves, powered by 33 points from Anthony Edwards and 27 from Julius Randle, secured their fourth consecutive win, defeating the Grizzlies 131-114 in Memphis.
In Houston, Amen Thompson scored 21 points, grabbed eight rebounds, and provided nine assists to lead the Rockets to a 111-107 victory over the Dallas Mavericks. Six Houston players scored in double figures, helping the Rockets clinch a narrow win despite a 34-point, 12-rebound performance from the Mavericks’ 19-year-old rookie Cooper Flagg.
(With AFP Inputs)
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