Lowly Philadelphia 76ers beat Phoenix Suns

PHILADELPHIA — Ish Smith had 20 points and nine assists and Robert Covington scored 19 points to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a 113-103 win over the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night.

Once 1-30 on December 23 and challenging for the worst record in NBA history, the Sixers have since gone 6-9 and might not even end up with the worst record in the league.

Nik Stauskas scored 15 points and Nerlens Noel had 14 for the Sixers.

Archie Goodwin nearly pulled off an improbable win in the fourth with some late clutch shots that rallied the Suns. Goodwin led the Suns with 26 points. Alex Len had 16 points and 12 rebounds.

Raptors 106, Wizards 89

All-Star starter Kyle Lowry put up 29 points before leaving with an injury in the final minutes and Toronto downed Washington for their ninth straight win, matching a franchise-best mark.

Lowry left and went up the tunnel towards the Raptors locker room with what appeared to be an injured hand with just under four minutes to go in the fourth quarter. He briefly returned before trainers escorted him back under the stands.

Jonas Valanciunas had 13 points and 12 rebounds for the Raptors, while DeMar DeRozan had 17 points and Terrence Ross added 15 points off the bench.

John Wall led the way for the Wizards with 18 points and 14 assists.

Thunder 128, Knicks 122, OT

Kevin Durant scored a season-high 44 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, and Oklahoma City beat New York in overtime.

Durant hit the tying jumper with 16.2 seconds left in regulation, then scored seven points in overtime to surpass the 43 points he had against Orlando on October 30, a game that went to two overtimes.

One was all the Thunder needed this time, as Durant hit four straight free throws in the final half-minute to finish 16 for 18 from the line.

Russell Westbrook finished with 30 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds for the Thunder, who bounced back from a loss to Brooklyn on Sunday to win for the eighth time in nine games.

Langston Galloway scored 21 points for the Knicks, who played without injured leading scorer Carmelo Anthony.

Clippers 91, Pacers 89

Chris Paul scored 26 points and J.J. Redick added 19 as Los Angeles held off a late Indiana comeback.

The Clippers played without All-Star forward Blake Griffin, who was sent home after breaking his shooting hand in a scuffle with equipment manager Matias Testi.

Indiana lost their third straight despite having Paul George finish with 31 points and 11 rebounds. Myles Turner had 16 points.

Los Angeles turned the game with a 13-0 run that gave the Clippers an 81-72 lead midway through the fourth quarter. The Pacers were held scoreless for nearly eight minutes.

Indiana got back into the game with a 14-7 run, closed to 91-89 on George’s three-pointer with 28 seconds left, and had a chance to tie or win after forcing a turnover with 2.1 seconds to go. But the Pacers didn’t get the shot off.

Heat 102, Nets 98

Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh each scored 27 points, leading Miami over Brooklyn.

Wade also had eight assists and four rebounds. Justise Winslow added 13 points and seven rebounds for the Heat.

Andrea Bargnani had 20 points and Joe Johnson had 15 for the Nets.

The Heat led 99-96 when Wayne Ellington missed a three-point shot that would’ve tied it. Bosh then hit one of two foul shots and the Heat held on.

Bucks 107, Magic 100

Giannis Antetokounmpo dunked eight times and scored 25 points as Milwaukee, with coach Jason Kidd back on the bench, sent Orlando to its seventh straight loss.

Kidd missed 17 games after having surgery on his right hip December 21. In his return, he spent a lot of time walking along the sideline as Milwaukee rallied from a 16-point deficit.

Jerryd Bayless had a pair of three-pointers in the final 2:20, including a baseline shot with 13 seconds to go that put Milwaukee ahead 103-99. Khris Middleton, who had 25 points, made a pair of free throws with 7 seconds left for a 105-100 lead.

The Bucks have won four of six. Orlando has lost 11 of 12.

Trail Blazers 112, Kings 97

C.J. McCollum scored 18 points, Damian Lillard had 15 points and 12 assists and Portland shut down red-hot DeMarcus Cousins in the Trail Blazers win over the Kings.

Portland had seven players score in double figures. Gerald Henderson scored 15 points, while Mason Plumlee had 12 points and eight rebounds for the Blazers.

Cousins, who came into Tuesday off 56 and 48-point performances in his past two games, led the Kings with 17 points, but hit only 4 of 21 shots. Cousins also struggled at the free throw line, making 9 of 17.

Rajon Rondo had 15 points and 11 assists for the Kings, who lost in double overtime on Monday night.

Mavericks 92, Lakers 90

Dirk Nowitzki hit the tiebreaking jumper with 2.1 seconds to play, and the Mavericks hung on for a victory over the Lakers.

Nowitzki scored eight of his 13 points in the fourth quarter as the Mavericks snapped a two-game skid with their 10th consecutive victory over the Lakers.

Julius Randle missed a long jumper at the buzzer for the Lakers, who have lost seven straight.

Nowitzki nailed his go-ahead shot while falling towards the Lakers’ bench, where he got a pat on the back from Kobe Bryant, who sat out to rest his sore right shoulder.

J.J. Barea led the Mavericks with 18 points, and Chandler Parsons had 17.

Jordan Clarkson scored 18 points for the Lakers and Randle had 16.