MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Karl-Anthony Towns had 25 points and a season-high 21 rebounds, and the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Brooklyn Nets 120-113 on Monday after finally trading Jimmy Butler.
The Nets lost leading scorer Caris LeVert to what appeared to be a severe right leg injury late in the first half.
Jeff Teague returned from a six-game absence to score 24 points for Minnesota, which snapped a five-game losing streak.
LeVert’s gruesome injury brought the entire crowd at Target Center to a silence. LeVert spent several minutes on the court being attended by medical personnel. Timberwolves players huddled in prayer while Nets players surrounded their injured teammate before he was wheeled off the court..
PELICANS 126, RAPTORS 110
TORONTO (AP) — Anthony Davis had 25 points and a season-high 20 rebounds, E’Twaun Moore scored a season-high 30 points and New Orleans snapped Toronto’s six-game winning streak.
Jrue Holiday had 29 points and matched a season high with 14 assists, and Julius Randle added 17 points and 12 rebounds as New Orleans won its third straight following a six-game losing streak.
The Pelicans outscored the Raptors 72-42 in the paint and snapped a six-game losing streak against Toronto.
76ERS 124, HEAT 114
MIAMI (AP) — Joel Embiid scored 35 points and grabbed 18 rebounds, and Philadelphia added to Miami’s early-season struggles.
The win came hours after the 76ers finalized a trade with Minnesota to land four-time All-Star Jimmy Butler, who was in Philadelphia and not with the club in Miami. Butler will be introduced at the 76ers’ facility in Camden, New Jersey, on Tuesday, before he flies to Orlando and makes his debut with Philly on Wednesday night against the Magic.
JAZZ 96, GRIZZLIES 88
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Joe Ingles scored 19 points, Rudy Gobert added 15 points and 16 rebounds and Utah won its third straight.
The Jazz broke open a close game in the final six minutes with a 14-5 run. Gobert had eight points in the stretch as Utah built its lead to 11 points in the late stages.
Derrick Favors and Donovan Mitchell finished with 12 points apiece for Utah.
THUNDER 118, SUNS 101
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Paul George matched his season high with 32 points and went 6 of 10 from 3-point range, Dennis Schroder added 20 points and nine assists, and Oklahoma City beat Phoenix.
The Thunder have won eight of their last nine games after a 0-4 start while the Suns have lost four straight and 11 of their last 12. Two of those losses have come in Oklahoma City.
WIZARDS 117, MAGIC 109
WASHINGTON (AP) — John Wall had 25 points and 10 assists, Bradley Beal added 21 points and Washington won consecutive games for the first time this season, beating Orlando.
Jeff Green added 18 points off the bench on 6-of-7 shooting for Washington, which lost at Orlando on Friday night to fall to 2-9 before winning at Miami.
MAVERICKS 103, BULLS 98
CHICAGO (AP) — Harrison Barnes scored a season-high 23 points and Dallas overcame a sluggish performance by prized rookie Luka Doncic to beat Chicago.
Doncic, the leading scorers among NBA rookies, shot 3 for 12 and finished with 11 points as Dallas won for the third time in four games after a six-game skid. J.J. Barea added 14 points, five rebounds and five assists.
