Blake Griffin scored 25 points and the Los Angeles Clippers beat the Thunder, 110-108, at Oklahoma City on Friday night to improve their best start in franchise history to 8-1.
Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook missed what would have been a game-winning 3-pointer in the closing seconds.
Jamal Crawford scored 19 points and Chris Paul added 17 points and 10 assists for the Clippers, who have won five straight and have the league’s best record.
The Clippers avenged their only loss of the season. The Thunder won 85-83 on Nov. 2 in Los Angeles.
Westbrook had 29 points, 14 rebounds and 9 assists.
76ers 109, Pacers 105 — Joel Embiid scored 16 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter and overtime to lead the host Philadelphia 76ers to its first victory of the season.
Ersan Ilyasova added 14 points for Philadelphia, which was the last winless team in the NBA. The 76ers snapped a 44-game losing streak in October and November that dated to Nov. 22, 2013.
And they can thank Embiid, the No. 3 pick of the 2014 draft who missed the last two seasons due to a broken foot but has returned as a leading Rookie of the Year candidate.
Paul George had 26 points and Monta Ellis added 19 for the Pacers.
Cavaliers 105, Wizards 94 — Adding a win to their White House visit, LeBron James and Cleveland capped a perfect visit to the nation’s capital on the strength of 14 3-pointers.
The Cavs improved to 7-1, recovering quickly from their only loss, which came against Atlanta on Tuesday. James had 27 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, and Kevin Love finished with 14 points and 16 rebounds.
Spurs 96, Pistons 86 — Pau Gasol had season highs with 21 points and six assists, and San Antonio snapped a three-game home losing streak.
Gasol was 10 for 16 from the field as San Antonio snapped its longest home skid since dropping three straight in December 2014.
Raptors 113, Hornets 111 — DeMar DeRozan continued his torrid pace, scoring 34 points as Toronto snapped host Charlotte four-game winning streak.
Jazz 87, Magic 74 — Gordon Hayward scored 20 points and Derrick Favors added 18 to lift visiting Utah.
