A fight breaks out between Minnesota Timberwolves and Orlando Magic players during the second half of an NBA game Friday in Minneapolis.
AP photo
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Minnesota Timberwolves guard Austin Rivers, middle, is held back after participating in a fight with Orlando Magic players during the second half of an NBA game Friday in Minneapolis.
AP photo
Portland Trail Blazers guard Josh Hart (11) gestures after he made a 3-pointer during the second half of an NBA game against the Washington Wizards on Friday in Washington. The Trail Blazers won 124-116.
AP photo
MINNEAPOLIS — Cole Anthony had 20 points and fellow reserve Moritz Wagner scored 19 as Orlando’s bench propelled the Magic to a 127-120 win against the Minnesota Timberwolves that included a fight between the teams and five player ejections Friday night.
The brawl broke out in front of the Orlando bench late in the third quarter, when Minnesota guard Austin Rivers and Magic center Mo Bamba got into an altercation. Bamba came off the bench and Rivers threw punches at him in a tussle that spilled over to include several others on the court.
As play initially continued at the far end, Jalen Suggs pulled Rivers away from Bamba and to the ground while other players joined in. Rivers, Jaden McDaniels and Taurean Prince were ejected for the Timberwolves, who had lost forward Kyle Anderson earlier in the game due to injury. Bamba and Suggs were tossed for Orlando.
D’Angelo Russell had 29 points and 10 rebounds for Minnesota, which had won six of eight.
TRAIL BLAZERS 124, WIZARDS 116
WASHINGTON — Anfernee Simons scored 20 of his 33 points in the third quarter and Portland erased a 20-point deficit, snapping Washington’s six-game winning streak.
Simons made six of Portland’s nine 3-pointers in the third, and the Trail Blazers finally caught and passed the Wizards in the fourth. Simons finished 9 of 12 from beyond the arc.
Damian Lillard added 29 points for Portland, which has won five of six.
Bradley Beal scored 34 points for the Wizards, and Kristaps Porzingis had 32.
SUNS 106, CELTICS 94
BOSTON — Mikal Bridges scored 25 points and Dario Saric had 14 with 13 rebounds to lead Phoenix over Boston and send the NBA-leading Celtics to their fourth loss in six games.
Chris Paul added 15 points, eight assists and six rebounds for Phoenix, which had a 20-point, second-quarter lead trimmed to one by the end of the third. The Suns opened the fourth with eight straight points to turn back Boston’s rally.
Jaylen Brown scored 27 points and Jayson Tatum had 20 for the Celtics, who were coming off a 43-point victory over the Brooklyn Nets. But the two Boston All-Stars shot a combined 12 for 36 from the floor and 6 for 22 from 3-point range.
76ERS 137, SPURS 125
SAN ANTONIO — Joel Embiid had 33 points and 10 rebounds and Philadelphia sent San Antonio to its eighth straight loss.
Tyrese Maxey had 25 points and James Harden added 16 for Philadelphia, which has the third-best record in the Eastern Conference.
San Antonio rookie Malaki Branham set a season high for the second straight game with 26 points, eclipsing the 22-point outing he had Wednesday in a loss to Sacramento. Keldon Johnson added 18 points and Jakob Poeltl had 16 points and 10 rebounds in San Antonio’s final home game before embarking on a nine-game road trip that ends Feb. 28.
RAPTORS 117, ROCKETS 111
HOUSTON — Fred VanVleet scored 32 points, Gary Trent Jr. added 29 and Toronto Raptors ended a two-game skid.
After the Raptors were up by double-digits for most of the fourth quarter, five straight free throws by the Rockets cut the lead to 110-104 with about 30 seconds left. Pascal Siakam, who had 23 points, then made two free throws.
Both teams made two free throws before Daishen Nix’s basket cut Houston’s deficit to six again. VanVleet made one of two free throws before a 3 by Jabari Smith Jr. made it 115-111 with 1.2 seconds to go. Trent added two free throws to secure the victory.
Houston got a season-high 28 points from Eric Gordon and Alperen Sengun added 21 on night when Jalen Green missed a third straight game with a bruised right calf.
PISTONS 118, HORNETS 112
DETROIT — Saddiq Bey scored 22 points, including a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 32.1 seconds left, and Detroit rallied to beat Charlotte.
Mason Plumlee missed five free throws in the last 6:04 as Detroit outscored Charlotte 27-18 in the fourth quarter.
Jaden Ivey had 24 points for the Pistons, Jalen Duren had 13 points and 13 rebounds, and Isaiah Stewart had eight points and 16 rebounds as Detroit outrebounded Charlotte 51-37.
LeMelo Ball had 23 points, eight assists and eight rebounds for the Hornets before fouling out. Terry Rozier added 23 points.
PACERS 107, KINGS 104
INDIANAPOLIS — Buddy Hield scored 21 points against his former team and Indiana beat Sacramento to stop a four-game losing streak.
Hield shot 5 of 9 from 3-point range. Aaron Nesmith added 17 points for the Pacers, going 4 for 7 on 3s. Myles Turner had 14 points and 13 rebounds.
Harrison Barnes led the Kings with 23 points. Kevin Huerter scored 16, and Domantas Sabonis and Terence Davis each had 15. The Kings were without leading scorer De’Aaron Fox, who sat out for personal reasons.
HAWKS 115, JAZZ 108
SALT LAKE CITY — Trae Young had 27 points and six assists to lead Atlanta past Utah.
De’Andre Hunter scored 26 points for the Hawks. Onyeka Okongwu had 15 points and 11 rebounds, and Dejounte Murray added 13 points and eight assists.
Atlanta won for the third time in the team’s last four road games. The Hawks had 28 assists on 44 baskets and scored 56 points in the paint.
Lauri Markkanen had 25 points and 10 rebounds to pace Utah. Jordan Clarkson scored 24, and Mike Conley finished with 20 points and eight assists.