AROUND THE NBA THURSDAY

Hornets 140, Grizzlies 79

CHARLOTTE, N.C.

Kemba Walker scored 46 points and made 10 3-pointers, and the Charlotte Hornets rolled to the most lopsided victory in franchise history by beating the Memphis Grizzlies. Walker had the ninth 40-point game of his career as the Hornets easily overcame the absence of the suspended Dwight Howard. The All-Star guard hit 13 of 18 shots overall, including 10 of 14 on 3-pointers, and was 10 of 10 on free throws in 28 minutes. He scored 17 points in the first quarter, 18 in the second quarter and 11 in the third.

76ers 118, Magic 98

ORLANDO, FLA.

Joel Embiid had 17 points and nine rebounds in just 20 minutes and the surging Philadelphia 76ers moved closer to a playoff berth. Ersan Ilyasova scored 18 points, leading six Philadelphia players in double figures as the 76ers (41-30) won their fifth straight and clinched their first non-losing season in six years. Robert Covington and Marco Belinelli added 15 points. Rodney Purvis came off the bench to score 19 points for the Magic.

Pelicans 128, Lakers 125

NEW ORLEANS

Anthony Davis capped a 33-point performance with two clutch free throws and a game-sealing steal in the final seconds, Rajon Rondo had 24 points and 10 assists, and the New Orleans Pelicans erased an 11-point, fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Los Angeles Lakers. Rondo scored 12 of his points in the fourth quarter, when the Pelicans could not have been blamed if they had faded, giving they were playing for the fifth time in six nights. Instead, they produced a riveting rally that pulled them into fourth place in the Western Conference. Rondo’s final baskets included a 29-foot 3 to cut Los Angeles’ lead to 125-124 with 2:28 left, followed by his driving layup that put New Orleans in front for good with 2:01 to play.

Rockets 100, Pistons 96

HOUSTON

James Harden scored 21 points, including 10 of Houston’s 12 points in overtime, to shake off a tough four quarters and lift the Rockets to a victory. After going 2 of 16 in regulation, including missing a shot that would have won it, Harden warmed up in overtime. He put Houston up with a basket early in the period before making it 93-90 on a three-point play after a basket by Andre Drummond. He added three free throws with about a minute left before P.J. Tucker’s tip-in made it 98-90 with 21 seconds to play.

Associated Press