Deadspin NBA roundup: Spurs beat Timberwolves behind Victor Wembanyama’s 43-point night

Wembanyama leads San Antonio

Wembanyama’s season-best 43 points powered host San Antonio past Minnesota, 121-111. The Spurs have won four straight after trailing by one at halftime and building a five-point advantage entering the fourth quarter, aided by a 10-0 run.

Dylan Harper finished with 25 points, seven rebounds and six assists, while De'Aaron Fox recorded 22 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. Ayo Dosunmu led Minnesota with 27 points and nine rebounds; Jaden McDaniels and Jonathan Kuminga scored 19 apiece. LaMelo Ball had 10 points on 2-of-10 shooting before fouling out.

Minnesota was missing Anthony Edwards with a knee issue and Donte DiVincenzo after Achilles surgery. Rudy Gobert also sat out because of low back spasms, as the Timberwolves suffered their third loss in four games.

Portland wins in Utah

Deni Avdija and Damian Lillard combined for 46 points as Portland beat Utah in Salt Lake City. Their 13 points helped fuel an early 17-0 run, and the Trail Blazers improved to 4-1 with their first victory since losing Ja Morant to a strained left hamstring, expected to keep him out for likely the entire month of November.

Avdija scored a game-high 24 points and Lillard added 22. Jrue Holiday, Toumani Camara and Scoot Henderson each contributed 14 points, while Donovan Clingan collected a game-best nine rebounds.

Rookie Darryn Peterson led Utah with 16 points. Keyonte George and Isaiah Collier each had four assists, while Lauri Markkanen scored 13 and Brice Sensabaugh added 12. Utah had not previously been held below 103 points this season.

Maxey powers Philadelphia

Tyrese Maxey scored a season-high 38 points as Philadelphia beat host Charlotte, closing the game with 13 consecutive points. He made 13 of 23 field-goal attempts, including four 3-pointers, and went 8-for-9 at the free-throw line.

Anfernee Simons scored 19 points off the bench, Jaylen Brown had 16 and Jabari Walker added 12. VJ Edgecombe finished with 10 points and eight rebounds, and Dean Wade recorded 10 assists for the 76ers.

Grayson Allen led Charlotte with a season-high 27 points, while Brandon Miller scored 24. Naz Reid added 14 and Moussa Diabate had 10, but the Hornets lost for the third time in a four-night stretch despite shooting 50 percent from the field.

Memphis stays unbeaten

Rookie Cameron Boozer scored a career-high 27 points and Isaiah Stewart added a season-best 24 off the bench as Memphis beat Sacramento. The Grizzlies moved to 6-0, matching the franchise’s best start, first achieved in 2014-15; Sacramento fell to 0-6.

Boozer made 8 of 14 shots and grabbed nine rebounds. Stewart hit 8 of 9 attempts and scored his points in 21 minutes. Memphis got 81 points from its reserves and made 19 of 38 shots from beyond the arc.

Pelicans and Cavaliers win

Saddiq Bey came off the bench for a season-high 25 points to help New Orleans defeat visiting Atlanta. The Pelicans won for the second straight game and ended a four-game losing streak against the Hawks, who had taken the previous three meetings in New Orleans. Bey also had six rebounds and four steals.

Atlanta’s CJ McCollum scored 14 points and Jalen Johnson had 13 before leaving with a sprained ankle in the fourth quarter. A skirmish with 3:04 remaining led to double technicals; Atlanta’s Kingston Flemings was ejected, and New Orleans’ Julian Reese also received one.