LOS ANGELES (AFP) – DeMar DeRozan scored 25 points as the Chicago Bulls snapped Philadelphia’s eight-game winning streak with a thrilling 109-105 victory in double overtime on Monday.
The red-hot Sixers had been looking to clinch their playoff ticket with victory in front of an expectant home crowd at the Wells Fargo Center.
But despite a 37-point performance from Joel Embiid — the MVP front-runner’s 10th straight 30-point game –- Philadelphia were left waiting to reach the postseason after a gritty road win from Chicago.
Embiid missed an attempted tip-in after Tyrese Maxey’s attempted three-pointer at the end of regulation which would have snatched victory for the Sixers.
Embiid put Philadelphia 99-97 ahead in the final minute of the first period of overtime but DeRozan levelled with a driving layup.
The Chicago star missed an attempted three-pointer with less than two seconds on the clock, to take the game to a second period of overtime.
The Sixers looked to have taken a grip on the contest after opening up a 105-101 lead in the second overtime period, but with Embiid absent after fouling out, the Bulls reeled off eight unanswered points to close out the win.
Chicago improved to 34-37 and remain in 10th place in the Eastern Conference standings, leaving them on course for a place in the play-in tournament for teams ranked between seventh and 10th, which determine the last two spots in the eight-team conference playoffs.
Philadelphia, third in the East with a 48-23 record, remains one win away from formally clinching their playoff spot.
– Randle dazzles in vain –
In other games around the NBA on Monday, Julius Randle erupted for 57 points in a scintillating performance but it was not enough to stop the New York Knicks falling 140-134 at home to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Randle’s masterpiece included eight three-pointers from 19-of-29 shooting, while Jalen Brunson added 23 points. Three other Knicks players finished in double figures.
However Minnesota’s balanced offense was enough to give the Wolves victory, with Taurean Prince leading the visitors scoring with 35 points.
All of Minnesota’s starters posted double-digit points totals, while Naz Reid (12) and Jaylen Nowell (14) combined for 26 off the bench.
In Utah, the high-flying Sacramento Kings, who remain third in the Western Conference, came unstuck in a 128-124 loss to the Jazz, who are 11th in the standings.
Ochai Agbaji led the Utah scoring with 27 points, with no fewer than eight Jazz players making double-figures. De’Aaron Fox led the Sacramento scoring with 37 points.
In Houston meanwhile, the Golden State Warriors finally snapped their miserable losing streak on the road with a 121-108 defeat of the Rockets.
The NBA champions had gone into the game on the back of 11 straight defeats away from home, but ended that sequence against a Rockets team who have just 18 wins this season.
Steph Curry and Klay Thompson combined for 59 points, including 10 three-pointers yet the Warriors still made hard work of the win, coughing up 20 turnovers, 14 of them in the first half.
“We were not focused, but second half we did a better job of taking care of the ball,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said.
“I don’t remember the last road game we won,” Kerr added. “It’s been a while. We needed it obviously.”
In Memphis, the Grizzlies staged a late fourth quarter rally to down the Dallas Mavericks 112-108. Memphis outscored the Mavs 29-12 in the fourth to seal victory.
