Zion Williamson dominates as Pelicans down 76ers

Joel Emblid kept quiet as Philadelphia drop behind Nets

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson dunks n the third quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers. USA Today

A dominant display from Zion Williamson lifted the New Orleans Pelicans to a 101-94 win over the Philadelphia 76ers.

In a game that frequently descended into the battle of the big men, Williamson got the better of Joel Embiid as he added 15 rebounds and eight assists to his mammoth scoring performance of 37 points.

After scoring 59 points in his two games since returning from injury, Embiid was held to just 14 against the Pelicans, who clinched the win with a late run.

The loss saw Philadelphia drop a game behind the Brooklyn Nets at the top of the Eastern Conference.

The Charlotte Hornets held off a fast-finishing Milwaukee Bucks outfit 127-119 to clinch their 27th win of the season.

The Bucks, who were without a host of players due to injury, struggled through the first three quarters before rallying down the stretch.

Milwaukee outscored Charlotte by 11 points in the fourth quarter, but were ultimately unable to avoid their third straight defeat.

The San Antonio Spurs let victory slip through their fingers as they went down 121-119 to the Denver Nuggets.

Keldon Johnson, Dejounte Murray and DeMar DeRozan all missed shots in the dying seconds, with Nikola Jokic again instrumental in helping the Nuggets escape with their eighth consecutive win.

Jokic finished with 26 points, 13 rebounds and 14 assists, while Derrick White led the way for the Spurs with 25.

A 50-point effort from Zach LaVine was not enough for the Chicago Bulls in a 120-108 loss to the Atlanta Hawks.

A dominant first half from the visitors was undone with a sloppy third quarter, which Trae Young, who finished with 42 points, took full advantage of to lead Atlanta's late fightback.

The New York Knicks snapped the Memphis Grizzlies' four-game winning streak with a gritty 133-129 overtime victory.

The Grizzlies were left to rue some missed free throws down the stretch as the Knicks improved their win-loss record to 26-27.

In the rest of the day's games, the Indiana Pacers defeated the Orlando Magic 111-106, the Boston Celtics got the better of the Minnesota Timberwolves 145-136 in a high-scoring affair, the Washington Wizards scraped past the Golden State Warriors 110-107 and the Los Angeles Clippers beat the Houston Rockets 126-109.