‘This is not slit-your-wrist time,’ says 76ers coach after 20th straight NBA loss

Paul George scored 30 points and Indiana rallied from a 25-point second-quarter in a win, Joakim Noah had 23 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Bulls and John Wall helped rally the Wizards.

Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown, right, yells for a timeout to referee Brent Barnaky during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Indiana Pacers, Friday, March 14, 2014, in Philadelphia. Indiana won 101-94. AP Photo/Matt Slocum
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PHILADELPHIA // The 76ers had a loss for the record book.

Mike Conley scored 19 points and Zach Randolph had 14 to lead the Memphis Grizzlies to a 103-77 win Saturday night, sending the 76ers to a franchise-tying 20th straight loss.

The Sixers can set the team mark with a loss Monday night at Indiana.

The Sixers also lost 20 straight games from Jan. 9, 1973-Feb. 11, 1973, in a 9-73 season. The NBA record for consecutive losses in a season is 26 set by the 2010-11 Cleveland Cavaliers.

That mark just may be next: The Sixers (15-51) play only one team over the next six games with a losing record, the Knicks on Friday, and they are on a six-game winning streak.

Michael Carter-Williams led the Sixers with 23 points and Thaddeus Young had 20.

“This is not slit-your-wrist time. This is not even close to that,” Philadelphia coach Brett Brown said before the game. “This is about building a program and understanding the short-term pain for a lot of long-term gain.”

PACERS 112, PISTONS 104, OT

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. // Paul George scored 30 points and Indiana rallied from a 25-point second-quarter deficit to defeat Detroit.

Evan Turner added 20 points for the Pacers, and David West scored six of his 15 points in overtime. Indiana leads Miami by 3 games in the race for the top seed in the Eastern Conference.

Josh Smith scored 23 points for the Pistons, who lost star center Andre Drummond in the first quarter to a neck injury. Drummond was able to walk off with some assistance, but he was expected to have further testing.

BULLS 94, KINGS 87

CHICAGO // Joakim Noah had 23 points and 11 rebounds, Taj Gibson scored seven of his 19 points in the fourth quarter and Chicago held off Sacramento.

Mike Dunleavy added 16 and DJ Augustin 12 for the Bulls.

Isaiah Thomas led the Kings with 26 and DeMarcus Cousins had 25.

Both teams struggled on offense, with the Bulls shooting 40 percent and the Kings 37 percent.

The Bulls, who are fourth in the Eastern Conference, improved to 3-2 on their six-game homestand. The Kings are 2-4 on their seven-game road trip.

WIZARDS 101, NETS 94

WASHINGTON // John Wall scored 33 points, Drew Gooden got 11 of his 21 in the final quarter and Washington overcame a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat Brooklyn and move past the Nets for fifth place in the Eastern Conference.

Gooden’s 3-pointer broke a 94-94 tie with 2:37 left. Trevor Ariza then scored off an offensive rebound with 44 seconds left and Wall capped it with dunk.

The Nets, who went the final 6:22 without a field goal, were led by Marcus Thornton’s 19 points. Joe Johnson added 16 and Paul Pierce had 15.

KNICKS 115, BUCKS 94

NEW YORK // Carmelo Anthony scored 23 points, Tim Hardaway Jr. had 20, and New York beat Milwaukee for its season-high sixth straight victory as the team prepares to welcome Phil Jackson back to the franchise.

Amare Stoudemire and J.R. Smith each scored 15 for the Knicks, who easily ended their daytime woes by pounding the team with the NBA’s worst record.

Nate Wolters scored 15 for the Bucks, who lost their third straight.

New York’ playoff push has taken a backseat to the news that Jackson was coming in to run the Knicks’ front office. The Knicks will introduce the 11-time champion as a coach at a news conference Tuesday morning.

HAWKS 97, NUGGETS 92

ATLANTA // Paul Millsap had 24 points and 11 rebounds, Jeff Teague added 15 points and 10 assists and Atlanta rallied to beat Denver and earn its third straight win.

Kenneth Faried finished with 25 points and Wilson Chandler scored 12 for the Nuggets.

Kyle Korver, who hit a pair of free throws in the closing seconds to make it 96-92, scored 18 points and Pero Antic added 16 for Atlanta.

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