HOUSTON -- The Houston Rockets provided a glimpse of their potential when both of their superstar guards have it rolling.

"It's pretty scary," James Harden said after a 116-105 win over the Boston Celtics on Tuesday at the Toyota Center.

Harden scored 42 points in the win, the most by the NBA's scoring leader in more than a month, shooting 9-of-19 from the floor, 7-of-16 from 3-point range and 17-of-18 from the free throw line. Russell Westbrook continued his recent hot streak, scoring 36 points on 13-of-23 shooting from the floor and 10-of-13 from the line.

It was the first time in franchise history that a pair of Rockets each scored at least 35 points in a regulation game, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Paul George and Kawhi Leonard of the LA Clippers are the only other teammates to each score 35 points in a game this season.

The daggers by the All-Star duo late in the fourth quarter demonstrated how their different skill sets can complement each other.

Boston sent a double-team at Harden, who scored 19 consecutive points for Houston at one point in the third quarter, on the right wing, wanting to force the ball out of his hands. He obliged by giving the ball to Westbrook on the other wing, sending Celtics guard Kemba Walker scrambling across the court. Westbrook immediately attacked, blowing by Walker and spinning around Boston center Daniel Theis in the paint before laying the ball off the glass. Theis' goaltending put the Rockets up by 15 with 2:41 remaining.

A couple of possessions later, the Celtics played Harden straight-up. He drilled a step-back 3 to push the lead to 18 points, prompting Houston coach Mike D'Antoni to clear the bench.

With the win, the Rockets are 5-2 since becoming a full-time small-ball team, a transition made when center Clint Capela was sidelined indefinitely due to plantar fasciitis and completely committed to when he was traded in a four-team, 12-player deal that brought forward Robert Covington to Houston.

Westbrook sat out one of those losses, a lackluster blowout in Phoenix the night after the Rockets' road win over the Los Angeles Lakers. He has been spectacular in the rest of the stretch, averaging 34.0 points and 6.0 assists while shooting 51.5% from the floor, taking advantage of the open floor created by being surrounded by 3-point threats.

"It's tough to guard, especially when I'm attacking and making plays and being able to do what I need to do to be effective," said Westbrook, who had 10 rebounds and five assists against the Celtics.

The Rockets' decision to regularly play without a center was made in large part to benefit Westbrook, playing to his strength as a relentless rim attacker by reducing the clutter in the paint. Since Capela's last game with the Rockets, 86 of Westbrook's 136 field goal attempts have come in the restricted area, where he has converted at a 66.7% clip.

"That's his game," D'Antoni said. "James has his step-back, so whether it's clogged or not, he still has an arsenal he can go to. For Russell, [the spacing created by small lineups] is really advantageous, and it will be for James, too. It makes them really hard to guard."

The Rockets are 4-1 when Harden and Westbrook each score at least 30 points, including wins over the Dallas Mavericks and Celtics in the past two weeks.

"We made a big change, and we've got to get adjusted to that with Clint gone," Westbrook said. "So we're just kind of getting acclimated to that. I think we've got it moving in the right direction."

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Tuesday night’s eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series season opener at the virtual Daytona Int’l Speedway featured 100 laps of breathtaking two- and three-wide dancing, with a shot of redemption at the finish line for Canadian Keegan Leahy.

Leahy, who lost last year’s championship finale to rival Zack Novak in a heartbreaking finish, fired the opening shot of the new season with a victory in the Daytona 250, coming out on top of a last-lap scramble to the checkered flag by .004 seconds over Nick Ottinger.

In taking his sixth-career eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series checkered flag, Leahy delivered Denny Hamlin Racing its first win as an eSports team in its debut at iRacing’s top level of oval-track competition.

But it wasn’t easy. Leahy’s route to victory lane required a perfectly-executed pit stop on lap 66, as well as consistent drafting help from polesitter Bobby Zalenski down the stretch.

He ultimately got both, and was able to hold Ottinger at bay in the tri-oval at the end, despite having to duck below the yellow line to the apron in the last 100 yards.

“That (race) was incredible; I can’t believe we pulled this off,” said Leahy, who earned $1,500 for his victory and also led the most laps (25) of any driver on the night. “We had a game plan from the start. We short-pitted, got ahead of the pack, and just tried to play it safe because we wanted to be there at the end. Somehow, we managed to pull it off, which is hard to do at a place like Daytona!

“I’m not sure how calm I was in the final laps … we just decided to run the bottom,” Leahy added in regards to his group’s strategy. “The finish was absolutely crazy. I had Bobby (Zalenski); he worked with me and we were discussing throughout the whole race. He pushed me to this win and I have to credit this one to him.”

Ottinger tried as he might throughout the closing stretch, even edging ahead of Leahy a couple of times at the start/finish line, but could never work his way clear with help from Logan Clampitt and had to settle for a runner-up finish and $1,000 payout.

“We just needed a little bit better timing on the push (on the last lap),” lamented Ottinger. “Logan did all he could. It was a hard-fought win for Keegan, but man … it was just that close. I didn’t really expect him to go below the yellow line. I expected us to race it out, door to door, but it’s whatever. It’s in the rules that he can do that, I guess.

“I’m not happy to lose it by that much in that way, but man, our Logitech G Chevrolet was freakin’ fast,” continued Ottinger. “I’m ecstatic for William Byron eSports in that regard. We had a great showing in the first race for this new team.”

Zalenski, the pusher who stayed committed to Leahy’s back bumper off the final corner, ended up finishing third and collected $500 for his efforts – but admitted he had a plan to go for the win if the circumstances had worked out right to enact it.

“We had a great night. That was the plan going in, was for a group of us to work together, and we did that,” said Zalenski. “You love to have a car at superspeedway races like I had tonight. You can somewhat control your destiny, and that’s a lot of fun.

“At the end there, I tried to push Keegan past those two (Ottinger and Clampitt) so I could get up there and beat him, but I was in a position where we were working together all race and I wanted to help him to the win and that, in turn, helped me to finish third as well.”

Clampitt finished just off the podium in fourth, followed by Christian Challiner in fifth.

Clash winner John Gorlinsky, four-time series champion Ray Alfalla, Ashton Crowder, Brandon Kettelle and 2017 titlist Ryan Luza completed the top 10.

While the frontrunners made it to the finish line in one piece, rookie Graham Bowlin got tagged sideways in the middle of the pack coming to the checkered, sparking a multi-car pileup that scrambled positions in the second half of the field as cars went spinning.

Most of the chaos, however, occurred just beyond the finish line headed toward turn one.

Aside from that, the race officially ran caution-free for all 100 laps on Tuesday night.

Defending series champion and defending race winner Zack Novak was a factor early, leading at one point in the opening laps, but fell back in the final stint and finished 20th.

Race two of the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series season takes place at the virtual Auto Club Speedway on Feb. 25.

Eric J. Smith of Jim Beaver eSports was last year’s Fontana winner, doing so at the time as an independent, non-team-affiliated driver.

The finish:

Keegan Leahy ($1,500), Nick Ottinger ($1,000), Bobby Zalenski ($500), Logan Clampitt, Christian Challiner, John Gorlinsky, Ray Alfalla, Ashton Crowder, Brandon Kettelle, Ryan Luza, Graham Bowlin, Brad Davies, Michael Guest, Kollin Keister, Chris Shearburn, Jeremy R. Allen, Jimmy Mullis, Corey Vincent, Eric J. Smith, Zack Novak, Blake Reynolds, Casey Kirwan, Nathan Lyon, Michael Conti, Garrett Lowe, Alex McCollum, Chris Overland, Michael Guariglia, Jake Nichols, Justin Bolton, Jarl Teien, Phillip Diaz, Matt Bussa, Santiago Tirres, Bob Bryant, Steve Sheehan, Malik Ray, Brian Schoenburg, Dylan Duval, Caine Cook.

Lead Changes: 33 among 14 different drivers

Lap Leaders: Bobby Zalenski 1, Zack Novak 2, Bobby Zalenski 3-8, Chris Shearburn 9-13, Zack Novak 14-15, Chris Shearburn 16-28, Zack Novak 29-30, Chris Overland 31-34, Nick Ottinger 35, Justin Bolton 36-37, Christian Challiner 38-40, Chris Overland 41-42, Malik Ray 43, Graham Bowlin 44, Chris Overland 45, Kollin Keister 46, Graham Bowlin 47-49, Brandon Kettelle 50, Malik Ray 51-56, Graham Bowlin 57-59, Michael Guest 60, Graham Bowlin 61, Malik Ray 62-63, Graham Bowlin 64, Malik Ray 65-67, Chris Overland 68-69, Corey Vincent 70-71, Keegan Leahy 72-76, Nick Ottinger 77-78, Keegan Leahy 79-88, Nick Ottinger 89, Keegan Leahy 90-93, Nick Ottinger 94, Keegan Leahy 95-100.

Laps Led: Keegan Leahy 25, Chris Shearburn 18, Malik Ray 12, Chris Overland 9, Graham Bowlin 9, Bobby Zalenski 7, Zack Novak 5, Nick Ottinger 5, Christian Challiner 3, Justin Bolton 2, Corey Vincent 2, Kollin Keister 1, Brandon Kettelle 1, Michael Guest 1.

Caution Flags: None for 0 laps

Margin of Victory: .004 seconds

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin, after trading one of the team's most productive players, said he's still expecting the Wild to make a strong push for the postseason.

Guerin, who sent left wing Jason Zucker to Pittsburgh for his first deal on the job, will be watching.

"I can promise you this: If there is quit, there will be more trades," Guerin said. "So I wholeheartedly expect this team to compete for a playoff spot. We're right there, and if there's any signs of anybody taking their foot off the gas, that will be an indication."

Zucker, who was second on the Wild in goals per game with 14 goals in 45 games, was shipped on Monday night to the Penguins for left wing Alex Galchenyuk, defenseman prospect Calen Addison and a conditional 2020 first-round draft pick.

Guerin met with reporters before the Wild hosted Vegas on Tuesday. They entered the evening tied for 11th place in the Western Conference, five points below the top-eight cut but with fewer games played than most of the teams ahead of them. Guerin, who was hired in August following the firing of Paul Fenton after just one season in the position, left open the possibility of further moves before the trade deadline on Feb. 24.

"I have to plan for anything. If a deal makes sense, whether it's for futures or whether it's for right now, if it's going to help us either way, we're going to have to weigh the pros and cons of going either direction," Guerin said. "I felt that this deal did a little bit of both. It set us up for the future, and we got help for right now, too."

Galchenyuk, the third overall pick by Montreal in the 2012 draft, spent just seven months with Pittsburgh after being acquired in a trade with Arizona. The 25-year-old struggled to find a niche with the Penguins, managing just five goals and 12 assists in 45 games. His ice time decreased as the season wore on; he played fewer than 10 minutes in seven of the team's past eight games, but Wild coach Bruce Boudreau immediately put him in the lineup against the Golden Knights.

"He's one of these young kids that came into the league and instantly had a major impact," Guerin said. "The last year and a half maybe hasn't gone the way he's wanted it to, but that's our job to help build him back up and resurrect his career and find his scoring touch again."

Zucker was the subject of on-and-off trade speculation for the past year.

"I think everyone's pretty surprised," left wing Zach Parise said. "There's always talk, but you never really believe it. Rumors, they're always rumors, until something like that happens."

There are several others on the roster undoubtedly wondering if they're going to be next, with Guerin trying to restock the pool of young talent for an organization that has long been stuck in the middle of the pack.

"They've got to be professionals. They have to show up and play tonight," Guerin said. "This is part of the business."

Boudreau, who watched Fenton trade forwards Charlie Coyle, Mikael Granlund and Nino Niederreiter in separate deals before the deadline last winter, said he wasn't sensing any resignation in the locker room.

"We loved Jason Zucker for the four years I had him, but hopefully the two wingers equal out and then all of a sudden it's a real bona fide win for our team," Boudreau said.

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov left Tuesday's 2-1 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins with a lower-body injury.

Kucherov got tangled with teammate Tyler Johnson in the second period. When he left the ice, Kucherov walked with a limp down the tunnel and to the locker room.

Lightning coach Jon Cooper said after the game that he didn't have an update on Kucherov or Anthony Cirelli, who also left with a lower-body injury. Cooper said the team hopes to know more on both players on Thursday.

The injuries are beginning to pile up on the Lightning, with the NHL trade deadline on the horizon. In addition to Kucherov and Cirelli, captain Steven Stamkos also is nursing a lower-body issue; he was scratched on Tuesday, his second consecutive missed game.

Kucherov, last season's Hart Trophy winner as the league's regular-season MVP, had an assist on three shots in 15 shifts before the injury. That assist extended his points streak to 12 games, and he now has 70 on the season.

Unless you believe that Getafe, with European football to distract them and the possibility of losing their talismanic goal-scoring substitute Angel to Barcelona, can close a 10-point gap on La Liga leaders Real Madrid, then we must accept that Spain now has a 15-game, 15-week two-horse race for the title: Barcelona vs. Real Madrid.

If it's a reduced field, then, at least it's between two thoroughbreds (who happen to meet at the Bernabeu on March 1). One which has known its way to the finishing post almost by regal instinct throughout the past 15 years -- often winning at a canter. The other younger, more muscular, fiery, looking like it has the legs and lungs to take down the champion.

But this past weekend emphasised something about the jockeys: Quique Setien and Zinedine Zidane. While racegoers would tell you that it's almost always about the quality of the horseflesh, why is it that some jockeys spend a career lifting prize fee after prize fee? Because they matter. Thus, I think, it'll prove to be between now and May. One thoroughbred has a distinct advantage in terms of who's in the saddle.

First things first: Barcelona are gradually improving under Setien. Ernesto Valverde's reign ended with them disastrously unable to protect a one-goal lead with time running out against both Espanyol in the Catalan derbi and Atletico Madrid in the Spanish Supercopa semifinal. Since Setien took over, the reigning champions have had bad days and their flaws are not anything like wholly corrected, but one of the positive signs is that they've protected single-goal leads against Granada, Levante and now Real Betis.

Little by little, Setien's pupils look sharper; slightly quicker off their toes, slightly longer on stamina and beginning to move the ball in a way that is, at least, not totally alien to the best days of the Camp Nou in those 15 years of rarely broken domestic domination: pass, move, press, win possession, pass, move, score.

Frenkie de Jong is beginning to break lines. Ansu Fati is starting to impose himself. Clement Lenglet is scoring goals and has proven that he's far ahead of Samuel Umtiti in the pecking order. Sergio Busquets, very slowly, is becoming recognisable once more. Arturo Vidal and Lionel Messi are having a shot at recreating the previously exclusive society from which Messi and Luis Suarez benefitted so much.

But Setien, compared to Zidane, is a novice. Not simply at winning trophies, not because he didn't have a career worth a hoot compared to the great Frenchman. No. Setien has staunch, clear-cut and highly entertaining footballing principles: win the ball quickly, pass it sharply and repetitively, move off the ball, creating supporting triangles of passing options for the man on the ball, try to take control of a match.

Win, yes, but win with flair and attacking verve if at all possible. Simply because he's at Camp Nou, suddenly with better players than ever before, there's nothing for him to update about the football ideals that have sustained him through his playing days and past his 60th year.

His pending task is learning about his squad; learning about their moods, their individual capacities, when to push them, when to rest them, when to chastise them, when to confer with them and trust them. Ask any coach: learning about and fully understanding, then motivating and leading, a group of 20-plus athletes is complex, frustrating and the biggest part of how you earn your salary.

Add the fact that your squad is composed of multi-multi millionaires -- one of whom earns about €100 million a year -- and full of guys who've genuinely seen it all, done it all, and the difficulty factor multiplies by about the numerals contained in a Messi pay packet: millions.

Zidane is in a different situation, and it shows. More, we are talking about the very factor most likely to differentiate the two men in the 15-match race to the tape.

He took over a rabble last season. He was the third coach in that term; the players were either tired, bored, under-cooked or half-hearted. His appointment of fitness coach Gregory Dupont has been a masterstroke.

Unlike Diego Simeone, who's stuck with an increasingly unpopular and outdated fitness coach in "Profe" Oscar Ortega, Zidane's new appointment has utterly revitalised Los Blancos' squad. It took time -- witness the 3-0 defeat at Paris Saint-Germain in the autumn -- but for many weeks now Madrid probably only have Getafe as rivals in the fitness-stamina-sharpness stakes.

But with this newly revitalised raw material Zidane has worked wonders. I'm not claiming that, in comparison to Setien or any of his elite rivals in Europe, Zidane is an outright tactical genius. Instead, to me, the 47-year-old possesses qualities that remind me of a young Sir Alex Ferguson.

Ferguson, whether at Aberdeen, where he won two European trophies, or at Manchester United, where he dominated England, wasn't generally understood to be a tactical genius. His genius lay in implacably understanding his resources. Who was strong? Who was his on-pitch lieutenant? Which guy needed pushing? Which guy was self motivated? Which player would need a rest in five weeks' time? Which star was on the wane and needed selling? Ferguson was not flawless, even in this aspect -- take his handling of Jaap Stam and Roy Keane, for example.

But when you speak to any alumni of that Ferguson era at Old Trafford, they'll tell you of the enormous hold the Scot had over each and every one of his successful footballers. He told them something and they believed it. They cringed at the thought of letting him down. He imbued them with not just a winning attitude, but a brutal hatred of defeat. He was, to them, a guru; someone who convinced, who inspired and who cajoled all at the same time.

Zidane may not be as publicly fiery as Ferguson, but his ability to understand his playing staff -- what they need to motivate them, when to play them, when to rotate them, when to bring them on in matches and, above all, when to take an instinctive risk (so Alex Ferguson) -- is what elevates him above not only Setien but almost every top manager in Europe.

Sunday was an example. Just as in recent weeks Zidane has rested Raphael Varane, Casemiro, Luka Modric and Federico Valverde in matches in which it appeared folly not to use his best players without exception, he left out Toni Kroos and the in-form Vinicius for what undoubtedly appeared like an ultra-challenging test in Pamplona against Osasuna.

The midfield functioned. Isco, deputising for Kroos, scored and was in the top three or four performing players. Modric, played as a second striker, had one of the great games of his season and was involved in three of the four goals. When the game was simmering and tense, Zidane brought on Lucas Vazquez (who scored) and Luka Jovic (who also scored). It felt like the man who broke the bank at Monte Carlo, saying "Let it roll" as his roulette chip towers built up on zero again and again and again.

Whatever Zidane touched: gold. It's been the same for the past few weeks.

Mr. Midas rests Valverde against punchy, punishing Getafe away, brings him on with 20 minutes left and the Uruguayan produces an assist for Modric. "Zizou" leaves a tiring Lucas on against Sevilla, much against expectation given that it's the Galician's first appearance after a two-month injury absence, and Lucas rewards his manager by crossing for Casemiro's headed winner.

Against Valladolid with Dani Carvajal suspended, Zidane doesn't choose the younger, faster, taller, fitter Eder Militao to deputise at right-back, he chooses the loyal, likeable but low-on-form Nacho. For a late corner, Zidane instructs the diminutive defender how and where to attack the ball, and Nacho heads home the winner.

Against Atletico, Zidane mucks up the first-half tactics and personnel choice. Without hesitation he corrects it at half-time, brings on two wide men and Vinicius, who's getting personal tuition from the French World Cup winner and multi-time Champions League-winning coach, catalyses the move for the 1-0 winner.

Zidane is in the zone. He knows his troops inside out, judges brilliantly what to ask of them, when to feed and water them and when to shout "Into battle!" It's fascinating to watch.

Not to be unfair to Setien, he's new in the saddle. His refusal to use Vidal at Athletic Bilbao in midweek possibly cost Barcelona a place in the Copa del Rey semifinals. His distinctly odd decision not only to rest Ansu but to not then introduce him at half-time at Betis while Rubi's side played a ridiculously high defensive line and Barcelona screamed out for another player to run beyond that flimsy barrier and collect passes from Busquets, Messi and De Jong, well, that felt bizarre.

There are other examples: starting off thinking that Umtiti -- slow and in terrible form -- should keep Lenglet on the bench, proclaiming that the notoriously injury-prone Ousmane Dembele was going to be "like a great new signing" about two days before the Frenchman collapsed in a heap again and wrote off the rest of the season.

Football is like that. Decisions come at a cost, fortune only favours the brave sometimes, and Setien is inarguably making progress. It's just that time between now and the crucial months in which this league will be decided is very tight indeed.

And while there looks to be a slight advantage to the machine in royal white colours that is a nose ahead more than halfway around the course, I think that Zidane is the rider who has the confidence, the knowledge and the little sprinkling of magic dust that will help Madrid gallop away from the popular champion and burst past the winning post -- probably before we've reached May.

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Ohio State football players Amir Riep and Jahsen Wint both face charges of rape and kidnapping stemming from an alleged incident last week.

Riep and Wint both were charged Tuesday in Franklin County Municipal Court in Ohio. Warrants have been issued for both men, who face first-degree felonies. Ohio State said in a statement it is aware of the charges and arrests, and that both players have been suspended from all team activities.

According to a criminal complaint obtained by ElevenWarriors.com, Riep and Wint "forced vaginal intercourse" during an alleged incident on Feb. 4. The complaint states both men held down the woman against her will "with the purpose to engage in sexual activity," Eleven Warriors reports.

The affidavit also states that Riep filmed the woman and told her to provide her name and say that the encounter was consensual before she went home, according to Eleven Warriors.

Both Riep and Wint are listed with the same address, according to Franklin County Municipal Court records.

Riep, a senior cornerback from Cincinnati, has appeared in 37 games for the Buckeyes, recording 33 tackles and three interceptions, including two last season. Wint is a senior safety from Brooklyn, N.Y., who has appeared in 35 games with 40 tackles.

Blues defenseman Jay Bouwmeester was taken to the hospital after a cardiac episode on the bench during Tuesday night's game against the Anaheim Ducks and is conscious and alert, the team said in a statement.

"Thankfully, with the quick response of our medical trainers, Anaheim medical trainers and their team physicians, they were able to stabilize Jay," Blues GM Doug Armstrong said in the statement. According to Armstrong, Bouwmeester was "conscious and alert" as he underwent further testing by Anaheim's physicians on Tuesday night

Bouwmeester appeared to be grabbing a drink of water when he began to slowly fall during a stoppage in play with 7:50 left in the first period, prompting the Blues and Ducks to postpone their game Tuesday night.

Teammate Vince Dunn began shouting and waving for trainers to assist. Bouwmeester was taken off the bench as the game was delayed.

Both teams then went back to their locker rooms and the game was called off a few minutes later tied at 1. Players from both teams met for hugs and well-wishes after changing out of their gear.

Bouwmeester, 36, was playing in his 57th game this season. He skated 1:20 in his last shift before collapsing and logged 5:34 of ice time in the game. Bouwmeester's father was at the game as part of the team's annual Dad's Trip.

Bouwmeester is in his 17th NHL season. He ranks second among active defensemen with 1,241 career games played -- trailing only Zdeno Chara (1,540) -- and is fourth overall, behind Patrick Marleau (1,709) and Joe Thornton (1,622).

A native of Edmonton, Bouwmeester was a junior hockey star and the third overall pick in the 2002 NHL draft by the Florida Panthers. He began his career in Florida before spending four years in Calgary. He has been on the Blues' roster since the 2012-13 season and was part of the franchise's first Stanley Cup-winning team last spring.

The Blues in April signed Bouwmeester to a $3.25 million, one-year deal for this season.

Bouwmeester held one of the longest ironman streaks in NHL history with 737 consecutive regular-season games played until a lower-body injury in 2014. He missed time in 2015-16 with a concussion, and a hip injury ended his 2017-18 season.

He played all but four games last year and hasn't missed a game this season.

The last player to collapse on an NHL bench was Dallas forward Rich Peverley in 2014. Peverley had an irregular heartbeat, and the quick response of emergency officials made sure he was OK.

The NHL has pages of emergency medical standards that spell out in specific detail that at least two doctors must be in attendance for every game and one must be within 50 feet of the bench. A defibrillator, which was used when Detroit's Jiri Fischer collapsed in 2005, must be available, along with a triage room and ambulances.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

PHILADELPHIA -- While Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia home crowd have had their moments, Paul George felt the Sixers had a big home-court advantage on Tuesday night.

After the LA Clippers lost 110-103 to the Sixers, George pointed toward what he felt was "some home-court cooking" for Embiid and the Sixers.

"I thought we played well, we lost by seven," George said after the game. "There was some home-court cooking tonight, to say the least."

George pointed toward the Clippers being whistled for eight more personal fouls than the Sixers were.

"I mean, it was 19 to 11," George said when asked about the home-court edge. "You all figure out what those numbers are. It was 19 to 11."

Four of the Clippers starters were called for a combined total of 14 personal fouls alone. Foul discrepancy aside, George loved the big-game playoff intensity that Tuesday night's game brought.

Entering the game, there was a ton of hype and attention surrounding Embiid's social media posts that appeared to be directed toward the home fans. But the game soon became about the Sixers and Clippers, with both teams attacking one another. With Kawhi Leonard facing the team he eliminated with a buzzer-beating 3 for the Toronto Raptors in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semis, George said it was like two teams with championship aspirations seeing what each other was about.

"You got two good teams, two teams that are playing for something obviously," said George, who shot just 3-for-15 but finished with 11 points, 12 rebounds and five assists. "And it's a feel-out.

"They could be a team that gets hot and make it to the Finals and we could be a team that gets hot and makes it to the Finals. Definitely going to be two teams that are feeling each other out."

The intensity between the two teams also involved a minor skirmish between Embiid and new Clipper Marcus Morris Sr., who slapped Embiid's arms away from him before shoving him. The two were separated before Embiid waved on the home fans to cheer even louder.

"I mean, we're both physical guys," said Morris, who has had a recent history of moments with Embiid. "It was cool, man. Just like wrapping arms and stuff like that. I ain't gonna say nothing 'cause they like to fine me, so I'm gonna keep my mouth shut."

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Houston Astros owner Jim Crane is expected to meet with the full Astros roster Wednesday to discuss the team's strategy for publicly addressing the sign-stealing scandal that has rocked the franchise all offseason, sources familiar with the plans told ESPN on Tuesday.

While only pitchers and catchers were expected to report to Astros camp Wednesday, position players have flown here as well to participate in the meeting, sources said. The team plans to open the clubhouse Thursday for its first media availability of the spring.

The level of contrition and tack the Astros will take in addressing the scandal is unclear. At the Houston Sports Awards on Jan. 22, Crane said the team would "apologize for what happened, ask forgiveness and move forward" during spring training.

Crane fired general manager Jeff Luhnow and manager AJ Hinch on Jan. 13 after MLB commissioner Rob Manfred's report implicated the team in stealing the signs via an illicit center-field camera and banging a trash can to signal hitters the type of pitch coming in 2017. The Astros won the World Series that season and have endured deep criticism from fellow players for their actions.

At the team's FanFest in January, second baseman Jose Altuve and third baseman Alex Bregman did not offer apologies when asked about the scheme. Former Astros Dallas Keuchel, Charlie Morton and Marwin Gonzalez have apologized for the team's actions. When asked about their World Series win, Joe Musgrove, a pitcher on the 2017 Astros, told reporters Tuesday: "I don't want to say it's tainted, but I think it is."

The sign-stealing scandal has engulfed the sport since the original story by The Athletic in November accused the Astros of misdeeds that Manfred's report later confirmed. MLB continues to investigate the Boston Red Sox, who were accused in a separate Athletic report of using technology to steal signs during their championship-winning 2018 season.

Boston fired manager Alex Cora after Manfred's report implicated him in implementing the trash-can-banging scheme, and the New York Mets fired their manager, Carlos Beltran, who was an Astros player at the time and was accused of helping devise the system.

While no others have lost their jobs, a Wall Street Journal report last week accused multiple front-office officials of developing a separate system, nicknamed "Codebreaker," that used an algorithm to decode opposing teams' sign sequences.

No players were disciplined by MLB, as they were offered immunity for truthfully cooperating with the league's investigation.