Maxey's 29 points and seven 3-pointers lead 76ers to fourth straight win over Clippers

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Tyrese Maxey scored 29 points, including seven 3-pointers, Dominick Barlow added 26 points and 16 rebounds, and the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Los Angeles Clippers 128-113 on Monday night for their fourth consecutive victory.

The game featured two big names who weren’t selected as All-Star reserves: Joel Embiid of the Sixers and Kawhi Leonard of the Clippers.

Embiid had 24 points as he continues to gain full strength after a right ankle injury. The Sixers improved to 11-10 without Paul George, who is serving a 25-game suspension for violating the NBA's anti-drug program.

Leonard led the Clippers with 29 points and Jordan Miller had 21 points off the bench.

Los Angeles was without James Harden, who missed his second straight game due to personal reasons. Coach Tyronn Lue said before the game that Harden was at home in Phoenix.

Leonard had two dunks and a 3-pointer in the fourth, but the Clippers couldn't put together a sustained run and he finished the game on the bench.

Maxey, Barlow and Embiid combined to score 22 points in the third when the Sixers were outscored 34-28, but still led 100-87.

The Sixers led the entire game, going up by 23 points before settling for a 72-53 halftime advantage.

The Clippers are 8-3 over their last 11 games as they try to stay within range of at least making the play-in tournament.

76ers: Visit the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night to finish a back-to-back.

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Los Angeles Clippers guard Kris Dunn (8) pressures Philadelphia 76ers guard Vj Edgecombe (77) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Monday, Feb. 2, 2026, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Philadelphia 76ers forward Dominick Barlow (25) drives to the basket past Los Angeles Clippers guard Jordan Miller (22) and guard Kris Dunn (8) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Monday, Feb. 2, 2026, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Philadelphia 76ers forward Dominick Barlow (25) makes a dunk during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Clippers Monday, Feb. 2, 2026, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) reacts to a play during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Philadelphia 76ers Monday, Feb. 2, 2026, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey dribbles during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Clippers Monday, Feb. 2, 2026, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran's president said Tuesday that he instructed the country’s foreign minister to “pursue fair and equitable negotiations” with the United States, the first clear sign from Tehran it wants to try to negotiate as tensions remain high with Washington after the Mideast country's bloody crackdown on nationwide protests last month.

The announcement marked a major turn for reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian, who broadly had warned Iranians for weeks the turmoil in his country had gone beyond his control. It also signals that the president received support from Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei for talks that the 86-year-old cleric previously had dismissed.

Turkey had been working behind the scenes to make the talks happen there later this week as U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff will be traveling to the region.

But whether Iran and the U.S. can reach an agreement remains to be seen, particularly as President Donald Trump now has included Iran's nuclear program in a list of demands from Tehran in any talks. Trump ordered the bombing of three Iranian nuclear sites during the 12-day war Israel launched against Iran in June.

Writing on X, Pezeshkian said in English and Farsi that the decision came after “requests from friendly governments in the region to respond to the proposal by the President of the United States for negotiations.”

“I have instructed my Minister of Foreign Affairs, provided that a suitable environment exists — one free from threats and unreasonable expectations — to pursue fair and equitable negotiations, guided by the principles of dignity, prudence, and expediency,” he said.

The U.S. has yet to acknowledge the talks will take place. A semiofficial news agency in Iran on Monday reported — then later deleted without explanation — that Pezeshkian had issued such an order to Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who held multiple rounds of talks with Witkoff before the 12-day war.

Witkoff is expected to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli security officials on Tuesday, according to a White House official who was not authorized to comment publicly about the talks and spoke on condition of anonymity. He will travel to Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, later in the week for Russia-Ukraine talks, the official said.

“We have talks going on with Iran, we’ll see how it all works out,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Monday. Asked what his threshold was for military action against Iran, he declined to elaborate.

“I’d like to see a deal negotiated,” Trump said. “Right now, we’re talking to them, we’re talking to Iran, and if we could work something out, that’d be great. And if we can’t, probably bad things would happen.”

Associated Press writers Aamer Madhani, Matthew Lee and Konstantin Toropin in Washington contributed to this report.

FILE - Masoud Pezeshkian, the President of Iran, attends the United Nations General Assembly at United Nations headquarters, on Sept. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis, File)