Jayson Tatum had 37 points and 13 rebounds and Jaylen Brown scored 31 points to help NBA-leading Boston Celtics bounce back from a rare loss and beat Dallas Mavericks 125-112 on Wednesday night.
The Celtics, who have an NBA-best 14 wins, had won nine straight before losing to the Chicago Bulls on Monday night. Luka Doncic scored 42 points for the Mavericks, who had beaten Boston four straight times. Three of the wins came on a 3-pointer in the final seconds, and two of those were with no time at all on the clock.
But Doncic wasn’t able to keep this one close.
The Celtics led by as many as 27 points in the third quarter before Dallas scored 13 of the next 15 points. The Mavericks got within nine points, 104-95 with about 3:30 remaining, and it was 117-107 when it became a game of one-on-one.
NETS 112, RAPTORS 98
Kyrie Irving scored 19 of his 29 points in the third quarter, Nic Claxton had 14 points and 12 rebounds, and Brooklyn beat short-handed Toronto.
Toronto held Kevin Durant to 12 points but still lost to the Nets for the fifth time in seven meetings after winning 21 of the previous 25. Durant scored his 26,074th career point in the third quarter, passing Kevin Garnett (26,071) for 18th place on the NBA’s list. Royce O’Neale made a career-high five 3-pointers and scored 15 points, and Ben Simmons had 14 for the Nets, who bounced back after losing at Philadelphia on Tuesday. Brooklyn has won three of four.
Gary Trent Jr. scored 19 points for Toronto.
Toronto had 10 healthy players, with regulars Scottie Barnes (left knee) and Fred VanVleet (non-COVID illness) joining All-Star Pascal Siakam (strained right adductor) on the sidelines.
BULLS 118, BUCKS 113
DeMar DeRozan had 36 points and eight assists and Chicago beat Milwaukee. Chicago began the week with a 6-10 record but has now beaten the top two teams in the standings. The Bulls ended Boston’s nine-game winning streak on Monday night.
Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic scored 18 points apiece for Chicago, and Coby White had 14.
Giannis Antetokounmpo had 36 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists for the Bucks, who lost for just the second time in 11 home games this season.
HORNETS 107, 76ERS 101
Terry Rozier scored nine of his 22 points in the final five minutes and Charlotte rallied to beat Philadelphia in a matchup of injury-riddled teams. Charlotte, which trailed by 13 points in the first half, won for only the second time in 13 games and ended a three-game skid.
Philadelphia was playing without three starters — Joel Embiid, James Harden and Tyrese Maxey — but got strong efforts from Shake Milton, De’Anthony Melton, Montrezl Harrell and Tobias Harris.
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Milton had 22 points, Melton 20, Harris 19 and Harrell 16 for Philadelphia. Harrell was playing in Charlotte for the first time since that franchise allowed him to leave via free agency last summer.
The Hornets were missing starting guard LaMelo Ball and top reserve Cody Martin, and lost guard Dennis Smith Jr. in the second quarter to left ankle sprain.
WARRIORS 124, CLIPPERS 107
Andrew Wiggins scored a season-high 31 points, hitting back-to-back 3-pointers during a key stretch midway through the third quarter, and Golden State beat Los Angeles. Wiggins shot 12 for 18 and matched his most 3-pointers this season with six in his third straight 20-point performance.
Stephen Curry added 22 points, nine assists and six rebounds, while Klay Thompson scored 18 points.
Marcus Morris Sr. had 19 points for Los Angeles.
Sacramento Kings guard Davion Mitchell (15) attempts to break up a play against Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) in Atlanta on Wednesday. | Photo Credit: AP
HAWKS 115, KINGS 106
Trae Young scored 35 points, Clint Capela added 11 points and 14 rebounds and Atlanta ended Sacramento’s winning streak at seven. Young had 10 points in the third, including a straightaway 3-pointer that gave the Hawks a 97-86 lead, and his 27-foot 3 made it 110-97 with 3:58 left in the game and brought a huge roar from the crowd.
Malik Monk led the Kings with a season-high 27 points, and Domantas Sabonis had 15 points and 13 rebounds.
PISTONS 125, JAZZ 116
Bojan Bogdanovic scored 23 points and Kevin Knox II had a season-high 21 points, including a career-best six 3-pointers, and Detroit beat Utah for its second straight road victory. Marvin Bagley III scored a season-high 19 points on 9-of-10 shooting and Alec Burks added 18 points.
The Pistons had lost seven in a row overall and 10 straight on the road before beating Denver on Tuesday night for their first road victory. Malik Beasley led Utah with 29 points and a season-high eight 3s.
NUGGETS 131, THUNDER 126 OT
Nikola Jokic scored 39 points, Aaron Gordon added 30 and Bruce Brown had a triple-double to help depleted Denver outlast Oklahoma City in overtime. Brown had 17 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists. Denver played without starters Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. Porter. missed the game with a left heel injury, while Murray was held out for rest.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 31 points and 11 assists for Oklahoma City. Isiah Joe hit 7 of 10 3s to score 21 points.
CAVALIERS 114, TRAIL BLAZERS 96
Donovan Mitchell scored 34 points and Jarrett Allen had a season-high 24 points and 13 rebounds in Cleveland’s victory over Portland. Darius Garland had 24 points and 12 assists to help Cavaliers complete a 4-0 homestand and improve to 12-6.
Jusuf Nurkic had 22 points and six rebounds for Portland. The Trail Blazers have lost four straight.
Portland guard Damian Lillard missed his second game in a row because of a strained right lower leg.
HEAT 113, WIZARDS 105
Kyle Lowry scored 24 of his 28 points in the first half, Tyler Herro made four 3-pointers in the fourth quarter and Miami beat Washington to end a four-game slide. Caleb Martin scored 24 points and Herro finished with 17 in his first game back following an eight-game absence with a sprained ankle.
Kyle Kuzma scored 33 points for the Wizards.
The teams will meet again Friday in Miami.
TIMBERWOLVES 114, PACERS 101
Karl-Anthony Towns scored 23 points — nine of them in a row in a key third-quarter run — and Minnesota beat Indiana.
Minnesota has won five in a row, four of them on the road, to improve to 10-8. Indiana had a five-game winning streak snapped to drop to 10-7. Rudy Gobert had 21 points and 16 rebounds for Minnesota. Myles Turner led Indianapolis with 31 points, hitting seven 3s.
PELICANS 129, SPURS 110
Zion Williamson had a season-high 32 points along with 11 rebounds and New Orleans handed San Antonio its sixth straight loss, 129-110 on Wednesday night. Williamson was 14 for 18 from the field. The Pelicans extended their lead to 24 points in the fourth quarter in winning for the seventh time in nine games.
Jonas Valanciunas finished with 22 points and 10 rebounds for New Orleans.
Spurs guard Devin Vassell had 26 points and eight assists.
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