NBA wrap: Terry Rozier spearheads Celtics rout of Cavaliers

Led by Terry Rozier, the Boston Celtics trounced the Cleveland Cavaliers 102-88 Wednesday at home.

Published : Jan 04, 2018 14:20 IST

Terry Rozier of the Boston Celtics celebrates after scoring a three pointer against Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday.
Terry Rozier of the Boston Celtics celebrates after scoring a three pointer against Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday.
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Terry Rozier of the Boston Celtics celebrates after scoring a three pointer against Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday.

Boston Celtics point guard Terry Rozier scored a game-high 20 points off the bench on 8-of-12 shooting with four rebounds and three assists. Rozier glided through Cleveland's defense, making clutch shots all night.

Marcus Smart and Jayson Tatum added 15 points apiece, and Jaylen Brown scored 14 points. Kyrie Irving struggled with his shot, but still scored 11 points with nine rebounds and six assists.

Cavaliers guard Isaiah Thomas was held out of the lineup for rest after making his season debut Tuesday night, scoring 17 points in 19 minutes. The Cavs also lost Kevin Love after just 21 minutes of action (ankle) Wednesday, but the power forward had just two points on 1-of-11 shooting before his injury.

LeBron James led the Cleveland Cavaliers with 19 points, seven rebounds and six assists, but no one on Cleveland looked comfortable offensively against the Celtics' suffocating defense.

With the win, the Celtics now has a 4 1/2 game lead over third-place Cleveland in the Eastern Conference.

Studs of the Night

Kevin Durant and Draymond Green both recorded double-doubles in a 125-122 win over the Mavericks. Durant scored 25 points with 11 rebounds and six assists, while green added 18 points with 11 rebounds and six assists. Stephen Curry led all scorers with 32 points, including the game-winner. 

Heat center Kelly Olynyk enjoyed Andre Drummond missing from the Pistons lineup because he scored 25 points on 11-of-15 shooting while hauling in 13 rebounds. Heat point guard Goran Dragic added 24 points and 13 assists in a 111-104 win.

Joel Embiid powered the 76ers to a 112-106 win over the Spurs by scoring 21 points with 11 rebounds, four assists and four blocks. Philadelphia has now won four of its last five games to get back into playoff contention.

Dud of the Night

Knicks star forward Kristaps Porzingis scored 16 points off just 5-of-13 shooting with six rebounds and three turnovers in a 121-103 loss to the Wizards. Porzingis has now failed to reach 20 points in three of his last four games.

Highlight

Nuggets guard Gary Harris could not be stopped early:

 

Harris finished the 134-111 win over the Suns with 36 points on 14-of-17 shooting.

What's Next

Warriors (30-8) at Rockets (27-9)   The top two teams in the Western Conference square off without James Harden on the court. Harden is expected to miss another two weeks, but the Rockets still earned a blowout victory Wednesday. The Warriors have been cruising since some early-season stumbles, and they are now finally healthy.

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