Donovan Mitchell scored 41 points, including 26 in the second half, as the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers extended their winning streak to nine games by beating the Boston Celtics 123-116 Friday night in a matchup of the Eastern Conference’s top teams.
Darius Garland added 20 points for Cleveland, which trailed by 22 points less than five minutes into the game. The Cavaliers have won their last seven road games and own the NBA’s best overall record (49-10).
Jayson Tatum had season highs of 46 points and 16 rebounds, and added nine assists. He made 19 of 37 field-goal attempts and blocked three shots for Boston, which has lost two straight and dropped to 18-11 at home. The Celtics were missing starters Kristaps Porzingis (illness) and Jrue Holiday (hand).
The Celtics also got 37 points from Jaylen Brown, who tied the game at 114-114 on a jump shot with 3:15 to play. Mitchell gave Cleveland a 116-114 lead on a floater that began a 7-0 spurt by the Cavaliers. Mitchell made 13 of 26 field goal attempts and was 10 of 11 from the free-throw line.
Lakers 106, Clippers 102
Luka Doncic scored 31 points and LeBron James added 28 points with 13 rebounds as the Lakers extended their winning streak to five games with a victory over the Clippers.
The Lakers were able to regroup with 29 bench points after losing Austin Reaves to a first-quarter calf injury. Los Angeles already was without starting forward Rui Hachimura, who came away with a left knee strain against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday. Doncic, who was celebrating his 26th birthday, delivered his second-highest scoring game in the seven he has played in a Lakers uniform. An addition at the trade deadline, Doncic has averaged 25.8 points over the past four games.
Ivica Zubac scored 27 points with 16 rebounds and Kawhi Leonard added 21 points for the Clippers, who have lost four of five since the All-Star break. James Harden scored 18 points for the Clippers on 5-of-22 shooting from the floor, including 1 of 10 from 3-point range, and had six turnovers with nine assists.
Nuggets 134, Pistons 119
Jamal Murray poured in 31 points and Michael Porter Jr. supplied 28 points and grabbed nine rebounds as visiting Denver snapped Detroit’s eight-game winning streak.
Nikola Jokic amassed 23 points, 17 rebounds and 15 assists — his NBA-leading 28th triple-double of the season. Christian Braun contributed 23 points for Denver, which won for the 11th time in 13 games. The Nuggets bounced back from a 121-112 road loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday night.
Malik Beasley led Detroit with 16 points but shot 6-for-18 from the field. Ausar Thompson had 13 points, five assists and five steals and All-Star Cade Cunningham was held to 11 points on 3-of-12 shooting. The Pistons had not lost since falling to the Eastern Conference-leading Cleveland Cavaliers 118-115 on Feb. 5.
Knicks 114, Grizzlies 113
OG Anunoby made a 3-pointer with 5.3 seconds remaining to lift visiting New York past Memphis.
Ja Morant had an opportunity to win it for the Grizzlies, but his left-handed layup attempt slid off the rim at the buzzer. Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 23 points to go with seven rebounds and six assists, the final assist going to Anunoby on his game-winner. Anunoby finished with 19 points and Miles McBride added 17 for New York, which won for the fifth time in seven games.
Morant paced Memphis with 25 points and Desmond Bane added 24 points and 12 rebounds. Bane scored at least 20 points for the eighth time in 10 games. Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 18 and had seven rebounds. The Grizzlies were hampered by faulty shooting (4-of-31) from beyond the arc.
Jazz 117, Timberwolves 116
John Collins scored 29 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and made a game-winning assist to boost Utah past Minnesota in Salt Lake City.
After a late rally put Minnesota up by one in the waning moments, Collins used a nifty touch pass to set up a Walker Kessler dunk with 9.7 seconds left. The Timberwolves’ Donte DiVincenzo missed a last-second layup attempt.
Naz Reid logged 27 points and 11 rebounds while Jaden McDaniels totaled 20 points and 10 rebounds for Minnesota, which has lost six of the past eight. The Timberwolves played without Anthony Edwards, who was suspended due to technical-foul accumulation.
Heat 125, Pacers 120
Tyler Herro scored a team-high 29 points and dished seven assists, leading host Miami Heat past Indiana.
Miami’s Davion Mitchell snapped a tie by sinking a 3-pointer with 43.8 seconds left. On Indiana’s next possession, the Heat’s Bam Adebayo stole a pass thrown by Tyrese Haliburton, and Herro iced the game with two free throws with 6.5 seconds left.
Indiana’s Pascal Siakam scored a game-high 36 points and set a career high with eight 3-pointers. Myles Turner added 22 points.
Trail Blazers 121, Nets 102
Shaedon Sharpe scored 25 points to lead Portland Trail Blazers to its fourth consecutive victory, a triumph over Brooklyn in New York.
Sharpe made 9 of 14 attempts from the field while also dishing out five assists. Dalano Banton finished with 23 points on 8-of-11 shooting, scoring 16 points in the fourth quarter, and he grabbed a game-high eight rebounds.
Cam Thomas made his return for Brooklyn after missing nearly two months with a hamstring injury. He scored 16 points on 7-of-17 shooting. Nic Claxton added 16 points and five rebounds as the Nets took their third loss in a row.
Thunder 135, Hawks 119
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 31 points, while Luguentz Dort and Jalen Williams added 20 points apiece as Oklahoma City beat host Atlanta.
Dort (6-of-11 shooting on 3-pointers) and Williams (4-of-8) played valuable supporting hands for the Thunder, who hit 23 of 50 attempts from downtown. The only negative for Oklahoma City came when Chet Holmgren suffered a left ankle sprain in the first quarter. The 22-year-old center, who missed nearly three months earlier this season with a pelvic fracture, was ruled out when he checked out with 1:43 left in the first half.
Onyeka Okongwu posted 23 points and 13 rebounds for Atlanta, Caris LeVert added 23 points off the bench and Trae Young combined 19 points with 12 assists.
Suns 125, Pelicans 108
Bol Bol scored 25 points and Nick Richards added 19 points and 12 rebounds to help Phoenix record an easy victory over visiting New Orleans in the finale of a two-game set.
Royce O’Neale had 18 points by matching his career best of six 3-pointers for the Suns, who snapped a three-game losing streak. Devin Booker had 17 points and nine assists and Kevin Durant added 17 points, six assists and three steals as Phoenix gained a split of the two games without Bradley Beal (calf) and Grayson Allen (foot).
Yves Missi scored a career-best 24 points on 11-of-14 shooting and Jordan Hawkins also had 24 points for the Pelicans, whose three-game winning streak ended. New Orleans held out Zion Williamson and CJ McCollum for rest on the second end of the back-to-back. Williamson starred Thursday with his first career triple-double as the Pelicans produced a 124-116 victory.
Bulls 125, Raptors 115 (OT)
Coby White scored 24 points and Josh Giddey contributed 19 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds to lift host Chicago over Toronto.
Chicago handed Toronto its third straight loss after outscoring the Raptors 44-25 in the fourth quarter and overtime. Lonzo Ball hit a 3-pointer with 3:27 left in overtime to give the Bulls their first lead since the first quarter. Scottie Barnes responded with a dunk off White’s missed layup, but the Bulls closed the game on a 12-3 run.
Back in the lineup after missing one game due to a left hip contusion, Barnes had 24 points and eight rebounds. Immanuel Quickley added 23 points for the Raptors. Toronto’s Ochai Agbaji suffered a sprained left ankle in the first quarter and didn’t return.
–Field Level Media
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