BOSTON (AP) — Donovan Mitchell scored 41 points, including 12 in the fourth quarter, to help the Cleveland Cavaliers rally from 22 points down and stun the Boston Celtics 123-116 on Friday night in the final regular-season meeting of the Eastern Conference’s top two teams.
Darius Garland added 20 points and seven assists. Evan Mobley finished with 17 points and 12 rebounds for his 27th double-double to give Cleveland a split in the four-game series with the playoffs just over two months away.
Jayson Tatum finished with 46 points, 16 rebounds and nine assists. Jaylen Brown added 37 points, marking the first time Boston’s top stars both posted 30-point games this season.
The Cavaliers had all of their players available, while the Celtics played without starters Jrue Holiday (finger) and Kristaps Porzingis (illness).
It did nothing to stymie the Celtics early as they sprinted out to a 25-3 lead. But after a cold start the Cavs responded, going on a 41-22 run to get back into the game.
NUGGETS 134, PISTONS 119
DETROIT (AP) — Nikola Jokic had 23 points, 17 rebounds and 15 assists, Jamal Murray scored 31 points, and Denver ended Detroit's eight-game winning streak with a win.
Michael Porter Jr. scored 28 points and Christian Braun matched Jokic with 23 for Denver, which has won 11 of its last 13 games.
Malik Beasley had 16 points as Detroit’s sixth man, but the Pistons’ starters were outscored 113-54. Cade Cunningham finished with 11 points on 3-for-12 shooting and only had five assists and three rebounds.
The Nuggets led 107-87 going into the fourth quarter and Detroit never made a significant run, although they cut the deficit from 25 to 15 in garbage time.
THUNDER 135, HAWKS 119
ATLANTA (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 31 points and Oklahoma City continued their overwhelming dominance of the Eastern Conference by beating Atlanta.
Luguentz Dort scored 20 points and led Oklahoma City’s long-range assault by shooting 6 of 11 on 3-pointers. Jalen Williams also scored 20 points for the Thunder.
Oklahoma City never trailed and improved to 21-1 against the Eastern Conference. The Thunder (48-11), who have the Western Conference’s top record, are 27-10 against the West.
Atlanta center Onyeka Okongwu had 23 points and 13 rebounds. Caris LeVert scored 23 points.
Trae Young added 19 points with 12 assists for the Hawks. Young shot only 5 of 14 from the field.
TRAIL BLAZERS 121, NETS 102
NEW YORK (AP) — Shaedon Sharpe scored 25 points, Dalano Banton had 14 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter, and Portland cruised to a victory over Brooklyn.
Toumani Camara had 19 points, Anfernee Simons chipped in 14, and Donovan Clingan finished with 12 for the Trail Blazers, who extended their winning streak to four games.
Cam Thomas scored 16 points in 21 minutes in his return to the Brooklyn lineup after missing 24 games due to a left hamstring strain.
Nic Claxton and Killian Hayes each had 16 points for the Nets, who have lost their last three games.
Portland led by 21 points in the early minutes of the third quarter before the Nets cut the lead to nine heading into the final period.
Thomas fed Claxton for an alley-oop dunk to make it 96-84 with 10:20 to play in the fourth quarter before the Trail Blazers put the game out of reach with a 13-4 run capped by seven straight points from Banton.
HEAT 125, PACERS 120
MIAMI (AP) — Davion Mitchell’s 3-pointer broke a tie with 43.8 seconds left, Tyler Herro scored 29 points and Miami topped Indiana.
Duncan Robinson scored 20 for Miami, which shot 57% — and has shot 58% in its last two games, tying the seventh-best two-game span in team history. Bam Adebayo scored 18 for Miami.
Pascal Siakam scored 36 for Indiana, while Myles Turner added 22 and Tyrese Haliburton had 19 points and 10 assists. The Pacers made 12 of their first 15 3-pointers, then went 9 for 24 from deep the rest of the way.
KNICKS 114, GRIZZLIES 113
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — OG Anunoby made the go-ahead 3-pointer with 5.3 seconds remaining, finishing with 19 points as New York beat Memphis.
Anunoby’s basket came after the teams exchanged leads in the final two minutes. Memphis had the last possession, but Ja Morant’s layup attempt rolled off the front of the rim, and a tip by Santi Aldama was off the mark.
Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 23 points and six assists. Deuce McBride had 17 points off the bench and Mikal Bridges scored 15.
Morant had 25 points and seven assists. Desmond Bane finished with 24 points and matched his season high with 12 rebounds. Jaren Jackson Jr. finished with 18 points.
The Knicks put together a short rally in the latter stages of the first half to pull even at 52-all before Memphis carried a 59-56 into the break. New York benefitted from 10 Memphis turnovers in the half, leading to 15 points.
BULLS 125, RAPTORS 115
CHICAGO (AP) — Coby White scored 24 points, including a clutch four-point play, and Chicago rallied to beat Toronto in overtime.
White completed his biggest play of the night with four seconds left in regulation to tie the game at 110 and set up the extra period, where Lonzo Ball made a pair of 3-pointers during an opening 10-2 run that gave Chicago the lead for good.
Josh Giddey had 19 points and 12 assists for the Bulls, who also got 15 points and 13 rebounds from Zach Collins.
Scottie Barnes scored 24 points for the Raptors, who have lost three straight and nine of 11. Immanuel Quickley scored 23 points before fouling out a minute into overtime.
Toronto led 101-88 with nine minutes left but the Bulls went on a 12-0 run over the next 4:30.
The Raptors led 63-54 at halftime after opening the second quarter on a 10-2 run.
SUNS 125, PELICANS 108
PHOENIX (AP) — Bol Bol scored 25 points, one shy of his career high, and Phoenix never trailed in defeating New Orleans to snap a three-game skid.
Nick Richards had 19 points and a game-high 12 rebounds for the Suns, who had lost seven of their last eight. Royce O’Neal scored 18 points off the bench, while Devin Booker had 17 points and nine assists. Kevin Durant also scored 17.
The Pelicans beat the Suns on Thursday, but played this game without Zion Williamson and CJ McCollum, who rested after recovering from injuries earlier this season. Williamson had his first career triple-double in New Orleans’ 124-116 victory.
Rookie Yves Missi matched his season high with 24 points for New Orleans. Jordan Hawkins also scored 24 for the Pelicans.
JAZZ 117, TIMBERWOLVES 116
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Walker Kessler had a go-ahead dunk with 9.7 seconds left to help Utah beat Minnesota, snapping a six-game losing streak in the series.
John Collins scored a season-high 29 points and 12 rebounds for Utah, Brice Sensabaugh added 17 points ande Isaiah Collier had a career-high 14 assists.
Naz Reid had 27 points and 11 rebounds, and Jalen McDaniels added 20 points and 10 rebounds for the Timberwolves, who played without leading scorer Anthony Edwards while he served a one-game suspension for technical foul accumulation.
Utah opened the third quarter with a 27-4 run and seized an 83-71 lead. Collins started the second-half rally with back-to-back baskets and then made two straight field goals again to put the Jazz in front. They scored baskets on six straight possessions to cap the run.
Minnesota used a 10-2 run to regain the lead late in the fourth quarter, going up 116-115 on Donte DiVincenzo’s 3-pointer with 1:31 remaining.
LAKERS 106, CLIPPERS 102
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Luka Doncic scored 31 points on his 26th birthday and LeBron James had 28 points and 13 rebounds in the Los Angeles Lakers’ fifth straight victory, a win over the Los Angeles Clippers.
Doncic scored 10 points in the fourth quarter of a gritty performance by the Lakers, who were missing two injured starters on the second night of a back-to-back home set. They still won their city rivalry game with strong defense and Doncic’s playmaking, finally holding on for their 11th win in 13 games.
Ivica Zubac had a season-high 27 points and 16 rebounds for the Clippers, who have lost four of five since the All-Star break. Kawhi Leonard scored 21 points, and James Harden had 18 in a 5-for-22 shooting performance, including 1-for-10 on 3-pointers.
After struggling with his shot again for three quarters, Doncic hit consecutive 3-pointers midway through the fourth to stretch the lead to 10 points.
The Associated Press
