Celtics top Raptors to tighten East race
BOSTON — Marcus Morris had 25 points and nine rebounds before getting ejected in the closing seconds, and the Boston Celtics rallied to beat the Eastern Conference-leading Toronto Raptors 110-99 on Saturday night.
Jayson Tatum added 24 points, six rebounds and four assists as Boston posted its sixth straight win and moved within two games of Toronto for the top seed in the East.
Both teams have six games remaining. They meet for the final time Wednesday in Toronto.
Things got heated in the final seconds when four technical fouls were assessed between the teams. Morris was hit with two and was tossed. Toronto’s C.J. Miles and Serge Ibaka received one each.
DeMar DeRozan led Toronto with 32 points, seven rebounds and seven assists.
WIZARDS 107, HORNETS
93: In Washington, all-star John Wall had 15 points and 14 assists in his first game in two months, Otto Porter Jr. had 26 points and 11 rebounds, and the Wizards beat Charlotte to clinch their fourth playoff berth in five seasons.
Wall, who last played on Jan. 25 and had left knee surgery six days later, made his first shot of the game — a 3-pointer from the top of the key — and played 33 minutes.
Bradley Beal scored 22 points and hit 6 of 8 3-pointers as the Wizards tied a franchise high with 18 made shots from deep. Washington beat Charlotte for the first time in four tries this season.
Dwight Howard had 22 points and 13 rebounds for the Hornets. Kemba Walker finished with seven points, just the fourth time this season the All-Star failed to reach double figures.
NETS 110, HEAT 109 (OT):
In Miami, Caris Levert scored with about a half-minute left in overtime to put Brooklyn up for good, Dwyane Wade missed on a play where he thought he got fouled at the buzzer and the Nets beat Miami.
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson finished with 20 points for the Nets, who denied Miami a chance to clinch a playoff spot. Levert finished with 19 and Brooklyn put seven players in double figures for the second straight game. James Johnson and Goran Dragic each scored 18 for the Heat.
PISTONS 115, KNICKS 109:
In New York, Andre Drummond narrowly missed a second straight 20-20 game with 22 points and 17 rebounds, and Detroit won its fourth straight.
WARRIORS 112, KINGS 96: In Sacramento, Kevin Durant had 27 points and 10 rebounds, Klay Thompson scored 25 points and Golden State used a big third quarter to pull away from the Kings.
Warriors guard Patrick McCaw was taken away on a stretcher after he fell hard to the floor following a foul by Sacramento’s Vince Carter.
KEEPING QUIET: As protesters reacting to the fatal police shooting of Stephon Clark have blocked thousands of fans from two games at Sacramento’s Golden 1 Center since March 22, some fans on Twitter asked Kings broadcaster Grant Napear why he hasn’t given much input on the situation. In a series of tweets, the longtime TV announcer was direct: He doesn’t believe it’s appropriate for him to address that topic.
Responding to a Twitter user who asked why he “ignored the statement about the BLM (activist group Black Lives Matter) partnership” the team made this week, Napear wrote: “Not my job. I am the play-by-play announcer.”