National Basketball Association results | Wednesday
Celtics 144, Kings 119
SACRAMENTO — Jaylen Brown and Derrick White each scored 28 points to help the short-handed Boston Celtics bounce back from a disappointing loss at Golden State with a victory over the Sacramento Kings.
Boston blew a 17-point lead before losing to the Warriors in overtime Tuesday night and played without leading scorer Jayson Tatum (ankle) and big man Al Horford (rest) against the Kings.
But the Celtics looked like the far fresher team and rolled to their sixth win in seven games.
Kristaps Porzingis, who missed the game against Golden State because of a calf injury, dominated the interior for Boston with 24 points, nine rebounds and six blocked shots.
De’Aaron Fox scored 29 points on his 26th birthday to lead the Kings, who had won three straight games.
76ers 127, Timberwolves 113
PHILADELPHIA — Joel Embiid scored a seasonhigh 51 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, and the 76ers used a big fourth quarter to close out the Timberwolves.
Tyrese Maxey scored 35 points as Philadelphia (19-8) won for the seventh time in eight games, bouncing back nicely after a 108-104 loss to Chicago on Monday night.
Minnesota (20-6) got 27 points from Anthony Edwards, 23 points from Karl-Anthony Towns and 21 from Jaden McDaniels. The Timberwolves entered Wednesday night as winners of nine of its last 10 games and possessors of the league’s best record.
Embiid recorded his 12th straight game with 30 or more points and 10-plus rebounds. It is the NBA’s longest such streak since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar did it in 16 straight games for the Milwaukee Bucks in the 1971-72 season.
Knicks 121, Nets 102
NEW YORK — Julius Randle scored 26 points, Donte DiVincenzo added 23 and the Knicks beat the Nets for their first victory in Brooklyn in four years.
Immanuel Quickley had 19 points and Jalen Brunson finished with 16 points, eight assists and seven rebounds for the Knicks, who have swung New York’s NBA basketball rivalry back in their favor with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving no longer in town. The Knicks have won all three meetings since the Nets traded the two stars last season, after never beating the Nets when they were on the floor.
Now the Knicks have ended a six-game losing streak at Barclays Center, where they hadn’t won since Dec. 26, 2019.
Cam Thomas and Cam Johnson each scored 20 points for the Nets, who lost their fourth straight.
Pacers 144, Hornets 113
INDIANAPOLIS — Buddy Hield scored 25 points, helping Indiana stop a four-game losing streak.
Tyrese Haliburton had 19 points and 13 assists for the Pacers, who shot 61.3% from the field. Aaron Nesmith scored 19 points, and Myles Turner had 18.
Terry Rozier had 25 points, nine rebounds and seven assists for Charlotte, and rookie Brandon Miller added 21 points and six rebounds.
Playing without starting point guard LaMelo Ball (sprained right ankle) and center Mark Williams (back contusion, the Hornets dropped their sixth in a row to fall to 7-19.
Nuggets 113, Raptors 104
TORONTO — Nikola Jokic had 31 points and 15 rebounds, and Denver won for the fifth time in six games.
Jamal Murray scored 20 points for the Nuggets, who evened their road record at 8-8. Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter Jr. each scored 12 points.
Jokic shot 13 for 23 and led the Nuggets with six assists, including a behind-the-back dish to Gordon in the first quarter.
Scottie Barnes had 30 points and 10 rebounds for Toronto. Pascal Siakam added 18 points.
Cavaliers 124, Jazz 116
CLEVELAND — Sam Merrill set career highs with 27 points and eight 3-pointers, sending shorthanded Cleveland to the victory.
Merrill buried three 3-pointers during a 17-2 run to open the fourth quarter, giving Cleveland its largest lead at 109-95. The reserve guard finished 9 of 16 from the field, including 8 of 14 beyond the arc, in a career-best 30 minutes.
Caris LeVert had 23 points for Cleveland, which made 23 3-pointers on a franchise-record 51 attempts.
Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell missed the game against his former team with an illness.
Lauri Markkanen had 26 points and 10 rebounds for Utah. Collin Sexton scored 20 points, and Talen Horton-Tucker had 19 points and tied his career high with 11 assists.
Heat 115, Magic 106
ORLANDO, Fla. — Tyler Herro had 28 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, helping Miami to the road win.
Bam Adebayo added 18 points and seven rebounds as Miami won for the fourth time in six games. Haywood Highsmith made four of the Heat’s 15 3-pointers and finished with a seasonhigh 15 points.
Miami played without Jimmy Butler, who has a strained left calf, and Kevin Love, who is out with an illness.
Cole Anthony led the Magic with 20 points. Franz Wagner added 15 points, and Paolo Banchero had 10 points on 2-of-12 shooting to go along with eight rebounds and eight assists.
Orlando center Wendell Carter Jr. returned to the lineup after missing 20 games with a fractured left hand. He played 23 minutes, finishing with eight points and six rebounds.
Hawks 134, Rockets 127
HOUSTON — Trae Young had 30 points and 14 assists, and Atlanta held off a late charge by Houston.
It was Young’s fifth straight game with at least 30 points and 10 assists, the longest such streak of his career.
Houston used a 14-0 run to close to 127-123 with about 90 seconds to go. Atlanta’s Saddiq Bey made a big 3-pointer with 35 seconds left, and the Hawks held on for the win.
Jabari Smith Jr. led the Rockets with a career-high 34 points and also grabbed 13 rebounds. Fred VanVleet had a season-high 32 points with 15 assists.