Baynes lifts Celtics over Lakers for 10th straight
BOSTON — Aron Baynes matched his career high with 21 points, Kyrie Irving scored 19 and the Boston Celtics beat the Los Angeles Lakers 107-96 on Wednesday night for their 10th straight victory.
Baynes also had eight rebounds and three assists, and Boston improved to 102 even as Al Horford sat out after being placed in concussion protocol earlier in the day. The Celtics also lost rookie forward Jayson Tatum late in the second quarter, when he went to the locker room with a sore right ankle.
Brandon Ingram and Jordan Clarkson led the Lakers with 18 points apiece. Julius Randle had 16 points and 12 rebounds. Celtics fans gave rookie Lonzo Ball an icy welcome in his first trip to TD Garden. They booed the No. 2 overall pick throughout the night whenever he touched the ball. He finished with nine points, six assists and five rebounds, making just 4 of 15 from the field.
• Pistons 114, Pacers 97 — At Detroit: Tobias Harris scored 23 points and first-place Detroit won for the sixth time in seven games, beating Indiana.
Andre Drummond added 14 points and 21 rebounds for the Pistons. They lead Cleveland by three games in the Central Division. Indiana lost its fourth straight.
Victor Oladipo led the Pacers with 21 points, but Indiana has allowed at least 100 points in 10 of 12 games this season. The Pacers were without injured big man Domantas Sabonis (bruised right calf).
• Magic 112, Knicks 99 — At Orlando, Fla.: Nikola Vucevic scored 24 points and Evan Fournier added 23 to help Orlando beat New York.
Jonathon Simmons scored 15 of his 16 points in the second half. He had 11 straight points early in the fourth quarter to push the Magic’s lead back to double figures.
The Magic, benefiting from the return of starting point guard Elfrid Payton, snapped a two-game losing streak. New York, playing without scoring Kristaps Porzingis (ankle and elbow injuries), had its three-game winning streak come to an end. Tim Hardaway Jr. led New York with 26 points.
• Heat 126, Suns 115 — At Phoenix: Former Phoenix guard Goran Dragic scored a season-high 29 points in the Miami Heat’s 126-115 victory over the Suns on Wednesday night.
The Heat made 12 3-pointers, shot 53.1 percent overall and never trailed. Hassan Whiteside added 23 points, 10 rebounds and four blocked shots for Miami.
Devin Booker led Phoenix with 30 points. The Suns have lost four straight.