Celtics lose Brown after collision, still hold off the 76ers
With three of Boston's regular starters out — and Jaylen Brown soon to join them — Malcolm Brogdon and Derrick White scored 19 points apiece to lead the host Celtics to a 106-99 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night.
Jayson Tatum had 12 points, nine assists and eight rebounds for Boston, which won for the fourth time in five games to add to the NBA's best record (39-16). The 76ers (34-19) are second in the Atlantic Division and third in the Eastern Conference, having lost both matchups with the Celtics.
Brown, who missed the previous game with a nonCOVID illness, left the game after colliding with Tatum under the basket when they were both going for an offensive rebound.
Brown appeared to take Tatum's elbow in the left side of his head. He went to the floor and was slow to get up; when he did, he went straight to the locker room, rubbing his left eye and temple.
The team announced at the start of the third quarter that he had a facial contusion and would not return.
Joel Embiid scored 28 points and James Harden added 26 points and 11 assists for the Sixers, who lost their second game in a row. They had won nine of their previous 11.
BLAZERS 125, WARRIORS 122 » Damian Lillard had 33 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds as Portland rallied at home to beat Golden State. Jordan Poole scored 38 for the Warriors, who played without injured guard Stephen Curry. Klay Thompson added 31 points on his 33rd birthday, including seven 3-pointers.
TWOLVES 143, JAZZ 118 » Anthony Edwards scored 31 points and Jaylen Nowell added a career-high 30 to lead Minnesota to an easy win at Utah amid word the Timberwolves, Jazz and Lakers were part of an eightplayer swap hours ahead of the NBA trade deadline.
HEAT 116, PACERS 111 » Bam Adebayo tied his season high with 38 points, Jimmy Butler added 25 and Miami held off visiting Indiana. Gabe Vincent had 17, Tyler Herro scored 15 and Caleb Martin finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds for the Heat, who snapped a two-game slide.
KINGS 130, ROCKETS 128 » De'Aaron Fox had 31 points, including three free throws with less than a second left, to lift Sacramento to a win at Houston. Fox missed a 3-pointer with .3 seconds left. But Eric Gordon fouled him to set up the game-winning free throws.
RAPTORS 112, SPURS 98 » Pascal Siakam had 37 points and 10 rebounds, Fred VanVleet scored 16 points and Toronto beat visiting San Antonio, handing the struggling Spurs their 10th consecutive loss. Chris Boucher had 18 points and 11 rebounds off the bench in Toronto's third straight win.
WIZARDS 118, HORNETS 104 » Kristaps Porzingis scored 36 points and matched a career high with eight 3-pointers, and Washington beat visiting Charlotte to stop a threegame skid.
CAVALIERS 113, PISTONS 85 » Jarrett Allen scored 20 points, Evan Mobley added 19 and Cleveland won its fourth straight game, beating visiting Detroit despite resting its starting backcourt.