Hayward leads Celtics to 3rd straight win over 76ers

PHILADELPHIA — Gordon Hayward scored 26 points, including a go-ahead 3-pointer with 1:50 remaining, and the Boston Celtics beat the Philadelphia 76ers 112-109 on Tuesday night.

Al Horford had 23 points and Jayson Tatum scored 20 and grabbed 10 rebounds to help the Celtics continued their dominance over the Sixers.

Playing without All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving, who sprained his right knee Saturday night, the Celtics beat Philadelphia for the third straight meeting this season after defeating Philadelphia in five games in the Eastern Conference semifinals last season.

Joel Embiid had 23 points and 14 rebounds and Jimmy Butler scored 22 for Philadelphia.

In Atlanta, rookie Trae Young had 22 points and 14 assists, John Collins also scored 22 points despite foul trouble, and the Hawks beat Los Angeles.

The Hawks snapped a three-game losing streak despite a triple-double from LeBron James, who had 28 points, 16 assists and 11 rebounds.

The Hawks scored just seven points in the final 6:33 but managed to hold on. Taurean Prince delivered a key 3-pointer with 1:48 remaining, and Young darted past James for a lay-in and a foul that thwarted any hope of a Lakers comeback. In New Orleans, disgruntled star Anthony Davis scored three points on 1-of-9 shooting, outplayed badly by big man Nikola Vucevic as Orlando beat the listless Pelicans.

Davis played 24 minutes in his third game since his agent told New Orleans the six-time All-Star wanted to be traded to a championshipcontending team and won’t sign an extension with the Pelicans.

In Memphis, Tenn., LaMarcus Aldridge scored 22 points, including San Antonio’s final seven, as the Spurs broke a four-game losing streak by beating the Grizzlies.

Memphis rookie Jaren Jackson Jr. had a chance to tie the game with two free throws with a second left. He missed the first, and, in attempting to miss the second, banked it in, allowing San Antonio to run out the clock.

Memphis was led by a career-high 33 points from Avery Bradley, acquired from the Los Angeles Clippers at the trade deadline.