James, Davis lift Lakers; Bucks clinch playoff berth
LeBron James scored 29 points and put the Lakers ahead on a fallaway jumper with 30 seconds to play, and the Lakers split their season series with the Celtics with a 114-112 victory Sunday in Los Angeles.
James missed a tying free throw moments before he coolly nailed the shot the put the Lakers ahead to stay in a frenetic fourth quarter to cap the latest chapter of this famed NBA rivalry.
Anthony Davis had 32 points and 13 rebounds in the fifth straight win overall for the Lakers, who took a 32-point blowout loss in Boston last month.
Davis hit two free throws with 12.3 seconds left and added one more with 6.7 seconds to play, before Jayson Tatum was called for charging in the final second as he attempted to create one last basket.
Tatum matched his career high with 41 points for the Celtics, who had won 12 of 14 starting with that dominant win over the Lakers in January.
Kemba Walker missed his second straight game with left knee soreness.
The Lakers are comfortably atop Western Conference standings, while Celtics sit third in the East. the the
Raptors win big: Kyle Lowry had 16 points and 11 assists, extending his careerbest streak of double-doubles to six, and the Raptors routed the visiting Pacers 127-81, the most lopsided victory in Raptors history.
Pascal Siakam scored 21 points and Serge Ibaka had 15 points and a seasonhigh 15 rebounds as the Raptors won for the 17th time in 18 games and extended their home winning streak to nine.
The Raptors’ largest lead was 49 points, their biggest of the season. The 46-point margin of victory surpassed a 36-point win over the Hornets on Nov. 18.
Bulls overcome Beal’s big night: Bradley Beal scored a career-high 53 points, but the Wizards still fell to the host Bulls 126-117.
The Bulls ended an eight-game skid. Coby White scored 33 points to join Michael Jordan as the only Bulls rookies with consecutive 30-point games. Zach LaVine added 32 points and broke the team record for 3s in a season. He has 177.
Bucks idle, still clinch: Despite being off, the Bucks became the earliest team to clinch a postseason berth in at least 15 years, according to Elias Sports Bureau.
The Bucks (48-8) booked a trip to the playoffs with 55 days left in the regular season after the Wizards’ loss.
Layups: 76ers G Ben Simmons will undergo more tests on his back Monday, ESPN reported. Simmons left the 76ers’ loss to the Bucks on Saturday . ... Grizzlies F Jaren Jackson Jr. has a sprained left knee and will be re-evaluated in two weeks.