Rockets extinguish Bucks’ late rally

Alperen Sengun and Jabari Smith Jr posted double-doubles and teamed for a critical late 3-pointer as the Houston Rockets fended off the visiting Milwaukee Bucks 112-108 on Saturday.

Sengun paired 21 points with 11 rebounds while Smith added 14 points and 12 boards. After Milwaukee shaved what was once a 21-point deficit to 102-99 on a pair of Giannis Antetokounmpo free throws with 1:50 left in the game, Sengun fed Smith for a corner 3-pointer 18 seconds later to help the Rockets secure the victory.

Antetokounmpo was exceptional, finishing with 48 points and 17 rebounds. But Damian Lillard (18 points, eight assists) and Khris Middleton (10 points, five assists) combined to shoot just 8-for-25 as the Bucks lost for the third time in four games.

Seven Rockets scored in double figures, with Jalen Green and Jeff Green scoring 16 points apiece while Fred VanVleet added 14 points and seven assists.

Celtics 118, Pacers 101

Jayson Tatum scored a game-high 38 points and Jaylen Brown finished with 31 to help Boston beat Indiana in Indianapolis, ending the Pacers’ six-game winning streak.

Tatum also had 13 rebounds and six assists. He made eight of his 13 3-point attempts.

Tyrese Haliburton had 17 points and seven assists for Indiana, which made just eight of its 42 3-point attempts (19 percent). Bennedict Mathurin scored a team-high 20 points for the Pacers, who received 15 points from Buddy Hield and 12 from Myles Turner.

Knicks 121, Wizards 105

Julius Randle bounced back from a quiet performance to score 39 points and New York led wire to wire and pulled away down the stretch to beat host Washington.

A night after going 1-for-11 from the floor and being held to eight points in a big win in Philadelphia, Randle helped the Knicks get their season-high fourth straight victory. He made 13 of 23 shots from the field and 10 of 13 at the freethrow line and contributed seven rebounds and five assists.