Booker scores 70, Celtics beat Suns
Nuggets hold off Pacers 125-117
BOSTON, March 25, (AP): The Phoenix Suns’ Devin Booker scored 70 points, becoming the sixth different player in NBA history to reach that total, but the Boston Celtics got 34 points from Isaiah Thomas and outlasted the visitors 130120 on Friday night.
Booker joined Wilt Chamberlain, Kobe Bryant, David Thompson, David Robinson and Elgin Baylor as the NBA’s 70-point scorers. Baylor also held the previous record against the Celtics with 64 points in Minneapolis for the Lakers on Nov 8, 1959.
The win was Boston’s third straight, and avenged its buzzer-beater loss in Phoenix earlier this month.
The rematch was dominated early by the Celtics as they hit eight 3-pointers during a 37-point second quarter to grow their lead as high as 26 points.
Cavaliers 112, Hornets 105 In Charlotte, North Carolina, LeBron James had 32 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds, and Cleveland bounced back from its worst defensive outing of the season with a win over Charlotte.
Kyrie Irving added 26 points and Kevin Love had 15 points and 12 rebounds as the Cavaliers snapped Charlotte’s three-game winning streak and clinched the Central Division.
Rockets 117, Pelicans 107 In Houston, James Harden scored 38 points, including eight down the stretch, and tied a career high with 17 assists to help Houston pull away from New Orleans.
The Pelicans had scored seven points in a row, capped by a 3-pointer from DeMarcus Cousins, to cut the lead to two with about two minutes left. Harden scored Houston’s first points in almost 2-1/2 minutes after that on a driving layup to extend the lead. And after
a Harden bucket madeby Cousinsthree free on throwsthe otherto leave end, the seconds Rockets left. up 110-105 with about 90
In Milwaukee,Bucks 100, Greek Hawks star 97 Giannis Antetokounmpo picked up his second straight double-double with 34 points and 13 rebounds as Milwaukee held on to beat Atlanta.
The Bucks, who have won 11 of 13 games, moved into a tie with Atlanta for fifth place in the Eastern Conference. The Hawks have lost six straight.
Warriors 114, Kings 100
In Oakland, California, Stephen Curry had 27 points, seven rebounds and a season-high 12 assists to help Golden State beat Sacramento.
Draymond Green added a seasonbest 23 points with eight assists, while Ian Clark scored 10 points to help the Warriors improve to an NBA-best 5814. Golden State has won six straight since its season-high three-game losing streak.
Wizards 129, Nets 108
In Washington, John Wall scored 22 points despite dealing with migraine headache symptoms earlier in the day, Bradley Beal added 19 points and Washington cruised past Brooklyn to clinch a playoff spot.
Brandon Jennings had 18 points, one of three bench players to score in double-figures as the third-place Wizards moved a game ahead of idle Toronto in the Eastern Conference.
Nuggets 125, Pacers 117
In Indianapolis, Nikola Jokic had 31 points, 17 rebounds and a big 3-pointer to turn back a late Indiana rally as Denver beat the Pacers.
Wilson Chandler scored 12 of his 24 points in the opening quarter, and Danilo Gallinari added 21 points and 11 rebounds for the Nuggets.
Magic 115, Pistons 87
In Orlando, Florida, Elfrid Payton had 14 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in his fourth triple-double of the season while Terrence Ross scored 18 points as Orlando routed slumping Detroit.
It was another costly defeat for the Pistons, who entered the night just one game out of eighth place in the Eastern Conference and lost for the third straight time and the sixth in their last seven games.
76ers 117, Bulls 107
In Chicago, Rookies Dario Saric and Shawn Long had career highs in scoring, leading Philadelphia over desperKIFF