End game gem bails out Celtics
BOSTON—Brandon Bass made a game-saving blocked shot in the closing seconds for the Boston Celtics to hold the Cleveland Cavaliers, 103-100, in the NBA on Saturday.
The Celtics led by 19 points entering the final quarter but two Dion Waiters free throws made it 102-100 with 43.3 seconds left. Bass then blocked Waiters’ shot in the lane and Avery Bradley nailed one free throw with 1.4 seconds left.
Jeff Green and Jordan Crawford each scored 19 points, Bradley 18, and Bass added 15 for Boston, which ended a threegame losing streak.
Kyrie Irving led the Cavaliers with 32 points, the eighth time in his last 10 games he’s scored 20 or more.
The Cavaliers were playing soon after suspending center Andrew Bynum indefinitely for “conduct detrimental to the team” and banning him from all team-related activities. It’s likely he has played his final game for Cleveland.
Dwight Howard had 24 points and 17 rebounds, and James Harden scored 11 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter in the Houston Rockets’ 107-98 comeback victory over the New Orleans Pelicans.
Chandler Parson added 19 points and seven rebounds, and Terrence Jones had 17 points and eight rebounds to help Houston win its third straight game.
In Toronto, Kyle Lowry had a season-best 32 points and 11 assists, Terrence Ross made a career-high seven 3-pointers and the Toronto Raptors beat New York for the second straight night, topping the Knicks, 115-100.
Lowry came within two rebounds of a tripledouble and Ross had 23 points as Toronto won for the fourth time in five games.
Greivis Vasquez made three 3-pointers in the fourth quarter and Lowry capped it from long range with 5 seconds left as the Raptors finished with a season-high 15 baskets from beyond the arc.
In Indianapolis, Paul George scored 24 points and Lance Stephenson added 23 to lead the Indiana Pacers to a 105-91 victory over the Brooklyn Nets.
George Hill finished with 21 points for the Pacers, who put five players in double figures and pulled away with a third-quarter burst.
RoyHibbert scored 11 and DavidWest 10 for Indiana, which leads the Eastern Conference at 23-6.
Elsewhere, Monta Ellis had 22 points and the Dallas Mavericks took control early in coasting to a 105-83 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Saturday night.
Dirk Nowitzki and Vince Carter added 18 points apiece for the Mavericks, who led by as many as 32 while bouncing back from a home loss to San Antonio on Thursday.
With LeBron James injured, Chris Bosh took over for the Miami Heat. Bosh had a season-high 37 points, including the goahead 3-pointer with 0.5 seconds left, and the Heat beat the Portland Trail Blazers, 108-107.
James injured his right groin and tweaked his left ankle Friday night in a 108-103 overtime loss at Sacramento and despite the four-time NBA MVP warming up before the game, he was stood down about an hour before tipoff.
In other games Saturday, the Washington Wizards routed the Detroit Pistons, 106-82, and the Minnesota Timberwolves climbed back to .500 by routing the Milwaukee Bucks, 117-95.
The Memphis Grizzlies thrashed the Denver Nuggets, 120-99, the Atlanta Hawks edged the Charlotte Bobcats, 118116 in overtime and the Phoenix Suns beat the Philadelphia 76ers, 115-101.