CELTICS NIP 76ERS IN THRILLER
Gordon Hayward scored 26 points off the bench to lead the visiting Boston Celtics past the Philadelphia 76ers 112-109 on Tuesday in a game full of playoff atmosphere.
Al Horford scored 23 points while Jayson Tatum added 20 points and 10 rebounds as the Celtics snapped a twogame losing streak. All-Star guard Kyrie Irving sat out with an injured knee.
Joel Embiid had 23 points and 14 rebounds for his league-leading 47th double-double, and Jimmy Butler added 22 points and nine rebounds. Ben Simmons and JJ Redick scored 16 points each.
Embiid cursed the referees before ending his postgame press conference with reporters.
In Oakland, Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry bombed in a pair of 3-pointers apiece in a late flurry that allowed Golden State to overtake Utah 115-108.
The win was the Warriors’ 16th in their past 17 games and gave them a 2-1 edge over the Jazz in a season series that saw the teams split games in Salt Lake City. Utah lost for just the fourth time in its past 16 games.
Kevin Durant (28 points), Curry (24) and Thompson (22) paced the Warriors. Donovan Mitchell had 25 points for the Jazz.
In Atlanta, John Collins and Trae Young each scored 22 points and helped Atlanta end its three-game losing streak with a 117-113 victory over Los Angeles.
The Hawks won despite a triple-double from Lakers forward LeBron James, who had 28 points, 11 rebounds and 16 assists. It was his fifth tripledouble of the season.
Elsewhere, Nikola Vucevic had 25 points and 17 rebounds as Orlando continued to roll with a 118-88 rout of New Orleans.
New Orleans’ Anthony Davis, playing his third game since the trade deadline passed and he returned from a finger injury, scored three points on 1-for-9 shooting and grabbed six rebounds in 24 minutes.
In Memphis, LaMarcus Aldridge had 22 points and 11 rebounds, and Patty Mills scored a seasonbest 22 points as San Antonio halted a season-worst, four-game losing streak with a 108-107 win.