Leonard, Clippers rally to defeat Brooklyn
Porzingis scores 32 as Celtics down Rockets
LOS ANGELES — Kawhi Leonard scored 14 of his 21 points in the final five minutes and the Los Angeles Clippers overcame an 18-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat the Brooklyn Nets 125-114 on Sunday.
The Clippers took their first lead on Leonard’s basket with 2:50 remaining.
They closed with a 22-0 run, capped by Leonard’s 3-pointer from the corner, to win for the 10th time in 12 games.
James Harden led the Clippers with 24 points and 10 assists. Russell Westbrook added 23 points off the bench.
Mikal Bridges scored 20 of his 26 points in the first half for Brooklyn. The Nets were coming off an 18-point victory over the Lakers on Friday night. CELTICS 116, ROCKETS 107:
In Houston, Kristaps Porzingis scored 32 points and NBA-leading Boston beat short-handed Houston.
The Celtics improved to 33-10, rebounding from their first home loss of the season Friday night against Denver. Boston is 20-1 at home and 13-9 on the road.
Porzingis was 11 of 20 from the field and 6 of 11 from 3-point range. Derrick White had 21 points and 12 rebounds, and Jayson Tatum scored 18 points. Dillon Brooks led Houston with 25 points.
Houston played without Fred VanVleet (lower back), Jabari Smith Jr. (ankle), Jeff Green (calf), Reggie Bullock (lower back) and Tari Eason (leg). Boston was without Al Horford (rest) and Jrue Holiday (right elbow sprain).
NUGGETS 113, WIZARDS 104: In Washington, Nikola Jokic had 42 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists and defending champion Denver beat Washington.
Jokic was 15 of 20 from the field and made 12 of 14 free throws. Jamal Murray AND Michael Porter Jr. each had 19 points.
Tyus Jones had 15 points and 13 assists for Washington.
SUNS 117, PACERS 110: In Phoenix, Kevin Durant scored 40 points, Devin Booker had 26 and the Suns beat Indiana for their fifth straight victory.
Bradley Beal added 25 points on 11-of-16 shooting for Phoenix, which led for most of the night and took a 91-83 advantage into the fourth quarter.
The Pacers made a few runs early in the final period, but Durant seemed to thwart every rally with another mid-range basket. The 35-year-old star made his first five shots of the fourth quarter.
Indiana has lost four of five. Buddy Hield led the Pacers with 18 points, and Pascal Siakam — acquired this week from Toronto — had 15 points and seven assists. All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton sat out for the sixth time in seven games because of a left hamstring strain.
MAGIC 105, HEAT 87: In Orlando, Fla., Paolo Banchero scored 20 points and Orlando handed Miami its straight loss,
Wendell Carter Jr. added 17 points and nine rebounds and Franz Wagner, back in the lineup after missing eight games because of a sprained ankle, also had 19 points.
Bam Adebayo led Miami with 22 points and 11 rebounds.
HAWKS: Atlanta guard Trae Young was diagnosed with a concussion after getting elbowed in the face during a loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers and will be out indefinitely, the team said Sunday.
Young left Saturday night’s game with 8:43 remaining after taking a charge from Cavaliers forward Isaac Okoro and accidentally getting elbowed. Young stayed on the court for a few minutes and walked back to the locker room with the Hawks trailing by 25.
Young, who scored 15 points in the 116-95 loss, is averaging 26.9 points per game and is second in the league with 10.8 assists per game.
As part of the league’s concussion protocol, Young must show he is symptom-free before resuming basketball activities. There is no set timetable.
The Hawks (18-24) play at the Sacramento Kings (23-18) on Monday night.