Celtics need overtime to deal Pistons 28th consecutive loss
Hoping to avoid a 28th straight loss that would match the NBA’S longest slide, Detroit forced overtime against league-best Boston on Thursday before the host Celtics recovered to win 128-122.
Despite making it to overtime for the first time in the skid, the Pistons matched the “Trust the Process” Philadelphia 76ers of 2014-15 and ’1516 with 28 consecutive losses.
Cade Cunningham had 31 points and nine assists for Detroit (2-29), which opened a season-high 21-point first-half lead only to trail 106-100 with two minutes left in regulation.
Kristaps Porzingis scored 11 of his 35 points in the fourth quarter and six in overtime for Boston (24-6), which won its fourth straight and ninth in 10 games.
Jayson Tatum had 31 points and 10 assists, and Derrick White added 10 of his 23 points in the extra period for the Celtics.
■ Nuggets 142, Grizzlies 105: At Denver, Nikola Jokic had 26 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists in his 116th triple-double and 11th this season for Denver, which set a season scoring high in its sixth straight win and ninth in 10 games. Ja Morant (illness) was sidelined for the first time since returning from a 25-game suspension for Memphis, which had won four straight since his return.
■ Pacers 120, Bulls 104: At Chicago, league assists leader Tyrese Haliburton had a careerhigh 20 without a turnover and scored 21 points for Indiana. Questionable to play because of a sore lower back, Haliburton became the fifth
NBA player to have 20 or more assists without a turnover, following Kevin Porter (1978), John Lucas (1983), Rickey Green (1984) and Chris Paul (2016).
■ Timberwolves 118, Mavericks 110: At Minneapolis, Anthony Edwards scored 44 points for Minnesota, which went ahead to stay with a 15-3 third-quarter run and improved to 13-1 at home this season. Reserve Tim Hardaway Jr. had 32 points to lead Dallas, which was without top scorer Luka Doncic (sore left quadriceps) for a third time this season.
■ Spurs 118, Trail Blazers 105: At Portland, Ore., Victor Wembanyama had 30 points, seven blocks, six assists and six rebounds for San Antonio (5-25), which didn’t trail while halting a five-game skid with its second win in 25 games. Scoot Henderson had 25 points and six turnovers for Portland (9-21) in its 10th loss in 12 games.
■ Pelicans 112, Jazz 105: At New Orleans, Brandon Ingram hit a 3-pointer that sparked an 8-2 run in the final 2:35 and totaled 26 points for New Orleans, which had lost three of its previous four games. Utah had won three in a row.
■ Heat 114, Warriors 102: At San Francisco, Tyler Herro scored 26 points for Miami in its fourth straight win. Golden State, which missed 25 of 33 3-point tries, had won five of its previous six and eight straight at home.
■ Lakers 133, Hornets 112: At Los Angeles, Anthony Davis had 26 points and Lebron James 17 points and 11 assists for Los Angeles in its third win in nine games. Charlotte lost its ninth in a row, its longest skid since 2014.
G League
■ Vipers 115, Ignite 109: At Edinburg, Texas, Jermaine Samuels Jr. had 22 points and eight rebounds for Rio Grande Valley (10-7), which shot 52.9 percent and didn’t trail after the first quarter. Ron Holland had 23 points and six steals for the Ignite (4-13), who were outrebounded 52-41.