Nuggets hand Celtics first loss in 21 home games this season
Jamal Murray scored 35 points and Nikola Jokic 34 on Friday as Denver held on to beat Boston 102-100 and hand the Celtics their first home loss this season.
Jokic added 12 rebounds and nine assists as the reigning NBA champion Nuggets (2914) ended Boston’s streak at 20 straight home victories, a franchise record for the start of a season.
Jayson Tatum had a chance to tie it in the closing seconds but missed a one-legged fadeaway off the rim. He totaled 22 points. Derrick White scored 24 points and Kristaps Porzingis 21 for the East-leading Celtics (32-10).
The game was played with high energy throughout, featuring 13 lead changes and eight ties. Boston led 61-55 at halftime and 82-81 after three quarters.
■ Suns 123, Pelicans 109: At New Orleans, Devin Booker scored a season-high 52 points — his second straight 50-point game against New Orleans — as Phoenix won its fourth straight. Booker reached 50 points for a sixth time. New Orleans, which missed 32 of 42 3-point tries, has alternated wins and losses for its past six games.
■ 76ers 124, Magic 109: At Orlando, Fla., Joel Embiid scored 36 points and Tyrese Maxey 32 for Philadelphia, which won its fourth straight and dealt Orlando its fifth loss in six games. The 76ers won their ninth straight road game with Embiid in the lineup; they are 2-6 away from home without him.
■ Hornets 124, Spurs 120: At Charlotte, N.C., Lamelo Ball scored 16 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter, pacing four 20-point scorers for Charlotte (9-30), which halted a six-game skid with its second win in 19 games. San Antonio (7-34) lost its fourth in a row and ninth in 11 games.
■ Hawks 109, Heat 108: At Miami, Dejounte Murray hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with two seconds left and totaled 22 points for Atlanta in its third straight win. Miami had won 22 straight home games against Southeast Division foes, a run that dated to March 2021.
■ Trail Blazers 118, Pacers 115: At Portland, Ore., Jerami Grant scored 37 points and Malcolm Brogdon 30 for Portland, which shot 50.0 percent and had a 47-37 edge in rebounds. Indiana didn’t lead after the midway point of the third quarter.
■ Nets 130, Lakers 112: At Los Angeles,
Cam Thomas had 33 points to lead seven double-figure scorers for Brooklyn, which shot 52.6 percent in its second win in 11 games. Los Angeles led 68-62 at halftime.
G League
■ Capitanes 132, Ignite 126: At Dollar Loan Center, Iverson Molinar hit the go-ahead shot with a minute left and totaled 22 points for Mexico City (16-9), which shot 57.1 percent in its sixth straight win. The Ignite (4-23) shot 59.8 percent in their 14th loss in a row.
From staff and wire reports