Irving scores 40, lifts Nets over former team

Kyrie Irving scored 40 points to lead the Brooklyn Nets to a 121-109 victory over the Boston Celtics on Thursday night in New York.

James Harden had 22 points and 10 rebounds for Brooklyn, which improved to 25-13 with its 12th win in 13 games.

Giannis Antetokounmpo followed up his MVP performance in the All-Star Game with his fifth triple-double of the season to lift host Milwaukee. Antetokounmpo had 24 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in 29 minutes as the Bucks handed the Knicks their most onesided loss of the season.

HAWKS 121, RAPTORS 120»

Tony Snell hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to help visiting Atlanta erase a late 15-point deficit. The Hawks inbounded the ball to Trae Young with 7.1 seconds left. He drove and kicked it out to Snell, who buried a 25-footer for the winner.

HORNETS 105, PISTONS 102»

P.J Washington had 20 points and nine rebounds and the Hornets won in Charlotte, N.C., to get back to .500 (18-18) for the first time since Jan. 13.

Tobias Harris scored 24 points and Philadelphia won in

Chicago even though they were missing stars Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons for contact tracing.

Jimmy Butler scored 27 points with 11 assists, Kelly Olynyk scored 20 and the Heat won in Miami to move over the .500 mark (19-18) for the first time this season.

Jaylen Nowell hit six 3-pointers on his way to a career-best 28 points, Anthony Edwards scored 27 points, and Minnesota rallied from an early 16-point deficit in New Orleans.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 32 points and host Oklahoma City held on against a Dallas team that rested Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis.

Devin Booker scored a game-high 35 points to lead Phoenix in Portland.

De’Aaron Fox scored 30 points and Harrison Barnes, Richaun Holmes and Buddy Hield each had 20 to lead host Sacramento.

The NBA fined Meyers Leonard $50,000 and suspended him from all Miami Heat facilities and activities for one week, in response to his use of an anti-Semitic term.