TATUM SCORES 37, CELTICS WIN IN JAMES’ RETURN
Jayson Tatum grew up idolizing Kobe Bryant, so he knew all about the CelticsLakers rivalry even before becoming part of it.
On Friday night, he put on an offensive show in front of Celtics Hall of Famers Bill Russell and Paul Pierce in the latest chapter.
Celtics 130, Lakers 108
“It’s a surreal moment, obviously, Bill Russell and the impact he had on the Celtics and the NBA,” Tatum said. “Having someone like Paul come to the game and someone I have a relationship with.
“I remember watching him play,” Tatum said, breaking into a smile. “Now he’s watching me play, that’s crazy.“
Tatum scored 37 points and the host Celtics won 130-108 in LeBron James’ return to the Lakers’ lineup.
Marcus Smart had 22 points and Dennis Schroder 21 for Boston (8-8), which climbed back to .500. Tatum had 11 rebounds and Al Horford added 18 points.
Anthony Davis led Los Angeles with 31 points and James finished with 23 in 32 minutes. They each had six rebounds and two assists.
“I felt OK,” James said. ”Obviously being out 21⁄2 weeks, I felt kind of like a rookie again, just being away from the game. Excited. Felt good enough that I could trust my body.”
Pelicans 94, Clippers 81: Jonas Valanciunas had 26 points and 13 rebounds and New Orleans overcame a 20-point first-half deficit to beat visiting Los Angeles.
After challenging the Pelicans to “grow up” after they’d blown double-digit leads at Washington and Miami earlier this week, Josh Hart had 19 points, 10 rebounds and two steals. Brandon Ingram had 17 points and 12 rebounds, and Kira Lewis Jr. added 16 points to help New Orleans win for just the third time in 17 games this season.
Los Angeles star Paul George scored 19 points but missed five of six shots in the fourth quarter as the Pelicans pulled away. The Clippers have lost three of four.
Warriors 105, Pistons 102: Jordan Poole stepped up in Stephen Curry’s absence to score 22 of his season-high 32 points in the first half, Andrew Wiggins had 27 and Golden State beat Detroit on the road.
The NBA-leading Warriors sat out Curry with a bruised hip, a night after he had 20 of his 40 points in a fourth-quarter comeback victory at Cleveland. They also were without Draymond Green because of a bruised thigh.
Detroit’s Cade Cunningham, the No. 1 overall pick, had 19 points, six rebounds and six assists. Jackson scored a seasonhigh 27 points.
Bucks 96, Thunder 89: Giannis Antetokounmpo had 21 points, 19 rebounds and seven assists and host Milwaukee withstood Oklahoma City’s comeback attempt. Milwaukee never trailed but nearly allowed Oklahoma City to come all the way back from a 20-point deficit.
Nets 115, Magic 113: James Harden had 36 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists and Brooklyn overcame a 19-point deficit and the absence of Kevin Durant to beat Orlando at home. Durant did not play due to a right shoulder sprain.
Hornets 121, Pacers 118: LaMelo Ball had a season-high 32 points along with 11 rebounds and eight assists and host Charlotte held off Indiana for its fifth straight victory.
Bulls 114, Nuggets 108: Zach LaVine scored 12 of his 36 points in a pivotal stretch of the fourth quarter, DeMar DeRozan hit eight straight late free throws and Chicago won in Denver for the first time since 2006, beating a Nuggets team without reigning MVP Nikola Jokic.
Suns 112, Mavericks 104: Mikal Bridges and Devin Booker each scored 19 points, Chris Paul added 18 points and 14 assists and host Phoenix ran its winning streak to 11.
Raptors 108, Kings 89: Pascal Siakam scored 18 of his season-high 32 points in the first half and visiting Toronto continued its recent dominance in Sacramento, thumping the Kings.