Celtics top Clippers in doubleovertime
Jayson Tatum had 39 points and the Celtics pulled away from the Clippers in the second overtime to previal 141133 in Boston on Thursday night.
Marcus Smart added 31 points, and Gordon Hayward finished with 21 points and 13 rebounds. Kemba Walker added 19 points and nine rebounds. Tatum and Smart combined for 16 of Boston’s 27 points in the overtime periods.
The Celtics have won seven straight at home and eight of their past nine overall.
The Clippers played most of the game without Paul George, who left in the second quarter with a left hamstring strain. Lou Williams led Los Angeles with 35 points. Kawhi Leonard had 28 points and 11 rebounds, and Montrezl Harrell finished with 24 points and 13 rebounds.
George played 15 minutes, scoring four points on 2for7 shooting before heading to the locker room.
The AllStar break comes at a good time for both teams as they try to get healthy.
Los Angeles guard Patrick Beverley missed his fourth straight game with a sore right groin. The Celtics played without Cal alum Jaylen Brown, who has a left calf contusion.
Thunder 123, Pelicans 118: Danilo Gallinari scored 29 points, Chris Paul had 14 points and 12 assists, and Oklahoma City won in New Orleans.
Zion Williamson scored 32 points for New Orleans, his second straight game scoring more than 30, but Gallinari’s clutch shooting — 11 points in the fourth quarter — kept the Pelicans at bay.
New Orleans, which trailed by as many as 13 in the third quarter, rallied behind Williamson’s inside play to take several slim leads inside the final six minutes.
But after Lonzo Ball’s corner 3 gave the Pelicans a 111110 lead, Gallinari hit a fallaway jumper in the paint and followed by rattling in a 3. He added free throws and a leftwing pullup in the final minutes.