Celtics get 8th straight win
Jaylen Brown scored 22 points to lead a balanced Boston attack and the East-leading Celtics stretched their winning streak to eight with a 126101 victory over theHawks in Atlanta on Wednesday night.
The Celtics were missing injured guards Marcus Smart and Malcolm Brogdon. It hardly mattered.
There were plenty of players to fill the void against the Hawks, who were coming off a big win at Milwaukee and eager to show they could challenge the best in the conference. Not on this night. Boston took control in the first quarter against the cold-shooting Hawks, whose occasional spurts were quickly snuffed out by the Celtics’ stifling defense.
Trae Young led the Hawks with 27 points, but was held to 10-for-23 shooting, including 2for-7 from beyond the arc.
The Celtics ran right through the home team by showing off their impressive depth.
Even without two key members of their rotation, they shot 54.5% from the field and knocked down 21 3-pointers.
Bucks 113, Cavaliers 98: Brook Lopez shot 7-for-9 from 3-point range and scored 29 points as host Milwaukee beat skidding Cleveland. The Cavaliers have lost five straight games since racing to an 8-1 start.
Pelicans 124, Bulls 110: CJ McCollum scored 23 points, Jonas Valanciunas added 22 points and New Orleans won its second straight game without Zion Williamson in the lineup, beating visiting Chicago. Trey Murphy III hit five 3s and finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds for his first career doubledouble.
T’wolves 126, Magic 108: Anthony Edwards scored 35 points, Karl-Anthony Towns added 30 and Minnesota built a 27-point lead in the first half of a rout in Orlando. Edwards and Towns had season scoring highs and the Timberwolves shot 52.3% in posting their biggest victory margin of the season.
Pacers 125, Hornets 113:
Tyrese Haliburton had 22 points and 11 assists, Myles Turner added 20 points and 10 rebounds and visiting Indiana beat Charlotte on a night in which Hornets All-Star guard LaMelo Ball re-injured his left ankle after stepping on a fan’s foot.
Thunder 121, Wizards 120:
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander hit a 3-pointer with 1.1 seconds remaining and matched a career high with 42 points as Oklahoma City beat host Washington. Alexander scored 30 points in the second half, making nine of his 10 field goals in the final quarters.
Raptors 112, Heat 104:
O.G. Anunoby scored a season-high 32 points and matched his season high with 10 rebounds and host Toronto used a 21-0 run in the third quarter to beat Miami, ending the Heat’s winning streak at three.