Randle scores 37 points as Knicks defeat Celtics
Julius Randle had 37 points and nine rebounds, and hit the free throws that gave the New York Knicks the lead for good in a 120-117 overtime victory over the Boston Celtics on Thursday night.
Jalen Brunson added 29 points, seven assists and a game-ending blocked shot for New York, which has won two straight.
Boston's Jaylen Brown had a chance to put the Celtics ahead with 7.6 seconds remaining, but misfired on two free throws, forcing the Celtics to foul.
Jayson Tatum finished with 35 points and 14 rebounds. Brown added 22 points and nine rebounds for Boston, which has lost three straight for just the second time this season.
New York led by 13 in the fourth quarter but scored just four points in the final 5:26 of regulation to help the Celtics force OT.
PISTONS 130, NETS 122 >> Saddiq Bey scored 25 points and Detroit won in Brooklyn for the first time in nearly five years. The Pistons had lost seven in a row overall to the Nets. Kyrie Irving scored 40 points for the Nets, tying his career high and the Nets NBA record with five straight games of 30 or more. CAVALIERS 113, ROCKETS 95 >> Darius Garland scored 26 points and Evan Mobley
added 21 as Cleveland routed Houston. HORNETS 111, BULLS 96 >> Terry Rozier scored 28 points and Mason Plumlee added 21 points and 12 rebounds as Charlotte defeated Chicago. LEBRON, GIANNIS CAPTAINS
FOR ALL-STAR GAME >> LeBron James is closing in on Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's NBA career scoring record. And now, he has caught Abdul-Jabbar on another page of the All-Star record book.
James was announced as an NBA All-Star for the 19th time, the Los Angeles Lakers' star tying Abdul-Jabbar for the most selections in league history. James — the leading overall vote-getter — will be the captain of one of the teams for the Feb. 19 All-Star Game in Salt Lake City, while Eastern Conference voting leader Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks will captain the other side.
This is the sixth year the NBA has used the captain format for the All-Star Game; James has been a captain every time and is 5-0. Antetokounmpo is a captain for the third time, after also earning that right in 2019 and 2020.
James and Antetokounmpo will pick their teams shortly before the game in Salt Lake City, a newly announced twist and a departure from past years in which the captains picked a week or two in advance.