Walker, Celtics top Clippers
BOSTON — Kemba Walker had 25 points and six assists, and the Boston Celtics took advantage of a late scratch of All-star Kawhi Leonard and held of f the Los Angeles Clippers 117-112 on Tuesday night.
Jaylen Brown finished with 18 points. Jayson Tatum and Payton Pritchard each added 14 as the Celtics posted three straight victories for the first time since Januar y.
The Clippers, who have lost five of eight, played without Leonard after he was ruled out shortly before the game due to back spasms.
Paul George led Los Angeles with 32 points. Reggie Jackson took Leonard’s place in the starting lineup and finished with 25 points and seven assists.
Leonard was listed as a starter before the game, but never took the floor during warmups. The team announced late in the first quarter that he had been ruled out.
He has missed seven previous games this season, including two for a mouth laceration, two while in the health and safety protocols and three for a bruised leg.
Leonard’s absence comes with Los Angeles on the tail end of a five-game road trip, which concludes Thursday at Washington. He was coming of f a game in which he played 37 minutes in the Clippers’ loss at Milwaukee on Sunday.
Grizzlies 125, Wizards 111
WASHINGTON — Ja Morant had 35 points and 10 assists, De’anthony Melton and Dillon Brooks each added 20 points, and the Memphis Grizzlies beat the Washington Wizards.
Jonas Valanciunas had 11 points and 16 rebounds for Memphis, which has won back-to-back road games for the first time since winning four in a row away as part of a seven-game win streak from Jan. 8 to
Feb. 1.
After a dominant second quar ter, the Grizzlies led by double digits for all but 44 seconds of the second half to follow a 133-84 victor y at Houston with another comfor table win.
Russell Westbrook had 23 points and 15 assists for the Wizards, but also committed eight of Washington’s 22 turnovers.
Bradley Beal also scored 23 points for Washington, which has lost two in a row after winning seven of eight. Robin Lopez added 14 while hitting all six of his field goal attempts.
Hawks 94, Heat 80
MIAMI — Trae Young scored 18 points, including 13 straight for his team in the four th quar ter, and Atlanta snapped Miami’s six-game winning streak.
John Collins scored 17 for Atlanta, which lost at Miami on Sunday and fired coach Lloyd Pierce on Monday. Kevin Huerter scored 16 for the Hawks and Clint Capela had 10 points and 17 rebounds.
Duncan Robinson and Goran Dragic each scored 14 for Miami, which missed a chance to get over .500 for the first time this season. Bam Adebayo scored 11 for the Heat, who shot 37% — their four th-worst showing of the season.
Miami was outrebounded 47-26, by far its worst margin of the season, and was held to a season-low in points. The Heat were again without Jimmy Butler, who missed his second consecutive game with right knee inflammation.
Spurs 119, Knicks 83
SAN ANTONIO — Trey L yles scored a season-high 18 points, Dejounte Murray added 17 and San Antonio used a balanced effort to end New York’s threegame winning streak.
San Antonio had eight players score at least eight points, with Patty Mills and Luka Samanic each adding 14 points in the Spurs’ seventh straight home victor y over New York.
Immanuel Quickley led New York with 26 points. RJ Barrett added 15 and All-star Julius Randle had 14.
The Knicks had won seven of nine entering Tuesday’s game, but were never able to find a consistent rhythm against the Spurs.