NBA-leading Celtics outlast Pacers 142-138 in OT
Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) gestures after scoring in overtime of the team’s NBA basketball game against the Indiana Pacers in Indianapolis, Thursday, Feb. 23, 2023. The Celtics won 142-138. (AP Photo/AJ Mast).
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Jayson Tatum scored 31 points, including the final four in the last minute of overtime, and the Boston Celtics outlasted the Indiana Pacers 142-138 in the NBA on Thursday night.
Jaylen Brown added 30 points as the Celtics improved the NBA’s best record to 43-17.
It was 138-all with 56.2 seconds left before Tatum hit a pair of free throws. He capped the scoring with a tip-in off the glass with 10.4 seconds to go.
Myles Turner tied his career high with 40 points for Indiana. He made a career-best eight 3-pointers and Indiana shot 22 of 49 overall on 3s.
76ERS 110, GRIZZLIES 105
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Tobias Harris made the go-ahead 3-pointer with 39 seconds left, James Harden scored 31 points, and Joel Embiid had 27 points and 19 rebounds to help Philadelphia 76ers beat Memphis Grizzlies.
The 76ers shrugged off three of their worst quarters of the season to turn in a fantastic fourth that nearly shook the arena with each clutch bucket. Down by nine points late in the game, the Sixers took over.
Desmond Bane scored 25 points for Memphis.
LAKERS 124, WARRIORS 111
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Malik Beasley scored 25 points, Austin Reaves had 17 off the bench and Los Angeles Lakers beat Golden State Warriors.
Beasley, who was acquired from Utah as part of a three-team trade during the Feb. 9 deadline, has two 20-point games in his four starts for the Lakers.
LeBron James had 13 points, but was 5 of 20 from the floor.
Klay Thompson led Golden State with 22 points.
NUGGETS 115, CAVALIERS 109
CLEVELAND (AP) — Nikola Jokic had 24 points, 18 rebounds and 13 assists for his latest triple-double and Michael Porter Jr. scored 25 points, leading Denver Nuggets past Cleveland Cavaliers.
Jokic’s 13th triple-double in 16 games and his NBA-leading 22nd this season helped the Nuggets come out of the All-Star break with an impressive road win over the Cavs, who dropped to 25-7 at home. The Nuggets improved to 22-0 when Jokic gets a triple-double.
Evan Mobley scored 31 points for Cleveland.
MAVERICKS 142, SPURS 116
DALLAS (AP) — Luka Doncic scored 28 points, Kyrie Irving added 23 and the All-Star pair won for the first time together in Dallas, leading the Mavericks past woeful San Antonio Spurs.
The Mavericks had a season high in points while stopping a three-game losing streak in the return from the All-Star break. The Spurs extended their franchise-record skid to 15 games with their 20th loss in 21 games.
The start was delayed about 20 minutes because of moisture on the court. Larger-than-normal crews worked before the game and at halftime to dry the court.
Malaki Branham led San Antonio with 23 points.
JAZZ 120, THUNDER 119, OT
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Lauri Markkanen hit three free throws with 4.6 seconds left in overtime to give Utah the lead and finished with 43 points and 10 rebounds as the Jazz beat Oklahoma City.
Markkanen scored 18 points in the fourth quarter, helping the Jazz rally from a nine-point deficit early in the period. Walker Kessler tipped in a layup with 4.6 seconds remaining to force overtime.
Jordan Clarkson added 24 points and six assists for Utah.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 39 points for Oklahoma City. He missed a potential winning jumper at the overtime buzzer.
RAPTORS 115, PELICANS 110
TORONTO (AP) — Pascal Siakam scored 26 points, Jakob Poeltl had 21 points and a career-high 18 rebounds and Toronto Raptors beat New Orleans Pelicans for their sixth victory in seven games.
Gary Trent Jr. scored 18 points, including a key 3-pointer in the final minute, Scottie Barnes also had 18 and O.G. Anunoby returned from injury with 12 points as the Raptors matched their season high by winning three straight.
Brandon Ingram scored 14 of his 36 points in the fourth for New Orleans.
MAGIC 108, PISTONS 106
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Wendell Carter Jr. tipped in Paolo Banchero’s missed layup at the buzzer to lift Orlando Magic past Detroit Pistons.
Franz Wagner added 21 points, and Carter controlled the boards in the fourth quarter, finishing with 14 points and 14 rebounds.
Jaden Ivey led Detroit with 25 points. He hit a 3-pointer with 4.5 seconds left to tie it.
KINGS 133, TRAIL BLAZERS 116
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — De’Aaron Fox scored 31 points, Domantas Sabonis had his seventh triple-double of the season and Sacramento Kings beat Portland Trail Blazers.
Sabonis had 18 points, 18 rebounds and 10 assists to help the Kings improve to 33-25. Terence Davis scored 20 points off the bench.
Nassir Little scored 26 points for Portland. Damian Lillard (rest), Jermani Grant (rest), Jusuf Nurkic (calf strain), Anfernee Simons (ankle sprain) and Justice Winslow (ankle sprain) were all ruled out before the game.
