INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Jayson Tatum scored 38 points, making a season-high eight 3-pointers, and Jaylen Brown added 31 points as the Boston Celtics beat the Indiana Pacers 118-101 on Saturday night, snapping the Pacers’ six-game winning streak.
Tatum, who also had 13 rebounds and six assists, combined with Brown for 27 of the Celtics’ 46 baskets on a night they shot 51% from the field and never trailed.
“(Indiana) is really good,” Boston coach Joe Mazzulla said. “When we play connected basketball, with physical half-court defense and intentional, poised offense, we play better, and that’s kind of what we did.”
Boston, which came into the game third in the NBA in field-goal percentage defense (.449) and third in rebound rate, limited the Pacers to a season-low point total and outrebounded them 70-42.
Bennedict Mathurin led Indiana with 20 points while All-Star Tyrese Haliburton finished with 17 points, seven assists, six rebounds and five steals.
“We missed a lot of shots,” Haliburton said. “They’re a really good defensive team, but we shot a lot of shots that we like. Just didn’t capitalize on them.”
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JAZZ 120, 76ERS 109
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Lauri Markkanen had 33 points and 13 rebounds, and Collin Sexton added 22 points and 10 assists to lead Utah past Philadelphia.
Reigning MVP and two-time defending scoring champion Joel Embiid missed the game for Philadelphia because of swelling in his left knee.
The 76ers not only suffered a 36-point defeat to the Knicks on Friday, they lost Embiid and also Tobias Harris to an ankle injury. The Sixers also played without key rotation players De’Anthony Melton (lumbar spine soreness) and Robert Covington (illness).
Tyrese Maxey led the 76ers with 25 points and Kelly Oubre Jr. had 24. Philadelphia fell to 2-6 without Embiid.
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KNICKS 121, WIZARDS 105
WASHINGTON (AP) — Julius Randle scored 39 points, Jalen Brunson had 33 and New York won its fourth straight game, beating Washington.
Coming off an impressive 128-92 win at Philadelphia on Friday night, the Knicks (21-15) led throughout and had a 60-34 lead late in the first half, causing the thousands of New York fans in Washington to loudly chant: “Let’s go Knicks! Let’s go Knicks!”
Randle’s 39 points were two off his season high. Isaiah Hartenstein had 19 rebounds for the Knicks.
Kyle Kuzma scored 27 points but the Wizards lost their fourth straight. Deni Avdija had 23.
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ROCKETS 112, BUCKS 108
HOUSTON (AP) — Alperen Sengun scored 21 points and Houston overcame 48 points from Giannis Antetokounmpo to beat Milwaukee.
Antetokounmpo shot 16 of 25 from the field and added 17 rebounds in his seventh straight double-double. But the Bucks lost for the third time in four games to start 2024 after going 11-2 in December.
Jalen Green scored 16 points for Houston. Fred VanVleet had 14 points and seven assists, and Jabari Smith Jr. added 14 points and 12 rebounds.