NBA: Buzzer-beating Boston force Miami to game seven

MIAMI  -- With a dramatic buzzer-beater from Derrick White, the Boston Celtics forced their NBA Eastern Conference Finals series with the Miami Heat to a winner-take-all game seven in a heart-stopping 104-103 win in South Florida on Saturday.

The Celtics became just the fourth team in NBA history to level a best-of-seven playoff series after trailing 3-0.

They will now have a chance on Monday to mark an even more impressive milestone if they can become the first team to win a series after losing the opening three games and earn a place in the final against the Denver Nuggets.

It was a crushing loss for Miami, who were less than a second away from reaching their seventh NBA Final before White's inspired touch.

The Celtics had led for most of the contest but Miami looked to have grabbed the win and the series when Jimmy Butler was fouled, attempting a three-point shot, by Boston's Al Horford.

With three seconds left on the clock, Butler, who had been well below-par until he came alive late in the fourth quarter, kept his cool to sink all three free throws and give the Heat a 103-102 lead.

Facing elimination, Marcus Smart's three-point attempt bounced off the rim, but White was alert and strong to tip the rebound into the bucket, the shot leaving his fingertips only a fraction of a second before the buzzer.

The Miami crowd were distraught as the Celtics celebrated in a huddle on the court.

"Ball came to me, I made the shot. That's what I saw," said White, reflecting on the game-winning moment.

"It felt good. Everybody was asking me, 'did you get it off?' And I was like, 'yeah, I think so,' but it was so close, you never know," he said.

"I'm happy we won. Whatever it takes. We got our backs against the wall. Just happy we won."

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra rued his team's luck on the decisive final play.

"That thing just bounced a different way. That's the only place it could have bounced to hurt us. I thought we had a lot of things covered on that play and sometimes things just don't break your way," he said.

Jayson Tatum led Boston with 31 points and had 11 rebounds and five assists, while Jaylen Brown came up with 26 points and 10 rebounds.

Butler went into the fourth quarter with just nine points but ended with 24, while Caleb Martin provided 21 points for Miami.

Butler shot just 5-of-21 and took responsibility for Miami's situation.

"I told the guys in the locker room, if I play better we are not even in this position," said Butler, who vowed to be back to his best in game seven.

- 'To hell and back' -

The Celtics had led by 11 points midway through the second quarter as Miami struggled at both ends of the court, but the Heat rallied to reduce the deficit to 57-53 at half-time.

Boston opened up another double-figure lead in the third, but once more couldn't quite shrug off Miami, and the Heat found a way to grab the lead with a Butler tip lay-up making it 83-82 with 7:57 left in the fourth.

But the Celtics responded strongly with a 16-5 run before the late drama began to unfold, with Butler scoring 10 points to give Miami the lead with three seconds to go.

Butler was philosophical in defeat.

"That's basketball for you. Basketball at its finest. Very, very, very entertaining," he said.

"We can do it. I know that we will do it. We've got to go on the road and win in a very, very, very tough environment. But we are capable of it. So let's get busy."

The momentum is clearly with Boston after yet again roaring back from a possible exit.

"It gives you a supreme boost in confidence, man. It doesn't get too much worse than being down 0-3. We feel like we've been to hell and back," said Brown.

"We feel like we can face any adversity that gets thrown at us in the duration of the game or the duration of the season or in the postseason. It all means nothing if we don't come out and give our best effort on our home floor on Monday night."

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NBA: Tatum propels Celtics to Game 7 win over Sixers for Eastern Conference finals berth

LOS ANGELES -- Jayson Tatum poured in an historic 51 points on Sunday to lead the Boston Celtics to a 112-88 Game 7 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers and into the NBA Eastern Conference finals.

Tatum added 13 rebounds five assists and a couple of steals and the Celtics' suffocating defense neutralized newly minted NBA Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid as Boston booked a return date with the Miami Heat -- the team they beat in seven games in last year's conference finals.

Jaylen Brown added 25 points for Boston, who broke open a close game in the third quarter as they out-scored the 76ers 33-10.

Philadelphia went six minutes of the period without a basket and trailed by 26 heading into the fourth, when Boston pushed the lead to 30 with less than four minutes to play.

His 51 points eclipsed the game-seven record of 50 set by Golden State's Stephen Curry against the Sacramento Kings in the first round this month.

It was a bounce-back performance for Tatum, who struggled for long stretches in the series and endured a horrific shooting night until drilling four crucial three-pointers in the fourth quarter of the Celtics' series-extending game-six win on Thursday.

He began fashioning his game-seven masterpiece in the opening minutes.

The 76ers turned an early six-point deficit into a 29-23 lead through one quarter, while a nip-and-tuck second period saw the Celtics up 55-52 at halftime.

Then the Celtics blew it wide open in the third. Tatum scored 17 points in the period, draining four of his six three-pointers as the shell-shocked 76ers struggled, and failed, to find a response.

"Going into game six I was too locked-in, I was too tight, thinking about what I need to do, how many points I need to score," Tatum said.

After a lighthearted practice on Saturday, Tatum said he was more himself.

"That's when I play my best is when I'm having fun."

It was another crushing playoff exit for the 76ers and Embiid, who was held to 15 points on five-of-18 shooting.

Philadelphia's Doc Rivers fell to 6-10 in game sevens as a coach. That's the most game seven defeats of any NBA coach in history and Rivers remained without a game-seven win on the road in his coaching career.

The 76ers had the third-best regular-season record behind the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston, but even with Embiid enjoying an MVP season it failed to translate into post-season success.

They have reached the playoffs for six straight seasons but haven't made it out of the second round.

Tobias Harris led the 76ers with 19 points but Boston limited the Sixers to 37.3% shooting from the floor and harried them into 14 turnovers.

- Turnover trouble -

Star guard James Harden scored just nine, making three of his 11 shots from the field.

Boston veteran Al Horford did a terrific job guarding Embiid. He scored just six points but grabbed 10 rebounds with two steals and three blocked shots.

Rivers said the rot set in for the 76ers in the second quarter.

"We were playing so well. We trusted, the ball was moving, and then we had I think it was three or four turnovers in a row," Rivers said.

Rivers pointed to a flagrant foul called on Harden after his arm hit Brown in the face as the ball slipped out of Harden's hands on a layup attempt.

Instead of going up by 10, the Sixers gave up the ball.

"After that, we never played right again," Rivers said.

The Celtics will host the Heat in game one of the Eastern Conference finals on Wednesday with an NBA Finals berth on the line.

Last year the Heat were the top seeds in the East. This year they are the first eighth-seeded team to reach the conference finals since the 1999 Knicks.

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NBA: Tatum comes through as Celtics hold off 76ers to level series

Jayson Tatum scored 16 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter as the Boston Celtics held off the Philadelphia 76ers, 95-86, on Thursday to force a decisive Game 7 in their NBA playoff series.

The star Boston forward was enduring a dismal shooting night, making just one of 13 attempts from the floor through the first three quarters before erupting with four three-pointers in the final period as the Celtics thwarted Philadelphia's rally bid and leveled their Eastern Conference semifinal at three games apiece.

They'll host Game 7 on Sunday, trying to deny the Sixers a first trip to the conference finals since 2001.

James Harden epitomized the 76ers' offensive struggles. He scored 13 points on four-of-13 shooting while newly minted NBA Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid scored 26 points with 10 rebounds.

Tatum, who averaged 30.1 points per game in the regular season, said he never lost confidence even as he struggled.

"It's a long game," Tatum told broadcaster ESPN. "Thankfully I've got some great teammates that held it down."

Marcus Smart led the Celtics with 22 points. Jaylen Brown added 17 and Malcolm Brogdon scored 16 off the bench.

Even amid Tatum's troubles the Celtics raced to a 15-3 lead, Smart and Brogdon carrying the early load before the Sixers began to find their feet.

Philadelphia cut the deficit to three points before the Celtics pulled away again, pushing their advantage to 16 points twice in the second period.

But the Sixers clawed back, taking advantage of 17 Celtics turnovers and finally taking the lead on two free throws from Harden that put them up 64-62 with less than five minutes remaining in the third quarter.

Philadelphia led 73-71 going into the final frame and were up by two when Tatum made his first three-pointer of the game to put Boston ahead.

Tatum then drilled a step-back three-pointer over Tyrese Maxey.

Another pair from beyond the arc pushed the Celtics' lead to 11 points with 37.6 seconds remaining.

"All that mattered was we won this game," said Tatum, who also had seven rebounds, six assists, a steal and two blocked shots. "It's game seven, it doesn't get any better than that."

Later Thursday, the banged-up Phoenix Suns tried to fend off elimination when they hosted Western Conference top seeds Denver in Game 6 of their series.

Phoenix were again without veteran point guard Chris Paul, who missed games three four and five after suffering a groin injury in game two. Center Deandre Ayton was ruled out with a rib injury that has reportedly affected his breathing while All-Star guard Devin Booker went into the contest nursing an ankle injury.

The Nuggets, who routed the Suns on Tuesday to take a 3-2 lead in the series behind a 29-point triple-double from Nikola Jokic, listed ailing Jamal Murray as questionable.

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Celtics spoil Embiid MVP moment, grab 2-1 playoff series lead

LOS ANGELES -- Jayson Tatum scored 27 points to lead six Boston players in double figures on Friday as the Celtics beat the Philadelphia 76ers 114-102 to take a 2-1 lead in their NBA Eastern Conference semifinal series.

Jaylen Brown added 23 points and Al Horford scored 17 for the Celtics, who regained home court advantage with a second straight victory after dropping game one in Boston.

They kept the momentum going on an emotional night in Philadelphia, where Sixers center Joel Embiid accepted his Most Valuable Player trophy from NBA commissioner Adam Silver in a pregame ceremony.

Embiid scored 30 points with 13 rebounds and four blocked shots in his second game back from a sprained knee.

But teammates James Harden and Tyrese Maxey struggled. Harden connected on just three of 14 shots on the way to 16 points while Maxey scored 13 points on 4-for-16 shooting.

Geared up for the hostile environment at the Wells Fargo Center, the Celtics got off to a quick start, powering to a 14-4 lead.

Tatum, who scored just seven points in game two, bounced back with a vengeance adding 10 rebounds five assists, two steals and a blocked shot, putting up 10 points in the first fur minutes.

The Sixers, however, kept it close and led by one after the first quarter.

They couldn't maintain momentum, however. They were down by seven at halftime and never led after the break.

Embiid's tip-in basket with 3:51 remaining pulled Philadelphia within four points, but Horford responded with a three-pointer and Tatum sank a turnaround basket and the Celtics were up by nine again.

Philadelphia fans were soon heading for the exits, a disappointing end to a night that began with loud chants of "M-V-P" for Cameroon's Embiid, who received his trophy with his parents standing by, and addressed spectators holding his toddler son, Arthur -- clad in a "My dad is the MVP" shirt.

"Honestly, he's the main reason why I'm really here," Embiid said "Becoming a father really changed my whole life. I just wanted to show him a good example."

The Celtics made sure the feel-good moment didn't last.

"We knew we could win," Tatum told broadcaster ESPN. "This is a great team, the crowd's electric, you love being in that environment.

"But we are not surprised. To win a championship you've got to win one on the road. We'll take it."

In the second game of the day's double-header, the Phoenix Suns aimed to turn things around on their home floor against the top-seeded Nuggets, who won the first two games of their Western Conference semifinal in Denver.

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Celtics hold off Hawks to advance in NBA playoffs

Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum combined for 62 points and the Boston Celtics clamped down late to hold off the Atlanta Hawks in a 128-120 thriller on Thursday to win their NBA Eastern Conference first-round playoff series.

The Celtics, trying to get back to the NBA Finals after falling last season to the Golden State Warriors, won the best-of-seven series, 4-2, to line up a conference semi-final showdown with a Philadelphia 76ers team led by Joel Embiid and James Harden.

Trae Young, hero of the Hawks' 119-117 come-from-behind victory in Game 5 that extended the series on Tuesday, scored 30 points with 10 assists.

But Young ran out of gas in the second half, scoring just five points after the break and finishing the game nine-for-28 from the field.

Brown scored 32 points and Tatum had 30 for the Celtics, who used an 11-0 run in the fourth quarter to finally take control of a game that featured 22 lead changes and was tied 15 times.

"I think in that fourth quarter, four minutes left, we made winning plays," Tatum told broadcaster TNT. "We talked about it before the game -- do whatever it takes."

The lead changed hands seven times in the fourth quarter alone. Former Hawk Al Horford put the Celtics up for good with a three-pointer with 3:35 remaining.

Tatum followed with another three-pointer, Brown produced a block and Tatum slammed home a Horford miss to cap the 11-0 run that had the Celtics up by eight with 2:07 to play.

Atlanta wouldn't get the deficit below five points the rest of the way.

Marcus Smart scored 22 points, Malcolm Brogdon added 17 off the bench and Horford chipped in 10 for the Celtics.

"I thought Smart was tremendous, especially late in the fourth quarter," Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said. "He got us organized and then he was kind of the triggerman. They were blitzing, he made the right plays."

Young, whose 38 points in Game 5 included a game-winning three-pointer, said he just couldn't shake Smart in the second half.

"Marcus was being way more aggressive," Young said. "In the second half he was more just connected to me. They picked up the physicality. It was tough."

In the end, Hawks coach Quin Snyder said, the Celtics were just too much.

"Obviously Tatum and Brown were a handful, which we expect," Snyder said. "We blitzed their pick and roll, we hit them on the dribble, hit them on the pass and when we didn't they were able to make plays. When we did, you're susceptible to the three."

The Celtics made 18 of their 42 three-point attempts, Brown draining six from beyond the arc and every Boston starter making at least one trey.

Even so, Snyder said, "we were right there. It's a tough game."

Added Young: "You've just got to tip your cap sometimes and give credit where it's due."

The second-seeded Celtics, the highest seeds left in the East after the Miami Heat's upset of the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks, host the third-seeded 76ers in game one on Monday.

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NBA: Tatum stars as Celtics hold off Bulls, Nuggets and Grizzlies win

LOS ANGELES -- Jayson Tatum scored 32 points to help the Boston Celtics hold off the determined Chicago Bulls on Monday and reach the midway point of their NBA season with the best record in the league.

Grant Williams added 20 points, Jaylen Brown scored 19 and Al Horford's eight included a crucial three-pointer with 25.5 seconds remaining in Boston's 107-99 home victory.

The Celtics pushed their record to 29-12 after their first 41 games of the 82-game campaign.

Meanwhile Denver and Memphis remained neck and neck atop the West, the Nuggets beating the short-handed Los Angeles Lakers 122-109 and the Grizzlies downing the San Antonio Spurs 121-113.

Boston, who were stunned by the Oklahoma City Thunder and had to fight to hold off the rebuilding Spurs on their recent road trip, again let a big lead slip but managed to hold on.

After Chicago star DeMar DeRozan departed with a thigh injury in the third quarter the Celtics stretched their lead to as many as 16 thanks to a strong offensive showing from Tatum.

But the Bulls, with Zach LaVine scoring 15 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter, sliced the deficit to two points in the closing minutes.

Horford's three-pointer, off a feed from Tatum, pushed the lead back to five points with 25.5 seconds left and after LaVine missed a three-pointer Tatum threw down a two-handed dunk, drawing a foul and making the free-throw as Boston clinched the win.

"It's all about trusting your teammates," Tatum said of the pass to Horford as he himself was double-teamed. "Al made a big-time shot."

Tatum said that despite Chicago's modest 19-22 record it was a good win.

"That's a tough team," he said. "Well coached, they play hard, they're long, athletic. So that's a big win."

In Memphis, the Grizzlies were without top scorer Ja Morant for a second straight game because of a sore right thigh.

But with 24 points from stand-in Tyus Jones and 16 from Jaren Jackson they snuffed out a late Spurs charge.

Tre Jones, Tyus's brother, led San Antonio with 18 points and Josh Richardson scored 16 for the Spurs, who trailed by as many as 16 in the first half.

After trimming the deficit in the third quarter the Spurs twice took the lead early in the fourth.

They were up by five on Richardson's tip-in with 9:19 to play but the Grizzlies managed to turn the tide and pull away, improving to 27-13 for the season.

That's the same record as the Nuggets, whose two-time reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic posted his 11th triple-double of the season with 14 points, 11 rebounds and 16 assists in their victory over the Lakers.

Jokic was a perfect five-for-five from the floor. Jamal Murray, who missed all of last season with a torn knee ligament, scored a season-high 34 points for the Nuggets, who have won 11 straight at home.

- Sore ankle sidelines James -

Lakers superstar LeBron James sat out with a sore left ankle, joining injured Anthony Davis on the sidelines. The banged-up Lakers also lost Patrick Beverley to a hip injury at halftime.

Russell Westbrook led the Lakers with 25 points off the bench and Thomas Bryant added 17 points and 10 rebounds, but Los Angeles' five-game winning streak ended.

Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks rallied for a 111-107 victory over the Knicks in New York, erasing a 17-point deficit to end the Knicks' four-game winning streak.

The Knicks did a good job of containing Antetokounmpo, who led the Bucks with 22 points, 10 rebounds and five assists.

But seven Milwaukee players scored in double figures and the Bucks drained 19 three-pointers -- 12 of them in the second half.

Brook Lopez scored 17 for Milwaukee and Joe Ingles added 17 off the bench.

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Tatum scores 34 as Celtics hold off Spurs, Doncic leads Mavs

LOS ANGELES -- Jayson Tatum scored 34 points, including a go-ahead basket with 33.7 seconds remaining on Saturday as the Boston Celtics escaped San Antonio with a 121-116 victory over the tenacious Spurs.

While the Celtics followed up a dominant victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday, the Mavs bounced back with a 127-117 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans with the help of a triple-double from Luka Doncic.

The Celtics improved their league-best record to 28-12 as they finished up a 2-2 road trip -- but it looked harder than it needed to be against a rebuilding San Antonio squad.

Jaylen Brown added 29 points, and Malcom Brogdon scored 23 off the bench, his contribution gaining importance after Marcus Smart exited early with an injury.

Robert Williams scored 10 points, pulled down 11 rebounds and blocked four shots for the Celtics, who led by 11 midway through the fourth quarter.

The scrappy Spurs -- who had 18 points apiece from Zach Collins, Tre Jones and Josh Richardson - tied it up at 116-116 on Richardson's three-pointer with 37.4 seconds remaining.

Tatum's step-back basket -- off a pass from former Spur Derrick White -- restored Boston's lead, and three Celtics free throws sealed it.

"There's obviously a lot of stuff tactically we can work on," said Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla, who nevertheless insisted he was happy to see his team work through adversity to get the win.

"We needed a game like this, to where it's back and forth, things aren't going our way, they are going our way -- you don't get a lot of those."

"It's easier to say that because we won," he acknowledged. "But I'm happy the game went the way it did because we got to execute some stuff."

Boston had opened their four-game road-trip with defeats at Denver and Oklahoma City before routing the Mavericks in Dallas on Thursday on the back of Tatum's second career triple-double.

In Dallas, Doncic rebounded from one of his worst games of the season -- a 23-point performance on seven-for-23 shooting against Boston -- with 34 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.

The Slovenian star notched his 55th career triple-double and his ninth this season, one behind the league-leading 10 of Denver's Nikola Jokic. 

No one else has more than three triple-doubles so far this season.

Center Jonas Valanciunas scored 25 points to lead the Pelicans, who were without injured Zion Williamson and Malcolm Brogdon and resting CJ McCollum.

- Magic down depleted Warriors -

The NBA champion Golden State Warriors, still without injured Stephen Curry and with Klay Thompson sitting out with a sore knee, suffered a rare home defeat, falling 115-101 to the Orlando Magic.

Rookie Paolo Banchero scored 25 points to lead five Magic players in double figures.

Anthony Lamb led Golden State with 26 points off the bench, but the Warriors coughed up 16 turnovers and connected on just 33 of 88 shots from the field -- including just 18 of 58 three-point attempts.

Franz Wagner added 24 points for the Magic, who won on Golden State's home court for the first time since December of 2012.

The Warriors lost back-to-back games at home for the first time this campaign, their fourth defeat at the Chase Center dropping them to 20-20 for the season.

In Chicago, DeMar DeRozan scored 36 points and Zach Lavine added 35 to lead the Bulls to a third straight victory, 126-118 over the Utah Jazz.

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NBA: Celtics edge Lakers in overtime

LOS ANGELES -- Jayson Tatum and the NBA-leading Boston Celtics thwarted a furious late rally by the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday to win 122-118 in overtime and snap a two-game skid.

The Celtics bounced back from defeats to the Golden State Warriors in San Francisco and the Clippers in Los Angeles, but they needed every ounce of energy and will to avoid their first three-game losing streak this season.

"Oh, man, last game of the road trip, we've been going for, like, 13 days, second night of a back-to-back," Tatum said. "But we found a way.

"We needed that," added Tatum, whose 44 points included a game-tying turnaround jumper over LeBron James that sent the contest to overtime. "We found a way to get back on track."

Jaylen Brown added 25 points and grabbed 15 rebounds and Marcus Smart scored 18 points for the Celtics, who appeared headed to victory when they took a 20-point lead on Tatum's floater with 6:57 left in the third quarter.

But the Lakers, with 37 points from Anthony Davis and 33 from James, roared back, putting together an 18-0 run from late in the third that was capped by a James three-pointer that put Los Angeles up by four with 8:55 remaining in the fourth quarter.

The Lakers pushed their lead to 13 points before the weary Celtics were able to respond.

Russell Westbrook put the Lakers up by four with two quick baskets to open overtime, but the Celtics scored on four straight possessions to take the lead for good.

"It was big," Tatum said of the win, which pushed Boston's league-best record to 22-7. "(It) showed the character of our team."

Agence France-Presse

Celtics rip Suns in NBA showdown while Morant has triple double

WASHINGTON -- Boston's Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum turned a matchup of NBA conference leaders into a rout on Wednesday while Ja Morant's triple double sparked the Memphis Grizzlies over Oklahoma City.

Tatum and Brown each scored 25 points as the Celtics improved the NBA's best record to 21-5 with a 125-98 blowout victory at Western Conference leader Phoenix.

Boston stayed two games atop Milwaukee in the Eastern Conference while Phoenix fell to 16-9 and a half-game behind New Orleans (16-8) in the West.

The Suns trailed 69-42 at halftime, their largest deficit of the season to that point, and by as many as 45 points in the third quarter.

"We were just really connected," Tatum said. "We're just making the right plays. We hit a lot of shots tonight."

The Celtics, who lost to Golden State in last season's NBA Finals, improved to 10-3 on the road.

"We're happy with the way we're playing," Tatum said. "But we're far from satisfied. This doesn't mean anything if we don't get back to where we want to get to (the NBA Finals) and get over that hump.

"It's a long process but we're trending in the right direction."

Phoenix welcomed back guard Chris Paul, who missed a month with a heel injury. He had four points, four rebounds and four assists.

Morant, meanwhile, delivered a triple double with 26 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists to lead host Memphis over the Thunder 123-102.

It was a club-record sixth career triple double for the 23-year-old US guard.

"It means a lot," Morant said. "A lot of credit goes to my teammates and my coaches putting me in positions to excel at a high level.

"We knew rebounding was important. I took it upon myself early on, I think I had seven early. Every other stat was from my teammates. Them knocking down shots opened up shots for me on the floor as well."

Memphis allowed only 15 points in the fourth quarter.

"It was pretty much just locking in, getting stops and rebounds," Morant said. "We've got to continue fighting and play hard."

Greek star Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 35 points and added six rebounds and seven assists while Jrue Holiday contributed 31 points in Milwaukee's 126-113 victory over visiting Sacramento. The Bucks improved the NBA's second-best record to 18-6.

Kyrie Irving scored a game-high 33 points with nine assists, five rebounds and four blocked shots while Kevin Durant added 29 points, nine rebounds and eight assists in Brooklyn's 122-116 home victory over Charlotte.

- Jazz edge Golden State -

Simone Fontecchio made the winning basket with 1.4 seconds remaining to give Utah a 124-123 home victory over the Golden State Warriors.

Golden State's Jordan Poole scored a game-high 36 points but his bad pass set up the Italian forward's decisive inside shot.

Jordan Clarkson led the Jazz with 22 points while Fontecchio added 18 off the bench.

Zion Williamson scored 29 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to spark New Orleans over Detroit 104-98. The host Pelicans took the West lead with their fifth consecutive victory.

D'Angelo Russell scored a game-high 28 points and Frenchman Rudy Gobert added 16 points and 21 rebounds to power Minnesota's 121-115 home win over Indiana.

Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet each scored 25 points to lead the Toronto Raptors over the visiting Los Angeles Lakers 126-113.

The Lakers, without Anthony Davis due to illness and LeBron James with a sore ankle, were led by German guard Dennis Schroder's 18 points.

Orlando's Paolo Banchero made six free throws in the last seven seconds of overtime to give the Magic a 116-111 home triumph over the Los Angeles Clippers.

Italian-American Banchero scored a game-high 23 points and went 13-of-14 from the free throw line.

Chicago defeated visiting Washington 115-111 behind 27 points from DeMar DeRozan while Julius Randle had 34 points and 17 rebounds to lead New York over visiting Atlanta 113-89.

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Tatum leads Celtics over Raptors, Pacers beat Warriors

LOS ANGELES -- Jayson Tatum scored 17 of his 31 points in the third quarter on Monday as the Boston Celtics earned an impressive 116-110 victory over the Raptors in Toronto.

Trailing 62-56 at halftime, the Celtics out-scored the Raptors 35-18 in the third period to take a nine-point lead, pushing their advantage to as many as 13 in the fourth as they handed the Raptors just their third home defeat.

The NBA champion Golden State Warriors also suffered a rare home defeat, falling 112-104 to the Indiana Pacers -- the Warriors' second loss this season at the Chase Center in San Francisco.

Andrew Nembhard scored 31 points to lead six Pacers players in double figures.

Klay Thompson's 28 points led the Warriors as star Stephen Curry endured a tough shooting night, connecting on three of 17 attempts on the way to 12 points.

"I just thought they came in, out-played us," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. "Out-coached us."

In Toronto, the Celtics improved their league-best record to 20-5.

They lead the Eastern Conference by two games over the Milwaukee Bucks, who beat the Orlando Magic 109-102 on the back of 34 points and 13 rebounds from Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Tatum scored 17 of his 31 in the third quarter and Jaylen Brown added 22 points as Boston posted their seventh win in eight games -- despite the absence of injured Al Horford and ailing Malcolm Brogdon.

Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart added 18 points and Blake Griffin's 13 included a tip-in off a Tatum miss that pushed Boston's lead to 115-108 with 26.8 seconds remaining.

Tatum said the Celtics told themselves at halftime to "figure it out."

"Second night of a back-to-back, against a team that plays really well at home," he said. "We were just playing too slow. We were worried about the officiating too much, and we just wanted to change that."

Tatum said it's the kind of win the Celtics need if they're to return to the NBA Finals and claim the title that eluded them against Golden State last season.

"When we put our minds to it, we can beat anybody," he said.

In Orlando, the Bucks shook off a sluggish start on the way to a 54-45 halftime lead and never trailed after the interval, withstanding a late push that saw the Magic cut the deficit to four points with 2:20 remaining.

Philadelphia's James Harden returned from injury against his old team in Houston, but the struggling Rockets spoiled his night with a 132-123 double-overtime victory over the 76ers.

The Sixers had hoped Harden's return after missing 14 games with a foot injury would help them reverse their fortunes after two road defeats.

But he looked rusty in connecting on just four of 19 shots from the field on the way to 21 points, seven assists and seven turnovers.

Joel Embiid led the 76ers with a game-high 39 points. He grabbed seven rebounds with two blocked shots before fouling out in overtime.

Jalen Green scored 27 points for Houston and Kevin Porter Jr. added 24.

- Leonard lifts Clippers -

Los Angeles Clippers stars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George returned from injury and made an immediate impact in a 119-117 victory over the Hornets in Charlotte.

George, who missed seven straight games with a hamstring strain, led the Clippers with 19 points and Leonard added 16 -- including a game-tying put-back basket and the game-winning step-back jump shot with 1.4 seconds remaining.

"It felt good," said Leonard, a two-time NBA champion who had missed the previous six games with a sprained right ankle. "My teammates trusted me."

In Dallas, the Mavericks seized control with a 33-15 first quarter and never let up in a 130-111 victory over the Western Conference-leading Phoenix Suns.

Luka Doncic scored 33 points and Spencer Dinwiddie added 21 for the Mavs.

Deandre Ayton scored 20 points for Phoenix and Devin Booker, who had averaged 39 points over the Suns' previous four games, scored 11.

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Celtics notch eighth straight win

LOS ANGELES -- Boston's bench came up big Wednesday to help the Celtics notch an eighth straight NBA victory, 126-101 over the Hawks in Atlanta.

Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 22 points and his fellow All-Star Jayson Tatum added 19, but Brown said it was the 44 points from the Boston reserves that ultimately made the difference.

"They won the game," Brown said after Sam Hauser and Luke Kornet scored 15 points apiece off the bench and Payton Pritchard added 14.

"Me and JT played decent, but our bench carried us and carried our team."

Brown said the reserves' contribution made up for the injury absences of Marcus Smart and Malcolm Brogdon.

The Celtics went into the contest leading the NBA in three-pointers made per game and knocked down 21 as a team.

Trae Young led the Hawks with 27 points, but the Eastern Conference-leading Celtics held Atlanta to just 41.6% shooting in a dominant performance.

"We just play the game the right way," Brown said. "We play solid ball, we try to get everyone involved. We've got a really good team from top to bottom."

Oklahoma City guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander grabbed the game-winning three-pointer in the Thunder's 121-120 come-from-behind victory over the Wizards in Washington.

The Thunder trailed by 17 in the first quarter and were down by 13 at the half, but clawed their way back in a game that featured 15 lead changes.

Bradley Beal put the Wizards up 120-118 with a fadeaway jumper with 6.7 seconds remaining.

But Gilgeous-Alexander had the answer with a step-back trey with 1.9 seconds on the clock.

The Wizards had one more possession, but an inbounds pass lofted across the court toward Beal was sent out of bounds by Lu Dort as time expired.

"We gave them a little bit of a lead tonight and we had to fight to get back," Gilgeous-Alexander, who matched his career-high with 42 points -- 30 of them in the second half -- said in a post-game television interview.

He added six rebounds and seven assists for his third straight game of at least 35 points and five assists.

"Feels good," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "Last week or so, same situation, we didn't close the game out the way we wanted to. We've learned from it, and we got better. That's our goal every day."

Beal, returning from a five-game absence because of Covid protocols, scored 25 points. Kristaps Porzingis led Washington with 27, but the Wizards' four-game win streak ended.

- Hornets' Ball limps out -

In Toronto, O.G. Anunoby scored a season-high 32 points and pulled down 10 rebounds to lead the Raptors in a 112-104 victory over Miami that snapped the Heat's three-game winning streak.

The Indiana Pacers stung the Hornets 125-113 in Charlotte, a defeat made even more painful for the hosts when guard LaMelo Ball, who missed the first 13 games of the season, reinjured his left ankle with a couple of minutes remaining when he stepped on a fan's foot trying to chase down a loose ball.

Ball led the Hornets with 26 points, 16 in the second half, and made five three-pointers before departing.

Tyrese Haliburton scored 22 points and handed out 11 assists and Myles Turner added 20 points for the Pacers, who won for the sixth time in eight games.

The Minnesota Timberwolves romped to a 126-108 victory over the injury depleted Magic in Orlando.

Minnesota's Anthony Edwards led all scorers with 35 points and Karl-Anthony Towns added 30 for the Timberwolves, who led 42-24 after the first quarter and rolled from there.

The Magic were without number one draft pick Paolo Banchero for a fourth straight game,

They still managed to reduce a 27-point deficit to nine in the fourth quarter before the T-Wolves relentlessly pulled away again.

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Celtics down Thunder to stretch win streak to seven

WASHINGTON -- Jayson Tatum scored 27 points and Jaylen Brown added 26 to lead the Boston Celtics over Oklahoma City 126-122 on Monday, stretching their NBA win streak to seven games.

Marcus Smart added 22 points, Al Horford had 12 points and 11 rebounds and Tatum also contributed 10 rebounds as the Celtics improved to 11-3 on the season while the Thunder fell to 6-8.

The Celtics, down by seven at halftime and after three quarters, outscored Oklahoma City 37-26 in the fourth quarter to rally for the victory, with Derrick White coming off the bench to score 16 points.

"I thought our bench did a great job of bringing the energy and picking us up," Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said.

Payton Pritchard added 10 points and two steals in a reserve role.

"We were a little sluggish starting this game," he said. "I think the second half we just wanted to come out, pressure the ball, make them uncomfortable and that led to points on the other end.

"Stay being resilient. That's what it is. Got to be resilient always."

Boston moved atop the Eastern Conference after the Milwaukee Bucks fell to 10-3 with a 121-106 home loss to Atlanta.

De'Andre Hunter led the Hawks with 24 points while Trae Young added 21 points and nine assists for Atlanta, which improved to 9-5. Dejounte Murray and Clint Capela each added 19 points and Capela had 10 rebounds for the Hawks.

Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 27 points and added eight rebounds and four assists.

Bam Adebayo scored 30 points to lead seven Miami scorers in double figures as the Heat edged visiting Phoenix 113-112. Adebayo, who grabbed 10 rebounds, was 9-of-18 from the floor and 12-of-14 from the free throw line.

Adebayo's jumper with 58 seconds remaining gave Miami a 111-110 edge but Cameron Payne answered to give Phoenix a 112-111 lead.

Adebayo was fouled by Deandre Ayton and hit two free throws with 35 seconds remaining to give the Heat their final victory margin.

Payne missed a late jumper and Devin Booker, who led Phoenix with 25 points, missed a 3-pointer in the last two seconds to end the Suns' final hope.

Jimmy Butler added 16 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists for Miami.

Canadian guard Dalano Banton scored 27 points to lead the Toronto Raptors to a 115-111 triumph at Detroit.

Paul George had 22 points and a game-high eight rebounds to lead the Los Angeles Clippers to a 122-106 victory at Houston.

Reggie Jackson and reserve Norman Powell each added 17 points for the Clippers while Jalen Green scored a game-high 25 points for the Rockets.

Mason Plumlee scored 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds while LaMelo Ball and Terry Rozier each added 17 to spark Charlotte over host Orlando 112-105.

Ball also had a game-high nine assists while Franz Wagner scored a game-high 23 points in a losing cause.

Agence France-Presse

NBA Finals tied, as Curry leads Warriors past Celtics in Game 4

Stephen Curry produced a dazzling 43-point display as the Golden State Warriors battled past the Boston Celtics 107-97 to level the NBA Finals series at 2-2 on Saturday (Manila time).

With the Warriors needing a victory at Boston's TD Garden to avoid going down 3-1 in the best-of-seven series, Curry delivered one of the best performances of his glittering career to reignite Golden State's hopes of a seventh championship.

Curry had entered game four with concerns swirling over his fitness after suffering a knock to his foot in the Warriors game three defeat on Wednesday.

But the 34-year-old two-time NBA Most Valuable Player emphatically laid to rest any doubts about his fitness as he single-handedly hauled Golden State back into the finals with game five back in San Francisco on Monday.

Curry finished with 43 points, 10 rebounds and four assists on a night when Golden State again struggled to find their offensive rhythm for long periods against a powerful Boston line-up.

Klay Thompson added 18 points for the Warriors while Andrew Wiggins produced 17 points and 16 rebounds in a crucial contribution. Jordan Poole added 14 from the bench.

"A lot of pride in our group, a lot of talk over the last 48 hours about how we can get back into this series," said Curry. 

"It's crazy because I still feel we can play a little bit better. But to win on the road and get home court advantage back, is big for this group. We've been here six times, we've got a lot of experience of staying confident and composed. 

"I'm just thankful for everyone on our team because we brought a lot of toughness and physicality tonight.

"We knew how big this game was. For us to come out and do what we did and go home. That five-and-a-half hour flight home got a little better after tonight."

- Green struggles -

Warriors coach Steve Kerr, meanwhile, took the bold decision to remove Draymond Green from the fray during the fourth quarter before returning him to the court for the closing passage of play.

Green again struggled on offense with only two points but finished with nine rebounds, eight assists and four steals.

But the undeniable man of the hour was once again Curry, a model of clear-headed composure as bedlam raged around Boston’s raucous arena.

"Just stunning," was how Kerr described Curry's performance. "The physicality out there is, you know, pretty dramatic. I mean, Boston's got obviously, best defense in the league.

"Huge and powerful at every position, and for Steph to take that -- that kind of pressure all game long and still be able to defend at the other end when they are coming at him shows you, I think, this is the strongest physically he's ever been in his career, and it's allowing him to do what he's doing."

Boston had led by four points at 94-90 with just under five minutes remaining before a Wiggins layup and a Thompson three-pointer put Golden State up 95-94. Curry then extended the lead with a layup to make it 97-94 before driving in the dagger with a three-pointer to leave the Warriors 100-94 ahead.

Al Horford cut the deficit for Boston with a corner three, but Kevon Looney’s layup restored the Warriors' five-point cushion.

Curry then closed out the game, cleverly drawing fouls from Boston to nail five points from the free throw line.

Jayson Tatum led the Boston scorers with 23 points while Jaylen Brown finished with 21 points. Marcus Smart added 18 points and Derrick White chipped in with 16.

Agence France-Presse

Celtics beat Heat, advance to face Warriors in NBA Finals

MIAMI -- The Boston Celtics, led by 26 points from Jayson Tatum, advanced to the NBA Finals by defeating Miami, 100-96, on Sunday, setting up a showdown against the Golden State Warriors.

Boston captured the winner-take-all matchup to take the best-of-seven Eastern Conference finals 4-3 and secure a place in the championship series, which begins Thursday in San Francisco.

The Celtics, who eliminated 2021 NBA champion Milwaukee in a seventh game earlier this month, held off the Heat down the stretch to advance after losing the conference finals three times in the past five seasons.

"To get over the hump with this group, it means everything," Tatum said. "Not a lot of people believed in us, but it worked out."

Tatum, who also had 10 rebounds and six assists, was named the Eastern Conference Most Valuable Player after what he called the biggest game of his career.

Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown each added 24 points for Boston while Jimmy Butler led Miami with 35 points in a losing cause.

Boston veteran center Al Horford reached his first NBA Finals at age 35.

"This group is special," he said. "I'm happy to be sharing this moment with these guys."

Golden State split two games with the Celtics in the regular season, winning, 111-107, in December at Boston and losing, 110-88, in March at San Francisco.

The Celtics reached the NBA Finals for the first time since losing the 2010 title to the Los Angeles Lakers. The Celtics haven't won the NBA crown since 2008.

The Warriors, in the NBA Finals for the sixth time in eight years, seek their fourth title in that span and the first since 2018.

Smart had six points in a 10-1 spurt by Boston for a 65-52 Celtics lead early in the third quarter, but a 7-0 Heat run soon after pulled Miami within 72-65 and the Celtics carried an 82-75 lead into the final quarter.

An 8-0 Celtics spurt early in the fourth quarter lifted Boston ahead 90-79, the Heat missing nine shots in a row during the futility run.

Max Strus sank a three-pointer to close an 11-0 Miami run and lift the Heat within 98-96 in the dying seconds, but Smart hit two free throws to produce the final margin and the Celtics kept Miami at bay from there.

"We figured it out," Brown said. "We persevered. We got the job done."

Boston jumped ahead 20-7 and led by as much as 34-17 early in the second quarter, but the Heat closed the second quarter on an 11-2 run to pull within 55-49 at half-time.

Butler scored 24 points in the first half while Brown had 15 and Tatum 13 to lead the Celtics.

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Tatum scorches Heat as Celtics square series

MIAMI -- Jayson Tatum scored 27 points as the Boston Celtics roared back to level the NBA Eastern Conference finals series with a 127-102 thrashing of the Miami Heat in Game 2 on Thursday.

Bolstered by the return of Marcus Smart and Al Horford, who both missed Tuesday’s 118-107 game one drubbing, Boston were a team transformed as they squared the best-of-seven series 1-1.

Boston made only 11-of-34 from three-point range in Tuesday’s lopsided opener, when Miami out-hustled them to claim a decisive victory.

But the Celtics shrugged off that misfiring performance in emphatic fashion, draining 20-of-40 from beyond the arc to overwhelm Miami.

Tatum led the scorers but there were huge contributions throughout the Celtics lineup. 

Smart finished with 24 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds, while Jaylen Brown also posted 24 points, including 12 from three-point range.

Grant Williams added 19 from the bench, while Horford and Payton Pritchard had 10 points each.

Jimmy Butler led the Miami scoring with 29 points but only three other Heat players made double figures.

Celtics coach Ime Udoka said the return of Smart and Horford had been decisive.

"It was great to have them back, they're a calming presence," Udoka said. "I don't think we played as poorly as the last game suggested. We won three quarters of that game but we saw a lot of positives and areas that we could attack."

Smart admitted he had found it hard to sit out game one with a foot injury.

"I felt bad that I couldn't be out there with my team-mates going to battle with them," Smart said. "We're playing a really good Miami team and it's a blessing to be on the same court going to war. It was tough having to watch it."

'They embarrassed us'

Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said his team had expected a Boston backlash.

"I'm sure they weren't happy about us putting up 118 against them in game one," Spoelstra said.

"When you get to this stage of the conference finals, you just have very good teams, teams without many weaknesses. 

"It's great competition. But this only counts as one game. We don't like it. We just have to figure some things out."

Butler said he hoped the defeat would motivate Miami for Game 3.

"They tried to embarrass us, and they did embarrass us," Butler said.

A wild first quarter saw Miami pick up where they left off in game one, with Max Strus hitting back-to-back three-pointers to leave the Heat ahead by 10 points at 18-8.

But Boston produced a scintillating 17-0 run to turn the quarter on its head, with their long-range shooting vastly improved.

Brown knocked down a trio of three-pointers in the first period to leave the Celtics up by 35-24 heading into the second quarter.

The Celtics' shooting clinic continued in the second quarter, with Pritchard nailing a 26-foot three-pointer to put Boston 19 points clear at 47-28 midway through the period.

A Tatum three-pointer and two free throws soon afterwards left Boston 27 points clear at 64-37 and shortly afterwards the Celtics had built a 29-point lead when Grant Williams' driving layup made it 68-39.

Smart put the seal on a devastating first-half display with a pullup jump shot to make it 70-45 at half-time.

Miami rallied late in the third quarter and cut the Boston lead to 17 points at one stage, but the Celtics regrouped and again pulled away.

A three-pointer from Tatum took them 25 points clear in the closing seconds of the third quarter at 94-69, a lead which they held going into the final quarter.

Smart made it a 30-point lead early in the fourth, bamboozling the Miami defense to drain a superb stepback three-pointer from 26 feet as Boston closed out a brutal victory.

Game three in the series takes place in Boston on Saturday, and Smart is expecting a stiff Miami response.

"The number one and number two teams going at it, it’s a grind," Smart said. 

"We know they’re coming to our house trying to get a win. We've got to protect our home court."

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Celtics cap perfect road trip with win over Thunder

Jayson Tatum scored 36 points to lead the Boston Celtics to a 132-123 road win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday.

The Celtics swept their four-game road trip and the two-game season series against the Thunder.

Oklahoma City dropped its 10th consecutive game overall and fell for the 11th straight home game.

The Celtics, who never trailed, led by as many as 26 points early in the fourth quarter before the Thunder made a strong push at the end, cutting the deficit to seven in the final minute.

However, Oklahoma City could get no closer.

The game was similar to the first meeting between the teams, when Boston built a 25-point lead before the Thunder battled back to stay in the game late in a 111-105 Celtics home win on Nov. 20.

Jaylen Brown added 25 points for Boston on Monday while Grant Williams added 20 points and 10 rebounds. Derrick White and Payton Pritchard scored 18 each for the Celtics, who shot 51.2 percent from the field.

The Celtics built a big lead quickly, scoring the game's first 13 points.

Making his first start since Feb. 27, Williams scored seven of Boston's points during a 17-2 opening.

By the time the Celtics' 38-point first quarter was over, Boston led by 17 points.

The Celtics stretched their lead to 22 early in the second quarter before Oklahoma City rookie Tre Mann started a personal barrage over the final six minutes plus of the first half.

Mann hit five 3-pointers in less than three minutes and scored 23 points over the final 6:06 of the second quarter to keep the Thunder within striking distance.

Mann was 8 of 8 from the floor, hitting six 3-pointers, in the quarter while the rest of Oklahoma City's roster was just 2 of 14 from the floor.

It was the second time Mann scored 20 or more points in a quarter in a four-day span. He had 20 in the second quarter at Miami on Friday, a franchise rookie for a rookie in any period -- a mark he topped Monday.

Mann finished with a Thunder-rookie-record 35 points, going 13 of 21 from the floor and making a season-high seven 3-pointers.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 31 points while Darius Bazley scored 22 and Aleksej Pokusevski a season-high 19 for Oklahoma City.

-reuters-

Tatum, Brown lead Boston romp over Sacramento

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined for 62 points and the Boston Celtics made it two straight wins on their Western trip with a 126-97 pounding of the host Sacramento Kings on Friday night.

Payton Pritchard made all five of his shots, including a 4-for-4 effort on 3-pointers, on a 14-point night off the bench as the Celtics overpowered the Kings with 56.1-percent shooting overall and 55.0-percent accuracy from beyond the 3-point line.

Domantas Sabonis compiled a 30-point, 20-rebound double-double for Sacramento, which lost for the sixth time in its last seven games.

Twenty-one of Tatum's 32 points came on seven 3-pointers in 10 attempts, helping Boston connect 22 times from beyond the arc.

Brown added 3-for-5 on 3's en route to 30 points for the Celtics, who opened a four-game trip with a 110-88 romp over the Golden State Warriors in San Francisco on Wednesday night.

En route to its 17th win in the last 20 games, Boston trailed only momentarily after scoring the game's first 11 points. Brown and Al Horford had two hoops apiece in the early flurry.

The Celtics went up by as many as 21 in the second quarter, 23 in the third and 29 in the fourth in completing a one-sided, season-series sweep. Boston had beaten Sacramento 128-75 at home in January.

Daniel Theis added 11 points for the Celtics, who got scoring from 11 different players.

Marcus Smart chipped in with a game-high eight assists to complement nine points, four rebounds and four steals, while Horford finished with a team-high nine rebounds to go with six points.

Sabonis' double-double was his 45th of the season, his eighth with at least 30 points and third with at least 20 rebounds. He had never previously had 30 points and 20 rebounds in the same game.

He also led the Kings with five assists.

Justin Holiday went for 21 points for the Kings, while Trey Lyles had 19, Davion Mitchell 12 and Chimezie Metu 10.

De'Aaron Fox sat out the game with a bruised right hand, while Harrison Barnes went scoreless in 24 minutes, missing all five of his shots.

-reuters-

NBA: Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum lead Celtics past pesky Pistons

Jaylen Brown had 27 points and Jayson Tatum contributed 26 points, 11 rebounds and six assists as the Boston Celtics extended their road winning streak to seven games with a 113-104 victory over Detroit on Saturday afternoon.

Payton Pritchard supplied 19 points and six assists off the bench for the Celtics, who have won 11 of their past 12 games. They avenged the lone defeat during that stretch -- Detroit's 112-111 win in Boston on Feb. 16.

Grant Williams added 13 points, four rebounds and three assists and Robert Williams chipped in 10 points, seven rebounds and three assists.

Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with 25 points, seven rebounds and three assists. Cory Joseph had 15 points, Marvin Bagley scored 14 and Saddiq Bey added 13 points, seven rebounds and three assists for the Pistons. Detroit made just 7 of 27 3-point attempts.

Detroit's Hamidou Diallo was ejected in the second quarter for touching an official.

Tatum had 17 points. seven rebounds and six assists by halftime but Boston was clinging to a 56-54 lead.

The Celtics never trailed in their past five road games. That streak ended quickly Saturday as Joseph scored the game's first basket and Detroit led 10-4 during the first three-plus minutes. Neither team had more than a six-point advantage prior to the break.

Joseph also scored the first points of the second half, a 3-pointer. Late in the quarter, Cunningham made two consecutive baskets to give Detroit a 74-71 edge.

Bagley had six points in the final 2:14 of the quarter as Detroit carried an 82-78 lead into the fourth.

Grant Williams had a personal 5-0 run to start the final quarter and provide the Celtics with a one-point edge.

A 10-0 spurt gave the Celtics a 95-88 lead. Pritchard had five points and an assist during that stretch. Tatum stretched the advantage to 10 on a 3-pointer with 5:17 remaining.

After the Pistons pulled within six, Tatum made a dunk with 1:13 remaining.

-reuters-

NBA: Tatum, Celtics beat Nuggets for 7th straight victory

Jayson Tatum scored 24 points and Marcus Smart added 22 as the Boston Celtics extended their winning streak to 7 games with a 108-102 victory over the visiting Denver Nuggets on Friday.

Robert Williams had 15 points and 16 rebounds for Boston, which trailed 88-86 with 8:26 left before closing the game by outscoring the Nuggets 22-14.

Celtics guard Derrick White contributed 15 points and 6 rebounds off the bench in his 1st game since being acquired from the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday.

Nikola Jokic paced Denver with 23 points, 16 rebounds and 11 assists. Aaron Gordon scored 17 points, Facundo Campazzo had 14, Will Barton added 13, and Bones Hyland had 10.

Jokic has recorded a triple-double in 8 of his past 14 games for Denver, which has lost 4 of its last 6.

White's layup put Boston ahead 100-97 with 1:59 left, and the Celtics hit 4 straight foul shots to extend the lead to 7 with 40 seconds remaining.

After the Nuggets pulled within 104-99 on Jokic's basket with 31 seconds left, Boston secured its 4th straight home victory at the foul line.

Denver took an early 11-point lead with 4:54 left in the 1st quarter before Boston closed on a 15-6 run to cut the deficit to 32-30.

Gordon and Barton scored a combined 21 points in the 1st half for Denver, which held a 60-51 advantage at the break.

Smart had 5 rebounds and 7 assists for Boston, which moved ahead 69-65 after his basket with 5:09 left in the 3rd quarter capped a 15-2 run.

Denver closed the period with 7 straight points and carried a 79-76 lead into the final quarter.

Boston regained the lead at 92-90 with 7:19 left in the contest after Tatum's technical free throw capped an 11-2 run.

Jokic tied the game at 95 by making one of his three 3-pointers with 5:28 remaining.

-reuters-

NBA: Jayson Tatum-led Celtics hang on to edge Sixers

Jayson Tatum had 26 points and a career-high 16 rebounds as the Boston Celtics outlasted the visiting Philadelphia 76ers 88-87 in a matchup of Eastern Conference contenders on Wednesday night.

Dennis Schroder added 13 points off the bench for Boston, which won its second straight game and has won five out of seven overall.

Al Horford totaled 10 points and eight rebounds, Robert Williams III added 10 points and Jaylen Brown finished with nine points on 3-of-11 shooting for the Celtics.

Brown played despite being questionable as the team continues to manage his return from a hamstring injury.

Seth Curry led the 76ers with 17 points. Shake Milton contributed 16 points off the bench while Boston-area native Georges Niang added 12 points for Philadelphia, which was defeated for the ninth time in 12 games.

76ers star Joel Embiid was held to 13 points on 3-of-17 shooting, but grabbed a game-high 18 boards and dished out six assists.

Boston led 44-40 at halftime and neither side was able to pull away in a back-and-forth closing half. The biggest separation came when Embiid knocked down a 3-pointer with 4:10 left in the third to put Philadelphia up 59-54.

The Celtics led 64-63 entering the fourth quarter. Embiid made one of two free throws with 2:14 to play to tie the game at 82. Boston scored six of the next eight points to go up 88-84 after Schroder's five-footer with 37.1 seconds to play.

Danny Green nailed a trey with 29.6 seconds on the clock to bring the 76ers within a point. Schroder missed a jumper on the other end with seven seconds left to give the ball back to Philadelphia.

After a timeout with 6.1 seconds to play, Niang's desperation corner 3 at the buzzer was blocked by Williams to seal the Boston victory.

Brown's 3-pointer at 6:35 of the first quarter capped a game-opening 16-4 run for the Celtics. Tobias Harris' ensuing dunk sparked a 16-5 push for the 76ers to pull within 21-20 after one period.

-reuters-