NBA: Horford's triple-double carries Celtics over Heat

Al Horford's second career triple-double led the host Boston Celtics to a 110-105 win over the Miami Heat on Monday in the opener of a home-and-home.

Horford had 19 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists for his first triple-double since 2015. 

Kyrie Irving added 25 points and eight rebounds, Jayson Tatum scored 19, and Marcus Smart had 16 points as the Celtics (46-32) maintained their grip on a share of the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference.

Goran Dragic scored 30 to lead the Heat (38-39), who narrowly held onto the eighth and final playoff spot in the East as Orlando lost to Toronto. 

Bam Adebayo had 19 points and 14 rebounds, and Dwyane Wade chipped in 17 points in his last regular-season game in Boston.

Before the game, Celtics president Danny Ainge presented Wade with a piece of the TD Garden parquet floor from 2008.

Heat starting forward Derrick Jones Jr. sustained a right knee injury in the first half and did not return. The team announced he will be re-evaluated in Miami, where the two teams will meet again Wednesday.

Trailing by 14 at the half, the Heat got within 71-65 on an alley-oop finished by Adebayo with 6:28 left in the third. Miami would get no closer in the period, entering the fourth down 88-77.

The Heat once again threatened in the fourth, getting within three on a trio of Kelly Olynyk free throws with 6:44 to go. Tatum and Terry Rozier responded with 3s for the Celtics, and the Heat took a timeout down 101-92 with 5:16 to play.

A Wade basket got Miami within 103-100 with two minutes left, but a three-point play by Irving with 1:25 to go essentially iced the game.

The teams traded baskets to begin the contest before the Celtics went on a 15-0 run, Tatum scoring eight points. Tatum had 11 points as Boston led 36-17 after one.

The Celtics kept their foot on the gas in the second, taking their biggest lead of the half, 46-23, on a Gordon Hayward layup with 8:02 left. 

The Heat responded with a 10-0 stretch, but Irving hit back-to-back 3s as Boston led 52-33 with five to go.

Irving had 15 points at the break as the Celtics led 61-47.

Boston played without swingman Jaylen Brown, ruled out pregame with back spasms.

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NBA: 6 Celtics score in double figures in beating Pistons

Jayson Tatum led six Boston players in double figures with 19 points and the host Celtics ended the Detroit Pistons' four-game winning streak with a 118-110 victory on Wednesday.

Gordon Hayward contributed 18 points and eight assists, while Al Horford supplied 17 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists. Jaylen Brown had 17 points and seven rebounds, Marcus Smart added 16 points and five assists, and Marcus Morris chipped in 11 points.

The Celtics were missing their top two point guards. All-Star Kyrie Irving sat out for the second consecutive night with a right knee strain, while Terry Rozier was sidelined by an illness.

Blake Griffin led Detroit with 32 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Andre Drummond had 21 points, 17 rebounds and four steals, Reggie Jackson tossed in 18 points, and Wayne Ellington added 13 points off the bench.

Both teams were playing their final game before the All-Star break. Boston was playing the tail end of a back-to-back after winning in Philadelphia on Tuesday.

Hayward scored 11 first-half points as Boston led 57-52 at halftime. Brown contributed 10 points off the bench, while Griffin reached the 20-point mark.

The Celtics took control in the third, outscoring Detroit 34-20 to gain a 91-72 lead.

Boston opened up an 11-point lead early in the third with an 8-0 spurt that included 3-pointers from Hayward and Smart.

When Tatum made a trey from the right side with 6:47 left in the quarter, Boston's lead was 72-58.

Later in the quarter, Smart drained back-to-back 3-pointers to extend the Celtics' advantage to 17 at 85-68.

Tatum fired in another long shot in the final minute of the quarter to make it 89-69. Smart made the last basket of the quarter, scoring along the right baseline while falling down.

The Pistons didn't go quietly. They reeled off a 20-2 run, capped by a Drummond steal and dunk, to cut Boston's lead to 10. Horford made a three to end that outburst. Detroit couldn't get the deficit into single digits until the final two minutes.

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Irving, Celtics overtake Raptors

Kyrie Irving made a go-ahead jumper and added a 3-pointer during an 11-0 run late in the fourth quarter as the Boston Celtics defeated the visiting Toronto Raptors 117-108 Wednesday night.

Irving finished with 27 points and a career-best 18 assists as the Celtics ended a three-game losing streak and snapped Toronto's five-game winning streak.

Al Horford contributed some big points down the stretch in a 24-point game for the Celtics. Gordon Hayward added 18 off the bench, and Jayson Tatum had 16 points and 10 rebounds.

Kawhi Leonard scored 33 points to top Toronto, which led by four in the middle of the fourth quarter and was tied 106-106 with 2 1/2 minutes to go.

Serge Ibaka added 22 points and 10 rebounds for the Raptors. Danny Green scored 15 points, Norman Powell and Greg Monroe scored 11 each, and Kyle Lowry had 10 points and seven assists.

The Celtics, who led by as many 16 during the third quarter, took a four-point edge into the fourth quarter.

Monroe's tip in completed a 9-0 run to give Toronto a three-point lead, but Aron Baynes tied it at 92 on a 3-pointer with 6:44 left.

Leonard's two free throws gave Toronto a four-point lead with 5:16 remaining.

Tatum's 3-pointer put Boston up by two with three minutes to go before Green tied it with a jumper.

Irving's step-back jumper gave Boston the lead again with 2:15 left, and he added a 3-pointer to give Boston a five-point margin with 1:39 left. Horford's layup gave Boston a seven-point lead, and then his dunk made the lead nine with 45.7 seconds left.

The Raptors used a 9-0 run to lead by 11 with 7:18 remaining in the first quarter and finished the period with a 36-30 lead.

The Celtics took their first lead, 41-40, when Baynes, returning from a fractured hand, nailed a 13-foot jumper with 8:39 left in the half.

Toronto had a stretch of 10 straight missed shots while shooting 28.6 percent in a season-low, 17-point second quarter. The Celtics were up 64-53 at halftime after Hayward's floating jumper at the buzzer.

Irving's jumper and free throw increased the lead to 16 in the third quarter. Green's 3-pointer cut that lead in half with 6:01 left in the period.

Boston led 87-83 after three quarters.

The Raptors were without OG Anunoby (personal).

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NBA: Celtics clamp down on Cavs, take 3-2 series edge

Jayson Tatum scored 24 points and grabbed seven rebounds as the Boston Celtics defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 96-83 on Wednesday night to take a 3-2 lead in the Eastern Conference finals.

Jaylen Brown added 17 points, Al Horford had 15 points and 12 boards, and both Marcus Morris and Marcus Smart scored 13 for Boston. The Celtics have earned all three of their wins this series at home, where they are 10-0 in the playoffs.

LeBron James finished with 26 points, 10 rebounds and five assists for Cleveland, though he committed six turnovers. Kevin Love had 14 points and seven boards for the Cavaliers, who had evened the series with a 111-102 win in Game 4 Monday.

James and Love were the only two Cleveland players to score in double figures.

Game 5 winners in best-of-seven playoff series that were tied 2-2 have won the series 83.1 percent of the time (167-34).

Game 6 is Friday night in Cleveland.

Boston is one win away from its first NBA Finals appearance since 2010, when it lost to the rival Los Angeles Lakers in seven games. Cleveland has been in three consecutive Finals while James has gone to seven in a row between the Cavs and Miami Heat.

Down 76-60 entering the fourth quarter, Cleveland fell behind by 20 early in the period before pulling within 85-73 on James' layup with 4:43 to play. Boston's Terry Rozier hit a pull-up jumper 17 seconds later, and Horford's 3-pointer with 3:53 left put Boston ahead 90-73.

The Cavs waived the white flag when James checked out with 3:11 remaining.

Boston was up 53-42 at halftime.

Tensions flared early in the second quarter when Cleveland's Larry Nance Jr. shoved Morris under the basket. Nance took exception to Morris standing over him after falling while battling for a loose ball.

Technical fouls were assessed to Morris, Nance and Rozier, who shoved Nance in retaliation as the teams scuffled. Cleveland trailed 36-19 at the time but used a 12-3 run to pull within eight with 8:40 left until halftime.

The Celtics led 32-19 after one quarter.

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NBA: Celtics charge to 2-0 lead over Cavs

Jaylen Brown totaled 23 points and seven rebounds to help the Boston Celtics take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference finals with a 107-94 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night.

Terry Rozier scored 18 points, Al Horford added 15 points and 10 boards, Marcus Morris had 12 points and both Jayson Tatum and Marcus Smart contributed 11 for the Celtics, who were 108-83 winners Sunday in Game 1.

LeBron James recorded 42 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds for the Cavaliers, marking his NBA-record 17th career playoff game with 30 points and 10 assists.

Kevin Love added 22 points and 15 rebounds, but Kyle Korver (11 points) was the only other Cleveland player to score in double figures.

James, who managed just 15 points in the Game 1 loss, has won five consecutive East playoff series after losing the series opener.

Boston, which improved to 9-0 at home this postseason, has never lost a best-of-seven playoff series when leading 2-0.

Game 3 is Saturday night in Cleveland.

Smart's 3-pointer with 4:34 left in the third quarter gave the Celtics a 72-71 lead after they had trailed by 11. It was their first lead since they were up 3-2 only 49 seconds in.

Boston was on top 84-77 entering the fourth quarter.

Greg Monroe's cutting layup with 11:14 remaining put Boston up by 11. Neither team scored again until James' reverse layup with 9:08 on the clock.

Tensions boiled over when Cleveland's JR Smith shoved Horford on a drive to the basket. Smart and Smith exchanged shoves and had to be separated, with each player being whistled for a technical foul.

Horford's jump shot with 2:54 remaining pushed the Celtics' advantage to 103-89. After a James' layup, Rozier tossed in a layup to make it a 14-point game. Cleveland waved the white flag and emptied its bench after that.

The Cavaliers led 55-48 at halftime.

James briefly exited with 3:48 remaining in the second quarter after being hit in the face by an inadvertent shoulder from Tatum under the basket, but he returned with 1:57 to play in the half. James was diagnosed with a strained neck.

James and Brown combined for 35 of the game's first 50 points as the Cavaliers jumped out to a 27-23 lead after one quarter.

Before the game, the Cavs landed this year's eighth overall pick as the NBA held its draft lottery. Cleveland acquired the selection, which originally belonged to the Brooklyn Nets, in the trade that sent Kyrie Irving to Boston last offseason.

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Celtics open East finals by ripping Cavaliers

Jaylen Brown had 23 points with 8 rebounds and Marcus Morris added 21 and 10 as the Boston Celtics stunned the LeBron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers 108-83 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals Sunday.

Al Horford finished with 20 points and 6 assists and Jayson Tatum scored 16 for the undermanned Celtics, who reached the East finals without injured stars Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward.


"I just try to lead 'em the best way that I can and really lead by example," Horford told the ABC broadcast about the Celtics' young roster after the game. "We're just out here playing hard and having fun."

James totaled 15 points, 9 assists and 7 rebounds as the Cavaliers' five-game playoff winning streak ended. Kevin Love led the Cavs with 17 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Rodney Hood added 11 and Jordan Clarkson had 10.

Game 2 is Tuesday night in Boston.

Cleveland swept the Toronto Raptors and Boston beat the Philadelphia 76ers in 5 games to set up a rematch of last year's East finals. James and the Cavaliers eliminated the Celtics in a five-game series last May.

James has appeared in seven consecutive NBA Finals series, including 3 straight with Cleveland. Boston is seeking its first Finals berth since 2010, when it lost in 7 games to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Boston shot 51.2 percent (43 of 84) from the field and 36.7 percent (11 of 30) from 3-point range while outerbounding the visitors 48-40. Cleveland was held to 36 percent (31 of 86) from the floor.

J.R. Smith's buzzer-beating jumper had the Cavaliers within 78-64 after 3 quarters, but a Tatum finger roll put the Boston lead over 20 at 85-64 with 10:52 remaining. Cleveland trailed by as many as 29 after that.

The Celtics were up 61-35 at halftime. Brown's 3-pointer with 32.4 seconds left in the second quarter gave Boston its biggest lead of the half (28) at 61-33. The Cavaliers never came closer than 15 in the period.

Boston led 36-18 after one quarter after going up by as many as 21, matching the biggest first-quarter deficit James has ever faced in a playoff game. Boston went on a 17-0 run midway through the period.

Celtics reserve Shane Larkin (left shoulder sprain) did not play. Larkin was already ruled out for Game 2 and is likely to miss the entire series. Boston started Morris in place of Aron Baynes to match up against James.

-- Field Level Media

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Celtics slip past Sixers, advance to face Cavs

Jayson Tatum's go-ahead basket with 22.5 seconds left sent the Boston Celtics back to the Eastern Conference finals with a 114-112 win against the visiting Philadelphia 76ers in Game 5 of their second-round playoff series Wednesday night.

Tatum had a team-high 25 points, Jaylen Brown scored 24, Terry Rozier added 17 and Al Horford scored 15 for the Celtics, who took a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series before losing 103-92 in Philadelphia on Monday.

Boston will face the LeBron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers in the conference finals for a second consecutive season. The Cavs, who advanced after sweeping the Toronto Raptors, eliminated the Celtics in a five-game series last May.

Game 1 of Eastern Conference finals is Sunday in Boston.

Philadelphia's Joel Embiid missed a potential game-tying layup with 12.5 seconds left before the 76ers turned the ball over. Boston's Terry Rozier made two free throws with 9.8 seconds on the clock to make it 113-109, but a JJ Redick 3-pointer with 3.8 ticks left had the 76ers back within a point.

Marcus Smart made one of two free throws with 2.4 seconds left, and Philadelphia turned it over on the inbounds play to seal it.

Embiid finished with 17 points and 12 rebounds, Dario Saric had a playoff-career-high 27 points and 10 boards, and Ben Simmons totaled 18 points with eight rebounds and six assists for the 76ers.

Philadelphia, which snapped a five-year playoff drought this season, was denied its first trip to the conference finals since going to the NBA Finals in the 2000-01 season.

No team in NBA history has overcome an 0-3 series deficit.

Two Aron Baynes free throws with 6:04 left in the third quarter gave Boston its biggest lead at 12 points, but Philadelphia answered with a 19-8, quarter-ending run to pull within 83-82 entering the final period.

Robert Covington's 3-pointer with 9:49 remaining gave the 76ers a 90-88 lead, their first since being up 48-47 with 3:47 left in the first half.

Boston scored six straight to go up 100-94 on Rozier's finger roll with 5:27 left.

Saric's trey at 3:30 had the 76ers back in front 103-102, and the Philadelphia lead swelled to four with a minute and a half left.

Smart's put-back of a Tatum missed tied the game at 109 with exactly one minute left.

Boston led 61-52 at halftime.

Simmons' driving layup with 1:45 to play in the first half brought the 76ers within 53-52 heading into the final minute. However, Baynes' 3-pointer with 56 seconds to play sparked an 8-0 Boston run to end the half.

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Horford hauls Celts past Sixers in OT for 3-0 lead

Al Horford hit the game-winning layup with 5.5 seconds left in overtime as the visiting Boston Celtics beat the Philadelphia 76ers 101-98 Saturday to take a 3-0 lead in an Eastern Conference semifinal series.

The 76ers called timeout, after Horford's basket. On the ensuing inbounds play, Horford stole the pass by Ben Simmons and made two free throws. Marco Belinelli missed a desperation 3-pointer as time expired to seal the result.

"We're trying to find a way, and this group is playing hard every night," Horford told ESPN after the game, referring to the Celtics' deep playoff push without injured stars Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward.

Boston won the first two games of the series at home, beating Philadelphia 117-101 in Game 1 and 108-103 in Game 2 on Thursday. The Celtics are 36-0 in franchise history when leading a playoff series 2-0.

No team has ever won a best-of-seven series after trailing 3-0.

Game 4 is Monday night in Philadelphia.

Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 24 points, Terry Rozier had 18 points, Jaylen Brown scored 16 and Horford finished with 13. Tatum became the first Celtics rookie ever to score 20 or more points five times in the postseason.

Joel Embiid had 22 points and 19 rebounds to pace the 76ers. JJ Redick scored 18, and Simmons had 16 with eight rebounds and eight assists after scoring only one point in the Game 2 defeat.

The Celtics snapped a six-game road losing streak dating back to March 28 against the Utah Jazz in the regular season, including all three games in their seven-game, first-round series against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Simmons' driving layup with 1:05 remaining in overtime put Philadelphia up 98-94. Tatum brought the Celtics within two on his layup with 55.4 seconds left.

Horford made one of two free throws with 42.5 seconds left to bring Boston within a point. Simmons missed a layup on the other end with 17.2 seconds remaining, and Boston's Marcus Morris came down with the rebound.

With the game tied at 85 entering the last minute of regulation, Belinelli was fouled and made two free throws to put the 76ers ahead by two with 41.2 ticks to play.

Brown tied it on a layup with 24 seconds left. He gave the Celtics an 89-87 lead after Rozier came up with a Redick turnover and fed Brown on a two-on-one break with 1.7 seconds to play.

Belinelli's turnaround corner jumper as time expired sent the game to OT. His foot was on the arc, so the shot merely tied the game instead of winning it. The confetti drop was accidentally triggered after Belinelli's jumper, leading to a lengthy delay to clear off the court before the start of overtime.

Philadelphia led 51-48 at halftime.

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NBA: Short-handed Celtics rout 76ers in Game 1

The trio of Terry Rozier, Jayson Tatum and Al Horford combined for 83 points as the host Boston Celtics beat the Philadelphia 76ers 117-101 in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series Monday night.

Rozier scored a career-playoff-high 29 points with eight rebounds and six assists, Tatum had a personal-playoff-best 28 points and Horford tied his career playoff scoring mark with 26 as the Celtics took a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

"My confidence is everything. My teammates believe in me, my coaches believe in me, so you know I just want to keep it going," Rozier told TNT after besting his prior career playoff high in Game 7 against Milwaukee by three points.

Joel Embiid had 31 points, 13 rebounds and five assists to lead Philadelphia. JJ Redick scored 20, and Ben Simmons totaled 18 points, seven boards and six assists with seven turnovers for the 76ers, who suffered their second loss since March 13.

Game 2 is Thursday night in Boston.

Boston beat the Milwaukee Bucks in a seven-game, first-round series to advance. Philadelphia eliminated the Miami Heat in five games.

It's the first postseason matchup between the 76ers and Celtics since the 2011-12 East semifinals, when Boston beat Philadelphia in seven games. That was the 76ers' last second-round playoff appearance before this season.

The Celtics won three of four regular-season games against the 76ers, outscoring them by 23 points collectively. But all four matchups came before the All-Star break and before Boston star Kyrie Irving's season-ending injury.

Boston's Jaylen Brown (right hamstring strain) missed the game despite being a game-time decision. Brown, who is the Celtics' second-leading scorer (17.9) this postseason, was injured in Saturday's Game 7 against Milwaukee.

Marcus Smart beat Embiid to a rebound and converted an acrobatic three-point play with 40.9 seconds left in the third quarter, putting the Celtics up by 17. But the 76ers pulled within 87-75 entering the fourth.

Philadelphia was unable to get the deficit below eight in the fourth.

Boston led 56-45 at halftime after leading by as many as 13 in the second quarter. The Celtics were up 25-22 after the first.

Legendary Celtics center Bill Russell attended the game and sat courtside.

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Rozier, Horford lead Celtics past Bucks in Game 7

Terry Rozier had a playoff-career-high 26 points and Al Horford tied his playoff best with 26 points and eight rebounds as the host Boston Celtics beat the Milwaukee Bucks 112-96 in Game 7 of their first-round series Saturday night.

Jayson Tatum added 20 points for Boston, which will face the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference semifinals starting Monday night in Boston.

Khris Middleton had 32 to lead Milwaukee, which was denied its first playoff series victory since the 2000-01 season. Despite forcing a seventh game, the Bucks dropped to 0-18 in team history when trailing 0-2 in the playoffs.

Eric Bledsoe scored 23 points and Giannis Antetokounmpo had 22 points, nine rebounds and five assists for Milwaukee.

The Celtics played in their NBA-record 31st Game 7, improving to 23-8. The Bucks dropped to 2-8 lifetime in decisive seventh games.

"We're on edge. Everything's on the line, and I felt like our players, we felt that," Horford told NBC Sports Boston after the game. "We've been doing this all year. Guys were coming together at different times and making plays, and that's what we did tonight."

The home team won every game of the best-of-seven series.

Boston's Jaylen Brown exited the game late in the first half with a sore right hamstring. He was spotted riding an exercise bicycle at the start of the second half and was later deemed available to return but did not. Brown finished with two points.

Bledsoe's basket cut Boston's lead to 54-51 with 9:33 remaining in the third quarter. Horford scored six of the Celtics' next 11 points, including an alley-oop dunk from Marcus Smart, to put the hosts up 65-55.

Tatum's 3-pointer stretched the Boston advantage to 16 late in the quarter before two Antetokounmpo free throws made it 81-67 after three.

The Bucks never got within single digits after that, and the Celtics led by as many as 19.

Boston led 50-42 at halftime.

Bledsoe's turnaround hook shot capped a 13-2 run to bring Milwaukee within 32-30 with 8:47 left in the second, but the Celtics were soon back up by double digits and went in to the locker room up by eight.

Aron Baynes' buzzer-beating jumper had Boston ahead 30-17 after the first.

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Report: Spurs' Aldridge, Celtics' Horford last picks in All-Star draft

San Antonio Spurs power forward LaMarcus Aldridge and Boston Celtics power forward Al Horford were the last two picks in the inaugural 2018 NBA All-Star Draft, according to a report from ESPN, citing sources.

Aldridge joined LeBron James' team for Sunday's event as the draft's last overall pick, while Horford was Stephen Curry's final selection.

"I'm not a flashy player," Aldridge told ESPN in reference to being the last pick. "That's OK."

"We're all All-Stars, so, at the end of the day, we should be thankful to be here," Aldridge added. "Picked first, picked last, it doesn't matter. We're all competitive, too. It won't be the easiest thing to be picked last, but at the end of the day, you're just happy to be here."

The All-Star Draft was not televised, so the exact order of James and Curry's picks is unknown. Both captains have said the draft should be televised in the future despite the problems that might arise from players seeing where they are picked.

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Celtics edge Pacers on Rozier's steal and layup

LOS ANGELES -- Terry Rozier's steal and layup with 1.2 seconds remaining Monday gave Boston a 112-111 NBA victory over the Indiana Pacers after the Celtics squandered a 19-point lead.

Kyrie Irving led the Celtics with 30 points while Al Horford scored 14 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and passed off nine assists.

Jayson Tatum contributed 16 points and Marcus Smart added 15 and the Celtics made their first 10 shots and improved the best record in the Eastern Conference to 26-7.

"That was one hell of a of a game to be a part of," Irving said.

Victor Oladipo led the Pacers (17-14) with 38 points, 30 in the second half. His 3-pointer and layup on back-to-back possessions gave Indiana a five-point edge with 31 seconds to play.

An Irving 3-pointer pulled Boston within 110-109 with nine seconds remaining. Rozier followed by intercepting a Bojan Bogdanovic pass intended for Oladipo and raced the opposite way for the winning layup.

"It's a tough, tough loss," Oladipo said. "We gave ourselves a chance to win and we competed with the best team in the Eastern Conference. We can be that good. We just have to keep on getting better."

Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook scored a season-high 38 points on 16-of-28 shooting from the floor and sank the winning free throw after being fouled later in the host Thunder's 95-94 victory over Denver.

The Houston Rockets stretched their win streak to 14 games with a 120-99 rout of visiting Utah as Eric Gordon scored 33 points, making a career-high seven 3-pointers, and James Harden added 26 points, six rebounds and six assists with Chris Paul contributing 18 points, nine rebounds and 10 assists.

Rockets center Clint Capela returned from injury and had 24 points and 20 rebounds while Rodney Hood led Utah with 26 points.

Minnesota's Jimmy Butler, who scored 37 points, hit two free throws with 2.5 seconds left and Damian Lillard missed a 3-point shot at the buzzer as the host Timberwolves held off Portland 108-107. Lillard had 17 points, 13 assists and eight rebounds while Jusuf Nurkic and C.J. McCollum each scored 20 for the Trail Blazers.

Nikola Mirotic and Kris Dunn each scored 22 points and Justin Holiday added 20 to power the host Chicago Bulls to their sixth consecutive victory, a 117-115 triumph over Philadelphia. Dario Saric led the 76ers with 27 points while Australian rookie star Ben Simmons added 19 points.

Kent Bazemore's two late baskets among his 16 points halted a Miami rally as the host Atlanta Hawks beat the Heat 110-104. Taurean Prince matched a career high with 24 points and Dennis Schroder added 21 for the Hawks. Josh Richardson had 26 points for Miami.

LaMarcus Aldridge scored 19 points and Tony Parker added 16 as the San Antonio Spurs cruised past the visiting Los Angeles Clippers 109-91 while T.J. Warren scored 19 points and Isaiah Canaan added 17 to power the Phoenix Suns over host Dallas 97-91.

At Charlotte, reserve Frank Kaminsky scored 24 points and the host Hornets snapped a three-game losing streak with a 109-91 victory over New York.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Banged-up Boston stretches win streak to 11

LOS ANGELES, United States - The Boston Celtics juggernaut continues to steamroll its way through the NBA, extending their winning streak to 11 games on Friday despite a rash of injuries that now includes all-star Kyrie Irving.

With Gordon Hayward out for the season and Al Horford sitting out a second straight game with a concussion, Irving suffered a possible concussion less than two minutes into the game after taking an elbow from teammate Aron Baynes.

No matter -- despite the revolving door on the infirmary -- the Celtics just keep on winning without their Big Three, rallying from an 18-point deficit then hanging on for a 90-87 victory on Friday night over the Charlotte Hornets.

"We're just going to do what we do no matter who we got," Celtics Terry Rozier said. "No matter who we're going to play with, we're going to play hard."

Boston scored a season-low 11 points in the first quarter and was down 18 early in the third before sending the Hornets to their fourth straight loss.

With unheralded guard Shane Larkin leading the way, the Celtics went on a 14-2 fourth-quarter surge to take control of the game and held the Hornets to 11 points in the fourth quarter. But Boston still had to survive a scramble at the end to survive.

Larkin finished with a season-high 16 points, while rookie Jayson Tatum, who is playing with a sore ankle, scored 16 points.

"There's no funner place to play than in Boston in comeback games," Larkin said. "We went out there. Crowd got behind us. We pulled out a victory."

Rozier had 15 points seven rebounds and four assists, Marcus Morris had 14 and seven rebounds and Jaylen Brown scored 10 points and had 13 rebounds.

Kemba Walker led all scorers with 20 points despite missing all six of his three-point shot attempts, while Frank Kaminsky scored all 14 of his points in the first half.

Walker, who missed a jumper that would have put his team ahead with five seconds left, scored Charlotte's final eight points.

Hornets forward Dwight Howard had a dismal night, shooting two-for-eight from the floor, two-for-nine from the foul line, while making seven turnovers.

"We're giving up huge leads. We're not maintaining our game. We've got to be better as a whole," Walker said.

- Jackson's late bombs -

Elsewhere, Reggie Jackson made two clutch three pointers down the stretch as the Detroit Pistons won their fourth straight with a 111-104 victory over the Atlanta Hawks.

Jackson had 22 points and six assists for the Pistons, who gave away a 19-point lead before regaining control in front of a crowd of 16,600 at Little Caesars Arena.

Andre Drummond had 16 points, 20 rebounds and a career-high seven assists for Detroit, who improved to 9-3 on the season.

Avery Bradley tallied 20 points and Tobias Harris finished with 16 points and eight rebounds. Ish Smith came off the bench to finish with 17 points and five assists.

Kent Bazemore had 22 points, five rebounds and five assists for the Hawks (2-10).

Detroit led 76-69 heading into the fourth. The Hawks closed the gap to five early in the quarter and once again midway through after Bazemore made a jumper.

Bazemore's three-pointer from the top of the key and another from the wing tied it 94-94 with 3:49 left.

The teams traded scores until Jackson's three with 52.3 seconds left put the Pistons on top 103-100. Following Bellinelli's miss, Bradley made a free throw and collected the rebound after missing the second try. Jackson then drained another key three-pointer to clinch the win.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Hawks' Horford to replace Bosh in All-Star Game

MONTREAL, Canada - Atlanta Hawks forward Al Horford was named Friday by NBA commissioner Adam Silver to replace injured Miami forward Chris Bosh in Sunday's 65th NBA All-Star Game.

Bosh, named a reserve for the Eastern Conference squad that will face the Western Conference in Toronto, will be sidelined with a strained calf.

"What a privilege to be named to the #NBAAllStarTO team," Horford posted on Twitter. "Looking forward to representing Atlanta! #Grateful."

Horford is making his fourth All-Star appearance after prior nods in 2010, 2011 and last year. The 29-year-old Dominican is averaging 15.3 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.5 blocked shots a game for the Hawks, who lead the Southeast division at 31-24 and rank fourth in the Eastern Conference.

In addition, Portland Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum will replace Bosh in Saturday's NBA Three-Point Contest. In his third NBA campaign, McCollum is averaging career highs of 20.7 points, 4.2 assists and 3.6 rebounds a game.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Horford helps Hawks wear down Rockets

LOS ANGELES -- The Atlanta Hawks rallied from a 19-point deficit to snap Houston's home win streak, and LeBron James received an early birthday gift as the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated Denver on Tuesday night.

Al Horford and Paul Millsap posted double-doubles and the Hawks rallied to win a Texas-style shootout over the Rockets by a score of 121-115 at Toyota Center in Houston.

Horford finished with 30 points and 14 rebounds while Millsap tallied 22 points and 14 rebounds for the Hawks, who have now won their last four meetings with the Rockets.

Millsap also had a block of Rockets centre Dwight Howard with 11 seconds left on the clock and Atlanta clinging to a 117-115 lead.

"We fought through adversity and got it done," Horford said.

Hawks forward Kent Bazemore added 26 points on five of nine three-point shooting, while guard Jeff Teague finished with 22 points with eight assists in their final game of 2015.

Atlanta overcame another miserable shooting effort from slumping guard Kyle Korver, who missed all 11 of his field-goal attempts. That included a record of zero-for-10 on three-pointers.

Houston led 47-28 early in the second quarter, 71-56 at the half and 98-88 with 10:32 remaining but scored just one field goal following a Howard dunk with just over eight minutes remaining.

The Hawks ground the Rockets' offence to a halt by intentionally fouling free throw liability Howard down the stretch as the lead dwindled in the final quarter. Howard made just 10-of-18 free throws Tuesday.

Howard matched Horford with 30 points and added 16 rebounds, while Rockets guard James Harden scored 26 points, grabbed 10 boards and dished out eight assists.

"I think we should have stuck with the same game plan we had in the first half," Howard said.

- King James rolls on -

LeBron James, who will celebrate his 31st birthday on Wednesday, scored 34 points and grabbed six rebounds as the Cavaliers defeated the Nuggets 93-87.

"It has been a long roll for me but I got a longer roll to keep going. I got to keep pushing the envelope," James said. "Hard work pays off and tonight was an example of that."

Will Barton scored a team high 29 points and Joffrey Lauvergne scored 14 for Denver, who have lost six of their last seven games.

The Cavaliers were playing their fourth game in five nights on this Western Conference road trip. They lost a hard-fought game to Golden State in an NBA finals rematch on Christmas Day before winning the last two.

- Thunder outgun Bucks -

Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant combined for 53 points and 15 assists to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 131-123 victory over Milwaukee at the Chesapeake Energy Arena.

Westbrook earned 27 points on 10-of-22 shooting to go along with seven rebounds and seven assists.

Durant collected 26 points, six boards and eight assists, stretching his streak of scoring 20 or more points to 18 games.

Centre Enes Kanter came off the bench to tally 23 points and eight rebounds. Guard Cameron Payne added 16 points to help Oklahoma City improve to 22-10.

Bucks guard Khris Middleton led all scorers with 36 points on 13-of-22 shooting. Forward Giannis Antetokounmpo tallied 27 points and 10 rebounds. Guard Michael Carter-Williams scored 19 points as the Bucks dropped to 12-21.

- Gasol cools off Heat in OT -

Centre Marc Gasol scored a game-high 23 points, seven of them in overtime, as the Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Miami Heat 99-90 at the FedEx Forum in Memphis.

With the score tied 83-83 at the end of regulation, Memphis jumped out to an 89-83 advantage in overtime and the Heat never got closer than three points. Gasol also had eight rebounds, six assists and four blocks.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Balanced Hawks cruise past Knicks

The Atlanta Hawks were one of the most unselfish teams in the NBA last season, ranking second in the league in assists and in a 112-101 win over the New York Knicks on Thursday, the Hawks once again shared the ball and the scoring.

Jeff Teague led the Hawks (1-1) with 23 points, Al Horford had 21, Kyle Korver contributed 15 and Dennis Schroder came off the bench to record 13 points.

Paul Millsap chipped in with 11 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and five steals, while Tiago Splitter added 10 points.

"I think the ball moved better," Atlanta coach Mike Budenholzer said. "Our offense fed off our defense, and we could get out and run. "Guys were seeing team mates, making good decisions and good reads."

Carmelo Anthony led the Knicks (1-1) with 25 points.

Robin Lopez, a free agent acquisition over the summer, added 18 points, and rookie forward Kristaps Porzingis scored 10 and grabbed eight rebounds. Kyle O'Quinn contributed 10 points and 10 boards.


 Anthony is a combined 14-for-43 (32.6 percent) from the field in the Knicks' first two games.

"We have to get to a point where we are concerned with winning percentages and not shooting percentages," Knicks coach Derek Fisher said. "Being good takes time."

The Knicks never got closer than the 11-point final differential in the fourth quarter.

Teague scored 14 consecutive points to increase Atlanta's lead to 79-57 with 5:42 remaining in the third. He scored on two driving layups and a floater and was 8-for-9 from the foul line in the sequence.

"When Jeff is aggressive and attacking, it can collapse the defense and create opportunities," Budenholzer said.

The Hawks shot a sizzling 62 percent (8-for-13) from beyond the arc to grab a 61-45 halftime lead. Horford and Korver led the way with 12 points apiece.

New York were ahead 33-32 with 7:20 left in the second, thanks mostly to their second unit, but the Hawks used an 18-6 run to move ahead 50-39 with three minutes to go before the half. Korver deposited seven points in the run.

"Their execution in those first-half stretches was good," Fisher said. "They were able to disrupt our timing and force us to play behind the rest of the night."

(Compiled by Peter Rutherford)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Hawks swoop for series lead, Warriors rout Grizzlies

Al Horford's putback layup with 1.9 seconds left lifted the Atlanta Hawks to an 82-81 victory over Washington and within one win of advancing in the NBA playoffs.

The Hawks, the top seeds in the Eastern Conference, now lead the best-of-seven second-round series three games to two.

The Wizards will try to stay alive when they host game six in Washington on Friday.

Western Conference top seeds Golden State also moved within one win of advancing -- taking a 3-2 series lead over Memphis with a 98-78 romp in Oakland, California.

NBA Most Valuable Player Stephen Curry drained six of the Warriors' 14 three-pointers, following up his outstanding game four performance with another stellar display that included 18 points along with seven rebounds and five assists.

Klay Thompson scored 21 points for the Warriors, who will try to wrap up the series on Friday in Memphis.

"This is big," said Curry, whose Warriors had pulled level in the series with a game-four win. "We wanted to capitalize on the momentum we got in game four."

It came down to the wire in Atlanta, where the Hawks and Wizards were tied with less than 30 seconds remaining.

Paul Pierce, whose buzzer-beating jump shot gave Washington a win in game three, tried to drive to the basket but saw the ball poked away by Atlanta's Kyle Korver.

That set up a breakaway for the Hawks, with Horford and DeMarre Carroll exchanging three passes before Carroll's layup gave Atlanta an 80-78 lead.

Pierce responded. Out of a timeout, Bradley Beal drove baseline and tossed the ball to an open Pierce who drained a three-pointer from the corner that put Washington ahead.

With the game on the line, Atlanta went to 21-year-old back-up point guard Dennis Schroder, who drove right for a layup that bounced off the backboard.

- Heck of a play -

Horford timed his jump perfectly, securing the loose ball and landing before firing up the game-winner.

"A heck of a play by Al," Atlanta coach Mike Budenholzer said. "He went and got it, found a way to put it back in."

Wizards point guard John Wall was back in the lineup after missing three games with broken bones in his left hand and wrist.

He finished with 15 points, seven assists and four steals, but his desperation heave from halfcourt at the buzzer was off-target.

The two teams combined for 44 turnovers and 9-for-39 shooting from three-point range in the lowest scoring game so far this post-season.

"Turnovers. Turnovers," said Wizards coach Randy Wittman. "When we were up nine, we gave them too many easy baskets off our turnovers. Let them get right back in the game."

Budenholzer said that was partly a product of the two teams getting to know each other.

"It's getting harder and harder," he said. "Defense is going to the next level."

But he was pleased that his players kept their composure when trailing late.

"We have to take the same mental focus to Washington for game six," he said.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Hawks break Wizards' unbeaten spell to level series

Forward DeMarre Carroll led five double-figure scorers with 22 points as the Atlanta Hawks used an 11-2 run midway through the final quarter to pull away for 106-90 Game Two victory over the Washington Wizards on Tuesday.

After wilting late in Game One, the Eastern Conference top seeds remained solid all the way to the final buzzer to ensure their best-of-seven second-round playoff series will head to Washington tied up at 1-1.

The Wizards, who rallied for a 104-98 victory in Sunday's opener, had guard John Wall sidelined by an injured left wrist and his replacement Ramon Sessions scored 21 points but Washington only led once, 7-6 early in the contest.

The Wizards shot just 12 free throws, making seven of them, and lost for the first time in the post-season after sweeping Toronto in the first round.

Forward Paul Millsap and center Al Horford each scored 18 points for the Hawks, with the former also grabbing 11 rebounds.

Guard Bradley Beal had 20 points for the Wizards, while forwards Paul Pierce and Otto Porter scored 15 points apiece. Center Marcin Gortat fouled out in the fourth quarter with 10 points and nine rebounds.

Game Three is in Washington on Saturday, giving Wall extra time to heal. The Hawks could also benefit from the break after only finishing off their first-round series against Brooklyn on Friday.

(Editing by Cameron French/John O'Brien)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Hawks torch Nets; Blazers snap Pelicans' win streak

Hawks 131, Nets 99

Al Horford and DeMarre Carroll each scored 20 points as the Atlanta Hawks beat the Brooklyn Nets and matched a franchise record for wins in a season.

The Hawks are 57-19; they also won 57 games during the 1986-87 and 1993-94 seasons. The team have already clinched first place in the Eastern Conference.

- - -

Trail Blazers 99, Pelicans 90

LaMarcus Aldridge scored 21 points and grabbed 12 rebounds as the Portland Trail Blazers defeated the New Orleans Pelicans.

Damian Lillard scored 19 points and center Chris Kaman tied his season high with 16 points to go with 11 rebounds for the Trail Blazers (50-26), who won for the sixth time in seven outings.

Anthony Davis added 19 points and nine boards for the Pelicans (41-35), who saw the end to a four-game win streak and are one game behind eighth-place Oklahoma City for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

- - -

Magic 97, Bucks 90

Victor Oladipo scored six points in the final 90 seconds and Tobias Harris had 23 points as the Orlando Magic pulled away late in the fourth quarter for a victory over the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Bucks also failed to gain ground on Brooklyn, which was rocked by 32 points at Atlanta but remains in seventh place in the East, 2 1/2 games behind Milwaukee for the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference.

- - -

Hornets 92, 76ers 91

Gerald Henderson hit a driving layup with 6.0 seconds remaining, and the short-handed Charlotte Hornets kept their playoff hopes alive with a victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.

Henderson's drive came after the Hornets inbounded with 10.2 seconds remaining, after Philadelphia guard Ish Smith missed two free throws with 10.6 seconds remaining.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Undermanned Atlanta escapes Miami

Hawks 93, Heat 91

The Atlanta Hawks opted to rest four players, including two All-Stars, but were still strong enough to defeat the Miami Heat 93-91 on Saturday.

Coach Mike Budenholzer benched All-Star point guard Jeff Teague, starting small forward DeMarre Carroll, All-Star center Al Horford and reserve power forward Pero Antic.

Still, Paul Millsap scored 10 of his 22 points in the fourth and the Hawks (47-12), who have the best record in the Eastern Conference, won their fourth straight game.

Center Hassan Whiteside had 14 points and an equal career-best 24 rebounds for Miami (25-33), who also got 22 points from guard Dwyane Wade.

- - -

Wizards 99, Pistons 95

John Wall scored 22 points and Nene had 21 as the Washington Wizards snapped a six-game losing streak with a victory over the Detroit Pistons.

Marcin Gortat had 16 points and 17 rebounds for the Wizards (34-26), who had lost five in a row following the All-Star break and 11-of-13 since Jan. 28.

Fortified with the return of guard Bradley Beal (right leg stress reaction) and forward Paul Pierce to the starting lineup, Washington dominated the first half and led by 68-47 but the Pistons rallied to move ahead in the fourth.

The Wizards prevailed down the stretch to hand the Pistons (23-36) a third straight loss.

- - -

Grizzlies 101, Timberwolves 97

Marc Gasol led all scorers with 27 points, including 11 in the fourth quarter, as the Memphis Grizzlies rallied to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves and win for the first time in three games.

Mike Conley added 11 points for Memphis (42-16), which trailed by five with just over eight minutes to play before silencing the sellout crowd.

Andrew Wiggins scored 25 points for Minnesota, which has now lost two in a row. It was the 19th game with 20 points or more for the rookie from Kansas.

Kevin Garnett received his second technical foul in the third quarter and was ejected.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com