Celtics sweep two-game series against Cavs
The Boston Celtics took down the Cleveland Cavaliers for the second time in three nights by a score of 116-107 at TD Garden on Thursday.
In a reversal from Tuesday, it was the Celtics (18-5) who got out to the fast start with a 7-0 run and finished the first quarter up nine. The Cavaliers (13-12) kept things competitive in the second quarter, but found themselves down by 11 going into halftime. Boston was able to extend their lead up to as much as 14 points, but the Cavs stormed back in the third quarter to cut the deficit to three. However, just like in Tuesday’s game, the Celtics turned up the heat in the fourth quarter, limiting the Cavaliers to 20 points in the final frame to take the nine-point victory. Both teams performed similarly in the final box score, however the Celtics shot slightly better from the field (50.6 percent vs. 48.2 percent) and from beyond the arc (36.1 percent vs. 33.3 percent). The Celtics have now won three straight and six of their last seven games, while the Cavaliers finished their four-game road trip on a three-game losing streak.
All five Celtics starters finished the game with double-digit points. Jayson Tatum registered his second straight double-double -- and third in the last four games -- as he finished with a team-leading 27 points, 11 rebounds, three assists and three blocks. Jaylen Brown had 22 points on an efficient 10-for-20 shooting to go along with five rebounds, five assists and two steals. Kristaps Porzingis scored seven of his 18 points from the charity stripe while adding six rebounds and two blocks. The backcourt duo of Jrue Holiday and Derick White had 15 and 14 points respectively, while Al Horford played 24 minutes off the bench and recorded seven points, 10 rebounds and three assists.
For the Cavaliers, Donovan Mitchell led the team in scoring for the second straight game with 31 points along with eight rebounds and six assists. Darius Garland was able to overcome a hit to the mouth in the third quarter to finish the game with 19 points, three assists and two steals. Caris LeVert led the way off the pine with 26 points on 9-for-16 shooting as well as five assists, three rebounds and three steals. Jarrett Allen led the team with 10 rebounds while adding eight points and three assists.
With Thursday’s game in the books, the Celtics host the Magic on Friday night in a back-to-back, while the Cavaliers travel back to Cleveland and will open their four-game homestand against the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday.
In a reversal from Tuesday, it was the Celtics (18-5) who got out to the fast start with a 7-0 run and finished the first quarter up nine. The Cavaliers (13-12) kept things competitive in the second quarter, but found themselves down by 11 going into halftime. Boston was able to extend their lead up to as much as 14 points, but the Cavs stormed back in the third quarter to cut the deficit to three. However, just like in Tuesday’s game, the Celtics turned up the heat in the fourth quarter, limiting the Cavaliers to 20 points in the final frame to take the nine-point victory. Both teams performed similarly in the final box score, however the Celtics shot slightly better from the field (50.6 percent vs. 48.2 percent) and from beyond the arc (36.1 percent vs. 33.3 percent). The Celtics have now won three straight and six of their last seven games, while the Cavaliers finished their four-game road trip on a three-game losing streak.
All five Celtics starters finished the game with double-digit points. Jayson Tatum registered his second straight double-double -- and third in the last four games -- as he finished with a team-leading 27 points, 11 rebounds, three assists and three blocks. Jaylen Brown had 22 points on an efficient 10-for-20 shooting to go along with five rebounds, five assists and two steals. Kristaps Porzingis scored seven of his 18 points from the charity stripe while adding six rebounds and two blocks. The backcourt duo of Jrue Holiday and Derick White had 15 and 14 points respectively, while Al Horford played 24 minutes off the bench and recorded seven points, 10 rebounds and three assists.
For the Cavaliers, Donovan Mitchell led the team in scoring for the second straight game with 31 points along with eight rebounds and six assists. Darius Garland was able to overcome a hit to the mouth in the third quarter to finish the game with 19 points, three assists and two steals. Caris LeVert led the way off the pine with 26 points on 9-for-16 shooting as well as five assists, three rebounds and three steals. Jarrett Allen led the team with 10 rebounds while adding eight points and three assists.
With Thursday’s game in the books, the Celtics host the Magic on Friday night in a back-to-back, while the Cavaliers travel back to Cleveland and will open their four-game homestand against the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday.
Bulls drop Heat in first of two-game series
The Chicago Bulls defeated the Miami Heat 124-116 at Kaseya Center on Thursday night.
The Bulls (10-16) dominated right out of the gate, hitting on all cylinders to take a 14-point lead at the end of the first quarter. They continued to dominate and were up by as much as 25 midway through the second frame, but the Heat managed to close the half on a 26-7 run to cut the deficit to four at the half. The teams exchanged runs in the second half, but the Bulls held their lead and managed to close the contest, capture the win and simultaneously snap their two-game loss streak as well as the Heat’s two-game win streak.
The Bulls had no trouble replacing the scoring void left by Zach LaVine -- who missed his six straight game with an inflamed right foot -- with four players scoring 20-plus points. Colby White led the way with his first double-double of the season with 26 points, 11 assists, seven rebounds and a team-best plus-20 point differential. Nikola Vucevic registered his fifth straight double-double with 24 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists and three steals. DeMar DeRozan had 23 points -- with 10 points coming from the charity stripe -- along with five rebounds and four assists, while Ayo Dosunmu scored a season-high 24 points off the bench on 10-for-12 shooting in addition to eight rebounds and five assists.
None of the Heat starters finished the game with a positive point differential, and it was rookie guard Jaime Jaquez who led the way with 22 points off the bench to go with four rebounds and four assists over 34 minutes. Jimmy Butler had another all-around game with 20 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. Caleb Martin registered his second double-double in December with 17 points, 11 rebounds and four assists while Kyle Lowry finished with 17 points, three rebounds and three assists. Kevin Love nearly registered a double-double off the bench with 16 points, nine rebounds and four assists.
With Thursday’s game wrapped up, the two teams will face off against each other again Saturday night at Kaseya Center.
The Bulls (10-16) dominated right out of the gate, hitting on all cylinders to take a 14-point lead at the end of the first quarter. They continued to dominate and were up by as much as 25 midway through the second frame, but the Heat managed to close the half on a 26-7 run to cut the deficit to four at the half. The teams exchanged runs in the second half, but the Bulls held their lead and managed to close the contest, capture the win and simultaneously snap their two-game loss streak as well as the Heat’s two-game win streak.
The Bulls had no trouble replacing the scoring void left by Zach LaVine -- who missed his six straight game with an inflamed right foot -- with four players scoring 20-plus points. Colby White led the way with his first double-double of the season with 26 points, 11 assists, seven rebounds and a team-best plus-20 point differential. Nikola Vucevic registered his fifth straight double-double with 24 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists and three steals. DeMar DeRozan had 23 points -- with 10 points coming from the charity stripe -- along with five rebounds and four assists, while Ayo Dosunmu scored a season-high 24 points off the bench on 10-for-12 shooting in addition to eight rebounds and five assists.
None of the Heat starters finished the game with a positive point differential, and it was rookie guard Jaime Jaquez who led the way with 22 points off the bench to go with four rebounds and four assists over 34 minutes. Jimmy Butler had another all-around game with 20 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. Caleb Martin registered his second double-double in December with 17 points, 11 rebounds and four assists while Kyle Lowry finished with 17 points, three rebounds and three assists. Kevin Love nearly registered a double-double off the bench with 16 points, nine rebounds and four assists.
With Thursday’s game wrapped up, the two teams will face off against each other again Saturday night at Kaseya Center.
Timberwolves Mount Huge Comeback To Defeat Mavericks
The Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Dallas Mavericks, 119-101, at American Airlines Center on Thursday.
The Mavericks (15-6) enjoyed a rampant start, but they could not hold on to that momentum, and the Timberwolves (18-5) secured a comfortable win despite playing on the road. The Mavericks raced to a 17-2 lead in the first quarter, but that would be all the dominance they’d enjoy. Minnesota slowly began to set the tempo of the game and delivered an impressive comeback in the first quarter, with the opening 12 minutes ending with a 30-26 Dallas lead. Minnesota would make things even closer before halftime following a 33-30 score in the second quarter, but the Mavs still held a one-point lead. The Timberwolves would not step off the gas, and they ran the Mavericks out of the court in the second half. A 28-22 score in the third quarter allowed Minnesota to hold a five-point lead with 12 minutes left, and a 32-19 performance in the final 12 minutes would ice the game for good. With the win, the Timberwolves improved to 8-4 on the road, while the Mavericks fell to 7-5 at home.
Naz Reid led the way for the Timberwolves off the bench with 27 points and six rebounds. He also posted a franchise-high seven three-pointers off the bench. Anthony Edwards shot the ball poorly and registered nine points (3-19 FG), but he finished with a career-high mark in assists in the regular season with 11. Karl-Anthony Towns posted 21 points, 17 rebounds and two assists. Rudy Gobert finished with eight points, 12 rebounds, five assists and three steals. Nickeil Alexander-Walker had 13 points off the bench.
Luka Doncic led the way for the Mavericks with 39 points, 13 assists and six rebounds, but his efforts were not enough. Dereck Lively II finished with double-digit points after recording 15 points and adding six assists. Dante Exum was the only other starter who scored in double digits after posting 14 points with four rebounds and four assists. Tim Hardaway added 10 points off the bench.
The Mavericks (15-6) enjoyed a rampant start, but they could not hold on to that momentum, and the Timberwolves (18-5) secured a comfortable win despite playing on the road. The Mavericks raced to a 17-2 lead in the first quarter, but that would be all the dominance they’d enjoy. Minnesota slowly began to set the tempo of the game and delivered an impressive comeback in the first quarter, with the opening 12 minutes ending with a 30-26 Dallas lead. Minnesota would make things even closer before halftime following a 33-30 score in the second quarter, but the Mavs still held a one-point lead. The Timberwolves would not step off the gas, and they ran the Mavericks out of the court in the second half. A 28-22 score in the third quarter allowed Minnesota to hold a five-point lead with 12 minutes left, and a 32-19 performance in the final 12 minutes would ice the game for good. With the win, the Timberwolves improved to 8-4 on the road, while the Mavericks fell to 7-5 at home.
Naz Reid led the way for the Timberwolves off the bench with 27 points and six rebounds. He also posted a franchise-high seven three-pointers off the bench. Anthony Edwards shot the ball poorly and registered nine points (3-19 FG), but he finished with a career-high mark in assists in the regular season with 11. Karl-Anthony Towns posted 21 points, 17 rebounds and two assists. Rudy Gobert finished with eight points, 12 rebounds, five assists and three steals. Nickeil Alexander-Walker had 13 points off the bench.
Luka Doncic led the way for the Mavericks with 39 points, 13 assists and six rebounds, but his efforts were not enough. Dereck Lively II finished with double-digit points after recording 15 points and adding six assists. Dante Exum was the only other starter who scored in double digits after posting 14 points with four rebounds and four assists. Tim Hardaway added 10 points off the bench.
Nuggets Dominate Nets, 124-101
The Denver Nuggets defeated the Brooklyn Nets, 124-101, at Ball Arena on Thursday night.
The Nuggets (17-9) appeared to be on track for a big night from early in the contest, as they owned a 29-22 lead over the Nets (13-11) that they'd expanded to 52-39 by halftime. Denver then squashed any hopes of a post-intermission resurgence by Brooklyn with a 38-28 advantage in the third quarter, setting the stage for a comfortable final period.
Spencer Dinwiddie led the Nets with 17 points, adding eight assists, four rebounds and one steal. Cam Thomas furnished 13 points and three boards. Harry Giles supplied 11 points, six rebounds, one assist and one steal. Nic Claxton and Spencer Dinwiddie posted matching 10-point tallies while recording nine and three rebounds, respectively.
Nikola Jokic paced the Nuggets with a 26-point, 15-rebound, 10-assist triple-double that included one steal. Peyton Watson delivered 18 points, seven rebounds, five assists, two blocks and one steal. Jamal Murray registered 16 points, two assists, one rebound, three steals and one block. Aaron Gordon totaled 13 points, two rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block. Reggie Jackson finished with 12 points, four assists and two steals.
The Nets remain on the road and visit the Golden State Warriors on Saturday night, while the Nuggets host the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday night as well.
The Nuggets (17-9) appeared to be on track for a big night from early in the contest, as they owned a 29-22 lead over the Nets (13-11) that they'd expanded to 52-39 by halftime. Denver then squashed any hopes of a post-intermission resurgence by Brooklyn with a 38-28 advantage in the third quarter, setting the stage for a comfortable final period.
Spencer Dinwiddie led the Nets with 17 points, adding eight assists, four rebounds and one steal. Cam Thomas furnished 13 points and three boards. Harry Giles supplied 11 points, six rebounds, one assist and one steal. Nic Claxton and Spencer Dinwiddie posted matching 10-point tallies while recording nine and three rebounds, respectively.
Nikola Jokic paced the Nuggets with a 26-point, 15-rebound, 10-assist triple-double that included one steal. Peyton Watson delivered 18 points, seven rebounds, five assists, two blocks and one steal. Jamal Murray registered 16 points, two assists, one rebound, three steals and one block. Aaron Gordon totaled 13 points, two rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block. Reggie Jackson finished with 12 points, four assists and two steals.
The Nets remain on the road and visit the Golden State Warriors on Saturday night, while the Nuggets host the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday night as well.
Jazz Outscores Trail Blazers, 122-114
The Utah Jazz defeated the Portland Trail Blazers, 122-114, at Moda Center on Thursday night.
The Jazz (9-16) and Trail Blazers (6-17) both came out of the gate hot offensively, with Utah emerging from the opening period with a 38-30 lead. However, the visitors tightened up some defensively in the second quarter while scoring another 31 points, leading to a 15-point halftime advantage. The Jazz essentially put the game away by expanding their edge to 37 points during the third quarter, with Portland making the final score a lot closer by finishing on a 14-0 run over the final 1:46.
Collin Sexton led the Jazz with 27 points, adding four assists, two rebounds and one steal. Simone Fontecchio furnished 24 points, five rebounds and one steal. Talen Horton-Tucker delivered 23 points, four assists, two rebounds and four steals. Ochai Agbaji supplied 16 points, three rebounds and two assists. Walker Kessler and Taylor Hendricks produced matching 10-point efforts while pulling down 10 and seven rebounds, respectively. Kessler added seven blocks among his other contributions.
Scoot Henderson paced the Trail Blazers with a 23-point, 10-assist double-double that included two rebounds and one steal. Toumani Camara furnished 18 points and six rebounds. Duop Reath provided 15 points, five boards, one steal and one block. Deandre Ayton totaled 14 points, nine rebounds, one steal and one block. Jabari Walker registered 13 points, nine boards, one assist and one steal.
The Jazz remains on the road and faces the Sacramento Kings on Friday night, while the Trail Blazers remain home and host the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night as well.
The Jazz (9-16) and Trail Blazers (6-17) both came out of the gate hot offensively, with Utah emerging from the opening period with a 38-30 lead. However, the visitors tightened up some defensively in the second quarter while scoring another 31 points, leading to a 15-point halftime advantage. The Jazz essentially put the game away by expanding their edge to 37 points during the third quarter, with Portland making the final score a lot closer by finishing on a 14-0 run over the final 1:46.
Collin Sexton led the Jazz with 27 points, adding four assists, two rebounds and one steal. Simone Fontecchio furnished 24 points, five rebounds and one steal. Talen Horton-Tucker delivered 23 points, four assists, two rebounds and four steals. Ochai Agbaji supplied 16 points, three rebounds and two assists. Walker Kessler and Taylor Hendricks produced matching 10-point efforts while pulling down 10 and seven rebounds, respectively. Kessler added seven blocks among his other contributions.
Scoot Henderson paced the Trail Blazers with a 23-point, 10-assist double-double that included two rebounds and one steal. Toumani Camara furnished 18 points and six rebounds. Duop Reath provided 15 points, five boards, one steal and one block. Deandre Ayton totaled 14 points, nine rebounds, one steal and one block. Jabari Walker registered 13 points, nine boards, one assist and one steal.
The Jazz remains on the road and faces the Sacramento Kings on Friday night, while the Trail Blazers remain home and host the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night as well.
Kings Hold Off Thunder
By Dan Bruno
The Sacramento Kings defeated the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder, 128-123, at Golden 1 Center on Thursday evening.
The game got out to a competitive start, as the visitors carried a one-point edge into the second quarter. The Kings picked up momentum in the second and outscored the Thunder by seven, to claim a six-point advantage by halftime. Both sides came out rolling in the the third, where the Kings outscored the Thunder, 41-39, to push their lead up to eight, entering the final frame. The Thunder kept the pressure coming in the fourth and cut it down to a two-point game, but the Kings did not lose focus and closed out the home win.
De'Aaron Fox led the Kings with 41 points, three rebounds, seven assists and two steals, in 34 minutes. Domantas Sabonis totaled 18 points, 16 rebounds and seven assists, while Malik Monk finished with 18 points, nine assists and a block, off the bench.
Meanwhile, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 43 points, six rebounds, nine assists and two steals, in 38 minutes. Josh Giddey followed up with 18 points, eight rebounds, four assists, three steals and a block, while Chet Holmgren logged 14 points, 10 rebounds and a block.
The Thunder (15-8) will look to bounce back as they clash with the Nuggets in Denver on Saturday. The Kings (14-9) play host to the Jazz on Saturday.
The game got out to a competitive start, as the visitors carried a one-point edge into the second quarter. The Kings picked up momentum in the second and outscored the Thunder by seven, to claim a six-point advantage by halftime. Both sides came out rolling in the the third, where the Kings outscored the Thunder, 41-39, to push their lead up to eight, entering the final frame. The Thunder kept the pressure coming in the fourth and cut it down to a two-point game, but the Kings did not lose focus and closed out the home win.
De'Aaron Fox led the Kings with 41 points, three rebounds, seven assists and two steals, in 34 minutes. Domantas Sabonis totaled 18 points, 16 rebounds and seven assists, while Malik Monk finished with 18 points, nine assists and a block, off the bench.
Meanwhile, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 43 points, six rebounds, nine assists and two steals, in 38 minutes. Josh Giddey followed up with 18 points, eight rebounds, four assists, three steals and a block, while Chet Holmgren logged 14 points, 10 rebounds and a block.
The Thunder (15-8) will look to bounce back as they clash with the Nuggets in Denver on Saturday. The Kings (14-9) play host to the Jazz on Saturday.
Clippers Defeat Warriors, 121-113
The Los Angeles Clippers defeated the visiting Golden State Warriors, 121-113, at Crypto.com on Thursday.
While there were three ties and seven lead changes in the first quarter, LA never relinquished the lead after that. They rode a 40-28 second quarter to their win, with Golden State attempting just one game-tying shot in the second half. The Clippers shot 51 percent from the field and 41 percent from three-point range while holding the Warriors to 44 percent from the field and 36 percent from long range. LA outscored Golden State in the paint, 48-40, while out-assisting them, 27-22.
The Warriors (10-14) were led by Klay Thompson, tallying 30 points, five assists and two steals on 8-of-12 from long range. Stephen Curry collected 17 points, four rebounds and four assists. Jonathan Kuminga compiled 15 points and five rebounds, while Kevon Looney had eight points, seven rebounds and five assists. Chris Paul led the bench with 12 points, two rebounds and three assists.
The Clippers (14-10) were led by James Harden, finishing with 28 points, seven rebounds, 15 assists and four blocks. Kawhi Leonard tallied 27 points, eight rebounds and two assists. Amir Coffey amassed 18 points and four boards, while Ivica Zubac generated 10 points, eight rebounds, two assists and two blocks. Norman Powell led the bench with 21 points, five rebounds and two assists.
Both teams return to action on Saturday, with Los Angeles remaining home to play the New York Knicks and Golden State returning home to face the Brooklyn Nets.
While there were three ties and seven lead changes in the first quarter, LA never relinquished the lead after that. They rode a 40-28 second quarter to their win, with Golden State attempting just one game-tying shot in the second half. The Clippers shot 51 percent from the field and 41 percent from three-point range while holding the Warriors to 44 percent from the field and 36 percent from long range. LA outscored Golden State in the paint, 48-40, while out-assisting them, 27-22.
The Warriors (10-14) were led by Klay Thompson, tallying 30 points, five assists and two steals on 8-of-12 from long range. Stephen Curry collected 17 points, four rebounds and four assists. Jonathan Kuminga compiled 15 points and five rebounds, while Kevon Looney had eight points, seven rebounds and five assists. Chris Paul led the bench with 12 points, two rebounds and three assists.
The Clippers (14-10) were led by James Harden, finishing with 28 points, seven rebounds, 15 assists and four blocks. Kawhi Leonard tallied 27 points, eight rebounds and two assists. Amir Coffey amassed 18 points and four boards, while Ivica Zubac generated 10 points, eight rebounds, two assists and two blocks. Norman Powell led the bench with 21 points, five rebounds and two assists.
Both teams return to action on Saturday, with Los Angeles remaining home to play the New York Knicks and Golden State returning home to face the Brooklyn Nets.