NBA-leading Celtics beats Spurs 134-101 for 6th straight victory
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Jayson Tatum scored 25 points, Jaylen Brown added 24 and the NBA-leading Boston Celtics extended their winning streak to six games with a 134-101 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday night.
Derrick White scored 17 points against his former team, and Kristaps Porzingis added 14 points and nine rebounds in his return after missing a game because of a calf injury.
Devin Vassell scored 22 points for San Antonio. Victor Wembanyama had 21 points and seven rebounds for San Antonio. The Spurs have lost seven of eight.
Boston improved to 26-6, going 12-2 in December.
PELICANS 129, LAKERS 109
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram each scored 26 points and New Orleans beat road-weary Los Angeles.
Los Angeles was coming off a 108-106 loss at Minnesota on Saturday night, while New Orleans was off two days after beating Utah at home Thursday night.
LeBron James scored 34 points and former Pelican Anthony Davis added 20 points and 10 rebounds, but they didn’t get enough help as the Lakers lost for the seventh time in nine games.
The meeting was the first since the Lakers dismantled New Orleans 133-89 in the In-Season Tournament semifinal in Las Vegas on Dec. 7.
SUNS 112, MAGIC 107
PHOENIX (AP) — Kevin Durant scored 31 points, Bradley Beal added a season-high 25 and Phoenix beat Orlando for its third straight victory.
Beal was playing in just his eighth game this season because of back and ankle injuries. The three-time All-Star — acquired in an offseason trade with Washington — shot 10 of 13 from the field, including a powerful dunk in the third quarter.
Durant shot 12 of 21 from the field and added five rebounds and five assists. Devin Booker scored 21 points and Jusuf Nurkic had 19 points and 13 rebounds. The Suns’ backups scored only six points, all by Chimezie Metu.
Paolo led Orlando with 28 points. Franz Wagner added 27.
THUNDER 124, NETS 108
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 24 points and six assists and Oklahoma City beat Brooklyn for its fourth straight victory.
Josh Giddey had 20 points, six rebounds and five assists, and rookie Chet Holmgren added 18 points, 10 rebounds and two blocked shots. Oklahoma City improved to 22-9, good for second place in the Western Conference.
Mikal Bridges had 22 points — 15 in the first quarter — to go with seven rebounds and seven assists for Brooklyn. The Nets have lost three straight.
KINGS 123, GRIZZLIES 92
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Malik Monk scored 27 points, Domantas Sabonis added 13 points, 21 rebounds and 12 assists for a triple-double and Sacramento routed Memphis.
Monk was 10 of 13 from the field and missed just one of his five 3-point shots. Sabonis had his sixth triple-double of the season.
Jaren Jackson led Memphis with 18 points. Desmond Bane, Ja Morant and Luke Kennard had with 17 points apiece. The Grizzlies have lost three in a row.
HAWKS 130, WIZARDS 126
WASHINGTON (AP) — Trae Young had 40 points and 13 assists, Dejounte Murray scored 32 points and Atlanta overcame a slow start to beat Washington.
Jalen Johnson added a career-high 24 points and had 13 rebounds.
Kyle Kuzma scored 38 points and hit seven 3-pointers for Washington.
