LOS ANGELES: The Los Angeles Clippers dealt the Boston Celtics some other setback Monday, beating the highest workforce within the NBA in decisive taste, 113-93. Paul George scored 26 issues and Kawhi Leonard scored a season excessive of 25 issues with 9 rebounds and 6 assists because the injury-plagued Clippers confirmed how excellent they are able to be at complete energy. Jalyen Brown scored 21 issues and Jayson Tatum added 20 with 11 rebounds for the Celtics, who have been coming off a 123-107 loss to the NBA champion Golden State Warriors in an NBA Finals rematch on Saturday.
It’s the primary time since October that the Celtics have dropped two video games in a row, their league-best report falling to 21-7. The Clippers dialed in defensively at the Celtics’ unhealthy scorers, proscribing Tatum to four-of-12 taking pictures within the first part as Los Angeles took a 56-47 lead on the wreck. Tatum and Brown blended for simply 3 three-pointers in 14 makes an attempt because the Celtics made simply 9 of 39 from past the arc.
Leonard mentioned the sturdy defensive show was once “a gaggle effort by way of everyone. “Being locked in to their performs, ensuring that Tatum is getting double-teamed and Brown is seeing a large number of arms when he shoots the basketball, that’s what it took.” Boston trainer Joe Mazzulla mentioned he concept the Celtics “misplaced our poise” within the 3rd quarter, which Leonard and George began on a scoring tear. “However the margin for error is small,” Mazzulla mentioned. “While you get nice appears and also you don’t lead them to you must in finding different ways to win.”
Somewhere else, the Brooklyn Nets cruised to their fourth directly victory as Kevin Durant’s 30 issues fueled a 112-100 win over the Wizards in Washington. The Nets, who battled thru early season struggles that noticed trainer Steve Nash sacked then handled the suspension of Kyrie Irving in an anti-Semitism row, have now gained 8 in their final 9 video games. “We’re construction one thing,” Durant mentioned. “We’ve were given to stay fine-tuning.”
On Monday, the Nets led by way of double digits for a lot of the second one part, protecting the Wizards to 45 issues after the period. Durant added 9 rebounds and 6 assists and Irving added 24 issues because the Nets dealt the Wizards a 7th directly defeat. Will Barton scored 22 issues off the bench to steer the Wizards, who had 20 issues apiece from Kristaps Porzingis and Kyle Kuzma. The Nets path Cleveland by way of simply part a recreation for 3rd position within the East after the Cavaliers have been up-ended by way of Western Convention stragglers San Antonio 112-111.
Josh Richardson scored 24 issues to steer the Spurs, who have been up by way of 10 with 4:35 to play and hung on regardless of a Cavs rally that lower the deficit to 2 on Donovan Mitchell’s putback basket with 53 seconds last. Evan Mobley added a unfastened throw that pulled Cleveland inside of one with 37.9 seconds left. However Keldon Johnson blocked a shot by way of Mitchell, Cleveland’s Darius Garland ignored a three-pointer and Spurs reserve Devin Vassell got here up with a scouse borrow to seal the victory.
Grizzlies down Hawks
The harm absence of Ja Morant was once no drawback for the Memphis Grizzlies, who roared to a 128-103 house victory over the Atlanta Hawks. Tyus Jones scored 22 issues and Jaren Jackson delivered 15 issues, seven rebounds and a career-high 8 blocked pictures – which tied the Grizzlies’ franchise single-game report shared by way of Marc Gasol, Pau Gasol and Stromile Swift. The Grizzlies gained their 6th directly and moved inside of part a recreation of the New Orleans Pelicans atop the Western Convention.
In Dallas, Luka Doncic scored 38 issues and pulled down 11 rebounds within the Mavericks’ 121-114 victory over the Oklahoma Town Thunder. Tim Hardaway Jr added 20 issues for the Mavericks, who tired 22 three-pointers and withstood a 42-point efficiency from Oklahoma Town’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to snap a two-game dropping streak. In Portland, Damian Lillard drilled 11 three-pointers on how to 38 issues within the Path Blazers’ 133-112 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves. Lillard would possibly have challenged the single-game report of 14 three-pointers, held by way of Golden State’s Klay Thompson, however he sat out the fourth quarter with the sport in hand. – AFP