Celtics Cool Off Pacers
The Boston Celtics held the red-hot Indiana Pacers to their lowest point total of the season, pulling away in the fourth quarter of a 118-101 win. The loss snapped the Pacers’ six-game winning streak, while the win was the Celtics’ eighth in their last nine games.
Boston’s Jayson Tatum tallied game highs of 38 points and 13 rebounds, also dishing out six assists. Tatum shot 14-23 from the field with a season-high eight 3-pointers made.
Tatum has recorded at least 30 points, five rebounds, and five assists in each of his last three games, matching the longest such streak of his career. He’s the only Celtic over the last 35 seasons to produce three such games in a row.
The second member of the Celtics’ dynamic duo, Jaylen Brown, scored 31 points on 13-20 shooting from the floor. It’s the 25th time Tatum and Brown have each scored at least 30 points in the same game, the most such games in franchise history (by a whopping 16 games) and the eighth-most such games in NBA history.
Al Horford had a productive night off the bench for the Celtics, compiling 10 points, eight assists, seven rebounds, and two blocks. He led all players on both teams in assists and blocks. Brown, Tatum, and Horford were the only Celtics to score in double figures.
The Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton had 17 points, a team-high seven assists, six rebounds, and a game-high five steals, but made just five of his 17 field goal attempts. Haliburton had recorded at least 10 assists in each of his previous 11 games, the longest such streak in franchise history.
Bennedict Mathurin came off the bench to score a team-high 20 points for the Pacers. It’s the 28th time Mathurin has recorded a 20-point game coming off the bench, four more such games than any other player over the last two seasons.
Quick Hitters
Notes on the remaining three games last night:
The New York Knicks’ Julius Randle (39 points) and Jalen Brunson (33) combined for 72 points in a 121-105 victory over the Washington Wizards. It was the Knicks’ fourth consecutive win, while the Wizards have lost four in a row. Randle added seven rebounds and five assists, shooting 13-23 from the field and 10-13 from the free throw line. Brunson dished out a team-high eight assists, going 10-18 from the floor and hitting all nine of his free throws. Knicks center Isaiah Hartenstein chipped in with game highs of 19 rebounds, four steals, and two blocks. Kyle Kuzma led the Wizards with 27 points, while Deni Avdija had 23 points (9-13 field goals), 10 rebounds, and six assists.
The Philadelphia 76ers dropped to 2-6 when MVP frontrunner Joel Embiid does not play this season, the latest setback a 120-109 loss to the Utah Jazz. Utah’s Lauri Markkanen recorded game highs of 33 points and 13 rebounds, going 12-19 from the field with five 3-pointers made. Teammate Collin Sexton scored 22 points and distributed a game-high 10 assists, making nine of his 14 attempts from the floor. Tyrese Maxey had team highs of 25 points and nine assists for the Sizers, but misfired on 15 of his 24 shots from the field.
Giannis Antetokounmpo produced game highs of 48 points and 17 rebounds, but it wasn’t enough as the Milwaukee Bucks fell to the Houston Rockets 112-108. Antetokounmpo went 16-25 from the field and 15-21 from the free throw line. He’s recorded six straight 25-point, 10-rebound games with 55% shooting from the field, the longest such streak of his career and tied for the second-longest such streak since the ABA-NBA merger. Bucks guard Damian Lillard scored 18 points and handed out a game-high eight assists, but made just five of his 16 shots from the floor (including 1-8 from 3-point range). The Rockets’ Alperen Sengun scored a team-high 21 points and snagged 11 rebounds, while Jabari Smith Jr. chipped in with 14 points and a team-high 12 boards.