Pacers Rally, Defeat Celtics
Despite losing All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton to a hamstring injury in the second quarter, the Indiana Pacers rallied to defeat the Boston Celtics 133-131. The Pacers have won seven of their last eight games, tying the Orlando Magic and the Miami Heat for the fourth-best record in the Eastern Conference.
The Pacers’ Bennedict Mathurin came off the bench to score a team-high 26 points, going 8-15 from the field with five 3-pointers made. Mathurin broke a 131-131 tie by hitting two of his three free throws with 0.6 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter (he missed the third attempt on purpose).
Mathurin was one of seven Pacers to score in double figures. He was joined by Aaron Nesmith (17 points, 6-10 field goals), Myles Turner (16 points, eight rebounds), Buddy Hield (15 points, 6-11 field goals), Obi Toppin (13 points, 4-5 field goals), T.J. McConnell (12 points, team-high seven assists), and Jalen Smith (11 points, game-high nine rebounds).
The Pacers have scored at least 130 points 15 times in 36 games this season. The only other team in NBA history to record 15 such games through their first 36 games of a season is the 1961-62 Philadelphia Warriors (the Warriors actually reached that mark in their 35th game).
Jaylen Brown scored a game-high 40 points to lead the Celtics, making 17 of his 26 attempts from the floor. Brown has scored 71 points on 30-46 shooting from the field (65.2%) over his last two games. The second member of Boston’s dynamic duo, Jayson Tatum, missed the game with an ankle sprain.
Celtics guard Jrue Holiday had 21 points, six rebounds, and six assists, shooting 9-16 from the floor. Center Kristaps Porzingis scored 19 points to go with seven assists, five rebounds, and three blocks, committing just one turnover in 38 minutes played.
Jazz Stun Bucks
The Utah Jazz picked up a stunning 132-116 road victory over the Milwaukee Bucks, notching their eighth win in the last 10 games. Meanwhile, the Bucks have dropped four of their last five games, allowing an average of 125.8 PPG over that span.
Five players scored between 19 and 21 points for the Jazz: Lauri Markkanen (21 points, game-high 14 rebounds), Jordan Clarkson (21 points, six assists), Collin Sexton (19 points, 8-13 field goals), Keyonte George (19 points, 7-13 field goals), and John Collins (19 points, 8-15 field goals).
Utah’s Kris Dunn was the table setter, distributing a game-high 13 assists in just 24 minutes of action. The last Jazz player to record at least 13 assists in 24 or fewer minutes played was John Stockton on Dec. 29, 1999.
The Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo recorded his 39th career triple-double, compiling team highs of 25 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists. It’s the 150th game in which Antetokounmpo has led his team (either outright or tied) in all three categories. The only other players in NBA history to record at least 150 such games are LeBron James (231) and Nikola Jokic (154).
Teammate Khris Middleton scored 23 points and dished out a team-high eight assists. Middleton has recorded at least five assists in each of his last nine games, matching the longest such streak of his career. He’s averaging 18.8 PPG and 7.0 APG with 53/43/86 shooting splits over that span.
Quick Hitters
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (32 points, 11-17 field goals) and Chet Holmgren (31 points, 11-14 field goals) combined for 63 points on 71.0% shooting from the floor as the Oklahoma City Thunder outscored the Washington Wizards 136-128. Gilgeous-Alexander and Holmgren also dished out a team-high five assists apiece, with Gilgeous-Alexander adding six rebounds and three steals. The Thunder’s Jalen Williams chipped in with 21 points (9-13 field goals), a game-high 10 assists, and a team-high seven rebounds. Jordan Poole led the Wizards with 24 points, while Kyle Kuzma produced 22 points, a game-high 15 rebounds, and five assists. Wizards point guard Tyus Jones scored 18 points (7-10 field goals) and handed out a team-high nine assists.
The Chicago Bulls needed overtime to overcome the Charlotte Hornets 119-112, handing the Hornets their 13th loss in the last 14 games. Coby White scored a team-high 27 points on 10-19 shooting from the field for the Bulls, adding six rebounds and five assists. Bulls center Andre Drummond scored 21 points (9-12 field goals) and hauled in a game-high 15 rebounds despite logging just 23 minutes. It’s the second time Drummond has recorded a 20-point, 15-rebound game in 23 or fewer minutes played, making him the only player since the ABA-NBA merger to produce multiple such games. Drummond’s backup last night, Nikola Vucevic, scored 21 points (10-18 field goals) and snagged 10 rebounds. The Hornets’ Terry Rozier led all players with 39 points and eight assists in 44 turnover-free minutes. Rozier shot 10-18 from the floor — including 7-13 on 3-pointers — and made all 12 of his free throws.
Playing their first home game since Christmas Day, the Miami Heat short-circuited the Houston Rockets 120-113. Tyler Herro led Miami with 28 points, sinking five of his 10 attempts from 3-point range. Heat center Bam Adebayo recorded a double-double, tallying 22 points and a game-high 12 rebounds. The Rockets’ Fred VanVleet scored a game-high 32 points (7-14 on 3-pointers) and handed out a team-high seven assists, while Alperen Sengun contributed 22 points, a team-high 11 rebounds, and a game-high three steals.
The LA Clippers have won 15 of their last 18 games, the latest a 138-111 rout of the Phoenix Suns. Paul George scored a team-high 25 points on 10-19 shooting from the floor for the Clippers, while James Harden added 19 points (on just eight field goal attempts) and a game-high 10 assists. Teammate Kawhi Leonard scored 17 points (8-15 field goals) and matched his season high with five steals. The Suns’ Kevin Durant led all scorers with 30 points, going 10-17 from the field and 7-8 from the free throw line.