NBA: Celtics And Thunder Roll On, Lakers Top Memphis In Playoff Push
The NBA champion Boston Celtics and Western Conference leaders Oklahoma City persevered their march to the playoffs on saturday as the Los Angeles Lakers bounced back with a win over the Memphis Grizzlies.
Jayson Tatum scored 29 points with 10 rebounds and 8 assists to propel the Celtics to their eighth instant victory, 121-111 over the Spurs in San Antonio.
Tatum, who has a lower back after missing one game with a sprained left ankle, led seven Boston players to score in double figures, with Jrue Holiday adding 21 points in the triumph.
The Thunder rolled to their 9th straight victory behind 33 points, seven rebounds, and eight assists from most valuable participant contender Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Tyrese Haliburton scored 18 points for the Pacers, who led by 10 in the first quarter before the Thunder flipped the transfer and cruised to a 132-111 victory.
With eight video games, the final Oklahoma town leads the Cleveland Cavaliers in the race for the best document within the league and domestic court benefit all through the playoffs.
The Lakers, coming off an agonizing loss to the Bulls on josh Giddey's buzzer-beater, claimed a key 134-127 victory over the Grizzlies that put them one game ahead of Memphis for fourth area within the West.
The Lakers spoiled the debut of interim Memphis coach Tuomas Iisalo, who took over on Friday, whilst the Grizzlies all of a sudden sacked Taylor Jenkins.
Austin Reaves scored 31 points and dished out 8 assists for L.A., who permitted an early 20-point lead to escape but managed to come back after the Grizzlies took a 111-107 lead early in the fourth quarter.
Luka Doncic scored 29 points with 8 rebounds and 9 assists, including a no-look bypass to LeBron james for a dunk.
James finished with 25 points, six rebounds, and eight assists, and Lakers coach JJ Redick stated he was pleased with the poise his players showed after falling behind inside the fourth region.
Desmond Bane scored 29 points, Jaren Jackson Jr. delivered 24, and Ja Morant—lower back from a six-game injury absence—contributed 22 for Memphis, but the Grizzlies suffered their third loss to the Lakers this season, giving LA the tiebreaker advantage if needed in the playoff race.
'Excessive depth' "We knew this turned into a big sport for us, in the sense of the way we lost the alternative night time," said Reaves, who converted a 3-point play that pushed the Lakers' lead to nine points with 1:21 final.
"So getting into this sport, it is glaringly high depth," Reaves said. "And it is difficult, last sport of a avenue ride, you are pretty excited to go home. But for those 3 hours or something, the game is, You've got to fasten in."
The dallas Mavericks held off the Bulls 120-119 in Chicago to bolster their role within the 3-team struggle with Phoenix and Sacramento for the closing two locations in the Western Conference play-in tournament.
Klay Thompson scored 20 points, P.J. Washington brought 19, and Anthony Davis chipped in 18 for the Mavs, who led by 12 points with less than 3 minutes to play, only for the Bulls to close in two.
A couple of loose throws from Thompson restored a 4-point cushion, and the Mavs escaped.
The Kings, in the meantime, fell 121-91 to the Magic in Orlando, where Paolo Banchero scored 24 points in 3 quarters for the Magic, who are neck and neck with Atlanta for seventh in the East.
The Bulls' defeat left them with a record of 33-41 with the Miami warmness as they jockey for a position in the eastern conference play-in.
The warmth, fueled via 30 points from Tyler Herro, notched their fourth direct victory, 118-95 over a Philadelphia 76ers group already out of playoff contention.
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