Jaylen Brown scored 26 points and Jayson Tatum scored 23 as the Boston Celtics defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 133-101 on Friday to remain third in the NBA Eastern Conference.
Tatum finished with 11 rebounds, nine assists and three steals, but he and Brown sat out the fourth quarter against the ailing Bucks.
advertise
Two days after scoring 53 points in the first quarter against the Miami Heat, the Celtics are off to another hot start.
Eight of their 17 3-pointers came in a 43-point first quarter that gave them a 75-55 halftime lead.
The Celtics have won five of their past six games and remain two and a half games ahead of the New York Knicks for second place in the Eastern Conference.
The Knicks have struggled against good teams recently, but they defeated the Chicago Bulls 136-96, who have been eliminated from the playoffs.
OG Anunoby scored a game-high 31 points and grabbed 8 rebounds. Jaylen Brunson and Mitchell Robinson each scored 17 points, and Brunson also contributed 11 rebounds.
advertise
Anunoby made 9 of 15 shots from the field, including 7 of 10 three-pointers. Robinson started in place of injured center Karl-Anthony Towns and made all seven of his field goals.
The Atlanta Hawks, fifth in the Eastern Conference, defeated the Brooklyn Nets 141-107, and the Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 115-103 to maintain sixth place in the Eastern Conference and the final spot to directly enter the playoffs.
Paul George scored 23 points, Tyrese Maxey scored 21 points, and Joel Embiid returned after missing a game due to illness and scored 19 points, 13 rebounds and 7 assists.
– Flagg scores 51 –
advertise
With five games left in the regular season, the 76ers still hold a narrow lead over the seventh-place Toronto Raptors, who defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 128-96 to stay atop the group competing for qualification.
The eighth-ranked Charlotte Hornets beat the Indiana Pacers 129-108, trailing the Miami Heat by a half-game, and the ninth-ranked Orlando Magic withstood a 51-point performance from Dallas rookie Cooper Flagg to beat the Mavericks 138-127.
Flagg, 19, became the first teenager in the NBA to score 50 points in a game. He became the only rookie after Michael Jordan to score more than 45 points multiple times in his rookie season.
“He should be Rookie of the Year,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said of Flagg, who scored 24 points in the fourth quarter.
advertise
Dallas trailed by 19 points entering the final frame and trailed by 21 minutes into the game when Kidd was ejected after arguing that Flagg was fouled.
Flagg himself received a technical on appeal and teammate Naji Marshall was also ejected shortly after, and Flagg seemed more determined in their absence.
“What he does, he’s rare,” Kidd said of Flagg’s stellar performance during a disappointing first season in Dallas.
Despite Flagg’s firepower, the Magic’s balanced offense was enough to win the game. Wendell Carter Jr. scored 28 points, Desmond Bane scored 27 points, and six Orlando players scored in double figures.
advertise
“It’s fun,” Flagg said. “It’s always fun to get into this mode. The basket feels big and your teammates are looking out for you and helping you.
“But I love winning. That’s my main focus and it’s hard to fully enjoy myself when we’re down 20, 10, 15 for most of the game.”
BB/Pacific Standard Time
