Defending NBA champion Boston Celtics dominated the Golden State Warriors 125-85 on Monday, whereas league leaders Cleveland cruised to victory over the Phoenix Suns.
Jayson Tatum scored 22 factors with 9 rebounds and 7 assists earlier than sitting out the whole fourth quarter for the Celtics, who handed the Warriors their worst residence defeat since a 149-104 loss to Dallas in 1985.
Kristaps Porzingis added 18 factors and Jaylen Brown chipped in 17 for Boston, who took full benefit of the absence of Draymond Green, the most recent Warriors harm sufferer after he strained his left calf on Saturday.
“Those are some of the tricky games in the NBA, when (teams) have some star players out, other guys get a different role,” Tatum mentioned. “We fell victim to that a couple of times this year, so (we were) just trying to lock in from the beginning.”
Up by 15 at halftime, the Celtics erupted for 43 factors within the third quarter.
Stephen Curry scored 18 factors to guide the Warriors and Moses Moody added 13 off the bench – the one Golden State gamers to attain in double figures.
“We’ve got to flush this one down the toilet,” head coach Steve Kerr mentioned, calling the blowout “demoralizing.”
It was simply one of many lopsided outcomes because the NBA marked the Martin Luther King Jr. vacation with a daylong slate of video games.
Donovan Mitchell scored 33 factors to gasoline the Cavaliers in a 118-92 victory over the Phoenix Suns.
Injury absences of Evan Mobley, Isaac Okoro and Caris LeVert did nothing to gradual the Cavs, who led by as many as 32 on the way in which to boosting their league-best report to 36-6.
Kevin Durant scored 33 factors with seven rebounds to guide the Suns, however Devin Booker – who had scored no less than 30 factors within the Suns’ final 5 video games – was held to fifteen factors on six-of-14 capturing.
Pelicans rally
In New Orleans, the Pelicans authored the most important comeback in franchise historical past, erasing a 25-point deficit to beat the Utah Jazz 123-119 in additional time.
CJ McCollum scored 24 of his 45 factors within the fourth quarter and additional time, and Dejounte Murray added 26 factors and 11 assists for the Pelicans.
They notched their fifth win of their final six video games regardless of the absence of ailing star Zion Williamson.
In Memphis, Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 24 factors and grabbed 11 rebounds to assist the Grizzlies struggle again from a 16-point deficit to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 108-106.
Desmond Bane added 22 factors and Ja Morant scored 19 for Memphis, who took their first lead of the second half on Bane’s floater within the lane with 3:21 remaining.
“It was ugly from the start, but we kept competing and found a way down the stretch,” Bane mentioned.
Anthony Edwards scored 32 factors to guide the Timberwolves however missed a possible game-winning 3-pointer as time expired.
New York’s Jalen Brunson scored 34 factors to propel the Knicks to a 119-110 victory over the Atlanta Hawks.
Trae Young scored 27 factors, main seven Hawks gamers to attain in double figures, however Atlanta noticed their three-game successful streak finish.
The Detroit Pistons shook off back-to-back residence losses with a 107-96 victory over the Rockets in Houston.
Cade Cunningham scored 32 factors with 9 rebounds and 7 assists and Jalen Duren added a double-double of 16 factors and 14 rebounds with 4 steals and two blocked pictures.
Source: www.dailysabah.com