Celtics 107, Bucks 79
Jaylen Brown dominated with 30 points and 13 rebounds as the Boston Celtics rolled past the Milwaukee Bucks 107-79 on Sunday night. Derrick White added 17 points, eight assists, and seven rebounds, while Neemias Queta chipped in 14 points and eight boards. Anfernee Simons came off the bench for 27 points to spark the Celtics’ attack.
The Bucks started fast, opening 12-0, but without sidelined star Giannis Antetokounmpo, they couldn’t sustain it. Boston led 56-42 at halftime, and Brown scored 10 of the team’s first 12 points in the second half to push the lead to 68-47. The Celtics extended their advantage to 27 late in the fourth before resting starters.
Up next: Bucks host Chicago Tuesday; Celtics at Dallas Tuesday.
Pistons 130, Nets 77
Jalen Duren posted 21 points and 10 rebounds, helping the Detroit Pistons set a franchise-record 53-point win over the Brooklyn Nets, 130-77. Cade Cunningham added 18 points, 12 assists, and four steals, while Ausar Thompson provided a highlight at the halftime buzzer with a half-court shot.
Detroit outscored Brooklyn 33-18 in the third quarter, pushing their largest lead to 55. The win improved the Pistons to 36-12, maintaining their hold atop the Eastern Conference. Brooklyn was led by Ryan Rollins with 25 points, but no other Nets player scored more than 12.
Up next: Nets host Los Angeles Tuesday; Pistons host Denver Tuesday.
Heat 134, Bulls 91
Bam Adebayo and Pelle Larsson each scored 20 points as the Miami Heat tied their third-largest victory margin in team history with a 134-91 rout of the Chicago Bulls. Miami led by as many as 54 points in the blowout, its largest lead of the season and second-largest since 1996 in the play-by-play era.
Kel’el Ware added 17 points, Andrew Wiggins and Jaime Jaquez Jr. 14 apiece, while Davion Mitchell returned from injury to score 13. The Heat played without Norman Powell and Tyler Herro, and Powell was named an NBA All-Star shortly after tipoff. Coby White scored 16 points for Chicago, who struggled through their third consecutive loss.
Up next: Bulls visit Milwaukee Tuesday; Heat host Atlanta Tuesday.
Raptors 107, Jazz 100
RJ Barrett scored 21 points, Sandro Mamukelashvili added 20, and Brandon Ingram contributed 19 as the Toronto Raptors beat the Utah Jazz 107-100 to open a five-game homestand. Immanuel Quickley added 17 points, and Scottie Barnes chipped in 14 points and nine rebounds, returning late after a left foot injury.
Lauri Markkanen led Utah with 27 points and 11 rebounds, with Isaiah Collier scoring 19. The Jazz lost their sixth straight game, while the Raptors matched their total wins from last season with 30, 31 games remaining.
Up next: Jazz at Indiana Tuesday; Raptors host Minnesota Wednesday.
Wizards 116, Kings 112
Rookie Will Riley scored a season-high 18 points, including a go-ahead 3-pointer with 2:07 remaining, to lift the Washington Wizards past the Sacramento Kings 116-112. AJ Johnson added 17 points, while Bilal Coulibaly and Marvin Bagley III each scored 15.
The Wizards, who heavily relied on their bench, outscored Sacramento’s reserves 61-20. Sacramento’s Zach LaVine had 35 points, and DeMar DeRozan added 32, but the Kings lost their ninth straight. Washington moved just ahead of Indiana in the Eastern Conference standings.
Up next: Kings host Memphis Wednesday; Wizards host New York Tuesday.
Knicks 112, Lakers 100
OG Anunoby scored 25 points, Landry Shamet added 23, and the New York Knicks held off the Los Angeles Lakers 112-100 at Madison Square Garden. Josh Hart chipped in 20 points, and Jalen Brunson had 12 points with a season-high 13 assists.
LeBron James, making his 32nd MSG appearance, finished with 22 points, six assists, and five rebounds. The Knicks outscored the Lakers 38-26 in the third quarter, highlighted by a 15-5 run capped by three consecutive 3-pointers from Shamet, Brunson, and Anunoby.
Up next: Lakers at Brooklyn Tuesday; Knicks at Washington Tuesday.
Clippers 117, Suns 93
Kawhi Leonard scored 25 points and Ivica Zubac grabbed 20 rebounds as the Los Angeles Clippers dominated the Phoenix Suns 117-93. Jordan Miller added 20 points, John Collins 16, and Zubac 14. The Clippers outrebounded Phoenix 63-35 and outscored them 64-18 in the paint, dominating without James Harden.
The Suns, missing Devin Booker and Jalen Green, were led by Grayson Allen with 23 points and Dillon Brooks with 22. Phoenix shot just 33.3% from the field, held under 100 points for only the sixth time this season.
Up next: Clippers host Philadelphia Monday; Suns at Portland Tuesday.
Spurs 112, Magic 103
Victor Wembanyama had 25 points, eight rebounds, and five blocks to lead the San Antonio Spurs past the Orlando Magic 112-103, overcoming a game that started five hours late due to travel issues. Devin Vassell added 16 points and Dylan Harper scored 15.
De’Aaron Fox had 14 points and 10 assists for the Spurs, while Desmond Bane led Orlando with 25 points and Paolo Banchero added 19 and 10 rebounds. San Antonio jumped out to an early lead and never trailed, with Wembanyama scoring immediately after being cleared to play despite calf soreness.
Up next: Magic at Oklahoma City Tuesday; Spurs host Oklahoma City Wednesday.
Cavaliers 130, Trail Blazers 111
Jarrett Allen had a career night with 40 points and 17 rebounds as the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 130-111. Sam Merrill added 22 points, including six 3-pointers, and Donovan Mitchell contributed as Cleveland bounced back from a loss to Phoenix.
Caleb Love led Portland with 21 points, but the Blazers struggled without All-Star Deni Avdija, who sat out with a lower back strain. Cleveland built an early lead and pulled away late, with Merrill’s 3-pointer pushing the margin to 118-104.
Up next: Cavaliers at Clippers Wednesday; Trail Blazers host Phoenix Tuesday.
Thunder 121, Nuggets 111
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 34 points with 13 assists, and Cason Wallace had a career-high 27 points, including seven 3-pointers, as the Oklahoma City Thunder topped the Denver Nuggets 121-111. Oklahoma City made 19 3-pointers and built a 16-point lead in the third quarter.
Peyton Watson led Denver with 29 points, while Nikola Jokic returned from injury to score 16 and Jamal Murray added 12 points and 12 assists. Both teams were missing key starters, but the Thunder dominated from deep, capping a critical 12-0 third-quarter run.
Up next: Thunder host Orlando Tuesday; Nuggets at Detroit Tuesday.
