UNDATED (AP) — The Miami Heat remain atop the NBA’s Eastern Conference after knocking off the Boston Celtics.
Jimmy Butler had 24 points and Kyle Lowry added 23 in a 106-98 victory over the Celtics. Bam Adebayo finished with 17 points and 12 rebounds to help Miami post its second straight win since a season-worst four-game losing streak.
Since briefly taking over the East’s top spot Boston has lost two in a row for the first time since late January. Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 28 points and 10 rebounds. Jayson Tatum added 23 points and six assists in a game that featured nine ties and 16 lead changes.
Checking out Wednesday’s other NBA action:
— Tyus Jones scored 25 points and the Memphis Grizzlies wrapped up their first division title by edging the Spurts, 112-111. Memphis clinched the No. 2 seed in the West as well as the Southwest Division crown despite playing again without All-Star guard Ja Morant. Dillon Brooks scored 21 points and Desmond Bane and De’Anthony Melton each added 16 as the Grizzlies improved to 19-2 in games missed by Morant this season.
— Devin Booker atoned for a tough shooting night by hitting the go-ahead free throws with 34.2 seconds left in the Suns’ 107-103 downing of the Warriors. Booker scored 22 points but shot 5-for-21, including 2 of 8 from 3-point range. Chris Paul hit a key jumper with 1:37 remaining, added a short jumper after Booker’s free throws and finished with 15 points and eight assists.
— Luka Doncic poured in 35 points and had 13 assists as the Mavericks dumped the Cavaliers, 120-112. Doncic supplied 20 points while the Mavs outscored the Cavs, 39-22 in the third quarter. Dorian Finney-Smith nailed six 3-pointers and finished with a career-high 28 points for Dallas.
— Nikola Jokic flirted with another triple-double with 37 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists, helping the Nuggets take a 125-118 decision over the Pacers. Denver blew a 31-point lead and trailed 102-100 before scoring seven straight points. Bones Hyland scored 20 points and Will Barton added 18 for the Nuggets, who shot 62.5%.
— The Raptors rolled to a 125-102 win over the Timberwolves as Pascal Siakam had 12 points, 10 rebounds and a career-high 13 assists for his second career triple-double. Gary Trent Jr. scored 29 points and Toronto strengthened its hold on sixth place in the East, moving two games ahead of Cleveland with its fourth straight win. Karl-Anthony Towns had 16 points and 10 rebounds, and Anthony Edwards scored 24 points as the Timberwolves lost for the fourth time in five games.
— Miles Bridges scored 31 points and LaMelo Ball had 20 with 15 rebounds to help lead the Hornets past the Knicks, 125-114. Kelly Oubre Jr. chipped in 21 on 8-for-11 shooting from the field, including four 3-pointers. Terry Rozier added 15 points for the Hornets, who have won eight of their last 11 games.
— Trae Young furnished 41 points and eight assists for the Hawks in a 136-118 romp over the Thunder. Young made 13 of 24 field goals and 11 of 12 free throws in three quarters of action. Kevin Huerter and Bogdan Bogdanovic each scored 20 points for the Hawks, who won their third straight and strengthened their hold on the final Eastern Conference playoff berth.
— The Pelicans topped the Trail Blazers, 117-107 as CJ McCollum scored 25 points in his first game back in Portland following a February trade to New Orleans. The Pelicans have a 1-½ game lead over the Los Angeles Lakers for the 9th spot in the Western Conference play-in tournament. A 3-pointer by McCollum gave the Pelicans their biggest lead of the game, 113-100, with 2:59 remaining.
— Kristaps Porzingis scored 35 points and Tomas Satoransky had an unusual double-double as the Wizards beat the Magic, 127-110. Satoransky became the third player to finish a game with no points and at least 10 rebounds and 10 assists, providing 13 assists and 10 boards.
— The Kings outlasted the Rockets, 121-118 as Davion Mitchell, Damian Jones and Trey Lyles scored 24 points each. Houston’s Kevin Porter Jr. had his first career triple-double with 30 points, 12 assists and a career-high 12 rebounds. Porter and LeBron James are the only players to have a triple-double and a 50-point game before age 22.
Celtics’ Williams out 4-6 weeks
UNDATED N (AP) — The Boston Celtics say center Robert Williams III is expected to miss four to six weeks after undergoing surgery to repair torn cartilage in his left knee.
The team says Williams underwent a partial knee meniscectomy Wednesday morning at a Boston hospital. He was hurt Sunday against Minnesota.
Williams was averaging 10 points, 9.6 rebounds and just over two blocks this season.
In other NBA news:
— Cavaliers rookie star forward Evan Mobley will miss at least two more games with a sprained left ankle, an injury that could keep Cleveland from clinching one of the top six playoff spots. Mobley got hurt in the first half of Monday’s win over Orlando and sat out Wednesday’s loss to Dallas. The third pick in last year’s draft is averaging 14.9 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.6 blocks.
