UNDATED (AP) — The Milwaukee Bucks have moved into second place in the NBA’s Eastern Conference with a 127-121 win over the No. 3 Celtics.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jrue Holiday each scored 29 points for the Bucks, who closed on a 9-0 run to pull a half-game ahead of Boston. Khris Middleton had 22 points, nine assists and eight rebounds for the Bucks. Antetokounmpo also had 11 rebounds and five assists.
Milwaukee withstood a triple-double from Jaylen Brown, who had 22 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds. Marcus Smart paced the Celtics with a season-high 29 points, shooting 7 of 12 from 3-point range.
Checking out Thursday’s other NBA action:
— The Warriors earned their third straight win since a four-game skid as Klay Thompson scored 33 points with six 3-pointers in a 128-112 decision over the Lakers. Jordan Poole added 19 points and a career-high 11 assists for Golden State. Talen Horton-Tucker scored a career-high 40 points on 15-for-28 shooting to lead a Lakers team missing LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Carmelo Anthony and Russell Westbrook.
— Pascal Siakam recorded his third career triple-double and Gary Trent Jr. scored 30 points as the Raptors won for the seventh time in eight games, 119-114 over the 76ers. Siakam had 37 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds, shooting 14 of 28 from the field. Precious Achiuwa scored 20 points and made a career-high five 3-pointers to help Toronto win without the injured Fred VanVleet and OG Anunoby.
— The Nuggets clinched a playoff berth with a 122-109 win over the Memphis Grizzlies behind 35 points from Nikola Jokic and 22 from Aaron Gordon. Jokic’s 13-foot spinner jumper sparked a 20-3 run that he capped with a layup, turning an early 10-point deficit into a 34-28 lead. Gordon had 20 points by the time the Nuggets took a 70-53 cushion into halftime.
— Anthony Edwards poured in a career-high 49 points and Karl-Anthony Towns added 21 with 13 rebounds as the Timberwolves tripped the Spurs, 127-121. Edwards’ big output came on 16-of-28 shooting and 6 of 14 from 3-point range. The second-year guard took over in the second half, making big shot after big shot to fend off the Spurs.
— The Hornets stopped a two-game skid as LaMelo Ball had 26 points, nine assists and eight rebounds in a 128-101 thrashing of the Magic. Terry Rozier added 22 points as Charlotte pulled within one game of the Atlanta Hawks and Brooklyn Nets, who are tied for eighth place in the Eastern Conference standings with two games remaining. The win assures Charlotte its first non-losing season since 2015-16.
— The Pelicans blew past the Trail Blazers, 127-94 as CJ McCollum scored 23 points in 29 minutes against his former team. Jonas Valanciunas returned from a sore right ankle to score 14 points in 21 minutes for the Pelicans, who were without leading scorer Brandon Ingram (right hamstring). None of the Pelicans’ starters played 30 minutes as they handed Portland its ninth straight loss.
