UNDATED (AP) — The Brooklyn Nets are back in sole possession of first place in the NBA’s Eastern Conference after dealing the Boston Celtics just their third loss in a dozen games.
Joe Harris scored 20 points and the Nets moved a half-game ahead of the 76ers by downing the Celts, 109-104. Kyrie Irving just missed a triple-double despite missing 15 of his 19 shots, finishing with 15 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds.
Boston cut Brooklyn’s 17-point lead to 98-95 with about 3 1/2 minutes left after consecutive 3-pointers by Payton Pritchard and Jayson Tatum. But Harris answered with a 3-pointer and Irving passed ahead to Jeff Green for a dunk to quickly push the lead back to eight.
Tatum had 38 points for the Celtics, who were swept by the Nets in the season series for the first time.
Checking out Friday’s other NBA action:
— Paul George had 33 points and 14 rebounds for the Clippers in a 109-104 win over the Rockets. Paul George had 20 points in the first half, leading the Clippers to a 65-61 lead. But Los Angeles trailed 80-76 after shooting 5-for-22 in an 11-point third quarter.
— Bogdan Bogdanovic scored 21 points and John Collins added 20 as the injury-depleted Hawks surprised the Heat, 118-103. Atlanta got a combined 47 points from reserves Brandon Goodwin, Danilo Gallinari and Lou Williams while leading scorer Trae Young and NBA rebounding leader Clint Capela sat out with injuries. The Hawks won for the 10th time in their last 12 games against the Eastern Conference and 10th time in the last 13 overall.
— Stephen Curry scored 32 points and the Warriors welcomed back fans for the first time since the pandemic began by thumping the Nuggets, 118-97. Draymond Green had 19 assists and 12 rebounds to help the Warriors withstand Michael Porter’s seven treys and team-high 26 points for Denver. Nuggets forward Will Barton went down 59 seconds into the game with a strained right hamstring and didn’t return.
— The Trail Blazers dropped their fourth in a row Ja Morant had 33 points and 13 assists in guiding the Grizzlies to a 130-128 victory at Portland. Dillon Brooks added 25 points for Memphis, which snapped a two-game losing streak. Damian Lillard overcame a slow start and finished with 27 points for the Blazers
— The Hornets erased a 10-point second half deficit to beat the Cavaliers, 108-102. Miles Bridges had 25 points and 10 rebounds as Charlotte won for only the second time in eight games. P.J. Washington and Terry Rozier also had 25 points apiece for the Hornets.
— Russell Westbrook had another triple-double in his return to Oklahoma City, guiding the Wizards to a 129-109 rout of the Thunder. Westbrook finished with 37 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists in his fourth straight triple-double and 14th in 16 games. Bradley Beal added 33 points in Washington’s seventh win in a row.
