UNDATED (AP) — The Boston Celtics have propped up their chances of taking the No. 1 seed in the NBA’s Eastern Conference.
Jaylen Brown scored 32 points and Jayson Tatum had 31 to help the Celtics defeat the Pacers, 128-123. Al Horford scored 17 points with 10 rebounds for the Celtics, who had won 24 of 28 games before losing to Toronto and Miami in back-to-back games this week. It was their first two-game losing streak in two months.
The outcome puts Boston 1 1/2 games behind the East-leading Heat.
Checking out Friday’s other NBA action:
— The Grizzlies made it seven straight wins by taking down the league-leading Suns, 122-114. Dillon Brooks dropped in 30 points in a potential Western Conference Finals preview. Brooks converted a three-point play with 32 seconds left for an eight-point lead. The short-handed Grizzlies held on to snap the Suns’ nine-game winning streak despite Devin Booker’s 41 points.
— The Bucks fell a full game behind the East-leading Heat with a 153-119 loss to the Clippers. Robert Covington scored a career-high 43 points and shot 11 of 18 from 3-point range. Milwaukee played without Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, Jrue Holiday and Brook Lopez after getting an overtime win in Brooklyn the previous night.
— Karl-Anthony Towns scored 32 points and the Timberwolves overcame a big performance by Nikola Jokic in a 136-130 decision over the Nuggets. D’Angelo Russell added 24 points and Anthony Edwards scored half of his 18 points on a trio of clutch 3-pointers in the closing minutes. Jokic finished with 38 points, 19 boards and eight assists.
— Kristaps Porzingis had 24 points and nine rebounds in his first game against his former team, helping the Wizards roll to a 135-103 rout of the Mavericks. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored a season-high 35 points and Rui Hachimura added 21 in Washington’s fourth win in five games since being eliminated from postseason contention. Luka Doncic had 36 points, seven rebounds and six assists for Dallas, which fell a half-game behind Golden State for third place in the West.
— Fred VanVleet and Scottie Barnes scored 19 points apiece in the Raptors’ fifth win in a row, 102-89 versus the Magic. Barnes scored nine straight points to help the Raptors close the first half on a 20-4 run and take a 13-point lead. Pascal Siakam (see-A’-kam) added 16 points and 11 rebounds in the win.
— CJ McCollum scored 32 points and Brandon Ingram added 29 against his former team, sending the Pelicans to a 114-111 triumph over the Lakers. New Orleans spoiled Anthony Davis’ return from injury with another fourth-quarter rally that sent the Pelicans to their sixth win in eight games. Jonas Valanciunas had 17 points and 12 rebounds for the ninth-place Pelicans.
— Devin Vassell had 22 points and Keldon Johnson added 21 as the Spurs ripped the Trail Blazers, 130-111 to keep the final play-in spot. San Antonio had eight players score in double figures, including Zach Collins with 15 points and career-high five assists against his former team.
— Killian Hayes provided a career-high 26 points and Frank Jackson also had 26 to lead the Pistons to a 110-101 victory at Oklahoma City. Jaylen Hoard furnished 11 points and 20 rebounds in his first career start, hours after being called up by the Thunder from the G-League.
— The Kings beat the Rockets for the second time in three days as Harrison Barnes scored 25 points to lead Sacramento’s 122-117 victory. Damian Jones had 17 points, 17 rebounds and six blocks in the win.
