The Boston Celtics came up with their fourth-straight win, while LaMelo Ball outdueled brother Lonzo Ball in a Charlotte Hornets’ victory.
Tatum and Brown combined for 59 in the Celtics’ win over the Wizards. (Photo by Kim Klement/USA TODAY Sports)
Celtics now riding a four-game winning streak
The Boston Celtics again banked on their two star forwards as they defeated the Washington Wizards, 116-107. Jayson Tatum scored 32 markers, and Jaylen Brown put in a double-double outing of 27 points and 13 rebounds. A strong second-quarter stand from the Celtics gave them enough cushion to absorb another explosive night from Wizards star Bradley Beal.
Beal, who was coming off a 6o-point performance, tallied 41 points on an efficient 55% clip from the field. But his co-star Russell Westbrook struggled mightily in the loss as he made only four of his 16 total shots, and committed a game-high seven turnovers.
The Celtics will face the Miami Heat for the second time this Sunday for a chance to extend their winning streak to five games.
LaMelo comes an assist shy of a triple-double
LaMelo Ball was an assist shy of a triple-double stat line in the Hornets’ 118-110 win over the New Orleans Pelicans. In his first NBA face-off against older brother Lonzo, LaMelo finished with 12 points, 10 boards, and 9 dimes off the bench. LaMelo only logged in 25 minutes, but his impact on the offensive end greatly contributed to the win.
Gordon Hayward again led the charge for the Hornets as he amassed 26 points and 7 rebounds.
Zion Williamson topscored for the Pelicans with his 26 points and 8 boards. The Pels have now lost three consecutive contests, and have dropped to a 4-5 record in the Western Conference.
Bucks’ defense melts down in loss to Jazz
Despite receiving a combined 66 points from their two All-Stars, the Milwaukee Bucks suffered a 131-118 loss to the Utah Jazz. Donovan Mitchell led the Jazz with an all-around night of 32 points, 5 rebounds, and 7 assists, while Jordan Clarkson came off the bench to finish with 26 points.
The Jazz, who lost two consecutive games prior to this match-up against the Bucks, waxed hot from the three-point line. They drained 25 triples as a team, with Clarkson and Mike Conley both tallying five, and Mitchell and Bojan Bogdanovic firing four triples apiece.
Giannis Antetokounmpo produced 35 points for the Bucks, while Khris Middleton added 31. But the Bucks failed to execute well on their defensive schemes as the loss drops them to a 5-4 win-loss slate in the Eastern Conference.
Other games around the league:
Detroit Pistons defeated the Phoenix Suns, 110-105
Oklahoma City Thunder beat the New York Knicks, 101-89
Houston Rockets thrashed the Orlando Magic, 132-90
Memphis Grizzlies toppled the Brooklyn Nets, 115-110
