NBA roundup: Celtics edge Lakers in OT thriller
Marcus Smart scored 18 points and Derrick White had 10 as the Celtics rebounded after losing their previous two games. Boston was upended by the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers, while losing consecutive games for just the second time this season.
The Celtics improved their NBA-best record to 22-7 and went 4-2 on a six-game road trip, which matches a season high.
Anthony Davis scored 37 points and grabbed 12 rebounds and LeBron James tallied 33 points, nine rebounds and nine assists as the Lakers lost for the fourth time in their last five games. Los Angeles lost in its return home after going 3-3 on a season-long six-game trip to the East Coast.
Russell Westbrook scored 20 points and snared 14 rebounds for the Lakers, who trailed by 20 points in the third quarter. Los Angeles turned it around with an 18-0 run to surge ahead 106-93, but Boston closed regulation on a 17-4 tear to force overtime.
76ers 123, Kings 103
Joel Embiid scored 31 points and James Harden added 21 points, 15 assists, seven rebounds and five steals as host Philadelphia defeated Sacramento.
Tobias Harris contributed 21 points, nine assists and seven rebounds. Matisse Thybulle added 15 points, Shake Milton scored 14 and Georges Niang had 12 for the Sixers, who won their third in a row. Domantas Sabonis led the Kings with 22 points and 10 rebounds, Malik Monk added 16 points and De'Aaron Fox had 13 in his return from right foot soreness.
The Sixers led 80-55 at halftime after Harden dropped in a 3-pointer from the wing at the buzzer. It was the most points the Sixers scored in a first half all season.
Bucks 128, Warriors 111
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored a game-high 30 points and led a parade to the free-throw line as Milwaukee blitzed visiting Golden State in a nationally televised game that was marred by eight technical fouls.
Antetokounmpo went 11-for-17 at the line, and his teammates made all 15 of their foul shots as the Bucks ran up a 26-15 advantage in free-throw points over a Warriors team that saw four players and coach Steve Kerr pick up technicals. Antetokounmpo completed a double-double with a game-high 12 rebounds, while Bobby Portis did the same with 25 points and 11 boards off the bench.
Stephen Curry had a team-high 20 points -- and one of the technicals -- in 27 minutes for Golden State, which was opening its longest trip of the season, a six-game stretch.
Rockets 111, Suns 97
Jalen Green scored a game-high 26 points while Kevin Porter Jr. chipped in 18 as Houston extended its home winning streak to five games with a victory over short-handed Phoenix.
Green and Porter combined for 12 rebounds and eight assists while Alperen Sengun posted a double-double of 10 points and 16 rebounds for the Rockets, who followed a one-point victory in Phoenix 11 days ago with a wire-to-wire victory against a Suns squad missing starters Cam Johnson (knee) and Devin Booker (hamstring).
Mikal Bridges led Phoenix with 18 points but missed 20 of 24 shots. Chris Paul chipped in 16 points and seven assists.
Jazz 121, Pelicans 100
Zion Williamson scored a game-high 26 points, but Utah used a balanced effort to snap visiting New Orleans' seven-game winning streak with a blowout victory in Salt Lake City.
Malik Beasley led Utah with 21 points off the bench, while three of his teammates registered double-doubles. Lauri Markkanen returned from an illness to total 19 points and 11 rebounds; Jarred Vanderbilt amassed 18 points, 14 rebounds and six assists; and Walker Kessler hauled in 16 rebounds with 11 points and three blocked shots.
The momentum shifted for good in the second quarter when Williamson picked up his third foul and went to the bench for the rest of the half. Jonas Valanciunas scored 15 points and snagged six rebounds and CJ McCollum added 14 points and six boards as the Pelicans lost for the first time since falling at Memphis 132-111 on Nov. 25. New Orleans has still won 12 of its last 15 games.
