NBA roundup: Bobby Portis, Bucks blast Celtics

 

[January 12, 2024]  Bobby Portis came off the bench to score a game-high 28 points and grab 12 rebounds as the Milwaukee Bucks avoided a third consecutive loss by routing the visiting Boston Celtics 135-102 on Thursday.

Milwaukee star Giannis Antetokounmpo added 24 points, 12 rebounds and six assists in 26 minutes. He made 10 of 13 shots. The Bucks also received a 21-point performance from Damian Lillard.

Boston's five starters didn't play in the second half. Jaylen Brown had 10 points, the only Celtics starter who finished in double figures. Jayson Tatum tossed in seven, Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday each had six, and Derrick White finished with two as the starters combined to shoot 13-for-42 (31 percent).

Milwaukee seized control with a 25-0 run in the first half. The Celtics trailed 31-23 with 2:14 left in the first quarter, then went scoreless for the next 6:36. Boston missed 10 consecutive field-goal attempts during that stretch.

Suns 127, Lakers 109

Bradley Beal scored a season-high 37 points, Devin Booker added 31 and visiting Phoenix used a fast start to beat Los Angeles.

Kevin Durant scored 18 points and Jusuf Nurkic added nine points and 12 rebounds as the Suns defeated the Lakers for the first time in four tries this season. The teams will play one more time, Feb. 25 at Phoenix. Beal went 8 of 10 from 3-point range, 14 of 21 overall and scored 26 points in the second half as the Suns won for the sixth time in their last nine games.

D'Angelo Russell scored 19 points and Max Christie added 14 for the Lakers, who lost for the fifth time in their last seven games. Anthony Davis and LeBron James were held to 13 and 10 points, respectively, as the Lakers fell to 2-3 during a stretch when they play 10 of 11 games at home.

Mavericks 128, Knicks 124

Kyrie Irving scored a season-high 44 points and Tim Hardaway Jr. tied his season high with 32 as Dallas withstood a fourth-quarter rally to beat visiting New York.

Green matched his season high with 18 points and Grant Williams scored 11 for Dallas, which won for the fourth time in its last five games. The Mavericks played without star Luka Doncic, who sat out with a right ankle sprain.

Julius Randle scored 32 points for New York, which had its five-game winning streak come to an end. Jalen Brunson scored 30 points against his former team, DiVincenzo added 19 points, and OG Anunoby had 10. Isaiah Hartenstein recorded a game-high 15 rebounds.

Jan 11, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (11) knocks the ball away from New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) during the second half at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Thunder 139, Trail Blazers 77

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 31 points and Josh Giddey had his first triple-double of the season as host Oklahoma City demolished Portland.

The win was the third consecutive and eighth in 10 games for the Thunder. The loss was Portland's fifth in six games.

Giddey finished with 13 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists. It was his ninth career triple-double. While the Thunder had six players scoring in double figures, Portland had just two -- Anfernee Simons with 14 points and Scoot Henderson with 13.

Cavaliers 111, Nets 102

Donovan Mitchell scored 21 of his season-high 45 points in the fourth quarter to go along with 12 rebounds as Cleveland topped slumping Brooklyn the NBA's Global Games in Paris.

Mitchell made 15 of 30 shots to produce his third 40-point showing this season and his fourth double-double. He also hit 11 free throws, handed out six assists and got four steals. Caris LeVert added 21 points while his former Brooklyn teammate Jarrett Allen posted his eighth straight double-double with 12 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks for Cleveland. Isaac Okoro contributed 12 points as the Cavaliers countered shooting 39 percent from the field by making 79.1 percent (34 of 43) at the line.

Mikal Bridges and Cam Thomas scored 26 apiece to lead the Nets. The duo combined to make 19 of Brooklyn's 20 free throws but were 15 of 39 from the floor as the Nets shot 45.1 percent. Lonnie Walker IV scored 20 and Nic Claxton collected 13 points and 11 rebounds as Brooklyn fell for the 12th time in 15 games.

--Field Level Media

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