NBA roundup: Celtics pound Warriors for 11th straight win

 

[March 04, 2024]  A dominant first half allowed the Boston Celtics to extend their winning streak to 11 games by beating the visiting Golden State Warriors 140-88 on Sunday.

Boston made 15 of 24 3-point attempts in the first two quarters and led 82-38 at halftime. Boston's 44-point halftime lead was the largest in the franchise's history.

The Celtics shot 60 percent from the field in the first half (30 of 50), when they committed one turnover. The Warriors trailed by as many as 45 points in the second quarter. Each team rested its starters for all or most of the second half.

Jaylen Brown led Boston with 29 points, and Jayson Tatum added 27 on his 26th birthday. Boston made 25 of 49 3-pointers (51 percent) in the win.

Lester Quinones tossed in a team-high 17 points for the Warriors, who trailed 115-62 after three quarters. Boston led by as many as 56 points in the fourth. Stephen Curry went 2-for-13 from the field (0-for-9 from 3-point territory) in the first half and finished the game with four points. He did not play in the second half.

Knicks 107, Cavaliers 98

Josh Hart posted his third triple-double of the season for visiting New York, which lost Jalen Brunson in the opening minute before outlasting Cleveland in a battle of undermanned Eastern Conference contenders.

Brunson didn't return after suffering a left knee injury while hoisting his only shot barely 30 seconds after the opening tip. Following the game, Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said Brunson has a knee contusion. X-rays came back negative.

Hart finished with 13 points and 10 assists while tying a career high with 19 rebounds. Donte DiVincenzo had 28 points, including the tiebreaking layup that gave the Knicks the lead for good with 5:39 left in the third. Evan Mobley (13 points, 13 rebounds) had a double-double for the Cavaliers, who also got a team-high 21 points from Sam Merrill.

Spurs 117, Pacers 105

Victor Wembanyama strutted his stuff while amassing 31 points, 12 rebounds, six assists, six blocked shots and a steal to help San Antonio to a rousing win over visiting Indiana.

Malaki Branham added 18 points for the Spurs, with Devin Vassell and Keldon Johnson scoring 17 apiece.

T.J. McConnell led the Pacers with a season-high 26 points, while Pascal Siakam added 21. Myles Turner produced 16 points and 10 rebounds.

76ers 120, Mavericks 116

Tobias Harris scored 28 points and knocked down a critical 3-pointer as Philadelphia held off a ferocious rally by host Dallas to earn a win.

Philadelphia was in position to cruise to the finish line when it led by 15 with six minutes left in the game, but Luka Doncic (38 points, 11 boards, 10 assists) then took over. He scored nine points in a span of just two minutes to get the lead down to nine, helping Dallas eventually pull within 110-105 with 1:34 to go.

Mar 3, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) defends Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley (4) in the fourth quarter at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

But Harris pushed the margin to eight with his triple from the corner, and the 76ers held on for their second straight win. Tyrese Maxey added 24 points for Philadelphia, which also got 21 from Kelly Oubre Jr. For Dallas, Kyrie Irving contributed 28 points.

Clippers 89, Timberwolves 88

Kawhi Leonard scored 32 points on 12-for-26 shooting and Los Angeles outlasted Minnesota in Minneapolis.

Norman Powell added 24 points on 9-for-13 shooting, including a 6-for-8 showing from beyond the arc, for the Clippers. Paul George finished with 15 points as Los Angeles overcame a rough game from James Harden, who finished with four points and went 0-for-10 from the field.

Anthony Edwards paced the Timberwolves with a team-high 27 points on 9-for-20 shooting. Karl-Anthony Towns had 18 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, and Rudy Gobert finished with 12 points and 16 rebounds.

Magic 113, Pistons 91

Paolo Banchero piled up 29 points, eight rebounds and five assists and Orlando pulled away from visiting Detroit.

Banchero has now scored 20 or more points in a team-high 39 games this season. Wendell Carter Jr. had 19 points and eight rebounds and Markelle Fultz made all eight of his shots for 16 points as the Magic completed a four-game sweep of the season series.

The Pistons have lost eight of their past nine games. Evan Fournier led Detroit with 17 points, Simone Fontecchio put up 15, Jalen Duren added 11 and Isaiah Stewart had 10.

Raptors 111, Hornets 106

RJ Barrett scored 23 points and Toronto defeated visiting Charlotte.

Immanuel Quickley added 22 points and 11 assists for the Raptors, who had lost their two previous games. Ochai Agbaji had 13 points and career-best nine rebounds to go along with two blocked shots.

Brandon Miller scored 26 points for the Hornets, who have lost four in a row. Miles Bridges scored 20 points.

--Field Level Media

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