Celtics overcome injuries, beat Raptors for 9th straight win

TORONTO (AP) — Grant Williams scored a career-high 25 points, Jaylen Brown had 27 and the Boston Celtics overcame the absence of leading scorer Jayson Tatum to extend their winning streak to nine games by beating the Toronto Raptors 106-104 on Saturday.

Boston’s injury woes worsened when guard Marcus Smart injured his right ankle in the final minute of the first half and had to be helped to the locker room. He did not return.

Center Robert Williams stayed in the game after Brown collided with his left knee in the opening quarter. At halftime, Williams was ruled out for the second half because of a hyperextended knee.

Malcolm Brogdon scored 23 points and Payton Pritchard scored all of his 12 in the fourth quarter. The Celtics are unbeaten since a Jan. 3 defeat at Oklahoma City.

Pascal Siakam had 29 points and 10 assists, Gary Trent Jr. scored 22 points and Precious Achiuwa had 17 points and 11 rebounds in his first start of the season, but Toronto lost its third straight.

CAVALIERS 114, BUCKS 102

CLEVELAND (AP) — Evan Mobley scored a career-high 38 points, Darius Garland added 21 and Cleveland bounced back from an embarrassing loss with a win over Milwaukee, which was again without injured star Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Mobley made sure the Cavs shook off their 120-114 loss a night earlier to the Golden State Warriors, who beat Cleveland despite resting Stephen Curry and three other starters.

The 21-year-old Mobley finished 19 of 27 from the field and had his top scoring performance as a pro without making a three throw or 3-pointer. He added nine rebounds.

Mobley scored 12 of Cleveland’s first 15 points in the fourth and the Cavs, who were without star Donovan Mitchell due to a groin strain for the third straight game, put together a 12-2 run to separate from the Bucks.

Jrue Holiday scored 28 and Bobby Portis Jr. added 23 for Milwaukee, which played its fifth straight game without Antetokounmpo. The two-time MVP is nursing a sore left knee.

76ERS 129, KINGS 127

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Tyrese Maxey scored 15 of his 32 points in the third quarter and Philadelphia, playing without Joel Embiid and James Harden, completed a perfect five-game road trip by beating Sacramento.

Maxey also had seven assists and six rebounds to help the 76ers overcome a 21-point deficit.

Embiid and Harden rested foot injuries but the rest of the 76ers snapped Sacramento’s six-game winning streak. Tobias Harris, Montrezl Harrell and Georges Niang all had 17 points for the Sixers.

De’Aaron Fox had 31 points and nine assists for the Kings (26-19). Harrison Barnes had 27 points, going 6 for 9 from 3-point range.

SUNS 112, PACERS 107

PHOENIX (AP) — Josh Okogie had 24 points and 10 rebounds, Mikal Bridges added 22 points short-handed Phoenix beat Indiana for its second straight win.

Indiana had a chance to tie on its final possession, but Buddy Hield missed a rushed 3-pointer with two seconds left. The Pacers lost despite a triple-double from T.J. McConnell, who had 18 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds.

Phoenix and its ragtag roster took an 87-83 lead into the fourth quarter. The Suns were once again missing a big chunk of their staring lineup, including the All-Star backcourt of Chris Paul and Devin Booker. Starting center Deandre Ayton was out with a non-COVID-19 illness.

HORNETS 122, HAWKS 118

ATLANTA (AP) — Terry Rozier hit three throws with 1.1 seconds remaining, and undermanned Charlotte overcame a 19-point, third-quarter deficit to end Atlanta’s five-game winning streak.

Clint Capela tipped in the miss of Trae Young’s missed runner with 5.4 seconds to go for Atlanta, but Rozier, who scored 16 of his 34 points in the fourth quarter, drew a foul from Jalen Johnson and buried the ensuing free throws to win it.

The Hornets, playing without injured leading scorer LaMelo Ball, have won two straight after losing eight of nine. They entered the game 12-34, next-to-last in the Eastern Conference. It was their first consecutive wins since the end of November.

Mason Plumlee finished with a season-high 25 points and P.J. Washington scored 12 of his 23 in the fourth.

Trae Young made one of his last 12 shots and had 25 points. Dejounte Murray scored 26 points and De’Andre Hunter had a season-high 26 for Atlanta.

WIZARDS 138, MAGIC 118

WASHINGTON (AP) — Rui Hachimura equaled a career high with 30 points and Kyle Kuzma added 25 to lift Washington over Orlando.

Bradley Beal scored 17 points in his second game back from a hamstring injury, although Kristaps Porzingis left the game in the third quarter with a left ankle sprain.

Porzingis scored 17 points.

The Wizards won their second straight game with Beal back — and he had eight assists on the night — but now they have another injury to deal with. Porzingis hobbled down the tunnel after hurting his ankle and didn’t return.

Markelle Fultz led the Magic with 23 points. Franz Wagner contributed 20 and Paolo Banchero scored 15.

TIMBERWOLVES 113, ROCKETS 104

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Anthony Edwards scored a season-high 44 points, D’Angelo Russell added 23 and Minnesota handed Houston its 13th straight loss.

Edwards eclipsed 40 points for the first time this season on 17-of-29 shooting from the field, including seven 3-pointers. Nathan Knight provided a spark of the bench, scoring a season-high 19 points.

Houston’s Alperen Sengun scored 19 points and grabbed 16 rebounds, taking advantage of a Timberwolves team that was without Rudy Gobert (right groin soreness) for the third consecutive game. Sengun made his first seven field goals and was the catalyst for Houston outrebounding Minnesota 56-30.

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The Associated Press