Ex-Celtic in Boston for the last time.
BOSTON (AP) – Isaiah Thomas stole the spotlight from Paul Pierce on Sunday, scoring 28 points to lead Boston to its seventh straight victory, a 107-102 win over the Los Angeles Clippers in Pierce’s final game in the Garden.
Al Horford had 13 points and a season-high 15 rebounds for the Celtics, who brought Pierce to tears with a first-quarter highlight video. Thomas also had eight assists.
Blake Griffin and Jamal Crawford scored 23 apiece and DeAndre Jordan had 16 rebounds for Los Angeles, which lost for the sixth time in eight games. Pierce’s only points came on a 3 after checking in with 19 seconds left and the game out of reach.
The 39-year-old Pierce, a former Celtics captain, has said he will retire after the season. He had not played since Dec. 31, but former Celtics coach Doc Rivers put him in the starting lineup so he could have a fitting farewell.
THUNDER 105, TRAIL BLAZERS 99
OKLAHOMA CITY – Russell Westbrook scored 19 of his 42 points in the fourth quarter, powering Oklahoma City to the victory.
Westbrook also had eight assists and four rebounds in his eighth 40-point performance of the season. Victor Oladipo added 24 points and 13 boards, helping Oklahoma City (30-22) move within a half-game of idle Memphis for sixth in the Western Conference.
Damian Lillard had 29 points and seven rebounds for Portland (22-30), which has dropped three of four. C.J. McCollum added 19 points and eight boards.
Westbrook punctuated his big day with a 3-pointer with 1:18 remaining, lifting Oklahoma City to a 100-93 lead. He capped it off by hitting five free throws in the final minute as the crowd chanted “MVP! MVP!”
RAPTORS 103, NETS 95
NEW YORK – Kyle Lowry played through illness and injury to finish with 15 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists for his ninth career triple-double, leading Toronto to the road win.
Playing again without leading scorer DeMar DeRozan, the slumping Raptors ended a two-game losing streak and won for just the third time in 11 games. Jonas Valanciunas had a game-high 22 points.
Already feeling ill, Lowry needed four stitches after cutting his right forearm on a camera mounted to the basket stanchion. But he played 40 minutes without much backup support, with Fred VanVleet shooting 2 for 10 from the field and Cory Joseph not playing at all.
Brook Lopez scored 20 for the Nets, who have lost nine in a row overall and 12 straight at home, where they haven’t won in 2017.
