LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kyrie Irving scored 30 points and Marcus Smart had 16 in the Boston Celtics’ 120-107 victory over the short-handed Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night in the latest edition of this storied NBA rivalry.
Marcus Morris had 16 points and seven rebounds, and Gordon Hayward added 15 points as the Celtics continued to gather momentum for the postseason with their third consecutive win on a four-game California trip that concludes Monday against the Clippers.
Boston was challenged while LeBron James put up his 80th career triple-double in a patchwork Lakers lineup missing three injured starters, but Irving hit a series of big shots down the stretch to seal it. After missing Wednesday’s win at Sacramento with a bruised thigh, Irving added seven rebounds and seven assists against his famous teammate on the championship-winning Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016.
James had 30 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds in his seventh triple-double for the Lakers, who have lost five straight in a playoff chase that looks futile at this point.
The Lakers played without Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball and Kyle Kuzma after receiving another round of discouraging injury news before the game. Ingram was ruled out for the season with a blood clot in his upper body, a potentially serious problem.
BUCKS 131, HORNETS 114
MILWAUKEE — Giannis Antetokounmpo had 26 points, 13 rebounds and six assists and Milwaukee beat Charlotte for its NBA-best 50th victory.
Brook Lopez added 25 points and eight rebounds as the Bucks used a second-half surge to knock out the Hornets. It’s just the second 50-win season in the past 30 years for Milwaukee (50-16), which went 52-30 during the 2000-01 season and reached the Eastern Conference finals.
Kemba Walker led Charlotte with 25 points.
TRAIL BLAZERS 127, SUNS 120
PORTLAND, Ore. — CJ McCollum scored 26 points and Portland snapped Phoenix’s three-game winning streak.
Damian Lillard had 18 points and nine assists, while Jusuf Nurkic added 14 points and nine rebounds. The Blazers, who had lost three of their previous four games as they jockey for playoff position in the Western Conference, led by as many as 29 points.
Devin Booker led the Suns with 23 points.
TIMBERWOLVES 135, WIZARDS 130, OT
MINNEAPOLIS — Karl-Anthony Towns had 40 points and 16 rebounds before leaving in the final seconds of regulation with a knee injury in Minnesota’s overtime victory over Washington.
The Timberwolves outscored the Wizards 14-9 in the extra period for their fifth straight home win. Derrick Rose scored 29 points, including a wild 19-footer that put the Wolves up 131-127 with 58.2 seconds to play.
Bradley Beal led Washington with 36 points and Trevor Ariza added 27.
NETS 114, HAWKS 112
ATLANTA — Spencer Dinwiddie scored 23 points, Jarrett Allen added 20 points and 12 rebounds and Brooklyn held off Atlanta for its third straight victory.
The Nets moved into a tie for sixth place in the Eastern Conference despite missing a staggering 21 free throws to give the Hawks a chance at the end. After Joe Harris hit one of two foul shots with 16.3 seconds remaining, Trae Young dribbled down the clock and passed to 42-year-old Vince Carter, who missed a 3-point attempt at the buzzer.
John Collins finished with 33 points and a career-high 20 rebounds for Atlanta. Young had a triple-double with 23 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds.
KINGS 102, KNICKS 94
NEW YORK — De’Aaron Fox had 30 points and eight assists and Sacramento beat New York to open a four-game trip.
Fox scored 12 points in the final six minutes after the Knicks erased a 12-point lead to take a two-point lead.
Dennis Smith Jr. scored 18 points for the Knicks. They have lost five straight.