NBA roundup: Celtics top Lakers to extend win streak
Sun Mar 9 5:28am ET
Field Level Media
Jayson Tatum had 40 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists to help the Boston Celtics extend their winning streak to four games by beating the visiting Los Angeles Lakers 111-101 on Saturday night.
It was Tatum's fourth game with at least 40 points this season. He was 12 of 28 from the field and played 45 minutes.
Jaylen Brown added 31 points and six rebounds for the Celtics, who also received 14 points and nine rebounds from Al Horford.
Luka Doncic led the Lakers with 34 points and eight rebounds. He made 5 of 10 3-point attempts. The loss ended the Lakers' eight-game winning streak.
LeBron James had 22 points and 14 rebounds, but he missed each of his six shots from behind the 3-point line. James left the game with a groin strain in the fourth quarter and did not return. Austin Reaves (16 points) was the only other Laker who scored in double figures.
Hornets 105, Nets 102
Miles Bridges poured in 26 points and Charlotte closed the game by scoring the final 12 points to rally past visiting Brooklyn.
Nick Smith Jr. scored 19 points and Moussa Diabate added 16 points and 15 rebounds to help the Hornets snap a nine-game losing streak and beat the Nets for the first time in four meetings this season.
D'Angelo Russell racked up 28 points and Ziare Williams 29 for the Nets, who have lost seven straight.
Rockets 146, Pelicans 117
Dillon Brooks scored a game-high 27 points, Aaron Holiday added 20 off the bench and Amen Thompson flirted with a triple-double as Houston opened a six-game homestand with a wire-to-wire victory over New Orleans.
The Rockets shot 55.6 percent overall, including 17 of 40 from behind the 3-point arc. Seven players scored in double figures for Houston en route to a season-high point total.
Zion Williamson tallied 20 points for the Pelicans. CJ McCollum added 17 points while Jose Alvarado paired 17 points with seven assists off the bench. New Orleans lost for the fourth time in five games.
Hawks 120, Pacers 118
Trae Young had team highs of 36 points and eight assists, helping Atlanta defeat visiting Indiana.
Caris LeVert added 26 points on 10-of-17 shooting off the bench, and Onyeka Okongwu collected 16 points and 16 rebounds. Dyson Daniels added 10 points and five steals as the Hawks won their second game against the Pacers in three days.
Bennedict Mathurin led Indiana with 30 points off the bench, followed by starter Pascal Siakam's 23. Aaron Nesmith and Myles turner scored 14 points apiece, and Andrew Nembhard posted 11 points and 12 assists. Thomas Bryant chipped in 10 points for the Pacers.
Wizards 118, Raptors 117
Jordan Poole returned after missing three games with an elbow injury to score 34 points and visiting Washington defeated Toronto.
Washington had to wait out a review that ruled that Jamal Shead's shot that could have won the game for Toronto did not beat the buzzer. Bilal Coulibaly added 18 points for the Wizards, who have won two straight. Khris Middleton and Corey Kispert each scored 12 points. Richaun Holmes had 10 points and 11 rebounds, and Alex Sarr had 10 points and 14 rebounds.
RJ Barrett scored 23 points and Jakob Poeltl scored 21 for Toronto. Scottie Barnes added 18 points for the Raptors. Jared Rhoden scored 13 points, Shead and Jamison Battle each scored 11 points.
Bulls 114, Heat 109
Josh Giddey recorded his third triple-double of the season and hit a 3-pointer with 16 seconds left as visiting Chicago rallied from a 17-point deficit to beat Miami.
Giddey had 26 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists for Chicago, which outscored Miami 36-20 in the fourth quarter. Coby White scored 21 points, Zach Collins contributed 18 points and 15 rebounds, Tre Jones added 15 points, Matas Buzelis had 13 and Kevin Huerter chipped in 11 off the bench.
Andrew Wiggins and Bam Adebayo scored 22 points apiece for Miami, which shot 1 of 11 (9.1 percent) in the fourth quarter. The Heat fell a season-low five games under .500. Tyler Herro scored 21 points, Terry Rozier scored 15 points on five 3-pointers, Duncan Robinson added 12 points, and Kel'el Ware had seven points and 12 rebounds.
Warriors 115, Pistons 110
Stephen Curry had 32 points and hit a major milestone with 25,000 career points as Golden State downed Detroit in San Francisco.
Jimmy Butler supplied 26 points, nine rebounds and five assists for the Warriors, who won for the 11th time in 13 games. Draymond Green had 12 points -- including a late pivotal 3-pointer -- along with nine rebounds and seven assists. Gui Santos had 15 points and six rebounds while Moses Moody added 12 points.
Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with 31 points but also committed nine turnovers. Malik Beasley had 17 points and Tobias Harris contributed 15 with 12 rebounds. Jalen Duren added 13 points with 13 rebounds.
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- NBA roundup: Cavs edge Blazers with late 3 in OT
- Knicks waive Matt Ryan, Jacob Toppin
- Jazz sign G Jaden Springer to multi-year contract
Boston's F Jayson Tatum recorded a double-double, scoring 40 points and grabbing 12 rebounds in a 111-101 win over the Lakers on Saturday, Mar. 8.
Chicago's G Josh Giddey recorded a triple-double, finishing with 26 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds in a 114-109 win over Miami on Saturday, Mar. 8.
Indiana's G Bennedict Mathurin scored 30 points on 9-of-20 shooting in a 118-120 loss to Atlanta on Saturday, Mar. 8. Mathurin is owned in only 56.6% leagues.
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James left Saturday night's game against the Boston Celtics early with a left groin strain. James exited nearly halfway through the fourth quarter after posting up 22 points, 14 rebounds and nine assists in the 111-101 loss. As of now the team has yet to give an update on James' condition, but he should be considered day-to-day until further notice. If James is forced to miss time then expect more usage out of Luka Doncic in the starting lineup. Dorian Finney-Smith and Gabe Vincent have the potential to slide into the starting lineup as well if James cannot suit up for Monday's game against the Brooklyn Nets.
Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (knee) will play on Saturday against Boston. He has a bruised knee. However, the Lakers have won their last eight contests, so it's hard to imagine Doncic would have missed a nationally televised game versus the defending champs. The 26-year-old had 32 points, 12 assists, seven boards, and four steals in Thursday's overtime win over the New York Knicks. The C's pose more of a challenge on the defensive end, but Doncic is still a must-start while remaining a top DFS option.
Boston Celtics guard Jrue Holiday (finger) is back in action ahead of Saturday's game against the Los Angeles Lakers. Holiday will make his return to the court after missing the last four games due to a right finger injury. It sounds like he'll have a full workload on Saturday despite missing the last four contests. He should have a busy night ahead of him trying to defend Luka Doncic. Holiday is usually a viable fantasy option, so go ahead and get him active ahead of Saturday's tip-off.
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (foot) will play on Saturday against Boston. The foot injury is nothing new, and he was listed as probable, so most fantasy managers already planned on having him in the lineup. The Lakers have won their last eight games, most recently beating the Knicks in overtime on Thursday night. While the Celtics defense should prove to be more challenging, James remains a top DFS option. Of course, the multi-time All-Star is a must-start in all fantasy formats.
Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis (illness) has been ruled out ahead of Saturday's game against the Los Angeles Lakers. The big man will miss his fifth game in a row due to a lingering illness. There seemed to be some hope that Porzingis would play on Saturday, but he'll ultimately be held out for at least one more game. Al Horford will move into the starting five and becomes a more appealing fantasy option. Sam Hauser and Luke Kornet should also see more run in the rotation with Porzingis sidelined.
Milwaukee Bucks guard Gary Trent Jr. (knee) has been ruled out ahead of Saturday's game against the Orlando Magic. The Bucks will be without Trent for the second straight game while he continues to deal with knee soreness. The absence of Trent should mean increased playing time for Kevin Porter Jr. and AJ Green. Between the two, Porter is the better streaming option ahead of Saturday's slate. Porter finished with a triple-double during Wednesday's game against the Dallas Mavericks.
Detroit Pistons forward Tobias Harris (personal) will make his return to the court ahead of Saturday's game against the Golden State Warriors. The veteran forward will make his return to the court after missing each of the last two games due to personal reasons. His return should push Malik Beasley back to the bench where he'll lose some streaming appeal. Fantasy managers can go ahead and get Harris back in their lineups ahead of tip-off on Saturday.
Golden State Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski (back) has been ruled out ahead of Saturday's game against the Detroit Pistons. Podziemski only made it through a minute of Thursday's contest before suffering a back injury. It appears to be significant enough to hold him out of Saturday's game. His next chance to play will be against the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday. In the meantime, Gary Payton II and Buddy Hield figure to see increased run in the rotation. Hield dropped on dud on Thursday, but is the more appealing streaming choice between the two players.
Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball (wrist) has been ruled out ahead of Saturday's game against the Miami Heat. As expected, Ball will miss this game after being listed as doubtful coming into it. Ball will miss his fourth game in a row due to a wrist sprain. The team hasn't given much of an update on his status, so it's unclear when he'll return to the court. Kevin Huerter and Tre Jones will continue seeing increased playing time in the rotation. Huerter is probably the safer fantasy option between the two, but Jones is coming off a 20-point outing on Thursday.
Chicago Bulls guard Coby White (toe) has been cleared to play ahead of Saturday's game against the Miami Heat. White was listed as probable coming into this game and will continue playing through the minor toe issue. The Bulls are certainly glad to have White out there with Lonzo Ball (wrist) missing another game. That means, White should continue having increased ball handling responsibility with Ball missing his fourth straight game on Saturday. White has been a must-start fantasy option lately with a 44-point outing during Thursday's game.
Miami Heat forward Andrew Wiggins (ankle) is back in action ahead of Saturday's game against the Chicago Bulls. Wiggins will make his return to the court after missing the last five games due to a sprained ankle. There is no word on Wiggins being limited, so he figures to play his normal role in the starting five. He's averaging 17.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 3.3 assists across 35 minutes per game with the Heat. Fantasy managers can go ahead and get Wiggins active in their lineups ahead of tip-off.
Washington Wizards guard Jordan Poole (elbow) will make his return to the court ahead of Saturday's game against the Toronto Raptors. Poole will be back in action on Saturday after missing each of the last three games due to an elbow injury. It doesn't sound like Poole is going to be limited and he'll slide back into the starting five for this game. Before going down, Poole was on a hot streak with two games in a row of 24 points or more. Fantasy managers who have Poole rostered can get him active in their lineups ahead of tip-off.
Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vucevic (calf) has been ruled out ahead of Saturday's game against the Miami Heat. Vucevic will miss his seventh game in a row due to a right calf strain. He was listed as doubtful coming into this game and his timetable to return to the court is unclear. Zach Collins and Matas Buzelis should continue seeing increased playing time while Vucevic is out. Both players are worth a look as streaming options right now. Collins has been on a hot streak lately with three double-doubles over his last five games.
Indiana Pacers guard/forward Bennedict Mathurin (wrist) is set to return to the court for Saturday's game against the Atlanta Hawks. Mathurin is back in action after missing each of the last four games due to a wrist injury. Head coach Rick Carlisle said he wasn't sure if Mathurin would be limited during his first game back. The Pacers could certainly use the help with Tyrese Haliburton (hip) heading to the sideline for the second straight game. Fantasy managers in season-long formats can get Mathurin active, but he's a risky DFS choice.
Toronto Raptors forward/center Chris Boucher (mouth) is active ahead of Saturday's game against the Washington Wizards. Boucher is back in action after missing each of the last four games due to tooth procedure. The 32-year-old figures to play his normal role in the rotation, which hasn't been significant this season. Boucher is averaging 10.0 points and 4.5 rebounds across 17 minutes per game. Boucher hasn't been much of a fantasy option this season while playing minutes in the teens.
Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (hip) has been ruled out ahead of Saturday's game against the Atlanta Hawks. Haliburton will miss his second game in a row due to a left hip strain. His next chance to get on the court will be Monday versus the Chicago Bulls. T.J. McConnell and Andrew Nembhard will continue to see increased playing time with Haliburton unavailable for this contest. It's also worth noting that Benedict Mathurin (wrist) is available to play, so he could see more scoring responsibilities on Saturday. Mathurin is the best fantasy choice here, but it's unclear if the team plans to limit his minutes during his first game back. That being said, fantasy managers might want to be cautious and avoid Mathurin in DFS contests.
Atlanta Hawks guard Caris LeVert (knee) has been cleared to play ahead of Saturday's game against the Indiana Pacers. He was considered questionable coming into this game due to a knee issue, but it doesn't appear to be serious enough to hold him out of action. LeVert posted a dud on Thursday, but before that he had three straight games with 21 points or more. He has been fitting in nicely with the Hawks and seems to be a capable streaming option.
