Celtics defeat Pistons behind Brown's 31 points and White's triple-double.
Mon, Mar 18, 2024
NBA News (AP)
BOSTON (AP) - Jaylen Brown scored 31 points in three quarters, Derrick White posted his first career triple-double and the NBA-best Boston Celtics beat the Detroit Pistons 119-94.
Boston star Jayson Tatum missed the game because of a right ankle injury, but the Celtics had more than enough to make up for the absence of their leading scorer (27.1 points a game) and rebounder (8.3).
White had 22 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. He completed his triple-double when he passed to Payton Pritchard, who hit a 3-pointer with 6:25 to play.
Pritchard had 23 points in the Celtics' sixth straight victory.
Boston forward Kristaps Porzingis returned after missing five games with a strained right hamstring. He had 20 points and eight rebounds in 22 minutes.
Jaden Ivey led Detroit with 21 points. Cade Cunningham, who averages a team-high 22.2 points per game, rested for left knee injury management.
CAVALIERS 108, PACERS 103
INDIANAPOLIS, (AP) - Caris LeVert and Jarrett Allen each scored 23 points and a short-handed Cleveland defeated the Indiana 108-103.
Cleveland led by as many as nine in the final quarter before Indiana pulled even with 2:05 remaining. LeVert drove baseline then pulled up and swished a 9-foot fadeaway jumper to regain the lead. The Pacers didn't score again.
LeVert had 11 assists and eight rebounds. Allen had nine rebounds.
The Cavaliers were without three starters including guard Donovan Mitchell, who averages a team-high 27.4 points but was a late scratch with a nose injury. The absences necessitated signing veteran forward Marcus Morris Sr. to a 10-day contract. Morris scored 14 off the bench.
Pascal Siakam led the Pacers with 19 points and 12 rebounds. All-Star Tyrese Haliburton had 14 points and 12 assists. Reserve guard T.J. McConnell scored 14.
76ERS 98, HEAT 91
PHILADELPHIA, (AP) - Tyrese Maxey had 30 points and 10 assists and Kelly Oubre Jr. had 22 points and 11 rebounds to help Philadelphia hold off Miami Heat 98-91 in a potential preview of an NBA play-in tournament game.
Kyle Lowry survived a hard tumble over the scorer's table and scored 16 points for the Sixers in his first game against the Heat since they traded him in January.
Bam Adebayo had 20 points and 13 rebounds for the Heat. Terry Rozier III scored 20 points.
BULLS 110, TRAIL BLAZERS 107
CHICAGO, (AP) - DeMar DeRozan scored 28 points and Nikola Vucevic made a key hook shot with 9.3 seconds left, helping the Chicago edge Portland 110-107.
Vucevic had 22 points and nine rebounds in Chicago's third win in four games. Ayo Dosunmu finished with 23 points and 10 assists.
Anfernee Simons scored 12 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter for Portland, but he missed a 3 from the top of the key as time expired. Deandre Ayton had 25 points and 15 rebounds in his sixth consecutive game with at least 20 points.
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