The NBA champion Boston Celtics and Western Conference leaders Oklahoma City continued their march to the playoffs on Saturday as the Los Angeles Lakers bounced back with a win over the Memphis Grizzlies.
Jayson Tatum scored 29 points with 10 rebounds and eight assists to propel the Celtics to their eighth straight victory, 121-111 over the Spurs in San Antonio.
Tatum, back after missing one game with a sprained left ankle, led seven Boston players to score in double figures, Jrue Holiday adding 21 points in the triumph.
The Thunder rolled to their ninth straight victory behind 33 points, seven rebounds and eight assists from Most Valuable Player contender Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Tyrese Haliburton scored 18 points for the Pacers, who led by 10 in the first quarter before the Thunder flipped the switch and cruised to a 132-111 victory.
With eight games remaining Oklahoma City lead the Cleveland Cavaliers in the race for the best record in the league and home court advantage throughout the playoffs.
The Lakers, coming off an agonizing loss to the Bulls on Josh Giddey’s buzzer-beater, claimed a key 134-127 victory over the Grizzlies that put them one game ahead of Memphis for fourth place in the West.
The Lakers spoiled the debut of interim Memphis coach Tuomas Iisalo, who took over on Friday when the Grizzlies abruptly sacked Taylor Jenkins.
Austin Reaves scored 31 points and handed out eight assists for Los Angeles, who let an early 20-point lead get away but managed to come back after the Grizzlies took a 111-107 lead early in the fourth quarter.
Luka Doncic scored 29 points with eight rebounds and nine assists — including a no-look pass to LeBron James for a dunk.
James finished with 25 points, six rebounds and eight assists and Lakers coach JJ Redick said he was pleased with the poise his players showed after falling behind in the fourth quarter.
Desmond Bane scored 29 points, Jaren Jackson Jr. added 24 and Ja Morant — back from a six-game injury absence — contributed 22 for Memphis, but the Grizzlies suffered their third loss to the Lakers this season, giving Los Angeles the tiebreaker edge if needed in the playoff race.
‘High intensity’
“We knew this was a big game for us, in the sense of how we lost the other night,” said Reaves, who converted a three-point play that pushed the Lakers’ lead to nine points with 1:21 remaining.
“So coming into this game it’s obviously high intensity,” Reaves said. “And it’s hard, last game of a road trip, you’re pretty excited to go home. But for that three hours or whatever the game is you’ve got to lock in.”
The Dallas Mavericks held off the Bulls 120-119 in Chicago to strengthen their position in the three-team battle with Phoenix and Sacramento for the last two places in the Western Conference play-in tournament.
Klay Thompson scored 20 points, P.J. Washington added 19 and Anthony Davis chipped in 18 for the Mavs, who led by 12 points with less than three minutes to play only for the Bulls to close within two.
A pair of free throws from Thompson restored a four-point cushion and the Mavs escaped.
The Kings, meanwhile, fell 121-91 to the Magic in Orlando where Paolo Banchero scored 24 points in three quarters for the Magic — who are neck and neck with Atlanta for seventh place in the East.
The Bulls’ defeat left them level on 33-41 with the Miami Heat as they jockey for position in the Eastern Conference play-in.
The Heat, fueled by 30 points from Tyler Herro, notched their fourth straight victory, 118-95 over a Philadelphia 76ers team already out of playoff contention.
