MARCUS MORRIS and Jayson Tatum combined to score 52 points as the short-handed Boston Celtics won their sixth game in a row by defeating the visiting New Orleans Pelicans, 113-100, on Monday night.
Morris scored 31 points and Tatum added 21 to lead the way while five Celtics sat out the game because of injury or illness, including Al Horford (knee), Kyrie Irving (shoulder) and Gordon Hayward (illness).
Jaylen Brown scored 19, Semi Ojeleye had 11 and Terry Rozier added 10 for the Celtics. Despite the absences, the Boston reserves outscored their New Orleans counterparts, 41-21.
Anthony Davis led New Orleans with 41 points, and Julius Randle chipped in 20 points and 11 rebounds. Nikola Mirotic did not play in the second half because of an ankle injury.
76ERS 116, PISTONS 102
Joel Embiid scored 24 points, and Philadelphia beat visiting Detroit despite losing Jimmy Butler in the first quarter due to a strained groin.
Ben Simmons added 18 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists, Furkan Korkmaz contributed a career-high 18 points, and T.J. McConnell had 14 for the Sixers, who improved to 14-1 at home.
Luke Kennard scored a career-high 28 points while Andre Drummond added 21 points and 17 rebounds for the Pistons, who have dropped five in a row. Reggie Jackson contributed 15 points and seven assists.
THUNDER 122, JAZZ 113
Paul George scored 31 points and Russell Westbrook produced his third consecutive triple-double as Oklahoma City beat visiting Utah.
It was the first meeting between the teams since the Jazz’s first-round playoff series win over Oklahoma City last season. The win was the 17th in the past 21 games for the Thunder. The Jazz took their second consecutive loss after wins in four of the previous five games.
Westbrook finished with 12 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. He was just 4-of-18 from the floor, missing all five of his three-point tries. Dennis Schroder added 23 points off the bench and Steven Adams scored 22 for Oklahoma City. The Jazz got 19 points from Donovan Mitchell.
CLIPPERS 123, SUNS 119 (OT)
Tobias Harris had 33 points and eight rebounds, and Los Angeles ended a two-game losing streak with an overtime win at Phoenix.
Danilo Gallinari scored 25 points and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 16 for the Clippers.
Deandre Ayton contributed 20 points and 12 rebounds, and Richaun Holmes (19), Mikal Bridges (19) and Josh Jackson (18) all scored their season highs for the Suns, who have lost nine straight.
BUCKS 108, CAVALIERS 92
Eric Bledsoe had 20 points, 12 rebounds and five assists to lead Milwaukee past visiting Cleveland.
Malcolm Brogdon added 18 points, five rebounds and five assists for the Bucks. Khris Middleton chipped in with 16 for Milwaukee, which played without Giannis Antetokounmpo (sore neck).
Larry Nance Jr. led the Cavaliers with 16 points, and rookie Collin Sexton added 15.
MAVERICKS 101, MAGIC 76
Dallas made it 10 home wins in a row, cruising to a wire-to-wire victory over Orlando.
Harrison Barnes led Dallas with 19 points, hitting five three-pointers. Rookie Jalen Brunson contributed a career-high 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting, plus four assists and a steal in 32 minutes.
Dwight Powell led Dallas’ bench effort with 16 points.
The Magic’s only offensive threat was Jonathon Simmons, who scored 18 points.
KINGS 108, BULLS 89
De’Aaron Fox recorded 25 points, six assists and four steals to help Sacramento notch a victory at Chicago. Bogdan Bogdanovic and Marvin Bagley III each added 16 points for the Kings, who won for the fourth time in the past five games.
Zach LaVine scored 19 points and Lauri Markkanen added 13 for the Bulls, who have lost nine of their past 10 games. Chicago scored just 33 second-half points on 12-for-34 shooting.
The Bulls’ latest setback comes in the wake of deep dissension from the team less than one week after Jim Boylen became coach. Chicago lost by a franchise-worst 56 points to the Celtics on Saturday, and Boylen called for a Sunday practice, but players pushed back and a meeting was held instead.
PACERS 109, WIZARDS 101
Myles Turner had 26 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks, and Indiana held off Washington at Indianapolis for its fourth straight win.
Bojan Bogdanovic added 22 points and Tyreke Evans scored 18 for the Pacers, who squandered all but one point of a 25-point, third-quarter lead. Darren Collison had 17 assists.
Bradley Beal, the reigning Eastern Conference Player of the Week, led Washington with 30 points, and Kelly Oubre Jr. added 23 off the bench. Wizards point guard John Wall sat out due to bone spurs in his left heel.
NUGGETS 105, GRIZZLIES 99
Nikola Jokic had 27 points and 12 rebounds, Monte Morris scored 20 off the bench, and host Denver beat Memphis. — Reuters

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