Jayson Tatum put up 31 points to help the Boston Celtics secure a 122-119 victory over the Bucks in a closely contested Eastern Conference matchup on Wednesday.
Boston Celtics appeared to be on track for their seventh consecutive win as they dominated the Bucks at the TD Garden. Taking advantage of Giannis Antetokounmpo’s absence, the Boston Celtics built a 21-point lead in the third quarter before the Bucks closed the gap to just five. However, a strong fourth-quarter showing by the Bucks, outscoring the Boston Celtics 36-21, made for a tense finish, but the Boston Celtics managed to secure the win.
The victory improved Boston’s record to 55-14, putting them 11 games ahead of the second-placed Bucks. The Boston Celtics now only need three more wins to secure the top seed and home-court advantage in the playoffs. Several Boston Celtics players, including Derrick White (23), Jaylen Brown (21), and Kristaps Porzingis (17), scored in double digits, with Payton Pritchard adding 19 points off the bench. Despite Antetokounmpo’s absence, Milwaukee was led by Damian Lillard with 32 points and Bobby Portis contributing 24 points off the bench.
In another game on Wednesday, Kevin Durant surpassed Shaquille O’Neal to claim the eighth spot on the NBA’s all-time scoring list as the Suns defeated the 76ers 115-102. Durant, who was trailing O’Neal by eight points with a total of 28,596 points before the game, made a jump shot in the third quarter to surpass the former Los Angeles Lakers star. Durant ended the game with 22 points, while Grayson Allen led the Suns in scoring with 32 points, including nine three-pointers.
In San Francisco, the Golden State Warriors recovered from their loss to the New York Knicks on Monday by defeating the Memphis Grizzlies 137-116. The Warriors now have a record of 36-32 and are still in 10th place in the Western Conference.
In Cleveland, the Heat had a strong finish to narrowly defeat the Cavaliers 107-104. Miami was in the lead for most of the game, but Cleveland managed to take a four-point lead with just over a minute left in the fourth quarter. Terry Rozier of the Heat scored nine crucial points in the final moments, including a significant 26-foot three-pointer with 15 seconds left to regain the lead and secure the win for Miami. Rozier ended the game with 24 points, while Jimmy Butler was the top scorer for Miami with 30 points. With this victory, Miami’s record improved to 38-31, placing them in seventh in the Eastern Conference standings. Cleveland remains in third place with a record of 43-26.
In a dominant performance, the top team in the Western Conference, Oklahoma City, easily defeated Utah Jazz 119-107 as Chet Holmgren and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored a total of 66 points.
