Jaylen Brown put up 37 points to lead the Boston Celtics in a strong offensive showing, resulting in a 127-112 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Thursday.
The Boston Celtics‘ trio of Brown, Jayson Tatum, and Al Horford put on an impressive show, scoring a total of 87 points in a game against the Phoenix Suns. Tatum contributed 26 points, while Horford added 24, helping the Boston Celtics move closer to securing the top seed in the NBA Eastern Conference playoffs. The Boston Celtics dominated the three-point line, making 25 of their 50 attempts, while the Phoenix Suns struggled with only 11 successful shots out of 31.
Devin Booker led the Phoenix Suns with 23 points, followed by Bradley Beal with 22, and Kevin Durant and Grayson Allen each scoring 20. With this win, Boston’s record improved to 52-14, maintaining a significant lead over second-placed Milwaukee in the Eastern Conference. On the other hand, Phoenix Suns’ record dropped to 38-28, placing them seventh in the Western Conference standings.
In another match, the Oklahoma City Thunder reclaimed the top position in the Western Conference by narrowly defeating the Dallas Mavericks 126-119. Despite Luka Doncic being absent due to a hamstring injury, Kyrie Irving scored 36 points for Dallas. However, Oklahoma City managed to secure the win in the second half with strong performances from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (31 points) and Jalen Williams (27 points). This victory puts Oklahoma City at the top of the Western Conference, tied with the NBA champions Denver with a record of 46-20. Oklahoma City holds the top spot due to their 3-1 head-to-head record against Denver this season.
In another location, the Milwaukee Bucks staged a comeback in the fourth quarter to defeat the Philadelphia 76ers 114-105. Despite the Sixers holding a 10-point lead early in the third quarter and missing their injured NBA Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid, the Bucks gradually closed the gap. Giannis Antetokounmpo was the top scorer for Milwaukee with 32 points, supported by Brook Lopez with 19 points and Damian Lillard with 17 points. Tyrese Maxey led the Sixers’ offense with 30 points, including hitting 5 out of 9 three-point attempts.
The Clippers narrowed the distance between themselves and Denver and Oklahoma City by securing a comfortable 126-111 victory over the Chicago Bulls on the road. Although Chicago briefly held the lead early in the first quarter, the Clippers quickly took control and maintained their lead for the rest of the game, eventually building a 21-point lead by the end of the fourth quarter. Paul George had an impressive performance, scoring 28 points with six of seven successful three-point attempts, while Kawhi Leonard contributed 27 points. With this win, the Clippers now have a record of 42-23, holding onto the fourth spot in the Western Conference, trailing Denver and Oklahoma City by 3.5 wins (46-20).
