The Cavaliers came back from being down by 22 points in the fourth quarter to end the Boston Celtics 11-game winning streak with a 105-104 win on Tuesday.
Dean Wade scored 23 points, with 20 of those coming in the final quarter, while Jarrett Allen recorded 21 points and 12 rebounds for the Cavaliers. On the Boston Celtics side, Tatum contributed 26 points and 13 rebounds, Porzingis added 24 points and nine rebounds, and Jaylen Brown scored 21 points. Donovan Mitchell, the Cavaliers’ top scorer, missed the game due to a left knee injury, with Max Strus also out due to a knee issue. Darius Garland and Isaac Okoro each scored 16 points, with Garland also providing 11 assists. Mitchell is expected to miss a few more games, having averaged 28.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, and a career-best 6.2 assists per game this season.
The Phoenix Suns bounced back after squandering a 22-point lead in the third quarter to secure a 117-107 overtime victory against the Denver Nuggets. Kevin Durant scored 35 points for Phoenix, with Grayson Allen contributing 28 points, including eight three-pointers. Jamal Murray led the scoring for Denver with 28 points, while Nikola Jokic recorded 25 points, 16 rebounds, and five assists.
In another game on Tuesday, Luka Doncic scored 39 points while also recording a triple-double with 10 rebounds and 11 assists. However, his performance was not sufficient to stop the Dallas Mavericks from losing 137-120 to the Indiana Pacers.
In Toronto, the New Orleans Pelicans handed the Raptors a crushing defeat with a 41-point margin, winning 139-98. Trey Murphy was the top scorer for the Pelicans with 34 points, as seven players from New Orleans scored in double figures. This victory helped the Pelicans improve their record to 37-25, keeping them in fifth place in the Western Conference.
