The New York Knicks maintained their impressive home court dominance Thursday evening, defeating the Boston Celtics 112-106 at Madison Square Garden to push their home winning streak to six consecutive games.
Josh Hart delivered a standout performance with 26 points, while Jalen Brunson contributed 25 points along with 10 assists to lead the Knicks’ offensive attack.
The contest remained competitive until the final moments, with Boston cutting the deficit to just three points at 109-106 following a Nikola Vucevic basket with 35.6 seconds remaining on the clock. However, Hart responded with a crucial three-pointer that stretched New York’s advantage to six points with only 15.2 seconds left to play. Hart connected on five of his seven attempts from beyond the arc, including two critical shots in the game’s final minute.
Karl-Anthony Towns provided additional support for the Knicks with 16 points and 12 rebounds. The victory keeps New York in position to potentially overtake Boston and secure the second seed in the Eastern Conference standings.
Boston’s offense was paced by Jayson Tatum, who recorded 24 points, 13 rebounds, and eight assists. Payton Pritchard contributed 23 points, while Baylor Scheierman added 20 points on an efficient 6-of-7 shooting performance from three-point range. The Celtics played without Jaylen Brown, who was sidelined due to an Achilles injury.
In other NBA action Thursday:
Rockets 113, 76ers 102
Kevin Durant posted a game-leading 29 points and connected on a pivotal late three-pointer that helped Houston withstand a fierce comeback attempt by Philadelphia at home.
Houston extended their winning streak to eight games, though they had to endure a tense finish after watching a 28-point lead shrink to just three points. Jabari Smith Jr. and Amen Thompson each contributed 19 points for the Rockets.
Philadelphia, now losers of three straight games, competed without Joel Embiid, who underwent emergency appendectomy surgery earlier Thursday. Tyrese Maxey led the 76ers with 23 points, while VJ Edgecombe added 21 points, six rebounds, and eight assists.
Raptors 128, Heat 114
Brandon Ingram exploded for 38 points, including 23 in the opening half, as Toronto defeated Miami at home to complete a season sweep of the Heat and climb to fifth place in the Eastern Conference standings.
RJ Barrett supported Ingram’s effort with 22 points for Toronto, while Collin Murray-Boyles achieved a perfect shooting night en route to 17 points. Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley chipped in 13 and 11 points respectively.
Bam Adebayo rebounded from a poor showing earlier this week by posting 24 points and 11 rebounds for Miami. Tyler Herro contributed 15 points, and Davion Mitchell added 15 points with 11 assists.
Bulls 119, Wizards 108
Tre Jones poured in 31 points, Collin Sexton added 27, and Leonard Miller achieved a career-best 26 points as Chicago secured a road victory over Washington.
Jones shot efficiently at 9-of-14 from the field and perfect 12-of-12 from the free-throw line for the Bulls, who used a strong third-quarter finish to defeat Washington for the second time in three days. Miller, who made 11 of 14 field goal attempts, also grabbed 11 rebounds for his second double-double in three contests.
Washington rookie Will Riley collected 23 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists, while Julian Reese posted 16 points and 15 rebounds. Leaky Black and Anthony Gill each scored 14 points for the short-handed Wizards, who dressed only the league-minimum eight players.
Pacers 123, Nets 94
Reserve forward Obi Toppin posted a season-high 26 points and nine rebounds as Indiana took early control and cruised to a comfortable victory over Brooklyn.
Toppin, the lone available player from Indiana’s NBA Finals run last season, shot 11-of-14 from the field in just 19 minutes of action. Micah Potter added 18 points and 14 rebounds for the Pacers, who shot 52 percent from the field, scored 80 points in the paint, and dominated the boards 66-43.
E.J. Liddell paced Brooklyn with career-highs of 26 points and 10 rebounds, shooting 10-of-16 from the field while setting personal scoring bests for the third consecutive game. Rookie Ben Saraf contributed 19 points and Tyson Etienne added 14.
Lakers 119, Warriors 103
LeBron James recorded 26 points, 11 assists, and eight rebounds as Los Angeles ended a three-game skid with a road victory over Golden State in San Francisco.
Deandre Ayton scored 21 points on efficient 9-of-11 shooting, and Jake LaRavia contributed 16 points for the Lakers, who moved into a tie with Houston for the fourth seed in the Western Conference. Both teams trail Denver by one game. Luke Kennard finished with 14 points, Rui Hachimura and Nick Smith Jr. each added 12, and Bronny James scored 10.
Brandin Podziemski and Nate Williams each led Golden State with 17 points. Charles Bassey, Pat Spencer, and Malevy Leons contributed 12 points apiece, Seth Curry added 11, and Gary Payton II scored 10. Bassey also grabbed a season-high 13 rebounds.
