by Jayson Tatum hit a second career triple-double on Thursday as the Boston Celtics finished the Dallas Mavericks’ seven-game winning streak 124-95 on Thursday.
Tatum finished the game with 29 points, 14 rebounds, 10 assists, a steal and two blocks. The MVP nominee took eight-on-22 from the field and two-eighth from beyond the arc, scoring 12 out of 11 from the lane.
The Celtics advanced to 27-12 in a brutal showdown amid a tough time for Eastern Conference leaders who have lost seven of their last 12 games, including giving the Oklahoma City Thunder 150 points in their final game.
Luka Doncic averaged 44.5 points and averaged just 23 points for the Mavs after a five-game streak. Shooting six shots from the three-point range, Doncic was taken to the bench in the middle of the explosion in the fourth quarter.
Tatum also struggled behind the arc, but Marcus Smart made up for it with four-ninths of 15 points, while Malcolm Brogdon fired three-fifths three-pointers with 15 from the bench.
Jaylen Brown had 19 points, 2 3-pointers, 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 blocks.
Nuggets smash Clippers despite Jokic keeping quiet
The Denver Nuggets took the Los Angeles Clippers back to the top of the Western Conference with a 122-91 lead after their fourth defeat in a row.
The Nuggets won their 10th straight win at home, with 12 points, 6 rebounds and 9 assists without the big contribution of MVP Nikola Jokic.
Jamal Murray had the highest score with 18 points, including Denver’s four 3-pointers leading by 43 points. The Clippers shuffled a back-to-back deck with Kawhi Leonard scoring six points in 18 minutes.
The Nuggets lead the west with a 25-13 record, 25-13 ahead of the Memphis Grizzlies, who also beat the Orlando Magic 123-115, with Ja Morant scoring 32 points.
Lauri’s career records end Jazz’s five-game skating
Lauri Markkanen set a career-high 49 points as the Utah Jazz defeated the Houston Rockets 131-114.
Markkanen scored 18 points in the first quarter, reaching the 15th highest-scoring performance in a single game this season.
The Finnish forward ignited a game-shattering 14-0 fourth-quarter streak. Jalen Green scored 30 points and Kevin Porter Jr scored 23 points.
