NBA roundup: Tatum top scores in Celtics win, Doncic leads Mavs to 2OT victory
New York, New York - Jayson Tatum recorded his 17th double-double of the NBA season as the short-handed Boston Celtics won 109-98 over the Brooklyn Nets in their first game with the injured Kevin Durant on Thursday.
Tatum top scored for Boston with 20 points on seven-of-22 shooting from the field, making two-of-10 from three-point range, with 11 rebounds and five assists.
The Celtics small forward notched his fifth assist with a pass for Derrick White's three-pointer with 1:12 remaining in the fourth to put the dagger in and seal the win.
The victory is Boston's fifth straight win, while it improves their NBA-best road record to 14-7.
The Celtics are 7-0 from the second game of back-to-backs this season, and they achieved that without Jaylen Brown (adductor), who had scored 41 on Wednesday.
Marcus Short added 16 points, while White drained four triples in his 15-point haul. Malcolm Brogdon contributed 16 off the bench.
Kyrie Irving had a game-high 24 points for the Nets, who went 5-16 without Durant during a month-and-a-half stint on the sidelines last season.
Ben Simmons scored zero points from three shots, marking his second scoreless game of his season and career. However, he did have a season-high 13 assists, while T.J. Warren scored 20 points off the bench.
Around the league: OKC down 76ers, Doncic leads Mavs to 2OT win
James Harden recorded 15 assists for the sixth time this season, but the Philadelphia 76ers were beaten 133-114 at home by the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continued his outstanding season with 37 points, eight rebounds, and six assists, while Josh Giddey added 20 points and eight assists for OKC, who fought back from a third-quarter deficit to lead by 16 at the final change.
Harden had 24 points with six rebounds and 15 assists, with Joel Embiid scoring 30 points on 10-of-17 shooting from the field with 10 rebounds.
Luka Doncic scored game-tying three-pointers at the end of regulation and the first overtime before the Dallas Mavericks triumphed 119-115 in a physical double OT clash over the Los Angeles Lakers.
Doncic, who went 16 minutes without a basket at one point, finished the game with 35 points, 14 rebounds, and 13 assists, while Christian Wood came up clutch protecting the rim late with 24 points, 14 rebounds, and five blocks.
LeBron James tried valiantly for the Lakers with 24 points, 16 rebounds, and nine assists with two steals, while Russell Westbrook added 28 points off the bench, including two crucial free-throws at the end of regulation.
Cover photo: Collage: USA TODAY Sports/Wendell Cruz & USA TODAY Sports/Gary A. Vasquez