— Jaylen Brown scored four of his 40 points in the final minute, and the Boston Celtics blew most of a 27-point lead in the fourth quarter before holding on for their fifth straight victory, 121-113 over the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night.
Celtics forward Jayson Tatum said he has been using an inhaler before games to combat the after-effects of COVID-19 but that he is feeling better than he did a month ago, with his on-court performance reflecting that.
— Jayson Tatum scored 32 points, including a key 3-pointer in the final moments, and the Boston Celtics held off the Portland Trail Blazers 116-115 on Tuesday night to extend their winning streak to four straight games.
The Suns are closing in on the Jazz in the West, while the Nets-Sixers clash takes center stage this week.
— Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown fueled an amazing 31-3 run that helped the Boston Celtics put the skids on the NBA’s hottest team with a 105-87 win over the Denver Nuggets on Sunday.
Jayson Tatum finished with a career-high 53 points on Friday night, passing Larry Bird to become the youngest Celtics player with a 50-point game.
— Jayson Tatum scored a career-high 53 points — including 18 in the fourth quarter and overtime — and the Boston Celtics held on to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 145-136 on Friday night.
— Jaylen Brown had 32 points and 10 rebounds, and the Boston Celtics rallied in the fourth quarter to beat the New York Knicks 101-99 on Wednesday night.
— Joel Embiid scored 35 points and the Philadelphia 76ers rolled to a 106-96 win over the Boston Celtics on Tuesday night.
As conference seeding battles continue to take shape, here's where our experts see all 30 teams.
— Jayson Tatum had 22 points and eight rebounds, and the Boston Celtics blew past the short-handed Charlotte Hornets 116-86 on Sunday.
| TEAM | W | L | PCT | GB | STRK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia | 38 | 17 | .691 | - | W3 |
| Brooklyn | 37 | 18 | .673 | 1 | L1 |
| Boston | 30 | 26 | .536 | 8.5 | W5 |
| New York | 29 | 27 | .518 | 9.5 | W4 |
| Toronto | 22 | 34 | .393 | 16.5 | W1 |
| RD(PK) | PLAYER | POS | SCHOOL |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1(14) | Aaron Nesmith | SF | Vanderbilt |
| 1(26) | Payton Pritchard | PG | Oregon |
| 1(30) | Desmond Bane | SG | TCU |
| 2(17) | Yam Madar | PG |
| YEAR | W | L | PCT |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-21 | 30 | 26 | .536 |
| 2019-20 | 48 | 24 | .667 |
| 2018-19 | 49 | 33 | .598 |
| 2017-18 | 55 | 27 | .671 |
| 2016-17 | 53 | 29 | .646 |
