A playoff atmosphere night in the NBA as two of the best in each confrence went head to head, highlighted by a Jayson Tatum game-winning shot in Philadelphia.
Jayson Tatum Stuns Philly
A thrilling ending in Philadelphia as the 76ers battled against the Eastern No. 1 seeded Boston Celtics, where Jayson Tatum nailed a game-winning three. With 1.8 seconds remaining Joel Embiid heaved the ball full court to hit a potential game-winning shot of his own to come after the buzzer to give the Celtics the 110-107 victory. Six Celtic players totaled double digits, with Jaylen Brown scoring a team-high 26 points. Robert Williams had a perfect shooting night making 7-7 of his field goals to total 14 points and eight rebounds. Along with the winning bucket, Tatum had 18 points, 13 rebounds and six assists. On the other side, Embiid led the 76ers with 41 points and 12 rebounds, as scoring was hard for anyone not named Embiid. Boston would’ve run away with the game if the 76ers didn’t attempt 35 free throws compared to Boston’s 12 free throws.
Grizzlies Protect Home Court
Hosting the NBA’s best record Denver Nuggets, the Memphis Grizzlies looked the part with a dominant 112-94 victory to make another step into solidifying their case as a Finals contender. The Grizzlies’ defense, led by Jaren Jackson Jr., held Nikola Jokic to 15 points and three assists. Denver has a 97% win percentage when Jokic has 10+ assists but is significantly lower at 46% when Jokic has under 10 assists. The Memphis defense will become even more vital when Steven Adams returns to pair with Jackson Jr. Offensively, Ja Morant led the way with 23 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Along with Morant, five other Grizzlies players had double-digit points.
Knicks Continue Win Streak
The New York Knicks have been one of the hottest teams in the league with a five-win streak as they defeated the New Orleans Pelicans. Julius Randle led the way with 28 points, scoring 16 points in the first quarter. Randle, in his last 15 games, has averaged 27.9 points and 9.6 rebounds along with the pairing of Jalen Brunson, who scored 20 points. The Knicks have slowly become a threat in the East and will look to be a part of the best with a Monday matchup against the Celtics.
Notable Statlines
- Charlotte Hornets rookie Mark Williams has a career night with 18 points and 20 rebounds
- Indiana Pacers All-Star Tyrese Haliburton scores 15 points and 14 rebounds
- Detriot Pistons power forward Marvin Bagley III has 21/18 game off the bench
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