Jayson Tatum scored 35 points and recorded 11 assists as the Boston Celtics came back from a 26-point deficit in the second half to beat the Philadelphia 76ers 118-110 on Sunday.
Boston outscored Philadelphia 54-20 in the last 14 minutes of the game, taking control after the 76ers had dominated early on. With the win, the Celtics bounced back from a loss to the Sixers on Christmas Day and improved to 2-0 on their three-game road trip.
Jaylen Brown contributed 21 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists for Boston, while Kristaps Porzingis added 18 points, seven rebounds, and five blocks. The Celtics hit 21 3-pointers, including 14 out of 22 attempts in the second half.
Tyrese Maxey led the 76ers with 34 points, while Guerschon Yabusele, playing against his former team, scored 21 points. Kelly Oubre Jr. finished with 18 points and 13 rebounds. Philadelphia was without Joel Embiid (knee) and Paul George (finger) for the game.
Cavaliers 144, Mavericks 101
Sam Merrill came off the bench to score a career-high 27 points, including nine 3-pointers, as the Cleveland Cavaliers easily defeated the Dallas Mavericks.
Dallas had a rough start to a new chapter, as the team traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis just hours before the game. Davis didn’t play due to the trade and an abdominal strain, and Max Christie, who was also part of the deal, was not available.
Cleveland quickly turned the game into a blowout, hitting 9 of 11 3-pointers in the first quarter to take a 50-19 lead by the end of the period. It was Cleveland’s highest-scoring quarter of the season.
Cleveland Cavaliers (NBA)Pistons 127, Bulls 119
Cade Cunningham led the Detroit Pistons with 22 points and 15 assists as they defeated the Chicago Bulls at home.
Jalen Duren added 21 points, 13 rebounds, and four assists for Detroit, while Malik Beasley contributed 19 points, five assists, and three steals. Detroit ended Chicago’s 18-game winning streak against them in their last 20 matchups.
Coby White led the Bulls with 22 points. Nikola Vucevic posted a triple-double with 20 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists, and Josh Giddey finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds.
Raptors 115, Clippers 108
RJ Barrett scored 20 points and had seven assists as the Toronto Raptors used a strong third quarter to defeat the Los Angeles Clippers at home.
The Raptors broke a halftime tie with a 31-16 third quarter, fueled by 19 fastbreak points. This gave Toronto a split in the season series against the Clippers. Gradey Dick added 18 points, and Scottie Barnes had 15 points and seven rebounds.
James Harden led the Clippers with 25 points, and Ivica Zubac added 18 points. Former Raptor Kawhi Leonard contributed 14 points for Los Angeles, who finished their road trip with a 2-2 record.
