Kyrie Irving scored 30 points and handed out 11 assists to lead the Boston Celtics to a 134-129 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder at home on Sunday.
Oklahoma City Thunder 129-134 Boston Celtics
Kyrie Irving scored 30 points to lead the Boston Celtics to a 134-129 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder at home on Sunday.
The win was the fourth consecutive and the ninth in the last 10 for the Celtics. The Thunder's seven-game winning streak was snapped.
Paul George led the Thunder with 37 points but was just 5-of-16 from behind the three-point line.
Irving hit a critical floater with 23 seconds remaining with the Celtics clinging to a two-point lead.
He drove past Terrance Ferguson, and let go of the floater over the outstretched arms of Thunder 7ft center Steven Adams. Russell Westbrook, coming over the help, got his finger on the shot but it fell through the basket to extend Boston's lead.
Westbrook had a monster game once again - 22 points, 16 assists and 12 rebounds - but his critical turnover with 8.1 seconds left helped Boston escape with the win.
The Thunder got a three-pointer from Jerami Grant right after Irving's floater, then got the ball back after Jayson Tatum missed the second of two free throws to keep Oklahoma City's hopes alive.
But Westbrook lost the ball charging toward the basket and Tatum made both free throws on the other end.
With less than seven minutes remaining in the third, Oklahoma City took the lead before Boston roared back.
Smart hit a three-pointer on the ensuing possession to ignite a 14-0 run that lasted more than three minutes. It was one of three triples Smart hit during the stretch.
Irving was 14-of-19 from the field and added 11 assists in the win. Eight players scored in double figures for Boston.
Memphis Grizzlies 96-84 New York Knicks
Mike Conley returned from a minor knee injury and scored 25 points as the Memphis Grizzlies dominated the second half of a 96-84 victory over the New York Knicks, whose home losing streak reached a team-record 14 games.
Conley sat out Friday's loss in Charlotte with left knee soreness and was questionable for Sunday but returned and helped Memphis win for the third time in their last 20 games.
The veteran guard recorded his 12th game with at least 25 points, shot 9 of 17 and also totaled eight rebounds and seven assists.
Marc Gasol added 24 points and nine rebounds as Memphis outscored New York 54-43 in the second half.
The Knicks also saw their overall losing streak reach 13 games and fell to 2-26 in their last 28 games since their last home win on December 1 over the Milwaukee Bucks.
Rookie Kevin Knox led the Knicks with 17 points and Mario Hezonja added 14.
All three players obtained for Kristaps Porzingis made their debuts, as DeAndre Jordan finished with 12 points and 12 rebounds, Dennis Smith Jr had eight points and six assists, and Wesley Matthews finished with five points.
Los Angeles Clippers 103-121 Toronto Raptors
Serge Ibaka scored 16 points and grabbed 12 rebounds as the Toronto Raptors defeated the visiting Los Angeles Clippers 121-103.
Kawhi Leonard added 18 points and five rebounds for the Raptors, who swept the two-game season series between the teams. Pascal Siakam and CJ Miles each scored 15 points, and Delon Wright chipped in with 14 points off the bench for Toronto.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 19 points for the Clippers, who have split the first two games of a six-game trip.
Lou Williams added 18 points, Tobias Harris had 13, Patrick Beverley 12 and Montrezl Harrell, who fouled out in the fourth quarter, and Boban Marjanovic, who had nine rebounds, each scored 10 points.
Toronto led by as many as 19 points during the third quarter, was up by 17 entering the fourth and went ahead by 23 with 10:09 left in the game.
After the Clippers moved to within 18 points, the Raptors pulled away again and led by 23 again when Miles hit a 3-pointer with 4:59 remaining.