NBA round-up: Celtics improve league’s best record, Lakers and Spurs slump without key stars

The Boston Celtics improved the best record in the NBA to 30-9 on Saturday night with a 145-113 win over the Houston Rockets.

Jayson Tatum put up 27 points, eight rebounds and five assists but was ejected with 10 minutes to play after arguing with officials over a call he felt he should have had. Team-mate Jaylen Brown scored 32, while Kristaps Porzingis added 17.

Boston led the .500 Rockets at every quarter, but shut down the game as a contest with a monster third quarter in which they outscored Houston 43-28.

They rained in 24 made three-pointers to leave the Rockets in the rearview mirror.

At nearly the halfway point of the season, the Celtics are on pace to win 63 games. Of the 28 teams in NBA history to have finished with a better winning percentage, 17 won the title and four more lost in the Finals.

In a clash of two struggling franchises, Washington blew out Atlanta 127-99 to pick up just their seventh win of the season. Kyle Kuzma had a big night with 29 points, while Deni Avdija put up a handy 19 points and 14 boards.

Julius Randle and Isaiah Hartenstein combined for 44 points as the New York Knicks came back to beat the Memphis Grizzlies 106-94. The game swung on a big third quarter that saw Memphis outscored 30-15.

The win takes the Knicks up to sixth in the Eastern Conference, the last automatic playoff spot.

Giannis Antetokounmpo laid on 33 points and nine rebounds as the Milwaukee Bucks resisted a brave Golden State to win 129-118.

The Warriors threatened an upset after a strong second quarter that actually saw them take the lead into the half, but the Bucks turned it on in the second half, sharing out the scoring with seven players getting at least 10 points.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had a huge night for Oklahoma City, piling on 37 points as the Thunder toughed out a 112-100 win over the Orlando Magic.

Without astonishing rookie star Victor Wembanyama, the San Antonio Spurs went close to an upset of the Chicago Bulls, losing 122-116 after a storming third quarter brought them level.

Wembanyama, who has lit up the league in his first season so far, is sitting out all back-to-back fixtures to avoid damaging a problematic ankle.

Tre Jones stepped up in his absence with 30 points, nine boards and four assists. 22 of his points came in a stellar first half which saw him go four from four for three.

The Los Angeles Lakers dropped a big game against the Utah Jazz, 132-125, to slip to 19-21 on the season and 11th in the Western Conference.

D’Angelo Russell piled up 39 points and eight assists, while Anthony Davis had a triple double but the Jazz shared out the scoring with five players getting at least 19 points.

LeBron James was out with an ankle injury and the Lakers felt his absence as they dropped out of the play-in tournament places (as it stands).

The New Orleans Pelicans came back to beat the Mavericks in Dallas, 118-108 to improve to 24-16 on the season. Jordan Hawkins’ 34 points and Centre Jonas Valanciunas’ near triple-double were too much for the Mavs who slipped behind the Pels in the standings.

New Orleans currently hold the last automatic playoff berth in the West, while Dallas sit in the play-in places.

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