Celtics dominate Hornets in NBA matchup

The Boston Celtics defeated the Charlotte Hornets with a score of 118-104 behind strong performances from Jayson Tatum, Sam Hauser, and Kristaps Porzingis. Hauser made seven 3-pointers, while the Celtics made a total of 19 from beyond the arc to avenge an earlier loss to the Hornets. Miles Bridges led the Hornets with 26 points and 11 rebounds, but it wasn’t enough to secure a victory for Charlotte.

In another game, the Memphis Grizzlies edged out the Detroit Pistons with a score of 110-108. Jaren Jackson Jr. scored a career-high 40 points for the Grizzlies, while Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with 36 points. Cunningham missed a tying shot at the buzzer, allowing Memphis to hold on for the win. Former Piston Luke Kennard added 19 points for the Grizzlies, who had previously lost seven of their last eight games.

The Orlando Magic narrowly escaped with a win over the struggling Portland Trail Blazers, with Franz Wagner leading the way with 20 points. Deandre Ayton missed a potential game-winning shot for the Blazers, who have now lost 10 games in a row. Wendell Carter Jr. and Jalen Suggs contributed 17 and 15 points respectively for the Magic, while Dalano Banton scored 26 points off the bench for Portland.

The Indiana Pacers dominated the Brooklyn Nets with a 133-111 victory, led by Tyrese Haliburton’s 27 points and 13 assists. Despite being ejected for a flagrant foul, Jalen Smith contributed 17 points and 10 rebounds for the Pacers. Cam Thomas scored 22 points for the Nets, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the strong performance from Indiana. The game also saw a scuffle between Smith and Dennis Schroder, resulting in Smith’s ejection.

In a matchup between potential play-in tournament opponents, the Atlanta Hawks defeated the Chicago Bulls with a score of 113-101. Vit Krejci set career highs with 18 points and six 3-pointers for the Hawks, while Bogdan Bogdanovic added 20 points. DeMar DeRozan led the Bulls with 31 points, but it wasn’t sufficient to overcome Atlanta’s balanced scoring. The win moved the Hawks within a half-game of the Bulls in the Eastern Conference standings, with Chicago holding the head-to-head tiebreaker.