NBA Round Up: Celtics outlast Wizards in OT, Warriors end skid
The Boston Celtics prevailed against the Washington Wizards, while reigning champions the Golden State Warriors returned to winning ways on a day overshadowed by the trade deadline.
While it seemed every NBA team had a big trade to announce just before Thursday’s deadline, the Celtics and the Wizards chose to stay the course. Both teams had been thought to be pursuing moves, but did not — or rather, could not — close any deals at the deadline.
The Celtics and the Wizards showed they might be just fine despite standing pat in the trade market, as the Celtics held off the Wizards for a tightly contested 110-104 overtime-victory in Washington.
For the Celtics (40-16), who were reportedly pursuing Memphis Grizzlies guard Tyreke Evans as a complementary offensive threat to Kyrie Irving, offense was no problem against the Wizards.
Irving led the way with 28 points and Jaylen Brown (18 points) and four other players finished in double figures. New center Greg Monroe, who had been waived by the Phoenix Suns on February 1 and was officially signed by the Celtics on Thursday, played a solid 20 minutes (five points and six rebounds).
The Wizards were playing their seventh game without star point guard John Wall, who is expected to miss another six to eight weeks after knee surgery. Washington appeared to have this game won, holding a three-point lead in the closing seconds of regulation. But a couple of ill-advised fouls as Irving attempted three-pointers — one with 9.8 seconds remaining in regulation, the other early in overtime — led to six Irving points at the free-throw line that sealed the Wizards’ fate.
The Warriors ended their run of back-to-back defeats by beating the Mavericks 121-103 on home court.
Two-time MVP Stephen Curry posted 20 points, eight assists and seven rebounds, while Kevin Durant had 24 points in Oakland.
WALKER JUSTIFIES All-STAR SELECTION
Charlotte Hornets guard Kemba Walker, who was named as a replacement for Kristaps Porzingis to the All-Star game earlier in the day, scored 40 points in a 109-103 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers.
DEROZAN, LOWRY STRUGGLE BUT RAPTORS ROAR
Raptors backcourt mates DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry have nights when they both light up the scoreboard, and Toronto usually win. They were both off the mark, scoring a combined 15 points on four-of-21 shooting. Yet the Raptors still won in a blowout, beating the Porzingis-less New York Knicks 113-88.
CURRY PICKS OUT DURANT
The star Warriors duo showed off their skills in a moment of brilliance to catch the Mavericks napping.
The @warriors throw another full court dime! #DubNation pic.twitter.com/9ywnLRArU5
— NBA (@NBA) February 9, 2018
THURSDAY’S RESULTS
Orlando Magic 100-98 Atlanta Hawks
Boston Celtics 110-104 (OT) Washington Wizards
Toronto Raptors 113-88 New York Knicks
Portland Trail Blazers 109-103 (OT) Charlotte Hornets
Los Angeles Lakers 106-81 Oklahoma City Thunder
Golden State Warriors 121-103 Dallas Mavericks
CAVALIERS AT HAWKS
No team coming off an NBA Finals appearance the previous season has ever shuffled their line-up the way the Cleveland Cavaliers did on Thursday. The Cavs were part of three trades, involving five teams, 11 players and two draft picks. How will new Cavs Jordan Clarkson, Larry Nance Jr., Rodney Hood and George Hill fit into Cleveland’s squad? Some of those players may see action against the Atlanta Hawks on Friday, but even if they do not, the team will have a totally different feel after all the trade action.
