Hoping to avoid a 28th straight loss that would match the longest losing streak in NBA history, the Detroit Pistons forced overtime against the league-best Celtics on Thursday night before Boston recovered to win 128-122.
Despite making it to overtime for the first time in the skid, Detroit matched the “Trust the Process” Philadelphia 76ers with 28 consecutive losses. The Pistons need a victory at home against Toronto on Saturday night to avoid breaking the record.
Detroit opened a season-high 21-point lead in the first half only to trail 106-100 in the final two minutes of regulation. Jaden Ivey scored six straight points to erase the deficit, then Bojan Bogdanovic made a putback with 4.6 seconds left to send it to OT.
But Derrick White scored 10 of his 23 points in the extra period and Kristaps Porzingis had six in the overtime — dunking after a full-court pass from Jayson Tatum and then sinking a pair of free throws to make it 125-117. Porzingis had 35 points — 11 in the fourth quarter, and eight of those during a 10-0 run that turned a four-point deficit lead into a 106-100 lead.
Tatum had 31 points 10 assists for Boston, which won its fourth straight and its ninth in the last 10 games. Cade Cunningham led Detroit with 31 points and nine assists. Ivey had 22 points and 10 rebounds and Jalen Duren had 15 points and 14 rebounds.
The Pistons set the NBA record for most consecutive losses in a season Tuesday night with their 27th in a row, a 118-112 loss to Brooklyn. The Sixers’ streak stretched over two seasons, 2014-15 and 2015-16.
NUGGETS 142, GRIZZLIES 105
Nikola Jokic had 26 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists on a perfect shooting night and Denver had its highest-scoring game of the season to rout short-handed Memphis.
Jokic made 11 field goals, including a 3-pointerm and three throws without a miss. He has 11 triple-doubles this season and 116 overall.
Memphis played without Ja Morant because of an illness. Morant missed his first game since returning from a 25-game suspension at the start of the season. The Grizzlies had won all four games in which Morant has played since making his season debut.
Desmond Bane led Memphis with 23 points,
TIMBERWOLVES 118, MAVERICKS 110
Anthony Edwards scored a season-high 44 points and Rudy Gobert had 20 points and 11 rebounds in Minnesota’s victory over Dallas.
The Mavericks were without Luka Doncic on the second night of back-to-back games. Dallas fell at Cleveland 113-110 on Wednesday night. Doncic missed his third game of the season with left quadriceps soreness, while Kyrie Irving missed his 11th straight with a right heel contusion.
Minnesota improved to 13-1 at home. The Timberwolves trailed by one point midway through the third period before going on a 15-3 run to gain control.
Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 32 points for Dallas.
PACERS 120, BULLS 104
NBA assists leader Tyrese Haliburton had a career-high 20 without a turnover and scored 21 points to help Indiana hold off Chicago.
Questionable to play before the game because of a sore lower back, became the fifth player in NBA history to have 20 or more assists without a turnover, following Kevin Porter (1978), John Lucas (1983), Rickey Green (1984) and Chris Paul (2016).
Myles Turner led Indiana with 24 points, and Buddy Hield added 19 points. Haliburton made a three late 3-pointers to quell a furious Bulls rally, which had seen them take a 93-90 lead with eight minutes remaining after trailing by as much as 25.
Patrick Williams led Chicago with 22 points.
PELICANS 112, JAZZ 105
Brandon Ingram highlighted a 26-point performance with a 3-pointer that sparked an 8-2 run in the final 2:35 and New Orleans held off Utah.
Collin Sexton scored 26 points for Utah, which had won its previous three during a five-game trip that ended in New Orleans.
CJ McCollum added 22 points for New Orleans, and Zion Williamson had 21 points and 10 rebounds.
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