Payton Pritchard scores 36 as the Celtics beat the Hawks 109-102
BOSTON (AP) — Payton Pritchard scored 36 points, Jayson Tatum had 26 points and 12 rebounds, and the Boston Celtics beat the Atlanta Hawks 109-102 on Friday night. Jalen Johnson scored 29 points and CJ McCollum had 21 for the Hawks, who came in 15-2 since the All-Star break, best in the Eastern Conference. Nickeil Alexander-Walker added 20 points but Atlanta’s shooting touch faded as the game progressed after a strong start.
Boston played without All-Star guard Jaylen Brown, who was ruled out with Achilles tendinitis. Behind Pritchard’s spark off the bench and a dramatic swing beyond the arc, the Celtics caught the Hawks after trailing 25-9 in the first quarter. Boston made seven straight 3-pointers during the second quarter, but Johnson and Atlanta went into halftime up 60-55.
Fresh off an overtime victory over Eastern Conference leader Detroit, Atlanta entered the final quarter within striking distance of Boston, which has the East’s second-best record. Tatum had a tough night from the field, missing 16 of 24 shots, yet his spinning drive to the rim gave Boston a 97-86 lead with 7:29 remaining. After getting fouled on a 3-point attempt with time winding down on the shot clock, Tatum sealed it with three free throws that gave Boston a 107-99 lead with a minute left.
The surging Hawks entered Friday with 14 wins in their last 15 games. They had their three-game winning streak snapped after shooting 39% from the field. CLIPPERS 114, PACERS 113 INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Kawhi Leonard made a jumper with 0.
4 seconds remaining , and Los Angeles rallied from a 24-point deficit to beat Indiana. Leonard finished with 28 points, reaching 20 for the 50th straight game. Darius Garland led the Clippers with 30.
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