Camille Naredo

Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics prepares to shoot a free throw during the game against the Los Angeles Lakers on March 8, 2025 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. Nathaniel S. Butler, NBAE via Getty Images/AFP

BOSTON, MA - MARCH 8: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics prepares to shoot a free throw during the game against the Los Angeles Lakers on March 8, 2025 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE  Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images/AFP (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler / NBAE / Getty Images / Getty Images via AFP)

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Los Angeles Lakers v Boston Celtics

Agence France-Presse

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1743499039941AFP__20250309__2203498391__v1__Preview__LosAngelesLakersVBostonCeltics.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics prepares to shoot a free throw during the game against the Los Angeles Lakers on March 8, 2025 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. Nathaniel S. Butler, NBAE via Getty Images/AFP"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics prepares to shoot a free throw during the game against the Los Angeles Lakers on March 8, 2025 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. <em>Nathaniel S. Butler, NBAE via Getty Images/AFP</em></span></span></span></div><p>LOS ANGELES -- Veteran Al Horford turned back the clock to help the NBA champion Boston Celtics notch a ninth straight victory and nab a franchise first with a 117-103 win over the Grizzlies in Memphis on Monday.</p><p>Horford, 38, led the Celtics scoring with 26 points off the bench.</p><p>Jayson Tatum added 25 points and 14 rebounds and the Celtics defense stymied the Grizzlies in the second half to complete a perfect 6-0 road trip -- the longest unbeaten road swing in the club&#x27;s history.</p><p>Boston, second in the Eastern Conference behind the Cleveland Cavaliers, won all six games by double digits.</p><p>Horford scored his season-high, draining six of Boston&#x27;s 21 three-pointers.</p><p>&quot;It&#x27;s a lot of fun,&quot; Horford said. &quot;It&#x27;s pretty amazing for me to be in this position and I&#x27;m just trying to have fun with it and enjoy with my team.&quot;</p><p>Ja Morant scored 26 points for the Grizzlies, who led by as many as 11 in the first half and regained the lead early in the third.</p><p>Ultimately, however, they couldn&#x27;t keep pace and lost ground in their fight with the Los Angeles Lakers for fourth place in the West.</p><p>The Lakers beat the second-placed Houston Rockets 104-98 in a tense duel at Crypto.com Arena.</p><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OFPR9zAVUlA?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></div><p>Luka Doncic, Dorian Finney-Smith and Gabe Vincent scored 20 points apiece for the Lakers and LeBron James added 16.</p><p>James drilled a pair of free throws to push the Lakers lead to 102-98 with 11.1 seconds left then came up with a massive block as Los Angeles held on for the victory.</p><p>The Oklahoma City Thunder, already assured of the Western Conference top seed, racked up their 10th straight victory with a 145-117 pounding of the Chicago Bulls.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>- Stacking games -</strong></div><p>Isaiah Joe came off the bench to score 31 points -- leading seven Thunder players to score in double figures.</p><p>&quot;We all have the same goal in mind,&quot; said Joe, who made eight of the Thunder&#x27;s 23 three-pointers.</p><p>&quot;We know what we want to do at the end of the day and we know how to get there. We&#x27;ve just got to keep stacking days, stacking games.&quot;</p><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BR7pyNOtusk?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></div><p>The Indiana Pacers rallied from 16 points down in the third quarter to beat the Sacramento Kings 111-109 and maintain their grip on fourth place in the East.</p><p>Tyrese Haliburton scored 18 points and handed out 11 assists, drilling a three-pointer with 1:17 remaining that gave Indiana the lead for good.</p><p>The Los Angeles Clippers, eighth in the West but locked in a battle with Golden State and Minnesota for sixth place and direct entry to the playoffs, clawed out a gritty 96-87 victory over the Magic in Orlando.</p><p>Kawhi Leonard and Norman Powell scored 21 points each and Ivica Zubac added 18 points and 20 rebounds -- including nine on the offensive end -- to help the Clippers finally seize control in a game that featured 15 lead changes in the first three quarters.</p><p>Paolo Banchero scored 26 points and Franz Wagner added 21 for the Magic, who remained in eighth place in the East.</p><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AtREze8Md7k?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></div><p>The top six teams in each conference advance to the playoffs while teams ranked from seventh to 10th play a mini-tournament to determine the final two playoff slots.</p><p>The Miami Heat climbed to ninth -- ahead of the Bulls -- with a fifth straight victory, beating the Wizards 120-94 in Washington.</p><p>Bam Adebayo scored 28 points and grabbed 12 rebounds and Tyler Herro added 27 points for the Heat, whose current winning streak comes on the heels of a 10-game skid.</p><div><strong>© Agence France-Presse</strong></div>

<p>Jayson Tatum added 25 points and 14 rebounds and the Celtics defense stymied the Grizzlies in the second half to complete a perfect 6-0 road trip -- the longest unbeaten road swing in the club's history.</p>

Jayson Tatum added 25 points and 14 rebounds and the Celtics defense stymied the Grizzlies in the second half to complete a perfect 6-0 road trip -- the longest unbeaten road swing in the club's history.

Celtics, Thunder power toward NBA playoffs, Lakers shoot down Rockets

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Celtics, Thunder power toward NBA playoffs, Lakers shoot down Rockets

Agence France-Presse

Published Apr 01, 2025 05:18 PM PHT

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Updated Apr 01, 2025 05:19 PM PHT

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