Irving scores 30 as Celtics snap Thunder NBA win streak

Credit to Author: The Manila Times| Date: Mon, 04 Feb 2019 19:01:38 +0000

NEW YORK: Kyrie Irving scored 30 points and passed out 11 assists on Sunday (Monday in Manila) as the Boston Celtics snapped Oklahoma City’s seven-game NBA win streak with a 134-129 home triumph.

Marcus Morris added 19 points and Marcus Smart netted 18 as eight of nine players taking the court for Boston scored in double figures and the Celtics improved to 34-19, matching Philadelphia for third in the Eastern Conference.

“We have great continuity, great rhythm,” Irving said. “Playing the best we can every single day.”

The Thunder fell to 33-19, four games adrift of Western Conference leaders Denver and Golden State, despite a sixth consecutive triple double from Russell Westbrook, who had 22 points, 16 assists and 12 rebounds.

Westbrook hit a 3-pointer, made a steal and sank two free throws to pull the visitors within 121-119 in the final minutes.

Boston Celtics’ Al Horford (42) and Kyrie Irving (11) double-team Oklahoma City Thunder’s Steven Adams (12) during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Boston. AP PHOTO

Jerami Grant’s 3-pointer pulled the Thunder within 129-128. Boston’s Jayson Tatum hit only 1-of-2 free throws but Irving forced a Westbrook turnover and Tatum added two more from the line to give the Celtics a 132-128 edge with 7.4 seconds to play.

Westbrook sank a free throw but missed the rim on his second attempt trying to set up a Thunder rebound and the Celtics took the ball, Smart hitting two final free throws to seal the victory.

Paul George led the Thunder with 37 points and New Zealand’s Steven Adams added 16 points and nine rebounds for Oklahoma City.

The Thunder reeled off 11 points in a row in just over two minutes for a 76-73 lead in the third quarter but Morris answered with a corner 3-pointer to begin a 12-2 Boston run and the Celtics bounced back to lead 99-93 entering the fourth quarter.

The Celtics hit a season-best 59 percent of their shots from the floor.

At Toronto, the host Raptors ripped the Los Angeles Clippers 121-103 behind 18 points from Kawhi Leonard plus 16 points and 12 rebounds from Congo-born Spaniard Serge Ibaka.

AFP

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