Celtics’ Road Reign Continues with OT Win Over Knicks 9th Straight

NBA Roundup: Celtics Sweep Knicks in OT, Thunder Set Franchise Record

April 9 – Kristaps Porzingis delivered a stellar performance with 34 points, including a career-tying eight 3-pointers, as the Boston Celtics edged out the New York Knicks 119-117 in overtime on the road Tuesday. The victory marked Boston’s ninth consecutive road win and secured their first four-game regular-season sweep of the Knicks since 2019-20. Coupled with the Cleveland Cavaliers’ win, the Celtics (59-20) are now locked in as the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. The Knicks (50-29) need just one more win or an Indiana Pacers loss to clinch the No. 3 seed.

Porzingis, in his return to Madison Square Garden, hit the decisive 3-pointer with 40.8 seconds remaining in overtime to break a 112-112 deadlock. A subsequent Knicks turnover and four clutch free throws from Jrue Holiday in the final 12.6 seconds sealed the win for Boston. Jayson Tatum contributed 32 points for the Celtics, while Holiday added 16 and Derrick White chipped in 14. For the Knicks, Karl-Anthony Towns led the way with 34 points, Jalen Brunson scored 27, and Josh Hart recorded 10 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists before fouling out.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander poured in 42 points as the Oklahoma City Thunder avenged a recent loss to the Los Angeles Lakers with a dominant 136-120 victory. The win snapped a two-game skid for the Thunder and established a new franchise record for wins in a season, surpassing the mark set by the Seattle SuperSonics in 1995-96. The Lakers suffered a significant blow early in the fourth quarter when Luka Doncic was ejected after receiving his second technical foul. Following his exit, the Thunder surged ahead with a 13-4 run to take control of the game.

The Milwaukee Bucks orchestrated a remarkable comeback from a 24-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves 110-103. Giannis Antetokounmpo registered a triple-double with 23 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists to lead the charge. Kevin Porter Jr. provided a spark off the bench with 21 points for the Bucks, who extended their winning streak to five games. Bobby Portis returned from a 25-game suspension to score 18 points and grab 10 rebounds. Milwaukee outscored Minnesota 40-13 in the final frame, including an impressive 23-0 run. Anthony Edwards led the Timberwolves with 25 points, while Donte DiVincenzo added 24 off the bench. The loss snapped Minnesota’s five-game winning streak.

The Golden State Warriors delivered a decisive 133-95 road victory over the Phoenix Suns. Stephen Curry led the way with 25 points, nine rebounds, and six assists, while Brandin Podziemski added 22 points. Trayce Jackson-Davis contributed 13 points and eight rebounds off the bench for the Warriors, who have won six of their last seven games. The win pulled Golden State even with the Los Angeles Clippers, Denver Nuggets, and Memphis Grizzlies in a four-way tie for the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference. Devin Booker scored 21 points for the struggling Suns, who have now lost seven consecutive games and are on the brink of play-in elimination, sitting three games behind the 10th-place Dallas Mavericks with only three games remaining.

The Los Angeles Clippers continued their strong finish to the regular season with a 122-117 home win over the San Antonio Spurs. Ivica Zubac dominated the boards with 24 points and 20 rebounds, while James Harden added 21 points and 12 assists. Norman Powell chipped in 25 points for the Clippers, who are 15-3 since March 5 and currently hold the fourth seed in the West due to a four-team tiebreaker. Harrison Barnes scored 24 points for the Spurs, who lost their eighth game in their last nine.

Paolo Banchero recorded his third consecutive double-double with 33 points and 10 rebounds as the Orlando Magic defeated the visiting Atlanta Hawks 119-112 for their third straight win. The Magic moved two games ahead of the Hawks for the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference with three games remaining for both teams. Franz Wagner added 22 points for Orlando, while Onyeka Okongwu matched his career high with 30 points and grabbed 14 rebounds for Atlanta. Trae Young contributed 28 points and 10 assists for the Hawks, who have lost six of their last eight games.

Trendon Watford scored 11 of his 22 points during a 43-point third quarter for the Brooklyn Nets, who snapped a five-game home losing streak with a 119-114 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans. Drew Timme led a strong Nets bench effort with 16 points and nine rebounds. Antonio Reeves scored 17 points for the Pelicans, who have now lost four straight and 15 of their last 20 games.

Ja Morant scored 28 points to lead the Memphis Grizzlies to a 124-100 road win over the Charlotte Hornets, but the victory was overshadowed by a scary injury to rookie Jaylen Wells. Wells was stretchered off the court late in the first half after a hard fall following a Flagrant 2 foul. The Grizzlies later announced he suffered a broken right wrist but was alert and had movement in his extremities. Desmond Bane added 19 points for Memphis, who won their third straight. Miles Bridges led the Hornets with 13 points in their home finale.

Pascal Siakam scored a game-high 24 points to spark a late-game run as the Indiana Pacers defeated the visiting Washington Wizards 104-98 for their fifth consecutive win. Despite a slow start and poor shooting from beyond the arc, the Pacers managed to secure the victory. Alex Sarr led the Wizards with 20 points and 12 rebounds.