MIAMI.- The Boston Celtics They defeated 108-89 Miami Heat this Monday and closed the gap in the fight for first place in the NBA Eastern Conference, in a game in which guard Jaylen Brown scored 29 points.
The defending champions are one game behind the leading Cleveland Cavaliers, with a record of 17 wins and four losses.
Jayson Tatum was the Celtics’ third-best scorer, but the only one to complete a double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds.
For the Heat, Mexican Jaime Jáquez Jr. started and played 36 minutes with a line of 19 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and three steals.
Jimmy Butler and Kevin Love were absent for Miami with knee and back discomfort, respectively.
In another result, the Atlanta Hawks defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 124-112, who suffered their ninth consecutive loss and have the second worst streak in the NBA, only surpassed by the 14 consecutive losses of the Washington Wizards.
Seven Hawks players scored at least ten points, with only Clint Capela (9) and Bogdan Bogdanovic (8) falling short among a nine-player rotation.
Cameroonian Yves Missi was the highlight for the Pelicans with 21 points and 10 rebounds, while he only missed two of his 12 attempts from the court.
Josh Giddey scored a triple double with 20 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists in the Chicago Bulls’ 128-102 victory over the Brooklyn Nets.
Giddey, 22, has 12 triple doubles in his NBA career, although it was his first with the Bulls. All the previous ones were with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Setback for the Lakers
The Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 109-80, in a game in which the ‘Wolves’ shot 43 percent (15/35) from the three-point line, against 19 percent (6 /31) from the Los Angeles painting.
D’Angelo Russell was the game’s leading scorer with 20 points, including four of the Lakers’ six three-pointers. LeBron James and Anthony Davis combined to go 0/6 from long range.
