Jayson Tatum's apparent ankle injury cast doubt on the fate of the defending champion Boston Celtics. as regular-season play winds down.
Tyrese Haliburton has been on a tear for the surging Indiana Pacers, while it has been a neck-and-neck battle between the Phoenix Suns and the Dallas Mavericks for the last West Play-in slot. | Photos: Pacers, Suns, Mavericks
An eight game NBA Tuesday saw the Indiana Pacers and reigning champion Boston Celtics extend their winning streaks, while the battle for the final Play-in spot in the West might come down to the wire.
HALIBURTON FUELS SURGING PACERS; CELTICS WIN ANEW BUT LOST TATUM TO INJURY
- Indiana Pacers (42-29) def. Minnesota Timberwolves (41-32), 119-103: Tyrese Haliburton dropped his 11th straight point-assist double-double, bannering a fifth successive Pacers victory after taming the Timberwolves.
- Boston Celtics (53-19) def. Sacramento Kings (35-38), 113-95: Make it six straight wins for the rolling Celtics after thumping the Kings, but it came at a cost after the defending champions lost superstar Jayson Tatum due to an ankle injury.
- Get Well Soon, JT: Tatum finished with 25 points, eight assists, and seven rebounds before he came down on Domantas Sabonis' foot during a three-point attempt midway through the third period.
- Orlando Magic (34-38) def. LA Lakers (43-28), 118-106: Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero combined for 62 points as the Magic continued to add more woes to slumping Lakers, who now lost three straight games.
- Toronto Raptors (25-47) def. Washington Wizards (15-56), 112-104: Jakob Poeltl stood tall thanks to a solid 21-point, 11-rebound double-double that helped the Raptors arrest a four-game slide.
DAVIS MARKS WINNING MAVS RETURN; BOOKER RESCUES SUNS
- Dallas Mavericks (35-37) def. Brooklyn Nets (23-49), 120-101: Anthony Davis made a winning return for the Mavericks after a six-week absence via 19-point romp of the lowly Nets.
[ALSO READ: Anthony Davis returns as Mavericks stomp Nets, keep track in final West Play-in spot]
- Phoenix Suns (35-37) def. Milwaukee Bucks (40-31), 108-106: Devin Booker drilled the game-winning jumper with 1.7 seconds left as the Suns’ registered their first four-game winning streak since early November after outlasting the Bucks.
- Slim Reaper Strikes: Kevin Durant erupted for 38 points for Phoenix, who improved to 35-37 and still holds the 10th and final West Play-in spot despite the Mavericks’ earlier win against the Nets.
- Chicago Bulls (32-40) def. Denver Nuggets (45-28), 129-119: Coby White sizzled with 37 points — the third-straight game he scored 35 markers or more — in yet another Bulls’ road triumph after clipping the Nikola Jokic-less Nuggets.
[ALSO READ: News Coby White, Bulls claim giant scalp in Jokic-less Nuggets for third straight road win]
- New Orleans Pelicans (20-53) def. Philadelphia 76ers (23-49), 112-99: The Pelicans completed a regular season sweep of the Sixers for the second straight year with Kelly Olynyk producing an impressive 14-11-7 statline.