BOSTON (AP) — Jaylen Brown scored 31 points and hit three 3-pointers and the Boston Celtics broke the NBA record for 3-pointers in a season in a 123-103 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Friday night.
Boston was 14 of 39 from 3-point range to push its season total to 1,370. Golden State held the previous record with 1,363 in 2022-23.
After having their nine-game winning streak halted in their previous game, the Celtics coasted to the victory.
Jayson Tatum added 23 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. Kristaps Porzingis had 15 points before he walked to the locker room holding a towel to the bridge of his nose early in the final quarter after getting hit by Cody Martin’s elbow while the Suns player was driving to the basket.
Porzingis raised both arms and waved to the crowd as he headed into the tunnel. He returned to the bench late in the game and the team said the cut required stitches.
Devin Booker led the Suns with 37 points. Phoenix has lost five straight.
Boston opened a double-digit edge on Payton Pritchard’s 3-pointer early in the second quarter, pushed it to 20 midway into the period and led by 14 at halftime.
KINGS 125, HORNETS 102
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Zach LaVine had 25 points and 10 rebounds, Domantas Sabonis added 24 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists and Sacramento rolled past Charlotte to remain in 10th place in the Western Conference standings.
DeMar DeRozan added 22 points to help the Kings win for only the second time in their last nine games.
Sabonis was on pace for his 68th career triple-double before leaving the game with three minutes left in the third quarter after taking a knee to his right thigh. He did not return for his normal rotation in the third quarter with the Kings well in control and the team did not announce any injury.
Miles Bridges had 22 points, and Moussa Diabate added 15 points and 11 rebounds for the Hornets.
The Kings held a 1/2-game lead over Phoenix Suns for the final spot in the play-in tournament entering the game and wasted little time with the injury-riddled Hornets. Sacramento built a 19-point lead at halftime behind Sabonis, who had 18 points, eight rebounds and six assists at the break.
PACERS 140, JAZZ 112
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Myles Turner had 26 points, seven rebounds and six blocked shots, and Indiana beat Utah for their third straight victory.
Pascal Siakam scored 22 points and Bennedict Mathurin had 20, going 12 for 16 from the free throw line.
Collin Sexton had 27 points and Johnny Juzang had 17 for Utah.
Turner had four blocks in the decisive third quarter. Siakam had a season-best four blocks and Indiana registered a season-best 17 — two short of the franchise record set in 1979 at Washington.
PISTONS 117, RAPTORS 105
TORONTO (AP) — Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 23 points, Jalen Duren had 21 points and 18 rebounds and Detroit beat Toronto to wrap up their first playoff berth since 2018-19.
Malik Beasley scored 21 points for the Pistons, and Dennis Schroeder added 16.
Detroit won a franchise-worst 14 games last season, enduring an NBA-record 28-game losing streak in the process.
All-Star guard Cade Cunningham remained sidelined because of a bruised left calf, missing his sixth straight game. The Pistons also were without Tobias Harris (right heel).
Ja’Kobe Walter scored 22 points for Toronto. Immanuel Quickley and Jamal Shead each had 14 as the Raptors lost their third straight.
ROCKETS 125, THUNDER 111
HOUSTON (AP) — Jalen Green had 34 points, Alperen Sengun added 31 and ...
