Bradley, Thomas push Boston past Sacremento

Sacramento Kings guard James Anderson (Junction City) tries to block a shot by Boston Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas (4) during the Celtics’ 128-119 victory Sunday.
Sacramento Kings guard James Anderson (Junction City) tries to block a shot by Boston Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas (4) during the Celtics’ 128-119 victory Sunday.

CELTICS 128, KINGS 119

BOSTON -- Avery Bradley scored 25 points, Isiah Thomas had 22 and the Boston Celtics held off the Sacramento Kings 128-119 on Sunday for their ninth victory in 10 games.

Jared Sullinger matched his season high with 21 points and reserve Tyler Zeller had a season high 17 with 7 rebounds for Boston, which committed a season high 24 turnovers but shot 56 percent.

DeMarcus Cousins led Sacramento with 31 points. Marco Belinelli and Darren Collison each had 16 points. The Kings have lost seven of eight.

The Kings had sliced a 21-point deficit to 97-91 early in the final quarter before Bradley made two three-pointers and scored eight points during a 15-6 spree that was capped by Evan Turner's three-point play with just less than six minutes to play.

Sacramento closed it to five points with under two minutes left, but Thomas scored nine of 11 points for Boston to seal it.

Coming off a buzzer-beating three-point shot by Bradley that lifted Boston to a victory in Cleveland on Friday night, the Celtics started fast, nailing five of their initial seven on three-point attempts to pull to a 38-22 edge late in the first quarter.

The Kings cut it to 59-51 before Boston went on a 9-0 spree en route to a 74-58 halftime lead.

The Celtics pushed their advantage to 21 points on Thomas' three-pointer from the right wing early in the third, but the Kings followed with a 15-2 run to close the gap to 95-87 after three.

NUGGETS 101, KNICKS 96

NEW YORK -- Rookie Emmanuel Mudiay scored nine of his 15 points during a decisive fourth-quarter run, and Denver beat the fading Knicks.

Former Knicks forward Danilo Gallinari and Will Barton each had 19 points to lead the Nuggets, who won for the third time in four games. But it was Mudiay, who was just 2 for 12 through three quarters, who delivered nearly all the points during an 11-2 spurt that put the Nuggets in control after the game was tied at 86-86.

Kristaps Porzingis had 21 points and 13 rebounds for the Knicks, who have lost five in a row and nine of 10 since they were 22-22 and looking like a realistic playoff team.

Carmelo Anthony returned to face his former team after missing a game to rest his sore left knee, finishing with 21 points, 7 assists and 6 rebounds.

CLIPPERS 100, HEAT 93

MIAMI -- Chris Paul had a game-high 22 points, Jamal Crawford added 20 off the bench and the Clippers beat the Heat.

J.J. Redick scored 14 points, Wesley Johnson had 10 and DeAndre Jordan and Cole Aldrich grabbed 11 rebounds each for the Clippers, who won despite missing 14 consecutive shots in the first quarter and swept the two-game season series with Miami.

Paul started 0 for 9, but made two three-pointers late to help seal it for the Clippers.

Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade and Goran Dragic all scored 17 points for Miami, which missed a chance to finish the day fourth in the Eastern Conference standings.

MAGIC 96, HAWKS 94

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Nik Vucevic hit an 18-footer at the buzzer and the Magic beat the Hawks.

Elfrid Payton, who set up Vucevic's winning shot with an inbounds pass, scored or assisted the Magic's final six baskets as they won for only the third time in 18 games in 2016.

The Magic had gone scoreless since Payton's jump shot with 3:41 left, squandering a 94-86 lead.

Vucevic led Orlando with 22 points and nine rebounds and Evan Fournier, starting in place of the injured Tobias Harris, added 21 points. Payton had 12 points and 12 assists.

Jeff Teague scored 24 for the Hawks.

Sports on 02/08/2016

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