Lakers-Celtics play out NBA thriller in LA

The NBA's greatest rivalry has dished up another classic contest in Los Angeles.

The league-leading Celtics improved their record to 22-7 with thrilling 122-118 victory against the Lakers after overtime on Tuesday night.

Jayson Tatum scored 44 points, Jaylen Brown added five of his 25 in overtime, and even though Boston blew a 20-point lead in the second half they rallied from a late 13-point deficit for a stirring win.

Anthony Davis had 37 points and 12 rebounds for LA, but also missed two free throws with 28 seconds left in regulation to allow Boston back into it. LeBron James scored 33 points in a memorable chapter of the famed rivalry between the 17-time champion teams dubbed "the two pillars of our league" by new Lakers coach Darvin Ham.

"I haven't thought about the rest of the game," Lakers centre Anthony Davis said.

"To me, the rest doesn't matter. Had a chance to ice the game, and missed both."

The rivals played a wild second half in which the hosts rallied from an 81-61 deficit midway through the third quarter with a 45-12 surge. Boston then erased Los Angeles' 106-93 lead in the final 3:40 with a 17-4 run capped by Tatum's tying jumper with 17.8 seconds left. 

Russell Westbrook had 20 points and 14 assists for Los Angeles, but he also missed three open jumpers in OT while the Celtics pulled away with 12 consecutive points.

The best in the Western Conference, though, suffered a heavy loss on the road in Utah.

New Orleans (18-9) were beaten 121-100 by the Jazz, despite a game-high 26 points from the Pelicans' Zion Williamson, while Golden State's horror form on the road continued, thrashed 128-111 by the Bucks in Milwaukee.

The Warriors are 2-12 on their travels to leave them 14-14 and 10th in the West.

Milwaukee improved to 20-7 for second in the Eastern Conference, led by double-doubles from Giannis Antetokounmpo (30 points, 12 rebounds) and Bobby Portis (25 points, 11 rebounds) in a matchup of the last two NBA champions.

Antetokounmpo's 15th 30-point outing of the season came despite just 9-for-26 shooting from the field.

In Philadelphia, Joel Embiid scored 31 points, James Harden had 21 points and 15 assists, and the 76ers cruised to a 123-103 win over the Sacramento Kings.

Tobias Harris also scored 21 points for the Sixers (15-12), fifth in the East, with three other players reaching double figures in scoring, including Australian Matisse Thybulle who added a season-high 15 points.

"We're playing pretty well offensively," Embiid, who has scored 30 or more points in five straight games, said.

"James (Harden) is doing a great job getting everyone easy shots. My teammates are doing a fantastic job moving the ball and being in the right spots ... But we're not there yet. We have a long way to go."

And in Houston, Jalen Green scored a game-high 26 points as the Rockets inflicted a 111-97 victory and fifth straight loss on the short-handed Suns (16-12).

With AP & Reuters.