NEW YORK: Kyrie Irving ditched his plastic mask and scored 11 of his 16 points in the final five minutes, sparking the Boston Celtics over Golden State 92-88 Thursday in a showdown of the NBA’s top teams.
Rallying from a 17-point deficit in the third quarter, the Celtics stretched their win streak to 14 games, their longest since a 14-game run in November and December of 2010 and five shy of the club record set nine years ago.
Boston improved the NBA’s best record to 14-2, having last lost in their home opener to Milwaukee on October 18, while the defending champion Warriors, who had been atop the Western Conference, fell to 11-4 with their seven-game win streak snapped.
Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 22 points while Al Horford had 18 points and a game-high 11 rebounds and Marcus Morris and Jayson Tatum each contributed 12 points.
Kevin Durant led Golden State with 24 points but Stephen Curry was 3-of-14 from the floor for only nine points in his first game back from a bruised right thigh, the two-time NBA Most Valuable Player struggling with foul trouble.
Klay Thompson’s 3-pointer with 1:22 to play lifted Golden State ahead 88-86 but the Celtics equalized on two Irving free throws after he was fouled by Thompson.
Draymond Green missed a 3-point shot and then fouled Irving, who sank two free throws with 14 seconds remaining to put the Celtics ahead to stay.
Durant missed a baseline jumper and Boston grabbed the rebound, setting up Tatum’s two free throws to produce Boston’s biggest lead and final victory margin.
Irving was supposed to wear a protective plastic mask for two weeks after suffering a facial fracture last Friday, but removed it in the third quarter, the same time when the Celtics battled back.
Durant scored six points while Thompson and Green each added five in a 19-7 Warriors run to open the second half that stretched Golden State’s lead to 66-49, matching the visitors’ largest advantage of the game.
The Celtics answered with 19 consecutive points to grab a 68-66 lead, Brown scoring 10 points in the run to set up the dramatic finish.
Golden State closed the first quarter on a 9-3 run to seize a 28-18 edge. Nick Young sank two 3-pointers and a free throw in the run.
Golden State led 44-27 after a 12-0 run in the second quarter. But the Celtics answered with a 15-3 run to close the second quarter, pulling within 47-42 at half-time, Brown scoring seven points to lead the spurt for Boston.
The Celtics kept Golden State without a basket for more than five minutes to end the half, the Warriors missing their last eight shots.
Gordon Hayward, whose season ended when he suffered a broken left leg in Boston’s opener, sat behind the Celtics bench in his first game appearance since the injury.
Celtics rally from 17 down to beat Warriors, stretch NBA win streak to 14
Celtics rally from 17 down to beat Warriors, stretch NBA win streak to 14
Last-gasp Lukaku saves Napoli’s blushes at rock-bottom Verona
- Lukaku forced home Giovane’s cross to give third-placed Napoli all three points
- He gave Napoli a huge win with both Como and Atalanta pushing for a top-four placing
MILAN: Romelu Lukaku kept Napoli on course for a Champions League spot with a last-gasp winner in Saturday’s 2-1 victory over rock-bottom Verona, the Belgium forward’s first goal of the season.
Lukaku forced home Giovane’s cross to give third-placed Napoli all three points with the last kick of the game at the Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi.
Napoli had looked like dropping points in northern Italy when Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro levelled Rasmus Hojlund’s early opener in the 65th minute.
But Lukaku, who only played his first game of the season in late January, gave Napoli a huge win with both Como and Atalanta pushing for a top-four placing.
However Napoli’s title defense is all but over as they trail runaway league leaders Inter Milan, who host Genoa in Saturday’s late match, by 11 points after an injury-ravaged season.
Napoli were missing key midfielders Scott McTominay, Kevin De Bruyne and Andre-Frank Anguissa on Saturday, as well as captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo.
Verona, under interim coach Paolo Sammarco following the sacking of Paolo Zanetti earlier this month, are 10 points from safety after a 12th straight match without a win.
Como, who face Inter in the first leg of the Italian Cup semifinals on Tuesday, strolled to 3-1 victory over strugglers Lecce to continue their push for a first-ever qualification for European football.
Cesc Fabregas’s team are two points behind Roma, in fourth and Juventus’ opponents on Sunday, and five behind Napoli.
Star man Nico Paz started on the bench for Como ahead of that clash with Inter, the Argentine starlet coming on midway through the second half with the hosts already two goals to the good.
Como went behind early to a fine Lassana Coulibaly header, but Tasos Douvikas, Jesus Rodriguez and Marc Oliver Kempf all netted before half-time to secure a simple three points.
Como moved two points ahead of sixth-placed Juve who face Roma trying to stay in touch with the Champions League places after being eliminated from Europe’s elite club competition by Galatasaray on Wednesday.
