Celtics and Thunder hold steady; Rockets win again in the NBA

LOS ANGELES. — The Boston Celtics and the Oklahoma City Thunder avoided surprises and achieved important victories to stay at the top of their respective conferences, while the Houston Rockets took a breather with a road win on Friday’s NBA game.

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In Boston, the Celtics defeated the Atlanta Hawks 109-102 on a night when Jayson Tatum once again led the offense with 26 points, including 13 in the final quarter. In the absence of Jaylen Brown due to injury, point guard Payton Pritchard had an outstanding performance, scoring 36 points off the bench, being key in the victory that keeps Boston in second place in the Eastern Conference. For their part, the Thunder defeated the Chicago Bulls 131-113 after an impressive 22-0 run between the third and final quarters that changed the course of the game. The team leader, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, led the offense with 25 points, while Cason Wallace contributed 21 units in place of the injured Chet Holmgren. With the victory, Oklahoma City remains at the top of the Western Conference. In Memphis, the Rockets secured an important 119-109 victory over the Grizzlies, with an outstanding performance by Kevin Durant, who finished with 25 points and 10 assists. Jabari Smith Jr. also contributed to the win with 21 points and Alperen Sengun with 18, in a result that keeps Houston in playoff contention in the Western Conference. The day left Boston and Oklahoma City firm in the fight for the top spots, while Houston continues to fight to consolidate among the teams classified for the postseason.