Tatum scores 41 points, Celtics beat Nets 118-110 for 5th straight win

By BRIAN MAHONEY AP Basketball Writer

NEW YORK – Jayson Tatum had 41 points and 14 rebounds, and the Boston Celtics won their fifth straight game, beating the Brooklyn Nets 118-110 on Tuesday night in the opener of a home-and-home series.

Jaylen Brown added 19 points for the Celtics, who improved to 42-12 and will host the Nets on Wednesday in both teams’ final game before the All-Star break.

Tatum tied his career-high in first-half points with 31 and the Celtics led comfortably much of the time playing without Kristaps Porzingis due to a lower back contusion. Coach Joe Mazzulla said Boston’s starting center could play Wednesday.

Al Horford replaced Porzingis in the lineup and scored 16 points on 6-of-6 shooting. Derrick White also scored 16 and Jrue Holiday had 14 points and 12 assists as the Celtics won their sixth straight in Brooklyn.

Mikal Bridges scored 27 points and Cam Thomas scored 26 for the Nets, who lost for the fourth time in five games.

Backup center Day’Ron Sharpe returned with six points after missing 15 games with a hyperextended left knee and starting forward Cam Johnson (adductor strain) could return Wednesday for a Nets team that has some healthy bodies back. lately.

They are still not enough to beat the Celtics, who won for the ninth time in the last 10 games.

Tatum hit 3-pointers on consecutive possessions late in the first quarter, and when he stopped behind the arc on the next drive, he did so while being fouled on a four-point play that gave him 16 points in the period.

But the Nets stayed close for a while, trailing just 45-43 with 7 1/2 minutes left in the half. Tatum then hit another 3-pointer and the Celtics began to open the scoring, eventually taking a 72-52 lead on a Luke Kornet dunk before Brooklyn scored the final five points of the half. Tatum scored 15 in the fourth.

The lead increased to 93-70 on Tatum’s dunk with 4:19 left in the third quarter, but the Nets closed to 99-93 while he rested in the fourth. Tatum returned and combined with Brown on a 7-0 run that pushed a seven-point lead to 109-95 with 5:38 left.