Celtics secure win behind triple-double from Rondo…
Despite staging a late comeback, the New York Knicks fell to yet another loss on Sunday with the Portland Trail Blazers winning a fourth straight game.
LeMarcus Aldridge scored 24 points, including six in the final 2:46, as the Trail Blazers regrouped after blowing an 11-point lead to beat the Knicks at the Garden.
Carmelo Anthony had 23 points in response but it wasn’t enough to help the Knicks avoid an eighth consecutive loss and their 12th in their 13 games.
“This situation is new to me. But, we’re not going to stop and I’m not going to stop. The easy thing to do is to stop right now, hang your heads, and nobody is going to feel sorry for us so we’ve got to keep on going,” Anthony told reporters.
Staying in the East, the Atlanta Hawks chalked up their sixth straight win after holding on to a sizeable early lead against the Denver Nuggets.
The Hawks are now tied for second place in the Eastern Conference, with Paul Millsap stepping up on Sunday with 23 points while Kyle Korver added 15.
However, there was a shock earlier in the day as the Boston Celtics held off a furious second-half Washington Wizards comeback to move to 7-11 for the season with their third win in a row.
Rajon Rondo had 13 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists while Jeff Green scored 25 points as John Wall’s 17 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists were in vain.
The Oklahoma City Thunder were also on the winning side on Sunday with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook combining for 50 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists, although Josh Smith missed a potential winning 3-pointer with 1.1 seconds to play.
Serge Ibaka added 13 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks for the visitors with Durant praising his teammate’s influence on the game.
Over in the Western Conference, the Memphis Grizzlies back got to winning ways with victory over the Miami Heat, while the New Orleans Pelicans picked up a win at the Staples Center against the Los Angeles Lakers.
NBA Results
Washington Wizards 93-101 Boston Celtics
Denver Nuggets 84-96 Atlanta Hawks
Miami Heat 87-103 Memphis Grizzlies
Oklahoma City Thunder 96-94 Detroit Pistons
Milwaukee Bucks 102-125 Dallas Mavericks
Portland Trail Blazers 103-99 New York Knicks
New Orleans Pelicans 104-87 Los Angeles Lakers
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