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Tatum, Celtics hold off Curry and Warriors for 111-107 win
Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum, left, shoots next to Golden State Warriors guard Kelly Oubre Jr. (12) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in San Francisco, Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2021. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)SAN FRANCISCO – Jayson Tatum had 27 points in picking up the offensive slack for Boston without injured Marcus Smart, and the Celtics withstood another scoring spree by Stephen Curry to beat the Golden State Warriors 111-107 on Tuesday night. Golden State then lost starting center Kevon Looney to a sprained left ankle that kept him out during the second half. Golden State was outdone on the boards 51-36. Warriors: Golden State hasn't beaten Boston at home in three tries since a 109-105 victory on Jan. 27, 2018.
Anthony Davis scores 27, Lakers hold off Celtics 96-95
Los Angeles Lakers' Anthony Davis (3) shoots between Boston Celtics' Jaylen Brown (7) and Jayson Tatum during the first half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, Jan. 30, 2021, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)BOSTON – The Lakers started off their season-high, seven-game road trip by winning three of four before Anthony Davis was sidelined with an injury. Davis had 27 points and 14 rebounds in his return to the lineup and Los Angeles hung on to beat the Boston Celtics 96-95 on Saturday night when Daniel Theis missed a follow shot at the buzzer. Montrezl Harrell added 16 points for the Lakers, who lost in Detroit on Thursday when Davis rested a bruised right quadriceps. Walker missed the first 12 games of the season recovering from a procedure on his left knee and Tatum missed multiple games earlier this month with COVID-19.
Pritchard's putback pushes Celtics past Heat, 107-105
Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart (36) drives to the basket as Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro (14) defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, in Miami. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)MIAMI – Payton Pritchard wasn't there last season when the Boston Celtics lost to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference finals. Pritchard's putback with two-tenths of a second left capped a wild finish, and the Celtics beat the Heat 107-105 in the first matchup this season of last year's East finalists. Jimmy Butler had 26 points for Miami, which got 16 points from Duncan Robinson, 15 points from Bam Adebayo and 14 from Goran Dragic. The Heat cut the lead to eight by halftime, part of what became a 39-17 run that saw Miami lead by five in the third quarter.
Missouri builds big lead, holds off No. 21 Oregon in Omaha
Oregon forward Eugene Omoruyi (2) shoots a free throw against Missouri during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2020 in Omaha, Neb. 21 Oregon, validating coach Cuonzo Martin's belief that a Tigers team that returned four starters is poised to move up in the Southeastern Conference. Xavier Pinson scored 19 of his 22 points in the second half and Missouri overcame a mid-game lull and late Oregon flurry to beat the Ducks 83-75 on Wednesday night. He and Martin squared off in Missouri Valley Conference games in the building from 2008-10 when Martin coached Missouri State. Oregon plays Seton Hall in Omaha on Friday.
Top Flyer: Dayton's Obi Toppin leads AP All-American team
Toppin is the lone unanimous first-team choice to The Associated Press men's college basketball All-America team, Friday, March 20, 2020. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)The college basketball season came to an emphatic, dramatic end with the cancellation of the NCAA Tournament. He is Dayton's first first-team AP All-American. A preseason AP All-American, the 6-2 guard averaged 21 points per game, 17th nationally, with 4.3 rebounds and 2.9 assists. ___More AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/MarchMadness and https://apnews.com/Collegebasketball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25