NBA: the Celtics boss against the Pacers, Embiid gets injured again, the Lakers relapse

The Celtics, leaders of the Eastern Conference, took a 20-point lead in the first half at home at TD Garden against the Pacers reinforced by the return of their leader Tyrese Haliburton, author of 13 points, 10 assists and three rebounds .

But Indiana woke up in the third quarter, winning 37-25 to briefly lead, before the Celtics regained control of the game and won in the fourth quarter.

“We have to pay tribute to Indiana, who played very, very fast. They tried to wear us down but we found a way to win,” said Celtics star Jaylen Brown, who finished with 25 points, six rebounds and four assists. Jayson Tatum paced Boston with 30 points, but it was the power forward's defensive prowess that helped his team earn its 37th win of the season and improve on the league's best record.

Tatum made two big blocks as the Pacers threatened to tie. “Every night we try to maintain our level, and defense is part of that,” Brown said of Boston’s defensive performance. All five Celtics starters contributed to the success, with Derrick White scoring 24 points, while Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday added 17 points each. Aaron Nesmith led Indiana in scoring with 26 points, and teammate Pascal Siakam contributed 23 points.

Great rivals of the Celtics, the Lakers collapsed by losing 138-122 on the Atlanta field. The Los Angeles franchise, beaten 135-119 in Houston on Monday, was put to the test for the second time in a row by the powerful attack of the Hawks. Trae Young finished with 26 points, including six three-pointers, while Dejounte Murray scored 24 points. Bogdan Bogdanovic, coming off the bench, was decisive with 18 points, including 4 of 9 three-pointers.

Austin Reaves tried to lead the Lakers with 28 points, when superstar LeBron James was satisfied with 20 points in 36 minutes, accompanied however by eight assists and nine rebounds. The Lakers, deprived of the injured Anthony Davis, saw their record fall to 24 wins for 25 losses after this setback and are only ninth in the Western Conference standings.

“You can beat any team in the NBA, but you can also get your ass kicked by any team in the NBA,” James lamented, visibly frustrated.

Stephen Curry scored 37 points to help Golden State inflict a fourth straight defeat on the Philadelphia Sixers, winning 119-107. The Warriors star hit eight three-pointers in a shooting display that gave to the public at the Chase Center a much-needed boost of energy after a first half of the season which was not easy for the team.

The Sixers, meanwhile, suffered from an injury to reigning MVP Joel Embiid, who limped out in the fourth quarter after Warriors wing Jonathan Kuminga fell heavily on his left knee while the two men were fighting over a stray bullet. Already uncertain because of knee discomfort before the match, the 29-year-old Cameroonian, who had only scored 14 points in 30 minutes, must now undergo an MRI: a prolonged absence could deprive him of his chances of retaining his MVP title because To do this, you must play at least 65 regular season games.

The Warriors, who were shaken earlier this month by the death of assistant coach Dejan Milojevic, sit in 12th place in the Western Conference standings with a 20-24 record. “So there's still a feeling of sadness for us,” Curry said. “But it's good to have an evening like tonight where we get a victory, where we pass the milestone and where we return to the locker room with something to smile about,” he summarized.

In other matches on Tuesday, the New York Knicks signed their eighth victory in a row by winning 118-103 against the Utah Jazz, thanks to 33 points from Donte DiVincenzo, who made nine three-point shots.