The Chicago Bulls’ young crop dazzled in a 133-124 win over the Miami Heat, with Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis putting in big performances.
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Giddey racked up 24 points on 8-of-14 shooting with five rebounds and seven assists, while rookie Buzelis chipped in 24 points off the bench on a perfect 10-of-10 shooting performance including 4-of-4 from downtown.
The Bulls are now 4-0 when Giddey has at least 20 points, five rebounds and five assists as the 22-year old figures to play a more prolific role in Chicago with Zach LaVine no longer there.
It was Chicago’s first game since trading LaVine to Sacramento as part of the three-team De’Aron Fox trade as the Bulls prioritise putting their youth in bigger roles in the second half of the season.
The Bulls are a watch to make more moves ahead of Friday’s trade deadline (all times AEDT), with Nikola Vucevic and Coby White linked to rumours. The win saw the Bulls improve to 22-29 and remain a game ahead of Philadelphia in the East’s final play-in spot.
In other results, the LA Lakers are dominating the LA Clippers at Intuit Dome in their first game since the Luka Doncic-Anthony Davis trade.
While Doncic remains sidelined with a calf injury, the Slovenian superstar was watching on from the sidelines with an LA tracksuit on after being officially introduced as a Laker at a press conference earlier on Wednesday.
LeBron James is firing on all cylinders, with 25 points, eight rebounds and seven assists through three quarters as the Lakers led 96-75 in encouraging signs for when Doncic becomes available to make his debut.
MORE TO COME.
Mavs GM explains shock Luka trade | 01:48
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Jayson Tatum scored 22 points as the Boston Celtics laid down a postseason marker against the high-flying Cleveland Cavaliers with a 112-105 victory on the road on Wednesday.
In a heavyweight showdown between the Eastern Conference-leading Cavaliers and the second-ranked Celtics, Boston produced a clinical display to seal a deserved win.
Tatum led the Boston scoring but it was the Celtics’ balanced offence that proved too much for the Cavaliers.
Tatum was one of five Celtics players to finish in double figures, while Derrick White’s 20-point contribution — which included six three-pointers — played a key role in securing a Boston victory.
Kristaps Porzingis finished with 19 points and Jaylen Brown 16 while Donovan Mitchell led the Cleveland scoring with 31 points.
Boston had looked poised to inflict a crushing defeat after outscoring Cleveland 28-15 in the first quarter before opening up a mammoth 20-point lead in the second.
Celtics erase 26-point deficit in 9 mins | 01:29
But after trailing 43-23 midway through the second quarter, Cleveland came roaring back to cut the deficit to 10 points at half-time.
The Cavs kept chipping away at the Boston advantage in the second half but some superb shooting by the Celtics ensured the visitors always kept the hosts at arm’s length.
Elsewhere, Kyrie Irving scored 34 points but it was not enough to stop the Dallas Mavericks from slipping to a 118-116 defeat against a Philadelphia 76ers line-up buoyed by the return of Joel Embiid.
Embiid, who has missed the past month with a knee and foot injury, produced a superb triple-double comprised of 29 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists, and scored the go-ahead basket with 22 seconds remaining to help the Sixers claim a precious win.
Tyrese Maxey led the Sixers scoring with 33 points, with 13 assists and four rebounds.
The Mavericks meanwhile were without new recruit Anthony Davis, who was part of the blockbuster trade that sent Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Davis is still nursing an abdominal strain but is expected to be ready to make his debut later this week, either against Boston on Friday or against Houston on Sunday.
In Toronto, Karl-Anthony Towns scored 27 points and hauled down 20 rebounds to help the New York Knicks to a 121-115 win over the Raptors.
The pre-game ceremony once again saw Canadian fans boo the US national anthem in protest at US President Donald Trump’s tariff threats.
In New York, the struggling Brooklyn Nets (17-33) upset the Houston Rockets 99-97 thanks to a D’Angelo Russell three-pointer with three seconds remaining.
ALL RESULTS
MAVERICKS 116 76ERS 118
CELTICS 112 CAVALIERS 105
ROCKETS 97 NETS 99
KNICKS 121 RAPTORS 115
HEAT 124 BULLS 133
LAKERS – CLIPPERS
PACERS – TRAIL BLAZERS
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