Hawks rout Hornets to sweep 4-game season series
Charlotte Hornets guard Josh Green (10) passes against Atlanta Hawks forward Mouhamed Gueye during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Trae Young scored 31 points, Dyson Daniels added 22 points, seven rebounds and seven assists and the Atlanta Hawks clobbered the short-handed Charlotte Hornets 134-102 on Tuesday night to sweep the four-game season series.
Zaccharie Risacher knocked down four 3s in the second half to finish with 21 points for the Hawks, who snapped a two-game skid.
DaQuan Jeffries and Seth Curry each had 19 points for Charlotte, which played without LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges.
The Hawks led 70-57 at halftime, then Risacher hit four 3s in the third quarter — including three on three consecutive possessions — to quickly push the lead to 26. Atlanta’s lead ballooned to 100-65 late in the third quarter after Young hit a deep 3.
CELTICS 104, NETS 96
BOSTON (AP) — Baylor Scheierman scored 13 of his career-high 20 points in the fourth quarter, Kristaps Porzingis had 25 points and 13 rebounds and Boston beat Brooklyn.
Scheierman took advantage of some bonus playing time as the Celtics rested injured stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown against the struggling Nets. Boston still had plenty down the stretch to hold off Brooklyn, which couldn’t stop Scheierman’s second-half surge.
After beating the buzzer at the end of the third with a 3-pointer that put Boston up 71-70, Scheierman hit three more from beyond the arc in the fourth before leaving to a standing ovation with about four minutes left. Scheierman, a rookie out of Creighton, had never scored more than 15 points before Tuesday.
Derrick White scored 18 points, Jrue Holiday had 12 points and eight assists and Payton Pritchard added 10 points for Boston, which won its third straight.
D’Angelo Russell led Brooklyn with 18 points. Ziaire Williams scored 15 and Cameron Johnson and Trendon Watford added 11 points apiece.
WARRIORS 104, BUCKS 93
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Jimmy Butler had 24 points, eight rebounds and 10 assists and Golden State, playing without Stephen Curry, beat Milwaukee.
Curry, who recently became the first player in NBA history to make 4,000 3-pointers, was given the night off for a mental and emotional break by Warriors coach Steve Kerr.
Buddy Hield had 15 points and six rebounds off the bench to help the Warriors improve to 5-1 on a seven-game homestand. Brandin Podziemski started in place of Curry and had 17 points and seven rebounds.
With 13 games remaining in the regular season, Golden State is 40-39 and remains in the No. 6 slot in the Western Conference.
CLIPPERS 132, CAVALIERS 119
INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Kawhi Leonard scored 33 points and Los Angeles handed East-leading Cleveland their second straight loss.
Ivica Zubac had 28 points and 20 rebounds and James Harden added 22 points and nine assists in the Clippers’ fourth straight victory.
Max Strus scored a season-high 24 points for the Cavs, whose 16-game winning streak ended Sunday against Orlando. Their NBA-best road record dropped to 26-7 after they led by 12 in a 45-point first quarter.
Donovan Mitchell had 18 points and 11 assists and Evan Mobley scored 17 points in his return from a one-game absence with a foot contusion.