Celtics Pound Knicks, NBA Roundup

Celtics Embarrass Knicks At MSG

(New York, NY) -- Jordan Crawford scored a game-high 23 points and Jared Sullinger added 21 as the Celtics embarrassed the Knicks with a 114-73 win at Madison Square Garden. Brandon Bass and Jeff Green both added 16 points for the Celtics, who have won three straight and six of their last eight. Avery Bradley added 13 points and a game-high 10 rebounds in the victory. Boston shot 54-percent as a team and New York hit just 34-percent of its shots. Carmelo Anthony had 19 points on just 5-of-15 shooting, while Amar'e Stoudemire added 17 off the bench for the Knicks, who had their first winning streak of the season end at just two. Metta World Peace was the only other player in double figures with 12 points in the loss.

Heat Romp Pistons

(Auburn Hills, MI) -- LeBron James led the way with 24 points, nine assists and seven rebounds as the Heat routed the Pistons, 110-95, at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Dwyane Wade got the night off and Ray Allen posted 18 points getting the start in his place. Chris Bosh added 16 points and nine rebounds for Miami, which improved to 16-5. Brandon Jennings and Andre Drummond paced Detroit with 19 points each. Drummond also collected 14 rebounds. The Pistons were outscored by 15 points in the third quarter on their way back under .500 at 10-11.

Durant, Thunder Pound Pacers

(Oklahoma City, OK) -- Kevin Durant racked up 36 points, 10 rebounds and five assists as the Thunder pounded the Pacers 118-94 at Chesapeake Energy Center.  Russell Westbrook notched 26 points, 13 assists and seven boards for the Thunder, who improved to 10-0 at home and 15-4 overall. Reggie Jackson added 15 points off the bench and Serge Ibaka scored 13 in the victory. OKC shot 61 percent as a team. Paul George posted 32 points to pace Indiana, which slipped to 18-3. Roy Hibbert had 12 points and nine boards in defeat.

Rockets Rock Magic

(Houston, TX) -- James Harden and Dwight Howard both had double-doubles to carry the Rockets to a 98-88 victory over the Magic at the Toyota Center. Howard posted 20 points and 22 rebounds, while Harden contributed 27 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds. Houston has won two straight to jump to 15-7. Orlando shot 34-percent from the field and 8-of-29 from behind the arc. Glen Davis scored a team-high 18 points for the Magic, who have lost five straight. They have lost nine of 10 on the road on their way to a 6-14 record through 20 games.

Lakers Lose Kobe’s Return

(Los Angeles, CA) -- Kobe Bryant was 2-of-9 from the field en route to nine points and eight rebounds as the Lakers Lost to the Raptors 106-94 at the STAPLES Center. This was his first game since last April due to an injured Achilles. Nick Young tallied a team-best 19 points off the bench for L.A., which slipped to 10-10. The Lakers play the Suns Tuesday.

Bulls Face Bucks Tuesday

(Chicago, IL) -- The Bulls play host to the Milwaukee Bucks Tuesday night at the United Center. Chicago lost to the Pistons at home Saturday night to fall to 8-10 on the year. The Pistons are 10-11 following a loss to the Heat at home Sunday.

Sunday, December 8 Scoreboard

NBA

Boston Celtics 114, New York Knicks 73

Miami Heat 110, Detroit Pistons 95

Oklahoma City Thunder 118, Indiana Pacers 94

Houston Rockets 98, Orlando Magic 88

Toronto Raptors 106, Los Angeles Lakers 94

Monday, December 9 Schedule (All Times Central)

NBA

6:00 p.m. - Denver Nuggets at Washington Wizards

6:00 p.m. - Golden State Warriors at Charlotte Bobcats

6:00 p.m. - Los Angeles Clippers at Philadelphia 76ers

7:00 p.m. - Orlando Magic at Memphis Grizzlies

8:00 p.m. - Portland Trail Blazers at Utah Jazz

9:00 p.m. - Dallas Mavericks at Sacramento Kings