Brunson was 15 of 23 from the field and 6 for 11 from long range, while Donte DiVincenzo added 17 points and Josh Hart had 16 points and 16 rebounds.
New York won its third straight and pulled within a game of Milwaukee for second in the East, with each team having two games left. The Knicks would need to win both and have the Bucks lose their games at Oklahoma City and Orlando, because Milwaukee has the head-to-head tiebreaker.
The Knicks dominated on the glass, 52-36, and had 22 second-chance points compared to 12 for the Celtics.
Boston got 18 points from Jayson Tatum and lost its second in a row.
Surging Warriors handle Trail Blazers
Stephen Curry scored 22 points and Jonathan Kuminga added 22 to propel the Golden State Warriors to their ninth win in 10 games, 100-92 over the Portland Trail Blazers.
Golden State, which played without Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, has already clinched a play-in spot but can potentially improve its playoff seeding in the final two games.
With their 45th victory, the Warriors surpassed their win total from last season, when they advanced to the conference semifinals.
Deandre Ayton had 25 points and 11 rebounds and Scoot Henderson tallied 18 and 12 assists for the Trail Blazers, who have won just two of their past 15 games.
Pelicans complete season sweep of Kings
CJ McCollum and Zion Williamson scored 31 points apiece and the New Orleans Pelicans completed a five-game season sweep of the Sacramento Kings with a 135-123 win.
McCollum matched a season high with nine 3-pointers in 12 tries and added seven assists for the Pelicans, who improved to 27-14 on the road, a franchise record for wins and tied with Boston for the best mark in the NBA.
New Orleans is sixth in the Western Conference, one game ahead of Phoenix with two games remaining.
De’Aaron Fox scored 33 points as the Kings lost for the fourth time in five games and failed in a bid to avoid the play-in tournament.
Payton Pritchard had 20 points and Derrick White added 19 with 11 assists for Boston, which has won 18 of 20 games to continue cruising toward the top seed in the Eastern Conference.
Leading scorer Jayson Tatum sat out to rest an ankle for the second time in five days.
James Wiseman scored a season-high 24 points for the Pistons, who have lost five in a row overall and the last nine meetings with the Celtics.
Detroit was missing its top post players in Jalen Duren (back), Stanley Umude (ankle), Simone Fontecchio (toe), Isaiah Stewart (hamstring) and Ausar Thompson (illness).
Pelicans roll over Heat
CJ McCollum scored 30 points and the New Orleans Pelicans exacted a measure of revenge on the Miami Heat with a 111-88 rout.
Jose Alvarado added 17 points and Trey Murphy had 14 with eight rebounds as the Pelicans had no trouble in the first meeting between the teams since four players were ejected in the most recent matchup in New Orleans last month.
Zion Williamson was limited to only four points in 25 minutes, but the Pelicans won their eighth in 10 games.
Jimmy Butler scored 17 points as the Heat dropped to 17-16 at home, the 19th-best mark in the league. Miami dropped four games behind Southeast Division-leading Orlando.
Thunder down reeling Raptors
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 23 points, eight assists and seven rebounds in his only regular-season trip to his native Canada and the Oklahoma City Thunder pulled away to defeat the Toronto Raptors, 123-103.
Jalen Williams added 20 points and Kenrich Williams and Cason Wallace scored 12 apiece as the Thunder won their fourth straight and remained on top of the Western Conference.
Rookie Gradey Dick scored 21 points for the Raptors, who lost their ninth straight game. Toronto was without seven players, including five regular starters.
CJ McCollum scored nine of his 23 points in the fourth quarter to help the Pelicans pull away and bounce back from Thursday's 44-point blowout loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA In-Season Tournament semifinals.
Minnesota entered the matchup with a league-best 17-4 record and had won six consecutive games but played without leading scorer Anthony Edwards due to a hip pointer.
Karl-Anthony Towns, Mike Conley and Naz Reid all had 17 points for the Timberwolves, with Towns adding 12 rebounds.
Minnesota never led in the second half, however, as the Pelicans ended the second quarter on a 12-3 run to take a 59-52 half-time lead.
New Orleans held a 90-86 advantage after three quarters, then opened the fourth on a 9-0 spurt capped by a McCollum 3-pointer to gain further separation.
The Pelicans also received 20 points from Brandon Ingram and 14 points and 13 rebounds from Jonas Valanciunas.
Bucks bounce back with overtime win over Bulls
Giannis Antetokounmpo compiled 32 points, 12 rebounds and six assists and the Milwaukee Bucks dominated the early stages of overtime to come through with a 133-129 win over the Chicago Bulls.
After Chicago rallied from a 14-point first-half deficit to force overtime on DeMar DeRozan's jumper with 3.7 seconds left in regulation, the Bucks opened the extra session with an 8-1 run to build a 126-119 lead and never trailed thereafter.
Brook Lopez and Malik Beasley each had 19 points to help Milwaukee rebound from Thursday's loss to the Indiana Pacers in the NBA In-Season Tournament semfinals.
The Bulls had a four-game winning streak halted despite a monster performance from DeRozan, who put up 41 points and 11 assists. Coby White finished with a season-high 33 points in the loss.
Nuggets hold off Hawks to end three-game skid
Jamal Murray scored 29 points on 12-of-15 shooting and added nine rebounds to help the Denver Nuggets get back on track with a 129-122 win over the Atlanta Hawks.
The reigning NBA champions withstood a career-high 40 points from Atlanta's Bogdan Bogdanović and a fourth-quarter comeback attempt by the Hawks to stop a three-game losing streak. Nikola Jokić contributed 25 points and nine assists for Denver, while rookie Julian Strawther hit six 3-pointers while producing a career-high 22 points off the bench.
Bogdanovic had 13 of his points in the fourth quarter with Atlanta's leading scorer, Trae Young, out of the game after being ejected when arguing a no-foul call late in the third.
The Hawks trailed 100-86 at the time of Young's departure and were down by 20 points with under 10 minutes left before rallying late, as Bogdanovic led a 16-5 run that cut the Nuggets' lead to 126-122 with 30.5 seconds left.
Jokic hit two free throws on the ensuing possession, however, and Bogdanovic missed a pair of 3-point tries in the final seconds as the Hawks' bid came up short.
Young had 19 points and nine assists before exiting.
McCollum hasn't played since being diagnosed with small pneumothorax in his right lung on Nov. 5.
He averaged 21.7 points, 5.7 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 1.5 steals to help the Pelicans win four of their first six games this season.
McCollum was selected 10th overall by Portland in the 2013 NBA Draft before the Trail Blazers traded him to New Orleans in February 2022.
Since being named the NBA’s Most Improved Player in 2015-16, McCollum has made 1,513 3-pointers to rank sixth in the league among active players.
The former No. 1 overall pick is available to play Tuesday after missing two months with a hamstring injury.
CJ McCollum scored 33 points and Damian Lillard contributed 26 – as well as 13 assists – as Portland prevailed 129-119 in Boston, meaning they have a 20-12 away record in the regular season.
However, Terry Stotts' team have had less success at home – they are surprisingly 16-16 at the Moda Center – but became the first NBA team to follow up four straight losses on their own court with a four-run win on their travels, per Stats Perform.
The impressive streak has seen them rise up to sixth in the Western Conference, putting them on course to qualify for the postseason without needing to go through the play-in tournament.
"When we were losing games, we were losing close games. It's a make-or-miss league," McCollum told the media after starring against the Celtics.
"We understand how many games are left, what needs to be accomplished and how we can accomplish it. It starts on both ends.
"There's a better sense of urgency, I think. We know what needs to be done and have got a lot of guys who have played in big games, have played in the playoffs.
"You want to be playing your best basketball heading there – and be as healthy as possible. Both of those things are ringing true for us."
McCollum made four of his eight attempts from deep, while the Trail Blazers shot 50 per cent as a team from three-point range in Boston.
Jayson Tatum had 33 points in a losing cause for the Celtics, who pulled within two points at one stage late in the fourth quarter.
Portland are back in action on Monday, this time in Atlanta as they take on the Hawks in what will be the penultimate outing in a six-game road trip.
Nurkic left the Trail Blazers' 111-87 defeat to the Indiana Pacers in the third quarter after hurting his arm while swiping at Malcolm Brogdon.
The 26-year-old Bosnian suffered a broken leg in 2019 and spent over a year out, only returning in July last year after the season was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Head coach Terry Stotts was planning to discuss whether Portland should bring in another big with general manager Neil Olshey on Friday, given Zach Collins is already out due to an Achilles problem.
"I did see [Nurkic] after the game. He had a splint on, so obviously very disappointing for him and for us," said Stotts.
"He had a long road back from his other injury, he had a rough start to the season, it looked like he was getting back on track and obviously this is a huge setback for both him and for us.
"I'm going to sit down with Neil tomorrow and we'll talk about what options we have.
"Most likely [Enes Kanter will start], but we'll evaluate that. Obviously, Harry Giles is going to get an opportunity to play and we'll figure out whether it's best to start him or bring him off the bench, but we'll see."
Nurkic averaged 9.8 points and 7.7 rebounds through 12 games this season. He had five points on 2-of-8 shooting and eight rebounds before leaving the game against the Pacers.
Damian Lillard called on his fellow Trail Blazers to rally together and fill the void that Nurkic's absence creates.
"We've got to show our love for him but also give him his space. It's hard to deal with when the game we love to play and is part of our lives every day is taken away abruptly," said Lillard.
"We're always going to be here for him. It's a tough thing. It comes with what we do and it can happen at any time.
"[He was] frustrated, disappointed, a little sad, like anyone would be in that situation.
"He plays a major part in our team and our success. Obviously you're not going to have one person turn into Nurk, it has to be by committee. In the past we've been able to count on guys to come in and fill those holes collectively and that's what we'll be looking at now."
CJ McCollum added: "It's terrible. He's a huge part of our team. Obviously he's been through a lot historically with injuries, so you never want to see it with anybody, especially him.
"It's tough. The season still goes on, it waits for no one, so we have to figure out a way to continue to move forward.
"Enes has been big for us in the past so will have to step up, Harry will have to play, some small ball, we'll do a lot of different stuff. It's an unfortunate part of the game but it's a challenge and I'm looking forward to seeing how we respond to it."
McCollum was injured in the final quarter of an emphatic 145-117 loss at the hands of the Celtics on Saturday.
The guard missed a 102-90 defeat to the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday and a scan revealed the extent of the damage done.
Portland stated that McCollum, who is averaging 20.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.5 assists this season, will be out indefinitely.
The 30-year-old joins All-Star Damian Lillard (abdominal injury), Anfernee Simons and Nassir Little (both ankle) on the sidelines.
Portland also lost guard Ben McLemore to a hip injury during the defeat to the Clippers, while center Cody Zeller is struggling with a bruised right quad.
Wembanyama produced a handful of highlight plays in his fifth NBA game, including a flying dunk in the lane in the second quarter. The 7-foot-4 phenom shot 15 of 26 and grabbed 10 rebounds.
He hit a 3-pointer, made three free throws, dunked and hit an 18-foot jumper during a 12-0 run after the Suns erased a 27-point deficit to tie it at 116 with 4:21 remaining.
Devin Booker scored 31 points in his return from a sprained ankle and added 13 assists and nine rebounds, while Kevin Durant tallied 28 points.
The Spurs beat the Suns in Phoenix for the second time in three days after a stunning 115-114 victory on Tuesday, when they rallied from a 20-point deficit.
Embiid leads 76ers past Raptors
Joel Embiid tallied 28 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a 114-99 win over the Toronto Raptors in their first game since trading James Harden.
Kelly Oubre Jr. had 23 points and Tyrese Maxey added 18 as Philadelphia won its third straight since a season-opening loss.
Scottie Barnes scored 24 points for the Raptors, who have lost four of five, including two losses to the 76ers in six days.
Oubre moved into the starting lineup in place of PJ Tucker, who was also dealt to the Clippers in the Harden deal.
Marcus Morris and Nic Batum did not play in their first game since they were dealt, though Robert Covington and K.J. Martin played some in the final 90 seconds with the game in hand.
Short-handed Pelicans beat Pistons
CJ McCollum poured in 33 points and Jonas Valanciunas had 23 with 13 rebounds as the New Orleans Pelicans overcame a pair of key absences in a 125-116 win over the Detroit Pistons.
New Orleans had a season high in points despite playing top scorers Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson.
Williamson was given the night off in the second half of a back-to-back and Ingram missed his third straight game with right knee tendinitis.
Matt Ryan made his first career start and responded with a personal-best 20 points, making the first four 3-pointers he took and finishing 6 of 8 from long range.
Cade Cunningham had 22 points and 11 assists as Detroit lost its third straight.
That is the view of JJ Redick, a former Pelicans team-mate.
Injuries have limited Williamson to just 85 games in the NBA since he was drafted in 2019, meaning the discussion around the forward has instead centred on his commitment to the Pelicans.
The team have made moves to try to build a competitive team in the absence of a potential superstar, who averages 25.7 points for his career.
But McCollum, the latest recruit from the Portland Trail Blazers, said at the weekend he was yet to speak with Williamson directly.
And Redick, speaking on Tuesday, was able to offer an insight into life alongside the 21-year-old, whose status remains unclear as he waits to play his first game this season following a foot injury.
"This just shows a complete lack of investment in your team, in the organisation, in the city," Redick told First Take.
"I get that he's hurt and away from the team, but you just traded for one of the 50 best players in the league – a guy that's supposed to be paired with you. Reach out and say, 'hello'.
"This is a pattern of behaviour with Zion that we are seeing again and again. I was his team-mate; I can describe him as a detached team-mate – that is an accurate statement."
Redick, who joined the Pelicans at the same time as Williamson and left in March 2021, said: "Yes, he's been amazing when he's been on the court – 100 per cent.
"He's amazing to watch. There's no one that can do what he does on a basketball court.
"But as a team-mate, there is a pattern of behaviour; as a fully invested individual in New Orleans, there's a pattern of behaviour. This is worrisome."
Having defeated the same opponents two days earlier, the Pels cemented their position as Williamson once again put up 35 points in a 129-124 overtime triumph.
It represented a seventh straight win for the high-flying Pels, who are top of the Western Conference with an 18-8 record.
While there is still plenty of basketball left to be played this season, Williamson said the team's aim is to build on their status as pacesetters.
"We're number one in the West right now," Williamson said.
"I know to a lot of people that's not a big deal because it's still early in the season, but for us to have that ranking right now, that's big.
"We want to not only hold on to it but build on it.
"The Suns, they've earned their resume; they're a great team. So, for us to get two back-to-back wins against them, that's big for our confidence."
Head coach Willie Green said of Williamson: "Zion is – he's a matchup problem.
"He just attacks. And when he attacks like he does, he's just tough to cover. It's incredible what he can do."
The Suns, who were without Devin Booker, were once atop the West but now sit fourth and are on a four-match losing streak.
Star man Chris Paul believes now is not the time to panic, however.
"Let it slide off. Realise it's a long season," Paul said. "We know we definitely have to get better and right some things here. But it's not do or die yet."
