Celtics hold off 76ers despite Tatum ejection, Magic roll on

Los Angeles: Boston star Jayson Tatum was ejected in the third quarter but the Celtics clawed out a 125-119 NBA victory over short-handed Philadelphia on Friday as the Orlando Magic notched a ninth straight win.

Tatum scored 21 points before he was tossed for arguing a foul call after tangling with Robert Covington with one second left in the third.

Covington made the technical free throw, and two free throws awarded when Tatum's foul was upgraded to a flagrant because of contact to Covington's head.

That put the Sixers up 97-95 going into the final period.

Philadelphia's reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid missed a second straight game with illness.

Ailing Tyrese Maxey and injured Nicolas Batum were ruled out shortly before the game.

But the Sixers pushed Boston to the finish, pulling ahead 116-115 with 2:28 remaining before Al Horford's driving basket put Boston up for good with 2:09 to go.

Patrick Beverley scored 26 points, grabbed eight rebounds and handed out seven assists for Philadelphia.

De'Anthony Melton scored 21 points before he fouled out with less than six minutes to go.

Jaylen Brown and Horford scored 20 points apiece for Boston, who made eight of 11 three-pointers in a sizzling 44-point first quarter, but surrendered 72 points in the first half to trail by three at the break.

Tatum had received a technical in the first quarter, and when he was whistled for a foul after colliding with Covington his objections were so strong that Celtics coaches moved to steer him away from the officials.

Tatum said he was "extremely surprised" to be ejected for just the second time in his career.

"I don't agree with that," he said. "One of the assistant coaches that was there with me doesn't agree. But it doesn't really matter. It's like the refs' word against ours and at that moment when they throw you out they throw you out."

Horford said the Celtics had to lock back in after Tatum's departure.

"We just had to get stops, get gritty," he said.

Durant milestone in defeat

In Phoenix, Suns star Kevin Durant moved to 10th on the NBA all-time scoring list but it was the Denver Nuggets who emerged with a 119-111 victory.

Nikola Jokic scored 21 points and handed out 16 of the Nuggets' 38 assists and all five Denver starters scored at least 15 points.

Durant came into the contest needing 17 points to pass Moses Malone (27,409 points) on the all-time scoring list.

He did so with a layup in the final minute of the first half, scoring 22 points before the break but just eight after, his 30 points taking his career total to 27,423.

In Orlando, German forward Franz Wagner scored 31 points and Paolo Banchero added 28 with 13 rebounds and seven assists for the Magic, who tied a franchise record with their ninth straight win, 130-125 over the Washington Wizards.

Moritz Wagner added 18 points for Orlando, who seized the lead for good in a game that featured 13 lead changes on Wagner's layup with 7:06 remaining, the basket igniting a 7-0 scoring run.

"Really proud," Banchero said, after the Magic matched their nine-game winning streaks of the 1994-95, 2000-01 and 2010-11 seasons.

"Obviously the work's not done, but it shows just how hard we've been working, the chemistry we've been able to build so far. We just want to keep it rolling."

In Dallas, the Memphis Grizzlies triumphed 108-94 against a Mavericks team missing Slovenian star Luka Doncic, who was away from the team after welcoming the birth of his daughter.

Desmond Bane led the Grizzlies with 30 points.

The San Antonio Spurs competed for the first time this season without star rookie Victor Wembanyama, who was sidelined with a sore hip.

The Spurs still managed to push the Pelicans in New Orleans, but even with relatively quiet nights for Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram -- who scored 12 and 14 points respectively -- the Pelicans pulled away late for a 121-106 victory that marked the Spurs' 14th straight defeat.