Lopez tallies huge double-double to lead Nets over Celtics
Brooklyn Nets’ Brook Lopez, center, drives for the basket between Boston Celtics’ Jared Sullinger (7) and Evan Turner (11) during the third quarter of an NBA basketball game in Boston, Saturday, Jan. 2, 2016. The Nets won 100-97. AP
BOSTON — Brook Lopez scored a season-high 30 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, leading the Brooklyn Nets to a 100-97 victory over the Boston Celtics on Saturday.
Joe Johnson added 20 points, Thaddeus Young 16 with 10 boards, and Bojan Bogdanovic 13 points for the Nets, who won for just the third time in 11 games.
Isaiah Thomas had 24 points, Jae Crowder 16 and Evan Turner 12 for Boston. The Celtics dropped their second straight after a season-high four-game winning streak.
Nets guard Jarrett Jack left the game after crumbling to the court and grabbing his right knee late in the third quarter. The team said it was a sprain.
Brooklyn led by 10 entering the final quarter, but the Celtics opened the fourth with a 12-2 run, tying it on Turner’s baseline fallaway jumper.
But Lopez had a 3-point play and a pair of baskets, moving the Nets ahead 92-85 on his flip in the lane with 5:34 to play.
Boston closed it to 98-95 on Crowder’s 3-point play with 39 seconds left, but Lopez had a dunk 12 seconds later. Jonas Jerebko missed a corner 3 in the closing seconds and the clock ran out on Boston.
There was a skirmish early in the second half when Boston’s Jared Sullinger had a hard foul on Lopez, which was ruled a flagrant 1. Both players fell to the floor, and Jack yelled something down at Sullinger.
Crowder stepped in and the pair had to be separated. Jack and Crowder both got technicals.
Both teams got off to fast starts and were shooting over 50 percent for most of the first quarter. The Nets led 31-29 at the break and by one at halftime.
