BOSTON (AP) — Jaylen Brown scored 14 of his game-high 31 points in the final quarter and the Boston Celtics rallied from a 20-point, second-half deficit for a 103-95 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Monday night.
Derrick White finished with 19 points, and Payton Pritchard and Anfernee Simons each had 11 for Boston, which won its third straight game.
Pascal Siakam led the Pacers with 25 points, and Andrew Nembhard had 20. Indiana, the NBA’s worst 3-point shooting team, missed 19 of its 20 attempts from beyond the arc in the second half in its fifth straight loss.
Brown’s best shot in the final quarter came on an off-balance 3 right in front of Boston’s bench, pushing the Celtics ahead 96-91 with 2:25 to play.
Nembhard’s 3-point play with 3:49 left had tied it at 91.
Trailing 82-74 entering the fourth, Boston went on an 11-2 spree, taking its first lead since the first half on Brown’s reverse layup.
Boston coach Joe Mazzulla pulled his starters early in the second half with the Pacers up 69-49.
The Celtics whittled the Pacers’ edge to eight points after three. Brown and White reentered with a minute left in the third quarter.
Brown was out due to an illness in Boston’s last game, a victory at Toronto on Saturday, when Pritchard scored 33 points.
Coming off a 19-point loss at home against New Orleans on Saturday, the Pacers hit 60% (12 of 20) of their 3-point attempts in the first half and led 61-43 at the break. Boston, meanwhile, came in second in the league with 15.7 made 3s per game and was just 5 of 18 in the opening half.
The loss delayed Rick Carlisle’s run to his 1,000th NBA head coaching victory. The Pacers have lost five straight since beating the Sacramento Kings 116-105 on Dec. 8, and Carlisle stands at 999 victories over 24 seasons.
Pacers: Host Milwaukee on Tuesday.
Celtics: At Indiana on Friday.
AP NBA: https://www.apnews.com/hub/NBA
Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (43) drives to the basket against Boston Celtics guard Hugo Gonzalez (28) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle reacts to a call during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Boston Celtics, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Boston Celtics guard Derrick White (9) drives to the basket against Indiana Pacers guard Ethan Thompson (55) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
CLEVELAND (AP) — Donovan Mitchell scored 30 points and De’Andre Hunter had 15 of his 27 in the second half, powering the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 139-132 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Monday night.
Darius Garland added 27 points and 10 assists for Cleveland, which pulled away in the second half to snap a three-game losing streak. The Cavaliers also had lost three straight at home and are 2-5 at Rocket Arena since Nov. 30.
LaMelo Ball led Charlotte with 23 points and nine assists, making six 3-pointers. Rookie Kon Knueppel and Brandon Miller each had 20 points, while Moussa Diabate grabbed a season-high 14 rebounds.
Hunter gave the Cavaliers a big boost early in the third quarter, remaining on the court after being bloodied by a flagrant foul to his face by Diabate. He made both free throws, then a 3-pointer on the subsequent possession to push their lead to 98-85.
Dean Wade chipped in 14 points and seven rebounds for Cleveland, which took its largest advantage at 131-112. Lonzo Ball had six points and seven assists in the middle contest of a three-game homestand that precedes the Cavaliers’ Christmas Day game at New York.
Mitchell ended the first half by banking in a 28-footer at the horn, giving him 18 points and the Cavaliers a 70-63 advantage. Garland scored 17 points, while Knueppel and Ball each had 15 for Charlotte.
There were 12 lead changes and 10 ties before intermission, but neither team went up by double digits.
Hornets center Mason Plumlee exited with right groin soreness in the third and did not return. He started in place of rookie Ryan Kalkbrenner, who was a game-day scratch because of a sprained left elbow.
Hornets: Host Washington on Tuesday.
Cavaliers: Host New Orleans on Tuesday.
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
Cleveland Cavaliers forward De'Andre Hunter and Charlotte Hornets guard Tre Mann wrestle for a loose ball in the first half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Dermer)
Charlotte Hornets guard Tre Mann, left, and guard Josh Green, right, defend against Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell in the first half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Dermer)
Charlotte Hornets guard Lamelo Ball, right, drives against Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland, left, in the first half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Dermer)
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) spins around Charlotte Hornets guard Kon Knueppel (7) in the first half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Dermer)
