Tatum powers Celtics over Hornets, Bucks notch 10th straight win

Tatum posted his eighth 40-point game of the season. But even with Jaylen Brown sidelined by a facial fracture and Al Horford out with a sore knee, he did not have to carry the offensive load alone.

Derrick White scored a career-high 33 points and handed out 10 assists. His output included eight of the Celtics' 25 three-pointers, which came on 55 attempts.

"Shot was feeling good," White said. "I was getting some good looks and just letting it fly."

The Celtics had a franchise-record 16 three-pointers in the first half, and even when the Hornets put together a 15-0 scoring run in the third quarter Boston's lead remained in double digits.

Tatum, 24, drained five from beyond the arc, and became the first NBA player to make 1,000 three-pointers before his 25th birthday.

The Celtics improved their league-best record to 40-16 and remained one game ahead of the Bucks atop the Eastern Conference.

For the second straight night Antetokounmpo put on a show in Los Angeles, following up his 38-point performance against the Lakers with 35 points in a 119-106 victory over the Clippers.

Brook Lopez added 22 points and 15 rebounds and Jrue Holiday added 19 points for the Bucks, who have their first double-digit winning streak since they won 18 in a row in the 2019-20 season.

The Clippers were without Kawhi Leonard due to injury management while the Bucks were missing Khris Middleton.

An aggressive Antetokounmpo set an early tone, dominating in the paint and connecting on 13 of his 25 shots from the field. The attention he forced from the Clippers defense allowed his teammates opportunities from outside, and the Bucks finished with 17 three-pointers.

The Philadelphia 76ers, third in the East, avenged a humbling Sunday defeat in New York City with a