Celtics spoil LeBron return; shorthanded Warriors edge Pistons

MANILA, Philippines — The Boston Celtics eked out an impressive win over the Los Angeles Lakers, 130-108, at the TD Garden on Friday (Saturday, Manila time).

A dominant second half outing by the Celtics soured LeBron James' return from injury as Jayson Tatum led the charge for the home team with his 37 points and 11 rebounds.

While a strong start from the Lakers saw the Lakers lead by as big as 14 in the opening salvo, the Celtics were able to chip away at the deficit and finally took the lead for good early in the third quarter.

A third quarter where Boston outscored LA 33-21 blew the game wide open.

The Celtics led by as much as 25 points.

Marcus Smart and Dennis Schroder played supporting role to Tatum as they scattered 22 and 21 points, respectively.

Anthony Davis topscored for the Lakers with 31 points while the returning James chipped in with 23 points, six rebounds, two assists and two steals.

Elsewhere, the Golden State Warriors tacked on their third straight win even without the services of their stars as they edged out the Detroit Pistons, 105-102.

Jordan Poole led the way for the Warriors with 32 points, seven rebounds and two assists.

The best team in the league at the moment played without Steph Curry, Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala and Otto Porter Jr. in their final game of a road trip.

In the other games, the Brooklyn Nets squeaked past the upset axe of the Orlando Magic, 115-113.

Without Kevin Durant, Brooklyn leaned on James Harden who had 36 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists to fight back from a 19-point deficit and take the win at Barclays Center.

The Charlotte Hornets, for their part, tallied their fifth straight win as they edged the Indiana Pacers, 121-118.

LaMelo Ball put up a season-high 32 points and flirted with the triple-double with 11 rebounds and eight assists to steer the Hornets to the win.

Meanwhile, the New Orleans Pelicans eked out a comeback win over the LA Clippers, 94-81.

Jonas Valanciunas led the upset effort with 26 points, 13 rebounds and two assists.

The Chicago Bulls also took a victory, winning against the Denver Nuggets, 114-108.

In their game, the Milwaukee Bucks fought off a fiesty OKC Thunder side, 96-89.

Giannis Antetokounmpo paced the defending champions with 21 points, 19 rebounds and seven assists.

The Phoenix Suns and the Toronto Raptors also took wins against the Dallas Mavericks and Sacramento Kings, respectively.

The Suns' 112-104 win over the Mavs is their 11th straight victory — their longest winning streak since the 2006-07 NBA season.