SALT LAKE CITY: Lauri Markkanen scored 29 points, Malik Beasley added 19 and the Utah Jazz took advantage of Dallas star Luka Doncic’s absence to beat the Mavericks 108-100 on Saturday (Sunday in Manila).

Doncic sat out because of a sprained left ankle.

Jordan Clarkson added 14 points for Utah, and Walker Kessler had 14 points, 11 rebounds, and five blocks.

Spencer Dinwiddie had 35 points and eight assists for Dallas. Reggie Bullock had 19 points, and Josh Green and Dorian Finney-Smith chipped in 11 apiece.

After trailing by double digits for much of the game, Dallas cut it to 103-98 on Bullock’s 3-pointer. Markkanen countered with a 3-pointer on the other end to keep the Mavericks from drawing closer and the Jazz held Dallas without a basket over the final 2 1/2 minutes.

In Boston, Jaylen Brown scored 37 points, making a tying three-point play with 4.1 seconds left in regulation and adding 11 more in overtime as the NBAleading Boston Celtics snapped a threegame losing streak by beating the archrival Los Angeles Lakers 125-121.

Brown added nine rebounds, Jayson Tatum had 30 points and 11 rebounds, and Malcom Brogdon scored 15 of his 26 points in the second half of a see-saw game that had 19 lead changes — six in the fourth quarter — and 15 ties.

LeBron James had 41 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, and Anthony Davis had 16 points and 10 rebounds for the Lakers. Patrick Beverly scored 15 points, twice giving the Lakers the lead in the final minute of the fourth, but he also missed a foul shot that might have clinched it and was called for a technical foul on the contentious last play of regulation.

In Philadelphia, Joel Embiid won the battle of MVP rivals with 47 points and 18 rebounds and Philadelphia extended its winning streak to seven games, beating Nikola Jokic and Denver, 126-119.

Jokic and Embiid have finished first and second in voting for the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award over the last two seasons. Both are among the top candidates for MVP as this season hits the halfway mark.

In New York, Kyrie Irving scored 21 of his 32 points in the final 9 1/2 minutes, carrying Brooklyn to its ninth straight victory over New York, 122-115.

The All-Star guard also had nine assists and six rebounds.

Joe Harris added 16 points and Nic Claxton had 13 points, 12 rebounds and six assists for the Nets.

Jalen Brunson scored 26 points and RJ Barrett had 24 for the Knicks. They had won consecutive games against Eastern Conference contenders Cleveland and Boston.

In Atlanta, Kawhi Leonard scored 32 points, including a season-high five 3-pointers, Paul George added 23 points and Los Angeles beat Atlanta 120-113 for its fifth straight victory.