NBA Notes: Hawks, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Celtics, Jaylen Brown, Raptors

Hawks

Nickeil Alexander-Walker led the way again. He scored 32 points as the Hawks rolled past the Magic, 130-101.

Jalen Johnson added 18 points and 14 rebounds, finishing two assists shy of a triple-double.

Dyson Daniels chipped in 15 points and 13 boards.

Atlanta shot 51 percent and owned the glass, 52-36. The game turned in the second quarter, when the Hawks dropped 47 points and took control for good.

That’s 17 wins in the last 19. They’ve also swept the season series from Orlando and hold a 3.5-game lead in the Southeast Division.

Celtics

Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum did what they generally have been known to do. 

Brown scored 43. Tatum recorded his first triple-double of the season with 25 points, 18 rebounds and 11 assists, and the Celtics beat the Heat, 147-129.

The Celtics scored 53 points in the first quarter, a franchise record, and tied for the second-most in any opening quarter in NBA history. They hit 11 of their first 13 shots and closed the quarter on a 24-3 run.

Sam Hauser added 23.

By the way, Boston is now 31-0 when scoring at least 117 points.

Raptors

The Raptors fell to the Kings in Toronto, 123-115, losing ground in the race for a top-six seed in the East.

RJ Barrett and Collin Murray-Boyles each scored 20. Murray-Boyles reached that mark for the first time in his career.

Jakob Poeltl added 18, while Scottie Barnes finished with 14 points and 10 assists.

Nonetheless, Toronto saw its five-game home winning streak snapped.

And the standings got tighter. The Raptors are tied with the 76ers for sixth in the East, and Philadelphia holds the tiebreaker.