BOSTON — Evan Turner staged a one-man show in the closing minutes, and the rebuilding Boston Celtics continued an improbable run at a playoff berth with a come-from-behind 95-88 victory over the Orlando Magic Friday night.
The veteran guard scored 11 of his team’s last 16 points over the final 3:46 (nine of its 10 at one point). He also made a key defensive play and subsequent pass as the Celtics kept pace in what has become a three-team battle for the eighth and final Eastern Conference playoff spot.
With fellow guard Isaiah Thomas missing his second straight game with elbow and back bruises, Turner finished with a season-high 30 points. He also had five rebounds and four assists as Boston won for the fifth time in the last six games and improved to 8-3 in the last 11.
The Celtics trailed by as many as 11 in the second half and were down 83-79 when Turner caught fire.
Guard Phil Pressey, needed with Thomas out, had a season-high 10 assists and four rebounds to go with a season-high 10 points. Forward Kelly Olynyk had 13 points and five rebounds for the Celtics.
Rookie guard Elfrid Payton led the Magic, who rallied to beat the Celtics in Orlando last Sunday, with 20 points. But Payton, a 55.2-percent free-throw shooter coming in, was 4 of 15 from the line and was the victim of Boston fouling him on purpose late in the third quarter.
Center Nikola Vucevic had 16 points and 11 rebounds and forward Tobias Harris added 16 points for the Magic, who went 0-3 on their road trip.
The game started slowly, but the Magic used an early 11-0 run to take an eight-point lead and were up by 10 after 9:04 of the game. But the home team charged back and caught up midway through the second quarter. However, Orlando ended the first half on an 8-2 run that restored the 10-point lead at the break.
Orlando was up to 11 with 2:15 of the third quarter.
The Celtics then began purposely fouling Payton, who obliged by continuing to struggle at the line as Boston closed the deficit to six at the end of the third quarter.
When Olynyk hit the first five points of the fourth quarter, the lead was down to one, but Orlando responded again. The lead was quickly back to eight with 6:57 left and the resilient Celtics rallied again.
The teams combined for 37 turnovers and shot 25 of 48 from the foul line. The Celtics were 10 of 26 from 3-point range.
76ers 114, Kings 107
PHILADELPHIA — Center DeMarcus Cousins had a huge night for the Sacramento Kings, but he was overshadowed by the smallest player on the court.
Backup point guard Ish Smith, generously listed at 6 feet, keyed a second-half run as the Philadelphia 76ers rallied from an 18-point third-quarter deficit to beat Sacramento 114-107 on Friday night.
Forward Robert Covington scored 24 points to lead Philadelphia (15-50), which won for just the second time in seven games. Center Nerlens Noel had 16 points and 12 rebounds, and Smith contributed 10 points and nine assists in 25 minutes.
Cousins matched his season high of 39 points and had a career-high 24 rebounds. Forward Rudy Gay notched 24 points for Sacramento (22-42), which fell for the fifth time in six games.
The Kings, who were seeking to win consecutive games for the first time since late November, are also ensured a ninth straight losing season.
Sacramento led 73-55 with 8:46 left in the third quarter but managed just two field goals the rest of the quarter, fueling a 33-9 Philadelphia run.
The Sixers’ reserves accounted for the last 15 points in that stretch, giving them an 88-82 lead at the end of the period.
Smith was particularly effective, scoring five points in the last 3:09 of the period and setting up Hollis Thompson for a 3-pointer and Henry Sims for a layup.
Hornets 101, Bulls 91
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Guard Gerald Henderson scored 20 points to lead seven players in double figures and the Charlotte Hornets dominated the second half for a 101-91 win over the Chicago Bulls on Friday night.
The Hornets trailed 40-21 two minutes into the second quarter but roared back from there and eventually led by as many as 18 in the fourth quarter. They outscored Chicago 25-10 in the third quarter and 16-6 to open the fourth.
The Hornets (29-35) snapped a two-game losing streak. They held a 55-36 rebound edge, with 17 offensive rebounds and 27 second-chance points.
Guard Mo Williams scored 18 points, forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist scored 13, forward Marvin Williams had 12 and centers Jason Maxiell and Bismack Biyombo and guard Kemba Walker all contributed 10. Biyombo also had 10 rebounds.
Both teams were missing key players.
The Bulls were without guard Jimmy Butler (wrist), forward Taj Gibson (ankle) and guard Derrick Rose (knee) because of injuries, but they got forward Joakim Noah back after a one-game absence.
The Hornets played without center Al Jefferson (knee) and forward Cody Zeller (shoulder).
Guard Aaron Brooks led the Bulls with 24 points. Center Pau Gasol scored 18, forward Tony Snell 17, forward Nikola Mirotic 15 and forward Doug McDermott 13.
Chicago (40-27) has lost four of its last five.