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Chris Paul and the Los Angeles Clippers dismantled the Boston Celtics, 106-77, on Thursday, in one of just two scheduled Thursday games.
The Celtics dropped to 14-14 on the season with Thursday's loss.
Boston fell behind the Brooklyn Nets on Friday, after the Nets defeated the lowly Charlotte Bobcats -- a win that moved the Nets over .500 for the season.
Luckily for the Celtics, the Atlantic division-leading New York Knicks also lost on Friday. New York erased a 27-point deficit, but lost to the Sacramento Kings, 106-105, after James Johnson drained a three-pointer as time expired.
Elsewhere on Friday, the Detroit Pistons knocked off the Miami Heat, 109-99. LeBron James scored 35 points and added six rebounds and five assists in the losing effort.
The Clippers increased their winning streak to 16 games with a thrilling 116-114 win over the Utah Jazz. Chris Paul led all scorers in the high-scoring affair with 29 points, while Blake Griffin grabbed 13 rebounds.