Celtics emerging as a threat in the Eastern Conference, finally

Alec Brzezinski

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Celtics emerging as a threat in the Eastern Conference, finally image

The Celtics are finally starting to look like the team everyone expected might challenge the Cavaliers for Eastern Conference supremacy.

Point guard Isaiah Thomas played in just his second game since missing almost two weeks with an injury Sunday, and the All-Star finished with a team-high 23 points on 9 of 15 shooting, four assists and two rebounds in a 105-95 win over the Heat.

Avery Bradley continued his strong season by adding 20 points and five rebounds.

Bradley and Thomas don't get as much buzz as some other backcourt duos in the NBA, but they are just as talented.

Boston splashed the cash on center Al Horford this offseason, as it attempted to add another star to a roster stacked full of good, but not great players. Horford has been out of the lineup more than expected, but he proved his worth in Sunday's win by scoring 17 points, eight assists and seven rebounds.

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Speaking of talented duos, Miami's two most high-profile players — Goran Dragic and Hassan Whiteside — continued their sound form despite the loss.

Dragic scored 31 points with seven assists, and Whiteside scored 23 points with 17 rebounds.

The Heat have struggled to win games this season, but fans get to enjoy the 1-2 combo of Dragic and Whiteside on a nightly basis.

Studs of the night

76ers center Joel Embiid scored a career-high 33 points on 12-of-17 shooting with 10 rebounds and three blocks in a 108-107 win over the Brooklyn Nets. Philadelphia has been limiting his minutes this season, but the former lottery pick's emergence has forced Nerlens Noel out of the rotation.

Jazz center Rudy Gobert was a perfect 9-for-9 from the filed en route to scoring 21 points with 12 rebounds and three blocks in an ugly 82-73 win over the Memphis Grizzlies. Gobert has now recorded a double-double in seven straight games.

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Dud of the night

DeMarcus Cousins' supporting cast: Time and again Cousins denies he wants to get traded out of Sacramento, but seemingly every night his teammates let him down. This time, Cousins scored 33 points with six rebounds, but only one other King scored in double figures (Ty Lawson, 10 points), which led to a 99-79 loss to the Mavericks.

Highlight

Big man to big man: Bismack Biyombo hits Aaron Gordon for the easy alley-oop:

Orlando dropping dimes all over the court:

Unfortunately for the Magic, they were trounced 109-79 by the Raptors.

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What's next

Pistons (14-15) at Bulls (13-13), 8 p.m. ET — The Pistons have looked much better offensively since Reggie Jackson rejoined the lineup, but there is still something missing to help this team take the next step. The Bulls have struggled to get all of their stars playing well and on the same, but remain a dangerous team on both ends of the court.

Alec Brzezinski