NBA: Jayson Tatum dazzles in 41-point performance as Boston Celtics beat Brooklyn Nets

Jayson Tatum scored 41 points in a dazzling display as the Boston Celtics beat the Brooklyn Nets 118-110 to extend their lead at the top of the NBA’s Eastern Conference.

The Boston star also claimed 14 rebounds and five assists to help the Celtics to a fifth straight win to take them to 42-12 on the season.

Jaylen Brown added 19 points, with 16 each for Al Horford and Derrick White.

Boston are now six games clear at the top of the East.

Tatum scored 31 of his points in the first half and the Celtics led by as many as 23 in the third quarter before Brooklyn fought back in the fourth to make a game of it.

Meanwhile, an under-strength Miami Heat thrashed the Milwaukee Bucks 123-97 in Wisconsin.

Miami were without Jimmy Butler, Terry Rozier and Josh Richardson but shot brilliantly from three-point range, making 19 out of 40 from beyond the arc, to cruise to victory.

Nicola Jovic top-scored with 24 and Duncan Robinson made six threes in a 23-point performance.

The Bucks stay third in the East with the Heat seventh, half a game out of the play-off places.

Jalen Williams and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander were in fine form once again as Oklahoma City Thunder claimed a comfortable 127-113 win over Orlando Magic.

Orlando led by 11 in the first quarter but the Thunder responded and 33 points for Williams and 32 for NBA Most Valuable Player candidate Gilgeous-Alexander led them to a convincing victory.

Minnesota Timberwolves stay a game ahead of Oklahoma City at the top of Western Conference, though, after Anthony Edwards’ 41 points took them to a 121-109 triumph at the Portland Trail Blazers.

Kevin Durant scored 28 points as the Phoenix Suns won an exciting back-and-forth contest against the Sacramento Kings 130-125.

The lead changed hands 17 times – but despite De’Aaron Fox scoring 40 and a 35-point triple-double for Domantas Sabonis for the Kings, Phoenix came out on top.

Elsewhere, the Los Angeles Lakers secured a straightforward 125-111 win over the struggling Detroit Pistons, with LeBron James scoring 25 points for the hosts.