Giannis Antetokounmpo racked up 32 points, 12 rebounds and five steals and the host Milwaukee Bucks tied a franchise record for their best start by downing the Detroit Pistons for the second time in three nights, 116-91 on Wednesday.
The Bucks matched the 1971-72 and 2018-19 teams by beginning the season 7-0. The current group retained its status of being the league’s only undefeated team.
Milwaukee, which defeated the Pistons for the 15th time in the last 16 regular-season meetings, barely squeaked past its Central Division rival 110-108 on Monday. Jrue Holiday had 26 points and seven rebounds for the Bucks.
Saddiq Bey led Detroit with 22 points and Isaiah Stewart had 16 points and 10 rebounds. The team’s star, Cade Cunningham, was limited to 10 points.
Cavaliers 114, Celtics 113 (OT)
Donovan Mitchell scored nine straight points in the final three minutes of regulation and finished with 25 overall to lead Cleveland past visiting Boston.
Darius Garland returned from a five-game absence caused by a left eye injury to add a team-leading 29 points and 12 assists as the Cavaliers won their sixth straight and recorded their second overtime win against Boston in a span of six days.
Jayson Tatum tied the game with a soaring one-handed jam with 6.7 seconds left in regulation to force overtime. Tatum finished with 26 points and 12 rebounds, and Jaylen Brown added a game-high 30 points for the Celtics.
Wizards 121, 76ers 111
Kristaps Porzingis scored 30 points, Bradley Beal added 29 and visiting Washington snapped a three-game losing skid while ending Philadelphia’s three-game winning streak.
Though a tight game most of the way, the Wizards never relinquished their lead after pulling ahead late in the first quarter.
The 76ers, playing without Joel Embiid (non-COVID illness), got 32 points from Tyrese Maxey plus 24 points and 10 assists from James Harden.
Grizzlies 111, Trail Blazers 106
Desmond Bane scored 20 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter and also had eight rebounds and five assists to help Memphis hold off host Portland.
Ja Morant recorded 20 points, nine rebounds and seven assists as the Grizzlies halted a two-game slide. Steven Adams added 14 points, 11 rebounds and five assists.
Anfernee Simons had 31 points and eight assists for the Trail Blazers, who lost for just the second time in seven games this season. Jusuf Nurkic added 23 points and 13 rebounds, and Jerami Grant scored 23 points.
Heat 110, Kings 107
Tyler Herro made a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 2.5 seconds left, leading Miami to a win over visiting Sacramento.
Herro’s shot came after a step-back and then a pump fake before finally firing over Terence Davis. Herro, who missed most of Miami’s win over Golden State on Tuesday due to a left eye contusion, finished with a game-high 26 points and a team-high 12 rebounds.
Each team competed without its best player. Miami’s Jimmy Butler sat out due to a sore left hip. Sacramento’s De’Aaron Fox missed the game due to a sore right knee. The Kings were led by Domantas Sabonis (22 points, team-high 12 rebounds, game-high eight assists) and Kevin Huerter (22 points).
Hawks 112, Knicks 99
Dejounte Murray scored a career-high 36 points for visiting Atlanta, which stormed back from a 23-point, first-half deficit to rout New York.
The Hawks, who played much of the second half without star guard Trae Young as he was treated for a left eye contusion, snapped a two-game losing streak. The Knicks have lost three straight.
Murray also had nine assists and six steals, and De’Andre Hunter put up 21 points for the Hawks. Jalen Brunson (20 points) and RJ Barrett (19) led the Knicks.
Raptors 143, Spurs 100
Pascal Siakam scored 22 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in three quarters of play and Gary Trent Jr. added 24 points as visiting Toronto blitzed short-handed San Antonio.
The Raptors led by 15 points at halftime, then outscored the Spurs 40-21 in the third quarter for its second straight win and fourth in five outings.
Keita Bates-Diop led San Antonio with 17 points. Malaki Branham added 13 and Josh Richardson scored 10 for the Spurs, who played without starters Keldon Johnson (calf) and Devin Vassell (knee).
Mavericks 103, Jazz 100
Luka Doncic scored 33 points and had 11 assists as host Dallas overcame double-digit deficits on multiple occasions to beat Utah.
Doncic, the NBA’s leading scorer, has scored at least 31 in all seven Mavericks games. That feat makes Doncic just the third player in NBA history to record 30-plus points in each of the first seven games of the season, and the first to do it since Wilt Chamberlain in the 1962-63 season.
Jordan Clarkson finished with 22 points and eight assists to lead the Jazz, but he missed a game-tying attempt in the last second.
Bulls 106, Hornets 88
Javonte Green poured in 17 points off the bench and Chicago gained late energy to pull away for a victory over visiting Charlotte.
The Bulls rode their bench, including 16 points from Goran Dragic and 10 points from Derrick Jones Jr., to the win on a night when DeMar DeRozan only scored nine points and Zach LaVine had 10. Nikola Vucevic added 14 points and 13 rebounds, and Patrick Williams tallied 16 points.
For the Hornets, Kelly Oubre Jr. racked up 24 points, Jalen McDaniels and Mason Plumlee both notched 11 points and Dennis Smith Jr. supplied 10 points.
Clippers 109, Rockets 101
Paul George scored 28 points, Marcus Morris Sr. added a 21-point double-double and Los Angeles staved off Houston for the win.
Morris, who scored 18 of his 21 points in the first half, grabbed 10 rebounds. George shot 10-for-20 and combined with Morris to shoot 7-for-16 from behind the arc.
Alperen Sengun compiled 26 points and 13 rebounds for the Rockets. Kevin Porter Jr. and Jalen Green added 22 points apiece.
Lakers 120, Pelicans 117
Lonnie Walker IV scored 28 points, LeBron James and Anthony Davis added 20 each and Los Angeles pulled out an overtime victory over visiting New Orleans to win consecutive games after an 0-5 start to the season.
Davis added 16 rebounds while James had 10 boards and eight assists as the Lakers finished off the victory despite blowing a 16-point, third-quarter lead. Matt Ryan hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer for the Lakers to send the game into overtime in just his sixth career contest.
Zion Williamson scored 27 points for the Pelicans. CJ McCollum had 22 points and eight assists for New Orleans, which finished 1-2 on its road trip.
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