Boston Celtics beat the Milwaukee Bucks in an overtime thriller and a number of players in the MVP conversation put in performances that backed their claims in an exciting Friday night of NBA action.
Dennis Schroder scored a season-high 38 points – eight in overtime – and the Boston Celtics took advantage of Giannis Antetokounmpo’s absence to beat the Milwaukee Bucks 122-113 on Friday night.
Jayson Tatum scored 27 with 11 rebounds for Boston, which has won four of five since opening the season 2-5.
The reigning NBA Finals MVP, Antetokounmpo was scratched about 90 minutes before the game with a right ankle sprain. Jrue Holiday had 17 points and 13 assists, and Bobby Portis scored 22 for the defending NBA champion Bucks. Grayson Allen scored 21, hitting a pair of 3-pointers in the final 73 seconds of regulation to send the game into overtime.
Robert Williams III had 12 points and 10 rebounds and Marcus Smart scored 12 of his 19 points in the third quarter, when the Celtics turned a four-point deficit into a seven-point lead.
But Boston still required overtime to make sure of victory, and moves to 6-6 for the season, whilst the defending champions are now 6-7.
Performance of the night: Stephen Curry
Stephen Curry made nine 3-pointers and scored 40 points with his old college coach from Davidson cheering him on, Draymond Green delivered another all-around effort as Golden State beat Chicago for its seventh straight victory.
Green added nine points, nine rebounds and seven assists after coming into the game questionable with a bruised left thigh. Golden State improved to 11-1, wrapping a Warriors franchise-record eight-game homestand.
Curry’s college coach from Davidson, Bob McKillop, got to lead his team through a practice at the Warriors’ facility ahead of a game Saturday at Chase Center against San Francisco.
Zach LaVine scored 23 points and DeMar DeRozan 18 to lead the Bulls, who lost to Golden State for a ninth straight time.
Harden dominates as Nets beat Pelicans
James Harden highlighted a 39-point, 12-assist performance with a game-sealing 27-foot 3-pointer with 29 seconds left as Brooklyn rallied to beat New Orleans after blowing a 21-point lead.
Kevin Durant scored 28 for the Nets, who’ve won seven of their last eight, and Joe Harris scored 24 after opening his night by hitting his first seven shots, including six from 3, to help hand the Pelicans their ninth straight loss.
Jonas Valanciunas had 20 points and 12 rebounds for the Pelicans, while Nickeil Alexander-Walker added 16 points and Devonte’ Graham had 14.
Dort scores late as Thunder squeak past Kings
Lu Dort stole the ball from De’Aaron Fox, then drove and made a layup with 1.7 seconds left to lift Oklahoma City past Sacramento.
Sacramento’s Buddy Hield, the former University of Oklahoma star, missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer that would have won it for the Kings.
The Thunder overcame an 18-point deficit in the second half to win their fourth straight game. Dort and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 22 points and Darius Bazley added 15 points and eight rebounds.
Harrison Barnes scored 21 points and Richaun Holmes added 16 points and 15 rebounds for the Kings. They who have lost four straight.
Suns win 7th straight game
Devin Booker and Jae Crowder scored 17 points each, Chris Paul added 15 points and 12 assists as Phoenix dominated Memphis for its seventh straight victory.
Mikal Bridges had 13 points as the defending Western Conference champion Suns controlled the game throughout, never trailing. Phoenix held a double-digit lead from the late stages of the first quarter through the end of the game.
Ja Morant led Memphis with 26 points, 12 rebounds and six assists, and Jaren Jackson Jr. had 19 points. The Grizzlies shot 38 percent, making only 7 of 33 3-point attempts.
Bridges and LaMelo help Hornets past Knicks
Miles Bridges scored 24 points, point guard LaMelo Ball had a career-high 17 rebounds to go with 12 points and nine assists and Charlotte Hornets overcame an early 16-point deficit to beat New York.
Gordon Hayward added 22 points and seven assists, and Terry Rozier had 18 points for the Hornets.
Kemba Walker broke out of his shooting slump against his former team, scoring 26 points on 9-of-19 shooting for the Knicks. They have lost five of seven.
Lillard, McCollum help Blazers earn first road win
Damian Lillard scored 20 points, CJ McCollum added 17 as Portland cruised past Houston for its first road victory of the season.
Portland is 1-6 on the road and 5-1 at home. The Rockets are the league’s only winless team on the road at 0-7. They are an NBA-worst 1-11.
Kevin Porter Jr. led the Rockets with 18 points. Jae’Sean Tate had 14, and Christian Wood added eight points and 15 rebounds.
Lillard was 6 of 16 from the field, including 4 of 9 from 3-point range. He added seven assists and five rebounds. Jusuf Nurkic had 12 points and 10 rebounds, going 10 for 10 from the free-throw line.
Doncic, Porzingis star as Mavericks rout San Antonio
Kristaps Porzingis had a season-high 32 points, while Luka Doncic had a triple-double comprising of 32 points, 15 assists and 12 rebounds as Dallas routed San Antonio.
Dallas clinched the season series against its intrastate rival with its third consecutive win over San Antonio in the season’s first 12 games.
Devin Vassell had 20 points, Dejounte Murray and Keldon Johnson had 15 points each and Doug McDermott added 14 for the Spurs.
Jokic triple-double helps Denver beat struggling Hawks
Nikola Jokic had 22 points, 19 rebounds and 10 assists in his return from a one-game suspension for his second triple-double of the season, leading Denver past Atlanta.
Jokic, the reigning NBA MVP, served the ban for his late-game shove of Markieff Morris in Denver’s win over Miami on Monday and returned with gusto on Friday. Aaron Gordon had 23 points, Jeff Green scored 16 and rookie Bones Hyland added 15, including two key 3-pointers in the fourth quarter for Denver, which has won the first four on its five-game homestand.
Trae Young scored 30 points to lead the Hawks, who lost their sixth straight, including a winless four-game road trip. John Collins had 26 points and Clint Capela added 14 points with 13 rebounds.
Jokic now has 59 career triple-doubles, tying him with Larry Bird for eighth all-time.
Garland, Mobley star as Cleveland continue good form
Darius Garland tied his season high with 21 points and rookie power forward Evan Mobley had 16 points and seven rebounds, leading Cleveland past Detroit.
Mobley, the third overall pick, also blocked three shots, made two steals and hit a pair of 3-pointers in winning his first matchup with Detroit shooting guard Cade Cunningham, the top overall pick. Cunningham had nine points, six rebounds and a season-high seven turnovers.
Jeremi Grant scored 16 points for Detroit. The Pistons were held to a season low in points, committed 23 turnovers and have the worst record in the East at 2-9.
Cedi Osman scored 17 points and Jarrett Allen had 11 points and seven rebounds for the Cavaliers. They led by 27 early in the fourth quarter and coasted home with their most lopsided victory of the season. Cleveland has won five of six to improve to 8-5.
Towns, Russell star as Wolves beat Lakers in LA
Karl-Anthony Towns scored 18 of his 29 points during Minnesota’s dominant third quarter, and the Timberwolves snapped their six-game losing streak with a 107-83 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night.
D’Angelo Russell had 22 points against his former team and Patrick Beverley added 11 points and seven rebounds for Minnesota, which seized control while outscoring the Lakers 40-12 in the third. The surge started with a stunning 29-4 run out of halftime, and Russell added 11 points early in the fourth quarter as the underachieving Wolves rolled to their first win since Oct. 27.
Anthony Davis had 22 points and eight rebounds as the Lakers dropped to 2-3 with LeBron James sidelined by a strained abdominal muscle. Russell Westbrook scored 20 points on his 33rd birthday for Los Angeles, which had a solid first half before disintegrating in the third and losing for the fourth time in 11 games.