Celtics edge Bucks on Antetokounmpo’s miss
BOSTON » Jayson Tatum banked in a fallaway, goahead 3-pointer in the final second, and Giannis Antetokounmpo missed the potential tying free throw with 0.4 seconds left, allowing the Boston Celtics to escape with a 122-121 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night in the teams’ season opener.
Tatum scored 30 points and Jaylen Brown had 33 for Boston, which entered the fourth quarter leading by 17 points. The Celtics trailed 120-119 when Tatum dribbled the clock down from 8.9 seconds before lofting a high-arcing 3 over Antetokounmpo from the left side that kissed the glass on its way down. OKC-HOUSTON GAME POSTPONED » Houston’s season opener against the Oklahoma City Thunder was postponed after coronavirus cases and James Harden’s violation of the NBA’s COVID-19 protocols left the Rockets without the
league- mandated eight players available.
The NBA announced the postponement in a release that said three Rockets players had returned tests that were either positive or inconclusive and that four other players were quarantined because of contract tracing.
PELICANS 113, RAPTORS 99 »
JJ Redick converted a fourpoint play with just over a minute remaining and finished with 23 points, Brandon Ingram had 24 points,
and New Orleans overcame an 11-point deficit and beat Toronto.
MAGIC 113, HEAT 107 » Evan Fournier gave Orlando the lead with a late 3-pointer, converted a three- point play in the final minute and scored 25 points in the Magic’s victory over Miami.
76ERS 113, WIZARDS 107 »
Joel Embiid scored the goahead basket with 1:09 left and had 29 points and 14 rebounds to help Philadelphia spoil Russell Westbrook’s triple-double Washington debut.
SPURS 131, GRIZZLIES 119 » DeMar DeRozan had 28 points and nine assists, Dejounte Murray added 21 points and San Antonio overcame Memphis star Ja Morant’s 44-point game. CAVALIERS 121, HORNETS 114 » Collin Sexton scored 27 points, Darius Garland added 22 and Cleveland won its first home game in nearly 300 days, overcoming the hot shooting of Terry Rozier to beat Charlotte.
HAWKS 124, BULLS 104 » Trae Young scored 37 points and revamped Atlanta pounded Chicago, spoiling Billy Donovan’s debut as Bulls coach. TIMBERWOLVES 111, PISTONS 101 » Malik Beasley scored 23 points and Karl-Anthony Towns had 22 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists, leading Minnesota past Detroit.
PACERS 121, KNICKS 107 » Domantas Sabonis scored a career- high 32 points and Victor Oladipo added 16 of his 22 in the second half, leading Indiana past New York.