DeRozan, LaVine help Bulls beat Raptors 111-108
TORONTO >> DeMar DeRozan scored 26 points against his former team, Zach LaVine had 22 points and the Chicago Bulls opened a season with four straight wins for the first time since 1996-97, holding off the Toronto Raptors 111108 on Monday night.
Nikola Vucevic scored 17 points and Lonzo Ball had 15 as the Bulls won their fourth straight meeting with Toronto. Ball shot 5 for 9 from 3-point range.
OG Anunoby scored 22 points and Gary Trent Jr. had 18 as the struggling Raptors lost for the third time in four games.
Toronto’s Fred VanVleet scored 15 points and set a career high with 17 assists. Precious Achiuwa had 11 points and 11 rebounds for the Raptors, and rookie Scottie Barnes scored 13 points.
CELTICS 140, HORNETS 129, OT >> Jayson Tatum scored a season-high 41 points, Jaylen Brown added 30, including an emphatic dunk in overtime, and Boston handed Charlotte its first loss of the season.
Dennis Schroder had nine of his 23 points in overtime, and Robert Williams added 12 points and 16 rebounds in a game that featured 28 lead changes.
Miles Bridges had 25 points and 10 rebounds and LaMelo Ball added 25 points on seven 3-pointers for the Hornets before fouling out in overtime. Kelly Oubre added 19 points for Charlotte, which was seeking its first 4-0 start in franchise history.
Both teams had a chance to win the game at the end of regulation but had difficulty inbounding the ball, resulting in neither team getting a shot off in the game’s final 15 seconds. BUCKS 119, PACERS 109 >> Giannis Antetokounmpo finshed with 30 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists, and Khris Middleton added 27 points as defending NBA champion Milwaukee beat Indiana.
Coach Mike Budenholzer held out two injured starters — center Brook Lopez and guard Jrue Holiday — as well as key backup Bobby Portis. Yet they still had enough scoring punch to pull away from the Pacers, who have lost three of their first four games under new coach Rick Carlisle.
The Pacers were led by Malcolm Borgdon with 25 points and seven assists. Domantas Sabonis had 21 points, 13 rebounds and five assists
It was Middleton’s fourpoint play to close the first-quarter scoring that changed the game. It broke a 30-30 tie, and Milwaukee never trailed again.
HEAT 107, MAGIC 90 >> Jimmy Butler scored 36 points on 15-for-21 shooting, Bam Adebayo added 16 points and 13 rebounds and Miami pulled away in the fourth quarter to beat Orlando.
Markieff Morris had 16 points off the Miami bench, and Tyler Herro finished with 13 points, five rebounds and nine assists for the Heat.
Miami was 19 for 19 from the foul line, tying the second-most makes without a miss in team history. The Heat were 30 for 30 against Boston on March 24, 1993.
Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs led Orlando with 15 points, while Cole Anthony and R.J. Hampton each added 12 for the Magic. Mo Bamba and Robin Lopez had 11 apiece for Orlando.
HAWKS 122, PISTONS 104 >> Trae Young had 32 points and nine assists and John Collins scored 22 in Atlanta’s win over Detroit.
The Hawks have won 24 of their last 30 home games, including playoff games, dating to Feb. 21.
NETS 104, WIZARDS 90 >> Kevin Durant scored 25 points and Brooklyn bounced back from a poor finish a day earlier with a blistering start that gave them a victory over Washington.
Washington’s Bradley Beal scored 19 points but shot 8 for 22 after missing a game with a bruised right hip.
PELICANS 107, TIMBERWOLVES 98 >> Brandon Ingram scored 27 points, Jonas Valanciunas had 22 points and 23 rebounds, and New Orleans snapped its season-opening, threegame losing streak.
Devonte’ Graham added 21 points for New Orleans, which was again without injured star Zion Williamson. Nickeil Alexander-Walker had 17 points for the Pelicans, who had a 21-point lead trimmed to four points late in the third quarter.
CAVALIERS 99, NUGGETS 87 >> Kevin Love scored 22 points, Jarrett Allen recorded his second straight double-double and Cleveland held off Denver.