Curry leads Warriors to OT win over NBA-leading Bucks
SAN FRANCISCO — Stephen Curry scored 36 points with 22 of those in the fourth quarter and overtime, shining in his first home game back from a long injury absence and leading the Golden State Warriors past the NBAbest Milwaukee Bucks 125-116 on Saturday night.
Curry hit a tying 3-pointer with 19 seconds left in regulation, then blocked a layup attempt by Jrue Holiday in the closing moments. The Warriors got the ball back with 1.9 seconds remaining and Curry inbounded to Draymond Green, who missed from deep.
Holiday had put Milwaukee up on a 3 with 32.7 seconds to play and wound up with 18 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. But the Bucks, playing without star Giannis Antetokounmpo, had their three-game winning streak snapped with just their second defeat in 21 games since Jan. 21.
Thompson added 22 points, Donte DiVincenzo had 20 points and 10 rebounds and the Warriors won at home for the seventh in a row and 11th in 12.
Khris Middleton had 19 points and five assists, Bobby Portis contributed 15 points and 13 rebounds and Brook Lopez 19 points and seven boards for Milwaukee.
CELTICS 134, HAWKS 125
ATLANTA — Jayson Tatum led a balanced attack by scoring 11 of his 34 points in the fourth quarter, and Boston overcame Atlanta’s fourth-quarter comeback bid.
The Celtics opened a six-game trip by having six players score in double figures. Jaylen Brown had 24 points. Tatum added 15 rebounds.
Trae Young had 35 points and 13 assists for Atlanta, which could not maintain momentum following back-to-back wins at Washington. The Hawks remain eighth in the Eastern Conference standings.
With 1:25 remaining and Boston leading 129-121, Young and Marcus Smart had to be separated after the two were entangled and fell to the court under the Celtics’ basket. Smart was called for an initial foul before a lengthy review by the officials called both players for technical fouls and ejected Smart. Young made two free throws to cut the deficit to six points.
CLIPPERS 106, KNICKS 95
LOS ANGELES — Kawhi Leonard scored 38 points and the Los Angeles Clippers pulled away in the fourth quarter to beat New York.
Paul George added 22 points for the Clippers, who have won three straight after dropping five in a row.
It was Leonard’s seventh straight game with at least 21 points, and he is averaging 31 points during that stretch. He also has four 30-point games during that span.
Immanuel Quickley had 26 points and 10 rebounds for the Knicks, who
have dropped three straight after a nine-game winning streak. Quickley started in place of Jalen Brunson, who was sidelined with a sore left foot. Julius Randle scored 19 despite shooting 5 of 24.
PACERS 121, PISTONS 115
DETROIT — Jalen Smith scored 11 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter and Indiana beat Detroit to extend the Pistons’ losing streak to 11 games.
Isaiah Jackson added 19 points and 11 rebounds for Indiana, which improved to 5-2 in its last seven games.
Isaiah Livers had a career-high 18 points for Detroit, which dropped to a league-worst 15-53. Killian Hayes had 17 points and 13 assists.
The Pistons were missing five of their top six scorers; Hayes was the only one in the lineup.
The Pacers played without Tyrese Haliburton, Bennedict Mathurin and Myles Turner.