Middleton, Bucks beat Celtics for 8th straight win
Khris Middleton had 27 points and 13 rebounds, and the Milwaukee Bucks topped the Boston Celtics 121-119 on Wednesday for their eighth consecutive victory.
Milwaukee led by as many as 25, but only secured the win when Boston’s Daniel Theis missed a wide-open corner 3-point attempt in the final seconds.
After trailing 90-65 midway through the third quarter, the Celtics cut the margin to two on Jaylen Brown’s 3-pointer with 1:32 left. Theis then drew an offensive foul on Giannis Antetokounmpo, and the Celtics had multiple opportunities to tie the game or go in front the rest of the way.
Antetokounmpo and Boston’s Jayson Tatum returned after the All-Stars missed games on Monday. Antetokounmpo rested during the Bucks’ victory over Indiana because of a sprained left knee. An illness kept Tatum from playing in a loss at Memphis. Antetokounmpo scored 13 points — his second-lowest total of the season – but also had eight rebounds and seven assists. Brown led Boston with 24 points, Kemba Walker had 23 and Tatum had 18.
JAZZ 118, NETS 88 » Donovan Mitchell scored 27 points as Utah routed short-handed Brooklyn. Bojan Bogdanovic, who was mired in a 3-for-25 shooting slump from 3-point range, made 4 of 6 3-point attempts and scored 18 for the Jazz, who have won four of five.
This matchup between Eastern and Western Conference contenders lost some luster when the Nets’ James Harden was scratched due to a sore neck. He joined teammates Kevin Durant (left hamstring strain) and Kyrie Irving (personal reasons) on the injured list. PACERS 116, PISTONS 111 » Caris LeVert scored 28 points as Indiana snapped a sixgame home losing streak with the win over Detroit. LeVert’s fourth 3-pointer with 4.7 seconds remaining clinched the victory. Jerami Grant led the Pistons with 29 points.
RAPTORS 135, NUGGETS 111 » Pascal Siakam scored 27 points as Toronto routed
Denver to break a ninegame losing streak. Toronto built a 24-point lead in the first half and shot 50% (24 of 48) on 3-pointers overall to win for the first time since Feb. 26. Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray scored 20 points apiece for Denver, which lost for only the third time in 12 games. CAVALIERS 103, BULLS 94 » Darius Garland had 22 points and nine assists and Jarrett Allen added 19 points and nine rebounds as Cleveland used a balanced attack to defeat Chicago without leading scorer Collin Sexton.
HORNETS 122, ROCKETS 97 » Terry Rozier scored 25 points and Devonte’ Graham added 21 as Charlotte routed Houston. The Rockets quickly returned to the loss column after snapping a 20-game losing streak Monday night.
MAGIC 112, SUNS 111 » Evan Fournier scored the last of his 21 points on a driving layup over Phoenix center Deandre Ayton with 6.4 seconds left as Orlando Magic got past Phoenix. Suns star Devin Booker made two free throws with 19.4 seconds left to give Phoenix a one-point lead, but missed a reverse layup attempt just before the horn. The loss ended Phoenix’s road winning streak at seven, its longest since 2006-07. MAVERICKS 128, TIMBERWOLVES 108 » Kristaps Porzingis had 29 points and seven Dallas players scored in double digits as the Mavericks ran away with the win. Tim Hardaway Jr. added 21 points off the bench for Dallas, and Luka Doncic finished with 15. Rookie guard Anthony Edwards led Minnesota with 29 points.
GRIZZLIES 116, THUNDER 107 » Dillon Brooks matched a season high with 25 points and Memphis beat Oklahoma City. Grayson Allen scored 20 points, and Jonas Valanciunas added 16 points and 15 rebounds for the Grizzlies. They have won four of five to move a game above .500.
KINGS 110, HAWKS 108 » De’Aaron Fox scored 37 points and Tyrese Haliburton made a pair of free throws with 36.6 seconds remaining as Sacramento beat Atlanta.