BOSTON (AP) — The defending NBA champions held off the league’s hottest team on Tuesday night, with Jayson Tatum scoring 33 points and adding 12 rebounds to lead the Boston Celtics to a 120-117 victory over Cleveland and hand the Cavaliers their first loss after 15 straight wins to open the season.
Cleveland cut a 21-point deficit to two in the third quarter, and Donovan Mitchell hit a rainbow 3-pointer with 24 seconds left to make it a four-point game. Tatum sank one of two free throws, and then clobbered Mitchell at the other end, leaving the Cavaliers guard on the floor in need of medical attention.
Mitchell eventually stepped to the line and sank both free throws, but Boston inbounded the ball without trouble and passed it downcourt for an easy Al Horford dunk to clinch it.
Tatum sank six of Boston’s 22 3-pointers, and added seven assists for Boston’s third straight win.
Mitchell scored 35 points, and Evan Mobley had 22 points and 11 rebounds for the Cavaliers, who were the fourth team in NBA history to open the season with 15 wins in a row. The 15-game winning streak was longest in Cavaliers franchise history.
NETS 116, HORNETS 115
NEW YORK (AP) — Cam Johnson scored 34 points, Dennis Schroder had 14 points and 12 assists and Brooklyn beat Charlotte.
Charlotte’s Brandon Miller missed a 3-pointer that would have tied the game with 1.1 seconds left. Grant Williams then tipped the ball as time expired.
Jalen Wilson had 17 points and Dorian Finney-Smith added 15 as Brooklyn snapped a three-game skid.
Trendon Watford scored the Nets’ last seven points in the final two minutes and finished with 10 points off the bench.
Miller had 29 points, Miles Bridges 21 and reserve Tre Mann 19 as the Hornets lost for the fourth time in five games.
NUGGETS 122, GRIZZLIES 110
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Jamal Murray scored 27 points, Michael Porter Jr. added 24 points and 10 rebounds as Denver Nuggets snapped a two-game losing streak defeating Memphis.
Christian Braun finished with 19 points, while Russell Westbrook added 12 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds.
Santi Aldama led Memphis with 28 points, matching his career high. Jaren Jackson Jr. had 19 points, eight rebounds and five blocks. Scotty Pippen Jr. scored 16 points.
It was the second straight game between the two teams. . The Nuggets had lost two straight, the slide coinciding with the absence of reigning MVP Nikola Jokic Tuesday for personal reasons.
MAVERICKS 132, PELICANS 91
DALLAS (AP) — Luka Doncic returned to the lineup and scored a game-high 26 points, Klay Thompson added 19 and Kyrie Irving had 18 as Dallas beat undermanned New Orleans.
Doncic, who missed his first game of the season in Dallas’ win at Oklahoma City on Sunday due to a knee injury, shot 10 of 16 overall and 3 for 8 from 3-point distance. He hit a pair of step-back 3-pointers midway through the fourth quarter giving Dallas a 111-75 lead.
Trey Murphy III, playing his fourth game this season because of hamstring issues, scored a season-high 19 points to lead the Pelicans. New Orleans was missing five of its rotation players. Two-time All-Star Zion Williamson missed his sixth consecutive game and is out indefinitely.
The Mavericks won their third straight, finishing with their highest point total of the season and largest margin of victory.
The Pelicans have lost 11 of their last 13 games.
The Associated Press
