MILWAUKEE (AP) — Brook Lopez scored 25 points and the Milwaukee Bucks extended their season-opening winning streak to a franchise record nine games with Giannis Antetokounmpo on the bench, beating the Oklahoma City Thunder 108-94 Saturday night.
Antetokounmpo sat out for the first time this season. He was listed as “questionable” with left knee soreness after recording his first triple-double of the season a night earlier in Minnesota. He did not go through warmups ahead of the game, and head coach Mike Budenholzer said before that game that the league’s second-leading scorer at 32.6 points per game would get the night off.
With Antetokounmpo out, Lopez led Milwaukee on 10-of-16 shooting that included four of the Bucks’ 17 3-pointers. Jevon Carter and Grayson Allen each added five 3s and finished with 18 points and 19 points, respectively. Bobby Portis notched fifth double-double of the season with 12 points and 21 rebounds. Jrue Holiday had 10 points with 13 assists.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander connected on 7 of 16 shots and led Oklahoma City with 18 points. Josh Giddey scored 15 points and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl 12.
KINGS 126, MAGIC 123, OT
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — De’Aaron Fox beat the buzzer from just inside halfcourt to give Sacramento an overtime victory against Orlando after the Kings wiped out a 20-point deficit in the third quarter.
Fox’s 37 points included the first six in overtime. The Kings needed three more at the end after throwing away a pass in the backcourt with 6.6 seconds left, allowing the Magic’s Chuma Okeke to tie the game with a dunk.
Fox then dribbled the ball up and launched his shot with his feet inside the Magic logo at center court, a shot that was officially listed at 31 feet.
Paolo Banchero led Orlando with 33 points and 16 rebounds. Franz Wagner added 31 points and six assists, and Bol Bol finished with 23 points and seven rebounds.
CELTICS 133, KNICKS 118
NEW YORK (AP) — Jaylen Brown scored 30 points, Jayson Tatum added 26 and Boston made a franchise-record 27 3-pointers in a victory over New York.
Brown and Tatum each connected on six 3-pointers, while reserve guard Sam Hauser set career highs with 16 points and five 3-pointers. Malcolm Brogdon chipped in 14 points.
Julius Randle scored 29 points and RJ Barrett added 27 for the Knicks, who have lost four of their last five games. Jalen Brunson had 22 points and 10 assists.
NETS 98, HORNETS 94
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Kevin Durant scored 27 points and Brooklyn erased a double-digit deficit in the fourth quarter to beat short-handed Charlotte, improving to 2-0 since Kyrie Irving’s suspension.
Cam Thomas added 21 points for the Nets and Nic Claxton had 11 points and nine rebounds.
Terry Rozier returned from a seven-game absence and led Charlotte with 25 points on six 3-pointers. P.J. Washington and Kelly Oubre Jr. each had 18 points for the Hornets, who’ve lost four straight since beating the defending champion Golden State Warriors.
HAWKS 124, PELICANS 121, OT
ATLANTA (AP) — Dejounte Murray had 22 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds, Trae Young added 34 points and 10 assists, and Atlanta beat New Orleans.
Clint Capela added 21 points and 19 rebounds for Atlanta, which improved to 6-3 with its second straight win.
The Pelicans dropped to 5-4 and already have three overtime losses in the first three weeks of the season.
CJ McCollum finished with 29 points, Zion Williamson scored a season-high 29 and Jonas Valanciunas had 13 points and 17 rebounds for the Pelicans, who were on the second night of a back-to-back.
TIMBERWOLVES 129, ROCKETS 117
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Karl-Anthony Towns scored 10 of his 25 points in the third quarter and Anthony Edwards added 19 points as Minnesota cruised past Houston.
Playing without center Rudy Gobert, who was placed into the league’s health and safety protocols earlier in the day, Minnesota snapped a three-game losing streak. Kyle Anderson had 16 points while starting for Gobert.
The Rockets, who were without rookie Jabari Smith Jr. due to an illness, lost their sixth straight game. Houston is 1-9 this season and has trailed by double-digits in nine of its 10 games.
Jalen Green had 21 points for the Rockets, hitting 4 of 11 from 3-point territory.
SUNS 102, TRAIL BLAZERS 82
PHOENIX (AP) — Devin Booker scored 24 points, Chris Paul added 15 and Phoenix cruised past Portland.
The teams were playing each other for the second straight night. The Blazers won 108-106 on Friday when Jerami Grant hit a baseline jumper at the buzzer.
There wasn’t as much drama on Saturday. The Suns pushed to a 61-40 halftime lead and had a comfortable advantage throughout the second half.
Phoenix has the best record in the Western Conference with a 7-2 mark. Both of the losses have come to the Blazers, who fell to 6-3. The teams have already completed their three-game series in the regular season.
NUGGETS 126, SPURS 101
DENVER (AP) —- Bones Hyland scored 24 points, Nikola Jokic added 21 and Denver shot over 60% from the field in a win over San Antonio.
Michael Porter Jr. added 15 points and Jamal Murray chipped in 13 for the Nuggets, who shot 53 of 87 (60.9%) and remained unbeaten in four games at home this season.
“We have a very unselfish team and we did some good things tonight,” said Nuggets coach Michael Malone, taking note of Denver’s season-high 37 assists. “I’m just so happy we’re playing well at home. Last year, we were not a very good home team. It’s early in the season, but we’re 4-0.”
Keldon Johnson scored 25 points and Devin Vassell 20 for the Spurs, who lost their third in a row, including both ends of a back-to-back set.
The Associated Press
