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. Memphis defeated Denver 105-90 on Sunday. The Nuggets had lost two straight, the slide coinciding with the absence of reigning MVP Nikola Jokic who missed his third straight game 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.
SPURS 110, THUNDER 104
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Keldon Johnson scored 22 points, Harrison Barnes added 20 and San Antonio beat Oklahoma City without Victor Wembanyama.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 32 points and Jalen Williams added 27 points for Oklahoma City.
The Thunder closed the game on a 27-12 run but were unable to score in the final minute.
Spurs rookie Stephon Castle, who had 10 points and eight assists, blocked Gilgeous-Alexander’s layup with 22 seconds remaining and the Spurs leading 110-104.
San Antonio’s Chris Paul added 14 points and 11 assists with the veteran point guard tossing in a 3-pointer as the shot clock was expiring to give the Spurs a 107-98 lead with 1:27 remaining.
LAKERS 124, JAZZ 118
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Dalton Knecht tied the NBA’s single-game rookie record with nine 3-pointers while scoring a career-high 37 points, and Los Angeles beat Utah for their sixth consecutive victory.
LeBron James had 26 points and 12 assists, and Anthony Davis had 26 points and 14 rebounds as the Lakers improved to 7-0 at home. Austin Reaves added 17 points for the defending NBA Cup champions, who improved to 2-0 in group play this season.
The Lakers hadn’t won six straight games since February 2021, shortly after their championship run in the Florida bubble.
Lauri Markkanen scored 25 points for the Jazz, who have lost three straight. Keyonte George scored 10 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter, and Collin Sexton added nine of his 19 in the fourth.
Rui Hachimura missed his third straight game with a sprained ankle. Bronny James sat with a bruised heel.
The Associated Press