Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – The reigning NBA champion Boston Celtics produced a dominant second-half performance to preserve their unbeaten start to the season with a 119-108 defeat of the Milwaukee Bucks at the TD Garden. The Bucks edged into a slender 56-53 half-time lead thanks to 16 points from Damian Lillard and 13 from Giannis Antetokounmpo.
But Boston came roaring back after the interval, combining for seven three-pointers to outscore the Bucks 37-26 and open up an eight-point advantage heading into the final quarter. Jaylen Brown then led the Celtics home to safety with nine points in the fourth quarter to put the game to bed as Boston improved to 4-0. Brown led the Celtics scorers with 30 points while Payton Pritchard caught the eye with 28 points off the bench that included eight three-pointers. Jrue Holiday added 21 points while Jayson Tatum chipped in with 15 points.
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Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla singled out Pritchard for praise after the win. “He kept us in it in the first half — he’s just finding different ways to impact games,” Mazzulla said. “Tonight it was shooting and his defense, sometimes it’s his passing — the kid’s a competitor. I just love watching him play.”
The Cleveland Cavaliers meanwhile ensured they remain unbeaten on 4-0 at the top of the Eastern Conference after a gritty 110-104 victory over the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks led by as much as 13 points at one stage in the third quarter, but Cleveland had trimmed that advantage to just four points heading into the fourth. Darius Garland then took over in the final frame, pouring in 15 points in the fourth quarter as the Cavs completed their comeback, outscoring the Knicks 36-26 to seal victory. Garland finished with 34 points while Donovan Mitchell added 25.
Elsewhere on Monday, Paolo Banchero erupted for 50 points as the Orlando Magic defeated the Indiana Pacers 119-115. Banchero added 13 rebounds with nine assists while Jalen Suggs provided offensive support with 25 points. Pascal Siakam led Indiana’s scoring with 26 points and the Pacers looked to be in command after outscoring the Magic 39-22 in the third quarter. But the Magic finished strong in the fourth, outscoring Indiana 26-17 to grab the win.
In Toronto meanwhile, Nikola Jokic poured in 40 points as the Denver Nuggets snatched a thrilling 127-125 overtime victory against the Raptors. Jamal Murray forced overtime with just 0.3 seconds remaining in regulation, his reverse layup tying it up at 114-114 before Jokic took over in overtime with seven points to guide Denver to victory.
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