Oklahoma City Thunder 122, Boston Celtics 126
Betting Results:
Head to Head: Boston Celtics, odds 1.19
Line: Oklahoma City Thunder (+11.5), odds 1.85
Total Points: Over (229.5), odds 1.88
BOSTON (AP) — Marcus Smart scored 20 of his 22 points in the second half, and the Boston Celtics beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 126-122 on Monday night for their seventh straight win.
Boston trailed by as many as 15 in the third quarter, but it outscored Oklahoma City 37-26 in the fourth.
"Tonight was a resilient win — a tough game to win," said Jaylen Brown, who scored 26 for Boston.
Jayson Tatum had 27 points and 10 rebounds for the Celtics, and Al Horford added 12 points and 11 boards. Smart also had eight assists and five rebounds.
Reserves Payton Pritchard and Derrick White led a key surge late in the third and early in the fourth as the Celtics rallied.
“The first team was a little sluggish. We tried. We was giving it everything we got and just couldn’t find it,” Smart said. “And then those two came in and gave us the jump we needed. The energy definitely shifted with those two guys coming into the game.”
Pritchard scored 10, and White finished with 16 points — 11 in the second half — five assists and four steals.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 37 points. Lu Dort scored 21, and Aleksej Pokusevski finished with 16 points and 14 rebounds.
All five starters scored in double figures for Oklahoma City, which couldn't hang on after a solid start.
"There were a lot of bright spots. We really put it to them. We controlled the game on the road against a great team, which is a credit to our guys," coach Mark Daigneault said.
The Thunder had just six turnovers in the first half, but seven in each of the final two quarters while falling to 2-5 on the road.
Boston coach Joe Mazzulla said the Celtics overcame the Thunder with defense and credited the scrappy play of Pritchard and White.
"I thought especially in the second half, we didn’t allow our lack of shot-making to affect our defensive effort," Mazzulla said. "That to me is a sign of growth for the team."
Pritchard hit a 31-foot 3-pointer with the shot clock about to expire late in the third, pulling Boston within nine. Pritchard then had a steal and a layup just before the buzzer, cutting the margin to 96-89 entering the final quarter.
Pritchard hit another 3-pointer in the opening minute of the fourth and Oklahoma City’s 15-point lead was down to 99-94 with 11:11 left.
Smart drew an offensive foul on Gilgeous-Alexander and a two-handed dunk by Tatum tied it at 107 as fans roared in approval of Boston’s surging momentum.
A three-point play by Dort tied it at 115 with 2:41 left, but Smart hit a 3-pointer to put Boston back up and White followed with another 3 after a miss by the Thunder at the other end.
STILL SCORING
The Thunder had scored 130-plus points in three straight games, including a 145-135 win over the Knicks in New York on Sunday. Coming just short at Boston with 122 points reminded the Thunder of their potential, Gilgeous-Alexander said.
“When we play to our identity, we can play with anybody," he said. "We knew that going in — that we’d give ourselves a chance to win if we played our style and way and I think we did so for a majority of the game.”
TIP-INS
Thunder: Outrebounded Boston 51-46. ... Oklahoma City was playing the second of a four-game trip with stops still to go in Washington and Memphis.
Celtics: G Malcolm Brogdon missed his third straight game with a tight right hamstring. ... F Grant Williams received a technical foul with 7:31 left in the first quarter after complaining about a no-call when he went up for an offensive rebound. ... Tatum received a technical 1:04 into the second quarter after a foul, although he appeared to be yelling at himself. ... Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak received a round of applause when he was shown sitting courtside during a stoppage in the second quarter.
UP NEXT
Thunder: Visit the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night.
Celtics: Visit the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night.
Toronto Raptors 115, Detroit Pistons 111
Betting Results:
Head to Head: Toronto Raptors, odds 1.48
Line: Detroit Pistons (+5.5), odds 1.87
Total Points: Over (220.5), odds 1.88
DETROIT (AP) — Dalano Banton scored a career-high 27 points and Chris Boucher added 20 as the short-handed Toronto Raptors snapped a three-game losing streak with a 115-111 win over the Detroit Pistons on Monday night.
“I got a lot of reps in the summer, playing for Team Canada and in the summer league, and I did a lot of training with our development team,” said Banton, whose previous career high was 14 points, on Saturday against the Indiana Pacers. “The coaches trusted me enough to put me in the starting lineup, and Coach Nurse told me I should make the most of it.”
O.G. Anunoby added 19 points and seven rebounds for Toronto, which played without Fred VanVleet (non-COVID illness), Pascal Siakam (abdominal strain) and Gary Trent (hip).
“I think everybody contributed tonight and that's what it takes when you are playing so many different guys,” Raptors coach Nick Nurse said.
The Raptors snapped a six-game losing streak to the Pistons, beating Detroit for the fourth time in 13 meetings since Dwane Casey was fired by Toronto and moved across the border to lead Detroit.
“We don't believe in any curse,” Boucher said.
Rookie Jaden Ivey scored 21 for Detroit, which lost its fourth straight. Bojan Bogdanovic added 18 points.
Detroit trailed by as many as 14 point before Hamadou Diallo hit two free throws with 7:37 remaining to cut the deficit to 94-93. Banton hit a 3-pointer that put the Raptors up six with 4:54 remaining before Isaiah Livers' 3-pointer made it 103-100.
But, the Pistons committed a key turnover — their 19th of the game — and missed their 12th free throw, slowing their rally.
“It wasn't just that stretch, it was the whole game,” Casey said. “We were attacking the rim and getting to the free throw line, but we have to convert when we get there.”
Casey juggled his lineup, going with two bigs in Isaiah Stewart and Marvin Bagley III, and using Saddiq Bey as a scorer off the bench. Stewart, though, played only 13 minutes before leaving with a sprained right foot.
“Saddiq did a good job — we're just looking for more balance for our two units,” Casey said. “I know you are all old enough to remember Manu Ginobili, he had a great career off the bench.”
The Raptors led 58-51 at halftime, thanks to 14 points from Banton and 13 from Boucher. Toronto then scored the first seven points of the third quarter. They led 88-77 going into the fourth quarter, aided by 10 missed free throws from the Pistons.
TIP INS
Raptors: Toronto won despite shooting 29.6% on 3-pointers and committing 17 turnovers that led to 24 points by Detroit. ... Otto Porter Jr. missed the second half after a first-half toe injury.
Pistons: Detroit's reserves went 13 for 19 (68.4%) from the line and hit 4 of 13 3-pointers. ... Casey said they would know more about Stewart's injury on Tuesday.
HONORING THE SAINT
The Pistons debuted their green jerseys designed to pay tribute to the mats on the walls of the gym at St. Cecilia's Church, located about five miles from Little Caesars Arena. The “Saint” opened in the 1960s and became the center of the Detroit basketball scene when Hall of Famer Dave Bing trained there during a holdout. He was followed by local stars like Magic Johnson, Isiah Thomas, George Gervin, Chris Webber and Glen Rice. It even hosted multiple generations, with Pistons star Jimmy Walker playing there in the 1970s before his son, Jalen Rose, arrived in the 1990s.
UP NEXT
Raptors: Host the Miami Heat on Wednesday.
Pistons: Visit the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday.
Phoenix Suns 112, Miami Heat 113
Betting Results:
Head to Head: Miami Heat, odds 1.80
Line: Phoenix Suns (+1.5), odds 1.96
Total Points: Over (216.5), odds 1.88
MIAMI (AP) — Elite scorer. Elite defender.
Devin Booker got to his spot. Jimmy Butler got there, too. And Butler rose to the moment, capping a brilliant comeback win for the Miami Heat.
Bam Adebayo scored 30 points, including a pair of go-ahead free throws with 35 seconds left, and Butler's block was part of a frantic finish as the Heat rallied from a 13-point, fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Phoenix Suns 113-112 on Monday night.
“Those two guys are really the foundational heartbeat pieces to our team," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “We follow their warrior spirits. They're just so tough, the epitome of being two-way basketball players."
Phoenix had three shots to win on its final possession — a missed layup by Cameron Payne, the jumper from Booker from the right elbow that Butler blocked, and then a 3-pointer from Booker that bounced off the rim, with Butler hounding him again.
“Tough break for us," Suns coach Monty Williams said. “Our guys fought like heck to have a chance to win."
Butler finished with 16 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists for Miami. Caleb Martin and Kyle Lowry each scored 15 for Miami, which got back to .500 at 7-7.
“I love the fact that we won this game on the defensive end," Butler said.
Adebayo outscored the Suns by himself in the last eight minutes, 12-10. Phoenix missed 12 of its 16 shots in that span, while Miami finished 8 for its last 12.
Booker led the Suns with 25 points. Duane Washington Jr. added 21 and Deandre Ayton finished with 16 points and 12 rebounds for the Suns, who shot only four free throws compared to Miami's 25.
“That is hard to swallow ... a physical game like that, where everybody's bumpin', we only get four free throws," Williams said. “This is becoming really hard to swallow. You feel like you can't even talk about it because you're going to be fined."
The Heat went 22 for 25 on those tries from the line, the 13th consecutive game where they shot at least 80% from the stripe — extending their franchise record.
It was the first time an NBA team shot four free throws in a game since May 16, 2021 — also the Suns, against San Antonio.
Torrey Craig’s layup with 8:03 left put Phoenix up 102-89, the Suns’ biggest lead of the night. The Heat outscored Phoenix 24-10 the rest of the way.
“We've had tests all year, and some of those games we didn't finish," Adebayo said. “They were nothing but experience for a game like this."
Both teams were missing key guards. Miami’s Tyler Herro was out for the fourth consecutive game with a sprained left ankle, and Phoenix’s Chris Paul sat with right heel soreness.
TIP-INS
Suns: The Suns don’t believe Paul’s heel issue is long-term. “Day-to-day,” Williams said. ... Phoenix lost back-to-back games for the first time this season. ... The Suns had been 7-0 in games in which they led by at least 13 points.
Heat: Among those in the crowd -- Wayne Gretzky, Odell Beckham Jr. and Melvin Ingram. ... Dewayne Dedmon had 12 for the Heat, including a pair of 3-pointers late in the third to stop a Phoenix run. ... Adebayo also had 10 rebounds.
LOWRY 2K
Lowry’s first 3-pointer was the 2,000th of his career. He’s the 12th player in NBA history to make that many.
BIRTHDAY REF
South Florida native Dedric Taylor was one of the referees, working on his 47th birthday. Taylor worked for the City of North Miami Beach Parks & Recreation Department and was a UPS driver before getting into the NBA.
UP NEXT
Suns: Host Golden State on Wednesday
Heat: Visit Toronto on Wednesday.
Charlotte Hornets 112, Orlando Magic 105
Betting Results:
Head to Head: Charlotte Hornets, odds 2.00
Line: Charlotte Hornets (+1.5), odds 1.90
Total Points: Under (222.5), odds 1.88
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — LaMelo Ball had 17 points and nine assists, and the Charlotte Hornets stopped an eight-game slide with a 112-105 victory over the Orlando Magic on Monday night.
Charlotte had seven players score in double figures, including its starting lineup. Mason Plumlee had 18 points and 10 rebounds. Terry Rozier scored 17 points, and Kelly Oubre Jr. had 16 points and six steals.
Franz Wagner scored 23 points and Wendell Carter Jr., added 20 for Orlando, but the Magic had 22 turnovers.
Ball, who missed the Hornets' 113-93 loss at Orlando last month because of a sprained ankle, played in only his second game of the season after missing the first 13.
“Obviously he makes a huge difference for our team,” said Steve Clifford, who won for the 200th time as coach of the Hornets.
Charlotte led 93-74 after Ball hit two 3-pointers in quick succession early in the fourth quarter.
Bol Bol and Chuma Okeke made two 3-pointers each to launch Orlando's only serious run of the game, but the Magic could get no closer than seven.
With the help of 13 Magic turnovers, Charlotte dominated the first half, leading 58-45 at the break despite going 3 for 17 from beyond the arc.
'At halftime I liked all of it," Clifford said. “I liked the way we moved the ball. We didn’t shoot well and yet we were still scoring. For the first two and a half quarters, that’s as good as we’ve played. Our defense was really good.”
Mo Bamba kept Orlando in the game in the first half with 14 points and seven rebounds.
Bamba described the 22 turnovers, leading to 21 Charlotte points, as “deflating.” Coach Jamahl Mosley agreed.
“That was the game. That was the game right there," Mosley said. “Turning the basketball over, losing possessions, and then giving up wide-open layups at the other end.”
TIP-INS
Hornets: Made 7 of 35 3-point shots in the game. ... F Gordon Heyward missed a seventh game with a left shoulder contusion. ... G Dennis Smith (sprained left ankle) missed a second game but might be back Wednesday. ... Plumlee, shooting free throws with his left hand this season, made 2 of 2 Monday night to raise his season percentage to .589, a big step up from last season's right-handed .392.
Magic: Rookie F Paolo Banchero (sprained ankle) did not play. He was a “game-time” decision. “Obviously he wanted to play,” Mosley said. “This is the first time he’s really hurt that ankle and I think he’s responding to it well. He’s doing the treatments he needs to do, he’s working in the training room, he’s doing everything that’s necessary to get back on the court.” ... G Cole Anthony missed a ninth game due to a torn oblique. ... Eight of Bamba's 11 rebounds were at the offensive end. ... On their current homestand, which ends Wednesday night, the Magic have defeated Golden State, Dallas and Phoenix while losing to Oklahoma City, Houston and Charlotte.
UP NEXT
Hornets: Play at home against Indiana on Wednesday night.
Magic: Play at home against Minnesota on Wednesday night.
By The Associated Press and DJ Arthurs | 11/14/22
Follow DJ Arthurs on Twitter at @DJArthursJourno
Final Word
#BleedGreen
