By the Associated Press

PORTLAND, Ore. — Furkan Korkmaz made a 3-pointer with 0.4 seconds left and the unbeaten Philadelphia 76ers rallied for their fifth straight victory, 129-128 over the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday night.

Anfernee Simons made a corner 3-pointer with 2.2 seconds left to put Portland in front but the Sixers got the ball back after a timeout to set up Korkmaz’s falling-down, 24-footer for the win — without suspended center Joel Embiid.

Philadelphia is the last undefeated team in the league with its first 5-0 start since the 2000-01 season.

The Blazers led by as many as 21 points in the third quarter but the Sixers closed the gap to 103-100 on Raul Neto’s driving layup with just over 10 minutes left. Damian Lillard’s 3-pointer with five minutes to go put Portland up 121-113.

Portland’s Rodney Hood, who finished with 25 points, left the game with 4:29 left after he tangled with Tobias Harris. It appeared that Hood injured his left knee.

Ben Simmons’ dunk got the 76ers within 125-122 with 2:19 left before Al Horford’s dunk made it a one-point game.

Mario Hezonja fouled Simmons with 10.1 seconds left and he made both to give the Sixers the lead.

Horford finished with 25 points and Harris added 23. Simmons had 18 points and 11 rebounds.

Lillard had 33 points, including eight of Portland’s 19 3-pointers.

Embiid was serving the first of a two-game suspension for an altercation with Karl-Anthony Towns during the 76ers’ 117-95 home victory Wednesday over the Timberwolves. Both were ejected from the game and Towns was also suspended for a pair of games.

Embiid was averaging 25.3 points and 10.3 rebounds to start the season. Rookie Matisse Thybulle got his second start of the season for the Sixers, but Korkmaz started the second half.

The Blazers said before the game that center Hassan Whiteside would not be available because of a left knee bone bruise. That put Portland in a tough position because Zach Collins was already out with a dislocated shoulder. Fellow big man Pau Gasol was still rehabbing from offseason foot surgery and Jusuf Nukic isn’t due back until the new year after his breaking his leg last season.

Whiteside was averaging 12.8 points and 12.2 rebounds with the Blazers in the team’s first five games.

“With them being the best rebounding team in the league that will probably be our biggest challenge. We’ll open it up a little bit. We’ll have more shooters out there and the style of play will probably be a little bit different,” coach Terry Stotts said before the game. “Our biggest concern is probably defensively with their size. They’ve got good length at every position.”

Portland started Anthony Tolliver and Hezonja at forward against the Sixers, along with Hood.

The Blazers led 32-27 going into the second quarter, with Hezonja leading the way with 10 points. Philadelphia tied it at 45 midway through the quarter on James Ennis III’s 3-pointer. But the Sixers could not pull in front and Hood made back-to-back 3-pointers and Lillard added another to put the Blazers up 60-48.

Portland led by 68-57 at the break. Lillard’s 3-pointer extended Portland’s lead to 93-72. Philadelphia closed the gap with a 12-point run that narrowed Portland’s lead to 102-98 with 10:48 left in the game.

Devin Booker, Aron Baynes lead Suns past Grizzlies

In Memphis, Devin Booker scored 21 points and Aron Baynes hit a career-high four 3-pointers and had 20 points in the Phoenix Suns’ 114-105 victory over the Grizzlies on Saturday night.

The two combined to shoot 14 of 23 from the field and the Suns finished at 50%, going 14 of 34 from 3-point range.

Kelly Oubre Jr. added 15 points and Frank Kaminsky had 14. Rookie Ja Morant led Memphis with 24 points and seven assists, Dillon Brooks and Brandon Clarke each had 16 points and Clarke added 11 rebounds.

The game would get away from Memphis in the third quarter, part of the ongoing second-half problems for the young Grizzlies.

Phoenix outscored Memphis 37-22 in the third, with the Grizzlies committing 11 turnovers. That helped the Suns to convert a two-point halftime deficit into a lead that reached 14 as Phoenix carried an 82-69 into the fourth quarter.

Memphis led 47-45 at the break as both teams struggled from outside the arc, part of overall shooting problems.

Phoenix made only 3 of 14 from 3-point range in the half, while Memphis was 4 of 16. Twelve Phoenix turnovers didn’t help the Suns. either.

Kaminsky came off the bench for 11 points in the half.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By the Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO — Terry Rozier made a short go-ahead jumper then added two free throws with 4.9 seconds left after missing three straight, and the Charlotte Hornets held off the injury-depleted Golden State Warriors 93-87 on Saturday night.

Dwayne Bacon scored 25 points while Rozier finished with 20 points and seven assists to help the Hornets win their second straight after back-to-back losses to the Lakers and Clippers.

Erich Paschall had a season-high 25 points for Golden State while starting in place of injured Draymond Green.

Green suffered a torn ligament in his left index finger on Friday night, joining a long list of injured Warriors.

Golden State (1-5) was also without D’Angelo Russell, who has an ankle injury.

That forced coach Steve Kerr to use his sixth different lineup in as many games. The new-look Warriors seemed to relish the opportunity early, scoring a season-high 30 points in the first quarter.

But Golden State went cold down the stretch and was limited to two baskets over the final three minutes.

Charlotte (3-3) trailed entering the fourth quarter but went on a quick run capped by Malik Monk’s follow shot to take an 80-75 lead.

Damion Lee’s 3-pointer with 1:55 left tied it at 86, and Paschall added a free throw that put the Warriors ahead.

But Rozier, who shot 8 of 17, made an 11-foot jumper. Rozier then missed two free throws, but Cody Martin made one and Rozier came back to make two more.

Gilgeous-Alexander, Bazley lead Thunder over Pelicans

Oklahoma City Thunder coach Billy Donovan has experimented with a three-guard lineup early in a rebuilding season. He had to go beyond that Saturday, due to injury, illness and foul trouble.

With starting center Steven Adams sidelined by a knee injury for the second straight game and backup Nerlens Noel getting into foul trouble, Donovan went with a lineup that sometimes featured 6-foot-10 forward Danilo Gallinari and no one else over 6-6 on the floor. It was effective enough to hold New Orleans at bay and propel the Thunder to just their second win of the season.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 23 points and eight rebounds, and the Thunder beat the Pelicans 115-104.

Dennis Schroder and rookie Darius Bazley each added 17 points for the Thunder. Gallinari scored 16 points and Chris Paul finished with 15 points and nine assists.

“I thought it was a good team win because everybody contributed,” Donovan said. “I thought at the end of the third (quarter) and throughout the beginning part of the fourth, we got really good play from our bench.”

Bazley saw his most extensive action, playing just under 19 minutes. Hamidou Diallo stepped up to play more than 29 minutes when starter Terrance Ferguson came down with flu-like symptoms in the first quarter, and he contributed 12 points, five rebounds and rim protection. Noel managed to navigate around his foul trouble to block six shots.

JJ Redick scored 17 points for the Pelicans, who were coming off their only victory of the season. The Pelicans played most of the game without leading scorer Brandon Ingram, who left midway through the second quarter with an injury.

Gilgeous-Alexander scored 10 points in the first seven minutes and had 18 at halftime. Bazley scored eight points in the third quarter. The Thunder took a 94-86 lead into the fourth quarter.

New Orleans cut it to 104-101 with 5:10 remaining on Redick’s 3-pointer, but Paul and Gallinari responded with back-to-back 3 and Schroder took control of the game in the final minutes on defense as Oklahoma City pulled away.

“I thought Chris and Gallo were really efficient tonight with the way they played,” Donovan said. “I think everybody contributed today and that was good to see. Offensively, we continue to improve and get better.”

Jahlil Okafor took advantage of Oklahoma City’s lack of size, scoring 15 points and grabbing 12 rebounds, but he was ineffective down the stretch as New Orleans fell to 1-5.

“We keep turning the ball over; 17 turnovers for 23 points. You just can’t survive that, especially on the road,”

Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said. “We’ve got to do a much better job protecting the ball. We’ve got to do a better job of getting back and getting our defense set. And then we’ve got to do a better job of executing down the stretch. We didn’t do those things.”

Ingram, who was averaging 26.8 points, appeared to try and intentionally foul Gilgeous-Alexander on a drive to stop play, but didn’t get a whistle. A few seconds later, on a dead ball, he came out of the game and went straight to the Pelicans locker room with an apparent head injury. He did not return to the bench for the remainder of the game, finishing with just seven points.

New Orleans is already missing rookie No. 1 pick Zion Williamson, who is recovering from knee surgery.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By the Associated Press

DETROIT — Though Bruce Brown had career highs in points and assists on Saturday night, his coach was just as interested with a stat he didn’t pile up.

No turnovers.

Dwane Casey praised his second-year player after a 113-109 victory over the Brooklyn Nets, in which Brown had 22 points and seven assists in his first career start as a point guard.

“That was the key to the game was not letting them get out in transition,” Casey said of the turnovers. “He did an excellent job. Him being a point guard, that’s why the summer league was beneficial for him, to make sure that he learned to run pick-and-roll, to run the team. He did a good job.”

Andre Drummond had 25 points and 20 rebounds, and Luke Kennard finished with 24 points and helped seal the win with a driving basket and two free throws in the final 30 seconds of both teams’ second game in two nights.

Drummond had at least 20 points and 20 rebounds for the third straight game and fourth time in seven games this season. He added six assists, five blocks and three steals.

“He’s a big guy, and he’s skilled under there in terms of rebounding,” Nets center Jarrett Allen said. “He knows where to put his body and he knows where to put himself. At the end of the day, he has every skill set needed for it.”

Kyrie Irving had his first triple-double with Brooklyn with 20 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. He played well late but scored six points in the first three quarters, in part because of Brown’s defense.

The game swung wildly in the middle quarters. The Nets outscored Detroit by 15 points in the second quarter, and the Pistons turned it around for a 14-point advantage in the third.

“We were down 14 in the third quarter, but it was nothing but grit and grind to come back the way the guys did,” Casey said. “We’ve got to be that way every night.”

The Pistons, who averaged 19.8 turnovers in the first six games, committed eight in the first half, but none after halftime.

Spencer Dinwiddie split a pair of free throws with 7.4 seconds remaining, and Drummond did the same with 6.7 seconds left to put the Pistons up 111-108.

Prince then split a pair, missing the second on purpose, and Drummond grabbed the rebound and made a pair with 3.6 seconds left to seal the win.

“For some reason we ran out of gas in the second half, and I’m not sure why,” Nets coach Kenny Atkinson said.

Drummond had 11 rebounds in the first quarter and assisted the first three baskets. His playmaking was a boost for a team short on ball-handlers.

Playing without injured point guards Reggie Jackson (back), Derrick Rose (hamstring) and Tim Frazier (shoulder), the Pistons played Brown and Kennard at the position, with Drummond facilitating from the high post.

“It was a game of opportunity for some guys,” Kennard said. “Bruce, the way he stepped up tonight, he was kind of one of our leaders on the court. So credit to the kid. He played his heart out offensively and he was guarding their best player throughout the entire game.”

Taurean Prince added 20 points and Joe Harris had 18 for the Nets.

Murray, Jokic lead Nuggets past Magic

Jamal Murray, Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets pushed aside the Orlando Magic to snap a two-game losing streak.

Murray scored 22 points, Jokic had 20 points and seven rebounds and both made big late plays to help Denver beat Orlando 91-87 on Saturday night.

“It’s the little stuff that’s going to help us be successful on offense,” Murray said. “We all know we can shoot, we’re struggling with shots right now, but all that will change sometime.”

Jokic hit a shot from the corner with 1:53 left to put Denver up 84-81. Murray made a jumper with 1:24 left, drove for a dunk and an 88-83 lead with 35 seconds remaining, and wrapped up the victory with two free throws with 5.1 seconds left.

“If you’re a good team, you don’t go on extended losing streaks. That’s the reality of the NBA,” said Denver coach Michael Malone. “If you’re going to be a good team, you respond. … So we got back to defending and play with great energy and sharing the ball.”

Sixteen of Jokic’s 20 points came in the second half.

“I was just more aggressive,” he said. “I just wanted to make them react to me, and that takes a lot of pressure off other players.”

The Nuggets shot only 37%, but pulled ahead in the third quarter when the Magic made only seven of 25 shots.

Nikola Vuevic scored 24 points for Orlando, and Aaron Gordon added 21 points and nine rebounds.

Vucevic made his first five shots and helped Orlando to a 12-point lead, the largest of the game for either team.

Two free throws by Torrey Craig with 4:01 left in the third quarter gave the Nuggets their first lead, 61-60. A 3-pointer by Malik Beasley stretched Denver’s lead to eight early in the fourth quarter.

Vucevic’s 3-pointer tied it at 81 with 3:57 left, but Murray and Jokic scored nine of Denver’s 10 points after that.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By the Associated Press

MILWAUKEE  — Giannis Antetokounmpo had 36 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists to lead the Milwaukee Bucks to a 115-105 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Saturday night in the first meeting between the teams since the Eastern Conference finals.

Eric Bledsoe added 14 points and five assists, and Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez each had 11 points for the Bucks.

The Bucks had the best record in the East last season and then took a 2-0 lead over the Raptors in the conference finals, but Toronto took the next four en route to its first NBA championship.

In this rematch, Kyle Lowry scored a season-high 36 points and Pascal Siakam 16 for Toronto, which had won four of its first five this season.

The Bucks’ habit of blowing big leads nearly cost them again. They led by 19 in the first half against Boston and 21 in the third quarter over Miami, but lost them both.

The Raptors, who had trailed by as much as 26 points, pulled within four three times in the fourth quarter, the last on a 3-pointer from Fred VanVleet that made it 107-103 with 2:24 to play.

Toronto coach Nick Nurse challenged the call on Siakam’s sixth foul with 1:41 to play, but a review confirmed it and George Hill pushed the lead to six with two free throws. Antetokounmpo tacked on two more baskets and Bledsoe added one for the final margin.

Lowry’s 17 points and 12 from Siakam pulled Toronto to 95-90 heading into the fourth quarter.

The Bucks led 36-17 at the end of the first quarter and 66-50 at the half behind 17 points from Antetokounmpo and a dismal offensive showing from Toronto. The Raptors shot 13 of 41 (31.7 from the floor. Siakam, Toronto’s leading scorer averaging 28 points, had five points on 2-for-8 shooting.

Wiggins’ 21 points lead Wolves over Wizards

Andrew Wiggins scored 21 points, Robert Covington and Jarrett Culver each added 20 and the Minnesota Timberwolves cruised to a 131-109 victory over the Washington Wizards on Saturday night.

Minnesota, which improved to 4-1 for the first time since 2012-13, had six players in double figures.

Bradley Beal scored 30 points for Washington (1-4). The Wizards began the 2018-19 season with seven losses in eight games.

Playing without Karl-Anthony Towns, who was serving the first of a two-game suspension for fighting with Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid on Wednesday, Minnesota led throughout the game. The Wolves were already ahead by 10 with 3 ½ minutes gone in the second quarter and increased their lead steadily.

Wiggins’ 3-pointer at the buzzer to end the third quarter extended the lead to 106-72.

Gorgui Dieng, who started in place of Towns, scored 18 points. Jeff Teague had 15 points and 13 assists, and Jake Layman added 14 points.

After losing 159-158 to Houston on Wednesday, the Wizards completely fell apart against the Timberwolves.

Minnesota won the last meeting between the teams on March 9, and this game broke a pattern of alternating wins and losses over 20 meetings that began March 9, 2009.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Agence France-Presse

Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry is “absolutely” determined to play in next year’s Olympics despite the hand injury which will leave him sidelined until February, his father told ESPN.

Former NBA player Dell Curry said his son remained keen to represent the United States in Tokyo following surgery on a fractured left hand.

“Absolutely. That was definitely a goal coming into this year. He wants to play in the Olympics,” Dell Curry told ESPN’s The Undefeated website.

“This is a little setback, but hopefully it’s a goal he can strive for through his rehab.”

Six-time All Star and two-time NBA MVP Curry has never played in the Olympics, which open in Tokyo on July 24 next year.

On Friday, Curry underwent surgery to repair a broken metacarpal bone in his left hand.

Dell Curry said his son would not rush his comeback.

“Anytime you have a major surgery like that, even with a hand, he’s doing the best he can,” Curry said.

“It was a tough, tough injury, but he’s doing the best he can. Three to four months, not sure when he is going to come back. Has to take his time and come back with it.

“He’s been through injuries before with the ankle. He understands the rehab that it takes to get through it. He knows about injuries and what goes through that. He’s got to be patient and make sure he is fully healthy before he comes back.”

 

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Agence France-Presse

Draymond Green has become the latest victim of the Golden State Warriors’ injury jinx after suffering torn ligaments in his finger, coach Steve Kerr confirmed on Saturday.

Green damaged his left index finger during Friday’s defeat to the San Antonio Spurs and will now miss “the next few games,” Kerr said ahead of the Warriors game with the Charlotte Hornets.

Green had complained of being hampered by the injury after Friday’s loss.

“I couldn’t grip the ball the whole entire game, probably since the second quarter,” Green said.

In a separate development, D’Angelo Russell was ruled out of Saturday’s game after complaining of an ankle sprain.

“He tweaked it last night and it got worse over night, he’s in a lot of pain,” Kerr said of Russell’s injury.

Talking generally about the Warriors injury crisis, Kerr admitted: “There’s definitely a kind of feeling of ‘What the hell’s going on?’”

“But you just have to deal with it and move forward,” Kerr said. “It’s a great opportunity for the young guys and they have to try and take advantage of it right now.”

Asked by a reporter if the Warriors had an obvious back up point guard for the injured Curry and Russell, Kerr replied: “No. Are you available?”

Golden State, who reached their fifth straight NBA Finals last season, have been decimated by injuries and departures this year.

Kevin Durant departed for Brooklyn in the close season while Klay Thompson is expected to miss the entire season with a knee injury.

On Friday, the Warriors confirmed Stephen Curry had undergone surgery to repair his fractured left hand and would face at least three months on the sidelines.

The Warriors were 1–4 for the season prior to Saturday’s game at the Chase Center.

 

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Nick Giongco

REDONDO BEACH, California—World boxing champion Jerwin Ancajas admitted to have felt miserable after his fight scheduled Saturday night (Sunday in the Philippines) fell through after his Mexican opponent failed to arrive.

But a recent episode back home in the Philippines involving his one-year-old daughter almost left him with a broken heart after failing to witness a momentous event.

“I was there when my two sons began taking their first steps,” said Ancajas, referring to Kyle and Kyrie.

“I held their hands and made sure they don’t fall,” said Ancajas. “Then I slowly let go and felt very happy to see them take their first few steps.”

When the bubbly Jayce Kiera started becoming a handful and showed interest in taking those first steps, Ancajas wasn’t around to hold her hand.

And he wasn’t there either when she finally took hers.

“I feel sad because I missed that moment,” said Ancajas, who had just arrived in Los Angeles when Kiera began walking. “Just saw that when my wife (Ruth) sent the video.”

Ancajas won’t likely be returning home anytime soon. Plans are afoot for him to make the eighth defense of the
International Boxing Federation super-flyweight title on Dec. 7 in Pueblo, Mexico, possibly against Miguel Gonzalez of Chile.

If that fight gets confirmed, Ancajas will stay behind to train in Las Vegas, delaying his much-awaited return to the Philippines.

In the meantime, Ancajas is left without a choice but to endure the pain and suffering.

After all, Ancajas insists the sacrifice is going to be all worth it.

WATCH:

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Jonas Terrado

Team Standings W L

X-NLEX 7 1
X-TNT KaTropa 7 1
Ginebra 5 2
Meralco 5 2
San Miguel 5 3
Magnolia 4 4
Columbian 4 5
NorthPort 3 4
Alaska 2 6
Phoenix Pulse 2 6
Rain or Shine 2 7
Blackwater 2 7

X-clinched quarterfinals berth

Games Sunday

(Smart Araneta Coliseum)

4:30 p.m. – NorthPort vs Alaska
6:45 p.m. – Ginebra vs Meralco

Chris Banchero is expected to suit up for Alaska against NorthPort in the resumption of the PBA Governors’ Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum despite reports that he will be traded to Magnolia in exchange for two players.

Reports came out late Friday that the Aces agreed to ship Banchero to the Hotshots for Rodney Brondial and Robbie Herndon, a move the league will review once it receives the trade papers as early as Sunday or the resumption of office work Monday.

Both teams refrained from commenting on the supposed agreement which will see Banchero leave the Aces – the only team he has played since being taken in the first round of the 2014 Rookie Draft.

For now, Alaska would rather focus on getting a key win over NorthPort in order to keep a fighting chance in the quarterfinal race.

The Aces hold a 2-6 record while the Batang Pier are in eighth spot at 3-4 going into the 4:30 p.m. encounter.

Alaska, under new coach Jeffrey Cariaso, is coming off a 101-91 victory over Blackwater last Oct. 26.

NorthPort will play for the first time since losing rookie Robert Bolick to a season-ending knee injury sustained during a 127-119 win over San Miguel Beer last Oct. 23 at the Cuneta Astrodome.

Banchero’s future could overshadow the key matchup between Barangay Ginebra San Miguel and Meralco set at 6:45 p.m.

The winner formally secures a quarterfinals berth while tightening their grip in the race for the twice-to-beat advantage given to the top four teams after the eliminations.

Ginebra and Meralco hold similar 5-2 slates, half-game ahead of fifth-running San Miguel which carries a 5-3 card.

The Kings have won four straight after a 1-2 start while the Bolts posted back-to-back victories, including a 127-99 rout of the Beermen last Sunday.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Agence France-Presse

Springbok wings Makazole Mapimpi and Cheslin Kolbe grabbed a try each as South Africa beat England 32-12 on Saturday to win the Rugby World Cup for the third time.

Star player Kolbe put the icing on the cake for the Springboks with only six minutes to go, adding to a scintillating try from Mapimpi and six penalties from outstanding fly-half Handre Pollard.

 

Source: Manila Bulletin

By the Associated Press

BOSTON — Jayson Tatum made a big play at a big moment for the Boston Celtics.

Then he made it sound very routine.

Tatum hit a turnaround jumper with 1.3 seconds remaining, and the Celtics beat the New York Knicks 104-102 on Friday night for their fourth straight victory.

“It feels great, but I don’t want to get too excited,” Tatum said. “The guys that I look up to in this league, they’ve do things like this all the time.”

Tatum finished with 24 points. Kemba Walker scored 23 of his 33 points in the second half, and Gordon Hayward had 13 points and nine boards.

Walker called Tatum’s basket “a huge, big-time shot.”

“I’m happy we went to him,” he said. “Hopefully that keeps him confident. That can really just get something going for us. That was an unbelievable play.”

Unlike a 118-95 rout at Madison Square Garden the previous Saturday, Boston was pushed by New York until the very end of a game that featured 24 lead changes and 10 ties.

Marcus Morris, who played the last two seasons with the Celtics before signing with New York as a free agent, led the Knicks with 29 points. Morris made four foul shots in the final minute, and then hit a tying 3-pointer with 4.7 seconds left.

“We stayed locked in all game long,” said Knicks rookie RJ Barrett, who finished with 15 points and seven rebounds.

“The whole fourth quarter we [were] fighting, and that’s the identity of our team. We did that tonight.”

After Morris’ late 3, the Celtics called timeout and Marcus Smart inbounded the ball to Tatum in the corner. He caught the pass, turned around and pulled up for a shot from the corner that was initially called a 3-pointer. It was quickly overturned during the timeout, but it didn’t matter. The Celtics broke up a long inbound pass and the Knicks didn’t get off another shot.

Morris congratulated his former teammate after the game.

“It was good to see him get his first one (game-winning shot),” Morris said. “I wish it could have been against somebody else, but hey — it’s the NBA.”

It was the third straight game with 30-plus points by Walker, who scored 32 in the previous two and finished with his best game since signing with the Celtics as a free agent.

Walker also hit all 14 of his foul shots and added five assists and six rebounds.

“We stuck with the game,” Walker said. “It came down to a last-second shot, but (we’ll) take wins any way you can get them.”

The Knicks led 50-49 at halftime and opened the third quarter with a 3-pointer by Frank Ntilikina, starting a period full of shots from beyond the arc. Both clubs hit five 3-pointers in the quarter before the Celtics carried a 75-74 lead into the fourth.

The back-and-forth continued in the final period. Boston regained the lead on a three-point play by Walker, putting the Celtics up 87-86 with 5:19 remaining.

Hayward followed with a 3-pointer and Tatum hit a pair of foul shots to stretch the lead to 92-86 with 4:14 left to play. The Knicks pulled within a point at 92-91, then again at 95-94 on a 3-pointer by Morris, but the Celtics answered with a pair of free throws by Walker and a 3-pointer by Tatum with 1:50 remaining, giving Boston a 99-94 lead.

Kings survive Jazz, end five-game skid

De’Aaron Fox got back to attacking the rim. Buddy Hield and Bogdan Bogdanovic found their rhythm from the perimeter. And Luke Walton finally got his first victory with Sacramento.

With one all-inclusive performance, the Kings ended their worst start in nearly 30 years and shook off the label of being the NBA’s only remaining winless team.

Harrison Barnes scored on an offensive rebound with 2.9 seconds remaining after Nemanja Bjelica’s missed 3-pointer, and the Kings won their first game of the season, beating the Utah Jazz 102-101 on Friday night.

“It was probably the first time all season we put together a full game,” Barnes said. “Everyone down the line came in and contributed, and that was the team effort that we needed, the energy, the fight when they made runs, that we needed.”

It wasn’t all pretty.

Sacramento committed 17 turnovers, made only 12 of 17 free throws and was outscored 13-5 over the final 5 minutes.

But for a franchise that had playoff aspirations after going 39-43 a year ago, it was a definitive step forward.

“We were hungry tonight? Yes. Have we been hungry most games to start? Yes, and then it fades out,” Walton said.

“But that’s the intensity that we have to have for an entire game. Hopefully we feel that, we build on it and we continue to go in the right direction.”

Fox scored 25 points, Hield had 18 and Bogdanovic added 14 to help the Kings (1-5).

Donovan Mitchell had 24 points for the Jazz (4-2). Rudy Gobert added 15 points and 16 rebounds, and Mike Conley scored 19.

Mitchell’s desperation 3-pointer at the buzzer grazed the front of the rim.

“We knew it wasn’t the last minute that lost us the game. It was things we did in between the quarters,” Conley said. “Defensively we weren’t ourselves in different areas. They attacked us in pick and rolls, they were aggressive, and you can tell they were trying to get a win. They did everything necessary to do that. We didn’t come with the same energy.”

Nearly a week after getting blown out by the Jazz 113-81 in Salt Lake City, the Kings built an early lead, nearly gave it all away, then made a pair of big plays down the stretch to win.

Utah trailed 97-88 before scoring nine straight to tie the game on Mitchell’s 22-foot jumper. After Dewayne Dedmon made a 3-pointer for Sacramento, Mitchell fed Gobert for an alley-oop dunk, then scored on a layup to put the Jazz up 101-100 with 11.2 seconds left.

Bjelica, who made three 3s earlier in the game, missed from the left corner with the clock running down, but Harrison grabbed the rebound and scored the winner.

“Belly had a good look, a look that we all have a lot of confidence in (him) to knock that shot down,” Barnes said. “(I) found a good bounce and was able to put it in.”

It’s the first time in six games that Utah has allowed more than 100 points.

Source: Manila Bulletin