By ASSOCIATED PRESS
BOSTON (AP) — The defending NBA champions held off the league’s hottest team on Tuesday night, Nov. 19, 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 the longest in Cavaliers franchise history.
Meanwhile in Memphis, Denver Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook posted the 200th triple-double of his career on in a win over the Grizzlies.
The NBA recordholder for triple-doubles reached the milestone late in a 122-110 victory.
The 36-year-old Westbrook finished with 12 points, 10 rebounds and 14 assists, and it took him until the final minutes to accomplish the feat.
With 1:28 left, Westbrook was one rebound shy of the triple-double when center Dario Saric missed a 3-pointer. Westbrook grabbed his only offensive rebound of the game.
In San Antonio, Keldon Johnson scored 22 points, Harrison Barnes added 20 and the Spurs beat the Oklahoma City Thunder, 110-104, without Victor Wembanyama for their first victory in the Emirates NBA Cup.
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.
In Dallas, Luka Doncic returned to the lineup and scored a game-high 26 points, Klay Thompson added 19 and Kyrie Irving had 18 as the Mavericks beat the undermanned New Orleans Pelicans, 132-91, in an NBA Cup game.
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.
Earlier in New York, Cam Johnson scored 34 points, Dennis Schroder had 14 points and 12 assists and the Brooklyn Nets beat the Charlotte Hornets, 116-115.
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.
