Boston Forward Jayson Tatum on Wednesday netted a game-winning three-pointer over Giannis Antetokounmpo with 1.5 seconds left to give the Celtics a 122-121 NBA season-opening victory over the Milwaukee Bucks.
Antetokounmpo, the two-time defending NBA Most Valuable Player, had a chance to tie it from the free-throw line with four-tenths of a second left, but the Greek superstar missed his second free throw after being fouled at the rim and the Celtics came away with the win on their home floor.
“Ever since I was a kid I wanted to be in that position,” Tatum said of stepping up despite a relatively poor shooting night.
Photo: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports
Tatum, who said he “played terrible” after making only 12 of 28 shots from the floor, still finished with 30 points, seven rebounds and two assists.
Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 33 points, five rebounds and four assists.
“It’s the first one of the season, so it felt good to get a win,” Tatum said.
Antetokounmpo, who last week signed a five-year contract extension reportedly worth a record US$228 million, led Milwaukee with 35 points, 13 rebounds, two assists and two blocked shots.
Khris Middleton added 27 points and 14 rebounds for the Bucks, who finished the previous season with the best record in the NBA, but fell to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference semi-finals.
Antetokounmpo’s final free-throw miss was just his second in eight attempts from the foul line in the game.
“The more you’re in situations like that, the more you can succeed, the more you can get the best out of moments like that,” he said. “So I want to be in those moments. I want to be down the stretch, I want to shoot the last two free throws, I want to shoot the last shot because if you think about it, if you do that 1,000 times, some of the time it’s going to go in.”
The nail-biter in Boston was one of a dozen games on the second night of the season.
It was supposed to be 13, but the Houston Rocket’s home opener against the Oklahoma City Thunder was postponed as COVID-19 concerns — including James Harden’s breach of anti-virus protocols, which cost the superstar a US$50,000 fine — left the Rockets with less than the required eight players available to stage the game.
Harden was ineligible after the league found he attended a party on Monday in breach of rules prohibiting players from attending indoor gatherings of more than 15 people.
The Rockets also had three players return positive or inconclusive COVID-19 tests, and four other players were isolated due to contact tracing.
In other games on Wednesday, it was:
‧ Kings 124, Nuggets 122 (OT)
‧ Jazz 120, Trail Blazers 100
‧ Suns 106, Mavericks 102
‧ 76ers 113, Wizards 107
‧ Pelicans 113, Raptors 99
‧ Timberwolves 111, Pistons 101
‧ Cavaliers 121, Hornets 114
‧ Magic 113, Heat 107
‧ Pacers 121, Knicks 107
‧ Spurs 131, Grizzlies 119
‧ Hawks 124, Bulls 104
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