NBA champions the Boston Celtics, fueled by 32 points from Jayson Tatum, on Friday bounced back from an overtime defeat with a gritty 124-109 victory over the Charlotte Hornets.
Tatum added 11 rebounds for his third double-double of the season, while Jaylen Brown scored 25 points with six rebounds and five assists in a physical game that saw tensions erupt in the fourth quarter when former Celtics player Grant Williams sent Tatum sprawling with a shoulder-to-shoulder check.
Williams was ejected, but Brown and others were clearly angered.
Photo: AFP
Less than a minute later, LaMelo Ball was assessed a flagrant foul for crowding in under Tatum as the Celtics star attempted a three-pointer. Charlotte’s Miles Bridges was ejected in the final minutes for punching the ball.
It all could make for fireworks with the teams scheduled to face off again yesterday, but Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla was not fazed.
“I loved it,” said Mazzulla, who received a technical foul as did his Hornets counterpart Charles Lee. “It was tremendous.”
Photo: AP
“Physical game, guys handled it well, great poise, great execution,” added Mazzulla, who was particularly pleased with Tatum’s response to the foul by Williams.
“I’m glad he’s fine,” Mazzulla said. “What I liked most is how he jumped right up, didn’t lay around ... went to the free-throw line and did his business.”
In Cleveland, Ohio, Darius Garland scored 25 points, while Donovan Mitchell added 22 as the Cleveland Cavaliers remained unbeaten with a 120-109 win over the visiting Orlando Magic.
Cleveland have won their first six games to start the season, matching the franchise’s best start since 2016-2017.
Evan Mobley had 14 points and 12 rebounds, Caris LeVert scored 13 points and Jarrett Allen grabbed 11 rebounds for Cleveland, who have scored at least 110 points in all six games under new coach Kenny Atkinson.
Cleveland never trailed in what was a rematch of last year’s Eastern Conference first-round playoff series, which the Cavaliers won in seven games.
Orlando trailed by as many as 22 points in the third quarter and lost their second straight game.
Jalen Suggs scored a career-high 28 points, Franz Wagner and Tristan da Silva added 17 apiece, and Moritz Wagner had 14.
The Magic were without All Star forward Paolo Banchero, who sustained a torn right oblique in their loss to the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday.
Elsewhere on Friday, it was:
‧ Hawks 115, Kings 123
‧ Nets 120, Bulls 112
‧ Pelicans 125, Pacers 118
‧ Pistons 98, Knicks 128
‧ Raptors 125, Lakers 131
‧ T’wolves 119, Nuggets 116
‧ Trail Blazers 114, Thunder 137
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