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
EVERY DAY A VICTORY: Players on the women’s team faced pressure from society just getting out onto the field as they prepare for their first Women’s Asian Cup game today Bangladesh’s national soccer team face daunting odds at their first-ever Women’s Asian Cup, but have already scored a major victory by qualifying. In the South Asian nation of 170 million, social stigma, family expectations, poverty and religious hardliners have long relegated women and girls to sports sidelines. The first women’s soccer league matches took place in 2011 and the squad, known to fans as the Red and Green, have kept pressing forward despite deeply embedded prejudices. “Many more girls would have joined us if the community had been even slightly supportive,” captain Afeida Khandaker told AFP ahead of her side’s March 3
Soccer officials yesterday offered “full support and assistance” to the Iranian team in Australia for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup after the US and Israel launched massive attacks on their homeland. Iran’s 26-strong squad arrived on the Gold Coast days before the strikes on Saturday killed supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as Washington and Tel Aviv seek to topple the Islamic republic. They are due to open their tournament today against South Korea. The AFC in a statement said it “continues to closely monitor the recent developments in the Middle East during this challenging period.” “The AFC’s foremost priority remains the welfare, safety and
ROAD RASH: Marc Marquez retired after a crash, marking the first time after 88 consecutive races stretching back to 2021 that a Ducati bike failed to make the podium Marco Bezzecchi yesterday won the MotoGP season-opening grand prix in Thailand from pole position as defending world champion Marc Marquez retired late with a buckled wheel. Aprilia’s Bezzecchi led from start to finish to top the podium in Buriram, with KTM’s Pedro Acosta second and Trackhouse’s Raul Fernandez third. Ducati’s Marquez is chasing a record-equaling eighth world title this season, but he exited the race in dramatic fashion while in fourth place with five laps to go. The Spaniard, who started from second on the grid, took a corner wide, with the jolt to his bike dislodging the rear tire, badly damaging his
Liverpool on Tuesday suffered an embarrassing 2-1 defeat at Wolverhampton Wanderers as Andre’s stoppage-time strike sealed a dramatic victory for the English Premier League’s bottom club. Arne Slot’s side fell behind to Rodrigo Gomes’ strike in the closing stages at Molineux. Mohamed Salah hauled Liverpool level with his first goal in 11 top-flight games dating back to November last year. However, Andre’s first goal for Wolves inflicted the latest humbling loss in a chastening season for Liverpool. It was the first time the Premier League’s bottom club had beaten the reigning champions since Crystal Palace defeated Chelsea in 2017. Liverpool
RSS