DEJOUNTE Murray took over the reins for injured Trae Young and finished with 25 points and 11 assists Monday night (Tuesday in Manila) as the host Atlanta Hawks handed the Milwaukee Bucks their first loss of the season 117-98.
Rookie AJ Griffin, who had 23 points combined in his first five NBA games, came off the bench to score 24, helping the Hawks win their third straight and avenge an earlier loss at Milwaukee.
Giannis Antetokounmpo matched Murray with 25 points for the Bucks, the last of the unbeatens whose 9-0 start had equaled the 14th-longest season-opening winning streak in NBA history.
Murray added eight rebounds and three steals for the Hawks, who lost 123-115 at Milwaukee on Oct. 29. Griffin made 10 of 15 shots as the Hawks shot 46.5 percent. The Bucks shot 41.4 percent.
In other games, Blazers 110, Heat 107; Warriors 116, Kings; Bulls 111, Raptors 97; Nuggets 115, Spurs 109; Wizards 108, Hornets 100; Rockets 134, Magic 127; Pistons 112, Thunder 103; Pacers 129, Pelicans 122; Sixers 100, Suns 88; Celtics 109, Grizzlies 106; Knicks 120, Wolves 107; Jazz 139, Lakers 116; Mavs 96, Nets 94; and Clippers 119, Cavs 117.
Blazers 110, Heat 107
Josh Hart swished a left-corner 3-pointer at the buzzer as visiting Portland defeated Miami, who led by as many as 15 in the second half.
Miami’s Max Strus had tied the score at 107 with a contested 3-pointer with 6.2 seconds left. Portland’s Anfernee Simons scored a game-high 25 points. Jerami Grant finished with 23 points and Lillard had 19 points and six assists. Heat forward Jimmy Butler, returning from a hip injury, produced 16 points, seven assists, six steals and four rebounds. Miami had seven players in double-figure scoring. Bam Adebayo tied Hart and Butler for scoring honors with 16 points.
Warriors 116, Kings 113
Stephen Curry took Golden State’s five-game losing streak into his own hands, exploding for a season-high 47 points in a come-from-behind victory over Sacramento in San Francisco.
Curry saved 14 of his points for a game-ending 24-13 run, including a 3-pointer that gave Golden State the lead for good at 110-107 with 1:24 to go. Andrew Wiggins, who had a pair of 3-pointers in Golden State’s late run, backed Curry with 25 points, while Klay Thompson finished with 16 and Draymond Green 11.
Making 10 of 12 free throws, De’Aaron Fox paced Sacramento with 28 points, while Domantas Sabonis had 19 points and a game-high 14 rebounds. They shared team-high assist honors with six apiece. Malik Monk had 24 points off the bench for the Kings. —
