LOS ANGELES, United States — Rookie A.J. Griffin scored 24 points from the
bench as the
Atlanta Hawks ended the Milwaukee Bucks’ unbeaten start to the NBA
season on Monday, while Stephen Curry produced a 47-point masterpiece to snap
the Golden State Warriors’ five-game losing streak.
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Griffin was one of
six Hawks players to make double digits as Atlanta shrugged off the absence of
star playmaker Trae Young to hand the Bucks their first defeat of the 2022–2023
campaign.
The Bucks went into
the game seeking a 10th straight win after a 9–0 start left them as the NBA’s
only unbeaten team.
But Atlanta
recovered superbly after being outscored 36–25 in the first quarter before
trailing by six points at half-time.
The game swung
decisively in Atlanta’s favor in the third period as the Hawks’ scoring erupted
with 37 points.
Atlanta wrapped up
a 117–98 victory with a 28–18 fourth quarter that saw the Hawks improve to 7–3
for the season.
Dejounte Murray led
the Hawks’ scorers with 25 points, eight rebounds and 11 assists.
But the real stars
of the show for Atlanta came from a potent bench led by teenage rookie Griffin,
who combined for 59 points to set up the win. Justin Holiday drained four
three-pointers in a 14-point contribution, while Onyeka Okongwu added 12.
“Before the game
started, the coach said ‘Believe’. I feel the whole team wanted more,”
19-year-old Griffin said.
“It was a great
win. We knew the gameplan — just pitch in and make sure we had each other’s
back.”
Milwaukee’s scoring
was led by
Giannis Antetokounmpo with 25 points, while Jrue Holiday added 16
points.
Curry ‘lights the fire’
In other games on Monday, Golden State ended their five-game losing streak
but only after a brilliant fourth-quarter performance from Curry against
Sacramento.
Curry scored 17 of
his 47 points in the final frame as the Warriors outscored the Kings 37–25 to
sneak a 116–113 win.
“Whatever it takes
to get a win at this point”, Curry said.
“There was a sense
of desperation coming off that road trip struggling like we did ... we still
can show that championship kind of grit and competitiveness to pull out a game
like that.”
“We know how to do
it — I just needed to light the fire a little bit.”
In Philadelphia,
Joel Embiid drained a perfect 16-of-16 from the free throw line in a 33-point
display as the 76ers outgunned the Phoenix Suns 100–88.
Embiid’s shooting
accuracy was backed with a red-hot contribution off the bench from Georges
Niang, who sank seven three-pointers in a 21-point contribution. Tobias Harris
also scored 21 points for the Sixers.
Devin Booker led
the Phoenix scoring with 28 points, while veteran playmaker Chris Paul hobbled
off with a sore right heel. The Suns said Paul was removed from the game as a
precaution.
Embiid was
satisfied with his free throw accuracy as he returned after a three-game
absence due to illness.
“If they’re going
to keep fouling me I have to make my free throws,” Embiid said.
He said the Sixers
(5–6) would overcome the injury absence of James Harden in daunting upcoming
games against Atlanta and Milwaukee.
“We’re going to
miss him but it’s next man up,” Embiid said. “I’ve got to dominate offensively
and defensively like tonight.”
In Memphis,
Jayson Tatum’s 39-point display carried the Boston Celtics to a 109–106 victory over
the Grizzlies.
Ja Morant scored 30
points for Memphis, including five three-pointers, but Tatum’s dynamic
performance sealed a battling win for the Celtics.
Jaylen Brown added
21 points for Boston, with Al-Horford and Marcus Smart scoring 15 apiece.
In Miami, Josh Hart
drained a three-pointer on the buzzer as the Portland Trail Blazers snatched a
110–107 win against the Heat.
Miami looked to
have done enough to force overtime after Max Strus’s three-pointer with 6.2
seconds remaining tied it up.
But Damian Lillard
launched one last drive up the court and found Hart, who unleashed his winning
bucket as time expired.
Anfernee Simons led
Portland’s scorers with 25 points, while Jerami Grant added 23 and Lillard 19.
Hart finished with 12.
“It was a good play
by Dame (Lillard), he made an unselfish pass and I was able to knock it down,”
Hart said afterwards.
“Dame’s a hell of a
person and a hell of a player — he trusts everyone who’s wearing a Blazers
jersey.”
In Dallas, Luka
Doncic maintained his incredible scoring streak as the Mavericks edged past
Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets 96–94.
Doncic scored 36 points in the win — his ninth straight
30-point game since the season started last month. Kevin Durant led the Nets
scoring with 26 points.
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