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NHL (National Hockey League)

Blue Jackets come from two goals down to defeat Utah in overtime in Columbus

Zach Werenski scored 1:01 into overtime to give the Columbus Blue Jackets a 3-2 win against the Utah Hockey Club on Friday night in Salt Lake City.

Werenski finished a two-on-none breakaway with Cole Sillinger after stealing the puck in Utah’s zone.

Utah gave up a 2-0 lead in the third period.

Kirill Marchenko and Kent Johnson also scored for Columbus. Werenski added an assist, and Daniil Tarasov made 31 saves. The Blue Jackets have now won three straight games, all in overtime.

Nick Schmaltz and Alexander Kerfoot scored for Utah, Clayton Keller recorded two assists, and Karel Vejmelka made 20 saves. Utah has now lost four games in a row (0-2-2), despite being tied or leading during the third period of each.

Columbus cut the deficit to 2-1 at 6:25 in the third after Vejmelka stopped shots from Werenski and Adam Fantilli, but Marchenko scored on the rebound.

The Blue Jackets tied the game at 2-2 at 11:42 when Johnson’s wrist shot hit Vejmelka and the rebound fell to his side. Utah defenseman Nick DeSimone accidentally kicked the puck into his own net.

Columbus Blue Jackets (NHL)

Columbus killed two penalties in the first period and prevented another Utah power play after winning a challenge for delay of game.

Utah killed a four-minute high-sticking penalty on Ian Cole, with Vejmelka making six saves during the kill.

Utah’s second power play of the first period carried into the second period, and Schmaltz scored 41 seconds into the middle frame to give Utah a 1-0 lead. Keller lost the puck at the Columbus blue line, but Barrett Hayton collected it and passed it to Schmaltz, who redirected the puck into the top right corner.

Utah extended its lead to 2-0 just 29 seconds into the third period. Kerfoot won a faceoff in the Columbus zone, and John Marino’s slap shot was saved by Tarasov. The rebound came to the front of the crease, and Kerfoot quickly scored.

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NHL (National Hockey League)

Jonathan Drouin and Mackenzie Blackwood guide Avs to victory over Blues in Denver

Jonathan Drouin scored two goals and added an assist, Martin Necas scored his first goal with Colorado, and the Avalanche defeated the St. Louis Blues 5-0 in Denver on Friday night.

Mackenzie Blackwood recorded 19 saves for his first shutout with Colorado and his second of the season. Cale Makar and Joel Kiviranta also scored, helping Necas and Jack Drury have a successful debut in Denver.

The Avalanche traded for Necas and Drury on January 24, sending leading scorer Mikko Rantanen to the Hurricanes.

Joel Hofer stopped 31 shots for St. Louis, which has now lost four straight games and five of its last six.

Drouin got Colorado on the board early in the first period when Juuso Parssinen passed the puck from behind the net, and Drouin tipped it in out of midair at 4:57.

Necas made it 2-0 less than three minutes later when he carried the puck into the zone and fired a shot past Hofer at 7:39 for his fifth point since the trade.

Dallas Stars and St. Louis Blues

The Avalanche’s power play, which had been quiet recently, scored in the latter part of the first period. Drouin scored his second goal at 14:43 when Alexey Toropchenko’s clearing attempt went right to Drouin, and he beat Hofer with a high shot. It was his second two-goal game of the season.

Colorado scored again on the power play when they passed the puck around the St. Louis zone to Makar at the point. Makar drifted to his right and fired a wrist shot through a screen into the net at 17:25.

It was the first time Colorado scored two power-play goals in a game since December 19. Kiviranta sealed the win with a goal at 13:21 of the third period.

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NHL (National Hockey League)

Stars extend their win streak to four with a victory over the Canucks in Dallas

Jason Robertson and Roope Hintz each scored twice, contributing to three-point games, as the Dallas Stars defeated the Vancouver Canucks 5-3 on Friday.

Oskar Back also scored for the Stars, who have now won four consecutive games. Goalie Jake Oettinger was strong in net, making 26 saves, especially in the first two periods.

For the Canucks, Conor Garland, Jake DeBrusk, and Carson Soucy scored. Their three-game winning streak came to an end just hours after trading forward J.T. Miller. Goalie Thatcher Demko made 11 saves.

With the game tied 1-1, Robertson put the Stars ahead with a power-play goal at 16:29 in the second period. After solid puck movement, Robertson was passed the puck in the slot and quickly fired it into the net.

Dallas had entered the game with the league’s worst home power play.

Hintz increased the lead to 3-1 at 4:04 in the third period. After the Canucks failed to score on an odd-man rush, Hintz took a breakaway and calmly shot the puck through the goalie’s legs.

Vancouver Canucks (NHL)

Hintz later added a short-handed empty-net goal with 3:27 remaining, shooting the puck into the net from his own zone as the Canucks pulled their goalie for an extra skater.

DeBrusk scored for Vancouver with a power-play goal at 2:09 left, but Robertson sealed the victory with another empty-net goal in the final minute.

Soucy scored a late goal for Vancouver with just four seconds remaining.

Back opened the scoring at 9:12 of the first period, capitalizing on a perfect pass from Colin Blackwell after winning a puck battle along the boards.

Garland responded with a goal at 5:08 in the second period, finishing a pass from Nils Hoglander during an odd-man rush and putting a sharp-angled shot into the net.

Before the game, the Canucks traded Miller, defenseman Erik Brannstrom, and prospect Jackson Dorrington to the New York Rangers in exchange for forward Filip Chytil, defenseman Victor Mancini, and a conditional 2025 first-round draft pick. Miller had long been rumored to be traded due to his reported tension with Elias Pettersson.

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NHL (National Hockey League)

Jiri Kulich scores early and late as Sabres defeat Predators in Buffalo

Rookie Jiri Kulich scored two goals, including the game-winner with 2:04 left, leading the Buffalo Sabres to a 4-3 victory over the Nashville Predators on Friday night.

On a fast break, Sabres forward Tage Thompson passed across the high slot to Kulich, who fired a shot past Nashville goalie Justus Annunen (23 saves) to score his second two-goal game. This was Buffalo’s second win in a row, a rare feat for the team in January.

Ryan McLeod and Jason Zucker also scored, and Rasmus Dahlin had two assists for Buffalo, which bounced back after blowing an early 2-0 lead.

Brady Skjei contributed a goal and an assist for Nashville, which has now lost three straight after a five-game winning streak.

The Sabres started strong, possibly inspired by the pregame ceremony that honored former enforcer Rob Ray’s induction into the team’s Hall of Fame. Buffalo took a 2-0 lead just 8:41 into the game.

At 2:25, McLeod managed to push in a rebound from Dahlin’s shot. A little more than six minutes later, Kulich skated in unguarded and scored on Annunen.

Buffalo Sabres (NHL)

But by the end of the first period, Nashville had tied the game.

At 9:04, Luke Evangelista, back after missing eight games due to injury, tipped in a shot from Justin Barron near the blue line. The Predators tied the game with 2:54 left in the first period, when Skjei’s slap shot deflected off McLeod’s stick and went over the head of Buffalo goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (28 saves).

Nashville then took a 3-2 lead just 2:51 into the second period, when Tommy Novak tipped in another shot from Skjei.

However, the Sabres responded and tied the game 3-3 with 7:34 left in the second. Zucker finished off a two-on-one break with Alex Tuch.

Nashville’s starting goalie, Juuse Saros, was unavailable due to illness.

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NBA (Basketball)

NBA roundup: Jayson Tatum’s game-winner lifts Celtics past Pelicans in Boston

Jaylen Brown scored 28 points and Jayson Tatum added 27, including a go-ahead jumper with 0.2 seconds left, as the visiting Boston Celtics beat the New Orleans Pelicans 118-116 on Friday night.

Tatum also had 10 assists, Kristaps Porzingis and Derrick White scored 16 points each, and Luke Kornet scored 11 points off the bench for the Celtics, who won three of their last four games.

Trey Murphy III scored a season-high 40 points, Jose Alvarado added 20, and CJ McCollum scored 17 for New Orleans, which lost its fifth straight game.

Pelicans starting point guard Dejounte Murray had to be helped off the court after injuring his lower right leg in the first quarter. He did not return, and postgame reports said he tore his Achilles tendon.

Nuggets 137, 76ers 134

Nikola Jokic scored 28 points, made 13 assists, and grabbed 9 rebounds to help visiting Denver beat Philadelphia.

Jokic made the important plays in the final minutes, while Jamal Murray led Denver with 31 points and 11 assists. Michael Porter Jr. added 24 points to help the Nuggets end a three-game losing streak.

Tyrese Maxey scored 42 points, and Guerschon Yabusele scored a career-high 28 for Philadelphia, which was still without Joel Embiid (knee) and Paul George (finger). The Sixers had won four straight games before this. Yabusele’s half-court shot at the buzzer missed.

Clippers 112, Hornets 104

Norman Powell scored 27 points and Kawhi Leonard added 21 points as Los Angeles won in Charlotte.

Ivica Zubac (14 points, 11 rebounds) and James Harden (14 points, 10 assists) each had double-doubles as the Clippers won their fourth game in five tries.

Miles Bridges scored 27 points and grabbed 9 rebounds, while Vasilije Micic scored 20 points for the Hornets, who lost their fifth game in the last six.

Spurs 144, Bucks 118

Victor Wembanyama scored 30 points and grabbed 14 rebounds to lead San Antonio to an impressive win over visiting Milwaukee, ending a four-game home losing streak.

Keldon Johnson added 24 points for San Antonio, which won just its second game in the last seven. Stephon Castle scored 20 points, Harrison Barnes had 16, and Devin Vassell and Chris Paul each scored 12 points in the win.

San Antonio Spurs and Milwaukee Bucks

Giannis Antetokounmpo led all scorers with 35 points and grabbed 14 rebounds. Damian Lillard added 22 points, Khris Middleton scored 21, and Taurean Prince had 13 points for the Bucks.

Suns 130, Warriors 105

Devin Booker led six Phoenix players in double figures, while Stephen Curry was limited to just 14 points as Phoenix dominated Golden State in San Francisco.

Booker finished with a game-high 31 points and 11 assists, Bradley Beal scored 21 points off the bench, and Kevin Durant added 19 for the Suns, who won for the ninth time in their last 12 games.

Andrew Wiggins and Moses Moody each scored 17 points for the Warriors, as Curry shot only 1-for-6 from 3-point range.

Bulls 122, Raptors 106

Coby White scored 25 points and made 6 assists, helping visiting Chicago end Toronto’s five-game winning streak with an easy victory.

Bulls center Nikola Vucevic had 12 points and 6 rebounds in the first quarter and finished with 21 points and 12 rebounds. Josh Giddey added 15 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists. Chicago also got solid bench production, with Jalen Smith scoring 17 points, Matas Buzelis adding 12, Patrick Williams scoring 11 points and grabbing 9 rebounds, and Dalen Terry contributing 10 points.

Scottie Barnes scored 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for the Raptors, and RJ Barrett had 19 points and 9 boards. Immanuel Quickley returned from injury to score 13 of his 14 points in the first half. Jacob Poeltl had 8 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 blocked shots.

Pistons 117, Mavericks 102

First-time All-Star Cade Cunningham scored 40 points, and host Detroit ended a three-game losing streak by beating Dallas.

Tobias Harris scored 17 points, and Jalen Duren added 16 points, 13 rebounds, and 5 assists. Marcus Sasser contributed 10 points.

Kyrie Irving led the Mavericks with 28 points. P.J. Washington scored 22 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, while Daniel Gafford added 16 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 blocks. Klay Thompson scored 13 points.

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NBA (Basketball)

Rockets eye All-Star Alperen Sengun’s return against the Nets in Houston

Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun earned his first career All-Star selection on Thursday, but it wasn’t a great day for him or his team.

Sengun missed his first game of the season due to a bruised calf, and the Rockets lost 120-119 to Memphis, which pulled the Grizzlies to within a half-game of Houston for the second seed in the Western Conference. The result also tied the two teams atop the Southwest Division standings.

Sengun, listed as questionable, may miss another game when the Rockets try to hold on to their division lead against the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday.

Sengun is averaging 19.1 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 5.0 assists this season. Injuries are starting to pile up for the Rockets, who have been without starting forward Jabari Smith Jr. (hand) since January 1, and reserve forward Tari Eason, who has played 31 games but is still dealing with leg soreness.

Only five Rockets have played at least 40 games this season, with guard Jalen Green leading the way. Green has started 151 consecutive games since February 26, 2023, and has missed just 21 games in his three-plus seasons with the Rockets. His consistency has helped the team as they try to build a strong foundation.

“It’s something you don’t take for granted. He hasn’t missed a game since I’ve been here,” said second-year Rockets coach Ime Udoka. “He plays through everything—injuries, pain, things that most guys would sit out for. That takes a certain toughness.”

Alperen Sengun reacts in the 1st half

“Even though he’s not the most physical guy, his ability to play through everything is valuable,” Udoka added. “Many nights, he’s been sick or had swelling, but he still plays. We saw that last year when he played all 82 games, and he’s continued that this season, showing his competitiveness and toughness.”

The Nets snapped a seven-game losing streak with a 104-83 win at Charlotte on Wednesday, breaking a stretch where they lost 12 of 13 games.

Brooklyn was without several key players, including Cam Thomas (hamstring), Bojan Bogdanovic (foot), Noah Clowney (ankle), and Cameron Johnson (ankle). However, they welcomed back Ben Simmons after a five-game absence due to illness. Trendon Watford also returned to action, scoring nine points and grabbing four rebounds in his first game since December 16.

Despite the injuries, Brooklyn had six players score in double figures in the win. Coach Jordi Fernandez emphasized that with a short-handed roster, sharing the ball and balanced scoring was key.

“The ball’s got energy. If the ball moves and everybody scores, everybody touches the ball, that really makes a difference,” Fernandez said. “We’ve had seven games where multiple guys have been in double digits, and that’s how we want to play.”

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NBA (Basketball)

Cade Cunningham scores 40 as Pistons top Mavericks by 15 in Detroit

First-time All-Star Cade Cunningham scored 40 points, leading the Detroit Pistons to a 117-102 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night, ending their three-game losing streak.

Tobias Harris added 17 points, and Jalen Duren contributed 16 points, 13 rebounds, and five assists. Marcus Sasser chipped in with 10 points.

Kyrie Irving led the Mavericks with 28 points. P.J. Washington had 22 points and 13 rebounds, while Daniel Gafford added 16 points, 10 rebounds, and five blocks. Klay Thompson scored 13 points.

Detroit capitalized on 16 Dallas turnovers, scoring 27 points off them.

The Pistons played without Isaiah Stewart, who was suspended for one game after being ejected in Detroit’s loss to Indiana on Wednesday for accruing his sixth flagrant foul point.

Cunningham, named an All-Star earlier in the week, had 18 points and three assists as the Pistons took a 62-58 lead at halftime.

Duren contributed 10 points, six rebounds, four assists, and two steals.

Cade Cunningham (NBA)

Detroit’s bench played a key role, outscoring Dallas’ reserves 21-4. The Pistons finished the first half with a 12-5 run, with Duren contributing four points, an assist, and a steal.

In the third quarter, the Pistons went on a 7-0 run, highlighted by Cunningham’s 3-pointer, taking a 71-63 lead.

After Thompson hit a 3-pointer to bring Dallas within three, the Pistons responded with a 13-1 run. Cunningham scored the first four points, followed by Harris adding four, and Tim Hardaway Jr. hitting a 3-pointer and adding an assist.

Dallas ended the quarter with a 14-7 run, with Irving scoring seven points, leaving the Mavericks trailing 93-85.

Dallas scored the first six points of the fourth quarter, including a 3-pointer by Washington, making it 93-91. However, the Mavericks couldn’t take the lead. Ron Holland made a steal and dunk to give the Pistons some breathing room. Sasser later scored three baskets in just over two minutes, pushing the lead to 105-96.

Duren extended the lead to 111-96 with a dunk and two free throws. Cunningham added a layup after another steal by Hardaway, giving Detroit a 19-point lead.

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NBA (Basketball)

Norman Powell leads Clippers past Hornets in Los Angeles

Norman Powell scored 27 points, and Kawhi Leonard added 21 points as the Los Angeles Clippers beat the Charlotte Hornets 112-104 on Friday night.

Ivica Zubac and James Harden each scored 14 points, Derrick Jones Jr. had 12, and Amir Coffey came off the bench to score 10 points. The Clippers won their fourth game in the last five.

Miles Bridges led the Hornets with 27 points and nine rebounds, while Vasilije Micic added 20 points. The Hornets lost for the fifth time in their last six games.

Moussa Diabate contributed 11 points and 14 rebounds off the bench, and Josh Green posted 10 points. However, Charlotte struggled with 3-point shooting, making just 7 of 30 attempts. Bridges was 1-for-8 from beyond the arc.

Powell shot 11-for-15 from the field, including two 3-pointers. Leonard hit four of the Clippers’ 11 3-pointers, which helped offset the team’s 18 turnovers and poor free-throw shooting (9-for-16 from the starters).

Charlotte Hornets (NBA)

The Hornets, missing injured guard LaMelo Ball, got close in the final quarter, cutting a 10-point deficit to 97-95. But Powell’s basket and Harden’s 3-pointer extended the Clippers’ lead. Charlotte was down 106-99 after Micic made two free throws with 3:11 left, but Powell and Leonard’s quick back-to-back baskets helped seal the win.

The Clippers led 53-48 at halftime and expanded their lead in the third quarter but had trouble fully pulling away from the Hornets.

Powell has scored 20 or more points in 12 of his last 13 games. Harden, despite six turnovers in four of the last five games, had 10 assists on Friday night.

The Hornets, now 1-4 in their nine-game homestand, outscored the Clippers 35-24 in bench points.

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NBA (Basketball)

Coby White scores 25, Bulls snap Raptors’ win streak in Chicago

Coby White scored 25 points and had six assists to help the Chicago Bulls beat the Toronto Raptors 122-106 on Friday, ending the Raptors’ five-game winning streak.

The Bulls, who won just their second game in five tries, had previously beaten the Raptors 122-121 in Toronto on December 16.

Nikola Vucevic, the Bulls’ center, scored 12 points and grabbed seven rebounds in the first quarter, finishing the game with 21 points and 12 rebounds. Josh Giddey added 15 points, seven rebounds, and six assists.

Chicago got strong support from its bench, with Jalen Smith scoring 17 points, Matas Buzelis adding 12, Patrick Williams contributing 11 points and nine rebounds, and Dalen Terry scoring 10 points.

For the Raptors, Scottie Barnes had 20 points and 10 rebounds, RJ Barrett finished with 19 points and nine rebounds, and Immanuel Quickley, returning from injury, scored 13 of his 14 points in the first half. Jacob Poeltl had eight points, nine rebounds, and five blocked shots. Ja’Kobe Walter, coming off the bench, scored 14 points, and Gradey Dick added 13.

Washington Wizards and Chicago Bulls

The Bulls used the pick-and-roll effectively to take a 30-27 lead after the first quarter. The Raptors blocked four shots in that quarter, with three from Poeltl.

Chicago’s seven-point lead was cut to one when Walter and Davion Mitchell hit consecutive 3-pointers with 6:16 left in the second quarter. The Bulls recovered, regaining a seven-point lead before going into halftime with a 55-50 advantage.

Toronto got within one point with 7:37 left in the third quarter when Dick dunked after a nice pass from Barnes. The Raptors took the lead briefly on a layup by Barrett, but White responded with his fourth 3-pointer of the game, starting an 18-4 run that gave the Bulls an 88-74 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

The Raptors’ energy seemed to fade as Williams made a powerful dunk against Poeltl with 8:01 left in the fourth. Ayo Dosunmu followed with a 3-pointer, and White added a layup, extending Chicago’s lead to 19.

Jamal Shead (illness) did not play for Toronto, while Zach LaVine (personal) was out for Chicago.

The Raptors’ last winning streak longer than five games was an eight-game streak from January 29 to February 10, 2022.

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NBA (Basketball)

Nikola Jokic leads late surge as Nuggets defeat 76ers in Denver

Nikola Jokic scored 28 points, grabbed 13 assists, and pulled down nine rebounds to help the Denver Nuggets beat the Philadelphia 76ers 137-134 on Friday.

While Jokic made key plays late in the game, Jamal Murray led the Nuggets with 31 points and 11 assists. Michael Porter Jr. added 24 points, helping Denver snap a three-game losing streak.

Tyrese Maxey scored 42 points, and Guerschon Yabusele set a career-high with 28 points for Philadelphia, which was still without Joel Embiid (knee) and Paul George (finger). The 76ers had won their last four games.

The Nuggets led 115-111 after Aaron Gordon hit a 3-pointer with just over seven minutes remaining. Porter then dunked, giving the Nuggets a six-point lead.

Soon after, Eric Gordon and Maxey combined for 14 points in less than three minutes, putting the 76ers ahead 125-122 with about three minutes left.

That’s when Jokic took charge.

Philadelphia 76ers (NBA)

He tied the game at 125-125 with a 3-pointer, then gave Denver the lead with a three-point play just under a minute left. His second 3-pointer with 39.8 seconds remaining broke a 130-130 tie, and his floater in the lane put the Nuggets up 135-132 with 12.7 seconds left.

Down by three, the 76ers had two chances to tie in the final 10 seconds.

On the first possession, they took a two-point shot, and Kelly Oubre Jr. (27 points) tipped in the miss to cut the deficit to one. After two Murray free throws, Yabusele attempted a long shot from half court, but it fell short as time expired.

Denver led 38-36 after the first quarter and was up 73-69 at halftime. The Nuggets led by as much as eight points in the third quarter and were still ahead by six before Ricky Council IV hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer, bringing the 76ers within 103-100 going into the fourth.

Council made another 3-pointer early in the fourth, then stole the ball, leading to Oubre’s transition layup to tie the game at 105.

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NBA (Basketball)

Jayson Tatum’s clutch shot leads Celtics to win over Pelicans in Boston

Jaylen Brown scored 28 points, and Jayson Tatum added 27, including a game-winning jumper with 0.2 seconds left, as the Boston Celtics beat the New Orleans Pelicans 118-116 on Friday night.

Tatum also had 10 assists, Kristaps Porzingis and Derrick White scored 16 points each, and Luke Kornet came off the bench to score 11 points for the Celtics.

Trey Murphy III had a season-high 40 points, Jose Alvarado added 20, CJ McCollum scored 17, and Brandon Boston Jr. had 10 points for New Orleans, which lost its fifth consecutive game. Pelicans starting point guard Dejounte Murray had to leave the game after injuring his lower right leg in the first quarter and did not return.

New Orleans trailed by five points after three quarters, but Alvarado hit a 3-pointer to start the fourth. The Pelicans got within two points five times, with the Celtics responding to the first three. On the fourth occasion, Murphy made a jumper to tie the game at 114 with 1:37 remaining.

Brown and McCollum exchanged baskets before Tatum dribbled down the clock and hit the game-winning shot from 21 feet.

The Celtics opened the third quarter with a 9-6 run, increasing their lead to 68-59. Murphy made two 3-pointers, and Alvarado and Karlo Matkovic each made one as the Pelicans took a 77-75 lead.

Jrue Holiday and Jaylen Brown stand in the game

Brown scored eight points, and White and Payton Pritchard added three points each as Boston took a 91-86 lead into the fourth quarter.

Murphy scored 16 points, helping New Orleans take a 34-31 lead at the end of the first quarter.

New Orleans led by five points twice early in the second quarter, but Kornet made two baskets in a row to complete a 6-0 run, putting Boston ahead by one. The Pelicans regained the lead briefly, but Tatum hit two consecutive 3-pointers to start an 8-0 run, giving the Celtics a 47-42 lead.

New Orleans closed within one point twice, but White and Tatum each hit a 3-pointer, helping Boston extend their lead to nine points. Murphy’s 3-pointer cut New Orleans’ deficit to 59-53 at halftime.

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NBA (Basketball)

Victor Wembanyama shines as Spurs defeat Bucks in San Antonio

Victor Wembanyama scored 30 points and grabbed 14 rebounds to lead the San Antonio Spurs to a 144-118 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday, ending a four-game home losing streak.

Wembanyama stood firm against Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, matching him physically when Antetokounmpo tried to push him around in the fourth quarter.

The Spurs had a 14-point lead going into the final period, and they extended it to 22 with 7:08 left to play, making it easier for Wembanyama to hold his ground.

Keldon Johnson added 24 points for San Antonio, which won just their second game in the last seven. Stephon Castle scored 20 points, Harrison Barnes had 16, and Devin Vassell and Chris Paul each scored 12 points in the win.

Antetokounmpo led all scorers with 35 points and grabbed 14 rebounds. Damian Lillard contributed 22 points, Khris Middleton scored 21, and Taurean Prince added 13 points for the Bucks.

Victor Wembanyama reacts after scoring in the 2nd half

The Spurs led by as many as 11 points in the first quarter, but the Bucks came back thanks to Middleton’s 10 points, including a three-pointer at the buzzer to tie the game 35-35 at the end of the first.

The second quarter was a back-and-forth battle, with the Bucks taking a five-point lead when Middleton hit a jumper with 1:30 left. Wembanyama answered with a three-pointer, and Castle made a free throw to pull the Spurs to within 71-70 at halftime.

Before the break, Antetokounmpo led all players with 21 points and nine rebounds, with Middleton and Lillard adding 14 points each. Johnson led the Spurs with 20 points off the bench, and Wembanyama had 12 points.

San Antonio took the lead early in the third quarter, and after Castle hit a three-pointer, the Spurs led 81-79 at the 9:27 mark. They expanded the lead to 100-89 after two free throws by Castle with 4:15 left and reached a game-high 17-point lead when Wembanyama hit a one-legged three-pointer with 1:23 remaining.