Pascal Siakam sank the game-winning 3-pointer in additional time, propelling the Indiana Pacers to an exhilarating 135-132 victory over the Boston Celtics on Wednesday, marking the defending champions’ first lack of the season.
This rematch of final season’s Eastern Conference finals leaves the Cleveland Cavaliers as the only unbeaten workforce within the East.
Despite a heat welcome for Bronny James, the Cavaliers cruised to a dominant 134-110 win in opposition to the Los Angeles Lakers, bettering to 5-0.
In Indianapolis, Bennedict Mathurin shone with 30 factors and 11 rebounds, whereas Siakam added 29, and Tyrese Haliburton contributed 17 factors together with 12 assists. The Pacers held a commanding 24-point lead early within the third quarter.
Boston outscored Indiana 38-24 within the fourth, twice slicing the deficit to a few earlier than Jayson Tatum drained a step-back 3-pointer with 14.4 seconds remaining in regulation.
Boston took its first lead because the first quarter on Derrick White’s driving layup that made it 132-130 with 39.7 seconds left.
But Siakam had the final phrase, making a basket to tie it, then rising for a three-pointer over Haliburton with 7.3 seconds to play.
“It’s big, it’s big,” Siakam mentioned. “We lost a couple of games because of turnovers and rebounds. So we wanted to get this one.”
Tatum scored 37 factors, Jaylen Brown added 25, and White scored 23 for Boston, however they could not pull off the comeback.
“We let them come back, but I thought we fought,” Siakam mentioned. “That’s what we’ve got to do. We’ve got to be a team that fights to the end.”
Boston dropped to 4-1 as Cleveland improved to 5-0 for simply the third time in franchise historical past.
Wednesday’s recreation was billed as a homecoming for LeBron and Bronny James, who hadn’t performed since being subbed in to play alongside his famous person father within the Lakers’ season-opening victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves. That made them the primary father-son duo to play alongside one another in an NBA recreation.
This time round, LeBron James had departed for good, and the sport was out of hand when Bronny James was subbed in late within the fourth quarter, receiving cheers from Cleveland followers who remembered him as a toddler attending Cavs video games when his father starred for his hometown workforce.
Turnovers value Lakers
Although the 20-year-old drafted by the Lakers in June is anticipated to be headed to the developmental G League quickly, he did hit a mid-range bounce shot for his first NBA factors.
“To see him get his first NBA basket in this arena, where he grew up not too far from here, it’s an unbelievable moment,” LeBron James mentioned.
Nevertheless, it is going to be little comfort for the Lakers.
The Cavs made 17 three-pointers to the Lakers’ six and turned 21 Lakers turnovers into 31 factors.
Cleveland took management with a red-hot first quarter, connecting on 77.3% of their photographs from the sphere.
The Cavs led by 19 at halftime, and turnovers doomed the Lakers’ efforts to make important inroads within the third.
Evan Mobley scored 25 factors, and Donovan Mitchell added 24 as six Cavs gamers scored in double figures.
LeBron James led the Lakers with 26 factors. Anthony Davis added 22 factors and 13 rebounds, however Los Angeles dropped its second straight recreation.
The Oklahoma City Thunder remained unbeaten within the West, bettering to 4-0 with a 105-93 victory over the San Antonio Spurs.
Luguentz Dort scored 20 factors and Chet Holmgren added 19 for Oklahoma City as San Antonio star Victor Wembanyama was held to 6 factors on 1-of-5 taking pictures.
Wembanyama added eight rebounds and three blocks, nevertheless it was Holmgren who got here out on prime of their matchup of second-year large males.
Elsewhere, Karl-Anthony Towns erupted for 44 factors and 13 rebounds to propel the New York Knicks to a 116-107 victory over the Miami Heat.
Jaden Ivey scored 23 factors, and Cade Cunningham added 22 to guide the Detroit Pistons to their first win, a 105-95 triumph in Philadelphia, the place the 76ers continued to wrestle with stars Joel Embiid and Paul George sidelined by harm.
Source: www.dailysabah.com