NBA: Jayson Tatum helps the Celtics win, Antetokounmpo becomes Bucks’ career free throws leader

Jayson Tatum and Derrick White combined for 12 straight points late in the fourth quarter to help the Boston Celtics beat the Orlando Magic 126-120 on Saturday night.

Tatum had 40 points and eight rebounds. He launched a 10-2 run with two free throws with 4:08 remaining to put the Celtics up for good.

White scored 27 points, two short of his career high, to help the Celtics win for the second straight night.

Jayson Tatum had 40 points and eight rebounds as the Celtics beat the Orlando Magic 126-120

Terrence Ross led the Magic with 29 points, rookie Paolo Banchero had 23 and Franz Wagner added 18. The Magic dropped to 0-3 in losing for the Celtics for a 10th straight time.

Playing without center Al Horford, the Celtics played most of the game with 6-foot-6 Grant Williams at center. He had 13 points and six rebounds in 31 minutes.

Meanwhile, Giannis Antetokounmpo had his own point-scoring explosion as he scored 44 points and became Milwaukee´s career free throws leader as the Bucks rolled to a 125-105 victory over the Houston Rockets on Saturday night.

Antetokounmpo went 8 of 13 from the foul line to increase his total to 3,508 free throws out of 4,891 attempts (71.7%). Sidney Moncrief made 3,505 free throws with the Bucks from 1979-89.

Giannis Antetokounmpo became Milwaukee Bucks’ career free throws leader

The two-time MVP played less than 28 minutes but still had 12 rebounds. Antetokounmpo shot 17 of 21 from the floor, including 2 of 3 from 3-point range.

Antetokounmpo left for good with 8:08 remaining and the Bucks ahead 107-85.

This game began a six-game homestand for the Bucks, who won their season opener 90-88 at Philadelphia on Thursday night.

Luka Doncic scored 21 of his 32 points in the first quarter, and the Dallas Mavericks rode a hot start to a 137-96 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies in their home opener.

 Luka Doncic scored 32 points as the Dallas Mavericks rode a hot start to a 137-96 victory

Ja Morant scored the first six Memphis points, but the first bucket from someone else didn’t come until the 4:30 mark of the first quarter as the Grizzlies trailed 39-17 going to the second.

Morant finished with 20 points a night after a 49-point showing in a victory at Houston gave him 83 points through two games. The Grizzlies were trying for their first 3-0 start in five years.

The Indiana Pacers snapped a 12-game losing streak dating to last season as they beat the Detroit Pistons 124-115, thanks to rookie Bennedict Mathurin, who scored 27 points, hitting three 3-pointers in a pivotal third quarter. 

The Pacers snapped a 12-game losing streak thanks to rookie Bennedict Mathurin’s 27 points

Paul George scored 40 points to help the Los Angeles Clippers hold off the Sacramento Kings with a 111-109 victory Saturday night.

Sacramento went on an 11-4 run to cut the game to 109-106 before George missed a step-back three and Nicolas Batum secured an offensive rebound. Norman Powell knocked down both free throws and De’Aaron Fox hit a shot at the buzzer for the margin.

The Clippers (2-0) were missing Kawhi Leonard and new acquisition John Wall. Both players didn´t play because of knee injury management. They traveled with the team to Sacramento and worked out pregame.