Sunday night wins for Celtics, Bulls, Bucks, Clippers, Sixers and T-Wolves
Monday 14 October 2019 09:05, UK
Zion Williamson scored with an alley-oop finish from a pass thrown by team-mate Lonzo Ball from his own half in the New Orleans Pelicans win over the San Antonio Spurs.
The Pelicans are 4-0 in the preseason after winning in San Antonio on Sunday, with Zion Williamson finishing with 22 points and 10 rebounds. He has shot 29-for-36 from the floor in his last three games, and is averaging 23.3 points and 6.5 rebounds on 71 per cent shooting - all in about 27 minutes per game.
Williamson's 22 points led seven New Orleans players in double figures on the way to beating San Antonio.
Jrue Holiday scored 16 for the Pelicans, who overcame a 17-point deficit.
Bryn Forbes scored 18 and DeMar DeRozan added 16 for the Spurs, who held out LaMarcus Aldridge and Rudy Gay. The Pelicans gave JJ Redick the day off for rest.
The Celtics are 3-0 in preseason after beating Cleveland on Sunday and have put together a huge run in all three of those games. The latest was a 50-17 spurt against the Cavaliers, a game that was close for most of the first quarter before Boston built what eventually became a 54-point lead.
Max Strus scored 14 points and Boston finished with six players in double figures.
Kemba Walker returned from a one-game absence with knee soreness and scored 12 points in 15-and-a-half minutes, going 3-for-3 from three-point range. The Celtics held the Cavaliers to 33 per cent shooting, 18 per cent on three-point tries and forced 29 turnovers.
Sindarius Thornwell scored 12 for Cleveland, who played without Kevin Love (rest) and Tristan Thompson (right groin soreness). Cavs starters Collin Sexton, Matthew Dellavedova and Cedi Osman combined to shoot 3-for-24 and score eight points in 67 minutes.
Kawhi Leonard and Rodney McGruder sat out for the Los Angeles Clippers, who got 22 points from Montrezl Harrell and 16 points from Lou Williams.
The Clippers trailed by as many as 11 in the early going and were down to the Australian club 51-47 at the half, then won the third quarter 43-20 - shooting 16-for-20 in the period - to take control.
Melo Trimble led Melbourne United with 22 points.
Joel Embiid had 15 points and nine rebounds and Tobias Harris scored 14 points for Philadelphia.
Josh Richardson, acquired as part of the trade that sent Jimmy Butler to Miami in July, had 13 points, five assists and five steals for the 76ers, who remain unbeaten in their preseason schedule.
Free-agent acquisition Al Horford added 11 points and rookie Matisse Thybulle scored 10.
Former Sixer Markelle Fultz, Mo Bamba and Al-Farouq Amina had 12 points apiece for Orlando.
Zach LaVine hit four three-pointers and finished with 26 points and Lauri Markkanen had 15 points and 13 rebounds for Chicago.
Coby White, drafted No 7 overall in this summer's draft, added 18 points for the Bulls.
OG Anunoby led Toronto with 15 points. Pascal Siakam, Serge Ibaka, Marc Gasol, Fred VanVleet (all rest) and Kyle Lowry (thumb) did not play for the Raptors.
Khris Middleton had 22 points and nine rebounds while Sterling Brown and Ersan Ilyasova scored 18 points apiece for Milwaukee.
Reigning league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo (illness) did not play for the Bucks, who rolled to their fourth preseason win.
Bradley Beal led Washington with 20 points, Thomas Bryant scored 17 and Rui Hachimura, the No 9 overall pick in June's draft, added 10 points, 12 rebounds and three steals.
Treveon Graham had 12 points while Jarrett Culver and Shabazz Napier scored 11 apiece for Minnesota.
Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins added nine points each in 11 and 12 minutes, respectively, for the Timberwolves.
James Young, a first-round pick by the Boston Celtics in 2014, led Maccabi Haifa with 20 points.
