Damion Lee wins it late for Golden State Warriors against Chicago Bulls; Steph Curry fastest ever to 2,500 three-pointers
Damion Lee drains late three-pointer for Golden State Warriors against Chicago Bulls; Charlotte Hornets hold on against Brooklyn Nets; Phoenix Suns see off Sacramento Kings; Cleveland Cavaliers beat Philadelphia 76ers to stay unbeaten.
Monday 28 December 2020 09:08, UK
Damion Lee buried a straightaway three-pointer with 1.7 seconds remaining to cap a Golden State Warriors rally that helped them edge a 129-128 thriller against the Chicago Bulls for their first win of the season.
Zach LaVine had a team-high 33 points for the winless Bulls, including 13 fourth-quarter points and a short runner that broke a 126-all tie and gave Chicago a two-point lead with 5.0 seconds left.
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But with all eyes on Warriors star Stephen Curry, who had a game-high 36 points, his brother-in-law, Lee, shocked the Bulls with a 25-footer that served as the game-winner for a team coming off consecutive blowout losses at Brooklyn and Milwaukee.
The Warriors trailed 121-112 after a Wendell Carter Jr. hoop with 3:58 to play but out-finished the Bulls thanks mostly to Curry, who hit a jumper, two free throws, a three-pointer and an interior shot that turned into a three-point play.
The latter got Golden State within 126-124 with 46.0 seconds left. Kevon Looney's tip-in with 16.9 seconds remaining got the Warriors even, setting up the exciting finish.
Curry's night included five-for-15 shooting from deep, making him the third player behind Ray Allen and Reggie Miller to record 2,500 career three-pointers, and notably the fastest ever to reach the milestone.
Lee finished with 12 points, all on three-pointers, for the Warriors while Andrew Wiggins had 19, Eric Paschall 15 and Jordan Poole 10. Kelly Oubre Jr. had a team-high 11 rebounds.
LaVine, Lauri Markkanen (23), Carter (22) and Coby White (20) combined for 98 points for the Bulls, who were playing the second night of a back-to-back. Markkanen, however, could not finish the game after suffering an ankle injury in the fourth quarter.
Otto Porter Jr. added 12 points off the bench for Chicago while Carter capped a double-double with a game-high 13 rebounds.
The game featured a head-to-head of two of the top four picks in the November draft, and neither player was much of a factor. Golden State's James Wiseman, the No. 2 selection, logged seven points, and Chicago's Patrick Williams, taken two slots later, countered with six points.
Brooklyn Nets 104-106 Charlotte Hornets
Gordon Hayward scored 28 points as the host Charlotte Hornets nearly blew a 16-point lead in the fourth quarter before holding on for a 106-104 victory over the Brooklyn Nets.
Hayward helped the Hornets rebound from season-opening defeats to the Cleveland Cavaliers and Oklahoma City Thunder by making 12 of 20 shots. He scored nine points in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter when Charlotte took a 97-81 lead on a 3-pointer by Miles Bridges with 7:59 remaining.
After Bridges' three-pointer, the Hornets were outscored 23-9 the rest of the way but never lost the lead and held a five-point lead at 104-99 on a 3-pointer by Devonte' Graham with 1:51 remaining.
The Hornets gave the Nets a chance to tie or take the lead after P.J. Washington missed two free throws with 22.7 remaining to leave the score 104-102.
On the ensuing possession, Kevin Durant's short fadeaway rolled off the rim with 7.4 seconds remaining and Charlotte's Terry Rozier hit two free throws for a 106-102 edge with 5.3 seconds left. Brooklyn's Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot hit a layup at the buzzer for the final margin.
Rozier added 19 points for the Hornets, who shot 44.8 percent (43 of 96). Washington posted a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds, while Graham added 13 points as Charlotte outscored the Nets 64-26 in the paint.
Durant led all scorers with 29 points, but the Nets were unable to get their third 3-0 start in team history. Kyrie Irving added 25 for the Nets, who shot 42.7 percent and allowed 23 points off 19 turnovers.
Phoenix Suns 116-100 Sacramento Kings
Mikal Bridges scored 22 points, Deandre Ayton recorded a double-double with 11 points and 15 rebounds, and the visiting Phoenix Suns rode a big third quarter to beat the Sacramento Kings 116-100.
The Kings held a narrow lead for most of the first half into the third quarter, but a 13-2 Suns run to close the period gave the visitors a fourth-quarter advantage they never relinquished.
Phoenix pushed the lead to as many as 23 down the stretch thanks to a balanced scoring attack, with Cameron Johnson coming off the bench to score 21 points, Frank Kaminsky adding 11 and Langston Galloway nine.
Ayton's 15 rebounds led all players. The third-year center also had four assists to complement Chris Paul's game-high 12. Paul finished two points shy of his second consecutive double-double.
Despite a slow start and a 1-of-6 shooting performance from behind the three-point line, Devin Booker came on in the second half to finish with 20 points for the Suns, whose 116 points marked a season-high. Sacramento's 100 were the fewest the Suns have allowed in three outings and the Kings' lowest output in three tries.
Buddy Hield led Sacramento with 17 points, Tyrese Haliburton scored 15, and De'Aaron Fox finished with 12.
Philadelphia 76ers 94-118 Cleveland Cavaliers
Andre Drummond scored 24 points and grabbed 14 rebounds as the host Cleveland Cavaliers breezed past the Philadelphia 76ers 118-94.
Collin Sexton added 22 points, Darius Garland and Cedi Osman contributed 14 apiece, and Larry Nance Jr. had 13 for the Cavaliers, who improved to 3-0 to start the season for the first time since 2016-17 when they advanced to the NBA Finals.
Cleveland won handily Sunday despite losing five-time All-Star Kevin Love to a strained right calf late in the first half. Love scored four points in a brief appearance and did not return. Tobias Harris led the Sixers with 16 points, while Ben Simmons added 15 and Mike Scott 12.
The Sixers, who won their first two games under head coach Doc Rivers, looked lethargic at times without Joel Embiid, who was scratched pre-game with back tightness. He had posted 56 points and 24 rebounds combined in wins over the Washington Wizards and New York Knicks.
The Cavaliers had been dominant early while building a 57-38 lead with 4:10 remaining in the first half, during which Philadelphia committed 11 turnovers and trailed 64-50 heading into the locker room. Drummond reached a double-double by halftime with 15 points and 10 rebounds.
