Sports

TURIN, Italy — Novak Djokovic will finish the year as World No.1 for a record-extending eighth time after beating Holger Rune 7-6 (7/4), 6-7 (1/7), 6-3 in his opening match at the ATP Finals on Sunday.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion needed just one win or a defeat for young rival Carlos Alcaraz in order to secure top spot in the ATP rankings for 2023, and prevailed in a three-hour Green Group clash with spirited debutant Rune.

Djokovic, on a run of 19 straight wins, has had an age-defying year, winning three Slams to become the all-time record winner of major titles.

The 36-year-old came into the Finals in Turin off the back of his seventh triumph at the Paris Masters, his 40th victory at a Masters 100 event.

Those are two more records to add to a long and growing list for Djokovic, who is hunting a seventh Finals title which would take him one ahead of retired great Roger Federer.

“It means a lot. You could see that there were a lot of emotions on the court,” said Djokovic.

“I could feel it, I was very eager to win the match and get that monkey off my back... Obviously a big objective, a big goal has been achieved, everything else now is a bonus.”

Djokovic looked on course for victory when he took a brutal opening set in decisive fashion, prevailing in the tie-break with a stunning cross-court return winner.

And the match looked to have turned decisively in the third game of the second set, when after Rune won the first two Djokovic broke back in a brilliant 11-point game eventually won at the third attempt.

Rune kept plugging away, however, and after the pair slugged each other with bigger and bigger hits Djokovic slipped in the tie-break, missing a simple volley to draw level on the second point and then collapsing to concede the set.

But after briefly losing it for allowing Rune to break back in game three of the third set, kicking his rackets in a rage, Djokovic composed himself and saw out a historic win.

“I found a way to win today against an opponent who played brilliantly... he had a lot of courage today,” added Djokovic in Italian.

“If I want to keep up with these youngsters I’m going to have to work even harder!”

Sinner off the mark 

Home hope Jannik Sinner got off to a near-perfect start by beating StefanosTsitsipas in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4, delighting the crowd in Italy’s northwest.

Sinner has had the best season of his career to date, winning four tournaments and is set to become the first Italian ever to finish a season in the ATP top five.

The 22-year-old comfortably dealt with 2019 champion Tsitsipas in front of an enthusiastic crowd, not dropping a service game nor facing a break point in the whole match.

“The atmosphere was really, really nice. It’s huge pleasure for me to play here in Turin, in Italy,” Sinner told reporters.

“Obviously a little bit more pressure, but I managed it really well today, so I’m happy.”

Afterwards, Greek Tsitsipas denied he had any physical problems even though he looked way below his best, telling reporters “I’m healthy. I’m ready to compete.”

The 25-year-old had to play down reports of an elbow injury which curtailed practice ahead of his tournament opener.

“I’m absolutely fine and I’m ready to play this tournament. Turin is one of the most important events of the year for me,” he said.

On Monday Alcaraz makes his ATP Finals debut in the Red Group against Alexander Zverev, the second seed Djokovic’s closest challenger.

However the Wimbledon champion is in uncertain form after being dumped out of the Paris Masters by Russian qualifier Roman Safiullin following return from an injury lay-off.

The Spaniard hadn’t played since the Shanghai Masters in early October due to lower back and left foot problems.

SAN FRANCISCO — The Cleveland Cavaliers held off Golden State 118-110 on Saturday in a fiery NBA clash that saw Warriors forward Draymond Green ejected in the third quarter after a skirmish with Donovan Mitchell.

Six Cavs players scored in double figures as Cleveland beat the Warriors for the second time in a week.

They had seized control with a 38-point second quarter, and were up by 10 after Caris LeVert’s layup over Klay Thompson midway through the third.

Green knocked Mitchell out of bounds on that play and soon after Mitchell ran straight into Green, prompting Green to drop the ball and step toward him.

The two were held back from each other, but Green was handed his second technical foul of the game after video showed him elbowing Mitchell “a couple of plays before”, Warriors coach Steve Kerr said.

Kerr said he didn’t know such a retroactive technical could b called.

“It was bizarre,” he said.

Green’s departure briefly galvanised the Warriors, who took a one-point lead on Chris Paul’s basket with 10 seconds left in the third. However, Cleveland pulled away again in the fourth.

Mitchell finished with 21 points, seven rebounds, five assists and two steals.

All five Cleveland starters scored in double figures, and LeVert topped them with 22 points off the bench as the Cavs followed up their home win over the Warriors last Sunday.

“We competed our tails off and we played the game selflessly,” Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff said

Stephen Curry Led the Warriors with 30 points, 17 of them in the first half.

In the third quarter Curry became the 36th NBA player to reach 22,000 career points. But Kerr said that overall Golden State’s defence was “sluggish”.

Thompson scored 14 points and Andrew Wiggins added 13, but Cleveland dominated in the paint and scored 32 points off the Warriors 20 turnovers.

In Boston, Jaylen Brown scored 29 points and Jayson Tatum added 27 as the Celtics romped to a 117-94 victory over the Toronto Raptors.

Kristaps Porzingis added 21 points and seven rebounds for the Celtics, who made it look easy again, one night after a 14-point win over Brooklyn.

Brown scored 14 points in the third quarter, when Boston pushed their advantage to as many as 24 points. They were up by 17 going into the final period.

“We got whatever we wanted, inside and out,” Porzingis said.

Pascal Siakam scored 17 points to lead the Raptors, but Toronto connected on just 38.5 per cent of their shots from the field, including 10 of 37 from three-point range.

Magic surprise Bucks 

The Orlando Magic, led by Paolo Banchero’s double-double of 26 points and 12 rebounds, handed Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks a second straight defeat, 112-97.

The Magic pulled down 15 offensive rebounds as the Bucks struggled to contain an Orlando team that came in averaging 109.9 points per game but scored 65 in the first half.

“We just have to do a better job defensively, collectively — helping each other, plugging those holes and limiting them to one shot,” Bucks coach Adrian Griffin said. “We just have to be a little stronger on both ends of the basket.”

Franz Wagner added 24 points for Orlando, Jalen Suggs scored 20 and Mo Wagner chipped in 19 off the bench.

Two days after Antetokounmpo scored 54 points in a loss to the Indiana Pacers, the Bucks squandered another strong performance from their two-time NBA Most Valuable Player, who led all scorers with 35 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists.

It wasn’t enough to stop the Magic ending their 14-game losing streak against Milwaukee, who trailed by 16 at halftime and couldn’t cut the deficit to less than 11 in the second half.

LOS ANGELES — Nikola Jokic scored 35 points as the Denver Nuggets defeated the Golden State Warriors 108-105 in a blockbuster showdown between the two NBA heavyweights on Wednesday.

A pulsating clash featuring the last two NBA champions lived up to the billing, with the Western Conference rivals going toe-to-toe in a game that saw the lead change hands nine times.

After trailing for almost the entire game at Denver’s Ball Arena, the Warriors edged in front heading into the fourth quarter after outscoring Denver 31-23 in the third.

But Denver recovered from a five-point deficit early in the fourth to snatch victory, clinching the win after Klay Thompson’s attempted game-tying buzzer-beater drifted wide.

The victory cemented Denver’s place at the top of the Western Conference, with the reigning NBA champions improving to 8-1.

“We don’t have the pressure of being a champion, we’re just trying to enjoy the moment,” Jokic told ESPN.

“I’m just trying to play the game the right way. And as long as we’re winning I think I’m doing a good job,” added Jokic, who also had 13 rebounds and five assists.

Reggie Jackson backed Jokic with 20 points while Michael Porter Jr. had 17.

Steph Curry’s 23 points led the scoring for the Warriors, the 2022 champions who fell to 6-3 after the loss.

Elsewhere, Joel Embiid posted 27 points with 10 rebounds and four assists as the Philadelphia 76ers secured a sixth straight win of the season with a 106-103 defeat of the Boston Celtics.

Embiid received offensive support from Tyrese Maxey, who finished with 25 points from 11-of-27 shooting, including three from beyond the arc.

The victory leaves Philadelphia in first place in the Eastern Conference on 6-1, with the Milwaukee Bucks second at 5-2.

Kristaps Porzingis led Boston’s scoring with 29 points while Derrick White finished with 19 points and Jayson Tatum 16.

Sixers head coach Nick Nurse paid tribute to the contributions of Maxey and Embiid.

“We’ve got an emerging young star in Tyrese, we’ve got an unbelievable player in Joel, and we’ve got a lot of talented athletes around them who give us some depth,” Nurse said.

In other games, Victor Wembanyama gave a low-key display in his Madison Square Garden debut, where the San Antonio Spurs succumbed 126-105 to the New York Knicks.

Wembanyama, the No.1 Draft pick from France, struggled to find his shooting range, making just 4-of-14 from the field before finishing with 14 points.

Jalen Brunson led the Knicks scorers with 25 points, while RJ Barrett had 24 and Julius Randle 23.

The Spurs loss marked the team’s fourth straight game where they have conceded 120 points or more, and came after Monday’s 152-111 mauling by the Indiana Pacers.

Asked what he had seen from his team in recent performances, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich replied: “What am I seeing? I’m seeing teams score 120 or 130 against us — that’s what I’m seeing.”

Clippers, Lakers stumble 

Also in New York, James Harden was left looking for his first win since joining the Los Angeles Clippers after slumping to a 100-93 defeat to former club the Brooklyn Nets.

Harden was held to just 12 points by the Brooklyn defense. Paul George top-scored for the Clippers with 24 points but was unable to stop Los Angeles slipping to defeat. The Clippers fell to 3-4 for the season.

In Oklahoma City, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander poured in 43 points from 15-of-22 shooting as the Thunder rolled to a 128-120 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Caris LeVert led the Cleveland scorers with 29 points.

In Milwaukee, the Bucks edged past the Detroit Pistons 120-118 thanks to 34 points from new recruit Damian Lillard and 15 from Giannis Antetokounmpo. Seven of the Milwaukee line-up finished with double-digit points totals.

The Los Angeles Lakers’ dismal form on the road continued in Texas, with the Houston Rockets thrashing their visitors 128-94.

Rui Hachimura led the injury-hit Lakers scoring with 24 points, but Los Angeles were always chasing the game after being overrun 32-19 in the first quarter.

The Lakers — who have lost all five of their road games this season — went into Wednesday’s match missing the injured Anthony Davis, Jarred Vanderbilt, Gabe Vincent and Jaxson Hayes.

“It’s tough, we’re juggling different circumstances with guys being in and out of the line-up,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said.

“But at the end of the day, no one’s gonna feel sorry for you, especially when you’re a Los Angeles Laker.”

BARCELONA — This year in Europe it was supposed to be different, but Barcelona will have to do it the hard way, with coach Xavi Hernandez watching his credit start to drain.

Xavi insisted the Catalans are on the right track after winning La Liga last season and their three opening Champions League matches, but a shock 1-0 defeat by Shakhtar Donetsk stopped them dead in their tracks on a chilling Tuesday night in Hamburg.

Barca were expected to clinch qualification to the Champions League knock-out rounds but fell woefully short, failing to significantly trouble the Ukrainian champions at any point in the game.

“All the European ghosts of previous years came down on Barcelona,” wrote Spanish newspaper Marca.

“The eliminations from past years against Bayern, Benfica, and Inter. And yesterday’s opponent had a much lower level than all of these.”

While Barcelona still lead Group H on nine points, level with their next opponents Porto, and are expected to qualify, pressure has started to build on Xavi.

Barcelona have not won the Champions League since 2015 and after gambling a chunk of the club’s future income to make a slew of signings in 2022, are desperate to reestablish themselves among Europe’s elite.

Many Spanish outlets considered the Shakhtar loss, against a team from war-torn Ukraine, who have to play their matches at a neutral stadium, a humiliation.

“Barca, beaten by Shakhtar, are the ‘jester’ of Europe,” ran a headline in newspaper El Pais.

It arrives hot on the heels of two other disappointments.

Losing the Clasico in stoppage time against rivals Real Madrid on October 28 was a morale blow, and even though Barca beat Real Sociedad 1-0 on Saturday, they were lucky to do so after a weak performance.

What they offered against Shakhtar was more of the same, with Xavi suggesting it might be a “mental” problem, rather than a physical one or an issue with the team’s football.

“Xavi’s big problem is that he does not have a clear diagnosis of what is happening to the team,” argued radio journalist Manolo Lama, on station Cadena Cope.

Further to that, the coach does not seem to know what his best starting line-up is, or even which system to use.

Against Real Madrid he switched to a formation with three centre-backs, sticking to it against Real Sociedad, where it was dismantled with ease.

In the Shakhtar defeat he reverted to Barcelona’s classic 4-3-3 with two wide forwards, but Shakhtar negated it by asking their wingers to track back diligently.

Spearhead Robert Lewandowski is blunter than he has been in a decade, with no goals in his last six games for the club, while the 35-year-old’s unwillingness or inability to press is setting Barca back.

Roque road 

Spanish reports suggest the club are looking for a way to bring in striker Vitor Roque in January.

The Catalans have already signed the 18-year-old from Brazilian side Athletico Paranaense but do not currently have the financial leeway to register him in the winter window.

It might be one way of arresting the slump the team have fallen into, a far cry from mid-September when they thrashed Real Betis and Royal Antwerp 5-0 back-to-back.

Xavi heralded those performances as among the best of his two years in charge, but on Tuesday they were operating at the other end of the spectrum.

Even though Barcelona will likely still progress, it was a performance to suggest advancing beyond that will pose a significant challenge.

The Catalans have improved under Xavi, but perhaps not quite enough to satisfy president Joan Laporta or a demanding fanbase.

“When I don’t feel I can provide the solutions, I will step aside and go home,” said Xavi a year ago, as Barca faced Champions League elimination. The team is calling out for solutions now.

LOS ANGELES — Anthony Edwards scored 38 points as the Minnesota Timberwolves ended the Boston Celtics’ unbeaten start to the season on Monday while James Harden made a losing start in his Los Angeles Clippers debut.

Edwards’ points tally included eight in overtime to help Minnesota claim a 114-109 win over a Celtics team who owned the last undefeated record in the league prior to the game.

“I let my team down in the last quarter by missing two shots; I said to myself I’ve got to make up for it by taking over in overtime,” Edwards said after the win.

Jaden McDaniels gave Edwards offensive support with 20 points, including a jump shot with 16 seconds remaining that effectively sealed victory for Minnesota.

“We’re the dynamic duo,” Edwards quipped. “I trust him. I give him the ball whenever he wants; he’s the reason we won tonight.”

Elsewhere Monday, new Clippers recruit Harden finished with 17 points and six assists but could not prevent his new team falling to a 111-97 road defeat to the New York Knicks.

The 34-year-old former NBA Most Valuable Player was one of five Clippers players in double figures but Tyronn Lue’s star-studded lineup were outgunned by the Knicks’ R.J. Barrett and Julius Randle, who combined for 53 points.

Clippers coach Lue liked what he saw from Harden despite his team’s defeat.

“I thought James was really good,” Lue said. “It’s going to take him a little time to get in game shape, we understand that. But his presence on the floor was definitely felt.”

New York ran away with the game in a one-sided fourth quarter, outscoring the Clippers 35-21 for a win that sees them improve to 3-4 in the Eastern Conference.

Wembanyama struggles 

In other games on Monday, Indiana gave rising San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama a reality check in a 152-111 drubbing.

Wembanyama had earned rave reviews after posting 20 points against Toronto on Sunday and 38 points in a victory over Phoenix last Thursday.

But the 19-year-old’s hot hand went stone cold in Indianapolis, with the French teenager shooting just 3-of-12 from the field to finish 13 points.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said only two of his players — Keldon Johnson and Zach Collins — had performed well.

“They were the only guys on our team who showed consistent, decent play,” Popovich said. “A lot of that had to do with Indiana — they were on fire and jumped on us.”

Asked about Wembanyama’s contribution, Popovich added: “He moved well. But like I said — only two guys played decently.”

In Miami, meanwhile, LeBron James scored 30 points against his old club, but the Los Angeles Lakers were edged out 108-107 by last year’s NBA Finals runners-up.

A James layup and a free throw got the Lakers to within one point with 2min 39sec remaining in the fourth quarter.

But Miami’s defence kept the Lakers scoreless for the remainder of the contest and Cam Reddish missed a potential game-winning jump shot with four seconds remaining as the Heat held on for the win.

In Philadelphia, reigning MVP Joel Embiid erupted for 48 points as the Sixers cruised to a 146-128 defeat of the Washington Wizards, who are bottom of the Eastern Conference with just one win in six games.

Embiid was in imperious form for the Sixers, making 17-of-25 from the field while draining a perfect 14 out of 14 from the free throw line. The Sixers improved to 5-1.

In the Western Conference, meanwhile, Steph Curry’s sizzling start to the season continued as the Golden State Warriors defeated the Detroit Pistons 120-109.

Curry is averaging more than 30 points a game in the league this season and added another 34 in Monday’s win. The Warriors improved to 6-2 to remain in third place.

In Denver, the defending NBA champion Nuggets produced a scintillating second-half comeback to sink the New Orleans Pelicans 134-116.

Denver trailed by 20 points in the second quarter after a fast start from the Pels, but came roaring back to outscore their opponents 75-45 after halftime.

Two-time MVP Nikola Jokic contributed a 35-point triple-double which included 14 rebounds and 12 assists in a remarkable second-half turnaround by Denver.

WASHINGTON — Kevin Durant scored 41 points to lead the Phoenix Suns over Detroit and former Suns coach Monty Williams on Sunday while Britain’s O.G. Anunoby sparked Toronto’s stunning NBA rally at San Antonio.

Toronto made a 22-point fightback to beat the Spurs 123-116 in overtime while the Cleveland Cavaliers sparkled as well, snapping a 12-game regular-season losing streak to Golden State dating to Christmas 2016.

Durant added five assists, four rebounds, three blocked shots and a steal to power the Suns past the host Pistons 120-106.

“He was terrific, scored the ball every way you can, really wants it,” Suns coach Frank Vogel said. “Just a really terrific performance. He’s really good at basketball and he showed it tonight.”

The Suns outscored Detroit in every quarter as Eric Gordon contributed 21 points and eight assists for Phoenix, which snapped a three-game losing skid.

“We’re excited because we finally got a win,” Durant said.

Cade Cunningham led Detroit with 26 points in the first regular-season matchup between the Suns and their former coach Williams.

After Williams was fired as the Suns’ coach following a second-round play-off exit last season, Detroit signed him to a six-year deal worth $78.5 million.

The Suns were without Bradley Beal, sidelined by back spasms, and Devin Booker, out with a calf strain.

Raptors rally 

At Cleveland, Donovan Mitchell scored 31 points and Darius Garland added 24 to power the Cavaliers over Golden State 115-104.

“The biggest thing for us is that we put together a full game,” Mitchell said. “We fought hard. That’s a tough team. They have a lot of guys who have won championship rings and we’re trying to get to that level. We’ve got to continue this momentum.”

Evan Mobley added a game-high 16 rebounds for the Cavs.

“He was dominant,” Mitchell said.

Stephen Curry led the Warriors with 28 points, hitting 7-of-11 shots from 3-point range, while Draymond Green added 18 points for Golden State, which saw a five-game win streak ended.

At San Antonio, 26-year-old English forward Anunoby scored 24 points for the Raptors, hitting a career-best seven 3-pointers to spark a shocking comeback over star French rookie Victor Wembanyama’s Spurs.

Scottie Barnes sparkled for Toronto with a game-high 30 points, 11 rebounds, six assists, three steals and three blocked shots.

Anunoby sank the tying basket off a rebound with one second remaining to send the game into overtime at 110-110. His 3-pointer in the extra session game Toronto a 118-112 edge.

German guard Dennis Schroder added 24 points for the Raptors.

Keldon Johnson led San Antonio with 26 points while Zach Collins added 21 points and 11 rebounds and Wembanyama contributed 20 points, nine rebounds, five blocked shots and four assists for the Spurs.

Memphis finally wins 

Desmond Bane scored 30 points and Jaren Jackson added 27 to spark previously winless Memphis to victory, the Grizzlies improving to 1-6 with a 112-100 triumph at Portland.

At Dallas, Slovenian guard Luka Doncic had 23 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists to spark the Dallas Mavericks over Charlotte 124-118.

Kyrie Irving had 18 points and 10 assists for the Mavs, 5-1 overall and 3-0 at home, while Grant Williams scored 18 points and Dereck Lively added 15 points and 14 rebounds.

LaMelo Ball led the Hornets with a triple double of 30 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds.

AMMAN — Faisali host Qatar’s Sadd as they resume AFC Champions League round robin group stages Group B matches on Monday.

The team will try to make up for their last disappointing away game against their Qatari guests when they lost 6-0, after earlier  losses to UAE’s Sharjah and to Uzbekistan’s Nasaf Qarshi 1-0.

The top team from each group will advance to Round 2 alongside the top 3 second placed teams.

Faisali are trying hard to stabilise the team’s performance and lineup after inconsistent coaching staff, injuries and unwarranted mistakes in defence and offence leading to their worst results ever including losing 6-0 to Sadd.

They played week 7 of the Jordan Pro League this week beating Jalil 4-0 to stay third.

On the other hand, Wihdat who with Faisali had less than two weeks to amend the breaches in lineup and strategy before they resume Asian Football Confederation AFC Cup and AFC Champions League matches respectively, resume their Asian Cup matches on Tuesday.

Wihdat will play Iraq’s Kahraba’a in Basra having taken the lead in the second tier Asian competition after the initial three rounds. Playing in Group B, Wihdat beat Kahraba’a 3-1 after they lost to Kuwait SC 2-1 and beat Aleppo’s Ittihad 2-0 in the first leg.

They will need to top the group to secure their spot and advance , as only the best runner-up among 3 West Asia groups will advance as well.

Wihdat head into the AFC Cup after beating Salt 1-0 and staying at second after week 7 of the Jordan Pro League, with Hussein keeping a slim 2 point lead.

LOS ANGELES — Golden State star Stephen Curry drained the winning layup with two-tenths of a second remaining on Friday as the Warriors opened the NBA’s new in-season tournament with a dramatic 141-139 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder.

In a game featuring 23 lead changes, it was tied at 139-139 when Curry drove to the basket and rose to bank in a shot.

But teammate Draymond Green, whose hand was near the rim, was called for offensive goaltending — only for the call to be overturned to allow the Warriors to celebrate the win.

Curry finished with a game-high 30 points, connecting on five of 10 three-pointers and nine of 15 overall.

Green scored 15 points with five rebounds and Chris Paul handed out 13 assists.

Lu Dort scored 29 points and Chet Holmgren added 24 for Oklahoma City, who were without leading scorer Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, sidelined by a knee injury.

Even without him, the Thunder weren’t about to go quietly. The Warriors led by two at halftime, but Dort scored 11 points early in the third to put Oklahoma City up by five before the Warriors battled back, knotting the score at 106-106 heading into the fourth.

“They took it to us the whole game,” said Warriors coach Steve Kerr, who admitted he feared the worst when officials reviewed the interference call on Green.

From courtside, Kerr said, Curry’s shot looked good.

“When I saw the replay on the scoreboard, it looked like Draymond touched the rim,” Kerr said. “And I guess it’s just a determination of did it affect the shot.

“I was sort of expecting them to overturn [Curry’s basket], but obviously they allowed it and we escaped.”

It was among the most dramatic moments on the first night of the new Cup-style tournament that commissioner Adam Silver hopes will fire players’ competitive instincts and give added interest to games early in the season.

The 30 clubs were drawn into six groups of five, and each team will play a total of four tournament games this month to decide six group winners and two wildcard qualifiers for the quarter-finals.

All games in the new tournament count in the regular season standings except for the final on December 9 in Las Vegas.

Reigning NBA champions Denver took the opportunity to hand the Dallas Mavericks their first defeat of the season, 125-114.

Two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic scored 33 points on 14-of-16 shooting, adding 14 rebounds and nine assists as the Nuggets bounced back from their lone defeat so far this season.

Denver scored 20 second-chance points, dominating in the paint to deny a Mavs team led by 34 points from Luka Doncic. Kyrie Irving, back after missing two games, scored 22 for Dallas.

The first win of the new competition went to the Indiana Pacers, who were fueled by 27 points from Myles Turner in a 121-116 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Tyrese Haliburton added 18 points and 13 assists for the Pacers, who led by as many as 18 but had to claw back after the Cavs, led by 38 points and nine assists from Donovan Mitchell, grabbed a four-point lead midway through the fourth quarter.

Bucks hold off Knicks 

It was close in Chicago, where Dorian Finney-Smith scored 21 points and Mikal Bridges added 20 for the Brooklyn Nets in a 109-107 victory over the Bulls.

In Portland, the Trail Blazers edged the Memphis Grizzles 115-113 in overtime.

Bridges’s dunk with 1:13 remaining gave the Nets a 108-104 lead. Zach Lavine answered with a floater but then missed two shots, and with the Nets up 109-107, LaVine was off-target again as time expired.

“We’ve got a lot of grit — and we want to win,” Bridges said of the Nets’ determined fourth-quarter effort.

In Milwaukee, Damian Lillard scored 15 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter, draining the go-ahead three-pointer with 1:03 to play as the Bucks held off the New York Knicks 110-105.

Milwaukee withstood 45 points from Jalen Brunson, whose three-pointer with 1:10 remaining put the Knicks up for the first time since the second quarter, 103-101.

Lillard drained a three-pointer and converted a three-point play to rebuild the Bucks’ lead, and two big blocks from Brook Lopez — who had eight — helped the Bucks maintain the edge.

Giannis Antetokounmpo added 22 points, eight rebounds and six assists for the Bucks, who had six players score in double figures.

LOS ANGELES — The defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets crashed to their first defeat of the season in an upset 110-89 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday, while Boston extended their unbeaten start with a brutal thrashing of Indiana.

Denver began the season in imperious form, building to a 4-0 start, but were stopped in their tracks after a dominant performance from the Timberwolves at Minneapolis’s Target Centre.

Anthony Edwards led the Minnesota scoring with 24 points while Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 21 in a wire-to-wire victory for the Timberwolves, who led by 19 points at half-time.

Rudy Gobert delivered a crucial defensive performance with 12 rebounds and two blocks to help shut down Denver’s free-scoring offense.

Two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic led the Denver scorers with 25 points, 10 rebounds and three assists.

“It just shows what we’re capable of, honestly,” Minnesota’s Mike Conley said after the win. “We know we can be a great team — we’ve got to put it together for four quarters.

“Tonight we beat a really good team and were able to stick with the easy things and let that just bring us home,” added Conley, who finished with 17 points.

While Denver kissed goodbye to their unbeaten record, there were no such problems for the Celtics, who romped to a 155-104 blowout over the Pacers to improve to 4-0 at the top of the Eastern Conference.

The points total was the second-highest ever in Celtics history, behind the 173 scored in a win over Minneapolis in 1959.

Jayson Tatum led Boston with 30 points and 12 rebounds, with Derrick White adding 18 points and Sam Hauser 17 from five three-pointers.

LeBron snaps streak 

The game was over as a contest well before the finish, allowing Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla to rest his starters for the entirety of the fourth quarter.

In other games, LeBron James produced a vintage 35-point performance as the Los Angeles Lakers staged a second-half rally to end their 11-game losing streak to city rivals the Los Angeles Clippers with a 130-125 overtime victory.

The Lakers trailed by 19 points early in the game but roared back in the second half to complete a dramatic win, the team’s first over the Clippers since 2020.

For long periods James appeared to be locked in a toe-to-toe battle with Clippers veteran Paul George, who scored 20 points in a remarkable fourth quarter to force the contest to overtime.

George, who finished with 35 points, fouled out early in overtime and momentum swung back to the Lakers who closed out the win.

James received scoring support from Anthony Davis and D’Angelo Russell with 27 points each, while Austin Reaves added 15.

In San Francisco, Klay Thompson drained a jump shot with 0.2 seconds remaining to clinch a thrilling 102-101 win for the Golden State Warriors over the Sacramento Kings.

Thompson’s last-gasp bucket settled an engrossing duel between the two northern California teams which saw the lead change hands no fewer than 12 times.

The Warriors improve to 4-1 to move up to second in the Western Conference standings.

In Toronto, the Milwaukee Bucks fell to 2-2 for the season after slumping to a 130-111 defeat on the road.

Pascal Siakam scored 26 points in a balanced offensive effort for the Raptors, who saw all five starters finish in double figures.

German international Dennis Schroder had 24 points and Scottie Barnes added 21 as Toronto outgunned the Bucks’ twin-pronged line-up led by Giannis Antetokounmpo and new signing Damian Lillard.

Antetokounmpo was restricted to 16 points while Lillard finished with 15 as the Raptors cruised to their second win of the season against a Bucks team led by their former assistant coach Adrian Griffin.

In Dallas, the Mavericks maintained their perfect start to the season to improve to 4-0 with a 114-105 defeat of the Chicago Bulls.

Grant Williams had 25 points, Tim Hardaway Jr. posted 24 points while Luka Doncic added 18 points with 10 assists as Dallas overturned a five-point deficit early in the fourth quarter to close out victory.