Jayson Tatum scored 17 of his 35 points in the fourth quarter as the Boston Celtics pulled away from the New York Knicks and earn a 114-98 win on Monday in a matchup of Atlantic Division rivals.

The Celtics outscored New York by a 62-45 margin in the second half en route to their third straight win, though the outcome was in doubt until Boston put together a pivotal run late in the third quarter.

Boston took control with a 12-2 spurt, capped by consecutive 3-pointers from Sam Hauser and Jrue Holiday, and turned a 72-72 deadlock into a comfortable 84-74 lead with the third quarter nearing an end.

Tatum then helped seal the victory by going 6 of 8 from the field and 4 of 5 from 3-point range in the fourth quarter. 

Jaylen Brown added 22 points and six assists for the Celtics, while former Knick Kristaps Porzingis had 21 points on 7-of-11 shooting against his ex-team.

The Knicks had a three-game winning streak snapped and played without leading scorer RJ Barrett due to a migraine. Jalen Brunson paced New York with 26 points and Julius Randle had 25 along with nine rebounds.

Antetokounmpo stars as Bucks beat Bulls to end brief skid

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 35 points and 11 rebounds as the Milwaukee Bucks got back on the winning track with a 118-109 victory over the Chicago Bulls.

Bobby Portis also registered a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds off the bench to help the Bucks bounce back from consecutive road losses to Indiana and Orlando, games in which Milwaukee was without star guard Damian Lillard due to a calf injury.

Lillard returned Monday but shot just 3 of 17 from the field while finishing with 12 points and five assists.

Chicago rallied from a 35-18 deficit after one quarter to take a 70-69 lead with 4 1/2 minutes to go in the third. The Bucks responded with a 12-0 run, however, that Antetokounmpo capped with a running dunk that put Milwaukee back up by double digits with under two minutes left in the period.

Antetokounmpo then scored 14 points in the fourth as the Bucks built a lead as large as 17 points late.

Nikola Vucevic led the Bulls with 26 points and 12 rebounds. Zach LaVine added 20 points but went just 2 of 10 from 3-point range.

Fox returns, helps Kings top Cavaliers for Brown's 400th win

De'Aaron Fox had 28 points and six assists in his return to help the surging Sacramento Kings give head coach Mike Brown his 400th career victory with a 132-120 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Fox finished 11 of 20 from the field and had just one turnover in 36 minutes in his first outing since missing two weeks with a sprained right ankle. The 2022-23 All-Star was part of a balanced attack for Sacramento, which also received 25 points from Keegan Murray and 23 points and 10 rebounds from Domantas Sabonis.

Kevin Huerter went 6 of 9 from 3-point range in Sacramento's third straight win. 

Brown improved to 400-254 for his career, with the majority of those wins coming in two stints as the Cavaliers' head coach. He directed Cleveland from 2005-10 and again in 2013-14.

Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland, which trailed most of the game and was down by a 110-89 margin after three quarters, with 22 points. Caris LeVert added 21 points and Evan Mobley had 16 along with 12 rebounds.

Tyrese Maxey said his career-high points total was for his Philadelphia Sixers teammate Kelly Oubre Jr.

Maxey had 50 points, seven rebounds and five assists in Sunday's 137-126 victory over the Indian Pacers, as the Sixers moved to 8-1 for the season.

The Sixers won the game without Oubre Jr, who was struck by a vehicle on Saturday. The 27-year-old suffered a fractured rib, and is set to miss a significant amount of the season.

And Maxey, who has become a regular starter following James Harden's move to the Los Angeles Clippers, paid tribute to his teammate following his game-winning turn against the Pacers.

"This had nothing to do with me," Maxey said. "This is all Kelly Oubre. We're praying for him. Love my dawg [sic]. I just met him, but I love him. I hope he gets well soon."

Maxey added that reigning NBA MVP Joel Embiid had been pushing for him to score big.

"Joel wanted me to get 50 more than even I did," Maxey quipped.

"When he gave me the ball, he said, 'You are going to shoot this basketball.' And that's why I appreciate my teammates, my coaches and the fans. It was a great night and we got the win, which is what matters most."

The 76ers have made their best start to a season since 2000-01.

"We are playing together and trusting each other," Embiid said.

"It may look like we didn't play defense tonight, but [Indiana] plays so fast, it's incredible with the pace. So they are going to score a lot, but we just competed. We lowered our guard for a bit, but we had Tyrese to help close it out."

On Oubre Jr, Embiid added: "The game today, I'm sure Tyrese was thinking about it and we were all thinking about it.

"We just want [Oubre] to take his time, recover and know that we have his back. He's needed because he's a big part of us. We missed him tonight, but he should take his time."

Steve Kerr is not too worried by the Golden State Warriors' form, though conceded his team need to be less reliant on Stephen Curry.

Curry scored 38 points – his sixth 30-point game of the season – though the Warriors lost for the third game running as they went down 116-110 to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

However, on only one other occasion this season has one of his teammates had at least 20 point, with Curry outscoring any other player on the Warriors' roster by at least five points in all 11 games this campaign, which is the longest such streak to start a season since Michael Jordan in 1987-88.

The Warriors lead the Pacific Division but hold a 6-5 record for the season, and while Kerr is not worried by the current rut, he does want to see other players step up to support Curry.

"I'm actually not overly concerned to be honest with you," Kerr said. 

"The season is filled with ups and downs and we're in a little bit of a spell right now. But it's not like we were the world's greatest team when we were six and two and we're not the world's worst team losing the last three.

"This is part of the season and I think we just played, back-to-back, two great defensive teams that throttled us and we need to figure out some things offensively and I'm confident that we will.

"No question, we need some scoring and some playmaking elsewhere."

In Curry's mind, there is no reason to panic. 

"There's always been a certain approach to guarding us. For years you know where attention is going to be," Curry said.

"Usually try to blitz me in a pick-and-roll, stay body-tight on Klay [Thompson], whatever the case is we have to make adjustments. We can't just keep doing the same thing and expect a different result.

"It's not a panic or anything. It's just a matter of getting a little smarter and a little bit more organised.

"Everything is on the table for us for adjustments. When you've lost three straight, you have to make adjustments. I don't know if it's a rotation thing or whatever the case is, but everything is on the table and everyone has to be ready to step in."

Draymond Green, meanwhile, is expecting more from himself and his other teammates.

"Chris [Paul and I] got to do a better job of making sure we're getting into things," Green said.

"When Steph's got it going, he's got it going. He's just moving. It's on us to realise that and learn how to also use him to get other guys' looks as well.

"We as players have to do better. When we're playing well, players get the credit, when you're playing bad, players have to f****** take the blame as well. We can come up here and point a bunch of fingers, at the end of the day we play basketball and it's our [job] to figure it out and play better."

Tyrese Maxey erupted for a career-high 50 points as the red-hot Philadelphia 76ers extended their winning streak to eight games with Sunday's 137-126 victory over the Indiana Pacers.

Maxey finished 20 of 32 from the field and 7 of 11 from 3-point range to help Philadelphia remain unbeaten since a season-opening loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Oct. 26. The fourth-year guard added five assists and blocked three shots in a superb all-around effort.

Joel Embiid contributed 37 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists, though the reigning NBA MVP yielded the spotlight on this night to teammate Maxey, who scored 16 of his points in the fourth quarter to help the Sixers prevail after Indiana grabbed a 105-104 lead with 10 1/2 minutes left.

The 76ers went ahead for good with a 10-2 run that put them up 114-107 with under seven minutes remaining.

Tyrese Haliburton had 25 points and 17 assists for the Pacers, who entered the contest on a three-game winning streak. Myles Turner recorded 22 points in defeat.

Surging Rockets down champion Nuggets for sixth straight win

Fred VanVleet had 26 points and the Houston Rockets overcame another dominant performance from Nikola Jokić in a 107-104 victory over the Denver Nuggets that extended their winning streak to six games.

Alperen Sengun added 23 points and eight rebounds as the upstart Rockets recorded their longest stretch of consecutive wins since a six-game run from Jan. 22-Feb. 2, 2021. Houston went just 22-60 in 2022-23, tied for the second-lowest win total in the NBA last season. 

The Rockets had to withstand Jokic's fourth triple-double of the season, as the two-time league MVP racked up season highs of 36 points and 21 rebounds along with 11 assists.

Reigning NBA champion Denver had cut a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit down to one when Jokic's 3-pointer with 19.5 seconds left brought the Nuggets within 103-102. VanVleet then made two free throws on the ensuing possession, and Denver then turned it over before Jalen Green went 1 of 2 from the foul line to give Houston a four-point advantage with 9.1 seconds remaining. 

Michael Porter Jr. had 25 points and 10 rebounds as Denver lost for only the second time in 10 games this season. The Nuggets had won four straight coming in.

Timberwolves get past Warriors to extend winning streak

The Minnesota Timberwolves are also on a six-game winning streak following their 116-110 victory over the Golden State Warriors behind Anthony Edwards' 33 points and seven assists.

Karl-Anthony Towns chipped in 21 points and 14 rebounds to help the Timberwolves improve to 7-2 and deal Golden State a third consecutive defeat.

The Warriors got 38 points from Stephen Curry but had an overall off-shooting night, connecting on just 12 of 43 attempts (27.9 per cent) from 3-point range.

Minnesota, on the other hand, shot 66.7 per cent from the field in the third quarter and outscored the Warriors by a 35-22 margin for the period to build an 89-73 lead into the fourth. The Timberwolves maintained a double-digit advantage into the final minute.

The game was the first of two straight meetings between the teams in San Francisco, where the Warriors will host Minnesota again Tuesday.

Giannis Antetokounmpo hit out at the Milwaukee Bucks' defensive efforts after they slipped to back-to-back defeats on Saturday, going down 112-97 on the road against the Orlando Magic.

The Bucks were viewed as one of the pre-season favourites in the Eastern Conference after their blockbuster trade for point guard Damian Lillard.

However, with Lillard missing Milwaukee's last two games with a sore calf, successive defeats on the road against the Indiana Pacers and Orlando have seen them slip to 5-4 for the season. 

Having recorded 54 points in vain against Indiana, Antetokounmpo finished Saturday's defeat with 35 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists, and the teams' defensive shortcomings left the two-time NBA MVP frustrated.

"I think the individual pride is there," Antetokounmpo said on Saturday. "The team defense is not there. 

"We're not helping each other as much as we should. The gaps are so… I feel like the gaps are wide open. 

"I feel like guys feel comfortable to be able to come down, attack, go downhill, get an angle, make a play for themselves or for their team-mate. Like, I wish we were being guarded that way!

"We have to take it up a notch. This is not who we are. This is not the Milwaukee Bucks. We've got to guard people and it starts with me. 

"It starts with the leader of the team. I've got to be better. But again, it's not one person that can do it alone. Defensively, we've got to show more.

"Sometimes you have to put your body on the line, take that hit, to make it easier for our defense. The last two games, we haven't done it.

"Right now, I feel like we're just being stagnant. We're going back on defense and not showing a lot of help. 

"We're not protecting one another as much as we should and sometimes when we turn the ball over, we sit and complain. We've got to get out of that mentality and stop feeling sorry for ourselves."

Milwaukee return to action on Monday as the Chicago Bulls visit Fiserv Forum.

LeBron James is questionable for the Los Angeles Lakers' home game against the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday after suffering a left calf contusion, the team have announced.

James sustained the injury during the first quarter of Friday's 122-119 in-season tournament road win over the Phoenix Suns, taking a blow from Kevin Durant's knee as he drove to the basket.

The NBA's all-time leading points scorer received treatment on the bench, but composed himself to finish with 32 points, 11 rebounds and six assists as Los Angeles ended a three-game losing run.

However, James was seen limping after the win, which brought the curtain down on the Lakers' four-game road stretch, and he subsequently told reporters his shin was sore.

 "It never loosened up," James said of his shin after Friday's game. 

"[It] pretty much locked up right then and there. So I tried to keep my composure, make sure I was okay and try to keep it stretched out and as loose as possible and play the game and be effective.

"[It's] pretty sore right now. Obviously because the adrenaline is calming down and I've iced it, now it's pretty sore."

James was listed as questionable on the Lakers' injury report ahead of Portland's visit to Crypto.com Arena, while Anthony Davis and Jaxson Hayes were deemed as probable.

Injuries have hampered Los Angeles during an underwhelming start to the season, with Friday's victory lifting them to 4-5 after a run of three successive road losses against the Orlando Magic, Miami Heat and Houston Rockets.

Draymond Green was not surprised to be on the wrong end of a controversial call on Saturday as the Golden State Warriors forward was ejected from a 118-110 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Green was ejected in the third quarter of the game for two technical fouls, having been involved in a heated altercation with Cleveland's Donovan Mitchell with the Warriors already 10 points behind.

The four-time NBA champion forced Mitchell out of bounds with his shoulder, prompting the Cavs guard to chase him down and confront him moments later. 

The players were separated but Green was subsequently penalised for his second technical of the game, with a review showing he elbowed Mitchell a couple of plays earlier. 

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr questioned the decision after the game, being unaware that the officials could call such a foul retroactively. 

"I had never heard this rule, but apparently you can retroactively call a technical from two plays before upon review," Kerr said. 

"There's a lot of plays I'd like to go back to from three years ago. It was bizarre."

Green's dismissal was his first of the season and the 17th of his NBA career (including playoff games), the most of any active player.

The 33-year-old believes his reputation played a part in the call, saying: "I am the same person that got suspended from the NBA Finals for flagrant fouls that were all called from after the game.

"Nothing surprises me."

The Warriors briefly rallied after Green's exit, outscoring Cleveland 31-16 in the third, though they were unable to sustain their momentum and fell to back-to-back defeats.

It meant Stephen Curry ended on the losing side despite reaching the milestone of 22,000 career NBA points, becoming the 35th player – and fifth active player – to do so with his game-high return of 30 points.

The two-time NBA MVP lamented the Warriors' slow start after the loss, saying: "It's a small sample size, but [we're] starting to set a pattern of getting off slow, and it's a problem we have to correct.

"But we're competitors. Holding them to 16 in the third shows we have it in us. We just have to do it and execute and come up with a better edge to start games."

Curry and his team are back in action on Sunday as the Minnesota Timberwolves visit Chase Center, and he is determined for them to respond and make their home advantage count. 

"Just because we are home doesn't mean you just show up and win," Curry said. 

"We usually respond well to this type of feeling when you lose, understanding what it takes to execute the details of our game plan against a certain team. 

"That'll be the challenge for tomorrow, especially for that starting unit, to get off to a good start."

Donovan Mitchell got the best of the Warriors and Draymond Green, collecting 21 points, seven rebounds and five assists on a night Green was ejected in a 118-110 win over Golden State on Saturday. 

Green was tossed at the 6:23 mark of the third quarter with eight points, five rebounds and four assists.

Green pushed Mitchell with his shoulder and sent him out of bounds as Cleveland’s Caris LeVert drove for a layup. Moments later, Green was bringing the ball up court and Mitchell chased him down and instigated a heated altercation.

LeVert scored 22 points, Darius Garland had 19 points, six rebounds, four assists and five steals and Evan Mobley had 19 points and two of his team’s season-high 13 steals.

Stephen Curry scored 30 points to lead Golden State, which lost both matchups this season with Cleveland.

Short-handed Heat handle Hawks

Bam Adebayo had 26 points with 17 rebounds and Jaime Jaquez Jr. added a career-high 20 points to lead the depleted Miami Heat to their fourth straight win, 117-109 over the Atlanta Hawks.

Kyle Lowry scored 17 points, Josh Richardson had 16 and Duncan Robinson contributed 11 in his first start of the season.

Miami played without two of its top three scorers, with Tyler Herro (sprained right ankle) missing his first game and Jimmy Butler absent for personal reasons.

Trae Young led the Hawks with 27 points and 11 assists, while Dejounte Murray scored 23.

The Hawks hung around and were within 115-109 after Young made two free throws with 51 seconds left, but Lowry sank a pair from the line and Young missed a 3-pointer with 22 seconds left.

Magic end 14-game losing streak to Bucks

Paolo Banchero tallied 26 points and 12 rebounds and the Orlando Magic snapped a string of 14 consecutive losses to the Milwaukee Bucks with a 112-97 victory.

Franz Wagner scored 24 points and Mo Wagner added 19 off the bench for Orlando, which defeated Milwaukee at home for the first time since March 14, 2018.

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 35 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists as the Bucks played their second straight game without Damian Lillard (sore left calf).

Philadelphia 76ers forward Kelly Oubre Jr. was hit by a motor vehicle in Center City, Philadelphia on Saturday night and has been hospitalized in stable condition, a team spokesman announced.

Oubre is expected to miss significant time due to his injuries, but those aren’t considered to be season-ending. Local authorities are investigating the incident.

Team representatives, including 76ers President Daryl Morey are with Oubre Jr. at the hospital.

The 27-year-old Oubre Jr. was walking near his residence when struck, the spokesman said.

Oubre Jr. was signed by the 76ers as a free agent in September and is averaging 16.3 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.4 steals in eight games this season.

He has been a key contributor for a Philadelphia team that has won seven straight and leads the Eastern Conference with a 7-1 record.

Originally drafted by Atlanta in 2015, Oubre Jr. has also played for Washington, Phoenix, Golden State and Charlotte.

Victor Wembanyama will be a "real, real problem" in the NBA, so says Rudy Gobert.

Top draft pick Wembanyama has been earning plenty of plaudits from big names around the NBA in the early weeks of his maiden season with the San Antonio Spurs.

The 19-year-old is averaging 19.9 points, 8.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game, though he could not lift the Spurs to victory against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday.

It was Gobert's Wolves who ran out 177-110 winners in the first in-season tournament game for both teams.

And Gobert believes his fellow Frenchman is already proving just how good he could be.

"I think his positioning is way ahead of the positioning of a rookie," Gobert said.

"You can tell that he is well coached and also that he is studying the game. That will only get better throughout the year. He's already affecting [shots], he's already getting in people's minds a bit defensively.

"He's going to be a real, real problem. He's already a problem, but I think he's going to be a real, real problem really soon.

"I'm really happy and proud of the way he's evolving and his progression.

"He's a competitor. He's a winner. All those things that, like I said, the way he works, his mindset, the way he studies the game. You add that to obviously the unique physical tools that he has. And I don't think we're going to see something like that for a while."

Indeed, Gobert thinks it is hard to know just how good Wembanyama might turn out to be.

"His approach, his dedication, the work that he puts in, the work he put in the last three months since the draft is paying off," Gobert said.

"I saw a big difference between summer league and preseason. You can tell he was in the gym, and not just in the gym, but he was doing the right thing.

"It's hard to imagine what [he's] going to be [like] after a couple years of working like he's doing. I can't even imagine how he's going to evolve."

Gobert and Wembanyama swapped jerseys after the game, which the latter finished with 29 points and nine rebounds.

"It feels special," Wembanyama said of his first matchup against Gobert.

"I know every night there's going to be one or two guys who are special to play against. But even more, it's someone that over the years has tried to take care of me and teach me some stuff. It was even more special and challenging."

Ty Lue is sure the Los Angeles Clippers will soon find a way to make things work with James Harden in the team.

The Clippers lost for a third straight game on Friday, going down 126-144 to the Dallas Mavericks.

That was despite a fast start from Los Angeles, who had built a 12-point lead with 1:53 remaining of the first quarter.

"What's the worst that you can be?" Lue asked when reflecting on the rest of his team's display, as they were put to the sword by Luka Doncic's 44 points.

Yet the Clippers coach feels wins will soon come as Paul George, Kawhi Leonard and Russell Westbrook gain some rhythm with Harden.

"I'm telling you, it's going to be good," said Lue, who rested his starters in the final quarter given the Clippers were trailing by 26 points.

"That's all right. We'll be all right. They better take advantage of it now."

Leonard echoed the sentiment, with the two-time NBA champion saying: "I'm still confident.

"I still feel like we're learning each other, the whole players and coaching staff, and you see a little bit of good things in the game tonight, even last game, having some good leads.

"We're just not sustaining it and once we figure it out, we're going to keep it rolling. So we've all got to stay afloat and stay confident and keep pushing one another to keep that mindset on the goal.

"We have four guys on the floor that are used to having a ball, used to finding a rhythm just by feeling and touching it all game.

"Just playing more, you'll start to figure out, OK, this guy needs this spot here or he got it going, let me buy in into another part of the game where I can make us win."

Leonard led the Clippers with 26 points, with Harden and Westbrook each chipping in with 14. George, though, could only score eight points, adding three rebounds and two assists, in his 23 minutes on the court.

"I feel like you got to learn to just adjust," George said. "It's not from a 'like' standpoint, it's just he's trying this out, too.

"We're all trying to try this out and so I don't know. I don't know, I'm out there to try to just learn on the fly, figure it out on the fly as we all are.

"So I'm rolling with what T-Lue sees out there and again, at some point it's going to work and nobody's going to talk about the rotations and guys on the floor and personnel."

Harden, too, acknowledged it will take time to fully adjust.

"Just getting used to it," he said. "There's just so many great talented players on this team, I got to find a way to still be aggressive, generating shots or creating shots for myself, as well.

"The first quarter felt really good on both ends of the ball, and then from there it went downhill. So trying to find a balance of not trying to step on anyone's toes, but just trying to still be aggressive and be myself.

"It's a process, but it's definitely a little frustrating. We do like to win games."

LeBron James defied his age again with 32 points, 11 rebounds and six assists as the Los Angeles Lakers rallied for a 122-119 win over the Phoenix Suns to snap a three-game skid.

The 38-year-old James was 11 of 17 from the field, including 3 of 4 on 3-pointers, and played a team-high 36 minutes, 23 seconds.

Kevin Durant scored 38 points and Bradley Beal had 24 for the Suns, who again played star Devin Booker for the fourth straight game.

Austin Reaves’ layup with 9:25 remaining was part of a 14-0 run and gave the Lakers their first lead of the second half at 97-96.

Cam Reddish scored 17 points and hit a corner 3 on a pass from James to extend Los Angeles’ lead to 118-113 with 70 seconds to go.

Anthony Davis returned after missing one game with a hip injury and had 18 points, 11 boards and four assists.

76ers beat Pistons for 7th straight win

The 76ers and Pistons continued to head in opposite directions as Joel Embiid had 33 points and 16 rebounds in Philadelphia’s 114-106 victory.

Tyrese Maxey has 29 points, 10 assists and no turnovers and former Piston Tobias Harris added 24 points as the 76ers won their seventh straight since a season-opening loss at Milwaukee.

Killian Hayes scored 23 points and Cade Cunningham had 21 for the Pistons, who dropped their seventh in a row and lost center Jalen Duren to an ankle injury.

Philadelphia closed the third quarter with a 15-6 run to go ahead 83-77 and outscored Detroit 35-21 in the period behind 16 points from Embiid.

Streaking Timberwolves overcome Wembanyama, Spurs

Karl-Anthony Towns had 29 points and 12 rebounds and the Minnesota Timberwolves won their fifth straight, 117-110 over the San Antonio Spurs despite 29 points from Victor Wembanyama.

Anthony Edwards added 28 points for Minnesota, which notched it first road win of the season to go with impressive home victories over Boston and Denver.

Wembanyama was 12 of 21 from the field and 3 for 7 on 3-pointers, while adding nine boards, four assists and four blocks.

Devin Vassell scored a career-high 29 points for San Antonio in his return to the starting lineup after missing two games with a strained left groin and coming off the bench in Wednesday’s loss to the Knicks.

Giannis Antetokounmpo feels he is rediscovering his best form after a 54-point turn against the Indiana Pacers.

Antetokounmpo starred for the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday, adding to his points tally with 12 rebounds, though it was not enough as the Pacers clinched a 126-124 victory.

Indeed, the two-time MVP was partly at fault as he committed two turnovers with the Bucks trailing 122-121 in the closing stages of the fourth quarter.

Antetokounmpo has only finished with more points once in his career. Across his eight games this season, the 28-year-old is averaging 28.1 points, 9.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists.

"I was just; my legs were feeling good," Antetokounmpo said, as per the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

"I was on balance. I feel strong. I feel like I could attack angles like I have been in the past.

"I've been feeling like this the last three games. That means I'm kind of getting my rhythm back, so I'm kind of happy about that.

"But at the end of the day, it does not matter because we didn't get a win. Hopefully, we can go to Orlando and get a win."

Reflecting on his mistakes down the stretch, Antetokounmpo added: "I didn't take care of the ball on two possessions. I had to shoot the ball, I didn't shoot the ball. But I was gassed and they were able to get a win."

Antetokounmpo's teammate Khris Middleton suggested the other Bucks must take more responsibility, though.

"You could see nobody out there could guard him tonight," Middleton said.

"It was either a layup, dunk or a foul. And I think he realised that, he sensed blood, and he went for it every time. That's what we need on nights like tonight.

"Unfortunately, we couldn't get the win with it. But he did a great job of attacking, seeing double teams, kicking out, knowing when to attack, knowing when to wait.

"Just being patient. I thought he played a great game. [We have] just got to be better at the end for him there, help him out a little bit more."

The Bucks, who are 5-3 for the season, face the Orlando Magic on Saturday in their next outing.

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored an NBA season-high 54 points, but the Indiana Pacers rallied late in the fourth quarter to beat the Milwaukee Bucks 126-124 on Thursday.

One night after being ejected for celebrating after a dunk, Antetokounmpo was 19 of 25 from the field and 16 for 18 from the free throw line to come up one point shy of his career high.

With Damian Lillard sitting due to an ankle injury, Antetokounmpo carried the offense but scored just eight points in the fourth quarter and finished with eight turnovers, including two at crunch time.

The Pacers trailed 117-108 with under five minutes remaining but took the lead for good with a 16-4 run down the stretch.

Tyrese Haliburton made five of Indiana’s 20 3-pointers, including the go-ahead bucket with 1:29 remaining, and led the way for the Pacers with 29 points and 10 assists.

Bennedict Mathurin added 26 points and 11 rebounds, while Myles Turner chipped in 21 points, six rebounds and four assists as Indiana improved to 6-3 with its third straight win.

Young scores 41 in Hawks’ win

Trae Young scored 33 of his 41 points in the first half and Dejounte Murray hit the go-ahead 3-pointer late as the Atlanta Hawks held off the Orlando Magic, 120-119 in Mexico City.

Jalen Johnson had 19 points and nine rebounds and Murray finished with 16 points to help the Hawks win for the fifth time in six games.

Jalen Suggs scored 21 points to lead seven Magic players in double figures, including 17 from Paolo Banchero and Markelle Fultz and Moritz Wagner’s 13 apiece.

Franz Wagner’s hook with 45 seconds left gave Orlando a 119-117 lead, but Murray answered with a 3 11 seconds later and Banchero missed a 3 with 7.9 seconds to go.

Victor Wembanyama described his Madison Square Garden debut as "special" but accepted he has much to learn after seeing the New York Knicks spoil his first outing at the iconic venue.

Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs travelled to Manhattan looking to improve on a 3-4 start to the season on Wednesday, but the Knicks comfortably condemned them to a third straight defeat, triumphing 126-105.

The seven-foot-four rookie received some rough treatment from the Knicks, finishing with 14 points, nine rebounds and a block while failing to make his first field goal until the third quarter.

The New York fans revelled in the struggles of this year's first overall draft pick, with a sellout crowd chanting that he was "overrated".

Wembanyama, though, viewed the defeat as part of the Spurs' learning curve and expressed confidence that San Antonio – the youngest team in the league – will soon find their feet. 

"We're learning," he said after the game. "As a young team, any team really, we're going to go through losing streaks sometimes during the season in tough times.

"It's going to happen. But the most important thing is how we bounce back.

"We've got good intentions, and we've learned a lot also from the coaching staff defensively, so we're just trying to apply what they say. 

"But I think what's good is we are bringing energy at all times, so this is a good start. We've got great potential defensively. 

"I know in the past games, especially in Phoenix, we've seen great defensive sequences. We're just all getting it together."

Despite the difficult nature of the game, the 19-year-old enjoyed his first outing at the Garden, adding: "No matter how many times I play here, I hope it will always be special." 

The Knicks weren't afraid to be physical with Wembanyama, with center Mitchell Robinson being the primary defender on six of his field goal attempts, denying him a basket.

Spurs guard Tre Jones is confident Wembanyama will adapt to that kind of attention, adding: "Some teams will try to attack him and whatnot, be very aggressive with him, physical with him.

"It is what it is, and as long as he continues to develop like we know he will, it'll be like that for however long he plays, and so it's something that we'll just get used to."