Mitchell's last-second jumper helps Cavs stay unbeaten

Staff WritersAP
Camera IconCleveland's Donovan Mitchell (far left) puts up the game-winning shot against the Bucks. (AP PHOTO) Credit: AAP

Donovan Mitchell scored 30 points including a jumper with three-tenths of a second left as the Cleveland Cavaliers remained unbeaten with a 114-113 NBA victory over the Milwaukee Bucks.

The 7-0 Cavaliers are one win away from matching their best start in franchise history. They won their first eight games in 1976-77.

Milwaukee have lost five straight since winning their season opener. The Bucks wasted a brilliant performance from Damian Lillard, who had 41 points with nine assists and shot 10-of-15 from three-point range on Saturday.

Lillard had put Milwaukee ahead by hitting a step-back jumper with 9.8 seconds remaining.

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 34 points, 16 rebounds and nine assists for Milwaukee.

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The Bucks played without Khris Middleton, who hasn't yet made his season debut as he recovers from surgery on his ankles.

After Lillard put Milwaukee ahead, Cleveland called timeout. Evan Mobley inbounded a pass to Mitchell, who caught it while barely avoiding a back-court violation. Mitchell briefly lost control of the ball, but regained possession in three-point range, dribbled inside the arc and hit a 19-footer.

In North Carolina, Jayson Tatum scored 29 points and Payton Pritchard had six three-pointers in his 22 points as the Boston Celtics beat the Charlotte Hornets 113-103 for the second straight night.

Derrick White added 18 points and eight rebounds for the Celtics, who beat the Hornets 124-109 on Friday night. Boston improved to 6-1.

Charlotte's LaMelo Ball eclipsed the 30-point barrier for the fourth time this season, finishing with 36 points on 15-of-26 shooting before fouling out for the second straight game.

Australia's Josh Green had a solid game for the Hornets, scoring 12 points in his 21 minutes on the court.

In Houston, Buddy Hield scored 27 points as the Golden State Warriors squandered a huge lead before outlasting the Rockets 127-121 in overtime.

It was Golden State's 14th straight regular-season win over the Rockets and the eighth in a row in Houston.

The Warriors led by 31 points in the first half, before the Rockets tied it with an 18-2 run to open the fourth quarter.

Golden State scored the first six points in overtime to make it 125-119 and went on to a third straight win without Steph Curry, who is out with a sprained left ankle.

In Denver, the Nuggets (3-3) handed the visiting Utah Jazz their sixth straight loss, beating Patty Mills' side 129-103.

The Oklahoma City Thunder maintained their unbeaten start to the season, rolling to their sixth straight win, a 105-92 victory on the road against the LA Clippers (2-4).

In San Antonio, Keldon Johnson scored 25 points and Chris Paul added 15 points and 13 assists as the Spurs beat the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves 113-103.

The 39-year-old Paul became the second-oldest player in NBA history with 10 assists in consecutive games. Hall of Fame point guard John Stockton of the Utah Jazz accomplished the feat at age 41.

Julius Randle scored 21 points and Anthony Edwards had 18 for Minnesota.

In Toronto, RJ Barrett scored 31 points and Chris Boucher had a season-high 24 as the Raptors snapped a four-game losing streak by beating the Sacramento Kings 131-128 in overtime.

In other results, the Memphis Grizzlies scored a 124-107 road win over the Philadelphia 76ers, Miami provided the heat to beat the Washington Wizards 118-98, and the Phoenix Suns rose to the occasion to hold off the visiting Portland Trail Blazers 103-97.

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