NEW YORK: Stephen Curry tallied a game-high 34 points while Andrew Bogut grabbed 18 rebounds as the Golden State Warriors handed the Houston Rockets their first loss of the season with a 98-87 win yesterday at Toyota Center.
The Rockets (6-1) were down three starters, most notably center Dwight Howard, who was a pre-game scratch due to flu-like symptoms.
Without Howard, the Rockets were powerless in the paint, with the Warriors (5-0) sporting a 56-32 scoring advantage inside as Houston shot 10 for 42 on three-pointers. The Rockets also committed 23 turnovers.
Brandon Knight scored on a layup and free throw with 1.1 seconds left, giving Milwaukee a win over Memphis at the BMO Harris Bradley Center.
Knight’s closing-moment heroics capped off a furious fourth-quarter comeback that was fueled by forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, who led the Bucks with a career-high 18 points.
Evan Turner had 19 points and six assists as Boston held on to beat Chicago at the United Center. Seven players scored in double figures for the Celtics, who shot 51.9 percent from the field and out-rebounded Chicago 45-38 to pick up a rare win at the United Center, where they had lost nine of their previous 11 since the 2007-08 season.
The loss snapped a four-game winning streak for the Bulls, who dropped to 1-2 on their home court. Chicago sliced a 19-point deficit in the second half to two points in the final minute, but Boston recovered with free throws by Turner and center Kelly Olynyk.
Dwyane Wade had 25 points and eight assists to lead Miami over Minnesota at AmericanAirlines Arena.
Heat forward Chris Bosh added 24 points. He has scored at least 20 points in all six Heat games this season.
The Heat (4-2) snapped a two-game losing streak.
Minnesota (2-4) were playing their first game without injured point guard Ricky Rubio, who ranks third in the NBA with 10 assists per outing. Kyle Korver got hot, while Carmelo Anthony disappeared, as Atlanta rallied past New York at Philips Arena.
Korver, the Hawks’ sharp-shooting guard, hit six three-pointers, including two in the fourth quarter, to help Atlanta overcome a 13-point halftime deficit and snap a two-game slide. Anthony has been mired in a shooting slump to start the season and scored only eight points in the final three quarters.
The Washington Wizards needed only one quarter to remove most of the potential drama against the reeling Indiana Pacers.
Washington forced 10 first-quarter turnovers, built a commanding 32-14 lead through 12 minutes and then held on at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse.AGENCIES
