Sports briefs
In the NBA
A slow start didn’t help Giannis Antetokounmpo’s shot at NBA history, but the Milwaukee Bucks are hardly a one-man show.
Khris Middleton hit a 3-pointer less than 20 seconds into the game, and the team with the league’s best record never trailed Saturday night in a 112-95 victory over the Orlando Magic. It’s the 13th time the Bucks have led from wire to wire this season.
Antetokounmpo nearly had a triple double with 19 points, 18 rebounds and nine assists while also falling short of becoming the first player in league history with at least 30 points, 15 rebounds and 5 assists in six consecutive games.
In the NHL
Charlie Coyle scored two goals, and the Boston Bruins beat Arizona 4-2 on Saturday for their 16th straight victory over the Coyotes.
The NHL-leading Bruins earned their sixth consecutive win. Patrice Bergeron and Jake DeBrusk each had a power-play goal 2:29 apart in the second period, and Coyle’s second was an empty-netter that sealed it in the final minute.
It’s Boston’s longest winning streak ever against any opponent, surpassing a 15-game stretch against the Philadelphia Flyers during the Bobby Orr-era from 1970-1972 when the Bruins captured two Stanley Cups (’70 and ’72).
Patrik Laine scored a hat trick with three power-play goals to propel the Winnipeg Jets to a 5-2 victory again
- st the Ottawa Senators.
Dukes edges Carolina
Freshman Wendell Moore scored on a putback as time expired to help No. 7 Duke rally past North Carolina 98-96 in overtime in a wild renewal of the rivalry Saturday night.
Moore’s follow of Tre Jones’ missed off-balance jumper finally ended this one, a game that saw Duke rally from 13 down in the final 4½ minutes of regulation. Jones forced overtime, hitting a contested jumper at the regulation horn after corralling his own intentionally missed free throw.
Jones finished with 28 points to lead the Blue Devils (20-3, 10-2 Atlantic Coast Conference), who trailed most of the night and led for only 1:47 of game action.
Cole Anthony scored 24 points to lead the Tar Heels (10-13, 3-9), who appeared unexpectedly in control of this one much of the way – only to be undone by missed free throws and an inability to come up with one or two more clutch plays to close this one out.
A disputed no-call in the final seconds of overtime gave Duke the ball and its chance to win. After a driving basket by Moore brought the Blue Devils to within 96-95 with 12 seconds left, the Tar Heels tried to inbounds the ball to Andrew Platek – only to see Moore knock the ball away and off Platek while making contact near the sideline
It was Laine’s eighth career hat trick and gave the Jets points in four straight games after a five-game losing streak.