NBA Monday Roundup: Celtics Rout Bulls, Cavaliers Win in Overtime

The Boston Celtics beat the Chicago Bulls 134-99 at TD Garden on Monday night, the widest margin on a four-game night in the NBA. Cleveland needed overtime to beat Minnesota 127-125, Charlotte held off Washington 110-103 behind a career night from Brandon Miller, and Dallas won 113-109 at Miami.

Miller scores a career-high 39 in Charlotte

Brandon Miller scored a career-high 39 points for the Charlotte Hornets in their 110-103 home win over the Washington Wizards. Reuters reported that Miller made 15 of 28 shots, including five three-pointers, and passed his previous career high of 38 points, set against Detroit on November 21, 2024.

Naz Reid added 18 points and 12 rebounds for Charlotte, Grayson Allen scored 15 off the bench and Moussa Diabate had 11 points and 17 rebounds. The Hornets grabbed 20 offensive rebounds and outrebounded Washington 54-41. Anthony Davis led the Wizards with 29 points and 10 rebounds, Trae Young added 22 points and 10 assists, and Kyshawn George scored 20. Washington cut a 12-point fourth-quarter deficit to 103-100 before Charlotte closed the game out. The Hornets improved to 3-1 and the Wizards fell to 2-2.

Cavaliers outlast Timberwolves in overtime

Cleveland beat Minnesota 127-125 in overtime at Rocket Arena. Minnesota led 31-24 after the first quarter and 60-50 at halftime. Cleveland won the third quarter 36-26 to tie the game, the fourth quarter finished 27-27, and the Cavaliers took the overtime period 14-12. Cleveland improved to 2-1 and Minnesota fell to 3-1, its first loss of the season.

Celtics and Mavericks win the other two

Boston's 35-point win over Chicago was the night's one-sided game, played at TD Garden. In Miami, Dallas beat the Heat 113-109 in a four-point finish. Both results are finals from Sportradar's Monday scoreboard.

What happens next

The league plays a full schedule again on Tuesday and Wednesday. Charlotte goes to Cleveland on Wednesday, where the Wizards also appear on the Cavaliers' schedule this week, and Boston's early form at home is the start every contender wants in the first full week of the season.

The night in one line

Four finals told four different stories. Boston won by 35 at home, Cleveland needed five extra minutes to protect its home court, Charlotte rode a career night from its young star to a fourth win in five days of the season, and Dallas took a four-point road win in Miami. None of the four games was close in the same way, and the early standings already show the split: Charlotte and Minnesota sit at 3-1, while Washington, Chicago and Miami are chasing their first steady week.