NEW YORK (REUTERS) - Golden State's record 24-game winning streak to start the National Basketball Association season came to an end on Saturday in a 108-95 loss to the Bucks in Milwaukee.
A night after barely beating Boston in double overtime, the weary NBA champions succumbed in Milwaukee in the final game of a seven-game road trip.
Golden State's winning streak, the longest to start a season in NBA history, is the third-longest in a single season behind the Los Angeles Lakers, who won 33 in a row in 1971-72, while the Miami Heat won 27 straight in 2013. The Bucks also stopped the Lakers' winning steak in 1972.
Stretching back to the end of last season, Golden State won 28 consecutive regular-season games. The normally sharp-shooting Warriors struggled offensively, shooting barely 40 per cent from the floor, with guards Stephen Curry (10-for-21 for 28 points) and Klay Thompson (four-for-14 for 12 points) struggling to find their range.
Milwaukee improved to 10-15 with the win.
In other games on Saturday -
Pistons 118 Pacers 96: Reggie Jackson led six Detroit players in double figures with 21 points and the Pistons rolled to a 118-96 victory over the Indiana Pacers at The Palace.
Jackson also dished out nine assists while back-court partner Kentavious Caldwell-Pope approached a triple-double with 18 points, seven rebounds and a career-high eight assists.
Celtics 98 Hornets 93: Avery Bradley scored 23 points and Isaiah Thomas tallied 21 points and 13 assists as the Boston Celtics snapped the Charlotte Hornets' four-game winning streak with a 98-93 victory.
The Celtics (14-10) bounced back from a draining double-overtime loss to Golden State. It is the fourth straight time this season the Celtics have won on the second night of a back-to-back.
Spurs 103 Hawks 78: The San Antonion Spurs - the NBA's top defensive team - held Atlanta to 25 points in the first half and romped to a 103-78 victory over the Hawks.
Kawhi Leonard scored 22 points to lead San Antonio in scoring for the 15th time. Manu Ginobili added 17 off the bench for the Spurs, who led by as many as 28 in the third quarter.
Rockets 126 Lakers 97: James Harden and Dwight Howard delivered a strong offensive double act as the Houston Rockets outgunned the Los Angeles Lakers 126-97 at Toyota Center.
Harden scored a game-high 30 points and Howard had 18 and 12 rebounds. Reserve guard Marcus Thornton scored 18 points as Houston (12-12) won for the seventh time in nine games.
