Anthony Edwards scored 29 points and shot 7-for-14 from 3-point range as the Minnesota Timberwolves escaped with a 119-116 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Friday night in Minneapolis.
Julius Randle added 23 points, seven assists and six rebounds for Minnesota, which earned its third win in four games. Rudy Gobert had 17 points and 14 rebounds.
Aaron Gordon scored a game-high 31 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for Denver. Nikola Jokic had 26 points, 13 assists and nine rebounds, while Michael Porter Jr. he also scored 26 points.
Denver was without guard Jamal Murray, who left in the third quarter after colliding with Randle. Murray has been placed in concussion protocol, the Nuggets said. He finished with six points, three assists and two rebounds in 22 minutes as the Nuggets’ two-game winning streak ended.
Celtics 124, Hornets 109
Jayson Tatum scored 32 points and Jaylen Brown had 25 as Boston held off host Charlotte.
Derrick White added 17 points as the Celtics bounced back from their overtime loss at Indiana on Wednesday — their only loss of the season. Tatum also grabbed 11 rebounds.
LaMelo Ball had 31 points and four assists to lead the Hornets, while Tre Mann had 23 points. The game pitted first-year Hornets coach Charles Lee against the team he helped guide to the NBA title as an assistant coach last season.
Thunder 137, Trail Blazers 114
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander recorded 30 points, seven rebounds and six assists as Oklahoma City hosted undefeated Portland.
Jalen Williams added 22 points, five rebounds, four assists and four steals as the Thunder won their fifth straight season opener. Oklahoma City has won 13 games in a row against the Trail Blazers.
Jerami Grant had 17 points and Deandre Ayton and Ryan Rupert added 14 apiece for Portland, which started the season with four losses in six games.
Cavaliers 120, Magic 109
Darius Garland scored 25 points and Donovan Mitchell added 22 when Cleveland visited Orlando to remain unbeaten.
Cleveland won its first six games to start the season, matching the franchise’s best start since 2016-17. Evan Mobley had 14 points and 12 rebounds.
Orlando, trailing by 22 points in the third quarter, lost its second straight game despite getting 28 points from Jalen Suggs. The Magic were without All-Star forward Paolo Banchero, who suffered a torn right leg in Wednesday’s loss to the Chicago Bulls.
Knicks 128, Pistons 98
Jalen Brunson poured in 36 points in the first three quarters and New York beat Detroit for the 16th time in a row.
Brunson made 14 of 22 field goal attempts and added five assists. Karl-Anthony Towns, who scored 44 points against Miami on Wednesday, had 21 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. OG Anunoby also had 21 points and six assists.
The Pistons were coming off their first win of the season, a road win in Philadelphia. Cade Cunningham led them on Friday with 22 points, six rebounds and six assists.
Kings 123, Hawks 115
De’Aaron Fox scored a game-high 31 points to help Sacramento beat host Atlanta, which lost its fourth straight game.
DeMar DeRozan added 27 points, while Domantas Sabonis had 15 points, 14 rebounds and six assists for the Kings, who won for the third time in a row. Keegan Murray recorded 14 points and 10 rebounds.
Trae Young led Atlanta with 25 points and 12 assists, while Garrison Mathews scored 23 points off the bench.
Nets 120, Bulls 112
Cam Thomas scored 32 points to continue his strong start as Brooklyn made enough plays to beat Chicago in New York.
Thomas scored at least 30 for the third time in Brooklyn’s first six games and slowed as the Nets outscored the Bulls 16-8 in the final six minutes.
Nikola Vucevic collected 28 and 11 rebounds for the Bulls, who dropped their third straight game. LaVine and Coby White added 21 for Chicago, which shot 6-of-23 from the fourth floor, including 2-of-11 from 3-point range.
Lakers 131, Raptors 125
Anthony Davis had 38 points and 11 rebounds and LeBron James added 27 points, six rebounds and 10 assists as Los Angeles held off Toronto.
Austin Reaves scored 20 points and D’Angelo Russell contributed 19 points for the Lakers, who had lost their last two games to begin a five-game road trip for the first time this season.
RJ Barrett had 33 points and 12 assists for the Raptors, who have lost four straight. Gradey Dick added a career-best 31 points and Jakob Poeltl had 19 points, 12 rebounds and six assists.
Pelicans 125, Pacers 118
Zion Williamson scored 34 points and dished out 10 assists, Brandon Ingram scored 26 points and New Orleans played short-handed in a win over visiting Indiana.
Jordan Hawkins scored 23 points for the Pelicans, who were without their top four players — Dejounte Murray (hand surgery), CJ McCollum (adductor), Herbert Jones (shoulder) and Trey Murphy III (hamstring ).
Ben Sheppard scored 20 points, Benedict Mathurin scored 19 and Pascal Siakam added 16 as the Pacers lost for the fourth time in five games.
–Field Level Media
Source link