NBA roundup: Cavs set franchise mark with 9-0 start
Thu Nov 7 1:56am ET
Field Level Media
Donovan Mitchell scored 29 points and the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers set the record for the best start in franchise history at 9-0 with a 131-122 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday night.
Mitchell led a balanced attack as six players scored in double digits -- including Jarrett Allen (16 points and 14 rebounds) and Caris LeVert (16 points off the bench).
The 1976-77 Cavaliers started their season 8-0.
Zion Williamson scored 29 points to lead the Pelicans, while Jose Alvarado scored 27 and Brandon Ingram had 20.
Nuggets 124, Thunder 122
Nikola Jokic had 23 points, 20 rebounds and 16 assists, Peyton Watson made a game-sealing block with one second left, and host Denver handed Oklahoma its first loss of the season.
Russell Westbrook scored 29 points and Michael Porter Jr. and Christian Braun had 24 each as Denver ended a four-game head-to-head losing streak against Oklahoma City. Jokic logged his fourth triple-double of the season.
Jalen Williams had 29 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists for the Thunder, who had opened with seven straight wins. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 28 points.
Warriors 118, Celtics 112
Stephen Curry amassed 27 points, nine assists and seven rebounds to help visiting Golden State stretch its winning streak to five games with a victory over Boston.
The Warriors trailed by seven in the middle of the fourth quarter but used an 16-4 run to take a 104-99 lead with 2:30 to play on a Curry layup. Boston pulled within 115-112 when Payton Prichard made three free throws with 16 seconds remaining, but the Warriors closed out the win by making 3 of 4 at the foul line the rest of the way.
Golden State, which improved to 5-0 on the road, made 12 of its 13 free-throw attempts in the final quarter. Buddy Hield and Andrew Wiggins each added 16 points for Golden State. Jayson Tatum scored a game-high 32 points for the Celtics, whose three-game winning streak ended. Derrick White made seven 3-pointers and added 26 points.
Clippers 110, 76ers 98
Norman Powell scored 26 points and James Harden added 18 as Los Angeles spoiled Paul George's return with a victory over visiting Philadelphia in Inglewood, Calif.
Ivica Zubac scored 15 points with nine rebounds and Derrick Jones Jr. added 14 points as the Clippers won their second consecutive home game after losing the first four at their new $2 billion arena, Intuit Dome.
George scored 18 points for the 76ers in his second game of the season and first against his former team after leaving as a free agent in the offseason. The 76ers activated Joel Embiid (knee) for the first time this season, but the 2022-23 MVP remained out as he started to serve a three-game suspension for an altercation with a newspaper columnist Saturday.
Suns 115, Heat 112
Kevin Durant recorded 32 points and eight rebounds and host Phoenix topped Miami to increase its winning streak to six games.
Devin Booker added 22 points and nine assists and Jusuf Nurkic collected 20 points and 18 rebounds as Phoenix won for the seventh time in eight games this season.
Tyler Herro registered 28 points and six assists and Haywood Highsmith added 19 points for the Heat. Miami had possession with a chance to tie but didn't get a shot off in the final seconds.
Hornets 108, Pistons 107
Brandon Miller's putback at the buzzer off a missed 3-point shot gave Charlotte a dramatic victory against visiting Detroit.
Miles Bridges pumped in 27 points and LaMelo Ball scored five of his 25 points in the final minute to help the Hornets end a three-game losing streak.
Miller, who missed time earlier this season with an injury, finished with 19 points by rebounding Grant Williams' missed 3-pointer and scoring just in time. Cade Cunningham posted a triple-double in the loss (20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists).
Pacers 118, Magic 111
Indiana's Bennedict Mathurin and Myles Turner each recorded double-doubles, and Tyrese Haliburton capped his 17-point performance with a late 3-pointer as Indiana held off Orlando in Indianapolis.
Orlando played without injured star Paolo Banchero -- who scored 50 points when these two teams met last week -- and the Magic lost their fifth straight.
Indiana raced to an early, 18-point lead. The Magic, however, chipped away behind Franz Wagner's game-high 28 points, and made the game competitive throughout the second half until Haliburton hit a 3-pointer to give the Pacers a five-point lead with 33 seconds left.
Mavericks 119, Bulls 99
Luka Doncic had 27 points and 13 assists to lead host Dallas past cold-shooting Chicago, handing the Bulls their third straight loss.
The Mavericks feasted on poor Chicago transition defense, scoring 21 fastbreak points, and led by as much as 30.
The Bulls, playing without All-Star Zach LaVine (adductor strain), shot just 41.9 percent from the floor and were 12-of-42 (28.6 percent) from 3-point range. Nikola Vucevic led Chicago with 14 points in 25 minutes.
Kings 122, Raptors 107
DeMar DeRozan scored 27 points, including 11 in a commanding fourth quarter, to lead Sacramento past visiting Toronto.
Keegan Murray combined 22 points with 12 rebounds, De'Aaron Fox contributed 21 points, and Domantas Sabonis notched his 61st career triple-double -- and second in five days -- with 17 points, 11 boards and 13 assists.
RJ Barrett scored 23 points and Davion Mitchell added 20 for the Raptors, who led by four points after three quarters before the were outscored 33-14 in the fourth.
Hawks 121, Knicks 116
No. 1 overall draft pick Zaccharie Risacher tallied career highs with 33 points and seven rebounds to lead Atlanta past visiting New York.
Risacher was 11-for-18 from the field, including 6-for-10 on 3-pointers, with three assists, three steals and two blocks to help the Hawks end a three-game home-court losing streak to the Knicks.
Karl-Anthony Towns led the Knicks with 34 points, 16 rebounds and three blocks. Jalen Brunson scored 21 points and Miles McBride came off the bench to add 16 points and seven assists.
Grizzlies 131, Lakers 114
Ja Morant scored 20 points before leaving the game late in the third quarter with an injury and Jaren Jackson Jr. and Jaylen Wells also contributed 20 to lead Memphis to a victory over visiting Los Angeles.
LeBron James had 39 points to lead the Lakers, who played without injured big man Anthony Davis, the NBA's leading scorer at 32.6 points per game. Austin Reaves added 19 for Los Angeles, which lost for the fourth time in five games.
Memphis was aided by its strong long-range shooting. The Grizzlies made 17- of 34 3-pointers, including 12 of 16 in the second half. Morant took a hard fall with 3:45 left in the third quarter while attempting a left-handed dunk. He walked to the locker room and did not return. He was later diagnosed with a right hamstring injury.
Rockets 127, Spurs 100
Fred VanVleet recorded his first double-double of the season while Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun combined for 37 points as Houston cruised to a victory over visiting San Antonio.
VanVleet paired 21 points with 10 assists and also grabbed seven rebounds while enjoying a remarkable shooting night. He finished 10 of 11 from the floor, including 9 for 9 from inside the arc. Houston finished 44 for 69 (63.7 percent) on 2-pointers. Green (21 points, four 3-pointers) and Sengun (16 points) totaled 10 rebounds and eight assists.
The Spurs were undone by their 20 turnovers, which Houston converted into 20 points. Victor Wembanyama scored 15 points but missed 5 of 6 3-pointers, including his first five. Chris Paul, Keldon Johnson, Malaki Branham and Sandro Mamukelashvili scored 10 points each for San Antonio.
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- NBA roundup: Hawks send Cavs to first home loss
- NBA roundup: Damian Lillard hoists banged-up Bucks over Heat
- NBA roundup: Kristaps Porzingis returns as Celtics club Clippers
- Suns expect Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal to play vs. Lakers
- G Ja Morant set to return Monday for Grizzlies
- Rockets G Fred VanVleet fined $50K for late-game outburst
- Pelicans G Dejounte Murray to return Wednesday
- Kristaps Porzingis to make season debut Monday
- NBA roundup: Heat turn back Mavericks in OT
- Hornets F Grant Williams (knee) out for season
- NBA roundup: LaMelo Ball scores 50 in Hornets' loss to Bucks
- Clippers leading scorer Norman Powell to miss third game
- NBA roundup: Warriors first to clinch group in NBA Cup
- NBA roundup: Magic step up late, cool off Lakers
- Paul George has bone bruise in knee, out at least 2 games
- Hubie Brown, 91, to be on call of one final NBA game
- Clippers' leading-scorer Norman Powell (hamstring) out vs. Kings
Denver's C Nikola Jokic recorded a triple-double, finishing with 28 points, 11 assists and 14 rebounds in a 122-126 loss to the Clippers on Sunday, Dec. 1.
San Antonio Spurs' C Victor Wembanyama recorded a triple-double, finishing with 34 points, 11 assists and 14 rebounds in a 127-125 win over Sacramento on Sunday, Dec. 1.
Chicago Bulls guard Coby White (ankle) is considered questionable to play against Brooklyn on Monday. After dealing with a wrist injury, White hurt his left ankle against Boston on Friday. Talen Horton-Tucker has provided excellent bench scoring for the Bulls lately and might see extra action with White unavailable on Monday. At the same time, Lonzo Ball may also play a larger role in the rotation. He logged a season-high 22 minutes on Friday night. Ball was limited to two points but handed out five assists and tallied three rebounds with two steals.
Atlanta Hawks guard/forward Bogdan Bogdanovic (hamstring) is expected to rejoin the lineup on Monday versus New Orleans. The team has listed him as probable for the game. Bogdanovic sat out Saturday's contest against Charlotte as Atlanta completed a back-to-back. The veteran scorer has returned from a hamstring injury, and the Hawks don't want to overwork him. Since his return to the lineup on Nov. 18, Bogdanovic has averaged 12.2 points and 3.8 rebounds in 24.3 minutes. New Orleans gives up the fifth-most bench points in the league, so Atlanta's second unit, led by Bogdanovic, looks to be set for a good night on Monday.
Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young (Achilles) has been listed as probable on the injury report ahead of Monday's action against New Orleans. The Hawks superstar is dealing with right Achilles tendinitis but has played through the issue with no problems. Young went a bit quiet against the Hornets on Saturday but has been performing at a very high level recently and should relish the challenge of taking on former teammate Dejounte Murray in Monday's matchup.
Sacramento Kings guard/forward Kevin Huerter (ankle) will not play in Sunday's contest against San Antonio. He injured his right ankle against Portland on Friday and was previously already considered doubtful for the game. Huerter's absence should guarantee extra work for Keon Ellis and Malik Monk. The latter has far more fantasy appeal, especially as Monk is set to make his first start of the campaign. He will be looking to post a third consecutive 20-point game on Sunday.
Los Angeles Clippers point guard Kevin Porter Jr. (ankle) will sit out Sunday's tilt against Denver. He hurt his left ankle in Friday's 93-92 loss to Minnesota. Porter Jr. scored a season-high 17 points and had three steals in Friday's contest. He's carved out a decent role on the Clippers squad, averaging 8.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.8 assists in 18.7 minutes. Norman Powell's (hamstring) return will help the Clippers cope with the loss of Porter Jr.'s scoring ability on Sunday, while Bones Hyland might join the rotation.
Los Angeles Clippers guard/forward Norman Powell (hamstring) will return to action on Sunday against Denver. He has finally recovered from a hamstring strain, which kept Powell sidelined for six games. The 31-year-old is off to a great start to the season and has even started to sneak into All-Star conversations. Powell has averaged 23.3 points with eye-popping 48.7 percent shooting from three-point range. His return will end Amir Coffey's spell as a starter. Coffey should still play an important role in the rotation but will have far less fantasy appeal coming off the bench.
Portland Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant (knee) will return from a two-game absence against Dallas on Sunday. The team has upgraded him to available after initially listing Grant as questionable for the game with a left knee sprain, which has bothered him for a bit. The Trail Blazers continue to roll with a thin lineup, so Grant should get plenty of usage in the contest. However, fantasy managers shouldn't get too excited, as Grant has struggled with his shooting early in the campaign. He's only nailed 38.3 percent of his efforts from the field, averaging 16.1 points in 32.3 minutes.
Portland Trail Blazers forward Kris Murray (sternum) will be in the lineup on Sunday against Dallas. He's nursing a bruised sternum, but the team has upgraded Murray from probable to available. Murray has a limited role with the Trail Blazers, averaging 4.6 points and 2.5 rebounds across 13.7 minutes. Dallas allows the third-fewest bench points in the league and does well on the glass, so Murray's output on Sunday might be even smaller than usual.
Dallas Mavericks guard/forward Klay Thompson (foot) will continue to sit against Portland on Sunday, missing a fourth straight game. The former All-Star is struggling to shake off a left foot injury. Luka Doncic (wrist) will be back on Sunday, but Kyrie Irving (shoulder), Dereck Lively II (knee), and Naji Marshall (illness) join Thompson on the sidelines, opening up a lot of playing time for the rest of the gang. Thompson's next chance to return comes on Tuesday versus Memphis.
Portland Trail Blazers point guard Scoot Henderson (quadriceps) will miss Sunday's contest against Dallas. He has been available for only one of the previous five games and won't return to action on Sunday after Portland initially listed Henderson as questionable for the game. Dalano Banton will continue to benefit from Henderson's absence, though his performances are erratic, making him a risky fantasy play.
Dallas Mavericks forward Naji Marshall (illness) will miss his first game of the season on Sunday versus Portland. He continues to battle an illness, which limited Marshall to 13 minutes against Utah on Saturday. Marshall had scored 20-plus points in four consecutive games before settling for only three points in Saturday's game. He's put in impressive work as Dallas has maneuvered through the absences of Luka Doncic (wrist) and Klay Thompson (foot). Doncic's return to the lineup on Sunday will negatively impact many of the Mavericks players. But Kyrie Irving (shoulder) won't feature against the Trail Blazers, meaning Quentin Grimes, Spencer Dinwiddie, and Jaden Hardy should still play significant roles in the rotation.
Dallas Mavericks point guard Luka Doncic (wrist) will return to the lineup for Sunday's matchup against Portland. The team has upgraded Doncic from questionable to available, marking the end of a five-game absence for the Slovenian superstar. Kyrie Irving (shoulder) will exit the lineup on Sunday, meaning this should fully be the Doncic show. Only three teams have allowed more fantasy points to opposing point guards than the Trail Blazers in 2024-25.
Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (shoulder) has been ruled out for Sunday's contest against Portland. The veteran star will sit out his second game of the season. Irving has carried a big workload lately and almost posted a 30-point double-double on Saturday versus Utah. Dallas hopes to get Luka Doncic (wrist) back on Sunday, which will be a boost for the team. Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd regards him as a game-time decision. If Doncic can't return, Jaden Hardy, Spencer Dinwiddie, and Quentin Grimes will carry the Mavericks backcourt.
Sacramento Kings forward DeMar DeRozan (back) will return to work on Sunday versus San Antonio. He's missed a couple of games due to lower back inflammation. New signing Jae Crowder made a pair of starts during DeRozan's absence and is set to land on the bench now. DeRozan's debut campaign in Sacramento has gone well, as the veteran star has averaged 22.6 points with 4.1 rebounds and 4.1 assists. He went for 21 points, eight rebounds, six assists, two blocks, and one steal in this season's first meeting with the Spurs.
Utah Jazz forward/center Kyle Filipowski (leg) will miss a fifth consecutive game on Sunday against the Lakers. He continues to nurse a left leg injury. Filipowski had a decent run as a starter before getting sidelined and might continue to make noise once he's back. John Collins and Walker Kessler will once again do the heavy lifting on the Jazz frontcourt. The Lakers have one of the lowest rebounding rates in the league, making this a decent matchup for Utah's big men. Collins and Kessler each boast three double-doubles from their last four appearances.
Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson (foot) has been ruled out for Sunday's matchup against the Lakers. He'll be sitting out a fourth consecutive game. Clarkson has featured just once since Nov. 19 due to a foot problem. With him unavailable, Johnny Juzang and Isaiah Collier get to play more, but neither player has been a consistent source of fantasy value. Clarkson's absence also boosts the usage of Keyonte George and Collin Sexton. Both players are looking to produce a bounce-back performance on Sunday after combining for only 18 points in Saturday's 106-94 loss to Dallas.
Los Angeles Lakers forward/center Anthony Davis (foot) will play on Sunday against Utah. The Lakers star has been upgraded from probable to available. Davis has enjoyed a great campaign thus far and should crush it in Sunday's matchup, as the Jazz allow the most fantasy points in the league to opposing centers. In the first head-to-head meeting of the season, Davis recorded 26 points, 14 rebounds, six assists, and two steals with 66.7 percent shooting from the field.
Los Angeles Lakers guard/forward Cam Reddish (illness) will not suit up for Sunday's meeting with Utah. He was a late addition to the injury report with an illness and hasn't been cleared to play. Reddish has finished three consecutive games scoreless, so he shouldn't be a big loss for the Lakers. However, the 25-year-old has averaged over 20 minutes a night for the season, meaning there's going to be a nice chunk of minutes available without him on Sunday. With Austin Reaves (pelvis) and D'Angelo Russell (illness) also out, Dalton Knecht, Gabe Vincent, and Max Christie get an uptick in playing time.
