NBA roundup: Cavs nip Bucks, remain undefeated
Wed Nov 6 12:13pm ET
Field Level Media
Darius Garland sank a 3-pointer with 45 seconds left and set up Jarrett Allen for a layup with 12.2 seconds remaining for the clincher as the Cleveland Cavaliers downed the visiting Milwaukee Bucks 116-114 on Monday.
The Cavaliers equaled a franchise record set in 1976-77 with their eighth straight win to start the season. Cleveland beat the Bucks 114-113 on Saturday when Donovan Mitchell sank a shot with 0.3 seconds left.
Garland finished 39 points to lead the Cavs, with Evan Mobley adding 17 and Jarrett Allen going for 14 points and 15 rebounds.
Milwaukee, which played without star Giannis Antetokounmpo (adductor), lost its sixth game in a row since a season-opening win. Damian Lillard scored 36 points and AJ Green had 21 off the bench for the Bucks.
Kings 111, Heat 110
Domantas Sabonis swished a short put-back in the lane with 0.7 seconds left as Sacramento defeated host Miami.
De'Aaron Fox, whose miss was rebounded by Sabonis, led the Kings with 28 points and DeMar DeRozan added 26. Sabonis had 16 points and game highs in rebounds (16) and assists (seven).
Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro each scored 27 points for the Heat while Bam Adebayo contributed 16 points and nine boards.
Suns 118, 76ers 116
Kevin Durant scored 15 of his game-high 35 points in the fourth quarter, including the decisive driving basket with 24 seconds left, as Phoenix rallied for a victory over visiting Philadelphia.
Durant shot 14-for-20 and had six assists for the Suns, who own a five-game winning streak. Durant's heroics capped a game-ending 14-3 run for Phoenix. Tyrese Maxey made six 3-pointers and scored 32 points to lead Philadelphia, which has lost five of six games to start the season.
Former Clippers star Paul George made his 76ers debut and scored 15 points on 4-of-14 shooting. George, who missed a tying 23-foot attempt with 3.4 seconds left, sat out the 76ers' first five games due to a left knee injury.
Clippers 113, Spurs 104
Norman Powell scored 23 points and Amir Coffey added 21 while leading a second-half rally as Los Angeles pulled out a victory over San Antonio for its first win at its new arena in Inglewood, Calif.
Ivica Zubac produced 17 points and 13 rebounds and James Harden added 17 points after a slow start as the Clippers came out on top for the first time in five tries at the $2 billion Intuit Dome.
Victor Wembanyama amassed 24 points, 13 rebounds and nine blocked shots as the Spurs lost without head coach Gregg Popovich, who is not with the team because of an undisclosed illness. San Antonio led by 26 at the end of the first quarter but couldn't hold on.
Thunder 102, Magic 86
Jalen Williams scored 23 points to help Oklahoma City remain undefeated with a win over visiting Orlando. The 7-0 record marks the Thunder's best start since moving to Oklahoma City in 2008.
The Thunder led from wire-to-wire and Orlando never drew closer than 10 points after the first quarter.
Oklahoma City star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander didn't attempt a shot until nearly nine minutes into the game but still made an early impact with seven first-quarter assists, a career high for a quarter. He finished with 21 points. Franz Wagner paced the Magic with 22 points.
Celtics 123, Hawks 93
Jayson Tatum posted 28 points and nine assists as Boston breezed host Atlanta, which also lost star guard Trae Young to a rib injury.
Derrick White added 21 while Payton Pritchard scored 18 points off the bench as the Celtics won their third straight.
The injury-riddled Hawks, who lost their fifth game in six tries, were led by Jalen Johnson's 20 points and 11 rebounds. Young, who came in averaging 27 points per game, was limited to a career-low two points on 1-for-10 shooting from the field, including 0-for-6 from 3-point land. He played 23 minutes, leaving in the third quarter with a right rib sprain.
Pistons 115, Lakers 103
Jaden Ivey had 26 points and host Detroit surprised Los Angeles, snapping a seven-game losing streak against the Lakers.
Cade Cunningham notched 17 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists for the Pistons. Tim Hardaway Jr. supplied 19 points, and Tobias Harris had 15 points and seven rebounds.
Anthony Davis led the Lakers with 37 points and nine rebounds. LeBron James had 20 points, eight rebounds and 11 assists, and Austin Reaves added 17 points.
Warriors 125, Wizards 112
Stephen Curry returned from a three-game absence to score 24 points, new sidekick Buddy Hield provided 20 points and Golden State remained unbeaten on the road with a victory over Washington.
Curry, who sprained his left ankle on Oct. 27 against the Los Angeles Clippers, was 4 of 9 from 3-point range, and Hield went 3-for-8 from deep, helping the Warriors improve to 4-0 on the road.
Jordan Poole scored 24 points and Kyshawn George added 20 but the Wizards lost their second straight game.
Rockets 109, Knicks 97
Alperen Sengun posted a double-double, Fred VanVleet added 19 points and Houston held off a second-half charge from visiting New York.
Sengun paired 25 points on 11-of-15 shooting with 14 rebounds and five assists. Jalen Green had 15 points for the Rockets, who finished with a 62-38 advantage on points in the paint.
Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 29 points and eight assists. OG Anunoby hit 5 of 6 3-pointers and totaled 21 points while Karl-Anthony Towns produced 17 points and 19 rebounds.
Timberwolves 114, Hornets 93
Naz Reid came off the bench to score 25 points and grab nine rebounds, and Minnesota cruised past Charlotte in Minneapolis.
Anthony Edwards added 21 points on 6-for-11 shooting overall and 4-for-6 shooting from beyond the arc for the Timberwolves. Donte DiVincenzo scored 14 points off the bench.
LaMelo Ball led the Hornets with 19 points on 6-for-15 shooting. Three Charlotte players, Brandon Miller, Miles Bridges and Tre Mann, scored 10 points apiece.
Jazz 135, Bulls 126
Keyonte George matched his career high with 33 points and John Collins had 28 points and 13 rebounds as visiting Utah topped Chicago for its first victory of the season.
Outscored by 112 points during a six-game losing streak to open the campaign, the Jazz led by as many as 15 against the Bulls, who made a push in the third quarter but couldn't complete the comeback.
Coby White led Chicago with 28 points on 6-of-9 3-point shooting, Ayo Dosunmu added 25 points and Nikola Vucevic had a double-double of 23 points and 10 rebounds.
Nets 106, Grizzlies 104
Dorian Finney-Smith hit a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 1:13 left as Brooklyn outlasted visiting Memphis for its third win in four games.
Finney-Smith scored all 17 of his points in the second half and hit a season-high five 3-pointers. Cameron Johnson and Dennis Schroder each scored a team-high 20 points for the Nets.
Ja Morant had several highlight-reel plays and scored 25 points for the Grizzlies, who had won two straight. Rookie Zach Edey matched Morant's point total to set a career high and grabbed 12 rebounds.
Trail Blazers 118, Pelicans 100
Deandre Ayton had a double-double, Dalano Banton scored all 20 of his points in the fourth quarter and the visiting Trail Blazers pulled away to a victory against the Pelicans.
Ayton finished with 19 points and 13 rebounds, Anfernee Simons scored 24 and Jerami Grant and Toumani Camara had 16 each for Portland.
Brandon Ingram, the Pelicans' leading scorer and the only one of its top five scorers healthy enough to play, had 27 points, Brandon Boston Jr. scored 20.
Nuggets 121, Raptors 119
Nikola Jokic amassed 28 points, 14 rebounds and 13 assists, Russell Westbrook scored 21 points and host Denver rallied to beat Toronto.
Michael Porter Jr. added 19 points for Denver, which played without Jamal Murray and lost Aaron Gordon to a right calf strain in the first quarter.
Gradey Dick scored 26 points and Jakob Poeltl had 24 points before fouling out for Toronto. RJ Barrett added 16 points and 10 assists but missed a 3-point attempt at the horn that would have won the game.
Pacers 134, Mavericks 127
Myles Turner made five 3-pointers and finished with season highs of 30 points and 11 rebounds as Indiana beat host Dallas.
Tyrese Haliburton had a season-high 25 points and 12 assists for the Pacers. Pascal Siakam scored 23 points.
Luka Doncic led the Mavericks with 34 points, seven rebounds and a season-high 15 assists. Kyrie Irving scored 27 points, and Naji Marshall added 20.
- Mavericks re-sign G Dante Exum
- Lakers sign center DeAndre Ayton
- NBA adjusts record of all-time wins leader Gregg Popovich
- Knicks hiring Mike Brown as head coach
- On verge of $240M deal, surgery next for Grizzlies All-Star Jaren Jackson Jr.
- Hornets reach 3-year, $24M deal with Tre Mann
- Duncan Robinson headed to Pistons in sign-and-trade from Heat
- Tim Hardaway Jr. reaches deal with Nuggets
- Thunder F Jalen Williams undergoes wrist surgery, Nov. return expected
- Raptors C Jakob Poeltl agrees to 4-year, $104M deal
- Kings sign Dennis Schroder, deal Jonas Valanciunas to Denver
- Bucks waive Damian Lillard, sign Myles Turner
- Knicks signing Guerschon Yabusele to 2-year deal
- Thunder sign SGA to record 4-year, $285M extension
- Knicks set second interview with Mike Brown
- Knicks add veteran G Jordan Clarkson
- Bucks retain Kevin Porter Jr., Gary Trent Jr., Tauren Prince
- Pistons reportedly land G Cavis LeVert for 2 years, $29M
- Veteran G Dennis Schroder agrees to deal with Kings
- Hawks, Nickeil Alexander-Walker agree to $62M deal
The Philadelphia 76ers have agreed on a one-year deal with Eric Gordon on Tuesday. Despite a rough first year in Philly, Gordon is back for another season with the Sixers. Gordon averaged a career-low 6.8 points with 1.2 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 39 games with the 76ers last season. He missed a good part of the season due to a wrist injury. It's a low-risk deal for the Sixers to bring in a veteran presence who is still a reliable three-point shooter. It's unlikely Gordon isn't going to offer much fantasy value, but he could be a decent contributor off the bench.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have reached a one-year deal with free-agent forward Larry Nance Jr. on Tuesday. After one injury-riddled season in Atlanta, Nance has decided to head back to Cleveland where he played from 2017-2021. Last season, Nance averaged 8.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.6 assists across 19.3 minutes per game in 24 games. At this point in his career, Nance isn't going to play big minutes, but could still contribute with minutes in the teens. He figures to play a primary role off the bench behind Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. It probably won't be a big enough role to warrant rostering in most fantasy leagues right away.
The Los Angeles Lakers have made a big splash and signed free-agent center Deandre Ayton on Wednesday. The two sides have reportedly agreed on a two-year deal. Ayton decided to opt-out of his deal with the Trail Blazers after two seasons in Portland. He averaged 14.4 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 40 games with the Blazers last season. Ayton has averaged a double-double in each of his first seven seasons in the league. He'll now be surrounded with some top talent such as LeBron James and Luka Doncic. Despite that, Ayton should be able to produce top-100 fantasy value, assuming he stays healthy. It's worth noting that has been limited to less than 60 games in three of the last four seasons. When healthy, Ayton can be a serious contributor on this Lakers roster.
On Wednesday, Shams Charania of ESPN reports that free-agent guard Dante Exum has signed a one-year deal to remain with the Dallas Mavericks. Exum has dealt with several injuries throughout his NBA career and played in only 20 regular-season contests in 2024-25, averaging 8.7 points, 2.8 assists, 1.7 rebounds, and 0.6 steals in 18.6 minutes per game. If the 29-year-old can stay healthy, he could see a significant increase in playing time with Kyrie Irving(knee) expected to be out through January.
On Wednesday, the Memphis Grizzlies announced forward Jaren Jackson Jr. underwent successful surgery to repair a turf toe injury in his right foot and will be re-evaluated in 12 weeks. Jackson will likely be good to go for the start of the regular season. The 25-year-old just signed a massive five-year, $240 million extension with Memphis. Despite the offseason setback, he is deserving of a new contract extension based on the numbers he has been producing over the last few years. During the 2024-25 campaign, the big man averaged 22.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.0 assists across 29.8 minutes per game in 74 appearances. When healthy, Jackson holds plenty of fantasy value and should continue to do so during the 2025-26 season.
Free-agent point guard Spencer Dinwiddie agreed to a one-year deal with the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday, per Shams Charania of ESPN. Dinwiddie spent last season with the Mavericks, posting averages of 11.0 points, 4.4 assists, and 2.6 rebounds in 27.0 minutes per contest across 79 games. Charlotte will be the sixth team Dinwiddie has suited up for in his NBA career since his rookie campaign in 2014-15. The 31-year-old will join newly acquired guards Collin SextonandTre Mann in the Hornets' backcourt.
Shams Charania of ESPN reports that forward Taurean Prince has agreed to a two-year, $7.1 million contract to remain with the Milwaukee Bucks. In 2024-25, Prince started 73 of his 80 regular-season outings during his first year in Milwaukee. He also averaged 8.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.0 steals in 27.1 minutes per contest, while shooting a career-best 43.9 percent from three-point range. The 31-year-old could remain in the Bucks starting five, but he will likely struggle to stay a fantasy-relevant asset during the 2025-26 regular season.
Houston Rockets forward/centerJeff Green signed aone-year, $3.63 million contract to remain with the franchise. This upcoming campaign will be the third consecutive season for Green in a Rockets uniform. The 38-year-old veteran posted averages of 5.4 points, 1.8 rebounds, 0.6 assists and 0.1 blocks across 12.4 minutes per contest during 32 regular-season outings. At this point in his career, the big man won't factor into fantasy in 2025-26.
The Los Angeles Lakers have added some depth in the form of forward Jake LaRavia on Monday. According to Shams Charania, LaRavia has agreed to a two-year, $12 million deal with the Lakers. The 23-year-old is averaging 6.9 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.7 assists across three NBA seasons. He has spent most of his career with the Memphis Grizzlies before being traded to the Sacramento Kings mid-way last season. This is a nice depth move by the Lakers to add a player like LaRavia who can do a little bit of everything. He figures to play a fairly significant role off the bench, but probably won't be anything more than a streaming option in most fantasy formats.
The Orlando Magic added some depth at the point guard position by signing free-agent guard Tyus Jones on Monday. According to Shams Charania, Jones signed a one-year, $7 million deal with the organization. Jones has bounced around quite a bit during his career, but last played with the Phoenix Suns. He averaged 10.2 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 5.3 assists in 26.8 minutes per game in 81 games with the Suns last season. It's unclear if he'll see that much playing time in Orlando, but that is also dependent on the health of Jalen Suggs. Jones figures to be the primary backup point guard, so he'll likely be asked to step up if the oft-injured Suggs goes down. Jones probably won't have standard league fantasy value on draft day.
The New Orleans Pelicans signed free-agent center Kevon Looney on Monday. According to Shams Charania, Looney agreed to a two-year, $16 million deal with the Pelicans. Looney has spent each of the last 10 years with the Golden State Warriors. Last season, Looney averaged 4.5 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 15.0 minutes per game across 76 contests. Looney is an experienced player who won three championships during his time in Golden State. He doesn't offer a ton of upside outside of his elite rebounding skills. He figures to play a role off the bench, which probably won't result in a ton of fantasy value. He'll probably end up being more of a streaming option than an everyday contributor in fantasy leagues.
The Milwaukee Bucks have signed center Jericho Sims to a new deal on Tuesday. The two sides have come to terms on a two-year deal. Sims was acquired by the Bucks mid-season from the New York Knicks. He didn't do too much damage as he averaged 2.4 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 0.8 assists across 15.0 minutes per game in a career-high 53 games. It's worth noting that Sims did play in all the postseason games for the Bucks. Despite that, Sims figures to have a minimal role in the rotation behind newly acquired center Myles Turner. Sims is unlikely to bring much to the table while Turner is healthy.
The Denver Nuggets have agreed on a one-year deal with free-agent guard Tim Hardaway Jr. on Tuesday. After one season in Detroit, Hardaway has departed and will try his luck in Denver. Hardaway made 77 starts with the Pistons last season, but saw his offensive numbers take a hit. He averaged 11.0 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.6 assists and 2.2 three-pointers per game last season. Some of those numbers were the lowest Hardaway has produced in nearly a decade. He's a reliable shooter that should rebound with his new organization. However, Hardaway is unlikely to make 77 starts in Denver. In fact, Hardaway will probably come off the bench, so his fantasy value is uncertain right now.
The Detroit Pistons are having a busy offseason as they've acquired guard Duncan Robinson on Tuesday. The Pistons and Miami Heat have agreed on a sign-and-trade that sends Robinson to Detroit in exchange for Simone Fontecchio. After that, Robinson signed a three-year, $48 million deal with Detroit. The Pistons are aggressively adding talent as they signed Caris LeVert on Monday. The combination of the two figures to help fill the void if Malik Beasley misses time due to gambling allegations. Last season, Robinson averaged 11.0 points, 2.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 2.6 three-pointers across 74 games with the Heat. Robinson is a reliable three-point shooter, but doesn't offer a ton of upside elsewhere. Fantasy managers know what they're going to get when adding Robinson.
Charlotte Hornets guard Tre Mann signed a new deal with the organization on Tuesday. The two sides have agreed on a three-year, $24 million deal. Mann was acquired by the Hornets from the Oklahoma City Thunder at the trade deadline in 2024. He only managed to play in 13 games last season due to a back issue. Before going down, Mann averaged 14.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 3.0 assists across 24.5 minutes per game. There is certainly good upside here, but Mann figures to mainly play off the bench behind LaMelo Ball. That being said, Mann probably won't see enough playing time to warrant rostering in most fantasy formats.
On Tuesday, free-agent guard Gary Harris signed a two-year deal with the Milwaukee Bucks, per Shams Charania of ESPN. Harris joins the Bucks after spending the last five seasons in Orlando. Milwaukee remains active in the offseason, and it is unclear what the team has planned for the 28-year-old. Despite averaging only 3.0 points and 1.3 rebounds last season, Harris still provides the Bucks with veteran leadership and depth at guard, as he has demonstrated key rotational contributions throughout his time in the league. However, he is not considered a valuable fantasy asset at this point in his 11-year NBA career.
According to ESPN's Shams Charania, the Charlotte Hornets signed free-agent center Mason Plumlee to a one-year, $3.6 million contract. The veteran big man played in 74 regular-season contests with the Phoenix Suns during the 2024-25 campaign, averaging 4.5 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 0.6 blocks per game. Going into his 13th NBA season, the 35-year-old will have to battle for minutes with rookie Ryan Kalkbrenner and Moussa Diabate, who are both 23 years old.
Toronto Raptors center Jakob Poeltl has agreed to a four-year, $104 million contract extension with the organization through the 2029-30 season, per Shams Charania of ESPN. Poeltl picked up his 2026-27 player option at $19.5M and adds three more years to his deal. The 29-year-old had an excellent 2024-25 regular season, registering career-highs with 14.5 points, 9.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists per contest in 57 games. He will likely continue to be a solid fantasy contributor going into the 2025-26 campaign.
ESPN's Shams Charania reports that the Charlotte Hornets have traded 31-year-old guard Vasilije Micic to the Milwaukee Bucks for guard/forwardPat Connaughton. Charlotte also receives two second picks in 2031 and 2032. Milwaukee has been very active this offseason, so it is unclear what the organization has planned for Micic. During the 2024-25 campaign, the 31-year-old veteran guard suited up for 36 games with the Hornets and five with the Suns, averaging 6.6 points, 3.1 assists, and 2.2 rebounds per contest.
On Tuesday, the Milwaukee Bucks traded guard/forwardPat Connaughton and two of their second-round picks in 2031 and 2032 to the Charlotte Hornets for guard Vasilije Micic, per Shams Charania of ESPN. Connaughton heads to the Hornets after exercising his $9.42 million player option for 2025-26. Last season, the 32-year-old averaged 5.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.3 blocks, and 0.6 three-pointers in 14.7 minutes per game.
