NBA roundup: Cavs stay perfect, stun Nets for 11-0 start
Sun Nov 10 2:54am ET
Field Level Media
Evan Mobley collected 23 points and 16 rebounds as the Cleveland Cavaliers, who trailed by 13 early in the fourth quarter, extended their season-opening winning streak to 11 games with a 105-100 victory over the visiting Brooklyn Nets on Saturday night.
Cleveland became the first team to open a season 11-0 since the Golden State Warriors won their first 24 games in 2015-16 en route to a 73-9 finish.
Donovan Mitchell added 22 points and Darius Garland contributed 20, and Cleveland outscored the Nets 35-18 in the fourth quarter. The Cavaliers shot 54.1 percent from the field for the game and made 14 of 18 shots (77.8 percent) in the final 12 minutes.
Dennis Schroder hit a triple to put Brooklyn up 85-72 just 46 seconds into the fourth quarter before Cleveland put together its ferocious rally.
Cameron Johnson had 23 points while Schroder and Cam Thomas added 22 apiece for the Nets. Brooklyn held a 96-89 lead with 4:24 left in the game following a 3 by Johnson, but the Cavaliers outscored the Nets 16-4 the rest of the way.
Bulls 125, Hawks 113
Zach LaVine returned to the lineup to score 18 points and sparked a late rally to help visiting Chicago overcome a 17-point second-half deficit and defeat Atlanta to end its four-game losing streak.
The balanced Bulls had eight players score in double figures, including Ayo Dosunmu, who had 19 points. Nikola Vucevic and Coby White each scored 18, with Vucevic adding 12 rebounds.
The Hawks got 20 points apiece from Jalen Johnson and Clint Capela, who had nine rebounds. Zaccharie Risacher scored 17 points and Trae Young had 14 to go along with 16 assists.
Jazz 111, Spurs 110
Collin Sexton scored 23 points and Jordan Clarkson canned four key free throws in the final 12 seconds to help Utah beat host San Antonio.
Lauri Markkanen added 20 points for the Jazz. Clarkson finished with 16, John Collins had 15 points and 10 rebounds and Johnny Juzang notched 10 points.
Victor Wembanyama led the Spurs with 24 points and 16 rebounds. Stephon Castle had 23 points, Devin Vassell scored 21, Keldon Johnson hit for 14 and Harrison Barnes tallied 10 in the loss.
Clippers 105, Raptors 103
Norman Powell and James Harden each scored 24 points and Los Angeles sent visiting Toronto to its third consecutive loss to start a five-game road trip.
Harden added 12 rebounds and a game-high seven assists as the Clippers extended their winning streak to four games. Kevin Porter Jr. came off the bench to register 15 points, six rebounds and five assists.
Toronto's Immanuel Quickley had 12 points in the fourth quarter and matched Ochai Agbaji with a team-high 21 for the game. Gradey Dick scored 15, Chris Boucher had 14 off the bench and RJ Barrett added 13.
- Raptors F Scottie Barnes (ankle) exits game vs. Knicks
- Timberwolves G Anthony Edwards fined $25K for profanity
- NBA roundup: Joel Embiid comes back to push 76ers past Bulls
- Pelicans' Brandon Ingram (ankle) out indefinitely
- NBA roundup: Wizards end skid despite Nikola Jokic's 56 points
- Magic F Franz Wagner (torn oblique) out indefinitely
- NBA roundup: Trae Young's trey in OT lifts Hawks past Lakers
- Celtics' Jaylen Brown fined $25K for gesture
- NBA roundup: Cavs beat Nuggets despite Nikola Jokic's big night
- China set to host first NBA preseason games since 2019
- Lakers' LeBron James (foot) questionable vs. Hawks
- Spurs rule out Victor Wembanyama vs. Bulls due to back soreness
- NBA fines Rockets' Ime Udoka, Tari Eason, Alperen Sengun
- Bucks F Khris Middleton to make season debut Friday
- NBA roundup: Surging Hawks cool off Bucks
- Warriors G De'Anthony Melton (knee) undergoes season-ending surgery
- Pelicans say Zion Williamson (hamstring) to miss at least two more weeks
- Knicks getting back to business, host Hornets
- Suns F Kevin Durant (ankle) out at least 1 week
- Wolves' ownership saga to face arbitrator in January
Toronto Raptors guard Immanuel Quickley (elbow) is scheduled to get more imaging done next week. It has been a month since Quickley went down with a partial torn UCL in his left elbow. The team hasn't given a timetable for his return, but there should be more information after the additional imaging is done. That being said, Jamal Shead, Davion Mitchell, and Gradey Dick should all see additional playing time. Both Shead and Mitchell have struggled, but Dick is worth rostering in most fantasy formats right now.
Dallas Mavericks forward P.J. Washington (illness) is currently listed as questionable ahead of Tuesday's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Washington appears to have picked up a minor illness, so fantasy managers will likely have to wait to see how he feels closer to tip-off. The Mavs could be shorthanded for this game with Maxi Kleber (illness) already ruled out for this game. That being said, Dereck Lively II, Daniel Gafford, and even Dwight Powell could see more minutes in the rotation. Lively is the best fantasy option out of the bunch, assuming Washington is out.
Dallas Mavericks forward Maxi Kleber (illness) has been ruled out ahead of Tuesday's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Kleber will miss his second game in a row due to an illness. He remains day-to-day, but his absence won't have a huge impact on the rotation. Kleber has only been playing 17 minutes per game, so the Mavs will likely use a committee approach to fill the void. P.J. Washington (illness), Dereck Lively II, and Daniel Gafford should all pick up extra playing time.
Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton (ankle) is listed as probable ahead of Tuesday's game against the Orlando Magic. Middleton made his season debut last week and is expected to appear in his third straight game. He's averaging 11 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 5.5 assists across 21 minutes per game in two games. There isn't a ton of fantasy value coming from Middleton right now, but his value will get better once he's back to full speed. The expectation is that Middleton will be out there for the NBA Cup Quarterfinals on Tuesday.
Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (knee) is currently listed as probable ahead of Tuesday's game against the Orlando Magic. The superstar forward has been a regular on the injury report, but has only missed two games this season. It's highly unlikely that Antetokounmpo misses this game given that it's the NBA Cup Quarterfinals. Fantasy managers should double check ahead of tip-off, but Antetokounmpo should be fine for Tuesday's game. If he sits, Bobby Portis would see increased playing time and be a strong streaming option.
Orlando Magic guard Gary Harris (hamstring) is on his way to missing his eighth consecutive game after being ruled out for the NBA Cup quarterfinal matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks. Now that Franz Wagner (oblique) has hit the injury report along with Paolo Banchero (oblique) and Harris, Cole Anthony gets a bigger crack at the rotation while Anthony Black gets some more minutes off of the bench as well. In their last game, Anthony posted 14 points, three assists, two rebounds, two blocks, and one steal while Black registered eight points, three rebounds, two assists, two blocks, and one steal.
Orlando Magic forward Jonathan Isaac (hamstring) is dealing with a right hamstring strain and has been listed as questionable for Tuesday's quarterfinal matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks for the NBA Cup. The Florida State product missed the last two games with the strain, so it's unclear whether or not he'll be able to power through it to get on the court. While Franz Wagner (oblique) and Paolo Banchero (oblique) are both out, Tristan Da Silva could start again, but he only played 19 minutes in their last game. Cole Anthony and Anthony Black have received bigger roles in the rotation for the time being.
According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the Indiana Pacers are waiving center Moses Brown on Monday. The 25-year-old appeared in nine games for the Pacers this year and averaged 3.2 points and 1.4 rebounds across 5.2 minutes per game. This was Brown's seventh team in six seasons, and he ended up coming in for relief minutes after Isaiah Jackson (Achilles) and James Wiseman (Achilles) both went down for the season. Brown will try to latch on to a new team moving forward.
Toronto Raptors guard/forward Bruce Brown (conditioning) has been ruled out for Monday's game against the New York Knicks, so his season debut remains on hold. The team has listed him with return to competition reconditioning, and there isn't a firm timetable for his return yet. He last played in the regular season finale last year. Ochai Agbaji, Davion Mitchell, and Gradey Dick will continue to play extra minutes until Brown is able to get back on the court.
New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (knee) has been tagged as questionable for Monday's game against the Toronto Raptors while he deals with patellar tendinopathy in his right knee. Towns has been an integral part of the Knicks' success so far this season and he's only missed two games this year. He currently averages 25.2 points, 13.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 2.3 threes per game. If he's unavailable for a second consecutive game, Jericho Sims would likely get the start again but Precious Achiuwa would be the better streaming option after posting six points, 10 rebounds, four assists, one block, and one steal on Saturday.
New York Knicks guard Cameron Payne (elbow) is listed as questionable heading into Monday night's matchup against the Toronto Raptors. He's dealing with a left elbow issue which has caused him to miss the team's last two games. Over his last 12 games, he was seeing around 18 minutes per contest while averaging 9.3 points, 3.4 assists, and 1.9 rebounds per game. If he's unable to play, Miles McBride should see some extra minutes off of the bench. McBride posted eight points, two assists, two rebounds, one steal, and one block across 27 minutes against the Pistons with Payne out.
Denver Nuggets' C Nikola Jokic recorded a double-double, scoring 48 points and grabbing 14 rebounds in a 141-111 win over Atlanta on Sunday, Dec. 8.
Indiana Pacers' G T.J. McConnell scored 30 points on 14-of-19 shooting in a 109-113 loss to the Hornets on Sunday, Dec. 8. McConnell is owned in only 14.0% leagues.
Philadelphia 76ers' G Tyrese Maxey recorded a triple-double, finishing with 25 points, 14 assists and 11 rebounds in a 108-100 win over Chicago on Sunday, Dec. 8.
Portland Trail Blazers center Duop Reath (back) will be absent on Sunday against the Lakers. He's dealing with back soreness and has been ruled out after initially being regarded as doubtful for the game. Reath gobbled up a season-high 25 minutes on Friday versus Utah, but it came in a blowout loss, and his usual workload is a lot smaller. Across the season, Reath has averaged only 6.4 minutes in 13 games, so his unavailability on Sunday won't have an impact on how the Trail Blazers frontcourt operates.
Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (pelvis) will miss a fifth straight game on Sunday versus Portland. He was initially regarded as doubtful for the contest before eventually getting ruled out. D'Angelo Russell and Gabe Vincent have shared starts while Reaves has been on the shelf. Russell offers the most fantasy value out of the two, although he struggled in the previous game against Atlanta, finishing a 134-132 overtime loss with eight points, three rebounds, and three assists.
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (foot) will miss his first game of the season on Sunday against Portland. He was initially considered probable for the contest but was downgraded to doubtful and has now been ruled out. Cam Reddish and Armel Traore will likely play a larger role in the rotation on Sunday, but they aren't reliable sources for fantasy value. A monster game offensively could be on the horizon for Anthony Davis (foot), as Austin Reaves(pelvis) also remains out on Sunday.
Los Angeles Lakers forward/center Anthony Davis (foot) will play against Portland on Sunday. As usual, the team has upgradEd Davis from probable to available. Following a brief slump, Davis was back firing against Atlanta last time out, scoring 38 points, and he will need to do a lot of the heavy lifting offensively again on Sunday because LeBron James (foot) will be out of the lineup for the first time this season. The Trail Blazers have previously done decent work against opposing centers, but they sit among the worst teams in the West and just got blown out 141-99 by fellow strugglers Utah.
Portland Trail Blazers forward Toumani Camara (foot) has been upgraded to available ahead of Sunday's meeting with the Lakers. He was previously sporting a questionable tag. Camara was in danger of missing his first game of the season after hurting his right foot in Friday's blowout loss to Utah. The 24-year-old has been a starter for all 23 Trail Blazers games, averaging 9.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.4 steals in 30.0 minutes.
Portland Trail Blazers point guard Scoot Henderson (quadriceps) will be back from a four-game absence on Sunday versus the Lakers. He's been upgraded from questionable to available. Henderson has seen the court just once in the past eight games, so he might have quite a bit of rust to shake off. Leading Portland's second unit, Henderson has averaged 11.7 points and 5.4 assists during his sophomore campaign. Dalano Banton took on a larger workload during Henderson's absence and will likely have to settle for a lesser role now.
