NBA roundup: Thunder take down Mavs to remain perfect
Tue Oct 28 2:50am ET
Field Level Media
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 13 of his 23 points in the third quarter, helping the Oklahoma City Thunder stay undefeated with a 101-94 road win over the Dallas Mavericks on Monday.
The Thunder led by 22 in the fourth quarter but the Mavericks got within one in the final minute before Oklahoma City steadied late offensively. Oklahoma City went more than 5:30 without scoring as Dallas reeled off a 15-0 run during that stretch to cut the deficit to four before the Mavericks eventually got to within one.
But the Thunder got a driving layup from Isaiah Hartenstein to stretch the lead to three, then after a fruitless possession for Dallas, Gilgeous-Alexander went to the free-throw line for the first time in the game with 21 seconds left and drained both to stretch the lead to five and nearly put the game away.
With the Mavericks on the second night of their first back-to-back of the season, rookie Cooper Flagg finished just 1 of 9 from the floor for a season-low two points. The night before in a win over Toronto, the 2025 No. 1 overall pick scored a season-high 22 points.
Jazz 138, Suns 134 (OT)
Lauri Markkanen scored a career-high 51 points with 14 rebounds to carry Utah to an overtime victory over visiting Phoenix in Salt Lake City.
Markkanen made 17 of 17 free throws, including a game-clinching pair with 1.9 seconds left, en route to his fourth career 40-point game. It was the first 50-point game in the regular season for a Jazz player since Karl Malone in 1998. Keyonte George totaled 26 points with 10 assists, while Walker Kessler added 25 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and four blocks.
Devin Booker led the Suns with 34 points, including five 3-pointers, but Phoenix wrapped up a three-game road trip with its third straight loss despite overturning a 20-point deficit.
Spurs 121, Raptors 103
Victor Wembanyama poured in 24 points, grabbed 15 rebounds and hit two late baskets that helped host San Antonio to a victory over Toronto.
It's the first time since the 2017-18 season that the Spurs have started a campaign with four consecutive wins. Stephon Castle added 22 points while Barnes had 18, Devin Vassell scored 15 and rookie Dylan Harper and Keldon Johnson contributed 11 and 10 points, respectively.
Toronto's RJ Barrett led all scorers with 25 points, with rookie Collin Murray-Boyles hitting for 19, Immanuel Quickley tallying 15 and Brandon Ingram adding 14.
76ers 136, Magic 124
Tyrese Maxey scored 43 points as Philadelphia picked up its third straight win to open the season by beating visiting Orlando.
Kelly Oubre Jr. added 25 points and 10 rebounds for Philadelphia, which played without Joel Embiid (knee injury management) for the first time this season. Sixers rookie VJ Edgecombe continued the impressive start to his career, contributing 26 points and seven assists.
Paolo Banchero scored 32 points and Desmond Bane added 24 points before fouling out. Franz Wagner chipped in 22 points for Orlando, which has lost three of its first four games.
Warriors 131, Grizzlies 118
Jonathan Kuminga had a game-high 25 points, Moses Moody scored 12 of his 20 points in a decisive third-quarter spurt and Golden State ran away from visiting Memphis.
Brandin Podziemski poured in 23 points. Jimmy Butler III scored 20 and Stephen Curry added 16 for the Warriors, who led just 70-68 in the third minute of the third period before pulling away.
Ja Morant had a team-high 23 points and nine assists for the Grizzlies, who have alternated wins and losses in their first four games.
Trail Blazers 122, Lakers 108
Deni Avdija scored 17 of his 25 points in the first half and Jrue Holiday notched 17 of his 24 in the second half as Portland recorded a victory over host Los Angeles.
Jerami Grant came off the bench to score 22 points as Portland defeated the Lakers for the second straight time after losing the previous six matchups. Austin Reaves had another big outing with 41 points for the short-handed Lakers and has scored 92 points in the last two nights. Donovan Clingan had 16 points and 14 rebounds for Portland, which is 2-1 under interim coach Tiago Splitter.
Former Trail Blazer DeAndre Ayton had 16 points and eight rebounds for the Lakers. Rui Hachimura and backup Dalton Knecht also had 16 points apiece and Jarred Vanderbilt had 14 points and eight rebounds.
Nuggets 127, Timberwolves 114
Jamal Murray scored 43 points on 16-for-29 shooting and Denver finished strong for a win over Minnesota in Minneapolis.
Denver's Nikola Jokic notched his third triple-double in as many games to start the season with 25 points, 19 rebounds and 10 assists. Tim Hardaway Jr. poured in 20 points off the bench.
Jaden McDaniels scored 25 points on 10-for-16 shooting to lead Minnesota. Julius Randle scored 24 points and Naz Reid finished with 18 points off the bench.
Celtics 122, Pelicans 90
Anfernee Simons scored 25 points to lead six Boston double-figure scorers and the visiting Celtics got their first victory of the season while keeping New Orleans winless.
Payton Pritchard added 18 points for the Celtics, who completed a back-to-back that began with a loss at Detroit by beating the Pelicans for the ninth straight meeting.
Jordan Poole scored 22 points and rookie Derik Queen had 12 for the Pelicans, who were without Zion Williamson because of a left foot bone contusion suffered in a loss Friday night. The injury is not believed to be long term.
Bulls 128, Hawks 123
Ayo Dosunmu scored a team-high 21 points and Josh Giddey and Nikola Vucevic registered double-doubles to lift host Chicago over Atlanta.
A season-high eight players scored in double figures for the Bulls, who secured a 3-0 start. Giddey contributed 18 points and 13 rebounds while Vucevic had 17 points, 17 rebounds and nine assists.
Kristaps Porzingis led all scorers with 27 points for the Hawks. Jalen Johnson followed with 25 points and Trae Young had 21 points and 17 assists.
Cavaliers 116, Pistons 95
Donovan Mitchell pumped in 35 points and visiting Cleveland won its third straight, pounding Detroit.
Mitchell made 13 of 18 from the field and was 7 of 8 at the free-throw line. Jarrett Allen added 20 points and seven rebounds, while Evan Mobley contributed 15 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and three blocks.
De'Andre Hunter added 13 points, five rebounds and six assists for Cleveland, which led by 22 at halftime. The Cavaliers have defeated the Pistons in 13 of their last 14 meetings. Detroit star guard Cade Cunningham was held to 12 points on 3-of-14 shooting.
Rockets 137, Nets 109
Tari Eason scored 22 points off the bench while Alperen Sengun added 21 to pace a balanced attack for Houston, which thumped visiting Brooklyn.
Eason scored 20 points on 7-of-9 shooting in the first half to carry the Rockets until Sengun and others joined the fray following the intermission. Kevin Durant paired 19 points with six rebounds while Reed Sheppard added 15 points and eight assists off the bench for Houston, which shot 57.6% overall and converted 16 of 32 3-pointers.
Terance Mann led the Nets with 21 points while Michael Porter Jr. chipped in 18. Cam Thomas followed his 40-point effort against the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday by missing 6 of 9 shots en route to nine points.
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- Thunder G Alex Caruso sustains concussion in opener
- Nets exercise team option on F/C Noah Clowney
- Knicks All-Star C Karl-Anthony Towns (quad) doubtful vs. Cavs
- Magic G Jalen Suggs (knee) to play in opener vs. Heat
New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (quad) looks on track to play on Tuesday night against the Bucks in Milwaukee, after being upgraded to probable on Tuesday afternoon. KAT was again listed as questionable coming into the day due to a right quadriceps strain. He has not missed a game yet this season with the issue, and he's averaging 20.0 points, 14.0 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in his 33 minutes per game. He had a nice 15-point, 18-rebound double-double on Sunday in his most recent game, which was against the Heat. On Tuesday, it looks like he'll be able to play through the injury again, but he'll be in a tough matchup against the strong frontcourt defense of the Bucks.
Milwaukee Bucks forward Kyle Kuzma (ankle) missed Sunday's game against the Cavaliers and was originally listed as questionable for Tuesday's home matchup against the Knicks. He was upgraded to available on Tuesday afternoon, though, so he should be set to make his return. He came off the bench in the Bucks' season opener against the Wizards, scoring 12 points in 23 minutes, and he left the team's second game with the ankle sprain that has sidelined him since. He'll likely return to a bench role against the Knicks, playing 20+ minutes and offering decent upside in Milwaukee's second unit. Taurean Prince and Bobby Portis got some extra work in the second unit while Kuz was out, but they'll return to their regular roles on Tuesday.
Miami Heat guard/forward Norman Powell (groin) was downgraded to questionable for Tuesday night's home game against the Hornets due to right groin soreness, which is a new injury for the veteran wing. Powell has been excellent in the early going for the Heat, scoring 28 points to go with nine rebounds and four assists in the season opener against the Magic. He also led the team with 29 points to go with seven rebounds, three assists, and three steals in Sunday's 115-107 victory over New York. Powell has a 30.6% usage rate, so if he's out on Tuesday, there would be lots of extra work to go around for Andrew Wiggins, Davion Mitchell, and Jaime Jaquez Jr., who could slide into the starting five in Powell's spot. Check back before tip-off on Tuesday for an update on Powell's availability.
Miami Heat forward Simone Fontecchio (calf) has been upgraded to probable for Tuesday night's contest against the Hornets. Fotecchio has played in each of the first three games of the season for Miami, averaging 13.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 20 minutes per game off the bench. He could be asked to carry more work if Norman Powell (groin, questionable) is out, but he should at least be able to handle his normal workload since he's trending towards being available on Tuesday after originally being listed as questionable.
Denver Nuggets forward Cameron Johnson (shoulder) has had a rough start to his first year in Denver, and that was made even worse by shoulder soreness that forced him to leave Monday's game early. He played only 19 minutes and had five points, two rebounds, and two assists against Minnesota in his team's 127-114 victory. Tim Hardaway Jr. played 32 minutes and had 20 points off the bench, while Peyton Watson also got plenty of run with 25 minutes, his most of the season. The Nuggets' next game is Wednesday night at home against the Pelicans, so keep an eye on Johnson's status. If he is out, Hardaway could be a nice DFS or streaming option in this favorable matchup.
Charlotte Hornets guard Brandon Miller (shoulder) will be re-evaluated after the team's current road trip in the middle of this week, but Chris Haynes reports that the third-year guard from Alabama is looking for a second opinion as he tries to get clarity on the timeline for his recovery. Haynes was careful not to speculate but said, "Anytime you're getting a second or third opinion, that doesn't always fare well for your status moving forward." Miller is currently hopeful to avoid surgery on his shoulder subluxation, and typically a non-surgical recovery takes 3-to-6 weeks. Stay tuned for more updates on Miller as his timeline gets finalized, but it looks like he'll be out a while, leaving more time for exciting rookie Kon Knueppel.
New York Knicks guard Miles McBride (personal) has been listed as questionable for Tuesday's encounter with the Milwaukee Bucks. He may miss a second straight game due to personal reasons. Before he exited the lineup, McBride had a couple of strong showings, averaging 12.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.0 assists. He was a starter in his last appearance against the Boston Celtics. In Sunday's matchup against the Miami Heat, Knicks head coach Mike Brown replaced McBride in the starting unit with Ariel Hukporti to match the Heat's big frontcourt. However, Hukporti was ineffective during his 10 minutes on the court. On Tuesday, Brown may need to use Hukporti more, as both Karl-Anthony Towns (quadriceps) and Guerschon Yabusele (knee) are iffy for the game.
New York Knicks forward/center Guerschon Yabusele (knee) is carrying a questionable tag on the injury report ahead of Tuesday's meeting with the Milwaukee Bucks. The Frenchman hurt his left knee on Sunday against the Miami Heat and may now have to skip his first game of the season. Through his first few outings as a Knick, Yabusele hasn't been much of a force in fantasy basketball, averaging 1.7 points and 4.0 rebounds off the bench. So far, he has made only two of his 10 shot attempts. Josh Hart could get extra burn off the pine if Yabusele misses time. Conversely, if Yabusele is cleared to play, he may benefit from the potential absence of Karl-Anthony Towns (quadriceps), who is also listed as questionable for Tuesday's contest.
Milwaukee Bucks guard Kevin Porter Jr.(ankle) is not ready to return to the lineup for Tuesday's tilt against the New York Knicks. After spraining his left ankle in Milwaukee's season opener, Porter Jr. has to sit out a third consecutive contest. During his absence, Ryan Rollins has assumed the starting point guard duties, averaging 13.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 3.0 steals over the past two games. He looks like a great DFS option again on Tuesday, especially if Cole Anthony (illness) also remains out.
Milwaukee Bucks forward Kyle Kuzma (ankle) may skip a second consecutive game on Tuesday against the New York Knicks after the team listed him as questionable on the injury report. On Friday against the Toronto Raptors, Kuzma sprained his left ankle and subsequently missed Sunday's clash against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Across the first two games of the season, Kuzma recorded 10.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.5 steals, and 1.5 blocks in 20.5 minutes per game. With him absent, Bobby Portis, Taurean Prince, and Amir Coffey had more work on Sunday. Portis is the best fantasy option of the trio and notched 10 points with eight rebounds off the bench against Cleveland.
Milwaukee Bucks guard Cole Anthony (illness) is listed as questionable for Tuesday's matchup against the New York Knicks. Due to illness, Anthony was forced to drop out of the lineup against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday, and he may now have to miss a second consecutive game. Anthony was productive in his first two appearances for the Bucks and could currently play a larger role in the rotation due to Kevin Porter Jr.'s (ankle) absence. With both Anthony and Porter Jr. sidelined on Sunday, Ryan Rollins and AJ Green carried the backcourt, combining for 34 points and 10 assists.
Los Angeles Clippers guard Bradley Beal (back) will remain absent against the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night. The veteran star is nursing a back problem, which will keep him sidelined for a second consecutive game. Beal logged 20 minutes in each of the first two games of the season but wasn't effective, averaging only 5.5 points. His absence on Sunday against the Portland Trail Blazers allowed Bogdan Bogdanovic to make his season debut in a starting role. However, the Serbian veteran was rusty and failed to score in 24 minutes of action, going 0-for-4 from the floor. Kris Dunn also benefits from Beal's absence, but he didn't do a lot on Sunday either, finishing with nine points, two rebounds, and one assist.
Charlotte Hornets guard/forward Brandon Miller (shoulder) has been ruled out for a second consecutive game against the Miami Heat on Tuesday. The game marks Charlotte's final stop during a three-game road trip, and the team plans to re-evaluate Miller once the Hornets return home. Miller had a strong showing in the season opener against the Brooklyn Nets, finishing with 25 points and seven rebounds, but he hurt his left shoulder in Charlotte's second game of the season. With Miller out on Sunday against the Washington Wizards, Kon Knueppel stepped into a starting role, scoring 20 points and grabbing six rebounds. Miller's absence also creates additional scoring opportunities for LaMelo Ball, Collin Sexton, and Miles Bridges.
New York Knicks forward/center Karl-Anthony Towns (quadriceps) has been listed as questionable for Tuesday's big matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks. The season has only just begun, but Towns has become a regular on the injury report due to a quadriceps injury. Fortunately, he hasn't missed any games so far, which may indicate that Towns is prepared to play through the injury against Giannis Antetokounmpo's crew. Towns has struggled with his shooting early in the season, but he's still averaged 20.0 points per game with 14.0 rebounds. Mitchell Robinson (ankle) remains out of action on Tuesday, meaning Ariel Hukporti and Trey Jemison III will have a larger workload if Towns can't play.
Lakers' G Austin Reaves scored 41 points on 13-of-22 shooting in a 108-122 loss to the Trail Blazers on Monday, Oct. 27.
Jazz's F Lauri Markkanen recorded a double-double, scoring 51 points and grabbing 14 rebounds in a 138-134 win over the Suns on Monday, Oct. 27.
76ers' G Tyrese Maxey scored 43 points on 15-of-32 shooting in a 136-124 win over the Magic on Monday, Oct. 27.
Denver's G Jamal Murray scored 43 points on 16-of-29 shooting in a 127-114 win over Minnesota on Monday, Oct. 27.
Denver Nuggets' C Nikola Jokic recorded a triple-double, finishing with 25 points, 10 assists and 19 rebounds in a 127-114 win over Minnesota on Monday, Oct. 27.
Dallas Mavericks center Daniel Gafford (ankle) won't play on Monday versus OKC. The 27-year-old has appeared on the injury report all season. Although he's flirted with various designations, he hasn't played. With Dereck Lively II (knee) also sidelined, Anthony Davis will hold things down at the five. Max Christie is the favorite to slide into the starting lineup. However, D'Angelo Russell and Naji Marshall should also see more minutes, increasing their stock for fantasy managers. As far as Gafford is concerned, his next chance to suit up will be on Wednesday versus the Indiana Pacers.
