NBA roundup: Anthony Edwards, Wolves edge Nuggets
Sat Nov 2 2:27am ET
Field Level Media
Anthony Edwards scored 29 points and shot 7-for-14 from 3-point range as the Minnesota Timberwolves escaped with a 119-116 win 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 the past four games. Rudy Gobert notched 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, and Michael Porter Jr. also logged 26 points.
Denver played down the stretch without guard Jamal Murray, who left in the third quarter after colliding with Randle. Murray was placed in the 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 pumped in 25 as Boston fended off host Charlotte.
Derrick White added 17 points as the Celtics responded from their overtime loss at Indiana on Wednesday -- their only setback this season. Tatum also pulled in 11 rebounds.
LaMelo Ball racked up 31 points and four assists to lead the Hornets, and Tre Mann had 23 points. The game pitted first-year Hornets coach Charles Lee against the team he helped guide to an 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 unbeaten Oklahoma City blitzed host Portland.
Jalen Williams added 22 points, five rebounds, four assists and four steals as the Thunder won their fifth straight game to open the season. Oklahoma City has won 13 consecutive games against the Trail Blazers.
Jerami Grant had 17 points and Deandre Ayton and Rayan Rupert added 14 apiece for Portland, which has started the season with four losses in six games.
Cavaliers 120, Magic 109
Darius Garland scored 25 points and Donovan Mitchell added 22 as Cleveland knocked off visiting Orlando to remain unbeaten .
Cleveland has 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, who trailed by as many as 22 points in the third quarter, lost its second straight game despite getting a career-high 28 points from Jalen Suggs. The Magic were without All-Star forward Paolo Banchero, who sustained a torn right oblique in a loss to the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday.
Knicks 128, Pistons 98
Jalen Brunson poured in 36 points in the first three quarters and New York beat host Detroit for the 16th straight time.
Brunson made 14 of 22 field goal attempts and added five assists. Karl-Anthony Towns, who scored 44 points against Miami on Wednesday, supplied 21 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. OG Anunoby also had 21 points with six assists.
The Pistons were coming off their first victory of the season, a road win at 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 defeat host Atlanta, which lost its fourth game in a row.
DeMar DeRozan added 27 points, while Domantas Sabonis tallied 15 points, 14 rebounds and six assists for the Kings, who won their third straight. Keegan Murray chipped in 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 down the stretch to beat Chicago in New York.
Thomas scored at least 30 for the third time in Brooklyn's initial six games and delivered down the stretch as the Nets outscored the Bulls 16-8 in the final six-plus minutes.
Nikola Vucevic collected 28 and 11 rebounds for the Bulls, who dropped their third straight game. LaVine and Coby White added 21 apiece for Chicago, which shot 6-for-23 from the floor in the fourth, 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 host Toronto.
Austin Reaves scored 20 points and D'Angelo Russell contributed 19 points for the Lakers, who had lost their two previous games to start a five-game road trip, their first of the season.
RJ Barrett had 33 points and 12 assists for the Raptors, who have lost four in a row. 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 handed out 10 assists, Brandon Ingram scored 26 points and short-handed New Orleans defeated visiting Indiana.
Jordan Hawkins scored 23 points for the Pelicans, who played without four of their top players -- Dejounte Murray (hand surgery), CJ McCollum (adductor), Herbert Jones (shoulder) and Trey Murphy III (hamstring).
Ben Sheppard scored 20 points, Bennedict Mathurin had 19 and Pascal Siakam added 16 as the Pacers lost for the fourth time in five games.
- 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.
