Darius Garland put up 27 points as one of six Cavaliers to score in double figures and host Cleveland pummeled the Golden State Warriors 136-117 on Friday night for its 10th straight win to open the season.
With the victory, Cleveland matched the 12th-best start to a season in NBA history. Golden State holds the league record, going 24-0 to kick off the 2015-16 campaign. All five Cavaliers starters supplied at least 12 points, including Evan Mobley’s 23. Jarrett Allen had 13 points and 12 rebounds.
Cleveland outshot the visitors 54.1 percent to 48 percent overall.
Reserve Jonathan Kuminga racked up a team-high 21 points for the Warriors, who saw a five-game winning streak come to an end. Brandin Podziemski chipped in 14 points, seven rebounds, four assists and four steals, but Golden State star Stephen Curry was held to 12 points.
Celtics 108, Nets 104 (OT)
Jayson Tatum racked up 33 points, nine rebounds and six assists to propel Boston to a come-from-behind overtime victory against visiting Brooklyn.
Payton Pritchard added 20 points, Jrue Holiday 17 and Derrick White 14 and six assists for the Celtics, who trailed by 14 in the first quarter and never led until the fourth quarter.
Cam Thomas had 31 points, Dennis Schroder 20 and Cameron Johnson 18 for the Nets, who took their second loss in three games. Boston has won four of its past five.
Clippers 107, Kings 98
Norman Powell scored 31 points amid his hot start to the season, James Harden added 22 points and Los Angeles remained unbeaten on the road with a win over Sacramento.
Powell completed his first career double-double with a career-high 12 rebounds. Ivica Zubac also notched a double-double with 13 points and a game-high 15 rebounds, helping the Clippers lead almost the entire game en route to a third straight win. James Harden had a game-high eight assists.
De’Aaron Fox matched Powell with 31 points for Sacramento. He made two of his five 3-point attempts, while his teammates combined to miss 20 of their 21 tries.
Knicks 116, Bucks 94
Karl-Anthony Towns piled up 32 points, 11 rebounds and five assists, and New York returned home from a four-game road trip to rout Milwaukee.
All five New York starters scored in double figures, including Mikal Bridges with 17 points and Jalen Brunson with 15. Brunson also dished nine assists. Josh Hart and OG Anunoby had strong all-around performances. Hart scored 11 points, grabbed nine rebounds and passed for seven assists. Anunoby chipped in 14 points, six rebounds, five assists, three steals and two blocks. New York had assists on 35 of their 43 field goals.
Giannis Antetokounmpo finished with 24 points, a game-high 12 rebounds and blocked two shots for the Bucks. Damian Lillard finished with 19 points.
Thunder 126, Rockets 107
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren scored 29 points each to lift Oklahoma City over visiting Houston for its seventh win in eight games.
The Thunder were coming off their first loss of the season Wednesday in Denver, while the Rockets had a two-game winning streak end. Gilgeous-Alexander shot 11 of 16 from the floor. Holmgren was 8 of 14, including 4 of 6 from beyond the arc, as Oklahoma City hit 51.1 percent from the floor.
Dillon Brooks led the Rockets with 17 points. Amen Thompson and Jalen Green each scored 14 points.
Pistons 122, Hawks 121
Cade Cunningham made a running hook shot with nine seconds left and Detroit eked out a win over visiting Atlanta.
Cunningham recorded his third straight triple-double with 22 points, 11 rebounds and 13 assists. His clutch basket bailed out the Pistons after they squandered a 24-point lead. Malik Beasley and Tobias Harris also scored 22 points apiece, while Jaden Ivey added 18.
Trae Young led the Hawks with 35 points and 13 assists. Jalen Johnson had 20 points and nine rebounds, while Dyson Daniels supplied 18 points and seven steals. Zaccharie Risacher was held to seven points after the top pick of the draft scored 33 in the Hawks’ previous game.
Suns 114, Mavericks 113
Jusuf Nurkic hit the go-ahead free throw with 0.8 seconds remaining as Phoenix slipped past host Dallas.
Nurkic was fouled by Daniel Gafford with the score tied at 113 and made the second free throw after missing the first. The Phoenix big man finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds.
Kevin Durant scored 26 points for the Suns, who have won seven straight games. Luka Doncic led the Mavericks with 30 points on 11-of-25 shooting, while Kyrie Irving added 29 points, seven rebounds and six assists.
Nuggets 135, Heat 122
Nikola Jokic had 30 points, 14 assists and 11 rebounds, Jamal Murray returned to the lineup and scored a season-high 28 points, and host Denver beat Miami.
Murray missed the previous three games while in concussion protocol. Michael Porter Jr. and Christian Braun contributed 21 points each for the Nuggets, who have won four in a row.
The Heat took their third defeat in a row, and Jimmy Butler left with a right ankle injury midway through the first quarter. Seven Heat players scored double figures, led by Tyler Herro, who had 24 points and 11 assists.
Lakers 116, 76ers 106
Anthony Davis produced 31 points and nine rebounds and LeBron James scored 21 points in his second triple-double of the season as Los Angeles returned home from a rough road trip and beat Philadelphia.
Austin Reaves added 20 points for the Lakers, while James delivered a season-high 13 assists to go with 12 rebounds. The Lakers went 1-4 on a road trip that ended Wednesday.
Jared McCain scored 18 points while Andre Drummond and Guerschon Yabusele added 14 apiece for the 76ers, who lost their fifth consecutive game and fell to 1-7 on the season without star Joel Embiid.
Timberwolves 127, Trail Blazers 102
Anthony Edwards scored 37 points and made nine 3-pointers as Minnesota cruised to a win over Portland in Minneapolis.
Julius Randle added 22 points and six rebounds for the Timberwolves, who won their second game in as many nights and their third in a row overall.
Scoot Henderson scored 16 points off the bench to lead Portland, which also played on short rest and lost its second contest in as many nights.
Hornets 103, Pacers 83
LaMelo Ball scored 31 points and Brandon Miller poured in 29 points in sparking Charlotte to a comeback victory against visiting Indiana.
Cody Martin notched 15 points off the bench to help the Hornets bounce back from a 13-point third-quarter deficit to win their second game in a row. Tre Mann had 14 points off the bench as well. Miller finished the night 10-of-17 from the field, including 7-for-11 from beyond the arc. Ball made 10 of 29 shots from the floor, including five 3-pointers.
Pascal Siakam’s 27 points led the Pacers, who were denied their first three-game winning streak of the season. Bennedict Mathurin added 22 points and Myles Turner had 12 points and a game-high 10 rebounds. Guard Tyrese Haliburton was held to six points on 2-for-11 shooting.
Grizzlies 128, Wizards 104
Jaren Jackson Jr. scored a season-high 39 points to lead Memphis — minus injured two-time All-Star guard Ja Morant — past visiting Washington.
Jackson made 14 of 28 field goal attempts, including 5 of 12 from beyond the arc. Scotty Pippen Jr., starting in place of Morant, finished with 11 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds for his first career triple-double. Zach Edey added 14 points and eight rebounds.
Memphis won its third straight home game, while the Wizards dropped their seventh straight game at FedExForum. Washington was led by rookie reserve Kyshawn George, who scored 17 points. Former Grizzlies center Jonas Valanciunas had 16 points.
–Field Level Media