NBA Results Roundup (25 Oct, Friday): Kyrie Irving stars as Nets edge Knicks; LeBron, Davis lead Lakers' rout of Jazz
NBA action continued on Friday, beginning with the Toronto Raptors' visit to Boston which also served as the marquee clash of the night. There was also plenty of interest vested in the Los Angeles Lakers' home debut against the Utah Jazz.
Without further ado, let's get into the results from all the games of the night.
#1 Boston Celtics overcome Kemba Walker struggles to edge Toronto Raptors
The Boston Celtics bounced back from a disappointing showing against the Philadelphia 76ers with a narrow victory over the defending NBA champions, Toronto Raptors.
Celtics got major contributions from Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, who poured in 25 points apiece to neutralize Pascal Siakam's 33-point display.
Kemba Walker, who came under fire for a poor display against the Sixers, struggled from the field once again but scored 11 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter to help the Celtics overcome a six-point final period deficit and register their first victory of the new season.
Raptors 106-112 Celtics (Brown and Tatum 25 points each)
#2 Karl-Anthony Towns leads Minnesota Timberwolves' rout of Charlotte Hornets
Minnesota Timberwolves continued their winning start to the season with a 121-99 rout of the Charlotte Hornets.
Karl-Anthony Towns' monster double-double set the tone for the Timberwolves' second straight victory as the center finished with 37 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists.
The Hornets got contributions from Miles Bridges, PJ Washington and Devonte Graham, but a 45-25 third-quarter blitz by the Timberwolves all but sealed the game.
Timberwolves 121-99 Hornets (Towns 37 points, 15 rebounds, 8 assists)
#3 Brooklyn Nets ride on Kyrie Irving performance to subdue New York Knicks
Kyrie Irving began life in Brooklyn with a 50-point game against the Timberwolves in a losing cause. He continued from where he left off, finishing with 26 points, five assists and three steals to help the Nets stave off a late surge from the New York Knicks and register their first victory of the season.
Irving shot just 2 of 8 from downtown, but hit the game-winning three with 22 seconds left after the Knicks had wiped away an 18-point deficit.
For the Knicks, RJ Barrett and Allonzo Trier impressed, finishing with 16 and 22 points respectively.
Knicks 109-113 Nets (Irving 26 points, 5 assists, 3 steals)
#4 Zach LaVine powers Chicago Bulls past Memphis Grizzlies
The Chicago Bulls entered the new season with renewed optimism. That took a hit when they dropped their opening game to the Charlotte Hornets. However, a much-improved display on the road against the Memphis Grizzlies culminated in the Bulls' first win of the new season.
The Bulls trailed by as many as 14 in the second quarter, but Zach LaVine caught fire in the second half, finishing with 37 points on 56.5% shooting. He was ably supported by rookie Coby White, who added 25 points of his own to help the Bulls mount a spirited comeback.
Bulls 110-102 Grizzlies (LaVine 37 points)
#5 Luka Doncic triple-double helps Dallas Mavericks score 123 against New Orleans Pelicans
Luka Doncic's triple-double lifted the Dallas Mavericks past the New Orleans Pelicans in an offensive slugfest.
The Pelicans got off to a blistering start, dropping 41 points in the first quarter, but the Mavericks responded in kind, registering 45 in the second period.
With the game tied at 109, Doncic came to life, scoring eight of his 25 points in the final five minutes. The Slovenian also finished with 10 rebounds and 10 assists to cap off another memorable performance.
Meanwhile, Kristaps Porzingis continued his strong start to the season with 24 points and 3-of-5 shooting from beyond the arc.
For the Pelicans, Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Derrick Favors, Josh Hart, and Frank Jackson all managed double-digits in scoring in what proved to be a losing effort.
Mavericks 123-116 Pelicans (Doncic 25 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists)
#6 OKC score just 85 in miserable display against Washington Wizards
The Oklahoma City Thunder's woes on offense continued as they were limited to 85 points in a miserable home defeat to the Washington Wizards. The Thunder committed 19 turnovers in total and managed just two points in the final four minutes, after having tied the game courtesy a Shai Gilgeous-Alexander jumper.
A 14-0 run for the Wizards in the closing minutes of the game sealed the Thunder's fate as Billy Donovan's side slipped to their second straight defeat to start the new season.
Gilgeous-Alexander impressed once again, finishing with 28 points, but Steven Adams' struggles will be a cause for concern. Adams finished with just seven points, making three of his nine field-goal attempts.
For the Wizards, Thomas Bryant starred with 21 points and 11 rebounds but Bradley Beal was held to 17 points on 32% shooting from the field.
Wizards 97-85 Thunder (Bryant 21 points, 11 rebounds)
#7 Nikola Jokic leads Denver Nuggets to OT victory over Phoenix Suns
The Denver Nuggets shrugged off a slow start to seal a thrilling, overtime victory over the Phoenix Suns.
Nuggets center Nikola Jokic's triple-double coupled with Jamal Murray's impressive shooting display secured Denver's second straight win.
The Suns, on the other hand, will be ruing missed opportunities after leading by as many as 14 midway through the second period. Star guard Devin Booker endured a miserable night from the field, making just six of his 21 attempts, although Kelly Oubre Jr.'s 23 points kept them in the game.
Suns 107-108 Nuggets (Jokic 23 points, 14 rebounds, 12 assists; Murray 27 points)
#8 Damian Lillard stars as Portland Trail Blazers dethrone Sacramento Kings
Sacramento's star duo Buddy Hield and De'Aaron Fox combined for 49 points but were unable to lead the Kings past a spirited Portland Trail Blazers side led by Damian Lillard.
Hield finished with 21 points while Fox had 28, but Lillard's 35-point display powered Portland to their first victory of the season while consigning the Kings to their second loss on the trot.
Trail Blazers 122-112 Kings (Lillard 35 points, Fox 28 points)
#9 Los Angeles Lakers ride on LeBron James performance to ease past Utah Jazz
The Los Angeles Lakers sealed their first victory of the LeBron James-Anthony Davis era, cruising past the Utah Jazz.
LeBron rebounded from a poor display against the Clippers to finish with 32 points, 7 rebounds and 10 assists while Davis added 21 points and 7 rebounds of his own.
A stifling defensive display also meant the Jazz were limited to just 86 points on the night.
Jazz 86-95 Lakers (James 32 points, 7 rebounds, 10 assists)