NBA Results Roundup (29 Oct, Tuesday): Miami Heat triumph on Jimmy Butler debut; Anthony Davis sets multiple records in Lakers' rout of Grizzlies
A rather quiet night in the NBA featured just three matches. Trae Young's Atlanta Hawks traveled to the American Airlines Arena to take on the Miami Heat, while the Denver Nuggets played host to the fast-rising Dallas Mavericks.
The final game of the night saw LeBron James' Los Angeles Lakers welcome the Memphis Grizzlies to the Staples Center.
Without further ado, let's get into the results from all of Tuesday's games:
#1 Miami Heat dominate Atlanta Hawks in Jimmy Butler debut
Jimmy Butler, in his first game for the Miami Heat, got his side off to a flying start with 12 first-quarter points. That was enough to set the ball rolling as Miami racked up a huge lead in the first half.
Butler eventually finished with 21 points on an efficient shooting night, but it was a collective offensive effort that propelled the Heat to a 112-97 victory.
Rookie Tyler Herro, coming off the bench for the first time in his career, finished with a career-high 29 points while the Heat also got contributions from Bam Adebayo, Goran Dragic, and Kendrick Nunn.
The Hawks were dealt a blow in the second period when they lost star point guard Trae Young to an ankle injury. Young was averaging more than 30 points per game entering this contest and had led Atlanta to a 2-1 start.
In his absence, the Hawks struggled to put the ball in the hoop, although John Collins did manage a 30-point night.
Hawks 97-112 Heat (Herro 29 points)
#2 Bench of Dallas Mavericks score 61 to down Denver Nuggets
Dallas Mavericks entered the season with a new-look roster, confident of their chances of securing a playoff spot. But even the most ardent of Mavericks fans couldn't have imagined just how well the Dallas unit would click from the get-go.
Traveling to the Pepsi Center to take on the unbeaten Denver Nuggets, the Mavericks rode on a huge contribution from their bench to eke out a three-point victory.
Dallas trailed by as many as 10 in the first quarter, and midway through the third quarter, but 61 points from their bench ensured they weathered the Nuggets storm and came away with an impressive win.
Star Mavericks duo Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis were limited to a combined 22 points, making just seven of 26 attempts from the field.
For the Nuggets, all five starters finished with double-digit points - Millsap had a game-high 23 - but lack of bench production proved to be their downfall in the end.
Mavericks 109-106 Nuggets (Porzingis 10 points, 14 rebounds)
#3 Los Angeles Lakers score 120 on back of Anthony Davis performance
The Los Angeles Lakers preserved their unbeaten record at the Staples Center this season with a dominant display against the Memphis Grizzlies. The Lakers shrugged off a slow first quarter to outscore the Grizzlies 93-59 over the remainder of the game and seal their third consecutive home victory.
Anthony Davis once again starred for the Lakers, finishing with a monster double-double and setting multiple records in the process. Aided by 27 trips to the charity stripe, Davis poured in 40 and grabbed 20 rebounds to lead his side to victory.
Davis also set a Lakers record for free throws made, with 26, surpassing teammate Dwight Howard, who made 25 of 39 attempts vs. Orlando in 2013. He also became the first Laker since Shaquille O'Neal in 2003 to notch up a 40 point, 20 rebound effort.
LeBron James, meanwhile was efficient if not spectacular from the field, finishing with 23 points although he did commit 6 turnovers. For the Grizzlies, Ja Morant, on the back of a career night against the Brooklyn Nets, struggled to truly make an impact and was limited to just 16 points.
Grizzlies 91-120 Lakers (Davis 40 points, 20 rebounds)