Today’s NBA slate offered up some sensational scoring performances from Paul George and James Harden. PG-13 put his name in the Clippers record books in just his second game for the team, while Harden just continues to rack up insane scoring numbers.
Elsewhere around the league, the Hornets had another dramatic win, while Tim Duncan got a taste of being Spurs head coach, which should have SBOBET hoops fans raising some eyebrows.
Brooklyn Nets 117-111 Chicago Bulls
Despite missing Kyrie Irving, the Brooklyn Nets ended their five-game road trip with a win as they beat the Chicago Bulls, 117-111. Spencer Dinwiddie starred in Irving’s absence with a team-high 24 points, while backcourt partner Joe Harris added 22 points and eight assists.
Zach LaVine led the way with 36 points for the Bulls, but they struggled to shoot as a team. They shot just 35 per cent from the field, with the bench duo of Thaddeus Young and rookie Coby White combining to go an atrocious 4-of-21.
Milwaukee Bucks 102-83 Indiana Pacers
The Bucks continued their recent tear with a 19-point pounding of the Pacers on the road. Giannis Antetokounmpo carried the load with 26 points, 13 rebounds, and six assists, while Brook Lopez added 15 points and eight boards. Milwaukee have now won seven of their last eight, including their first two games without the injured Khris Middleton.
The Bucks’ suffocating defence held the Pacers to just 32 per cent shooting as a team. But promisingly, Myles Turner looked effective in his first game back since suffering an ankle injury a couple of weeks ago. The Pacers big man had a team-high 16 points with 11 rebounds and four blocks.
Charlotte Hornets 103-102 New York Knicks
For the second game in a row, the Charlotte Hornets nailed a 3-pointer in the closing seconds to pick up a win. After Malik Monk’s dramatic buzzer beater to defeat the Detroit Pistons, Devonte Graham knocked down the decisive triple to beat the Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
It was Graham’s ninth 3-pointer of the game as he finished with a team-high 29 points. Graham has been one of the most improved players in the league thus far this season. The second-year guard is averaging 18 points per game after averaging just under 5 PPG as a rookie.
Houston Rockets 125-105 Minnesota Timberwolves
James Harden just can’t be stopped. The Rockets guard, who has had a historic start to the season, has put up 44 or more points in each of the last three games.
Harden dropped 49 more points — on a career-high 41 shots, with 22 3-pointers — to help beat the Timberwolves. With Russell Westbrook resting, Ben McLemore backed Harden up with 20 points, with Austin Rivers and rookie Chris Clemons adding 19 points apiece.
As for the Timberwolves, they’ve now slumped to back-to-back 20-plus-point defeats, which has coincided with Andrew Wiggins‘ absence due to personal reasons. Wiggins had been on quite a roll, averaging 29 points this month.
New Orleans Pelicans 94-109 Miami Heat
The injury-ravaged Pelicans’ NBA 2019 odds to beat the Heat on the road despite several key absentees weren’t good, and so it proved. Brandon Ingram, J.J. Redick, Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart, and Jahlil Okafor were all out, while both Derrick Favors and Frank Jackson left the game early after picking up injuries. Nickeil Alexander-Walker had 27 points, but it wasn’t nearly enough for New Orleans.
Kendrick Nunn continued his impressive rookie season with 22 points to lead the Heat, while Bam Adebayo added 18 points and 14 rebounds. The Heat have now won four of their last five games and improved to a perfect 5-0 at home.
Toronto Raptors 102-110 Dallas Mavericks
The Mavericks snapped a mini two-game losing skid as they took down the defending champion Toronto Raptors at home. Luka Doncic had another strong game with 26 points, 15 rebounds, and seven assists, while Kristaps Porzingis added 20 points and 15 boards. Seth Curry and Delon Wright both had 15 points apiece.
Norman Powell and Fred VanVleet combined for 50 points for the Raptors, but they didn’t get the help they needed. All-Star forward Pascal Siakam struggled with his shot, going just 6-of-24 for 15 points. The Raptors are finally set to return home after a five-game Western road trip, where they went 3-2.
Portland Trail Blazers 121-116 San Antonio Spurs
Tim Duncan suddenly found himself in charge of the San Antonio Spurs after Gregg Popovich got himself ejected in the third quarter against the Blazers. But despite the team legend’s leadership, the slumping Spurs still fell to their fifth loss in a row and seventh in eight games.
CJ McCollum starred with a team-high 32 points for the Blazers. Damian Lillard added 22 while Hassan Whiteside had 21 points and 12 rebounds as Portland snapped their own two-game skid.
LaMarcus Aldridge led the Spurs with 30 points and 13 rebounds against his former team, but it wasn’t nearly enough.
Atlanta Hawks 101-150 Los Angeles Clippers
Paul George is back and producing amazing NBA 2019 highlights. PG-13 put on another dazzling display against the Hawks as he dropped 37 points in just 20 minutes to lead LA — who were once again without Kawhi Leonard — to a 49-point win.
George has been on fire in his first two games since returning from offseason shoulder surgery. In those games, he put 70 points — a new record for a Clipper in his first two games — on 20-of-34 shooting (59 per cent) in just 44 minutes of play.
Trae Young had 20 points but went just 4-of-16 from the field as the Hawks shot just 38 per cent as a team.
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