Golden State Warriors among early victors as NBA’s in-season tournament begins
A last-second layup from Steph Curry was the difference for Golden State in their 141-139 group stage win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Curry finished with 30 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, while Lu Dort top-scored for the Thunder with 29.
It also went down to the wire in Portland, where the Trail Blazers eclipsed the Memphis Grizzlies 115-113 in overtime.
After a back-and-forth first half, neither side was able to gain much of an advantage through the final two quarters.
Shaedon Sharpe’s clutch free throws drew the Trail Blazers level with eight seconds left on the clock before he blocked Luke Kennard’s attempt from the corner on the other end to force overtime.
Both teams continued to trade baskets until Jerami Grant’s late three proved enough to get Portland across the line.
A late flurry from Damian Lillard lifted the Milwaukee Bucks over the New York Knicks 110-105.
He finished with 30 points, including two clutch threes in the dying minutes, while Giannis Antetokounmpo added 22 points and eight rebounds.
The Brooklyn Nets defeated the Chicago Bulls 109-107 on the back of 41 combined points from Dorian Finney-Smith and Mikal Bridges.
Elsewhere, the Miami Heat beat the Washington Wizards by seven points, Myles Turner scored 27 to lead the Indiana Pacers over the Cleveland Cavaliers 121-116, and the Denver Nuggets cruised past the Dallas Mavericks 125-114.
The in-season tournament sees each NBA team play a four-game group stage in November, with the group winners advancing to knockout rounds.
The winning team claims the NBA Cup, and its players earn 500,000dollars each, with the final to be played in Las Vegas on December 9.