Draymond Green congratulated the NBA on a "job well done" following the start of the league's inaugural in-season tournament.
The new competition started on Friday, with seven group-stage games played. The other pool games will be played on six other days across the month of November.
Green finished with 15 points as he helped the Golden State Warriors beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 141-139.
And the four-time NBA champion believes the tournament is a great idea.
"We talk about this in-season tournament and it's a playoff game," Green said.
"It was a fun game to play in. The intensity level was there.
"It's a job well done to the NBA, adding this type of excitement in November, because there'll be some dark days in November, but you get games like this, you can appreciate them. It was great."
The Warriors won in contentious circumstances, with Stephen Curry's layup with less than a second to go allowed to stand after a video review.
Meanwhile, Nikola Jokic starred for the Denver Nuggets, with 33 points, 14 rebounds and nine assists while shooting 14-for-16 from the field in a win over the Dallas Mavericks.
"What I marvel at is just the consistency," Nuggets coach Michael Malone said of Jokic.
"I mean, the guy is just great every night. He's just a great player. I just love how he impacts the game in every way, shape and form. It's really the definition of greatness."
Elsewhere, the Milwaukee Bucks beat the New York Knicks, the Indiana Pacers saw off the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Miami Heat overcame the Washington Wizards.
There were also wins for the Brooklyn Nets and Portland Trail Blazers.