Darius Garland scored 25 points, Donovan Mitchell added 22 and the Cleveland Cavaliers improved to 6-0 with a 120-109 victory Friday night over the Orlando Magic, who played their first game without injured All-Star Paolo Banchero.
The Cavs are the only unbeaten team in the Eastern Conference. The last time Cleveland started 6-0 was in 2016 with LeBron James when it lost to Golden State in the NBA Finals. The club's best start was 8-0 in 1976.
The early meeting between Orlando and Cleveland was a rematch of last season's tense opening-round playoff series won by the Cavs in seven games.
Banchero is expected to miss at least a month - and maybe longer - with a torn right oblique. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 draft was on an early tear, averaging 29 points with 8.8 rebounds and 5.6 assists before getting hurt Wednesday.
Orlando's Jalen Suggs scored a career-high 28 points and had eight rebounds and seven assists. Franz Wagner had 17 points.
The Magic hung around and were still within 10 late in the third quarter, when Cavs reserves Caris LeVert, Sam Merrill and Georges Niang all made 3-pointers in the final 2:17 to give Cleveland a 17-point lead going to the fourth.
Cleveland improved to 30-7 in Mitchell's last 37 regular-season games since January.
Thunder roll past Blazers to stay unbeaten
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 30 points in 28 minutes and the Oklahoma City Thunder remained perfect with a 137-114 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers.
Jalen Williams added 22 points for the Thunder and Cason Wallace and Aaron Wiggins each had 13 off the bench as Oklahoma City improved to 5-0.
Jerami Grant led Portland with 17 points and Deandre Ayton added 14.
After the Blazers came back from down 17 to tie the game at 68 at the half, Oklahoma City outscored the Blazers 38-17 in the third quarter and Portland was never able to get back in it.
Wolves edge Nuggets in thriller
Anthony Edwards hit a go-ahead 7-foot floater with 25.7 seconds left, and Rudy Gobert iced the game with two free throws to lead the Minnesota Timberwolves past the Denver Nuggets 119-116.
Edwards scored 29 points, Gobert had 17 points and 14 rebounds and Julius Randle added 23 points and seven assists for the Timberwolves, who recovered from a 25-3 fourth-quarter run by the Nuggets.
Nikola Jokić had 26 points, 13 assists and nine rebounds and hit two free throws with 2:30 left to put Denver up 116-109, before Minnesota roared back. Jokic had a chance to tie the game at 119, but Gobert forced an errant corner 3-pointer with 2.3 seconds to go.
Aaron Gordon led the Nuggets with 31 points and 11 rebounds in a rematch of last season's Western Conference semifinal.
Michael Porter Jr. added 26 points for the Nuggets, who lost point guard Jamal Murray to the concussion protocol in the third quarter after colliding with Randle.
Christian Braun dunked over the 7-foot-1 Gobert with 5:14 left and got even closer to his face with a taunting scream that egged Gobert into grabbing Braun by the neck. The benches cleared, shouts were exchanged, and both players got a technical.
Ja Morant said he is playing with freedom after his superb performance against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Morant recorded his 12th career triple-double as he finished with 26 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds in the Memphis Grizzlies' 122-99 victory over the Bucks.
The point guard even threw an alley-oop while he was sat on the court at one point in Thursday's game.
The Grizzlies moved to 3-3 for the season, while Morant is averaging 20.4 points per game.
"I play free," said Morant. "With me, you are going to deal with turnovers. I'm always trying to make the right play.
"I'm planning on taking control of the game every time. If the opposing team's point guard does, my teammates will tell you that I'll be frustrated.
"It's another game for me, the win was most important.
"That was my goal, talking with some of the teammates, and I said the goal was to get a win, and I'm going to get us one."
Speaking about Morant's ludicrous alley-oop pass, teammate Scotty Pippen Jr. said: "I thought that was crazy. I don't even know why he tried that."
Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins added: "He's been building up for this, and this has been kind of part of our plan that's been rolling out."
Victor Wembanyama was not satisfied after his 5x5 line helped the San Antonio Spurs to victory over the Utah Jazz.
Wembanyama posted 25 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, five steals and five blocks in Thursday's 106-88 win.
In the process, he became just the third player with multiple 5x5 games in the NBA, after Hakeem Olajuwon (six) and Andrei Kirilenko (three).
But Wembanyama said it just shows what he can do when he is at his best.
He said: "It tells me that I need to get my standards up.
"It tells me that I'm able to help my team in all of those areas and that this should be a consistent thing.
"As I've said before, I thought this was a game that we must have. So I was glad that I was able to help my team in every area."
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said: "We want him to be able to do everything.
"We want him to be able to isolate and shoot the ball. We want him to do the whole deal.
"We just can't do it all at once. It depends on the situation and what is going on."
Devin Booker scored 40 points, Kevin Durant added 18, and the Phoenix Suns rallied from a 21-point deficit to beat the Los Angeles Clippers 125-119 on Thursday night.
Booker made a corner 3-pointer to put Phoenix ahead 108-105 with 5:15 remaining as the Suns scored 73 points in the second half to take their second win in eight days at the Clippers’ new arena.
Booker and Durant got going in the third to get the Suns back in it, combining for 20 points. Royce O'Neale, who finished with 21 points, and Ryan Dunn, who had 16, also had some timely long-distance shots after the break.
James Harden had 25 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists, but Los Angeles faltered again one night after giving away a late lead in a one-point loss at Portland.
After being outscored 11-0 in the first quarter, the Suns had a 21-5 edge in fast-break points the rest of the way.
Morant’s big night powers Grizzlies
Ja Morant had 26 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds and helped the Memphis Grizzlies build a 31-point second-half cushion and beat the Milwaukee Bucks 122-99.
Santi Aldama added 19 points and nine rebounds, while Scotty Pippen Jr. and Jaylen Wells finished with 16 points each as the Grizzlies snapped a two-game skid. Memphis ended the night shooting 52%, including Morant going 9 for 16. Seven Grizzlies players finished in double figures.
Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 37 points and 11 rebounds, connecting on 17 of 22 shots. Brook Lopez scored 12 and Bobby Portis Jr. finished with 11 points as Milwaukee dropped it fourth straight.
Damian Lillard shot 1 for 12 and missed all six of his 3-point attempts. He is just 6 for 27 on 3s in his last three games.
Morant took over the game in the first half. At the midway point, he was already on the verge of his 12th career triple-double with 21 points, nine assists and eight rebounds. One of those assists came on a scramble for the ball in the front court before Morant grabbed the ball, and from the seat of his pants, spotted Aldama for a reverse dunk.
Wembanyama helps Spurs keep Jazz winless
Victor Wembanyama had 22 points and nine rebounds to lead the San Antonio Spurs to a 106-88 victory over the winless Utah Jazz on Thursday night.
Wembanyama also had seven assists, five steals, and five blocks, getting at least five in five categories for the second time in his career. Chris Paul added 19 points, 10 assists, and six rebounds for the Spurs.
Collin Sexton led the Jazz with 16 points, and John Collins added 14 points and 11 rebounds. Utah (0-5) played without starting forward Lauri Markkanen who was out with back spasms.
Patty Mills made three straight 3-pointers to power a 13-0 run that gave Utah a 30-19 lead going into the second quarter. The Jazz did not trail again before halftime.
San Antonio erased a double-digit deficit twice and went ahead for good midway through the third behind a 12-0 run. Julian Champagnie and Keldon Johnson combined for three baskets off steals over four possessions to cap the run and give the Spurs a 63-55 lead.
After the Jazz cut the deficit to 73-67 on Brice Sensabaugh’s layup, Utah scored just two baskets over the next 6 minutes. San Antonio pulled away for good behind a 19-6 run capped by three baskets by Paul.
The Orlando Magic will be without Paolo Banchero for a while after the star forward was diagnosed with a torn right oblique muscle, the team announced Thursday.
The 2023-24 All-Star will be out indefinitely and is expected to be re-evaluated in four to six weeks.
Banchero appeared to suffer the injury in Wednesday night’s loss to the Chicago Bulls, just two days after posting 50 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists against the Indiana Pacers.
Losing Banchero is a significant blow to an Orlando team looking to improve on last season’s play-off appearance and climb into the contenders’ tier in the Eastern Conference.
Banchero is averaging 29 points, 8.8 rebounds and 5.6 assists through five games this season.
Replacing the former No. 1 overall pick’s offensive creation will be very difficult, but the Magic have capable forwards in Moritz Wagner and Jonathan Isaac, who can absorb Banchero’s minutes and play well defensively.
Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs have both shown improved offensive efficiency early this season and could carry a larger share of the scoring load until Banchero can return.
The Magic (3-2) visit the Cleveland Cavaliers (5-0) on Friday.
Bronny James revelled in the "insane" reception he received from the Cleveland Cavaliers supporters in Wednesday's loss for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Bronny, son of LeBron, came on from the bench in the fourth quarter with the game all but decided in the Cavs favour.
The Lakers ultimately lost 134-110, though Bronny ensured it was a memorable defeat as he got his first NBA bucket.
LeBron is arguably the greatest player in Cavs history, and the home fans were chanting for Bronny to get a look-in from the bench from early in the second half.
"It was insane," Bronny said.
"Much more than I anticipated for sure. But it's all love. It was insane. It was a nice moment.
"The chants really got me. I was straight-faced, but I felt it and it felt really good, especially coming from here. It was a special moment for me for sure."
Of sinking his first points in the NBA, Bronny said: "I've been watching [my dad] for a minute playing in the league. Just dreaming of being in those players' steps, not only [LeBron's] but players he used to play against and with.
"So yeah, it was just a dream come true for me."
LeBron lauded his son's mental strength, suggesting he would not have been able to deal with such pressure when he was only 20.
"He's better than I would have been in that situation, 20,000 fans screaming my name to get in the game and wanting me to be in the game," said LeBron.
"If the role's reversed, I don't know if I would have been able to handle it. To see him get his first NBA basket in this arena where he grew up not too far away from here, it's an unbelievable moment.
"An unbelievable moment for him, first of all. For our family. It's just pretty cool to be a part of it."
LeBron dragged the Cavs to their first NBA Championship in 2016, and has fond memories of his two spells in Cleveland.
"We spent a lot of years here," LeBron said.
"We're part of this community, obviously. We were born not too far from here, 35 miles south of here, [our] hometown of Akron. And I spent 11 years of my NBA career – half of my career – here."
Evan Mobley scored 25 points, Donovan Mitchell added 24 and the Cleveland Cavaliers improved to 5-0 with a 134-110 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night in a game that included a special homecoming for LeBron James and his son, Bronny.
The win marks the first time the Cavs have started 5-0 since the 2016-17 season, led by LeBron, and the third time in franchise history.
In the final minutes, Bronny played for the second time as a pro and was inserted with 5:16 left. The younger James, who grew up in the arena, made a 14-foot jumper with 2:03 to play for his first NBA points.
Jarrett Allen added 20 points and 17 rebounds for Cleveland.
LeBron scored 26 and Anthony Davis had 22 and 13 rebounds for the Lakers, who were unable to cut into Cleveland's lead after falling behind by 23 in the first half.
Mitchell made back-to-back 3-pointers as the Cavaliers made four treys in a span of 1:45 in the first quarter to open a 19-point lead after one.
Towns’ big night powers Knicks
Karl-Anthony Towns had 44 points and 12 rebounds, Jalen Brunson scored 18 of his 22 points in the second half and the New York Knicks rallied to beat the Miami Heat 116-107.
Towns had the fourth-most points for the Knicks against the Heat. Jamal Crawford scored 52 in 2007, Carmelo Anthony had 50 at Miami in 2013 and RJ Barrett 46 in 2022.
Towns shot 17 of 24 from the field, 4 of 5 from long range and 24 of his 44 points in the first half to keep New York close.
Mikal Bridges added 17 points for New York, which trailed by 13 in the third quarter before flipping the game. OG Anunoby had 11 points and Josh Hart finished with 10 points, 14 rebounds and six assists.
Tyler Herro had 34 points for Miami, hitting eight 3-pointers. Terry Rozier scored 16 points, Jimmy Butler had 15, Bam Adebayo 11 and Nikola Jovic 10.
The Knicks ended the third quarter on a 30-10 run, turning a 70-57 deficit into an 87-80 lead.
Thunder down Spurs to remain perfect
Lu Dort scored 20 points, Chet Holmgren added 19 and the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the San Antonio Spurs 105-93to remain the only unbeaten team in the Western Conference.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 18 points, and Jalen Williams had 12 points, eight assists and seven rebounds for the Thunder. Oklahoma City has won all four of its games by at least 12 points.
Harrison Barnes scored 18 points, Jeremy Sochan had 17 points and nine rebounds, and Chris Paul added 14 points and nine assists for the Spurs.
San Antonio's Victor Wembanyama was held to six points on 1-for-5 shooting in his matchup with Holmgren, a fellow second-year big man. Wembanyama also had eight rebounds and three blocks.
Oklahoma City showed it can win even when Gilgeous-Alexander's shot is off. Gilgeous-Alexander, one of the league's top scorers with 28.7 points per game through his first three contests, made just 7 of 20 shots, including 2 of 10 from 3.
The Spurs cut Oklahoma City's lead to 82-75 in the fourth quarter before the Thunder went on a 9-2 run with Gilgeous-Alexander on the bench to regain control of the game. Rookie Ajay Mitchell scored five points during that stretch. The Thunder led 93-81 when Gilgeous-Alexander returned, and Oklahoma City was up 103-87 when he went to the bench for good with 2:46 remaining.
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