LeBron James made it four straight games with a triple-double, the best run of his illustrious career, as the Los Angeles Lakers beat the San Antonio Spurs 120-115.

Having won the inaugural NBA in-season tournament last year, the Lakers began their defence of the crown with a group-stage win over Victor Wembanyama and company.

James scored the Lakers' last four points to make sure of the victory, finishing with 15 points, 16 rebounds and 12 assists for the 117th triple-double of his NBA career – the fifth-most of all time.

As well as going four consecutive games with a triple-double for the very first time, the league's all-time leading scorer also matched the Lakers' franchise record for consecutive triple-doubles.

Russell Westbrook recorded four in a row for Los Angeles from December 25 to December 31, 2021, while Magic Johnson did so on two occasions (March 28 to November 3, 1981 and March 31 to April 5, 1987).

"The best thing about my game is I can have no rhythm offensively and still have an impact on the game," James said after the win. "I was able to do that tonight."

Asked what made him most proud of his achievement, James added: "Probably that I did it in Season 22.

"To still have the energy to do that and the effort, it takes a lot. But also, it takes great team-mates along the way, too. 

"Those assists only happen when guys are making shots, and I just try to put the ball on time, on target and then defensively, rebound and try to help on the glass with Anthony [Davis] and the rest of the guys. 

"And I try to sprinkle in a little points from time to time... but waiting 22 years to do something is wild, so, that's a good question right there."

Davis led the Lakers with 40 points and 12 rebounds, while Wembanyama had a team-high 28 points, 14 rebounds and five assists for San Antonio.

Donovan Mitchell scored 18 of his season-high 37 points in the fourth quarter as the unbeaten Cleveland Cavaliers pulled away for a 144-126 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Friday to achieve the longest winning streak in franchise history.

Cleveland has now won its first 14 games of the 2004-05 campaign, tied for the fourth-longest undefeated run to begin a season in NBA history.

Mitchell led the way in this latest victory by making 7 of 13 shots from 3-point range, though the Cavs also received big performances from other core players to stay perfect. Darius Garland added 29 points and nine assists, Jarrett Allen amassed 24 points on 11-of-15 shooting along with 10 rebounds and Caris LeVert contributed 22 points off the bench.

Chicago got 29 points from Coby White, who went 6 of 11 on 3-point tries in the Bulls' sixth loss in eight games. Leading scorer Zach LaVine was kept squarely in check, however, as the two-time All-Star was held to eight points on 4-of-16 shooting.

Nikola Vucevic finished with 25 points and eight rebounds for Chicago, while Patrick Williams totalled 17 points and a career-high nine assists.

Cleveland came out on fire, making good on 19 of 22 field goal attempts in the first quarter to build a 49-34 lead after 12 minutes. The Cavs were up by as many as 19 points in the second, though the Bulls finished the quarter strongly and closed the gap to 77-73 at intermission behind Vucevic's 18 first-half points.

Chicago carried the momentum into the third quarter and took a 90-89 advantage on White's 3-pointer midway through the period. Cleveland responded with a 16-5 run, however, to go up 105-95 with under two minutes left in the quarter.

The Cavs later put the game out of reach with a 21-7 run over the game's final 2:40, with Mitchell tallying nine points during the spurt and LeVert recording eight.

Timberwolves overcome Fox's 60 points to top Kings in overtime

Julius Randle scored the tie-breaking basket in the final minute of overtime as the Minnesota Timberwolves recorded a 130-126 win over Sacramento despite a franchise-record 60 points from the Kings' De'Aaron Fox.

Fox finished 22 of 35 from the field and 6 of 10 from 3-point range to break the club record of 59 points set by Jack Twyman in 1960, when the franchise was then known as the Cincinnati Royals. The star point guard also rallied the Kings from a 20-point second-half deficit and forced overtime with a short jumper with 38.6 seconds left in regulation.

The Timberwolves were still able to end a three-game losing streak as Anthony Edwards put up 36 points and Randle added 26.

Sacramento also received 23 points and 12 rebounds from Domantas Sabonis while playing without two key players, DeMar DeRozan and Malik Monk, due to injuries.

Minnesota appeared on the way to an easy win after beginning the second half with a 12-0 run to stretch an eight-point half-time lead into a 74–54 advantage just over 3 1/2 minutes into the third quarter.

The Timberwolves entered the fourth up 98-82 before Fox, who amassed 20 points for the quarter, led the Kings back. He scored 14 of those points during a 19-2 run to start the period that gave Sacramento a 101-100 edge with seven minutes left in regulation.

Fox later forged a 126-126 tie with a 3-pointer with 1:15 remaining in overtime, but Randle quickly put Minnesota back ahead with a short jumper on the next possession. After Fox missed a 3-pointer on the other end, Edwards sealed the victory by knocking down a 21-foot shot with 14.3 seconds on the clock.

Thunder shut down injury-plagued Suns

The Oklahoma City Thunder got 28 points from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and a stout defensive effort to come away with a 99-83 win over the short-handed Phoenix Suns.

Oklahoma City prevailed in this matchup of two of the Western Conference's top teams by limiting Phoenix to 29.3 per cent shooting, the Suns' lowest field goal percentage in a game since shooting 26.8 per cent in a loss to the then-New Jersey Nets on March 27, 2006.

Phoenix was without two of its main scorers, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal, due to injuries. The Suns are now 1-3 since Durant was forced out of action with a strained calf after starting the season 8-1.

The Thunder, on the other hand, have won three straight since starting center Chet Holmgren fractured his pelvis in a loss to the Golden State Warriors on Sunday.

Luguentz Dort added 15 points and nine rebounds for Oklahoma City, which also received 14 points and eight boards from Jalen Williams.

Josh Okogie paced the Suns with 15 points and nine rebounds on a night where their other All-Star, Devin Booker, managed just 12 points on 2-of-10 shooting.

The Suns missed 18 of 21 shot attempts in the first quarter as the Thunder built a 29-14 lead after one period. Oklahoma City took a 48-36 advantage into half-time and maintained a double-digit margin throughout the second half, with its lead getting as large as 25 points.

Luka Doncic says the defensive mishap that led to the Utah Jazz's winning dunk was a "misunderstanding" and shouldered the blame for the Dallas Mavericks' loss on Thursday.

The Jazz recorded their first home win of the season with their 115-113 victory, but it looked like they might have thrown it away after blowing a third-quarter lead.

However, with just 6.4 seconds remaining, Doncic left John Collins wide open to give him an easy dunk that settled the game in Utah's favour.

The Slovenian had 37 points, seven rebounds and nine assists for Dallas in an otherwise impressive showing, especially without Kyrie Irving, who missed the game with a shoulder injury.

"It was a misunderstanding," Doncic said.

"I thought I was going to go hit, and [Quentin] Grimes thought he was going to go hit. And it was a lob, so we misunderstood the bench. That's on me."

Collins scored 28 points for the Jazz in their win, also getting nine rebounds, while Jordan Clarkson added 20 points to end a five-game losing streak at home.

They rallied back after letting a 12-point lead slip, something which particularly impressed head coach Will Hardy.

"Tonight isn't about the Xs & Os piece, it was about the mental and physical toughness that the team showed," Hardy said.

"It felt really, really good to battle through a tough moment and pull out a win here at home."

Collins echoed his coach's praise: "Man, I wanted this one so bad. We knew it was going to be a battle in the second half, it's all about staying mentally strong."

John Collins scored the last of his 28 points on a tiebreaking dunk with 6.4 seconds left to give the Utah Jazz their first home victory of the season, 115-113 over the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday night.

Collins also had nine rebounds and Jordan Clarkson added 20 points for the Jazz, who had lost their first five home games.

Luka Dončić had 37 points, seven rebounds and nine assists for Dallas. Quentin Grimes added 15 points and five assists while filling in for Kyrie Irving, who missed the game because of a right shoulder sprain. Klay Thompson had 17 points.

The Mavericks erased a 16-point deficit and tied it on Thompson’s 3-pointer in the final minute before Collins answered with his winner.

Dallas led at halftime and got six third-quarter baskets from Doncic. It wasn’t enough to keep the Jazz from surging ahead as the quarter progressed. Utah ripped off a 9-0 run following back-to-back baskets from Doncic and went up 90-78 on Collins’ tip-in layup.

Utah scored baskets on six straight third-quarter possessions to take an 81-73 lead. Lauri Markkanen scored three baskets himself, culminating in a step-back 3-pointer.

Bahamian freshman VJ Edgecombe recorded a neat triple double as the Baylor Bears defeated the Sam Houston Bearcats in NCAA Men’s Division 1 Basketball action at Baylor’s Foster Pavilion on Tuesday.

Edgecombe recorded 13 points on 6-9 shooting, 10 rebounds, seven assists, three steals and a block in 29 minutes of action as the Bears improved their record this season to 3-1 with a comprehensive 104-67 win over the Bearcats who are now 1-3 on the year.

Senior guard Jayden Nunn led the Bears in scoring with 19 points while Nicaraguan 5^th year senior forward Norchad Omier had 18 points and 10 rebounds.

Lamar Wilkerson had 19 points for Sam Houston.

The Bears will next host the Tarleton State Texans on Sunday.

LeBron James accepts he may only have a maximum of two more years left in him before calling time on his glittering NBA career.

The 39-year-old, playing in his 22nd NBA campaign, helped the Los Angeles Lakers to a 128-123 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday.

James finished with 35 points, 12 rebounds, 14 assists and one steal as the Lakers improved to 7-4 across their first 11 games, making it three wins on the bounce since their defeat to the Grizzlies last week. 

With his latest dazzling display, he became the oldest player to record three straight triple-doubles at 39 years and 319 years old.

That surpassed his own record of 34 years and 310 days, but James knows he will not be able to continue at an elite level forever.

"I'm not going to play that much longer, to be completely honest," he told reporters. 

"I don't know how many years that is, whether it's one year or two years." 

"I'm not playing until the wheels fall off. I'm not going to be the guy that's disrespecting the game because I just want to be out on the floor." 

Proving that age is just a number, James is averaging 24.3 points, 8.1 rebounds and 9.4 assists per game this season.

Further probed on what will determine when he calls time on his playing career, the 20-time NBA All-Star said: "It's not me.

"It's wherever my mind is, it's however my body's going to go. Whatever the case may be." 

The Lakers are sixth in the Western Conference and return to action in the NBA Cup against the San Antonio Spurs on Friday.

Giannis Antekounmpo says he realized as a leader, he had to adapt his mindset against the Detroit Pistons, leading to his 59-point game.

The Milwaukee Bucks beat the Pistons 127-120 in overtime on Wednesday, with Antetokounmpo the driving force as they bounced back from their last NBA defeat to the Boston Celtics.

His total was five back on his career-high points total in a single game, but was his ninth 50-point, 10-rebound game in his career, which puts him third on the NBA all-time list.

Antetokounmpo made 21 of 34 shots from the field and 16 of 17 free throws, while he also had 14 rebounds and seven assists.

He was one of three players alongside Victor Wembanyama and Karl-Anthony Towns to score at least 45 points on Wednesday, which is a tie for the most on a single day in NBA history.

"Coming into this game, I realized I have to be aggressive," Antetokounmpo said. "While I was doing that, it was not working. We were down by 15, 18.

"In the second half, I had to keep my aggressiveness but keep on moving the ball. Now, as a leader, you keep on going with that energy and mentality. Sometimes you've got to be able to do both."

Antetokounmpo had scored 22 of his team's first 24 points in the first quarter, with Bucks coach Doc Rivers unsure whether his point-scoring dominance was a good thing or not.

"It's funny how a coach thinks, though. We called a timeout and Giannis has 22 of our 24," said Rivers.

"This ain't good. I'm thinking the exact opposite. We've got to get somebody else involved in this.

"After the game, you realize how special this is. But during the game you're in a panic," he said.

Victor Wembanyama is proud after scoring career-highs with 50 points and eight 3-pointers, but says his main focus is to keep helping the San Antonio Spurs improve.

The Spurs registered a 139-130 win over the Washington Wizards on Wednesday, with the Frenchman leading the charge as they improved their home record to 5-2.

At 20 years and 314 days, Wembanyama is the fourth-youngest player to score 50 points, behind only Brandon Jennings, LeBron James and Devin Booker.

His previous best was 40 points in an overtime victory over the New York Knicks on March 29.

Having become the eighth player in franchise history to score 50 points and making at least six 3-pointers for the third straight game, Wembanyama is in strong form so early in the season.

Though he likes to celebrate the milestones, he is already considering how he can overshadow them in the future.

"I love to celebrate the small wins and the big wins for a certain amount of time," he said. "But we're already locked in on the Lakers.

"I'm going to give myself a little bit of time to reflect. It's definitely a big milestone. It's kind of a private club, it's certainly something I'm proud of.

"My first thought is, eventually, I want the rest of our performances, the rest of our games, to overshadow this one. I want to make it where in the future, [this is] just another one."

Wembanyama was influential throughout his time on the court but inflicted the most damage in the third quarter. He shot a perfect 7-for-7 from the floor and 4-of-4 from long range for 19 points with four rebounds, one assist and a block.

"The big fella, man, when he comes out with that mindset, it's a hard opportunity to deal with," Spurs forward Julian Champagnie said of his team-mate.

"Big praise to him, big shoutout to him. He's working on his game. I don't know what it was that he took personal, but he took something personal, went out there and hooped."

Donovan Mitchell scored 11 of his 23 points in the final three minutes and the Cleveland Cavaliers became the sixth team in NBA history to start a season 13-0 with a 114-106 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night.

Mitchell also grabbed 13 rebounds and added nine assists as Cleveland became the first team since the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors to win 13 straight to begin a season. That Warriors team holds the record for most wins to begin a campaign at 24 straight.

Darius Garland scored 25 points for the Cavs, while Evan Mobley had 14 points with seven rebounds.

Jared McCain had a career-high 34 for the 76ers, who played without Paul George and Joel Embiid on the second night of a back-to-back as part of left knee injury maintenance. Kelly Oubre Jr. had 20 points while Caleb Martin added 18 for the Sixers.

Mitchell hit three 3-pointers with less than three minutes to play to extend Cleveland's lead to seven, seemingly taking the starch out of the Sixers' final push.

The Cavaliers have won 13 in a row for the fourth time in franchise history. The other three times - in 2009, 2010 and 2017 - were when they had LeBron James on the roster.

Antetokounmpo has 59 as Bucks outlast Pistons

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 59 points to pace the Milwaukee Bucks to a 127-120 overtime victory over the Detroit Pistons.

It was a league-high for points by an NBA player this season and the second-highest single-game total for Antetokounmpo, who had 64 against Indiana last season.

Antetokounmpo hit 21 of 34 shots and 16 of 17 free throws and added 14 rebounds and seven assists as the Bucks rallied from an 18-point second-half deficit.

Brook Lopez added 29 points for the Bucks. Cade Cunningham led Detroit with 35 points and Malik Beasley scored 26 against his former team.

Detroit's Ron Holland II was fouled by Antetokounmpo with one second left in regulation and the score tied at 111, but Holland missed both free throws.

Milwaukee played without Damian Lillard (concussion protocol), Ryan Rollins (left shoulder instability) and Bobby Portis (right elbow contusion).

Antetokounmpo made every basket for Milwaukee in the first quarter, hitting 7 of 10 field-goal attempts and all eight of his free throws for 22 of the team’s 24 points.

The Bucks improved to 22-1 against Detroit since the 2018-19 season and won their 10th straight in the series.

Wembanyama drops 50 in Spurs’ win

Victor Wembanyama set career highs with 50 points and eight 3-pointers to lead the San Antonio Spurs to a 139-130 victory over the Washington Wizards.

At 20 years 314 days, Wembanyama is the fourth-youngest player to score 50 points, trailing only Brandon Jennings, LeBron James and Devin Booker.

Wembanyama's previous high was 40 points in a 130-126 overtime victory over New York on March 29. 

He made at least six 3-pointers for the third straight game and is 20 for 37 from deep during that span.

Jordan Poole had 42 points – one shy of his career high - for Washington, which lost its sixth straight.

Devin Vassell had 17 points in his third game for the Spurs since returning from offseason surgery to repair a fractured right foot.

Washington’s Alexandre Sarr blocked Wembanyama's shot in the second quarter and dunked on his fellow Frenchman in the third quarter. Sarr finished with 12 points, two rebounds, two assists and a block in 25 minutes.

Wembanyama is the eighth player in franchise history to score 50 points. David Robinson holds the franchise record with 71 points against the Los Angeles Clippers on April 24, 1994.

The San Antonio Spurs announced on Wednesday that Gregg Popovich has been away from the team due to a mild stroke the Hall of Fame head coach suffered earlier this month.

The 75-year-old Popovich suffered the stroke on November 2 at San Antonio’s arena before the Spurs faced the Minnesota Timberwolves.

San Antonio initially said Popovich would not coach that night because of an undisclosed illness.

Popovich has started a rehabilitation program and is expected to make a full recovery, the Spurs said Wednesday.

“During this time, the organisation is grateful to the extended community for providing privacy and space to the Popovich family,” the team said in a release.

Mike Johnson has taken over as head coach and led San Antonio to a 3-3 record after the Spurs opened 2-3 under Popovich.

Popovich is the NBA's all-time leader with 1,393 victories and has won five NBA titles while coaching San Antonio since the 1996-97 season.

The San Antonio Spurs announced on Wednesday that Gregg Popovich has been away from the team due to a mild stroke the Hall of Fame head coach suffered earlier this month.

The 75-year-old Popovich suffered the stroke on November 2 at San Antonio’s arena before the Spurs faced the Minnesota Timberwolves.

San Antonio initially said Popovich would not coach that night because of an undisclosed illness.

Popovich has started a rehabilitation program and is expected to make a full recovery, the Spurs said Wednesday.

“During this time, the organisation is grateful to the extended community for providing privacy and space to the Popovich family,” the team said in a release.

Mike Johnson has taken over as head coach and led San Antonio to a 3-3 record after the Spurs opened 2-3 under Popovich.

Popovich is the NBA's all-time leader with 1,393 victories and has won five NBA titles while coaching San Antonio since the 1996-97 season.

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr expressed deep emotions regarding Klay Thompson's return to the Bay Area, this time as a member of the Dallas Mavericks.

Thompson finished with 22 points in an emotional return to Chase Center for the first time since he departed, though former team-mate Steph Curry stole the show. 

Curry scored 37 points, including Golden State's final 12, to rally the Warriors past the Mavericks 120-117 in the NBA Cup on Tuesday.

Thompson spent 13 successful years with Kerr in San Francisco, winning four NBA Championships. 

After the game, Kerr revealed the surreal moment between himself and Curry before he went out to meet with his former “Splash Brother” Thompson. 

"We went over our pre-game scout and the matchups,” Kerr said. “It was almost surreal saying, ‘Steph, you got Klay.’ Steph smiled.”

In Thompson’s time in California, he was part of the core alongside Curry and Draymond Green, who also helped to bring so much success to the team.

However, Thompson missed more than two years after suffering back-to-back injuries.

First, an ACL tear and then a torn right Achilles tendon – before making a return in January 2022, with Kerr lauding his resilience to come back to the sport. 

“I think what he overcame is almost unprecedented,” Kerr told reporters.

“The last couple of years after he came back, he struggled reconciling all of that, losing those prime seasons. We all saw that, saw him struggle with it emotionally.

"We saw him fight to get his game back. He helped us win a championship, led the league in threes two years ago, he did a lot of amazing things.

“We wished that this had gone forever, that Klay would have finished his career with us, but circumstances always dictate these things.

"In the end, I think he made the right choice. He was not happy and that was hard to see, because he deserves to be happy. At his core, he’s a very happy person.”

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr expressed deep emotions regarding Klay Thompson's return to the Bay Area, this time as a member of the Dallas Mavericks.

Thompson finished with 22 points in an emotional return to Chase Center for the first time since he departed, though former team-mate Steph Curry stole the show. 

Curry scored 37 points, including Golden State's final 12, to rally the Warriors past the Mavericks 120-117 in the NBA Cup on Tuesday.

Thompson spent 13 successful years with Kerr in San Francisco, winning four NBA Championships. 

After the game, Kerr revealed the surreal moment between himself and Curry before he went out to meet with his former “Splash Brother” Thompson. 

"We went over our pre-game scout and the matchups,” Kerr said. “It was almost surreal saying, ‘Steph, you got Klay.’ Steph smiled.”

In Thompson’s time in California, he was part of the core alongside Curry and Draymond Green, who also helped to bring so much success to the team.

However, Thompson missed more than two years after suffering back-to-back injuries.

First, an ACL tear and then a torn right Achilles tendon – before making a return in January 2022, with Kerr lauding his resilience to come back to the sport. 

“I think what he overcame is almost unprecedented,” Kerr told reporters.

“The last couple of years after he came back, he struggled reconciling all of that, losing those prime seasons. We all saw that, saw him struggle with it emotionally.

"We saw him fight to get his game back. He helped us win a championship, led the league in threes two years ago, he did a lot of amazing things.

“We wished that this had gone forever, that Klay would have finished his career with us, but circumstances always dictate these things.

"In the end, I think he made the right choice. He was not happy and that was hard to see, because he deserves to be happy. At his core, he’s a very happy person.”

Joel Embiid said the first five minutes of his NBA return were "tough", but knows he will become more comfortable as he eases back in with the Philadelphia 76ers. 

Embiid made his first appearance in nine games on Tuesday due to the management of a left knee ailment stemming from the previous season and a three-match suspension. 

However, he was unable to stop the 76ers' rough start to the season, going down 111-99 in the NBA Cup to the New York Knicks to move to 2-8 for the season. 

Embiid looked understandably rusty in his 26-minute cameo, registering 13 points on 2-for-11 shooting from the field (but 8-for-8 from the free throw line), plus three rebounds, five assists and one block. 

"I felt OK," Embiid said afterward. "The first five minutes were rough, but I guess that’s what happens when you haven’t played in a while. I felt after that, I still should be rusty.

"That’s expected, but I thought overall, I felt pretty good health-wise. I think it’s just my trust in myself.

"I thought I was a little timid, so I stuck with a lot of jumpers just to get myself a little comfortable, but as the games go, and I’ll get back to myself, it’s going to be easier."

The first play of the game included Embiid throwing a perfect pass to Paul George for a layup, who cut baseline to get an easy look at the basket.

George had his best game as a Sixer, scoring 29 points on 10-for-19 shooting and 7-for-11 from deep with 10 rebounds as he and Embiid finally got on the floor together for the first time.

"It felt good," Embiid said of the pairing with George. "I thought tonight, he had a nice rhythm which we’re going to need him to keep doing.

"Like I said, my job is to try and make the game easy for all those guys.

"Setting screens and getting them open. Just try to make the game simple. Especially as I’m getting back and trying to feel more confident."

But up next for the 76ers, who find themselves 14th in the Eastern Conference, are the undefeated Cleveland Cavaliers, who beat the Chicago Bulls 119-113 on Tuesday. 

Embiid has been on record saying he won't play in back-to-backs ever again in his career, but he stated that he will try to give it a go against the Cavs.

"I mean, I want to," Embiid said. "That’s up to those guys. I know I said I’ll never play back-to-backs, but I’m a troll so I’m sure at some point, I’ll play, but if I feel good.

"I feel good right now. We’re gonna see, but it’s up to them."

Stephen Curry scored 37 points, including Golden State's final 12, to rally the Warriors past Klay Thompson and the Dallas Mavericks 120-117 on Tuesday night in an NBA Cup game.

Thompson finished with 22 points in an emotional return to Chase Center for the first time since he departed to join Dallas in July.

Luka Dončić started and had 31 points, eight rebounds and six assists after the team decided his left groin strain was healthy to play once he went through his warmup routine.

The Warriors gifted captain hats to fans in a tribute to Thompson's tradition of taking his boat across the bay to games. Thompson embraced Curry shortly before tipoff and his 3-pointer gave Dallas a 110-105 lead before his old Splash Brother took over.

Curry shot 14 for 27 with five 3s and added nine assists and six rebounds, also sparking a 20-3 burst to begin the third quarter.

Dereck Lively II, questionable to play because of a sprained right shoulder, contributed 12 points and eight rebounds for Dallas, which committed 18 turnovers, leading to 21 Warriors points.

Golden State got 16 points from Jonathan Kuminga and 14 from Buddy Hield.

Curry fouled Thompson 15 seconds into the game and Thompson scored the initial two points of the contest at the free-throw line. But Thompson missed his initial two field-goal attempts before knocking down a 3-pointer with 1:26 remaining in the opening quarter.

Knicks handle Embiid, struggling 76ers

OG Anunoby scored 24 points and the New York Knicks spoiled 76ers star Joel Embiid's season debut, beating Philadelphia 111-99 in the opener of NBA Cup group play for both teams.

Embiid was rusty in his first action since winning the gold medal at the Paris Olympics on Aug. 10. He finished with 13 points on 2 of 11 from the field with three rebounds in 26 minutes and was unable to lift the struggling Sixers, who fell to 2-8. Paul George led Philadelphia with 29 points and 10 rebounds.

Josh Hart added 14 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists for the Knicks. Karl-Anthony Towns had 21 points and 13 boards, while Jalen Brunson scored 18 points on 5-of-15 shooting.

New York started the fourth quarter on a 13-2 run that broke open a three-point game. Anunoby had three dunks during the run, often taking dead aim at a vacancy caused by Embiid, who was slow to defend the rim.

The Knicks recorded 31 assists on 44 field goals and shot 49% from the floor.

Hawks rally past Celtics

Onyeka Okongwu tipped in a missed shot with 6.1 seconds left, and Jaylen Brown missed a jumper at the buzzer as the Atlanta Hawks overcame a 15-point, second-half deficit to beat the Boston Celtics 117-116 in their NBA Cup opener.

Dyson Daniels scored a career-high 28 points, and Jalen Johnson had 18 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists as Atlanta snapped a two-game losing streak despite playing without star Trae Young.

Brown scored a season-high 37 points and Derrick White added 31 for Boston as it opened the in-season tournament on a green floor with a special parquet design. The defending NBA champions had a two-game winning streak snapped and lost for just the third time this season.

Jayson Tatum's 3-point attempt from the left corner with 24 seconds left and Boston leading 116-115 rimmed out. Daniels missed a floater, but Okongwu tipped it in to give the Hawks their first lead since the final seconds of the first quarter.

The teams traded turnovers on inbounds passes before White found Brown, who pulled up from 13 feet and shot off the rim.