Jaylen Brown was bullish about the Boston Celtics' quality after their convincing win over the Washington Wizards.

Brown had 36 points and Jayson Tatum added 33 as the Celtics cruised to a 126-107 win on Monday.

It brought up Boston's third straight win to start the season.

Not that Brown is at all surprised, given the quality the Celtics possess.

"We've got a lot of talent. We're going to be more talented than a lot of teams. We just try to take advantage of all of our opportunities," he said.

"It's nights like tonight where it's easy to take your foot off the gas, but if you want to do what you say you want to do, we've got to come out and play the game the right way."

With the Celtics leading by 37 midway through the third quarter, coach Joe Mazzulla was able to rest his star players for the final stretch.

And making fast starts is crucial to Boston's gameplan.

"We think it's something we can control, the way we come out and start games," Mazzulla said.

"We just have too many good players and we have a chance. We're really trying to make sure we come out with the right mindset the whole game.

"It doesn't mean it's going to go our way. I really liked our approach."

Kristaps Porzingis, who set a franchise record with his 30 points on debut last week, enjoyed a winning return to Washington, having switched to the Celtics in June.

"This was home for a year-and-a-half," said the Latvian, who finished with 15 points against his former team. "So definitely some good, good memories here."

The Philadelphia 76ers are sending wantaway James Harden to the Los Angeles Clippers, according to reports.

Harden has been in a dispute with the 76ers, and missed their opening game of the season – a loss to the Milwaukee Bucks – and their second fixture, a win over the Toronto Raptors.

The 10-time All-Star and returned to the roster for the win over the Portland Trail Blazers, watching on from the bench as Joel Embiid led Philadelphia to victory.

Now, the dispute between the 34-year-old and the 76ers will come to an end, with Harden heading to the Clippers.

Philadelphia have elected to send Harden, P.J. Tucker and Filip Petrusev to Los Angeles. In return, they will receive Marcus Morris, Robert Covington, Nic Batum, KJ Martin, a 2028 unprotected first-round pick, two second-round picks, a 2029 pick swap and a first-round pick that can be routed from a third team.

The NBA opened an investigation into whether Harden's absence from the 76ers' season opener was a violation of the league's player participation policy. 

ESPN reported that Harden is delighted to be joining the Clippers, where he will team up with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. There will also be a reunion with Russell Westbrook, who Harden played alongside for the Houston Rockets and the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Harden joined the 76ers in 2022, after a frustrating stint with the Brooklyn Nets.

The 2018 NBA MVP averaged 21 points, 10.7 assists and 6.1 rebounds per game last season.

Luka Doncic amassed 35 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists to help the Dallas Mavericks continue their strong start to the NBA season with Monday's 125-110 road win over the slumping Memphis Grizzlies. 

Coming off a 49-point effort in a win over the Brooklyn Nets on Friday, Doncic followed up by making 6 of 12 attempts from 3-point range and going 11 of 22 overall from the field to lead the way as the Mavericks improved to 3-0.

Derrick Jones added 22 points on 7-of-10 shooting and Tim Hardaway Jr. had 21 points on a night Dallas played without its other star guard, Kyrie Irving, due to a left foot sprain.

Memphis, which had the Western Conference's second-best record at 51-31 last season, fell to 0-4 despite 30 points each from Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane. The Grizzlies also got 23 points and nine assists from Marcus Smart in a losing cause.

The short-handed Grizzlies have opened the season without a pair of starters in All-Star Ja Morant and center Steven Adams. Morant is serving a 25-game suspension by the NBA for conduct detrimental to the league, while Adams is not expected to play in 2023-24 after recently undergoing knee surgery.

Jokic powers 4-0 Nuggets past Jazz

Nikola Jokic recorded the 107th triple-double of his illustrious career with 27 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists to lead the unbeaten Denver Nuggets to a 110-102 win over the Utah Jazz.

Jokic made 12 of 16 field-goal attempts and added a pair of blocks while tying LeBron James and Jason Kidd for fourth on the NBA's all-time list in triple-doubles. 

Denver also got an efficient shooting night from Aaron Gordon, who finished 12 of 16 from the field while compiling 21 points and seven rebounds. Jamal Murray chipped in 18 points and 14 assists as the defending NBA champions moved to 4-0.

Lauri Markkanen paced Utah with 27 points, 14 rebounds and five assists, while Walker Kessler tallied 22 points on 10-of-11 shooting along with 13 rebounds.

The Jazz led for just 16 seconds and trailed by as many as 17 points to fall to 1-3.

Curry's hot hand sparks Warriors' rout of Pelicans

Stephen Curry drained seven 3-pointers and finished with 42 points as the Golden State Warriors continued their recent roll with a 130-102 rout of the New Orleans Pelicans.

With long-time backcourt mate Klay Thompson unavailable with a sore right knee, Curry carried the Warriors' offence by going 15 of 22 from the floor and 7 of 13 on 3-point tries. The two-time NBA MVP added five assists to help the Warriors to a third straight victory following a season-opening loss to the Phoenix Suns.

Curry has now made 24 3-pointers during the Warriors' 3-1 start, the most by any player through four games of a season in NBA history. 

Moses Moody started in place of Thompson and scored 13 points, with Chris Paul and rookie Trayce Jackson-Davis also contributing 13 points off the bench in a game Golden State broke open in the second half.

The Warriors held a slim 59-57 advantage at half-time before outscoring the Pelicans by a 39-21 margin in the third quarter.

New Orleans had a two-game winning streak to begin the season snapped while playing without second-leading scorer Brandon Ingram, who was held out with a sore right knee.

Zion Williamson and CJ McCollum led the Pelicans with 19 points each.

Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum grabbed 69 points between them as the Boston Celtics cruised to a third straight win with a 126-107 victory over the Washington Wizards.

Brown scored 36 points and Tatum 33, Kristaps Porzingis adding 15 on his return to Washington after an off-season move between the clubs.

It is the second successive season the Celtics, who reached the Eastern Conference finals last time out, have begun with three straight wins.

Their efforts were eclipsed by Dejounte Murray, who matched his career-best haul with 41 points as he helped the Atlanta Hawks come from 19 points down at half-time to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 127-113.

Steph Curry shrugged off the absence of Klay Thompson with a knee injury as he inspired the Golden State Warriors to a 130-102 win at the New Orleans Pelicans.

Curry scored 42 points, opening with a pair of three-pointers from 25 feet and wrapping his scoring up from 31 feet.

The Dallas Mavericks remain unbeaten as Luka Doncic grabbed a triple-double with 35 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists in a 125-110 win over the Memphis Grizzlies.

Nikola Jokic also recorded a triple-double – his second of the season – with 27 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds as the Denver Nuggets saw off the Utah Jazz 110-102.

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 33 points for the Milwaukee Bucks as they avenged being eliminated by the Miami Heat in last year’s play-offs with a 122-114 win, despite 35 points from Tyler Herro.

Cam Thomas scored 33 points as the Brooklyn Nets beat the Charlotte Hornets 133-121 for their first win of the season, while Nikola Vucevic inspired the Chicago Bulls as they came from behind late to inflict a first defeat on the Indiana Pacers, 112-105.

The Portland Trail Blazers also claimed their first win, Jerami Grant scoring 22 points as they beat the Toronto Raptors 99-91, while 32 points from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander lifted the Oklahoma City Thunder past the Detroit Pistons.

LeBron James thinks there is plenty of room for encouragement despite the Los Angeles Lakers producing a 1-2 start to the new NBA season.

De'Aaron Fox shined in regulation and Malik Monk stepped up in overtime as the Sacramento Kings battled to a 132-127 win over the Lakers on Sunday night.

James produced an impressive performance on the 20th anniversary of his NBA debut, putting up 27 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists, more than making up for his eight turnovers.

LeBron, who played in his first pro game on October 29, 2003 - also in Sacramento, converted a layup with 15 seconds to play forced OT for the Lakers, who battled back after trailing by as much as 15 and were still down seven with 90 seconds to go.

Anthony Davis had 30 points and 16 boards with three blocks, giving Los Angeles optimism about bouncing back at home against the Orlando Magic on Monday.

"I like the way [we played]," James – who was 11-for-19 shooting – said after the game, per ESPN.

"We had some moments. We had some really good moments. We just weren't able to pull it out the way we would have liked to.

"It's pretty special I'm still doing it [20 years on] and I'm playing the game that I love."

The Lakers hope to manage James' workload this season, but he ended up playing for 39 minutes after also playing 35 minutes in the win over the Phoenix Suns last week.

"Obviously, I don't want to run Bron into the ground," said coach Darvin Ham. 

"I don't want to run [Davis] into the ground too early. Obviously, it was an overtime game and they are both playing at a high level, so you want to leave them out there. 

"But it’s just having that balance. We did a lot of great things out there, but definitely, some things we need to work on. Some things I need to tighten up.

"My rotation, we got to really dig into that. Really take a close look and so guys are in rhythm. 

"We have a great collection of players. And I played in this league. When you know when you're going in and who you're playing with, that matters. So buckling down on our rotation, I'll start there. That definitely is the main thing that's on my mind."

And Davis has no concerns about the Lakers repeating their awful 2-10 start from last season, saying the wins will start flowing if the team retain the same level of commitment seen in Sacramento.

"We are in a good rhythm collectively," Davis said. "I don't think that's much of an issue. 

"It will come. We just got to continue to fight like we did. Obviously, we wanted to win, but got another one [on Monday]. Just put it all together, keep pushing and it will turn for us."

Joel Embiid scored 35 points as the Philadelphia 76ers cruised past the winless Portland Trail Blazers 126-98.

James Harden, who has been in dispute with the 76ers, watched on from the bench as the reigning MVP Embiid added 15 rebounds.

Tyrese Maxey also posted a double-double as he finished with 26 points and 10 rebounds.

The Golden State Warriors fielded Draymond Green for the first time this season as Steph Curry saw off a Houston Rockets comeback.

The Warriors, up by 16 at one point, trailed by two in the fourth quarter before Curry hit four three-pointers inside two minutes to ease them away to a 106-95 win.

Kawhi Leonard scored 21 points with Paul George and Russell Westbrook each adding 19 as the Los Angeles Clippers cruised to a 123-83 win over the San Antonio Spurs.

The Spurs committed 25 turnovers, five of them from star rookie Victor Wembanyama in his first game outside San Antonio.

The closest game of the night was in Sacramento where the Kings beat the Lakers 132-127 in overtime.

The NBA champion Denver Nuggets made it three wins to start the season as Nikola Jokic scored 28 points in a routine 128-95 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Jokic added 14 rebounds with Michael Porter Jr chipping in with 20 points.

Trae Young grabbed 20 points as eight Atlanta Hawks players reached double figures to beat the Milwaukee Bucks 127-110 for their first win of the season.

Damian Lillard, who scored 39 points in his Bucks debut on Thursday, was held to just six as Giannis Antetokounmpo led Milwaukee with 26 points.

The Golden State Warriors watched a 16-point lead disappear and were in danger of losing to the winless Houston Rockets.

That's when Stephen Curry took over.

The Warriors rallied for a 106-95 win over the Rockets on Sunday, thanks to Curry's late 3-point barrage.

Curry made four 3-pointers in less than two minutes, helping Golden State turn a two-point deficit to an 11-point advantage with just over three minutes remaining to seal the win for the Warriors (2-1).

 Curry had a game-high 24 points to go with seven rebounds and six assists, while Klay Thompson added 19 points for the Warriors, who trailed 87-85 midway through the fourth quarter before going on a 15-2 run highlighted by Curry's four 3-pointers.

Draymond Green played in his first game of the season after missing the first two contests due to a sprained left ankle, and finished with four points, five rebounds and five assists in 21 minutes.

With Green entering the starting lineup against the Rockets (0-3), Chris Paul moved into a reserve role - the first time in his 19-year career he came off the bench.

Paul had started the first 1,365 games of his NBA career - including the playoffs - the longest such stretch to begin a career since the NBA began tracking games in 1982.

The 38-year-old finished with eight points, seven assists and five boards in 27 minutes.

Fox, Monk power Kings to overtime win over Lakers

De'Aaron Fox shined in regulation and Malik Monk stepped up in overtime to lead the Sacramento Kings to a 132-127 win over the Los Angeles Lakers.

Fox scored 37 points, with eight coming in the last six minutes of the fourth quarter after he returned from an ankle injury that forced him to get evaluated in the locker room earlier in the period.

After Fox carried Sacramento (2-1) in regulation, Monk came to life in overtime, scoring 11 of Sacramento's 17 points in the extra session. He hit a pair of 3-pointers in OT and finished the game with 22 points and also found Kevin Huerter for a key 3-pointer with 32 seconds remaining.

The win spoiled the 20th anniversary of the NBA debut of LeBron James, who played in his first pro game on October 29, 2003 - also in Sacramento.

James' layup with 15 seconds to play forced OT for the Lakers (1-2), who battled back after trailing by as much as 15 and were still down seven with 90 seconds to go.

James finished with 27 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists in 39 minutes, while Anthony Davis had 30 points and 16 boards with three blocks.

 Balanced Hawks cruise past Bucks for first win

Trae Young scored 20 to lead eight Atlanta Hawks in double figures as the team rolled to a 127-110 win over the Milwaukee Bucks for their first victory.

Bogdan Bogdanovic finished with 17 points, while Dejounte Murray and De'Andre Hunter each scored 15 for an Atlanta team that took advantage of an off-shooting night by Damian Lillard to pull away in the second quarter and grab a 68-47 half-time lead.

After scoring 39 points in his Bucks debut in Thursday's win over the Philadelphia 76ers, Lillard failed to score in the first half, while missing all seven of his shots. He finished with just six points on 2-of-12 shooting and turned the ball over six times after having none in the opener.

Overall, the Bucks (1-1) had 23 giveaways, leading to 22 points for the Hawks (1-2).

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 26 points and 11 rebounds for a Milwaukee team that played without Khris Middleton, who is coming off offseason knee surgery and was rested in the first half of a back-to-back.

James Harden's season debut could be coming soon.

Of course, with the disgruntled NBA star who really knows for sure.

Harden participated in the Philadelphia 76ers' video session and walkthrough Sunday before their home opener against the Portland Trail Blazers - the first time he was with the team for a game this season.

Before the Sixers routed the Blazers 126-98, coach Nick Nurse told reporters that he expects Harden to practice with the team on Tuesday.

Harden, who has famously demanded a trade and critisized team president Daryl Morey, has been practising with the 76ers' G League as he works his way back into game shape. The 76ers have said he needs to "ramp up" his conditioning before he can make his debut.

"The report on him is, he had some good conditioning days," Nurse said. "All signs are positive, conditioning-wise. Just need to get in some live action."

He's expected to get his first live work with the team on Tuesday, and with the 76ers off until Thursday against the Toronto Raptors, it's possible he makes his season debut then.

Though, obviously, there's no guarantee of anything with Harden.

Harden returned from a 10-day excused absence last week and didn't travel with the Sixers on their two-game trip to open the season.

He reportedly tried to board the team flight to Milwaukee but was stopped by a security official and left the airport. The NBA then opened an investigating whether his absence from the 76ers’ season opener was a violation of the league’s new player participation policy.

In late June, Harden picked up his $35.6million player option for the 2023-24 season and then immediately requested a trade.

He could have declined the option and become a free agent but was hoping by exercising his option it would facilitate a trade.

In August, he then lambasted Morey while in China.

“Daryl Morey is a liar, and I will never be a part of an organisation that he’s a part of,” Harden said. “Let me say that again: Daryl Morey is a liar, and I will never be a part of an organisation that he’s a part of.”

Harden has since reiterated his unwillingness to play for Morey’s Sixers, but by reporting for practice this week, has shown some acknowledgement that his best chance at being traded would be to play well in Philadelphia until a partner is found.

The Milwaukee Bucks will be "tough to stop" in the Eastern Conference race this season after pairing star point guard Damian Lillard with two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.

That's according to former Buck Michael Carter-Williams, who believes the Boston Celtics may emerge as Milwaukee's closest rivals after picking up Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis.

After 11 years with the Portland Trail Blazers, Lillard joined the Bucks in a huge three-team trade in the offseason.

He made an immediate impact as Milwaukee began their 2023-24 campaign with a 118-117 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday.

Lillard finished with a record-breaking 39 points on his Bucks debut, surpassing Terry Cummings' 34 points on his first outing for the team back in 1984, while Antetokounmpo added 23 points and 13 rebounds.

With those two stars linking up, free agent Carter-Williams – who represented Milwaukee between 2015 and 2016 – expects his former team to enjoy an exciting season.

"They're both amazing players. The things that they do on the court are tough to stop," Carter-Williams – who will play in the G League in Mexico City as he awaits an NBA offer – told Stats Perform.

"You put those two together, it's a tough combination, and they're immediately one of the best combos in the league. 

"It's going to be interesting to see what they can do and like I said, they're both huge talents so they're going to be tough to stop."

Carter-Williams was surprised to see Lillard land in Milwaukee, but he says the team had to do everything possible to secure him in the huge trade. 

"I was shocked," he said. "I didn't see that coming, I thought it was going to be Miami or Toronto, or there was one other team in the mix.

"I didn't see him going into Milwaukee, but the trade made sense. Obviously, it's tough to give up Drew [Timme] but when you're getting a guy like Damian, I think anybody besides Giannis is liable to get traded."

After Antetokounmpo was taken by the Bucks as the 15th overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft, Carter-Williams had the chance to play alongside him during his formative years. 

Reflecting on his time as a team-mate of Antetokounmpo, Carter-Williams said: "It was great, especially seeing him play early on in his career and watching his development.

"Every day, you could see him slowly getting better and better and just to watch his work ethic… he's an unbelievable person. 

"He's a better person than he is a basketball player and I think that's what makes him unique. 

"Watching him play has been great, as a friend, as a fan, as a team-mate, it's been awesome to see."

Milwaukee's offseason moves have seen them touted to improve on 2022-23, when they topped the East but were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Miami Heat.

Boston also went down to Miami in the playoffs after finishing second in the East, and they have subsequently strengthened by adding former Bucks guard Holiday and Porzingis from the Washington Wizards.

Carter-Williams expect last season's top two to battle for supremacy in the Eastern Conference again, saying: "I like the Bucks and the Celtics in the East. 

"The Celtics getting Porzingis and Jrue are two huge pickups for them. I like them coming out of the East, in the West, we'll see how things shake up. 

"I think if Anthony Davis and LeBron [James] can be healthy, I think they [the Los Angeles Lakers] are a tough team, they have built a nice little roster over there.

"Then there's Denver, who you can't count out, they got [Nikola] Jokic and they just won it so I think those two are at the top in the West."

The Celtics moved to 2-0 for the season by beating Miami 119-111 on Friday, with Holiday and Porzingis finishing with 17 points apiece. 

Victor Wembanyama will be "unstoppable" for the San Antonio Spurs when the 19-year-old finds his feet in the NBA.  

That is the view of 2014 Rookie of the Year Michael Carter-Williams, who has urged the seven-foot-four power forward to learn from the likes of LeBron James and Stephen Curry to boost his chances of success.

Wembanyama – the first overall pick in this year's NBA Draft – has been touted as one of the most exciting prospects of his generation. 

While Wembanyama was unable to stop San Antonio losing their 2023-24 season opener against the Dallas Mavericks earlier this week, he played a key role as they bounced back with a 126-122 overtime win over the Houston Rockets on Friday.

Wembanyama finished the Houston victory with 21 points, 12 rebounds and one assist, and Carter-Williams believes his physical stature and all-round skillset make him unique. 

"I think he's definitely an anomaly, right? There are not too many seven-foot-four dudes that can move like him," Carter-Williams – who is a free agent after leaving the Orlando Magic – told Stats Perform.

"Obviously, we'll see other people with other attributes, but I think for him, he's so tall and he's got such a long reach that he affects the game in so many different ways and it's going to be cool to see him develop. 

"You saw it with Giannis [Antetokounmpo] a little bit. You'd watch the game and there would be like two or three plays where you're like, 'if he can do that 10 times a game, he's in for some serious competition'.

"I think you see that with Victor as well, there's five or six times in the game where you're just shaking your head about how amazing the things that he does are.

"As soon as he starts doing those things more, he's going to be unstoppable."

Asked if he had any advice for the 19-year-old, Carter-Williams said: "I would find my routine. 

"If you start that as a rookie and you maintain that work and effort and that health, I think it sets you up for a really good career. 

"Obviously, the easy answer is to listen to your coaches and listen to this person, listen to that person, but I think the biggest thing is if you can stick to your resume every single day.

"You hear about LeBron and Steph taking care of their bodies, doing these offseason things and yes, they do have a million resources, but they put themselves in a situation where they can succeed. I think that's what's most important as a rookie."

Carter-Williams has experience of being a highly regarded prospect, having been named NBA Rookie of the Year after starring for the Philadelphia 76ers in 2013-14.

Asked how Wembanyama would respond to the heightened interest in his performances, Carter-Williams said: "It's funny, when you're that age coming into the NBA and people have high expectations, you're kind of oblivious to what's really going on.

"There's so many things going on that you're like, 'I want to play basketball'. That's where I was at that time, obviously at a different level to him, he's one of the hottest rookies of all time. 

"He's probably got it 10 times as much as I had it when I was on my streak of being Rookie of the Year, so it's a little tough. 

"But I think that when you're at that level, you're just so focused on being on the court, it's like, 'I got a lot of hype, but I really haven't truly done anything'. 

"There's that pressure there, but for the most part, I think it's mostly, 'I just want to get on the court, I'm excited to be out there, and I get to play against all these guys that I once looked up to.'"

Zach LaVine knows the Chicago Bulls must swiftly discover a winning formula after Saturday's loss to the Detroit Pistons.

LaVine had a career-high 51 points but it was not enough for the Bulls to avoid a second defeat of the campaign.

Chicago lost 118-102 in Detroit, as they failed to build on their 104-103 defeat of the Toronto Raptors.

The Bulls have made the playoffs just once since the start of the 2017-18 season, and LaVine knows Chicago must expect better.

"It's our third year here together, and we know how this business is," said LaVine, who became the first Bulls player with 50 points and no assists since the legendary Michael Jordan against the Miami Heat in November 1996.

"We all love each other. DeMar [DeRozan] is one of my best friends, and we talk all the time, but we have to figure out how to make this work.

"I wasn't happy with the way I was performing and the way the offense was looking. It's upsetting you have a performance like that and lose. It sucks.

"We don't want this to snowball where we have our backs against the wall. We are working every day. We have to figure it out."

LaVine was a late pick for Saturday's game, having overcome back issues to play.

"You know me, I'm going to play," he added.

Zach LaVine poured in a career-high 51 points, but it wasn’t enough as the hot-shooting Detroit Pistons came away with a 118-102 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Saturday night.

LaVine, who was a game-time decision with back spasms, surpassed his previous career high of 50 points, set against Atlanta on April 9, 2021, also a loss.

He shot 19 of 32 from the field – 7 of 13 on 3-pointers – and was 6 of 8 from the free-throw line.

LaVine became the first Bulls player with at least 50 points and no assists since Michael Jordan did it against Miami on Nov. 6, 1996.

Jalen Duran had 23 points and 15 rebounds and Cade Cunningham added 25 and 10 assists as the Pistons ended a 15-game losing streak to the Bulls.

Detroit shot 60.5 percent from the floor in the first half and finished at 52.3 percent (45 of 86).

DeMar DeRozan scored 20 points and Nikola Vucevic had 12 as the only other Bull to reach double figures.

76ers coach Nurse gets 1st win

Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey each scored 34 points, and the Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Toronto Raptors 114-107 to give coach Nick Nurse his first win against his former team.

Nurse was fired by the Raptors in April after five season that including the 2019 NBA championship. He lost his 76ers coaching debut at Milwaukee on Wednesday.

Kelly Oubre Jr. added 18 points and Tobias Harris had 15 for Philadelphia, which again played without star guard James Harden, who hopes to be traded.

Scottie Barnes led the Raptors with 24 points and Gary Trent Jr. had 17.

Nesmith leads Pacers past short-handed Cavaliers

Aaron Nesmith scored 17 of his career-high 26 points in the first half and the Indiana Pacers took advantage of the undermanned Cleveland Cavaliers in a 125-113 victory.

Tyrese Haliburton had 21 points, 13 assists and eight rebounds, while Myles Turner added 20 and 12 boards for Indiana, which outscored Cleveland 29-12 in the second quarter.

The Cavaliers were without starters Donovan Mitchell (right hamstring soreness), Darius Garland (left hamstring strain) and Jarrett Allen (left ankle bone bruise).

Evan Mobley had 33 points and 14 rebounds for Cleveland.

Michael Carter-Williams has backed Joel Embiid to win a gold medal at the Paris Olympics, but he thinks an NBA title is out of reach for now.

Embiid was named the NBA MVP last season, having played 66 times for the Philadelphia 76ers across the regular season, averaging 33.1 points, 10.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game.

However, Embiid was unable to inspire the 76ers in the playoffs, as they lost to the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Ahead of the new season, Cameroonian-born Embiid confirmed he would represent the United States at next year's Olympic Games, and Carter-Williams, who played alongside the center in Philadelphia between 2014 and 2015, thinks a gold medal is more than achievable for Team USA.

But he does not feel Embiid is likely to win an NBA championship with the 76ers just yet.

"I think that the gold with the United States is a way more sure bet than him winning the championship in Philly, just because they [have] got some things going on," Carter-Williams told Stats Perform.

"I believe that Embiid will get a championship in his career, I just don't know whether it's right now with Philly or if it's later on.

"There are just other teams that have made some really tough moves, I don't know how well Philly matches up with that."

The Sixers began the 2023-24 campaign with a 118-117 defeat to the Milwaukee Bucks. Embiid finished with 24 points, seven rebounds and six assists in that loss.

"He's been unreal," Carter-Williams said of Embiid.

"Someone who's also an abnormal-sized human being doing those things is unreal. His focus level is also really good, he just focuses on his footwork, I always just saw him watching films of so many big [players], Hakeem Olajuwon especially.

"Then I saw him on the court just emulating those moves over and over again, and I used to see his feet and his jump shot just improve over and over again, especially through his rookie year when he was hurt, and he was sitting out and his process was slowed down a little bit.

"You could see him practice every single day, and then as soon as he started going against guys in practice, you'd be like, 'man, he's killing it' and nobody could do anything about it."

Victor Wembanyama said winning is "what I love most in life" as he celebrated his first victory as an NBA player.

Wembanyama, who measures seven feet and four inches, joined the Spurs as the first overall pick of this year's NBA Draft.

The 19-year-old had been unable to inspire San Antonio to victory against the Dallas Mavericks in the Spurs' first game of the campaign, but he played a key role as they beat the Houston Rockets 126-122 in overtime on Friday.

Wembanyama finished with 21 points, 12 rebounds and one assist, tying the scores to take the game to OT before then giving the Spurs a lead they would not relinquish.

Keldon Johnson's dunk rounded out the win, leaving a delighted Wembanyama to tell the media: "I really, really love winning.

"It's what I love most in life, so of course it feels great."

Wembanyama is the second Spurs player in the history of the franchise to have a 20-point, 10-rebound game within his first two career games.

The rookie played 31 minutes, but it was when he came off the bench in the fourth quarter that he really swung the game in San Antonio's favour.

"At some point, they were making shots and were being successful on every play," Wembanyama said.

"We didn't put our head down, but our energy and hype weren't as persistent enough. I think the rotations by the end of the fourth quarter, bringing fresh energy on the court and managed to keep us in the game and get to overtime."

"I said this after the first preseason game or scrimmage, but he's going to make some amazing plays at least once a game, and tonight he probably had three or four." Wembanyama's team-mate Devin Vassell said of the youngster.

"But that's just a testament to him, and like I keep preaching, he makes the game easier for us and we've got to make it easier for him."

Luka Doncic poured in 49 points and sank a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 26.3 seconds remaining to lift the Dallas Mavericks to a 125-120 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Friday.

Cam Thomas’ 3-pointer with 51 seconds left forged a 120-all tie but Doncic answered 25 seconds later when he banked in a 25-foot hook shot from the right sideline while tightly guarded as the shot clock was about to expire.

The Mavericks superstar shot 16 of 25 – including 9 of 14 from deep – and added 10 rebounds and seven assists.

The game was the first between the teams since the February trade that sent 10-time All-Star Kyrie Irving to Dallas in exchange for Dorian Finney-Smith and Spencer Dinwiddie.

Thomas scored 30 points in his seventh career NBA start, a game after setting a league record by scoring 36 points off the bench in a season opener.

Thomas, though, missed a potential tying 3-pointer with 16 seconds left, and Josh Green sealed Dallas’ win with two free throws three seconds later.

Irving finished with 17 points, seven rebounds and six assists and Tim Hardaway Jr. added 19 points.

Dinwiddie had 23 points and six 3s and Mikal Bridges scored 18 for the winless Nets.

Wembanyama sparks Spurs to OT win

Victor Wembanyama had 21 points, including the tying basket with 20 seconds left in regulation, and the San Antonio Spurs notched a 126-122 win in overtime against the Houston Rockets.

The No. 1 draft pick shook off a slow start and had 16 points, eight rebounds and three blocks in the second half and overtime in his first NBA victory.

Devin Vassell scored 25 points and Keldon Johnson added 20 for the Spurs, who bounced back after a season-opening loss to Dallas on Wednesday.

Wembanyama’s jumper early in overtime sparked a 6-0 run, and he made a pair of free throws with 1:45 left to give San Antonio a 120-115 lead.

Alperen Sengun led the Rockets with 25 points.

Celtics beat Heat in East finals rematch

Derrick White scored 28 points with five 3-pointers and the Boston Celtics defeated the Miami Heat 119-111 on Friday in a rematch of last season’s Eastern Conference finals.

Jaylen Brown added 27 points and Jayson Tatum had 22 for the Celtics, who followed Wednesday’s season-opening victory over the Knicks with a win in their home opener.

Miami squandered a 3-0 series lead against the Celtics last season before winning Game 7 in Boston to advance to its seventh NBA Finals.

Tyler Herro led the Heat with 28 points and sank five of his team’s 16 3-pointers. Bam Adebayo added 27 points and Jimmy Butler scored 14 on 3-of-11 shooting.

Neither team led by more than five points at the end of any of the first three periods and there were six ties and six lead changes in the game.