NBA roundup: Heat set scoring mark in dismantling of Grizzlies
Sat Oct 25 2:55am ET
Field Level Media
Bam Adebayo scored 18 of his game-high 24 points in the first quarter and visiting Miami set a record for most points allowed by a Memphis Grizzlies opponent in regulation during a lopsided 146-114 victory Friday night.
The Heat scored 86 first-half points -- also a Grizzlies opponent record -- on 57.7% shooting to lead by 39 points at halftime. Miami was up 44-25 after the first quarter, having made seven of its nine 3-point attempts.
Backing Adebayo for Miami was Nikola Jokic with 20 points and six rebounds and Kel'el Ware with 19 points and nine boards. Jaime Jaquez Jr. added 17 points, 10 rebounds and six assists.
Memphis got 19 points from Jaren Jackson Jr., who had 18 points and six blocks in the season opener Wednesday against New Orleans. Rookie Cedric Coward added 16 points and Santi Aldama contributed 13 points and eight boards. Ja Morant played sparingly after halftime and finished with 12 points on 4-of-16 shooting.
Trail Blazers 139, Warriors 119
Deni Avdija registered 26 points, six assists and five rebounds as one of eight Portland players scoring in double digits to help the Trail Blazers rout visiting Golden State.
Jerami Grant scored 22 points off the bench and Toumani Camara had 19 points, seven rebounds and three steals. Portland's Tiago Splitter became the first Brazilian to coach an NBA game. He is running the team on an interim basis after Chauncey Billups was placed on leave after being arrested Thursday as part of an FBI gambling investigation.
Stephen Curry made seven 3-pointers and scored 35 points before exiting with 9:21 remaining for the Warriors. Jonathan Kuminga had 16 points and eight rebounds, Jimmy Butler III added 14 points and Draymond Green put up 12 points.
Lakers 128, Timberwolves 110
Luka Doncic scored 32 of his 49 points in the first half and added 11 rebounds and eight assists as Los Angeles trounced visiting Minnesota.
Austin Reaves produced 25 points and 11 assists while Rui Hachimura had 23 points as the Lakers beat the team that knocked them out of the playoffs last season.
Anthony Edwards scored 31 points and Julius Randle added 26 points and nine rebounds for the Timberwolves, who split a two-game season-opening road trip.
Bucks 122, Raptors 116
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 31 points and had 20 rebounds to lead Milwaukee to a win over host Toronto.
Gary Trent Jr. also had 20 points for the Bucks and Cole Anthony had 23 off the bench for Milwaukee. Ryan Rollins started at point guard for Kevin Porter Jr., who sprained his left ankle in the opener Wednesday night, and finished with 13 points.
Brandon Ingram led the Raptors with 29 points, RJ Barrett had 20 and Immanuel Quickley had 19.
Hawks 111, Magic 107
Trae Young drained a pair of go-ahead free throws with 21 seconds left, helping visiting Atlanta rally for a victory over Orlando.
Young had 25 points and six assists for the Hawks, which trailed by as many as 14 points before outscoring Orlando 33-21 in the fourth quarter. Nickeil Alexander-Walker added 19 points, while Onyeka Okongwu chipped in 17 for the Hawks, who won despite shooting 27.6 percent (8-for-29) on 3-pointers in the comeback win.
Franz Wagner led Orlando with 27 points, followed by Tristan da Silva's and Desmond Bane's 15 points apiece. Jalen Suggs and Paolo Banchero each chipped in 11 points.
Pistons 115, Rockets 111
Cade Cunningham sank two free throws with 5.5 seconds remaining, and Detroit held on for a road victory over Houston.
Cunningham scored 10 of his team-high 21 points in the fourth quarter and added seven rebounds and nine assists to his ledger. The Pistons, bolstered by reserve center Paul Reed (13 points, nine rebounds), also received strong performances from Ausar Thompson (19 points) and Duncan Robinson (17 points, four 3-pointers) to round out their balanced attack.
Kevin Durant paced the Rockets with 37 points while Sengun added 17 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. But Sengun missed 13 of 18 shots for Houston.
Knicks 105, Celtics 95
Karl-Anthony Towns authored his second straight double-double as host New York rode a dominant second quarter to a win over Boston.
The Knicks outscored the Celtics, 42-14, in the pivotal second quarter. Towns finished with 26 points and 13 rebounds. Jalen Brunson scored a game-high 31 points while fellow starters Mikal Bridges (12 points), OG Anunoby (10 points) and Miles McBride (10 points) all got into double figures. Josh Hart, who made his season debut after missing Wednesday's game with back spasms, had 14 rebounds in 18:58 off the bench.
Jaylen Brown scored 23 points while Sam Hauser had 18 points for the Celtics, who are 0-2 for the first time since 2021-22.
Cavaliers 131, Nets 124
Donovan Mitchell scored 35 points as visiting Cleveland never trailed and fended off a late comeback try in a victory over Brooklyn.
Mitchell shot 10 of 15 and sank six treys after misfiring on seven of nine 3-point tries Wednesday against the New York Knicks. The Cavaliers led by as many as 25 and held a double-digit lead until midway through the fourth.
Jarrett Allen added 22 against his former team and Sam Merrill also contributed 22 as the Cavaliers shot 53.7% from the floor and converted 18 from outside the arc. Cam Thomas scored 33 points on 12-of-23 shooting for the Nets, who shot 51.6%. Michael Porter Jr. added 31 and Ziaire Williams contributed 25 off the bench as the duo combined to net 11 of Brooklyn's 19 treys.
Spurs 120, Pelicans 116 (OT)
Victor Wembanyama racked up 29 points, 11 rebounds and nine blocked shots and San Antonio's supporting cast made the plays down the stretch as the visiting Spurs outlasted New Orleans in overtime.
Devin Vassell added 23 points, Stephon Castle had 16 points and Luke Kornet added 14 points and 12 rebounds off the bench for the Spurs.
Zion Williamson led the Pelicans with 27 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists, while Trey Murphy III had a double-double of his own with 24 points and 10 boards. Jordan Poole scored 21 points.
Kings 105, Jazz 104
Domantas Sabonis dropped in the go-ahead hoop on a follow shot with 6.4 seconds left, Zach LaVine saved seven of his 31 points for a frantic finish, and Sacramento won its home opener against Utah.
Sabonis amassed 12 points and a game-high 12 rebounds, while reserve Malik Monk chipped in with 20 points and Dennis Schroder added 17 for the Kings.
The Jazz's Lauri Markkanen was the game's leading scorer with 33 points. Keyonte George added 18 points and a game-high 10 assists, but he misfired on a 21-foot buzzer-beating attempt for the win.
Wizards 117, Mavericks 107
Kyshawn George posted career bests of 34 points and 11 rebounds as Washington overcame a slow start and defeated host Dallas.
George added three blocks and two steals, while hitting 11 of 15 from the floor and 7 of 9 from 3-point territory. Tre Johnson added 17 points off the bench, while Alex Sarr had 14 points, nine boards and three swats.
Anthony Davis paired 27 points with 13 rebounds for the winless Mavericks, while rookie Cooper Flagg and PJ Washington had 18 points each.
Clippers 129, Suns 102
James Harden scored 26 of his game-high 30 points in the first half, and Los Angeles dominated the middle periods to cruise past Phoenix in Inglewood, Calif.
Harden got rolling on offense early, igniting an early Clippers rally from a nine-point deficit. Kawhi Leonard, coming off a rough performance on offense in Los Angeles' season-opening loss at Utah, regrouped with 27 points on 11-of-21 shooting.
The Los Angeles defense limited Phoenix's Devin Booker to 18 points. The Clippers also forced Booker into three of Phoenix's 18 turnovers.
- NBA roundup: Heat set scoring mark in dismantling of Grizzlies
- Adam Silver on gambling allegations: 'Very upsetting'
- Pelicans signing C DeAndre Jordan to one-year deal
- Brazilian-born Tiago Splitter named interim coach of Trail Blazers
- U.S. prosecutors outline 8 NBA games in wire fraud, conspiracy indictment
- NBA's Chauncey Billups, Terry Rozier arrested in gambling probe
- NBA roundup: VJ Edgecombe's historic debut leads Sixers past Celtics
- Thunder G Alex Caruso sustains concussion in opener
- Nets exercise team option on F/C Noah Clowney
- Knicks All-Star C Karl-Anthony Towns (quad) doubtful vs. Cavs
- Magic G Jalen Suggs (knee) to play in opener vs. Heat
- Lakers G Luka Doncic downplays injury concerns after opener
- NBA plans to launch European league 'in the next two years'
- Thunder open NBA season as heavy repeat favorites
- Pacers F Aaron Nesmith signs multi-year extension
- Pacers give F Aaron Nesmith 2-year, $40.4M extension
- Blazers announce multi-year extensions for Shaedon Sharpe, Toumani Camara
- Hawks G Dyson Daniels receives four-year, $100M extension
- Nuggets sign Christian Braun to 5-year, $125 million extension
- Bulls G Coby White (calf) to miss at least two weeks
Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs (knee, injury management) won't play on Saturday versus Chicago. The 24-year-old logged 19 minutes in Friday's loss to the Atlanta Hawks. Still, he's coming off knee surgery, so he'll take the night off to rest before presumably suiting back up on Monday against the Philadelphia 76ers. Without him, the Magic may roll with Tyus Jones at the one to begin the game. However, Tristan da Silva, who had 15 points in 24 minutes on Friday, and Anthony Black may also be in the equation. There's also a chance da Silva or Black may start over Jones.
Oklahoma City Thunder forward/center Chet Holmgren (back) is available for Saturday's meeting with the Atlanta Hawks. The 23-year-old popped up on the injury report because of back soreness. However, that's not surprising, considering OKC went into double-overtime in both games to begin the 2025 campaign. He is currently averaging 21.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 1.0 steals this season. While Holmgren's statistical contributions are somewhat inflated due to the extra quarters played in the Thunder's first two contests, he is an All-Star caliber performer regardless. Of course, Holmgren should be starting in all fantasy formats. Although category managers haven't appreciated his 18.2% shooting from deep, he's made up for it by sinking 91.7% of his tries from behind the charity stripe. Kristaps Porzingis (illness) is also back on the injury report after missing Friday's win over the Orlando Magic due to Flu-like symptoms. If Porzingis remains on the shelf, Holmgren's ceiling will increase even more.
Lakers' G Luka Doncic recorded a double-double, scoring 49 points and grabbing 11 rebounds in a 128-110 win over the Timberwolves on Friday, Oct. 24.
New York Knicks forward Josh Hart (back) will play on Friday versus the Boston Celtics. He didn't suit up for the win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on opening night. Fortunately, after riding a questionable designation, Hart will be on the floor. The 30-year-old averaged 13.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 1.5 steals in 37.6 minutes per contest last season. However, it's reasonable to assume he'll see less work in his first game of the 2025 campaign, lowering his ceiling for fantasy managers in all formats.
Cleveland Cavaliers forward De'Andre Hunter (knee) won't play on Friday versus the Brooklyn Nets. The 27-year-old is battling a knee contusion. Although he's moving in the right direction, he'll now miss his second contest of the 2025 campaign. Hunter was reportedly "moving around pretty well" at practice on Thursday. However, it's anyone's guess if he'll be able to get on the floor when the Cavs meet the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday. With Darius Garland (toe) and Max Strus (foot) also sidelined, Sam Merrill and Jaylon Tyson are the favorites to move into the starting lineup. Merrill had 19 points versus the Knicks on Wednesday night. Unfortunately, Tyson wasn't nearly as productive, amassing only five points.
New York Knicks forward/center Karl-Anthony Towns (quadriceps) will play on Friday versus the Boston Celtics. KAT popped up on the injury report because of a nagging quad strain heading into this contest, just like he did leading up to the Knicks opener versus the Cleveland Cavaliers. Fortunately, he's good to go. New York will also have OG Anunoby (ankle) and Josh Hart (back), which is excellent news. Towns had a 19-point, 11-rebound double-double in 31 minutes of action against the Cavs, so it's apparent the ailment isn't impacting his play. Keep him starting in all formats.
Atlanta Hawks center Kristaps Porzingis (illness) won't play on Friday versus the Orlando Magic. The veteran had 20 points, seven rebounds, and two blocks in the loss to the Raptors on Wednesday night. Unfortunately, he isn't feeling well, developing Flu-like symptoms. It's unknown if he'll be good to go when the Hawks meet OKC on Saturday night in the second of back-to-back contests for Atlanta. However, while Porzingis is sidelined, Onyeka Okongwu, coming off an 18-point, six-rebound effort on Wednesday, is the favorite to slide into the starting lineup.
Memphis Grizzlies shooting guard Vince Williams Jr. (heel) will miss Friday's matchup with the Heat as he continues to recover. Williams also missed the team's opening day 128-122 win over the Pelicans. The former second-round pick averaged 6.6 points and 3.6 rebounds in just 18.5 minutes per game last season. Williams will likely operate this season as a glue-guy off the bench who is capable of chipping in rebounds and assists despite shooting just 40.1% from the field last season. Williams can be left on waivers throughout the early portion of the season, until we see if his role grows throughout the season.
Houston Rockets forward Jae'Sean Tate (ankle) is questionable to return on Friday after missing opening night. Tate played a limited role last season, averaging just 11.3 minutes per game with 3.6 points, and 2.3 rebounds. While he won't likely see a heavy minute share, Tate could provide valuable depth in the absence of Dorian Finney-Smith on Friday. The Rockets dropped their double overtime opener to the Thunder, and will look to bounce back against the Pistons on Friday. Tate should be monitored closely, but will need to garner an increased minute load to be rostered in most fantasy formats.
Detroit Pistons guard/forward Caris LeVert (knee) is listed as probable for Friday's contest against the Houston Rockets. LeVert is carrying a sore right knee and was also considered probable for Wednesday's season opener against the Chicago Bulls. In the end, he was cleared for the game, and LeVert logged 21 minutes off the bench, scoring eight points. While it seems likely that LeVert will remain in the lineup for Friday's contest, he doesn't look like a strong fantasy option at this time. Ronald Holland II led Detroit's second unit on Wednesday, and Isaiah Stewart also received more playing time than LeVert.
Orlando Magic forward/center Moritz Wagner (knee) will remain on the shelf on Friday against the Atlanta Hawks. The German big man still isn't ready to return from an ACL injury he suffered last season. Wendell Carter Jr. and Goga Bitadze will share the center minutes until Wagner returns. Both players offered similar production in a 125-121 win over the Miami Heat on Wednesday. However, Carter Jr. has more fantasy appeal, as he's locked into a starting role. With that said, he was mediocre last season against the Hawks, averaging 8.5 points and 7.3 rebounds in 26.3 minutes.
Boston Celtics center Luka Garza (concussion) has been ruled out for Friday's tilt against the New York Knicks. He exited Wednesday's season opener against the Philadelphia 76ers with a head injury and has entered concussion protocol. Garza is simply a depth piece for the Celtics and likely won't offer much from a fantasy perspective this season. However, with him sidelined, the rest of the frontcourt will have a chance to see a few extra minutes on the floor. Neemias Queta has begun the campaign as Boston's starting center, while Chris Boucher and Xavier Tillman will share the backup minutes on Friday night.
Toronto Raptors guard/forward Ja'Kobe Walter (illness) has been tagged as questionable for Friday's matchup against the Atlanta Hawks. The 21-year-old may have to skip a second consecutive game due to illness. Walter enjoyed a decent debut season with the Raptors, but his role this year is expected to change now that the team is fully healthy. In his absence, Ochai Agbaji and Gradey Dick will receive additional playing time. Both players logged 20-plus minutes in Wednesday's season opener against the Atlanta Hawks, with Dick delivering an impressive performance, scoring 21 points and grabbing five rebounds.
Dallas Mavericks center Daniel Gafford (ankle) is considered questionable for Friday's contest against the Washington Wizards. The 27-year-old was unavailable on opening night against the San Antonio Spurs due to a right ankle sprain and may now have to sit out a second consecutive game. Dereck Lively II has the potential to make a bigger impact without Gafford in the lineup. However, he had a quiet season debut on Wednesday night, finishing with just four points and two rebounds in 10 minutes of play. If Gafford remains sidelined on Friday, Dwight Powell will have an opportunity for increased playing time as well.
San Antonio Spurs point guard De'Aaron Fox (hamstring) will remain out for Friday's matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans. The star guard continues to deal with a right hamstring strain. Fox's next opportunity to return will come on Sunday against the Brooklyn Nets. With Fox sidelined, Julian Champagnie got an opportunity to start on opening night against Dallas. He didn't do much in a blowout win, finishing with five points, four rebounds, two assists, and one steal. Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper receive more usage in the backcourt without Fox, and both players look like good fantasy options.
San Antonio Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan (wrist) will remain out on Friday against the New Orleans Pelicans. The 22-year-old sustained a wrist injury leading up to the season and must wait until Sunday's matchup against the Brooklyn Nets to make his debut this campaign. Harrison Barnes, Julian Champagnie, and Keldon Johnson look more attractive fantasy options without Sochan. During San Antonio's season-opening win on Wednesday against the Dallas Mavericks, Johnson performed the best out of the three players, notching 11 points, five rebounds, two assists, and one steal in 25 minutes off the bench.
Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant (ankle) is considered questionable to play on Friday versus the Miami Heat. The oft-injured guard is currently on the injury report with left ankle soreness. Morant kicked off the new campaign in style, producing 35 points in just 29 minutes against the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday night. Ty Jerome (calf) and Scotty Pippen Jr. (toe) remain out against Miami, meaning the Memphis backcourt must rely on the untested duo of Javon Small and Cam Spencer if Morant can't play. Of the two players, Spencer had the better opening-night performance, finishing with seven points and two assists in 12 minutes.
Memphis Grizzlies guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (ankle) has been listed as questionable for their Friday night matchup with the Miami Heat. In their opening night win, Caldwell-Pope received the most minutes in the starting five and registered 15 points, four rebounds, three assists, and three turnovers while shooting 2-for-8 from the floor, 2-for-7 from deep, and 9-for-9 from the free throw line. If the 13-year vet can't suit up for this one, his minutes will likely be distributed over a wide variety of bench players. Nine players received 15 or more minutes in the first game, but fantasy managers could look to Santi Aldama to likely receive the biggest bump in opportunities.
Miami Heat center/forward Kel'el Ware (ankle) is listed as available for Friday's matchup with the Memphis Grizzlies despite dealing with an ankle sprain. The second-year big man didn't see too many minutes in their season opener as he fell behind Nikola Jovic, Jaime Jaquez Jr., and Simone Fontecchio in the rotation. Ware showed some decent flashes during his rookie season, but head coach Erik Spoelstra has been vocal about the improvements he wants to see out of him. The former 15th-overall pick isn't much of a fantasy option outside of deeper leagues until he can receive more minutes on a nightly basis.
New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby (ankle) is likely to play again on Friday against the Boston Celtics. He's still listed on the injury report with a left ankle sprain, but has picked up a probable tag. The 28-year-old had the same injury status heading into their season opener and played 38 minutes in the win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Anunoby went on to post 24 points, 14 rebounds, two assists, three steals, and one block. He's a great start in any fantasy format if he's on the floor, especially if Josh Hart (back) or Karl-Anthony Towns (quad) are downgraded from questionable. If something happens and he doesn't suit up, look for Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele to get some added minutes off of the bench.
