NBA roundup: Cavs set franchise mark with 9-0 start
Thu Nov 7 1:56am ET
Field Level Media
Donovan Mitchell scored 29 points and the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers set the record for the best start in franchise history at 9-0 with a 131-122 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday night.
Mitchell led a balanced attack as six players scored in double digits -- including Jarrett Allen (16 points and 14 rebounds) and Caris LeVert (16 points off the bench).
The 1976-77 Cavaliers started their season 8-0.
Zion Williamson scored 29 points to lead the Pelicans, while Jose Alvarado scored 27 and Brandon Ingram had 20.
Nuggets 124, Thunder 122
Nikola Jokic had 23 points, 20 rebounds and 16 assists, Peyton Watson made a game-sealing block with one second left, and host Denver handed Oklahoma its first loss of the season.
Russell Westbrook scored 29 points and Michael Porter Jr. and Christian Braun had 24 each as Denver ended a four-game head-to-head losing streak against Oklahoma City. Jokic logged his fourth triple-double of the season.
Jalen Williams had 29 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists for the Thunder, who had opened with seven straight wins. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 28 points.
Warriors 118, Celtics 112
Stephen Curry amassed 27 points, nine assists and seven rebounds to help visiting Golden State stretch its winning streak to five games with a victory over Boston.
The Warriors trailed by seven in the middle of the fourth quarter but used an 16-4 run to take a 104-99 lead with 2:30 to play on a Curry layup. Boston pulled within 115-112 when Payton Prichard made three free throws with 16 seconds remaining, but the Warriors closed out the win by making 3 of 4 at the foul line the rest of the way.
Golden State, which improved to 5-0 on the road, made 12 of its 13 free-throw attempts in the final quarter. Buddy Hield and Andrew Wiggins each added 16 points for Golden State. Jayson Tatum scored a game-high 32 points for the Celtics, whose three-game winning streak ended. Derrick White made seven 3-pointers and added 26 points.
Clippers 110, 76ers 98
Norman Powell scored 26 points and James Harden added 18 as Los Angeles spoiled Paul George's return with a victory over visiting Philadelphia in Inglewood, Calif.
Ivica Zubac scored 15 points with nine rebounds and Derrick Jones Jr. added 14 points as the Clippers won their second consecutive home game after losing the first four at their new $2 billion arena, Intuit Dome.
George scored 18 points for the 76ers in his second game of the season and first against his former team after leaving as a free agent in the offseason. The 76ers activated Joel Embiid (knee) for the first time this season, but the 2022-23 MVP remained out as he started to serve a three-game suspension for an altercation with a newspaper columnist Saturday.
Suns 115, Heat 112
Kevin Durant recorded 32 points and eight rebounds and host Phoenix topped Miami to increase its winning streak to six games.
Devin Booker added 22 points and nine assists and Jusuf Nurkic collected 20 points and 18 rebounds as Phoenix won for the seventh time in eight games this season.
Tyler Herro registered 28 points and six assists and Haywood Highsmith added 19 points for the Heat. Miami had possession with a chance to tie but didn't get a shot off in the final seconds.
Hornets 108, Pistons 107
Brandon Miller's putback at the buzzer off a missed 3-point shot gave Charlotte a dramatic victory against visiting Detroit.
Miles Bridges pumped in 27 points and LaMelo Ball scored five of his 25 points in the final minute to help the Hornets end a three-game losing streak.
Miller, who missed time earlier this season with an injury, finished with 19 points by rebounding Grant Williams' missed 3-pointer and scoring just in time. Cade Cunningham posted a triple-double in the loss (20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists).
Pacers 118, Magic 111
Indiana's Bennedict Mathurin and Myles Turner each recorded double-doubles, and Tyrese Haliburton capped his 17-point performance with a late 3-pointer as Indiana held off Orlando in Indianapolis.
Orlando played without injured star Paolo Banchero -- who scored 50 points when these two teams met last week -- and the Magic lost their fifth straight.
Indiana raced to an early, 18-point lead. The Magic, however, chipped away behind Franz Wagner's game-high 28 points, and made the game competitive throughout the second half until Haliburton hit a 3-pointer to give the Pacers a five-point lead with 33 seconds left.
Mavericks 119, Bulls 99
Luka Doncic had 27 points and 13 assists to lead host Dallas past cold-shooting Chicago, handing the Bulls their third straight loss.
The Mavericks feasted on poor Chicago transition defense, scoring 21 fastbreak points, and led by as much as 30.
The Bulls, playing without All-Star Zach LaVine (adductor strain), shot just 41.9 percent from the floor and were 12-of-42 (28.6 percent) from 3-point range. Nikola Vucevic led Chicago with 14 points in 25 minutes.
Kings 122, Raptors 107
DeMar DeRozan scored 27 points, including 11 in a commanding fourth quarter, to lead Sacramento past visiting Toronto.
Keegan Murray combined 22 points with 12 rebounds, De'Aaron Fox contributed 21 points, and Domantas Sabonis notched his 61st career triple-double -- and second in five days -- with 17 points, 11 boards and 13 assists.
RJ Barrett scored 23 points and Davion Mitchell added 20 for the Raptors, who led by four points after three quarters before the were outscored 33-14 in the fourth.
Hawks 121, Knicks 116
No. 1 overall draft pick Zaccharie Risacher tallied career highs with 33 points and seven rebounds to lead Atlanta past visiting New York.
Risacher was 11-for-18 from the field, including 6-for-10 on 3-pointers, with three assists, three steals and two blocks to help the Hawks end a three-game home-court losing streak to the Knicks.
Karl-Anthony Towns led the Knicks with 34 points, 16 rebounds and three blocks. Jalen Brunson scored 21 points and Miles McBride came off the bench to add 16 points and seven assists.
Grizzlies 131, Lakers 114
Ja Morant scored 20 points before leaving the game late in the third quarter with an injury and Jaren Jackson Jr. and Jaylen Wells also contributed 20 to lead Memphis to a victory over visiting Los Angeles.
LeBron James had 39 points to lead the Lakers, who played without injured big man Anthony Davis, the NBA's leading scorer at 32.6 points per game. Austin Reaves added 19 for Los Angeles, which lost for the fourth time in five games.
Memphis was aided by its strong long-range shooting. The Grizzlies made 17- of 34 3-pointers, including 12 of 16 in the second half. Morant took a hard fall with 3:45 left in the third quarter while attempting a left-handed dunk. He walked to the locker room and did not return. He was later diagnosed with a right hamstring injury.
Rockets 127, Spurs 100
Fred VanVleet recorded his first double-double of the season while Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun combined for 37 points as Houston cruised to a victory over visiting San Antonio.
VanVleet paired 21 points with 10 assists and also grabbed seven rebounds while enjoying a remarkable shooting night. He finished 10 of 11 from the floor, including 9 for 9 from inside the arc. Houston finished 44 for 69 (63.7 percent) on 2-pointers. Green (21 points, four 3-pointers) and Sengun (16 points) totaled 10 rebounds and eight assists.
The Spurs were undone by their 20 turnovers, which Houston converted into 20 points. Victor Wembanyama scored 15 points but missed 5 of 6 3-pointers, including his first five. Chris Paul, Keldon Johnson, Malaki Branham and Sandro Mamukelashvili scored 10 points each for San Antonio.
- NBA roundup: Cavs set franchise mark with 9-0 start
- Lakers' Anthony Davis (heel), Rui Hachimura (illness) out vs. Grizzlies
- No hard feelings for 76ers' Paul George as he plays against Clippers
- Jazz F Taylor Hendricks (leg) undergoes season-ending surgery
- 76ers star Joel Embiid suspended 3 games for shoving writer
- Nuggets F Aaron Gordon (calf) expected to miss multiple weeks
- NBA continues tradition of Election Day pause
- NBA roundup: Cavs nip Bucks, remain undefeated
- Nuggets F Aaron Gordon (calf) ruled out vs. Raptors
- Knicks agree to new deal with C Ariel Hukporti
- Spurs coach Gregg Popovich (illness) out indefinitely
- NBA roundup: Luka Doncic powers Mavs past Magic
- Paul George (knee) to make 76ers debut vs. Suns
- NBA roundup: Cavs edge Bucks, improve to 7-0
- Sixers star Joel Embiid shoves reporter
- NBA roundup: Anthony Edwards, Wolves edge Nuggets
- 76ers All-Stars Joel Embiid, Paul George practice, still not game-ready
- Pelicans' CJ McCollum, Herbert Jones nursing injuries
- NBA roundup: Spurs' Victor Wembanyama tallies 5x5 vs. Jazz
- Magic’s Paolo Banchero out indefinitely with oblique injury
Toronto Raptors power forward Jonathan Mogbo (hip) was limited to 18 minutes against Sacramento on Wednesday. He exited the game in the fourth quarter with a right hip pointer injury. The 23-year-old rookie notched five points and five rebounds before leaving. Mogbo has looked promising early in the campaign, averaging 6.6 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.1 steals in 17.7 minutes. However, he could now be forced to miss some time. Toronto also lost Ja'Kobe Walter (shoulder) on Wednesday, which means the team's depth will be tested even further going forward.
Philadelphia 76ers point guard Tyrese Maxey (hamstring) didn't finish Wednesday's game against the Clippers. He sat out the entire fourth quarter, finishing with 12 points on 5-for-13 shooting in 32 minutes. Luckily, 76ers head coach Nick Nurse called Maxey's exit "precautionary" after the game. It was announced that Maxey is dealing with hamstring soreness, which doesn't sound like a serious issue. He gets Thursday off before Philadelphia faces the Lakers on Friday night. Maxey will likely land on the injury report ahead of the game, but it's possible he will remain in the lineup. However, if he can't play, Kyle Lowry will run the Sixers offense.
Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren (ankle) was forced to make an early exit against Charlotte on Wednesday. He sprained his left ankle early in the game, finishing scoreless in eight minutes with three rebounds and one assist. The team announced that Duren will be considered day-to-day. It seems like the talented big man escaped serious injury on Wednesday, but he might still have to sit out some games. Paul Reed entered the rotation on Wednesday and played well at both ends, while Isaiah Stewart could get extra work on Friday versus Atlanta. The Hawks are giving up the ninth-most fantasy points to opposing centers this season, making this a good matchup for Detroit's big men. A meeting with Houston on Sunday is also a favorable spot for them.
Utah Jazz point guard Isaiah Collier (hamstring) has been listed as questionable for Thursday's clash with the Bucks. Due to a hamstring injury, the 20-year-old rookie has yet to play this season. However, he participated fully in Wednesday's practice, signaling that Collier might be ready for his NBA debut on Thursday. Collier was the 29th pick out of USC in the 2024 draft. He's got a bunch of people ahead of him on the depth chart and isn't expected to make a significant contribution in 2024-25.
Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson (heel) has been listed as questionable for Thursday's matchup against Milwaukee. Utah ruled Clarkson out for at least a week last Friday, but he came through a full practice session on Wednesday and appears to be ahead of schedule in his recovery. The veteran scorer has missed two games with a heel problem. Clarkson's return will likely push Collin Sexton back to the second unit. However, Sexton should still be impactful. Milwaukee is allowing the fourth-most three-point makes in the league, giving Clarkson a good opportunity to find some rhythm behind the arc. He's nailed only 19.2 percent of his triples so far.
Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (knee, suspension) is slated to make his season debut on Tuesday versus the Knicks. Embiid has been unavailable for the start of the year because of a knee problem and began a three-game suspension on Wednesday against the Clippers. Fittingly, he will be eligible to return to the lineup against the team that ended Philadelphia's season in 2023-24. Tuesday's clash is also going to be an NBA Cup game. Embiid will likely carry a minutes restriction, and it's highly likely he won't play on Wednesday in the second leg of a back-to-back versus Cleveland, meaning fantasy managers won't get full value out of him.
Sacramento's F Domantas Sabonis recorded a triple-double, finishing with 17 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds in a 122-107 win over the Raptors on Wednesday, Nov. 6.
Denver's C Nikola Jokic recorded a triple-double, finishing with 23 points, 16 assists and 20 rebounds in a 124-122 win over the Thunder on Wednesday, Nov. 6.
Atlanta's F Zaccharie Risacher scored 33 points on 11-of-18 shooting in a 121-116 win over the Knicks on Wednesday, Nov. 6. Risacher is owned in only 33.6% leagues.
Pistons' G Cade Cunningham recorded a triple-double, finishing with 20 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds in a 107-108 loss to Charlotte on Wednesday, Nov. 6.
Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (adductor) is questionable for Thursday's matchup with the Utah Jazz. The Freak didn't play in Monday's loss to the Cavaliers because of a right adductor strain, marking his first absence of the 2024-25 campaign. Bobby Portis got the start in that one, finishing with 21 points, 18 rebounds, and three blocks. If Antetokounmpo is ruled out again, Portis could be in line for another solid fantasy performance. The same can be said for Damian Lillard, who had 36 points on Monday night.
Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (back) is questionable for Thursday's game against the Milwaukee Bucks. The veteran has missed Utah's previous three games because of back spasms, opening the door for Kyle Filipowski to enter the starting lineup. The rookie has been decent with the first five, averaging 7.0 points and 5.3 rebounds while shooting 37.5% from deep. However, that kind of production won't earn him a place in most fantasy lineups. Instead, John Collins, who is coming off a massive 28-point, 13-rebound, and five-assist showing from off the bench in Monday's win over the Bulls, should be the preferred fantasy option if Markkanen doesn't suit up.
Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant injured his hamstring during the 3rd quarter in the Grizzlies' matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers. Morant went up for a lob attempt and got blocked by Lakers' center Christian Koloko before tumbling to the ground. The play happened with about 3:50 left in the third quarter. Luke Kennard checked in for Morant about third seconds later and Morant didn't return to the game after. No details have been released by the team yet regarding Morant's hamstring, but fantasy managers should certainly keep an eye on the superstar's condition going forward. Memphis' next game is Friday against the Washington Wizards. If Morant is unable to play, expect Scotty Pippen Jr. to take the reins at point guard.
Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal (elbow) will play during Wednesday's game against the Miami Heat. As expected, Beal will play through his elbow strain like he did on Monday. He finished with 17 points and five rebounds in 34 minutes of action during that game. That being said, Beal doesn't seem to be impacted by the elbow issue, so fantasy managers can leave him in their fantasy lineups. The expectation is that Beal will see his normal workload during Wednesday's game.
Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine (groin) has been ruled out ahead of Wednesday's game against the Dallas Mavericks. LaVine will miss his second straight game due to a lingering groin issue. Ayo Dosunmu has been filling in for LaVine in the starting five. He finished with 25 points, five rebounds, and five assists during 35 minutes of playing time on Monday. Dosunmu should be a strong streaming option until LaVine is able to get back on the court. Fantasy managers should adjust their lineups accordingly ahead of tip-off.
Chicago Bulls guard Josh Giddey (illness) is available ahead of Wednesday's game against the Dallas Mavericks. As expected, Giddey will suit up for this game after being considering as probable with a minor illness. He'll resume his role in the starting five and should see a higher usage with Zach LaVine (groin) sidelined once again. He finished with 15 points and seven assists through 30 minutes of action during Monday's game. Giddey should be rostered in most fantasy formats and managers can get him in there as active on Wednesday.
Los Angeles Lakers guard D'Angelo Russell (hip) and Austin Reaves (ankle) are both available ahead of Wednesday's game against the Memphis Grizzlies. As expected, both players will suit up for this game after being listed as probable. The Lakers are missing some key pieces on offense so Russell and Reaves should be asked to do more heavy lifting on offense. Both players should see significant boosts in fantasy value ahead of Wednesday's game.
New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (thigh) is available ahead of Wednesday's game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The big man is back in the starting five after missing the last two games due to right thigh soreness. This is great news for the banged up Pelicans roster right now. The return of Williamson should shift Jeremiah Robinson-Earl back to the bench. It's unlikely that Robinson-Earl is going to have viable streaming value with Williamson back in the mix. Fantasy managers can get Williamson back in their lineups on Wednesday.
Los Angeles Lakers center Anthony Davis (foot) won't play on Wednesday versus Memphis. He's been dealing with a foot injury since the summer. Unfortunately, he re-injured it in Monday's loss to the Detroit Pistons. AD was on the floor taking shots before the game. However, fantasy managers are now left wondering if this is the start of a lengthy absence. With Rui Hachimura (illness) also out, Dalton Knecht, Christian Koloko, and Jaxson Hayes warrant streaming attention.
Golden State Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski (illness) won't play in Wednesday's meeting with the Celtics. He was listed on the injury report as available on Tuesday. Yet, the illness that forced him to exit Monday's matchup with the Wizards will keep him off the floor against the defending champs. Fortunately, Stephen Curry (ankle) is back in the lineup. At the same time, Buddy Hield, coming off a 20-point, five-rebound, two-steal effort, remains a viable starting fantasy option.
