Luka Doncic scored 44 points on 17-of-21 shooting and the Dallas Mavericks blasted the visiting Los Angeles Clippers 144-126 on Friday night as part of the NBA in-season tournament.
Kyrie Irving added 27 points for Dallas, which used a 32-2 burst to overcome an 11-point deficit and turn the game into a laugher. The Mavericks outscored the Clippers 47-18 in the second quarter.
Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 17 points and Derrick Jones Jr. added 11 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and three steals for Dallas, which is off to a 7-2 start.
Kawhi Leonard scored 26 points for the Clippers, who finished an 0-4 road trip and fell to 0-5 on the road this season. This was the Clippers’ first in-season tournament game, while the Mavericks improved to 1-1. Both teams play in West Group B.
76ers 114, Pistons 106
Joel Embiid had 33 points and 16 rebounds and streaking Philadelphia won its opener in the NBA’s in-season tournament by powering past host Detroit.
Embiid shot 8-for-21 from the field and 16-for-19 from the foul line. Tyrese Maxey racked up 29 points, 11 assists, six rebounds and four steals for Philadelphia, which has won seven straight games.
Killian Hayes led Detroit, which has lost seven straight, with 23 points, five rebounds and six assists. Pistons center Jalen Duren departed in the third quarter with an ankle injury.
Rockets 104, Pelicans 101
Fred VanVleet drilled two late 3-pointers as Houston rallied from a 10-point, fourth-quarter deficit to defeat visiting New Orleans in an NBA in-season tournament game.
VanVleet followed a corner 3-pointer with another above the break with 47.1 seconds left that gave the Rockets a 101-100 lead. After the Pelicans’ Brandon Ingram missed a 3-pointer from the top of the key, VanVleet added a pair of free throws with 15.4 seconds left to lift the Rockets to their fifth consecutive victory.
Ingram was exceptional throughout, tallying a game-high 31 points plus six rebounds and five assists. Zion Williamson chipped in 24 points and eight boards, but the Pelicans dropped their fourth consecutive game with starters CJ McCollum (lung) and Herb Jones (leg) sidelined.
Jazz 127, Grizzlies 121
Jordan Clarkson and Lauri Markkanen each scored 26 points and Utah recovered to beat host Memphis after blowing a 21-point, second-half lead.
John Collins added 18 points and rookie Keyonte George dished out a career-high 11 assists to help the Jazz win their first NBA in-season tournament game and snap a four-game losing streak.
Desmond Bane scored a game-high 37 points and handed out eight assists and Bismack Biyombo contributed 15 points and 14 rebounds for the struggling Grizzlies.
Celtics 121, Nets 107
Jaylen Brown scored a game-high 28 points to help Boston end a two-game losing streak with a victory over visiting Brooklyn.
Jayson Tatum had 23 points and 10 rebounds for the Celtics, who were playing in their first in-season tournament game. Boston’s Jrue Holiday finished with 13 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists.
Lonnie Walker IV came off the bench to lead the Nets with 20 points and seven rebounds. Trendon Watford and Dennis Smith Jr. each scored 14 points for the Nets, who lost for the third time in four games.
Timberwolves 117, Spurs 110
Karl-Anthony Towns poured in 29 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to help visiting Minnesota rally past San Antonio in the teams’ first game in the NBA in-season tournament.
Minnesota won its fifth straight game and first away from home. The Spurs dropped their fourth consecutive outing despite 29 points by rookie phenom Victor Wembanyama.
Anthony Edwards added 28 points for the Timberwolves, with Rudy Gobert racking up 11 points and 10 rebounds, Mike Conley scoring 11 points and Jaden McDaniels hitting for 10.
Lakers 122, Suns 119
LeBron James scored 32 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, D’Angelo Russell added 19 points with nine assists, and Los Angeles ended a three-game losing streak, beating host Phoenix in the NBA in-season tournament opener for both teams.
Anthony Davis scored 18 points with 11 rebounds for the Lakers after missing Wednesday’s game at Houston with a hip injury. Cam Reddish scored 17 points in a rare start and Austin Reaves added 15 after moving into a reserve role for the first time this season.
Kevin Durant scored 38 points with nine rebounds and Bradley Beal added 24 points in his second game of the season as Phoenix saw a brief two-game winning streak come to an end. The Suns were playing without Devin Booker (calf) for the seventh time in the last eight games.
Hornets 124, Wizards 117
Mark Williams scored 21 points and grabbed a career-high 24 rebounds, including 15 on the offensive end, as Charlotte opened pool competition for the NBA in-season tournament with a win at Washington.
Gordon Hayward scored 27 points and dished nine assists LaMelo Ball added 25 points for the Hornets.
Charlotte, playing its first game in East Group B of the in-season tournament, dropped Washington to 0-2 in the pool thanks to a 17-2 run in the fourth quarter.
Kings 105, Thunder 98
Kevin Huerter and Keegan Murray combined for 52 points, Domantas Sabonis recorded his first triple-double of the season and Sacramento topped visiting Oklahoma City in NBA in-season tournament action.
Murray completed his first double-double of the season with a season-high 11 rebounds and Malik Monk chipped in with 12 points and eight assists off the bench as the Kings won their opener in the round-robin portion of West Group C.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander went for a game-high 33 points for the Thunder, who suffered a second straight loss in the NBA’s new made-for-November event.
–Field Level Media
