Luka Dončić was the standout figure on the latest night in the NBA. The Slovenian scored 53 points, added 5 rebounds and 5 assists, and led the Los Angeles Lakers to a 124:118 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers. Dončić made 17 of 33 field-goal attempts and hit a crucial basket with 27 seconds remaining to help the hosts preserve their lead.
Jayson Tatum also posted impressive numbers. The Boston Celtics forward finished with 34 points, 8 rebounds and 9 assists in just 29 minutes during the 119:80 rout of the Charlotte Hornets. Tatum scored 18 points in the opening quarter, and the Celtics led 40:20 at the end of it. Boston made 24 of 44 three-point attempts and secured its most convincing win of the season. After the game, Tatum said that North Carolina was „something like my second or third home“.
The Oklahoma City Thunder also won convincingly — 128:97 against the Memphis Grizzlies. Ajay Mitchell scored a career-high 35 points on 14-of-20 shooting, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 28. Memphis struggled seriously from long range, making just 10 of 45 attempts from three-point range. The Grizzlies also committed 18 turnovers.
Wembanyama continues his strong run
Victor Wembanyama recorded 30 points and 14 rebounds in the San Antonio Spurs' 124:109 victory over the Sacramento Kings. San Antonio won its sixth consecutive game, while the Kings were left with just one win at the start of the season.
The Cleveland Cavaliers ended the Philadelphia 76ers' strong start with a 119:95 victory. Donovan Mitchell scored 23 points for the hosts, while Cleveland's defense held LeBron James to 8 points on his return to Ohio. Tyrese Maxey finished with 17 points for Philadelphia, but made just 5 of 15 field-goal attempts, including 2 of 9 from three-point range.
The other results
The Atlanta Hawks defeated the Washington Wizards 139:132. Kyshawn George scored 33 points for the losing team, while Nickeil Alexander-Walker led Atlanta with 28.
The Dallas Mavericks beat the Utah Jazz 112:100, with P.J. Washington scoring 26 points. The Toronto Raptors defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 121:107, while the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the New Orleans Pelicans 115:109 behind 26 points from Ayo Dosunmu.
Sources: cbssports.com, newsespn.pages.dev, washingtonpost.com