Cavaliers 119 (3-1), Bulls 112 (0-3)
LeBron started at point guard because, well, he can do that, and the Cavs pulled away in the fourth quarter against the Bulls. Down a point headed into the fourth quarter, the Cavs hit three threes (two from Kyle Korver) in the first 2:03 of the final period and never trailed again.
LeBron had 34 points and 13 assists, while Kevin Love had 20 and 12 rebounds.
He does what he wants (via @NBATV) pic.twitter.com/Os1Cv0bTPc
— SLAM Magazine (@SLAMonline) October 25, 2017
For Cleveland, the win snapped a five-game losing streak against the Bulls and got them back on track after a blowout loss to the Magic last time out.
The bright spot for Chicago: Lauri Markkanen. The rookie posted 19-and-eight and was relentless:
Can’t deny the rookie 💪 (via @nbatv) pic.twitter.com/30ZUNVIjiJ
— SLAM Magazine (@SLAMonline) October 25, 2017
Magic 125 (3-1), Nets 121 (2-2)
Aaron Gordon had the game of his life, scoring a career-high 41 points on 14-18 shooting, including 5-5 from three.
The Magic needed every bit of it to beat the Nets, including Gordon’s three with 36 seconds left that put Orlando ahead for good. Gordon was unstoppable on Tuesday, going off after sitting the Magic’s last two games with an injury.
1 v. 4 and @Double0AG doesn’t care (via @OrlandoMagic) pic.twitter.com/Bkl8FRuGi6
— SLAM Magazine (@SLAMonline) October 24, 2017
D’Angelo Russell had 29 in the loss for Brooklyn.
Celtics 110 (2-2), Knicks 89 (0-3)
The Celtics won their second straight behind strong efforts from young players and veterans alike. Rookie Jayson Tatum had the best game of his young career, scoring 22 points to go with four rebounds, four steals, and two assists. Kyrie Irving had 20 points and seven assists, and Jaylen Brown had 23 points and one of these:
Happy 21st, @FCHWPO 🎉 (via @celtics) pic.twitter.com/lPHT0tkqaR
— SLAM Magazine (@SLAMonline) October 25, 2017
Enes Kanter had 16 points and 19 boards for the Knicks, who shot just 1-12 from three and 42 percent overall.
Pacers 130 (2-2), Timberwolves 107 (2-2)
The Pacers put up some of the most ridiculous offensive numbers you’ll ever see, led by a franchise-record 66.7 percent shooting from the field. Bojan Bogdanovic, Domantas Sabonis, and Thaddeus Young combined to shoot 20/25, and Darren Collison had 15 points and 16 assists.
Needless to say, the Timberwolves didn’t stand much of a chance. Karl Anthony Towns had 28 points and perhaps the pass of the night, but this one will be remembered for a truly outstanding performance from Indiana.
If you’re not impressed that’s your issue not ours. 👀 pic.twitter.com/pIWKv2Clps
— Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) October 25, 2017
Trail Blazers 103 (3-1), Pelicans 93 (1-3)
The Blazers extended their own NBA-record home opener winning streak with their 17th straight, pulling away late from the Pelicans.
Portland trailed by two going into the fourth quarter, but quickly built a double-digit lead, making it appear as though the game was in hand. Then the Pelicans went on a 12-2 run to make it interesting before CJ McCollum and Damian Lillard put the game away.
DeMarcus Cousins led all scorers with 39 points to go with 13 rebounds, but McCollum’s 23, as well as four other players in double figures, was enough for Portland.
Clippers 102 (3-0), Jazz 84 (2-2)
Blake Griffin’s game-high 22 points was more than enough for the Clippers, who used a 33-15 third quarter to quiet any drama in their game against the Jazz. DeAndre Jordan had 11 points and 18 of LA’s 44 total rebounds.
Between Jordan and Griffin, the Clippers outscored the Jazz 52-34 in the paint. Griffin had the exclamation point:
Excuse me coming through. pic.twitter.com/FiawcatHpb
— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) October 25, 2017
