The Post Up
October 18, 2018

Post Up: Kawhi Leonard’s Debut Headlines Big Opening Night Slate

Cavs 104 (0-1), Raptors 116 (1-0)

Cleveland fell short in its first game of the post-LeBron James era (part two). Kawhi Leonard, however, put on a show in his first game with Toronto, scoring 24 points and putting Tristan Thompson on a poster.

Kyle Lowry had 27 points in his first game without backcourt mate DeMar DeRozan.

Bucks 113 (1-0), Hornets 112 (0-1)

The Hornets mounted a furious comeback in the fourth quarter but couldn’t close it out as the Bucks came out on top. Nicolas Batum missed a chance to win it as the buzzer sounded.

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 25 points, 18 rebounds and eight assists in the win.

Nets 100 (0-1), Pistons 103 (1-0)

The Pistons held on to the win in Detroit thanks to 24 points and 20 rebounds by Andre Drummond. Blake Griffin had 26 points of his own, but was also rejected hard at the rim by Jarrett Allen.

Grizzlies 83 (0-1), Pacers 111 (1-0)

Bojan Bogdanovic (19 points) and Victor Oladipo (16 points) helped the Pacers make easy work of Memphis. The game marked Mike Conley’s return to the court after missing most of last season; he made Cory Joseph fall at one point during the game.

Heat 101 (0-1), Magic 104 (1-0)

Aaron Gordon’s 26 points and 16 rebounds led the way for Orlando in the win. Mo Bamba had 13 points and seven rebounds in his NBA debut. The Heat’s Dwyane Wade received a huge applause as he entered the game that kicks off his last season in the league.

Hawks 107 (0-1), Knicks 126 (1-0)

The Knicks set a franchise record with 49 points in the second quarter against Atlanta. New York was led by 31 points from Tim Hardaway Jr. against his former team. Undrafted rookie Allonzo Trier surprised with a huge slam.

Pelicans 131 (1-0), Rockets 112 (0-1)

New Orleans spoiled James Harden’s MVP trophy celebration with an easy win on ESPN. Anthony Davis and Nikola Mirotic combined for 62 points while Elfrid Payton added a triple-double.

Timberwolves 108 (0-1), Spurs 112 (1-0)

DeMar DeRozan marked the start of his Spurs career with a win behind his 28 points and go-ahead bucket. LaMarcus Aldridge added 21 points and 19 rebounds to the effort. Jimmy Butler had 23 points in his return after a drama-filled last week; he chopped it up with DeRozan in pregame.

Jazz 123 (1-0), Kings 117 (0-1)

Donovan Mitchell (24 points) led the way for Utah with support from Joe Ingles (22 points) and Rudy Gobert (19 points, 15 rebounds). Willie Cauley-Stein (23 points, seven rebounds) led a scrappy Sacramento team that didn’t go away easily.

Mavericks 100 (0-1), Suns 121 (1-0)

No. 1 and 3 picks Deandre Ayton and Luka Doncic squared off in Phoenix, with the Suns coming out on top thanks to Devin Booker’s 35 points. Doncic had 10 points, eight rebounds and four assists in 31 minutes while Ayton had 18 points, 10 rebounds and six assists in 36 minutes.

Nuggets 107 (1-0), Clippers 98 (0-1)

Nikola Jokic led the Nuggets in scoring with 21 points while Paul Millsap led the team in rebounds with 16 on the night. Will Barton and Gary Harris combined for 39 points. Boban Marjanovic stole the show with 18 points and a poster, standing dunk.

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