Luka Magic
Luka Doncic scored a game-high 49 points to go with 10 rebounds and seven assists (both figures team highs) as the Dallas Mavericks beat the Brooklyn Nets 125-120. It’s just the eighth time in 44 seasons the Mavericks have opened a season with back-to-back wins.
Doncic shot 16-25 from the field — including 9-14 from 3-point range — and made eight of his 10 free throws. Doncic’s nine 3-pointers made eclipsed his previous career high of eight, and was just one shy of the franchise single-game record shared by George McCloud, Wesley Matthews, and Tim Hardaway Jr.
Doncic — who produced 33 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists in Thursday’s season opener — joined Stephen Curry (2021-22) as the only players in NBA history to record a triple-double and a 40-point game within their first two games of a season. Doncic also joined Russell Westbrook (2016-17) as the only players in NBA history to record at least 80 points, 20 rebounds, and 10 assists through their first two games of a season.
Doncic was not charged with a turnover in 36 minutes of action. Since the NBA began tracking turnovers in 1977-78, only three other players have recorded a 45-point, 10-rebound, 5-assist game without committing a turnover: Alex English, Michael Jordan, and Giannis Antetokounmpo (twice).
The Nets were led by Cam Thomas, who scored a team-high 30 points on 12-19 shooting from the field. Thomas is the second Net to open a season with consecutive 30-point games (Julius Erving, 1973-74), and the first to do so since the franchise joined the NBA in 1976.
Thunder Stun Cavs With Late Rally
Trailing by nine points with less than two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, the Oklahoma City Thunder staged a furious rally to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers 108-105. It’s the first time in seven years the Thunder have started a season with back-to-back wins.
The Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored a team-high 34 points on 15-26 shooting from the floor, adding 11 rebounds and five steals. Gilgeous-Alexander is just the third player in franchise history to open a season with consecutive 30-point double-doubles, joining Bob Rule (1968-69) and Russell Westbrook (2015-16 and 2016-17).
Rookie center Chet Holmgren produced 16 points, 13 rebounds, and seven blocks for the Thunder. Holmgren is the first player to record at least 15 points, 10 rebounds, and five blocks in a game within the first two games of his career since Dikembe Mutombo (1991-92).
Donovan Mitchell scored a game-high 43 points to lead the Cavaliers, adding eight rebounds, five assists, three steals, and two blocks. Mitchell shot 15-27 from the field — including 4-11 from 3-point range — and made nine of his 11 free throws.
Mitchell has scored 70 points this season, the most in franchise history through two games. He set the previous mark of 63 points last season, his first with the Cavaliers.
Curry Cooks Kings
Stephen Curry picked up where he left off in Game 7 of last season’s playoff series, scoring a game-high 41 points to pace the Golden State Warriors to a 122-114 win over the Sacramento Kings. It’s the 33rd time Curry has scored at least 40 points in a game since turning 30 years old, the second-highest such total in NBA history behind Michael Jordan (44).
Curry shot 14-19 from the field with seven 3-pointers made, an effective field goal percentage of 92.1%. Curry now has six career games in which he’s scored at least 40 points with an effective field goal percentage of 90%, breaking a tie with teammate Klay Thompson for the most such games in NBA history.
Curry’s 68 points through the first two games of the season are the highest such total of his career. It’s also the most points in NBA history by a player age 35 years or older through his first two games of a season.
Point guard DeAaron Fox scored 39 points to lead the Kings, shooting 14-28 from the field (including 5-9 on 3-pointers) and 6-7 from the free throw line. Teammate Domantas Sabonis scored 19 points and recorded team highs of 18 rebounds, seven assists, and three steals.
Quick Hitters
Other notes from a busy night of NBA action:
Nikola Jokic had 22 points, 12 rebounds, and seven assists as the Denver Nuggets knocked off the Memphis Grizzlies 108-104. It wasn’t all good for Jokic, as he committed a game-high nine turnovers, one off his career high.
Derrick White poured in a team-high 28 points — the third-highest-scoring game of his career — as the Boston Celtics beat the Miami Heat 119-111. White shot 9-15 from the field — including 5-7 on 3-pointers — and hit five of his six free throws. White also blocked a game-high three shots.
Trae Young’s shooting woes continued as the Atlanta Hawks fell to 0-2 with a 126-120 loss to the New York Knicks. Young made just four of his 16 shots from the floor in this game, and is shooting a woeful 8-35 from the field (22.9%) for the season. The only player in the 3-point era to record a lower field goal percentage through his first two games of a season while attempting at least 35 shots is Isiah Thomas in 1992-93 (8-38, 21.1%).
Rookie Victor Wembanyama tallied 21 points, 12 rebounds, three steals, and three blocks as the San Antonio Spurs rallied for a 126-122 overtime win over the Houston Rockets. Spurs guard Devin Vassell and Rockets center Alperen Sengun each scored a game-high 25 points, with Sengun adding a game-high 14 rebounds, seven assists, and two steals.
Lauri Markkanen scored a team-high 35 points and snagged a game-high 12 rebounds (tied) as the Utah Jazz edged the LA Clippers 120-118. The Clippers’ Paul George scored a game-high 36 points, hitting all 15 of his free throws. It’s the most free throws George has ever made in a game without a miss.