NBA Game Notes (Oct. 31, 2023)

Here are the NBA game notes for games that were played on October 31, 2023.

Quick Hitters

A few notes on a light slate of Halloween basketball:

• The San Antonio Spurs trailed by as many as 20 points in the third quarter before rallying for a 115-114 victory over the Phoenix Suns. Keldon Johnson’s steal and contested layup with 1.2 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter gave the Spurs their first and only lead of the game. Johnson scored a game-high 27 points for the Spurs, who also received 18 points apiece from Victor Wembanyama and Devin Vassell. Wembanyama also snagged a team-high eight rebounds and blocked a game-high four shots. Kevin Durant led the Suns with 26 points, surpassing 27,000 for his career on a dunk with 1:03 left in the fourth quarter. Durant is the 12th player in NBA history to reach that mark.

• The New York Knicks led by as many as 23 points in an easy 109-91 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Julius Randle and Jalen Brunson scored 19 points apiece to pace the Knicks, with Randle also hauling in a team-high 10 rebounds. The Cavaliers’ Donovan Mitchell led all scorers with 26 points, shooting 11-20 from the floor. Mitchell is the only player in franchise history to open a season with three straight 25-point games. He’s done so in each of the last two seasons.

• Paul George scored a game-high 27 points with seven rebounds and seven assists as the LA Clippers handled the Orlando Magic 118-102. George shot 6-9 from 3-point range, making five out of his six long-range attempts in the second half. Teammate Russell Westbrook scored 18 points on 8-16 shooting from the field, adding seven assists, six rebounds, and five steals. The Clippers trailed by three points at halftime, but outscored the Magic 41-21 in the third quarter to take a commanding 17-point lead into the final period.

---