Ja Morant has exploded to will the Grizzlies to a tight win over the Rockets.
Plus the Jazz pulled off another huge upset to improve to 2-0, and more!
Catch up on all of the day’s action in our NBA Wrap!
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Sat, 22 Oct
Saturday October 22nd
JA EXPLODES FOR 49 POINTS IN EARLY MVP STATEMENT
Ja Morant is on another level so far this season.
The superstar guard exploded for 49 points and the Memphis Grizzlies downed the Houston Rockets 129-122.
Morant went 1o-of-13 from the free throw line to go with five three-pointers, eight assists, a steal and a block to help will his side to the win.
It comes after Morant racked up 34 points and nine assists in Memphis’ season-opening win over the Knicks to carry his undermanned side missing Jaren Jackson Jr and Dillon Brooks’
Trailing Houston by five points at the end of the third quarter, the Griz won the fourth term 34-22 to surge to their second-straight win to open the season.
John Konchar added 17 points and three steals for Memphis, while Desmond Bane had 14 points and seven assists.
Meanwhile Houston’s Jalen Green poured in 33 points and Alperen Sengun racked up 23 points and 12 rebounds off the bench.
JAZZ PULL OFF ANOTHER HUGE UPSET
The Utah Jazz have remarkably improved to 2-0 after a huge overtime road win over the Minnesota Timberwolves 132-126 in another big upset.
Just like in their first win over the Denver Nuggets, the Jazz prevailed behind a true team led by Lauri Markkanen (24 points, 13 rebounds), Kelly Olynyk (21 points, four steals), Jordan Clarkson (29 points, six assists) and Mike Conley (12 points, 11 assists).
Conley nailed the go-ahead triple with one minute left in OT before Markkanen iced the win with an 11-foot jumper.
The Timberwolves, who were led by Anthony Edwards (30 points), D’Angelo Russell (23 points, seven assists), Rudy Gobert (nine points, 23 rebounds) and Karl-Anthony Towns (27 points, eight rebounds), fell to 1-1 on the season.
It marked Gobert’s first time playing against his old team since getting traded in the off-season in a blockbuster swap that included four first-round picks going to the Jazz.
NETS OVERCOME SIAKAM TRIPLE-DOUBLE FOR FIRST WIN
Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving combined for 57 points as the Nets bounced back from their season-opening loss with a 109-105 victory over the Toronto Raptors.
Durant scored 27 points while Irving led the scorers with 30 points – including five three-pointers – as the Nets overturned a 10-point third quarter deficit to claim victory.
Brooklyn overcome a monster 37-point, 12-round, 11-assist triple-double from Pascal Siakam.
Meanwhile Ben Simmons bounced from his forgetful Nets debut, tallying six points, 10 rebounds, eight assists and two blocks.
TATUM, BROWN COMBINE FOR 57 POINTS
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown came up big once again as the Boston Celtics maintained their perfect start to the season with a 111-104 victory over the Miami Heat.
Tatum, who scored 35 points in Boston’s season-opening defeat of Philadelphia on Tuesday, produced a 29-point salvo as the Celtics outmuscled their Eastern Conference rivals on the road in Florida.
Brown, who also scored 35 points in Tuesday’s victory over the Sixers, backed Tatum with 28 points in another polished offensive performance.
Derrick White and Grand Williams were the only other players in double figures for Boston with 10 points apiece.
Saturday’s clash marked another meeting between the two Eastern Conference rivals, who have faced each other in the post-season in two of the past three seasons.
“I love playing against the Heat – we’ve got some history the last couple of years,” Tatum told ESPN afterwards.
“They make you a better team. They’ve got a lot of pride, a lot of great players and a great coach. They never quit. So it’s always a good test to play against a team like that because you know it’s going to be a battle.”
Boston’s latest victory was another boost for interim head coach Joe Mazzulla, who only took over last month after previous head coach Ime Udoka was banned for a season over a relationship with a female member of staff.
“I don’t know if two games counts as a winning streak, but we’ll take it,” Tatum said. “ (Mazzulla) has been terrific. He’s learning as he goes. But we’re all in this together — we’re trying to help him out as much as he’s trying to help us out.
“I’m happy for him. It’s hard to win in this league.” Tyler Herro led Miami’s scorers with 25 points while Bam Adebayo added 19 and Jimmy Butler 18.
KNICKS OFFENCE FIRES IN BIG WIN OVER PISTONS
This felt like the college powerhouse hand-picking its first opponent in front of the home fans. A carefully selected team intended to create a sense of optimism.
Though the Knicks had no say in who they opened up with at the Garden, the Pistons would have been at the top of their list had they had that option: A young team feeling good coming off its first season-opening victory in three years.
Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey and Co. were perfect foils, an easy mark for the far hungrier, ball-moving Knicks. Tom Thibodeau’s team didn’t mess around after the disappointing overtime loss to the Grizzlies two nights ago, leading by 10 after one quarter and cruising to its first win, a 130-106 whipping of Detroit at a joyous and upbeat Garden.
Pick a player, basically any player who touched the court, and he was productive for the Knicks. Even when a Derrick Rose feed for a cutting Isaiah Hartenstein went through his hands, it caromed to Obi Toppin for an uncontested 3-pointer.
The second unit excelled. The starters continued to thrive. Players who weren’t at their best in the opener — RJ Barrett, Mitchell Robinson, Toppin, Rose and Immanuel Quickley — were terrific, and the ball bounced the Knicks’ way.
Jalen Brunson was steady in his home debut in the building he grew up in, Barrett rebounded from his poor-shooting opener and Julius Randle was efficient and unselfish. Six Knicks scored in double figures, led by 20 from Quickley (seven assists), 18 from Barrett and 17 from Brunson (six assists). The Knicks (1-1) pushed the pace even after made baskets, a pre-season focus. The ball quickly moved side to side, inside and out, as it did during the exhibition season, to the tune of 29 assists. Of the 10 Knicks rotation players, seven shot at least 50 per cent from the field.
The Pistons (1-1) had a lot to do with the 20-point bulge at the half. They missed nine of their first 10 free throws, were loose with the ball and treated defence like an optional exercise. Detroit played like a young team, brief wow moments followed by defensive miscues and unforced turnovers.
Rose (13 points, six assists) keyed the rout, producing 11 points and two assists in five first-half minutes as the Knicks turned a two-point edge into a 13-point lead on the strength of their reserves.
When Quickley sank a top-of-the-key 3-pointer — his first points of the season after a scoreless debut — to cap a 17-3 run, the Knicks held a 22-point advantage. It grew to 23 after consecutive lay-ups by Brunson and Barrett as the Knicks got absolutely any shot they wanted during the first half.
The Pistons got as close as 12, late in the third quarter as last year’s No. 1 draft pick Cunningham began to heat up, but that was just a blip. Cam Reddish answered with a dunk through the lane and Quickley hit a 3-pointer. There were no tense moments on this night for the Knicks. The home opener was without stress. It felt more like an introduction to this team’s potential, made possible by an overwhelmed opponent.
-Zach Braziller from New York Post
ELSEWHERE …
Jonas Valanciunas led the scoring as New Orleans preserved their unbeaten record with a 124-112 road win over the Charlotte Hornets.
Brandon Ingram provided offensive support with a 28-point haul while CJ McCollum (21 points) and Zion Williamson (16) also posted double-digit totals.
Gordon Hayward led the Hornets’ scoring with 26 points in a game that New Orleans led from start to finish.
Elsewhere Saturday, Atlanta made it two wins out of two with a 108-98 defeat of the Orlando Magic, Trae Young leading the scoring for the Hawks with 25 points.
Orlando’s scoring meanwhile included a 20-point haul from Paolo Banchero, the No. 1 pick in this year’s NBA Draft.
Washington are also unbeaten after two games following a 102-100 win against the Chicago Bulls.
Kyle Kuzma led the Wizards’ scoring with 26 points, with Bradley Beal adding 19 as part of a balanced offensive performance by Washington.
ALL SCORES
PELICANS 124 HORNETS 112
SPURS 137 PACERS 134
BULLS 100 WIZARDS 102
MAGIC 98 HAWKS 108
RAPTORS 105 NETS 109
CELTICS 111 HEAT 104
PISTONS 106 KNICKS 130
GRIZZLIES 129 ROCKETS 122
JAZZ 132 TIMBERWOLVES 126
SUNS-TRAIL BLAZERS
NUGGETS-WARRIORS
