A lot of first losses around the NBA in a busy Wednesday, as the Atlanta Hawks were beaten by the young and happy Los Angeles Lakers, the injured Chicago Bulls were dropped by the Boston Celtics, while the Russell Westbrook tornado ended the perfect start for the Los Angeles Clippers, keeping the Oklahoma City Thunder undefeated.
Toronto Raptors 113 Â Washington Wizards 103:Â The Raptors spoiled the Wizards first home game of the season, holding them to 0 wins. DeMar DeRozan remains scorching hot, scoring 40 points, aided by 18 from Kyle Lowry. John Wall did nicely with 33 points and Otto Porter helped out scoring 23 with 11 rebounds, but Washington remain without a win.
Philadelphia 76ers 93 Â Charlotte Hornets 109:Â The Sixers remain without a win, dealing with injuries and limited minutes to key players. The Hornets improved to 3-1, getting a nice night from their backcourt of Kemba Walker (22 points) and Nicolas Batum (20 points), his first good game of the season. Dario Saric and Ersan Ilyasova both scored 14 points for Philly.
Detroit Pistons 101 Â Brooklyn Nets 109:Â The Nets win for the second time this season, enjoying a huge night from Brook Lopez. Not just his 34 points, but mostly his incredible four 3-pointers. The Nets managed to hang on in the second half after Jeremy Lin exited with a hamstring injury. Sean Kilpatrick was fantastic with 24 points. Tobias Harris and Marcus Morris each scored 23 points for Detroit.
Houston Rockets 118 Â New York Knicks 99:Â The confused Knicks were the perfect team for the fast-running Rockets to meet, turning the game into a blowout during the second half. James Harden scored 30 points to go with 15 assists, Eric Gordon helped out with 21. Carmelo Anthony led the Knicks with 24 points, but the frontcourt of Noah and Porzingis combined for 0 field goals and only 3 points.
Los Angeles Lakers 123 Â Atlanta Hawks 116:Â The Lakers became the first team to beat the Hawks this season, getting a surprising strong finish from Larry Nance in the tight ending. The Lakers shot 53.9% from the field and 40% from beyond the arc, led by Russell who finished with 23 points, leading six players in double figures. Dwight Howard led the Hawks with 31 points, Tim Hardaway Jr. added 26 off the bench.
New Orleans Pelicans 83 Â Memphis Grizzlies 89:Â The Pelicans made it a close one despite Anthony Davis having a rough night (10 points, 3-for-13 from the field), while JaMychal Green led Memphis with 21, helped out by a rested Mike Conley who scored 20 points.
Chicago Bulls 100 Â Boston Celtics 107:Â Injuries to their bench “helped” the Bulls lose for the first time this season. Amir Johnson had a big third quarter and finished with 23 points, just like Isaiah Thomas. Jimmy Butler led the Bulls with 23 points, but 19 turnovers were too much for them to make up.
Dallas Mavericks 81 Â Utah Jazz 97:Â The Mavs continue to look bad, as Dirk Nowitzki was held to just 9 points by the fantastic Jazz defense. George Hill is sizzling early in the season on his new team, scoring 25 points. Rodney Hood added 22.
Portland Trail Blazers 115 Â Phoenix Suns 118:Â The Suns win for the first time this season in a high octane affair that went to overtime. The game ended on a 3-pointer from Eric Bledsoe to win it, finishing with 20 points. T.J. Warren, on a fantastic start to the season, finished with 27 points. Damian Lillard led the Blazers with 27 points.
Oklahoma City Thunder 85 Â Los Angeles Clippers 83:Â The Thunder pulled away in the final four minutes, as the storm known as Russell Westbrook went through town. The damage? He scored 35 points but also turned the ball over 10 times and shot 0-for-7 from beyond the arc. No other Thunder player scored more than 9 points. The Clippers lost for the first time this season, shooting only 39.1% from the field.
Eastern Conference Standings
| # | Team | W | L | PCT | GB | GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cleveland Cavaliers | 4 | 0 | 1.000 | â | 4 |
| 2 | Boston Celtics | 3 | 1 | .750 | 1.0 | 4 |
| 3 | Chicago Bulls | 3 | 1 | .750 | 1.0 | 4 |
| 4 | Atlanta Hawks | 3 | 1 | .750 | 1.0 | 4 |
| 5 | Charlotte Hornets | 3 | 1 | .750 | 1.0 | 4 |
| 6 | Toronto Raptors | 3 | 1 | .750 | 1.0 | 4 |
| 7 | Detroit Pistons | 3 | 2 | .600 | 1.5 | 5 |
| 8 | Miami Heat | 2 | 2 | .500 | 2.0 | 4 |
| 9 | Milwaukee Bucks | 2 | 2 | .500 | 2.0 | 4 |
| 10 | Indiana Pacers | 2 | 2 | .500 | 2.0 | 4 |
| 11 | Brooklyn Nets | 2 | 3 | .400 | 2.5 | 5 |
| 12 | Orlando Magic | 1 | 3 | .250 | 3.0 | 4 |
| 13 | New York Knicks | 1 | 3 | .250 | 3.0 | 4 |
| 14 | Washington Wizards | 0 | 3 | .000 | 3.5 | 3 |
| 15 | Philadelphia 76ers | 0 | 4 | .000 | 4.0 | 4 |
Western Conference Standings
| # | Team | W | L | PCT | GB | GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oklahoma City Thunder | 5 | 0 | 1.000 | â | 5 |
| 2 | San Antonio Spurs | 4 | 1 | .800 | 1.0 | 5 |
| 3 | Los Angeles Clippers | 3 | 1 | .750 | 1.5 | 4 |
| 4 | Golden State Warriors | 3 | 1 | .750 | 1.5 | 4 |
| 5 | Houston Rockets | 3 | 2 | .600 | 2.0 | 5 |
| 6 | Memphis Grizzlies | 3 | 2 | .600 | 2.0 | 5 |
| 7 | Utah Jazz | 3 | 2 | .600 | 2.0 | 5 |
| 8 | Sacramento Kings | 2 | 3 | .400 | 3.0 | 5 |
| 9 | Portland Trail Blazers | 2 | 3 | .400 | 3.0 | 5 |
| 10 | Los Angeles Lakers | 2 | 3 | .400 | 3.0 | 5 |
| 11 | Denver Nuggets | 1 | 2 | .333 | 3.0 | 3 |
| 12 | Minnesota Timberwolves | 1 | 2 | .333 | 3.0 | 3 |
| 13 | Phoenix Suns | 1 | 4 | .200 | 4.0 | 5 |
| 14 | Dallas Mavericks | 0 | 4 | .000 | 4.5 | 4 |
| 15 | New Orleans Pelicans | 0 | 5 | .000 | 5.0 | 5 |