The Cleveland Cavaliers needed some Channing Frye clutch shooting to escape the Philadelphia 76ers with a narrow win, remaining undefeated. In other news on Saturday NBA action, the Indiana Pacers handed the Chicago Bulls their third consecutive loss, while the Los Angeles Clippers stunned the San Antonio Spurs with a 24-point win on the road.
Minnesota Timberwolves 92 Â Oklahoma City Thunder 112:Â Karl-Anthony Towns was the only one who showed up for Minnesota, falling to 1-4 after his 33-point effort. Russell Westbrook led the Thunder with 28 points in their bounce back from losing to the Warriors, getting 20 points of help from Enes Kanter off the bench.
Cleveland Cavaliers 102 Â Philadelphia 76ers 101:Â The Cavaliers needed a Channing Frye 3-pointer to win the game with 1:05 to go, pushed to the limit by the Sixers and Joel Embiid, who led his team with 22 points. LeBron James led the Cavs with 25 points and 14 assists, while Kyrie Irving was having a nightmarish offensive night, shooting only 3-of-17 from the field.
Washington Wizards 86 Â Orlando Magic 88:Â The Wizards lose another road game (0-3 away from home this season), as solid defense and 18 points off the bench from Jeff Green helped mask an awful shooting day for the Magic.
Denver Nuggets 86 Â Detroit Pistons 103:Â The Nuggets were held to just 33% shooting and 16 turnovers, while the Pistons had a big double double from Andre Drummond, scoring 19 points to go with 20 boards. Marcus Morris and Jon Leuer scored 15 points each.
Chicago Bulls 94 Â Indiana Pacers 111:Â The Bulls lose their third straight game with another poor defensive effort. Jeff Teague led the Pacers with 21 points, his best game since joining the team. C.J. Miles had another good game off the bench, scoring 20. Paul George was ejected for kicking a ball and hitting a fan in the face.
Houston Rockets 97 Â Atlanta Hawks 112:Â Dwight Howard showed his former team what they’re missing with 20 points, 14 rebounds and 2 blocks in just 29 minutes, while Paul Millsap led the way scoring 23. James Harden had 30 for the Rockets, along with 12 assists and 6 turnovers. The Rockets turned the ball over 25 times.
Sacramento Kings 91 Â Milwaukee Bucks 117:Â An awful performance by the Kings in a game that was over before the end of the second quarter. Mirza Teletovic scored 22 points in 21 minutes for the Bucks, Garrett Temple led the Kings with 19 points.
Los Angeles Clippers 116 Â San Antonio Spurs 92:Â A huge win for the Clippers with an unstoppable looking Blake Griffin scoring 28 points and bringing down 14 rebounds. Kawhi Leonard shot just 3-for-13 from the field in his weakest night of the season. LaMarcus Aldridge led the Spurs scoring 19 points.
Eastern Conference Standings
# | Team | W | L | PCT | GB | GP |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Cleveland Cavaliers | 6 | 0 | 1.000 | â | 6 |
2 | Charlotte Hornets | 4 | 1 | .800 | 1.5 | 5 |
3 | Toronto Raptors | 4 | 1 | .800 | 1.5 | 5 |
4 | Detroit Pistons | 4 | 2 | .667 | 2.0 | 6 |
5 | Atlanta Hawks | 4 | 2 | .667 | 2.0 | 6 |
6 | Milwaukee Bucks | 4 | 2 | .667 | 2.0 | 6 |
7 | Boston Celtics | 3 | 2 | .600 | 2.5 | 5 |
8 | Chicago Bulls | 3 | 3 | .500 | 3.0 | 6 |
9 | Indiana Pacers | 3 | 3 | .500 | 3.0 | 6 |
10 | Orlando Magic | 3 | 3 | .500 | 3.0 | 6 |
11 | New York Knicks | 2 | 3 | .400 | 3.5 | 5 |
12 | Miami Heat | 2 | 3 | .400 | 3.5 | 5 |
13 | Brooklyn Nets | 2 | 4 | .333 | 4.0 | 6 |
14 | Washington Wizards | 1 | 4 | .200 | 4.5 | 5 |
15 | Philadelphia 76ers | 0 | 5 | .000 | 5.5 | 5 |
Western Conference Standings
# | Team | W | L | PCT | GB | GP |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Oklahoma City Thunder | 5 | 1 | .833 | â | 6 |
2 | Los Angeles Clippers | 5 | 1 | .833 | 0.0 | 6 |
3 | San Antonio Spurs | 5 | 2 | .714 | 0.5 | 7 |
4 | Golden State Warriors | 4 | 2 | .667 | 1.0 | 6 |
5 | Portland Trail Blazers | 3 | 3 | .500 | 2.0 | 6 |
6 | Houston Rockets | 3 | 3 | .500 | 2.0 | 6 |
7 | Los Angeles Lakers | 3 | 3 | .500 | 2.0 | 6 |
8 | Utah Jazz | 3 | 3 | .500 | 2.0 | 6 |
9 | Memphis Grizzlies | 3 | 3 | .500 | 2.0 | 6 |
10 | Denver Nuggets | 2 | 3 | .400 | 2.5 | 5 |
11 | Phoenix Suns | 2 | 4 | .333 | 3.0 | 6 |
12 | Sacramento Kings | 2 | 5 | .286 | 3.5 | 7 |
13 | Minnesota Timberwolves | 1 | 4 | .200 | 3.5 | 5 |
14 | Dallas Mavericks | 0 | 5 | .000 | 4.5 | 5 |
15 | New Orleans Pelicans | 0 | 6 | .000 | 5.0 | 6 |