Coverage of the new NBA season continues on Sunday evening as LaMelo Ball's Charlotte Hornets take on Kevin Durant's Brooklyn Nets. Join us live from 9pm on Sky Sports Arena or stream for free on the Sky Sports YouTube channel
Sunday 24 October 2021 14:36, UK
Rookie Chris Duarte turned a foul on a three-point shot into three critical free throws in overtime Saturday night as the Indiana Pacers gave coach Rick Carlisle his first win in his new job with a 102-91 victory over the visiting Miami Heat.
After losing a pair of one-point games on the road, including one in overtime at Washington on Friday night on the front end of a back-to-back, the Pacers had enough energy to outscore Miami 16-5 over the five extra minutes to break into the win column.
Both teams had multiple opportunities to win in regulation after Tyler Herro's three-pointer produced an 86-all tie with 51.1 seconds remaining.
After Brogdon missed from short range for the Pacers, he made up for it by blocking a Jimmy Butler driving layup at the other end, with the ball going out of bounds and remaining with Miami.
But Butler then missed a jumper with 12.2 seconds to go, giving Indiana one last chance. Duarte, however, was off the mark with a buzzer-beating three-pointer, producing overtime.
Duarte finished with 19 points to pace a balanced Indiana attack, while Oshae Brissett and Malcolm Brogdon had 18 apiece and Domantas Sabonis 17. Brogdon and Sabonis both recorded double-doubles, Brogdon with a team-high 14 rebounds and Sabonis with 12.
Herro was the game's leading scorer with 30 points, missing his career high by four. He did, however, record his first career double-double in a game in which he had 30 points, adding 10 rebounds.
Bam Adebayo led all rebounders with 16 to go with 17 points, while Butler had 19 points and Duncan Robinson 14.
Paul George led the Los Angeles Clippers with game highs of 41 points and 10 rebounds, and he added four assists but it still wasn't enough as they dropped to 0-2 after losing their home opener.
Things aren't too fun when you no longer have Kawhi Leonard alongside you.
Ja Morant took his high-flying act on the road and the visiting Memphis Grizzlies ran past the Clippers 120-114. Morant finished with 28 points and eight assists himself as the Grizzlies improved to 2-0 this season.
De'Anthony Melton added 22 points and seven rebounds for Memphis, while Jaren Jackson Jr. contributed 21 points and seven rebounds. Steven Adams posted 17 points and nine boards.
All five starters finished in double figures for the Grizzlies, rounded out by 19 points from Desmond Bane.
An overwhelming defensive effort powered the host Chicago Bulls to their first 3-0 start in five years after a 97-82 win over the Detroit Pistons.
The Bulls held the Pistons to just 15 points in the second quarter, then 11 in the third, to build a commanding lead despite enduring their own shooting woes.
Chicago shot just 35-of-84 (41.7 percent) from the floor, including 6-of-18 from Zach LaVine on a 14-point night. LaVine scored a combined 66 points in the Bulls' two previous games, including 34 in Wednesday night's season-opening win over Detroit.
Chicago compensated for the quiet night from its star scorer with a balanced performance. Six Bulls scored in double figures, led by DeMar DeRozan's game-high 21 points.
Nikola Vucevic finished with 15 points and a game-high 19 rebounds, and Lonzo Ball added 13 points. Reserves Javonte Green and Alex Caruso came off the bench to score 10 and 12 points, respectively, and Caruso helped energise Chicago defensively with five steals.
CJ McCollum scored 28 points, including knocking down six three-pointers, and the host Portland Trail Blazers cruised past the Phoenix Suns 134-105.
McCollum scored the first five points of a 10-0 run to start the second quarter, with Norman Powell netting the next five, and the Blazers built a lead that stayed in double digits for the rest of the night.
Every Trail Blazers player scored, and five reached double digits. Powell scored 16 points in 12 minutes, Damian Lillard scored 19 points to go with eight assists, and Anfernee Simons came off the bench to knock down four three-pointers and finished with 18 points.
Khris Middleton scored 28 points as the visiting Milwaukee Bucks played their best in the final quarter on the way to a 121-111 win over the weary San Antonio Spurs.
All five Milwaukee starters scored in double figures.
The Bucks used a four-point play by Middleton and a four-point possession after a clear path foul by the Spurs at the 8:30 mark of the fourth quarter to build a 101-91 lead. San Antonio never made a serious run the rest of the way.
The game was the second of a road-home back-to-back for the Spurs, who flew back to the Alamo City early Saturday morning after a loss in Denver on Friday night.
Giannis Antetokounmpo added 21 points for the Bucks, who rebounded from a blowout loss in Miami on Thursday to move to 2-1. Jrue Holiday and Pat Connaughton hit for 16 points each, George Hill scored 15 off the bench and Grayson Allen added 10 points for Milwaukee.
Karl-Anthony Towns scored a team-high 25 points, Anthony Edwards finished with 19 points and nine rebounds, and the Minnesota Timberwolves held on for a 96-89 win over the visiting New Orleans Pelicans.
D'Angelo Russell and Naz Reid added 12 points apiece for Minnesota, which won its second game in a row to start the season. Patrick Beverley scored five points and dished six assists in his Timberwolves debut.
Brandon Ingram scored 30 points for the Pelicans, who remained winless after three games. Jonas Valanciunas had 20 points and 17 rebounds, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker also notched a double-double with 14 points and 14 boards.
Luka Doncic compiled 27 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds as the visiting Dallas Mavericks defeated the Toronto Raptors 103-95.
Tim Hardaway Jr. added 25 points -- 13 in the fourth quarter -- for the Mavericks, who won for the first time this season after losing their opener at Atlanta on Thursday night.
Kristaps Porzingis scored 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for Dallas, and Dwight Powell and Dorian Finney-Smith each scored 11 points.
Toronto's OG Anunoby scored 23 points, 20 in the first half as he ran into foul trouble. Fred VanVleet had 20 points for the Raptors, who lost for the second time in three games. Scottie Barnes had 17 points, Gary Trent scored 12 points and Precious Achiuwa added 10 points and 12 rebounds.
Ricky Rubio scored 23 points and lifted the Cleveland Cavaliers to their first win of the season, a 101-95 victory over the visiting Atlanta Hawks.
Rubio was 9-for-15 from the field, including three three-pointers, and added six rebounds and eight assists to help the Cavs stop their season-opening two-game losing streak.
The Cavs have won six of their last seven against the Hawks in Cleveland.
The Cavs also got 17 points and 11 rebounds from Evan Mobley. Collin Sexton, Kevin Love and Lauri Markkanen each scored 12. Jarrett Allen had a double-double with 11 points and 14 rebounds.
Atlanta suffered through a poor shooting night and made only 10 of 34 from deep. Trae Young scored 24 points -- 15 in the first half -- but was only 1-for-6 from three-point range and had trouble getting his famed floater to fall.
Cam Reddish came off the bench to score 19.
