Atlanta 128, Detroit 120
Memphis 116, Brooklyn 111 (OT)
Portland 115, LA Lakers 107
Denver 124, Houston 111
Utah 110, Oklahoma City 109
LOS ANGELES (AFP) – The Memphis Grizzlies’ first win of the NBA season was a costly one, as Rookie of the Year Ja Morant limped out with a sprained ankle in the first half of a 116-111 overtime triumph over the shorthanded Brooklyn Nets on Monday.
Morant rose to block a shot by Brooklyn’s French forward Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot with less than three minutes remaining in the first half, rolling his ankle as he came down and hopping to the baseline where he fell to the court.
He was taken to the locker room in a wheelchair, with the Grizzlies tweeting that the initial diagnosis was a sprained left ankle.
Morant watched from the sidelines as the Grizzlies rallied for the victory, standing through the final minutes –a protective boot on his injured ankle.
Kyle Anderson led the Grizzlies with 28 points – with a career-best four three-pointers — and Dillon Brooks added 24.
Caris LeVert led the Nets with 28 points and 11 assists. Brooklyn rested stars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving — both coming off long injury layoffs after the abbreviated off-season.
The Los Angeles Lakers, heavy favorites to win a second straight title, suffered their second defeat in four games in the new season, falling 115-107 to the Portland Trail Blazers.
LeBron James led the Lakers with 29 points, nine rebounds and six assists and Anthony Davis returned from a night off with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Damian Lillard led the Blazers with 31 points and Gary Trent Jr. added 28 off the bench as Portland’s reserves out-scored the Lakers bench 45-23.
In Salt Lake City, Utah’s Donovan Mitchell scored the Jazz’s final 12 points –including the game-winner with seven seconds remaining — and Rudy Gobert shut down Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander at the rim as time expired to give the Jazz a 110-109 victory over the Thunder.
The Houston Rockets, without John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, Eric Gordon and Mason Jones because of Covid-19 health and safety protocols, fell 124-111 to the Nuggets in Denver, where Serbian center Nikola Jokic had a triple-double of 19 points, 12 rebounds and 18 assists to lead the hosts.
Jamal Murray added 21 points before departing after a hard fall in the third quarter and Paul Millsap added 19 points as seven Nuggets players scored in double figures.
Rockets star James Harden scored 34 points.
