LeBron, Cavs Get Best of Giannis, Bucks
The Cleveland Cavaliers got a legitimate home test against a team that could be their biggest threat in the Eastern Conference, but the defending Eastern Conference champs were able to pass that test on Tuesday. LeBron James finished with 30 points, nine assists, and eight rebounds, while Kevin Love had 32 points and 16 rebounds in a 124-119 win over the Milwaukee Bucks. Love's point total led the Cavs and was a season high for him and helped Cleveland overcome a 40-point effort from Giannis Antetokounmpo. The win for Cleveland helped them inch closer to the .500 mark, while also handing Milwaukee their fourth straight loss, putting them two games under .500 at 4-6. J.R. Smith also posted a season-high for the Cavaliers with 20 points by shooting 5-of-7 from three-point range. Antetokounmpo shot 16-of-21 from the field and added nine rebounds, but eight turnovers, while Malcolm Brogdon added 22 points and Khris Middleton chipped in 20 in the loss. The difference in the five-point game was the Bucks shooting themselves in the foot by being called for 31 personal fouls, compared to 18 against the Cavs, which led to Cleveland shooting 38 free throws. The Bucks are the up and coming team in the East, but their slow start says otherwise, and they'll look to get back going when they visit the San Antonio Spurs on Friday. The Cavs hit the road on Thursday to take on the Houston Rockets.
Porzingis, Knicks Rally Again
Kristaps Porzingis is becoming the best clutch player in the NBA in the early goings of the season, and he stated his case for that title again on Tuesday night. Porzingis had 28 points, including a go-ahead three-pointer with 1:48 remaining for a 118-113 victory over the Charlotte Hornets. The win is the third in a row, all by a comeback, for the Knicks, who trailed by 11 at halftime. The international star for New York shot 10-of-15 from the floor, helping his team finish at 60 percent shooting on the night to help the comeback. He now has 300 total points through the season's first 10 games, which is two more than Bernard King's franchise record during the 1984-85 campaign. Doug McDermott recorded a season-high 20 points, while Tim Hardaway Jr. finished with 19, as New York has now won six of seven since their 0-3 start. The Hornets suffered their third straight loss despite Dwight Howard, Kemba Walker, and Malik Monk scoring 21 points apiece. New York was coming off a win over Indiana that saw them erase a 19-point deficit, and they trailed by as many as 15 in Tuesday's win. At 6-4, the Knicks will look to keep things going on Wednesday when they visit the Orlando Magic. Things don't get easier for Charlotte, as they will visit the red-hot Boston Celtics on Friday.
Kings Top Ducks in Overtime Thriller
The Los Angeles Kings are off to a fantastic start to their season, sitting comfortably atop the Pacific Division early on. They were tested on the road against the struggling Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday, but Nick Shore scored with 1:09 left in overtime for a 4-3 win over the Ducks. Dustin Brown assisted the game-winning goal for the Kings, who overcame a two-goal deficit in the third for their 11th win of the season in 15 games. Brown is the one that forced the extra period with a goal in the third period of a testy game that saw multiple big hits and fights between the division rivals. Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe also scored for the Kings, who got 33 saves from Jonathan Quick. Rickard Rakell had a goal and an assist in the Ducks' fourth straight loss, while Jarod Boll and Sami Vatanen recorded rare goals on the night. Boll snapped a personal 61-game goal-less streak, while Vatanen's tally was his first of the season. Anaheim struggled after losing starting goalie John Gibson, who stopped 30 shots before getting knocked out of the game after a blow to the head. Ryan Miller took over and would surrender the lead in the loss for Anaheim, who will host the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday. The Kings will look to keep their hot start rolling when they host a very good Tampa Bay Lightning team tomorrow night.
The Cleveland Cavaliers got a legitimate home test against a team that could be their biggest threat in the Eastern Conference, but the defending Eastern Conference champs were able to pass that test on Tuesday. LeBron James finished with 30 points, nine assists, and eight rebounds, while Kevin Love had 32 points and 16 rebounds in a 124-119 win over the Milwaukee Bucks. Love's point total led the Cavs and was a season high for him and helped Cleveland overcome a 40-point effort from Giannis Antetokounmpo. The win for Cleveland helped them inch closer to the .500 mark, while also handing Milwaukee their fourth straight loss, putting them two games under .500 at 4-6. J.R. Smith also posted a season-high for the Cavaliers with 20 points by shooting 5-of-7 from three-point range. Antetokounmpo shot 16-of-21 from the field and added nine rebounds, but eight turnovers, while Malcolm Brogdon added 22 points and Khris Middleton chipped in 20 in the loss. The difference in the five-point game was the Bucks shooting themselves in the foot by being called for 31 personal fouls, compared to 18 against the Cavs, which led to Cleveland shooting 38 free throws. The Bucks are the up and coming team in the East, but their slow start says otherwise, and they'll look to get back going when they visit the San Antonio Spurs on Friday. The Cavs hit the road on Thursday to take on the Houston Rockets.
Porzingis, Knicks Rally Again
Kristaps Porzingis is becoming the best clutch player in the NBA in the early goings of the season, and he stated his case for that title again on Tuesday night. Porzingis had 28 points, including a go-ahead three-pointer with 1:48 remaining for a 118-113 victory over the Charlotte Hornets. The win is the third in a row, all by a comeback, for the Knicks, who trailed by 11 at halftime. The international star for New York shot 10-of-15 from the floor, helping his team finish at 60 percent shooting on the night to help the comeback. He now has 300 total points through the season's first 10 games, which is two more than Bernard King's franchise record during the 1984-85 campaign. Doug McDermott recorded a season-high 20 points, while Tim Hardaway Jr. finished with 19, as New York has now won six of seven since their 0-3 start. The Hornets suffered their third straight loss despite Dwight Howard, Kemba Walker, and Malik Monk scoring 21 points apiece. New York was coming off a win over Indiana that saw them erase a 19-point deficit, and they trailed by as many as 15 in Tuesday's win. At 6-4, the Knicks will look to keep things going on Wednesday when they visit the Orlando Magic. Things don't get easier for Charlotte, as they will visit the red-hot Boston Celtics on Friday.
Kings Top Ducks in Overtime Thriller
The Los Angeles Kings are off to a fantastic start to their season, sitting comfortably atop the Pacific Division early on. They were tested on the road against the struggling Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday, but Nick Shore scored with 1:09 left in overtime for a 4-3 win over the Ducks. Dustin Brown assisted the game-winning goal for the Kings, who overcame a two-goal deficit in the third for their 11th win of the season in 15 games. Brown is the one that forced the extra period with a goal in the third period of a testy game that saw multiple big hits and fights between the division rivals. Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe also scored for the Kings, who got 33 saves from Jonathan Quick. Rickard Rakell had a goal and an assist in the Ducks' fourth straight loss, while Jarod Boll and Sami Vatanen recorded rare goals on the night. Boll snapped a personal 61-game goal-less streak, while Vatanen's tally was his first of the season. Anaheim struggled after losing starting goalie John Gibson, who stopped 30 shots before getting knocked out of the game after a blow to the head. Ryan Miller took over and would surrender the lead in the loss for Anaheim, who will host the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday. The Kings will look to keep their hot start rolling when they host a very good Tampa Bay Lightning team tomorrow night.
