Arya News - Pelicans earn first victory over still-winless Kings as Hawks withstand late push to hold off Cavaliers.
Rookie Cameron Boozer recorded 18 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists for his first career triple-double, and reserve Isaiah Stewart also scored 18 as the Memphis Grizzlies remained unbeaten with a solid 124-103 road victory over the Portland Trail Blazers.
Cedric Coward registered 17 points, seven rebounds and three steals, and Zach Edey added 13 points as Memphis improved to 5-0.
Backup GG Jackson scored 12 points while Ty Jerome, Jaylen Wells and reserve Quinten Post added 10 points apiece for the Grizzlies, who outscored Portland 66-45 in the second half.
Deni Avdija had 24 points, nine rebounds and seven assists to pace the Trail Blazers.
Portland’s Ja Morant had 14 points and three assists in 23 minutes before departing in the fourth quarter due to a left hamstring injury.
Toumani Camara had 13 points and Donovan Clingan added 11 for the Trail Blazers. Damian Lillard had just nine points on 3-of-13 shooting.
A 3-pointer by Jerome gave Memphis a 101-89 advantage with 8:43 left in the contest and started a 13-0 burst. Coward drained a 3-pointer to conclude it and make it 111-89 with 5:31 remaining.
Wells scored on a layup to make it 117-93 with 3:52 left as Memphis cruised to the finish.
The game was tied at halftime but Memphis went on a 12-2 burst in the third quarter with Wells capping it with a 3-pointer to give the Grizzlies a 72-66 lead with 6:13 to play.
Portland later moved within two before Memphis rattled off 10 straight points. Coward culminated the run with a hoop to make it 87-75 with 2:09 remaining.
Lillard drove against former teammate Jerami Grant for a layup with 0.6 seconds left in the third as Portland trailed 91-83 entering the final stanza.
The contest was tied at 58 at halftime when Avdija scored 13 for Portland and Boozer had 13 for Memphis.
Pelicans earn first victory over still-winless Kings
Jeremiah Fears flirted with his first career triple-double and the New Orleans Pelicans broke into the win column for the first time this season with a 132-120 triumph over the visiting Sacramento Kings.
Fears and Zion Williamson each scored 22 points for New Orleans. Rookie Darius Acuff Jr poured in a season-best 34 points for Sacramento.
Derik Queen bookended a 12-0 burst early in the second quarter with a 3-pointer and a short jumper, allowing New Orleans to take a 36-32 advantage.
The Kings hung within 67-65 after an Acuff drive to the hoop in the second minute of the third period. But New Orleans then took command for good with a 21-4 flurry, in which Fears and Trey Murphy III drilled consecutive 3-pointers and Williamson contributed six points.
Sacramento still had a chance at 113-106 after a Zach LaVine 3-pointer with 7:11 to play, but New Orleans then ran off the next 10 points before coasting home.
Fears finished with his fourth career double-double, complementing his season-best point total with a career-best 13 assists.
Murphy chipped in with 19 points, Herbert Jones 16, Karlo Matkovic 12, and Saddiq Bey and Ben Mathurin 10 apiece for the Pelicans, who were playing for the second time on a three-game homestand. Williamson had five steals.
De’Andre Hunter and Precious Achiuwa had 24 points apiece, and LaVine totalled 21 for the Kings.
Hawks withstand late push to hold off Cavaliers
Onyeka Okongwu scored a season-high 29 points, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker sank two crucial free throws with 15.3 seconds remaining as the host Atlanta Hawks snapped a three-game losing streak with a 114-111 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Hawks led by 10 with 4:34 remaining, but Cleveland twice pulled within one point, the second time on Donovan Mitchell’s basket with 21 seconds left.
Okongwu went 11-for-17 from the field, including four 3-pointers, and added a season-high 12 rebounds. Alexander-Walker shot 8-for-17 from the field and also made four 3-pointers.
Aaron Wiggins added a season-high 20 points and seven rebounds off the bench, while Jalen Johnson scored 17.
Cleveland got a season-high 24 points from James Harden and 22 points from Mitchell. Sam Merrill came off the bench to make four 3-pointers and score 16.
Cleveland limited the Hawks to 23.8 percent shooting in the first quarter and, prompted by an early 10-3 run, took a 28-16 lead.
The Cavs led 35-24 with 7:22 left in the first half, but Atlanta went on a 13-2 run to tie at 4:33 on a runner by Okongwu. The Hawks took a 46-44 halftime lead.
Atlanta pushed its lead to 61-50 on Alexander-Walker’s 3-pointer with 9:14 left in the third quarter. Cleveland cut the margin to 83-82, fuelled by nine third-quarter points from Harden. Atlanta scored 43 points in the period and entered the fourth quarter with an 89-82 lead.