Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – Nikola Jokic bagged his fourth straight triple-double to start the NBA season on Wednesday to lead the Denver Nuggets to a 122-88 rout of the New Orleans Pelicans. Serbian star Jokic, a three-time NBA Most Valuable Player, joined Oscar Robertson in 1961 and Russell Westbrook in 2020 as the only players to open a season with four straight triple-doubles. He delivered 21 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists before sitting out the fourth quarter with the game well in hand.
“I’m just trying to play the right way and I hope everything is going to come my way,” said Jokic, who with 168 career triple-doubles is third on the all-time list led by Westbrook’s 203 and Robertson’s 181. His services weren’t even needed in the final quarter, after a 24-0 third-quarter run saw the Nuggets push their lead to as many as 36 points. Denver improved to 3-1 as the hapless Pelicans — led by 21 points from Jeremiah Fears and with 11 from Zion Williamson — fell to 0-4.
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“Even in the first half we had like a 15-16 point lead, then we blew it,” Jokic said. “Then in the second half everything was flowing good for us, offense, defense especially. It was a really good third quarter and the goal is to have as many quarters like that in the future.”
Austin Reaves was the savior for the Los Angeles Lakers, driving for the game-winning basket with 1.1 seconds left in a 116-115 victory over the Timberwolves in Minnesota. With superstar LeBron James sidelined by sciatica and Luka Doncic also nursing injuries, Reaves scored 28 points and handed out 16 assists for the Lakers. They led by 20 points in the third quarter and by 16 in the fourth before the Timberwolves stormed back. Minnesota, missing injured Anthony Edwards, seized a 115-114 lead on Julius Randle’s layup with 10.2 seconds to play, but Reaves came through at the buzzer.
The Chicago Bulls, already off to their best start since 2021, improved to 4-0 with a 126-113 home victory over the Sacramento Kings. Forward Matas Buzelis scored 27 points to lead six Bulls players who scored in double figures. Josh Giddey added 20 points and 12 assists, and Nikola Vucevic chipped in 13 points and 14 rebounds. Zach LaVine, traded from the Bulls to the Kings last season, scored 30 points in his return to Chicago, where he received a video-board tribute in the first quarter.
In Boston, Jaylen Brown scored 30 points in the Celtics’ 125-105 victory over Cleveland that snapped the Cavaliers’ three-game winning streak. Sam Hauser added 21 points off the bench as eight Celtics players scored in double figures. All five Cavs starters scored in double figures, led by Evan Mobley’s 19 points.
The Houston Rockets, fueled by 31 points from veteran Kevin Durant, beat the Toronto Raptors 139-121 to notch a second straight victory after starting the season with two defeats. The Atlanta Hawks held off the winless Brooklyn Nets 117-112 despite losing star guard Trae Young to a sprained right knee in the first quarter. Young was hurt when he collided with falling teammate Mouhamed Gueye under the basket and was quickly ruled out for the rest of the game.
The Dallas Mavericks edged the Indiana Pacers 107-105 despite the first-quarter departure of star big man Anthony Davis, who came down awkwardly after a shot and exited with what the team called lower leg soreness. Mavs coach Jason Kidd said Davis wanted to re-enter the game, but the team “didn’t want to take any chances.”
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