Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – The New Orleans Pelicans, fueled by a 22-point, 13-assist double-double from Jeremiah Fears, bagged their first win of the NBA season on Thursday with a 132-120 victory over the Sacramento Kings. Fears, 20, added eight rebounds, four blocked shots, and two steals, and Zion Williamson scored 22 points for the Pels, who had seven players score in double figures to improve to 1-4. “We’re not off to a great start, but we’re changing this thing around for sure,” Fears said.
Sacramento’s Darius Acuff Jr., the seventh overall pick in June’s draft, continued his strong rookie season with 34 points and 14 assists — topping his previous career-high of 33 points set last week against Portland. De’Andre Hunter and Precious Achiuwa added 24 points each for the Kings, but Sacramento fell to 0-5. They’re one of two remaining winless teams along with the 0-4 Brooklyn Nets.
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The Hawks got a much-needed win in Atlanta, taking charge with a 43-point third quarter and holding on for a 114-111 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Onyeka Okongwu scored 29 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 25 points, and Aaron Wiggins added 20 points off the bench for the Hawks, who had lost three straight and grabbed their first home win of the fledgling season.
James Harden scored 24 points for the Cavs, who led by as many as 15 in the second quarter. Donovan Mitchell added 22, including a driving layup that pulled Cleveland within 112-111 with 20.6 seconds remaining. Alexander-Walker made a pair of free throws, and Mitchell missed a pair of potential game-tying three-pointers in the waning seconds.
In Thursday’s nightcap, unbeaten Portland’s Ja Morant faces his former team for the first time since they traded him when the Trail Blazers host the unbeaten Memphis Grizzlies. Morant, taken second overall by the Grizzlies in the 2019 draft, earned 2020 Rookie of the Year honors and emerged as a star in his seven-year tenure in Memphis. He was also handed a pair of lengthy suspensions, but his biggest troubles last season stemmed from multiple injuries that limited him to 20 games.
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