LeBron, Melo mark 18th anniversary of NBA debuts with Lakers win

NBA greats LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony tallied 26 and 24 points, respectively, to help the Los Angeles Lakers win 113-101 against the Cleveland Cavaliers and improve their record to 3-3 for the season.

Having missed out on their last match that ended in defeat to the Oklahoma City Thunder, LeBron James looked keen to help the Lakers win against his former side, the Cleveland Cavaliers, and contributed 26 points with three rebounds and eight assists. Carmelo Anthony came off the bench to contribute 24 points and five rebounds.

The Lakers win over the Cavaliers came on the 18th anniversary of the NBA debuts of LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony, both born in 1984 and both of whom were recently named among the 75 top players in the NBA of all time.

Kevin Durant and James Harden combined for 51 points as the Brooklyn Nets returned to winning ways with a 105-98 win over the Indiana Pacers to improve their record to 3-3 for the season. Harden scored 16 free throws en route to finishing with 29 points, while Durant contributed 22 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists.

Miami Heat defeated the Charlotte Hornets 114-99 to improve their record for the season to 4-1 and continue their impressive start. Jimmy Butler contributed 32 points for the Heat, with Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo contributing 26 points apiece.

The rookies ran the show as the Toronto Raptors defeated the Orlando Magic by a single point 110-109 to improve their record to 3-3 for the season. Number four draft pick in the 2021 class Scottie Barnes led the scoring with 21 points and nine rebounds for the Raptors, and number five pick Jalen Suggs contributed 21 points for the Magic.

Sacramento Kings defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 113-109 to improve to 3-2 for the season after five matches. De’Aaron Fox led the scoring for the Kings with 23 points and Buddy Hield contributed 20 points.

Damian Lillard inspired the Portland Trail Blazers to a 111-92 win over the Los Angeles Clippers. Lillard contributed 25 points with four rebounds and six assists as he looks to overcome an underwhelming start to the season. Paul George tallied 42 points for the Clippers, despite their defeat.

Will Barton led the scoring for the Denver Nuggets as they hammered the Dallas Mavericks 106-75 to take their record for the season to 3-2. Barton recorded 17 points with Aaron Gordon contributing 13 and Michael Porter Jr contributing 12 points.