NBA roundup: Rockets upset Thunder, Warriors humiliate Grizzlies
The Houston Rockets put an end to the worst-ever start to an NBA season with a battling 110-105 victory over the previously unbeaten Oklahoma City Thunder in one of seven matches on Monday night.
Houston had lost their first three games of the season by exactly 20 points, but got on the board last night as James Harden (37 points) led a second-half fightback against his former team.
At Oracle Arena, the Memphis Grizzlies suffered the worst defeat in their history as they were beaten by 50 points by the defending champions. Reigning MVP Stephen Curry (30 points, 10-16 shooting) again led the on-fire Golden State Warriors to a big win as they dominated the second and third quarters after Memphis edged the first frame by a single point.
The Warriors are 4-0 and have won their contests by a differential of 100 points, which is an NBA record after four games, eclipsing the 99-point mark of the 1961-62 Boston Celtics.
The Los Angeles Clippers also have a perfect 4-0 record thanks to a 102-96 triumph over the Phoenix Suns. Blake Griffin’s strong start to the season continued as he scored 22 points and collected 10 rebounds for the home side at Staples Center.
LeBron James became the youngest player to ever reach 25,000 NBA points in the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 107-100 win over the winless Philadelphia 76ers. The historic points came on an alley-oop play as James fell one rebound short of a triple-double at Wells Fargo Center (22 points, nine rebounds, 11 assists).
Veteran big-man Tim Duncan also reached a milestone last night as he won his 954th game with the San Antonio Spurs. It is the most NBA wins with one team by any player, surpassing the 953 that John Stockton achieved with the Utah Jazz.
The Spurs, who have won three in a row after an season-opening defeat to OKC, were too strong for the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden as Duncan posted 16 points, 10 rebounds and six assists. It was an emotional night for the Minnesota Timberwolves as they played their first home game of the season and paid tribute to former head coach and GM Flip Saunders, who passed away last month.
The Portland Trail Blazers were the visitors to Target Center and they inflicted a first defeat of the season on the Wolves as Damian Lillard’s 34 points helped overcome a first-quarter deficit after a stirring start by Minnesota.
Both the Brooklyn Nets and the Milwaukee Bucks went into their match at Barclays Center having lost their first games of the season and it was the Bucks who stopped the rot with victory.
It was an even contest until the final minutes when Milwaukee finished the match on a 9-0 run, turning a two-point deficit into a seven-point win. Jerryd Bayless top-scored with 27 points, while Greg Monroe had 23 points and 13 rebounds for the Bucks.
Results in full:
Cleveland Cavaliers 107-100 Philadelphia 76ers
Milwaukee Bucks 103-96 Brooklyn Nets
San Antonio Spurs 94-84 New York Knicks
Oklahoma City Thunder 105-110 Houston Rockets
Portland Trail Blazers 106-101 Minnesota Timberwolves
Memphis Grizzlies 69-119 Golden State Warriors
Phoenix Suns 96-102 Los Angeles Clippers.
