NBA
November 22, 2018

Post Up: LeBron James Earns the Win in Return to Cleveland

Lakers 109 (10-7), Cavaliers 105 (2-14)

All eyes were on Cleveland as LeBron James made his first return since becoming a Los Angeles Laker. He made the most of it, leading his new team to the win with 32 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists. JaVale McGee came up with a huge block on a bucket that could’ve tied the game.

Pelicans 120 (10-8), 76ers 121 (13-7)

In the battle of star big men, Joel Embiid shined bright. Embiid registered 31 points and 19 rebounds for the 76ers in the win. On the other end, Anthony Davis contributed 12 points and 16 rebounds; he also hit 10,000 career points.

Pacers 109 (11-7), Hornets 127 (9-8)

While Kemba Walker has done a lot of heavy lifting over the past week for the Hornets, Charlotte put in an all-around effort to overcome the Pacers. Seven Hornets hit double-digit points, led by 21 from Jeremy Lamb. The Pacers were without Victor Oladipo due to a sore right knee.

Raptors 124 (15-4), Hawks 108 (3-15)

Kyle Lowry’s triple-double (21 points, 12 rebounds and 17 assists) led Toronto to the win, becoming the first team in the NBA to 15 wins. Veteran Vince Carter surpassed the 25,000 career-point landmark on, of course, a dunk.

Knicks 117 (5-14), Celtics 109 (9-9)

It became the Trey Burke show in Boston with the guard notching 29 points and 11 assists off the bench. He even hit a dagger 3-pointer that put New York safely ahead for good. Kyrie Irving led Boston with 22 points and 13 assists.

Suns 116 (3-14), Bulls 124 (5-13)

Zach LaVine went off for a game-high 29 points and contributed six assists. Jabari Parker added 20 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists. Devin Booker led Phoenix with 23 points.

Pistons 124 (8-7), Rockets 126 (9-7)

The trio of James Harden, Chris Paul and Clint Capela combined for 90 (!) points and helped Houston continue to right the ship. Blake Griffin put in a heroic effort on the other end, dropping 37 points in the loss.

https://twitter.com/HoustonRockets/status/1065425951494979584

Blazers 100 (12-6), Bucks 143 (13-4)

It was not the Blazers’ night. Coming into the game on a back-to-back, playing in New York last night, the team didn’t have enough gas to keep up from the jump. Giannis Antetokounmpo made sure Portland didn’t sniff a comeback, putting in 33 points, 16 rebounds and nine assists as the Bucks won by 43.

Nuggets 103 (11-7), Timberwolves 101 (7-11)

Nikola Jokic’s near triple-double (seven points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists) inched Denver ahead in a close game in Minnesota. Paul Millsap added 25 points as well. Karl-Anthony Towns led the Wolves with 22 points.

Nets 113 (8-11), Mavericks 119 (8-9)

Harrison Barnes provided the scoring (28 points), DeAndre Jordan provided the boards (14 rebounds) and Luka Doncic provided a little bit of both (21 points, nine rebounds) in the Dallas win. The game was also highlighted by Dirk Nowitzki receiving a key to the city of Dallas.

Grizzlies 104 (12-5), Spurs 103 (8-9)

Marc Gasol put the Grizzlies ahead for good with two free throws with only 0.7 seconds remaining. Gasol had 20 points and 10 rebounds while Mike Conley had 30 points and nine rebounds. DeMar DeRozan scored 24 points for the Spurs in the loss.

Kings 119 (10-8), Jazz 110 (8-10)

It was a battle between two of the top players from the 2017 NBA Draft class, with De’Aaron Fox coming out on top thanks to his 17 points, 13 assists and seven rebounds. Meanwhile Donovan Mitchell had 35 points for Utah, continuing some strong play from him as of late.

Thunder 123 (11-6), Warriors 95 (12-7)

The loss for Golden State marks their first four-game losing streak under current head coach Steve Kerr. Russell Westbrook’s triple-double (11 points, 11 rebounds and 13 assists) and Paul George’s near double-double (25 points, nine rebounds) paced OKC to the win. Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson each had 27 points.

RELATED:
‘Loudest I’ve Ever Heard Boos’: LeBron James Recalls First Return to Cleveland

 

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