Twenty-four NBA the groups opened their 2024-25 season. The remaining six groups open their season on Thursday.
We’re not drawing agency conclusions after 12 video games, however we’ll acknowledge the great and the dangerous – and the unlucky, together with the brand new New Orleans Pelicans guard Defeat Murray affected by a fracture to the left (non-firing hand), by ESPN.
Boston has recovered The place they left off, LeBron James and Bronny James made historical past and the Los Angeles Clippers performed their first sport of their new $2 billion Intuit Dome.
Listed below are the winners and losers from the primary two nights of the 2024-25 NBA season:
Winners
Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, Santi Aldama
Memphis Grizzlies guards Ja Morant and Desmond Bane and heart Santi Aldama mixed for 73 factors in Memphis’ 126-124 win over Utah. Morant had 22 factors, 10 assists and 5 rebounds; Bane scored 24 factors; and Aldama had 27 factors.
Onyeka Okongwu, Trae Younger
Atlanta Falcons Ahead Onyeka Okongwu got here off the bench and scored a career-high 28 factors on 11-of-12 capturing, and Hawks guard Trae Younger had 30 factors, 12 assists and 5 rebounds in a win over the Brooklyn Nets.
Paolo Banchero
Magic of Orlando Ahead Paolo Banchero, who was an All-Star final season in his sophomore season and was named to USA TODAY’s listing of prime 30 NBA gamers for 2024-25, had 33 factors and 11 rebounds in a 116-1 win. 97 towards Miami.
Damian Lillard, Giannis Antetokounmpo
Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard had 30 factors, 9 rebounds and 6 assists in a 124-109 victory over Philadelphia. That is the form of play the Bucks want from Lillard, who has had some assist from Bucks ahead Giannis Antetokounmpo (25 factors, 14 rebounds, seven assists).
Charles Lee, Kenny Atkinson, Mike Budenholzer, JJ Redick
Charles Lee, coach of the Charlotte Hornets, Kenny Atkinson, coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Lakers coach JJ Redick and Phoenix Suns coach Mike Budenholzer scored victories of their first video games with their new groups – the Hornets beat Houston 110-105, the Cavaliers beat Toronto 136-106, the Lakers dominated Minnesota 110-103 and the Suns beat the Clippers 116. -113 in extra time.
Jayson Tatum
Boston Celtics guard Jayson Tatum had 37 factors and 10 rebounds and made eight of his 11 3-pointers towards the New York Knickslaunching his MVP marketing campaign on opening evening.
Celtics 3
The Celtics made 29 3-pointers, tying an NBA file for many 3-pointers in a sport, towards the Knicks. Apart from Tatum’s eight 3s, Derrick White made six, Jaylen Brown 5, Jrue Vacation 4, Al Horford three, Sam Hauser two and Payton Pritchard one.
Lonzo ball
Chicago Bulls Guard Lonzo Ball performed in his first NBA sport in almost three years after present process three surgical procedures on his left knee and grueling rehabilitation. Even in simply 14 minutes with 5 factors, 4 assists and two rebounds in a loss to New Orleans, it was a triumphant comeback.
Ball LaMelo
Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball, Lonzo’s brother, had 34 factors, 11 assists and eight rebounds within the win over Houston.
LeBron James, Bronny James
LeBron James and Bronny James turned the primary father-son combo to play within the NBA on the identical time – and in the identical sport and on the identical group. Cool second for the James Gang and the league.
Losers
New Orleans Pelicans
Pelicans ahead Brandon Ingram scored 33 factors and guard Dejounte Murray, taking part in in his first sport with New Orleans since Atlanta traded him within the offseason, produced 14 factors, 10 assists and eight rebounds in a 123-111 victory over the Chicago Bulls. However now Murray is injured and it’s unclear when he’ll return.
Philadelphia 76ers
No Paul George, no Joel Embiid in Philadelphia’s season opener and despite the fact that the 76ers I would like these two to be wholesome for the playoffs, their absence took the shine off the sport towards the Bucks.
Houston Rockets
Seeking to construct on a promising 2023-24 season, the Houston Rockets misplaced its season opener at residence to the Hornets, who outscored the Rockets 61-45 within the second half.
Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo
Miami Warmth ahead Jimmy Butler and heart Bam Adebayo had been a mixed 2 of 13 from the sphere in a loss to the Magic.
JB Bickerstaff, Jordi Fernández
Detroit Pistons coach JB Bickerstaff and Brooklyn Nets coach Jordi Fernandez misplaced their first video games with their new groups – Indiana topped Detroit 115-109 and Atlanta stopped Brooklyn 120-116.
Path Blazers, Pistons, Sixers 3
The Portland Path Blazers shot 23.5% on 3s in a 139-104 loss to Golden State, the Pistons shot 27.3% on 3s within the loss to Indiana and the Sixers shot 25.8 % on 3s towards Milwaukee.
New York Knicks
No matter message the Knicks wished to ship to Boston, this 132-109 loss wasn’t it. The Knicks trailed by as many as 35, simply one other group – no less than on this evening – on the Celtics’ schedule.
This text was initially revealed on USA TODAY: NBA Winners and Losers: Dejounte Murray’s damage initially of the main storyline
