Thunder trounce Warriors for first win
OKLAHOMA CITY — Dennis Schroder scored 22 points to help the Oklahoma City Thunder rout the Golden State Warriors 12092 on Sunday for their first victory of the season.
The blowout matched Oklahoma City’s largest margin of victory over the Warriors since the franchise moved from Seattle before the 200809 season.
Danilo Gallinari added 21 points, and Shai GilgeousAlexander had 19 points and nine rebounds for the Thunder. They opened the season with losses to Utah and Washington.
Stephen Curry scored 23 points for the Warriors, making 7 of 18 shots while his teammates made just 23of74. Golden State was coming off a seasonopening home loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.
Oklahoma City roared out to a 7037 halftime lead. The Thunder shot 56.5% before the break while holding the Warriors to 27.5 %. Schroder had 16 points and six rebounds in the first half.
A 3pointer by Gallinari put the Thunder ahead 9556 with just over four minutes left in the third quarter and forced a Warriors timeout. Oklahoma City led 10568 heading into the final period.
TRAIL BLAZERS 121, MAVS 119
Damian Lillard made a twisting layup with 26 seconds remaining and scored 26 of his 28 points in the second half in Portland’s victory at Dallas.
Lillard’s basket gave the Blazers a 120119 lead. Dallas’ Luka Doncic then missed a 3point attempt, and Portland won a challenge of a call that would have sent the Mavericks’ Dorian FinneySmith to the foul line.
Instead, there was a jump ball.
The Blazers’ Kent Bazemore got the ball and was fouled. He made the first of two free throws. Doncic rebounded and passed to Tim Hardaway, whose shot from about midcourt rattled off the front of the rim a time expired.
C.J. McCollum led Portland with 35 points. Kristaps Porzingis scored 32 points for Dallas, and Doncic had 29 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists.
GRIZZLIES 134, NETS 133 (OT)
Jae Crowder hit a 3pointer from the top of the key as time expired in overtime, lifting Memphis to a win over visiting Brooklyn.
Rookie Ja Morant, who led Memphis with 30 points, handed out his ninth assist on Crowder’s winning basket, giving his team its first win of the season.
Dillon Brooks scored 21 points, and Jonas Valanciunas had 16 points and 11 rebounds for Memphis. Morant also blocked Kyrie Irving’s shot at the end of regulation to keep the score tied at 120all.
Crowder’s winning 3pointer was his second basket of the game, as he finished with six points. His previous 3pointer came with 1:09 left as Memphis took its first lead of overtime at 131128
Irving finished with 37 points, seven rebounds and seven assists for Brooklyn. Caris LeVert added 27 points, Spencer Dinwiddie had 16 points on 3for13 shooting from the field.
Morant was key in Memphis reaching overtime, scoring 17 points in the fourth quarter. Morant’s layup — his final points of the fourth — tied the score at 120 with 7 seconds left. He blocked Irving on the ensuing possession as time ran out in regulation.
TIMBERWOLVES 116, HEAT 109
Andrew Wiggins made four 3pointers in the final six minutes, finishing with 25 points to propel undefeated Minnesota to a road win against Miami.
KarlAnthony Towns added 23 points and 11 rebounds for the
Wolves (30), who matched the secondbest start in this longlanguishing franchise’s history. They were 60 in 200102 and 30 in 201314.
Kendrick Nunn had 25 points on 5for9 shooting from 3point range, and Duncan Robinson pitched in with 21 points for Miami, which played again without new star Jimmy Butler and took its first loss after playing in Milwaukee the day before.
Wiggins started the season 0 for 13 from long range, but his first make was welltimed with 5:52 left to tie the game at 96. The Heat had a lead as big as 8474 on Robinson’s 3pointer late in the third, but Towns answered from behind the arc in the final minute of that period to give the Wolves momentum.
LAKERS 120, HORNETS 101
Anthony Davis had 29 points and 14 rebounds, and Dwight Howard added 16 points, 10 boards and four blocked shots in Los Angeles’ victory at home against Charlotte.
LeBron James had 20 points, 12 assists and six rebounds. The Lakers took control of their second straight victory with an 182 rally starting late in the third quarter.
Miles Bridges scored 23 points for Charlotte.
SUNS’ OUBRE FINED $10K
Phoenix Suns forward Kelly Oubre Jr. has been fined $10,000 for directing what the NBA called “inappropriate language” toward a game official.
The fine was announced Sunday by league executive Kiki VanDeWeghe.
The incident occurred Friday night at the conclusion of the Suns’ 108107 overtime loss to the Nuggets in Denver.