It was a busy day around the Association on Tuesday with nine games on tap—including a couple that saw the return of two of the NBA’s marquee names. There were also dominant wins and shock losses, plus an unexpected show out from a returning journeyman.
We take a look at all that in this daily recap:
Celtics Cruise as Kristaps Porzingis Plays First Game This Season
The Boston Celtics cruised to a dominant 126-94 win against the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday at the TD Garden thanks in part to their blistering three-point shooting.
Derrick White and Peyton Pritchard off the bench led the Cs torrid sniping, combining for half the Cs 22 triples on 19 attempts. Boston also got a boost from big man Kristaps Porzingis, who had sat out the first month of action recovering from an injury and played his first game of the 2024–25 NBA Season. He chipped in 16 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 blocks for the 15-3 Celtics.
Ivica Zubac was a bright spot for the 11-8 Clippers, finishing with 23 points and 11 rebounds.
Boston takes on the Chicago Bulls next on Saturday, while the Clippers face off against the Washington Wizards on Thursday.
Grizzlies Win as Ja Morant Returns
The Memphis Grizzlies won their third straight game on Tuesday, dominating the Portland Trailblazers on their way to a 123-98 triumph.
Leading the charge for the Grizz was Ja Morant, who returned after an eight-game absence to score 22 points on top of 11 assists and 2 rebounds. The high-flying guard had missed Memphis’ previous eight games due to a hamstring injury.
Jaren Jackson Jr. added 21 points 6 rebounds, and 3 blocks for the 11-7 Grizzlies. The 7-11 Blazers were led by Deni Avidja, who finished with 17 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists off the bench.
Both the Grizzlies and Blazers return to action on Thursday, with Memphis taking on the Detroit Pistons and Portland facing the Indiana Pacers
Warriors Stumble Again
Is there trouble at The Bay?
The Golden State Warriors lost a tough one at Chase Center on Tuesday, coughing up an 18-point lead en route to a 128-120 defeat to the Brooklyn Nets.
Dennis Schroder went toe-to-toe with the former two-time MVP Steph Curry all game long, finishing with a game-high 31 points to go along with 5 rebounds, 7 assists, and 2 steals. Curry had 28 points, 4 rebounds, and 7 assists for the Warriors, who have now lost back-to-back games for the first time this season.
A 41-28 fourth quarter doomed the Warriors, who dropped to 12-5 for the season. The Nets, who also got 23 points from Cam Thomas and 37 combined from Zaire Williams and seldom-used Jalen Wilson, climbed to 8-10.
Brooklyn next faces the Phoenix on Thursday. Golden State will try to avoid a three-game skid, also on Thursday when they take on the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Elfrid Payton Sets NBA Season-High in Assists but Pelicans Lose Pacers
Journeyman Elfrid Payton, who was signed by the New Orleans Pelicans just five days ago, set a season-high 21 assists on Tuesday, proving he might just be ready to become a rotation player once more.
Out of the league since the 2021–22 NBA season, Payton added 14 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists in 31 minutes. His efforts, though, were not enough as the Indiana Pacers outlasted the Pelicans, 114-110, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Tyrese Haliburton had a spectacular all-around game himself, leading the Pacers with 34 points, 3 rebounds, 13 assists, and 3 steals.
Indiana’s next outing is against the Blazers on Thursday. New Orleans will try to bounce back against the Toronto Raptors, also on Thursday.
