It was a modest three-game slate on Friday around the NBA, highlighted by a rare doubleheader in Atlanta, a rookie triple-double in Memphis courtesy of Cameron Boozer, and another rookie—Darius Acuff Jr.—who deserved a better result in Sacramento. Let’s get right to it, shall we?
Hawks Edge Cavaliers on a Doubleheader Night
The Atlanta Hawks snapped a three-game losing streak with a 114-111 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers at State Farm Arena, the second half of a rare doubleheader that began with the Atlanta Dream beating the Golden State Valkyries, 80-69, in Game 6 of the WNBA Finals.
Onyeka Okongwu was the star with a season-high 29 points and 12 rebounds. Nickeil Alexander-Walker added 25, and Aaron Wiggins chipped in 20 on 8-of-14 shooting off the bench. The Hawks improved to 3-3, while Cleveland saw its three-game winning streak end at 3-2.
Atlanta looked dead early. The Cavs sprinted to a 15-point lead after the first quarter, the fourth straight game the Hawks have fallen behind by at least 15. Then came the turnaround: a 19-2 run in the second flipped a 35-24 deficit into a 43-37 lead, and the Hawks held Cleveland to 16 points in a quarter, tying its season low.
Donovan Mitchell cut it to one with a driving layup with 20.6 seconds left, but Alexander-Walker hit two free throws with 15.3 seconds to go, and Mitchell missed two looks on the final possession. James Harden led Cleveland with 24, and Mitchell had 22.
Cameron Boozer Gets His First Triple-Double
The Memphis Grizzlies are 5-0, and their rookie is a big reason why. Cameron Boozer posted the first triple-double of his NBA career with 18 points, 12 rebounds, and 12 assists in a 124-103 rout of the Portland Trail Blazers. With it, Boozer became the second youngest rookie to record a triple-double at 19 years and 104 days old—or just 20 days behind the youngest, Josh Giddey, who owns the record at 19 years and 84 days old.
Memphis had eight players in double figures, including Isaiah Stewart, who led the bench with 18. Deni Avdija had 24 points, 9 rebounds, and 7 assists in a losing effort for Portland. The Grizzlies pulled away with a 10-0 run to go up 87-75 in the third, and Zach Edey’s three made it 96-85 early in the fourth. Memphis then outscored Portland, 33-20, in the final frame.
The night was complicated for the Blazers. Ja Morant had 14 points and 3 assists in his first game against his former team, but he left in the fourth quarter with a hamstring injury and did not return. Damian Lillard, a game after his game-sealing three against the Lakers, shot 3-for-13.
Darius Acuff Jr. Shines, But Pelicans Pull Away
The Sacramento Kings are 0-5, and it isn’t the fault of rookie Darius Acuff Jr., who scored a career-high 34 points with 12 assists. The Kings lost to the New Orleans Pelicans anyway, 132-120, because they gave the ball away 25 times, including 7 turnovers from Domantas Sabonis, who also had 15 rebounds and 7 assists.
Jeremiah Fears led New Orleans with 22 points, a career-high 13 assists, and eight rebounds. Zion Williamson was efficient with 22 points on 10-of-12 shooting, all in the paint, and Trey Murphy III had 18. The Pelicans’ bench outscored Sacramento’s reserves, 41-8, in their first win under new coach Jamahl Mosley, and they did it without Jordan Poole (ankle) and Dejounte Murray (birth of child).
New Orleans never trailed after Murphy’s free throws made it 55-54 with 1:45 left in the first half, and a 16-2 run in the third, led by Williamson and Murphy, blew it open.
