Sunday in the NBA marked the debut of the two other big names traded during the hectic leadup to the trade deadline—Anthony Davis and Jimmy Butler. We’ll take a look at their debuts, along with another win from arguably the league’s hottest team.
Lakers Beat Pacers Without LeBron James, Luka Doncic
No LeBron James, no problem for the Los Angeles Lakers (31-19) as Austin Reaves took over to lead the Purple and Gold to a 124-117 victory over the Indiana Pacers (29-22) at crypto.com Arena.
Reaves fired a career-high 45 points in a virtuoso performance that included 7 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 steals. Rui Hachimura added 24 points and 9 rebounds for the Lakers, who raced out to a 25-point halftime lead and held on to notch their fifth straight win and nine of the last ten.
Pascal Siakam topscored for the Pacers with 23 points, while Tyrese Haliburton added 19 points and 9 assists.
Up next:
Lakers vs. Utah Jazz on February 11
Pacers vs. New York Knicks on February 12
Mavs Stun Rockets Behind Anthony Davis’s Dominant Start
Anthony Davis put up a dream start to his Dallas Mavericks (28-25) career, pouring in 24 of his 26 points before intermission to lead the Mavs to a 116-105 victory over the Houston Rockets (32-20) at American Airlines Center.
Davis also had 16 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 blocks and had the home crowd rocking early and often in his debut after the stunning trade that sent Luka Doncic to the Lakers. Max Christie, the other marquee name involved in said trade, added 23 off the bench. Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson chipped in 13 apiece.
Alperen Sengun scored 30 points and Jalen Green added 24 for the Rockets, who have now lost six straight games.
Up next:
Mavs vs. Sacramento Kings on February 11
Rockets vs. Toronto Raptors on February 10
Warriors Rout Bulls as Jimmy Butler Makes Rousing Debut
Newly acquired Jimmy Butler sparked the Golden State Warriors (26-26) to a 132-111 dismantling of the Chicago Bulls (22-31) at United Center.
Butler had 25 points 2 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block as he looked every bit the second superstar the Warriors had been looking to pair with Stephen Curry. The many-time All-Star finished with a game-high 34 points on eight triples. Brandin Podziemski chipped in 16 off the bench.
Coby White led the Bulls with 27 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists. Matas Buzelis chipped in 16 points, while Jalen Smith had 15 off the bench.
Up next:
Warriors vs. Milwaukee Bucks on February 11
Bulls vs. Detroit Pistons on February 12
