Donovan Mitchell has powered Cleveland to unchartered NBA territory while Steph Curry torched the reigning champions as Golden State’s hot start continued.
Mitchell scored 29 points in the Cavaliers’ 131-122 road defeat of New Orleans, his team now 9-0 for the first time in their 55-year NBA history.
Curry was just as hot on his way to 27 points, nine assists and seven rebounds to help visiting Golden State (7-1) stretch their winning streak to five games with a 118-112 victory over the Boston Celtics.
The Warriors have won seven of their eight games, the team’s best start to a season since they won 11 of their first 12 games on their way to the 2021-22 title.
No.1 overall draft pick Zaccharie Risacher (33 points and seven rebounds) scored career highs to lead Atlanta to a 121-116 win over the visiting New York Knicks.
Risacher was 11-for-18 from the field, including 6-for-10 on 3-pointers, with three assists, three steals and two blocks.
Karl-Anthony Towns led the Knicks with 34 points, 16 rebounds and three blocks to help them draw level before the Hawks pushed clear in the final five minutes.
Australian Dyson Daniels (six points, five rebounds, four steals) was again a defensive presence but shot just three-of-16 in his 36 minutes for the Hawks.
Ja Morant scored 20 points before leaving in the third quarter with a right hamstring injury as Memphis beat travelling the Los Angeles Lakers 131-114.
LeBron James led the Lakers with 39 points.
Boomers centre Jock Landale was efficient off the bench and Houston teammate Jack McVeigh logged his first NBA minutes in a 127-100 victory over visiting San Antonio..
Fred VanVleet recorded his first double-double of the season while Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun combined for 37 points as the Houston Rockets cruised to a 127-100 victory.
VanVleet (21 points with 10 assists on 10-of-11 shooting) and Landale (11 points, six rebounds) were imposing while McVeigh, on a two-way contract with the Rockets’ G-League affiliate, missed his three attempts in a two-minute stint.
Boomers guard Josh Giddey (10 points, six assists, five turnovers) endured a tough night for his new team Chicago, with Luka Doncic (27 points, 13 assists) dominant in a 119-99 Dallas home-court win.
Nikola Jokic (23 points, 20 rebounds, 16 assists) and Russell Westbrook (29 points) combined as Denver came from 16 points down to hand Oklahoma City their first loss of the season, 124-122.
It was a similar story in Phoenix as Kevin Durant (32 points) and Jusuf Nurkic (20 points and 18 rebounds) helped overturn a 15-point margin to beat Miami 115-112 and extend their winning streak to six games.
Sacramento beat Toronto 122-107 at home, Josh Green was scoreless as Charlotte pipped Detroit 108-107 on a Brandon Miller buzzer-beating tip-in, Indiana defeated Orlando and the LA Clippers swiped aside the Philadelphia 76ers.
