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McCollum sinks Harden, Rockets in OT; Timberwolves on Clarkson’s Jazz
MANILA, Philippines – The new NBA season is in full swing with 10 games played on Saturday (Sunday Manila time), highlighted by two games that went into overtime.
One day after five explosive games on Christmas Day (December 26 in Manila), the Portland Trailblazers edged the Houston Rockets, 128-126 in a clash that saw CJ McCollum and embattled star James Harden score 44 points apiece. .
McCollum’s 44-point outburst, however, turned out to be more significant than Harden’s after the Blazers star sank nine 3-pointers in a game, the highest of his career, including the last 3-pointer in overtime that eventually led Portland to victory.
Harden’s double-double performance of 44 points and 17 assists comes after his mandatory quarantine after he was caught violating coronavirus (COVID-19) protocols.
Damian Lillard contributed 32 points and nine dimes in the victory to give Portland a 1-1 start to the season.
Meanwhile, the clash between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Detroit Pistons went into double overtime and the Cavs ultimately won the game, 128-119.
After a hand-to-hand duel, the Cavs edged Detroit, 16-7 at 2OT to finally take the win and start the year 2-0.
Four Cavaliers broke the 20-point mark with Collin Sexton leading all scorers with 32 points in the victory.
Big man Andre Drummond finished with a double-double of 23 points and 16 rebounds in 44 minutes of play in the extended clash.
In the other games, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sank two pitches to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to victory in their season opener against the Charlotte Hornets, 109-107.
Gilgeous-Alexander finished with a total of 24 points, including the eventual game winner, while his teammate George Hill contributed 21 markers.
In the Atlanta Hawks’ 122-112 win over the Memphis Grizzlies, it was a battle of young stars with current Rookie of the Year Ja Morant in an offensive showdown with All-Star guard Trae Young.
Young outscored the sophomore with 36 points and nine assists under his belt to lead his team to victory.
Morant, for his part, finished with 28 markers, seven assists and three rebounds.
Meanwhile, the Utah Jazz fell to 1-1 after a comeback effort led by Filipino-American Jordan Clarkson was in vain against the Minnesota Timberwolves, 116-111.
Clarkson led all Jazz scorers with 23 points in 23 minutes off the bench.
D’Angelo Russell outscored the Wolves on the other side with 25 markers to accompany six assists and two rebounds.
In the other games, the Orlando Magic beat the Washington Wizards, 130-120, led by 25 points from Terrence Ross.
Meanwhile, Joel Embiid led the Philadelphia 76ers’ 20-point beating of the New York Knnicks, 109-89.
The big man finished with 27 points while four other Sixers finished with double-digit scores.
The Indiana Pacers, meanwhile, are now 2-0 on the season after a 125-106 win over the Chicago Bulls.
Vicor Oladipo, TJ Warren and Domantas Sabonis scored at least 22 points each to propel the Pacers to victory.
The San Antonio Spurs, on the other hand, beat the Toronto Raptors, 119-114. While the Sacramento Kings beat the Phoenix Suns, 106-103.
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