NBA Roundup: Brooklyn Earns First Win, Doncic Shines for Lakers
Brooklyn notched its first win of the season over Indiana, Luka Doncic shined with 45 points for the Lakers, and rookie Yaxel Landborg led Golden State past the Clippers.
Brooklyn secured its first NBA win of the season with a 98-90 victory over the Indiana Pacers on the road. Michael Porter Jr. led the Nets with 23 points, Julius Randle added 20, and Day'Ron Sharpe recorded a double-double with 15 points and 13 rebounds. Israeli players Ben Saraf and Dany Wolf did not play in the matchup, while the Nets dominated the boards with a 43-37 rebounding advantage.
The game started sluggishly for both teams, with Brooklyn shooting just 38 percent from the field in the first half yet leading 43-40 at halftime, largely due to Indiana's cold shooting of 32 percent and four three-pointers out of 20 attempts. Brooklyn extended its lead to 12 points three times in the third quarter, finishing it up 71-62. The Pacers narrowed the gap to 75-72 early in the final quarter thanks to back-to-back triples from Larry Nance Jr. and Andrew Nembhard, but failed to get any closer.
Nembhard led Indiana with 23 points, while Pascal Siakam added 17, though the hosts struggled to overcome a lengthy injury list. Obi Toppin missed his second consecutive game due to lower back soreness, Ivica Zubac remains sidelined with a left ankle sprain, and Tyrese Haliburton is expected to remain out for at least 10 more days due to a hamstring strain. Meanwhile, Brooklyn rested rookie Michael Brown Jr. ahead of their game against the New York Knicks.
Luka Doncic Leads Lakers Past Raptors
Luka Doncic continued his phenomenal start to the season, leading the Los Angeles Lakers to a 131-125 win over the Toronto Raptors with a stellar performance of 45 points, 15 rebounds, 6 assists, and 5 steals, alongside eight three-pointers. The Slovenian star scored at least 37 points for the fourth consecutive game, reaching 40 or more points for the 20th time in 98 regular-season games with the Lakers. Austin Reaves added 19 points, and Walker Kessler contributed a double-double of 16 points and 15 rebounds.
The Lakers bounced back from a loss to Golden State and appeared headed for an easy win when they led 102-76 late in the third quarter. However, Toronto mounted a fierce comeback, cutting the deficit to single digits and exploiting the exit of the hosts' starters to spark an 11-0 run in 40 seconds to make it 125-120. This forced Doncic, Reaves, and Kessler back onto the floor in the closing minutes to secure the victory. Scottie Barnes led the Raptors with 29 points, while RJ Barrett added 22.
Warriors Extend Win Streak Without Curry and Green
Golden State extended its winning streak to four games with a 124-112 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers, despite playing without stars Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, who were rested. Rookie Yaxel Landborg stole the show with a career-high 37 points and 6 assists, shooting 13-of-19 from the field and 6-of-11 from beyond the arc. De'Anthony Melton added 21 points, Brandin Podziemski contributed 17 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists, and Brandon Williams chipped in 17 off the bench.
The Warriors, who opened the season with three straight losses, now look like a completely different team. On the other side, the Clippers suffered their fifth consecutive loss despite 24 points from Rui Hachimura and 16 off the bench from Kobe Sanders. The game was played in a celebratory atmosphere at the Chase Center, a day after the Golden State WNBA team won the championship.
