Short-handed Cavaliers lose to 76ers…
The Golden State Warriors put their struggles against the Oklahoma City Thunder behind them on Monday night to beat their Western Conference rivals.
The Warriors had lost eight of their previous 10 match-ups over the past three seasons, but they are 3-0 this season and their defense has been a huge difference.
Draymond Green had 11 points and 13 rebounds, Harrison Barnes added a season-high 23 points along with seven rebounds while Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry scored 19 points each.
However, they were also able to limit the Thunder to 30.6 percent shooting, including 5-for-28 from 3-point range, which meant that Steve Kerr’s team improve to 27-5 while Oklahoma City fall to 17-18.
Elsewhere, there was a highly impressive win for the Atlanta Hawks on the road against the Los Angeles Clippers, with Paul Millsap scoring 23 points while Jeff Teague added 20.
Atlanta won their seventh straight road game for the first time in 21 years while winning their fifth in a row overall and 19th in 21 games to move to 26-8 for the season which keeps them at the top of the Eastern Conference.
Blake Griffin had 26 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Clippers, but despite contributions across the roster it wasn’t enough for the hosts to avoid a disappointing defeat.
Over in the East, the Chicago Bulls secured a solid win over the Houston Rockets despite missing Mike Dunleavy from the starting line-up.
Pau Gasol had 27 points and 14 rebounds, Jimmy Butler scored 22 points and the Bulls won for the 13th time in 15 games as they rallied to overcome a strong Western Conference contender.
Derrick Rose added 19 points and nine assists while Nikola Mirotic finished with 17 points, but another key aspect of the victory came through Butler’s defense on James Harden particularly late on as the hosts went on a 19-5 run over the final three minutes.
Meanwhile, there was a shock of sort in Philadelphia as the 76ers finally picked up their first home win of the season against the short-handed and struggling Cleveland Cavaliers.
Michael Carter-Williams had 18 points, six rebounds and 13 assists as he received contributions across the roster while the Cavs relied heavily on Kevin Love who put up 28 points and 19 rebounds.
The Sixers ended a 14-game home skid in the absence of LeBron James and Kyrie Irving, while Dion Waiters missed the game after being involved in a trade deal which moves him to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Tony Wroten scored 20 points for the hosts including a go-ahead lay-up with 9.1 seconds left to lift the 76ers to victory.
NBA Results
Cleveland Cavaliers 92-95 Philadelphia 76ers
Charlotte Hornets 104-95 Boston Celtics
Dallas Mavericks 96-88 Brooklyn Nets
Houston Rockets 105-114 Chicago Bulls
New York Knicks 83-105 Memphis Grizzlies
Denver Nuggets 110-101 Minnesota Timberwolves
Washington Wizards 92-85 New Orleans Pelicans
Indiana Pacers 105-101 Utah Jazz
Los Angeles Lakers 94-98 Portland Trail Blazesr
Oklahoma City Thunder 91-117 Golden State Warriors
Atlanta Hawks 107-98 Los Angeles Clippers
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