Shock defeat for Knicks at home to Bobcats.
It was a busy night in the NBA on Tuesday, with no less than nine games on the schedule which helped provide some more answers regarding the early contenders.
Despite the absence of one of their ‘Big Three’, the Miami Heat secured a 104-95 win over the Toronto Raptors with LeBron James leading the way with 35 points.
Chris Bosh didn’t make the trip as he stayed behind for the birth of his second child, and in his absence coach Erik Spoelstra got good production off the bench as well as 20 points from Dwyane Wade.
Meanwhile, Eastern Conference rivals the Brooklyn Nets picked up a first win for coach Jason Kidd since his return from suspension, with Brook Lopez overcoming a pre-game injury scare to record a game-high 27 points.
However, both teams still trail the early pace-setters in the Indiana Pacers who made it four straight wins with their 99-91 victory over the Detroit Pistons.
Much has been said about how Paul George will develop into a genuine superstar of the league this year, and he isn’t disappointing early on as he led the way with a double-double of 31 points and 10 rebounds.
C.J. Watson stepped in for the injured George Hill and added 15 points of his own, while David West, Lance Stephenson and Roy Hibbert all contributed to the win.
In contrast, the early season struggle for the New York Knicks continues as they fell to a surprise home loss to the Charlotte Bobcats.
Although it is still too early to make assessments, the Knicks now sit at 1-3 for the season and will be desperate to have J.R. Smith available again although Tyson Chandler suffered a knee injury on Tuesday and it remains to be seen how long he will be sidelined for.
In the Western Conference, there were wins for the Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets over the Los Angeles Lakers and Portland Trail Blazers respectively.
Meanwhile, the San Antonio Spurs continued their strong start to the new campaign with their third win from four with a 102-94 victory over the Denver Nuggets, who remain winless.
NBA Results:
Miami Heat 104-95 Toronto Raptors
Utah Jazz 88-104 Brooklyn Nets
Indiana Pacers 99-91 Detroit Pistons
Charlotte Bobcats 102-97 New York Knicks
Phoenix Suns 104-98 New Orleans Pelicans
Los Angeles Lakers 104-123 Dallas Mavericks
San Antonio Spurs 102-94 Denver Nuggets
Houston Rockets 116-101 Portland Trail Blazers
Atlanta Hawks 105-100 Sacramento Kings
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