Since their 3-0 start, it has been an uneven run for the Lakers. The Purple and Gold now have a 12-9 record, good for eighth in the Western Conference, as they’re coming off a blowout defeat against the Timberwolves (109-80). The seemingly ageless LeBron James had one of his worst performances this season, leaving many fans wondering whether he is washed. After all, the four-time NBA champion will be 40 before 2024 ends.
Meanwhile, the Hawks defeated the injury-ravaged Pelicans, which was Dejounte Murray’s first game back in Atlanta after he was traded this summer. The Bulls and the Celtics also defeated the Nets and the Heat at home to round out tonight’s four-game schedule. Learn about the latest NBA 2024 results as SBOTOP shares some key takeaways.
James scores season-low against Timberwolves
The Lakers’ game against the Timberwolves was the second game of a back-to-back set, which is why they had a lethargic performance. The 80 points they’ve scored is a season low for JJ Redick’s side. The Lakers’ top scorer for this game was neither Anthony Davis nor LeBron James, but it was D’Angelo Russell, who had 20 points.
LeBron James only had 10 points against Minnesota. The King only went 4-for-16 from the field and 0-for-4 from three-point land, although he added eight rebounds and four assists. This is only the 17th time in his illustrious career that he’s scored 10 or fewer points. James’ previous low this season was 11 points against the Suns last October.
The four-time NBA MVP admitted postgame that he is in a slump offencively, and his three-point inaccuracy has been a big reason why. James has missed his last 19 three-point shots, but at least he maintained his double-digit points streak at 1,243 games and counting.
Anthony Davis didn’t do so well either, as The Brow only had 12 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists on 4-for-14 shooting from the field. Rui Hachimura was the other Lakers player who scored in double digits (10 points), while the team didn’t get much else from the bench.
Julius Randle and Rudy Gobert led the Timberwolves with 18 and 17 points, respectively. Anthony Edwards also struggled since he only had eight points on 3-for-13 shooting, but Naz Reid, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Donte DiVincenzo picked up the slack by combining for 41 points off the bench. The Timberwolves are back at the .500 mark with a 10-10 record, good for 11th in the Western Conference.
Giddey leads Bulls past rebuilding Nets
Josh Giddey recorded his first triple-double while wearing a Bulls uniform in their 128-102 victory over the Nets on Monday. The Australian international recorded 20 points, 13 rebounds, and 11 assists on 9-for-17 shooting from the field in 32 minutes of action. This was a great bounceback game after scoring only four points against the Celtics last time out.
The Bulls were on a two-game slide, but the NBA 2024 odds favoured them to beat the Nets, who were without Ben Simmons, Dorian Finney-Smith, and Cameron Johnson due to injuries. Besides Josh Giddey, Nikola Vucevic, Matas Buzelis, Zach LaVine, Ayo Dosunmu, and Talen Horton-Tucker also contributed double-digit points for the Bulls.
Dariq Whitehead led Brooklyn with 18 points, and Dennis Schroder, Tyrese Martin, Shake Milton, Trendon Watford, and Nic Claxton added 16, 15, 14, 12, and 11 points, respectively. The Nets have a 9-13 record amid a three-game losing streak, good for 11th in the Eastern Conference and level with the 10th-seeded Pistons and 9th-seeded Bulls.
Celtics demolish rivals to get back on track
After losing narrowly to the Cavaliers on Sunday, the Celtics returned to winning ways with a 108-89 victory over the Heat on Monday. Jaylen Brown led all scorers with 29 points on 8-for-21 shooting from the field and 9-for-10 from the free throw line, and Payton Pritchard added 25 points, five rebounds, four assists, two steals, and five three-pointers off the bench. Derrick White and Jayson Tatum also recorded 19 and 18 points, respectively.
Boston missed Jrue Holiday (knee), Al Horford (toe), and Kristaps Porzingis (leg), but they didn’t skip a beat. Miami also didn’t have Jimmy Butler, who missed his fifth game of the season due to a knee injury.
After a close first quarter, the Celtics built a double-digit lead in the second quarter and maintained a comfortable margin throughout the game. Boston had their largest lead entering the fourth period after Payton Pritchard hit a step-through layup to beat the buzzer to make it 22 points. The Celtics remain the second seed with a 17-4 record, while the Heat are seventh at 9-10 on the season.
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