1. Los Angeles Lakers V/S Los Angeles Clippers
Before the opening game, the Lakers handed out rings to celebrate their 2019-20 championship.
Paul George scored 26 out of his 33 points in the second half as the Clippers defeated the Lakers 116-109 in the season opener on Tuesday night. Kawhi Leonard added 26 points, Serge Ibaka scored 15, Lou Williams and Ivica Zubac chipped in 11 each and Patrick Beverley contributed 10.
The Lakers never led. LeBron James scored 22 points, five assists and give rebounds while Anthony Davis added 18 points and seven rebounds for Los Angeles. Former Clipper Montrezl Harrell had 17 points and 10 rebounds while Kyle Kuzma contributed 15 points. Dennis Schroder added 14 points, a game-high of 12 rebounds and eight assists.
Two free throws by Markeiff Morris the minutes into the fourth quarter helped them to close within 96-90 with nine minutes left, but the Clippers reverted with a 13-4 run for a 15-point lead after a basket by Leonard with 4:51 left on the clock.
2. Brooklyn Nets V/S Golden State Warriors
In the other game, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving showed potential to be the league’s scariest duo in the Nets’ dominant opening night win over the Warriors. In only three-quarters of the game, Durant (22) and Irving (26) managed to score 48 points on 17-for-32 shooting as Brooklyn cruised to a 26-point victory over Golden State, who were without their All-Star forward Draymond Green.
It wasn’t nearly as productive a night for Stephen Curry, but it was great to watch him after his injury limited him to only five games in the 2019-20 season. He finished the night with 20 points, shooting 7-for-21 from the field and 2-for-10 from beyond the three point arc. He dished 10 assists and pulled down 4 boards. It was also the 700th game of his Hall of Fame career.
Kelly Oubre Jr.’s debut for the Warriors was highly forgettable – he was 3-for-14 from the field and 0-for-6 from deep.
No. 2 overall pick James Wiseman put up a memorable debut performance. Standing at 7 feet, he started his first-ever NBA game and is the third-youngest player to start for the Warriors. He finished with 19 points, six rebounds and two blocks in 24 minutes of action.
