Russell Westbrook had 51 points and a triple-double and scored the winning points in the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 113-110 overtime victory over the Phoenix Suns on Friday night.
According to the Thunder, it was the first 50-point triple-double since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had one in 1975. Westbrook finished with 13 rebounds and 10 assists and took a career-high 44 shots.
Westbrook made a layup to put the Thunder up a point with 7.6 seconds remaining. Phoenix’s Devin Booker missed a layup and Westbrook was fouled. Westbrook scored his 50th and 51st points at the free-throw line with 3.5 seconds remaining. Booker missed a 3-pointer as time expired.
Westbrook has 38 career triple-doubles. He scored 39 points in the second half and overtime.
T.J. Warren had a career-high 30 points for the Suns.
WARRIORS 122, PELICANS 114
Kevin Durant scored 30 points, Klay Thompson added 28 and Golden State bounced back emphatically from a surprising season-opening loss.
After scoring only six points on five shot attempts in the first half, Stephen Curry asserted himself more with an array of inside and deep shots to finish with 23 points, including a momentum-swinging 8-0 run by himself in the third quarter. Durant also had 17 rebounds.
Anthony Davis, who scored 50 points in New Orleans’ season-opening loss, finished with 45 points and 17 rebounds against Golden State, but the Pelicans struggled to trim their deficit below double digits for much of the final quarter.
Tim Frazier scored a career-high 21 points and added 10 assists for New Orleans. Lance Stephenson and Dante Cunningham each scored 15 points.
CAVALIERS 94, RAPTORS 91
Kyrie Irving had 26 points and LeBron James scored 21, helping Cleveland hold off DeMar DeRozan and Toronto.
DeRozan had 32 points for Toronto in the first of four games scheduled between last season’s Eastern Conference finalists. Cleveland beat Toronto in six games on its way to winning the franchise’s first NBA championship.
Kevin Love had 18 points and 10 rebounds for the Cavs. Toronto’s Jonas Valanciunas had his second straight double-double to open the season with 10 points and 17 rebounds, while Cleveland’s Tristan Thompson had his first of the season with 11 points and 10 rebounds.
Kemba Walker scored 24 points to lead six players in double figures as Charlotte erased a 19-point deficit in the second half.
Jeremy Lamb scored 16 points for the Hornets, who lost a first-round series in seven games to Miami last season albeit a very different looking Miami. Nic Batum and Marco Belinelli each scored 12 points for Charlotte.
ROCKETS 106, MAVERICKS 98
Trevor Ariza scored 27 points and James Harden had 26 as Houston beat Dallas with Dirk Nowitzki missing from the Mavericks’ home opener.
Nowitzki didn’t play for just the second time in 19 home openers with Dallas. The 38-year-old had a stomach ailment bad enough that coach Rick Carlisle wasn’t sure he would make the trip to Houston for the Rockets’ home opener Sunday.
JAZZ 96, LAKERS 89
George Hill scored 23 points and Rudy Gobert had 13 points and 13 rebounds to help Utah win its home opener.
The Jazz used a 16-1 run spanning halftime to take an 11-point lead, but the Lakers closed the third quarter on a 22-11 run highlighted by Tarik Black’s put-backs and Lou Williams’ 3-pointer to take a 65-64 lead.
The Jazz trailed by four midway through the fourth quarter when Hill’s 3-pointer sparked an 11-0 run for an 83-76 lead. Utah led the rest of the way.
Jazz forward Derrick Favors returned from a knee injury that kept him out for most of the preseason and the season opener. He finished with 15 points, nine rebounds and two blocks. Teammate Rodney Hood added 15.
Williams led the Lakers with 17 points.
NETS 103, PACERS 94
Jeremy Lin had 21 points and just missed a triple-double in his Brooklyn home debut while Brook Lopez scored 25 as the Nets got their first victory.
Lin finished with nine rebounds and nine assists, drawing some delirious cheers the way he briefly did during his run of Linsanity last time he played in New York, with the Knicks in 2012.
Sean Kilpatrick hit consecutive 3-pointers during the decisive fourth-quarter surge as the Nets gave new coach Kenny Atkinson his first victory, not far from where the Northport native grew up.
PISTONS 108, MAGIC 82
Andre Drummond had 12 points and 20 rebounds, helping Detroit rout Orlando in what might have been the final home opener for the Pistons at The Palace of Auburn Hills.
Pistons owner Tom Gores confirmed before the game the team was close to a deal to move downtown next season.
Tobias Harris scored 18 points for the Pistons, and Marcus Morris added 17. Ish Smith had 16 points and eight assists.
Aaron Gordon led the Magic with 17 points.
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