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The NBA is never short of action. We had ourselves an 11-game slate and involved some really close games that got decided in the final seconds. In Toronto, the Pistons defeated the Raptors on a game-winner from Reggie Bullock.
In Milwaukee, the Bucks got defeated by the Memphis Grizzlies by 3 points at the Fiserv Forum. Marc Gasol had 29 points and Mike Conley Jr. had 26 points and the Grizzlies improved to 8-5 on the season.
The Orlando Magic upset the Philadelphia 76ers on Jimmy Butler's debut night at the Amway Center. Butler had 14 points in 32 minutes of action. Nikole Vucevic scored game-high 30 points on 10-for-19 shooting.
Most surprising news was the Jazz getting blown out by the Mavericks by as much as 50 points at the American Airlines Center. The Jazz only scored 9 points in the fourth quarter. Over the entire game, the Mavericks Bench scored 66 points while the Jazz's entire team scored just 68 points to Mavericks' 118.
Let us take a look at the three star performers on the night.
#3 Blake Griffin
Stat line: 30 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks on 59.1 percent shooting
The Detroit Pistons started the season hot with 4-straight wins but unfortunately lost the next five and are currently with a 7-6 record. Blake Griffin has been phenomenal and has been carrying this team on his back which includes a 50-point game against the Philadelphia 76ers in the first week.
In head coach Dwane Casey's return to Toronto, the Pistons defeated the Raptors on Reggie Bullock's game-winner to beat the buzzer. Griffin put together a double-double with 30 points and 12 rebounds.
He went 13-for-22 from the floor, with a field-goal percentage of 59.1, including 3-8 from long range. Griffin is averaging a double-double with 24.5 points, 10.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists to start the season. Pistons will now host the Cleveland Cavaliers who hold the league's worst win-loss record.
#2 Paul George
Stat line: 35 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 block and 2 steals on 59.1 percent shooting
Paul George is having a great season and with Russell Westbrook out in the last five games due to an ankle injury, it became imperative for George to have stellar performances for the team to have any shot at winning games.
In the game against the New York Knicks, George picked up where he left off and two nights after scoring 32 against the Suns, exploded for 35 points on 13-for-22 shooting to torch the Knicks, after playing in 3 quarters and sitting out for the entire fourth. He was well supported by the other teammates and the OKC blowout the Knicks by 25 points.
This was George's third 30-point game and is currently averaging 23.5 points, 7.6 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game and has led this team to 4 wins in 5 games without their All-Star guard, Westbrook.
#1 LeBron James
Stat Line: 44 points, 10 rebounds, 9 assists, 1 steal and 3 blocks on 68.4 shooting
LeBron James has been nothing short of excellent in the first one month of NBA action. Although the Lakers got off to a sluggish start, LeBron got them back on to the track and the Lakers are currently on a 4-game winning streak. A large part of this turnaround happened because of LeBron's heroics and the Lakers are definitely going to be a force to reckon with, particularly after the addition of Tyson Chandler.
After scoring 26 points against the Hawks in a win, James went beast mode and scored 44 points to help the Lakers beat the Blazers at home. He finished the night shooting on a ridiculous13-for-19 shooting from the field, to go along with 10 rebounds and 9 assists, falling one assist short of a triple-double.
James was also red-hot from the 3-point line and went 5-for-6 from beyond the arc. From the free-throw line, he went 13-for-15 and that made a huge difference as the Lakers won the game, 126-117. He also moved past Wilt Chamberlain to fifth on the all-time scoring list.
Guess the Lakers players!
