Kyrie Irving, Karl-Anthony Towns and Tony Parker all looked regular-season ready in their first action of the preseason.
LeBron James and Irving each scored 15 points, and the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Philadelphia 76ers 108-105 on Saturday night.
After hitting the go-ahead shot in Game 7 of the NBA Finals and then winning a gold medal with the U.S. Olympic team, Irving was given the night off in Cleveland’s opener.
Towns, the unanimous Rookie of the Year, looks ready for a huge second season after having 20 points and 10 rebounds in Minnesota’s 109-100 victory over Miami.
Parker had 15 points on 7-of-8 shooting in a victory over Atlanta after sitting out San Antonio’s opener.
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CAVALIERS 108, 76ERS 105
CLEVELAND - Jordan McRae came off the bench for 20 points, including the clinching free throws, for the Cavs.
Joel Embiid had 12 points in 13 minutes of his third preseason game.
76ERS: Rookie Dario Saric shot 1 for 7 and had four points. … Richaun Holmes had 19 points and Sergio Rodriguez added 15 points and eight assists.
CAVALIERS: Kevin Love had two points on 1-for-7 shooting. … Channing Frye was 4 for 4 from 3-point range off the bench, finishing with 14 points.
UP NEXT: Philadelphia (1-2) visits Memphis on Tuesday. Cleveland (2-0) visits Atlanta on Monday.
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TIMBERWOLVES 109, HEAT 100
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Andrew Wiggins scored 19 points, going 13 for 16 from the free throw line to overcome 3-for-11 shooting from the floor.
Towns shot 7 for 18 in Tom Thibodeau’s first game as Minnesota coach.
Hassan Whiteside had 17 points and 12 rebounds for Miami.
TIMBERWOLVES: Rookie Kris Dunn, the No. 5 overall pick, was 2 for 8 for six points in his debut. … Shabazz Muhammed added 14 points and Nemanja Bjelica had 12.
HEAT: Goran Dragic scored 16 points. … Dion Waiters and Derrick Williams, both in their first seasons with the Heat, each finished with 14 points.
UP NEXT: Miami (1-1) hosts Brooklyn on Tuesday. Minnesota (1-0) visits Charlotte on Monday.
SPURS 102, HAWKS 91
SAN ANTONIO - Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge each scored 14 points in the Spurs’ first preseason victory.
Aldridge grabbed six rebounds in his first exhibition action.
HAWKS: Dwight Howard, Kent Bazemore, Kyle Korver and Dennis Schroder all got the night off. Paul Millsap is still recovering from surgery. … Taurean Prince and Malcolm Delaney each scored 13 points.
SPURS: Gregg Popovich left the coaching to an assistant, as he traditionally does in at least one preseason game. Ime Udoka coached the first half and James Borrego the second. … Manu Ginobili scored 11 points.
UP NEXT: Atlanta (1-1) hosts Cleveland on Monday. San Antonio (1-1) visits Detroit on Monday.
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BULLS 121, PACERS 105
CHICAGO - Dwyane Wade had 22 points and eight assists in his best game of the preseason, and the Bulls got their first victory.
The Pacers lost for the first time in their third exhibition game.
PACERS: Rookie Georges Niang had 16 points in just 12 minutes, going 6 for 8 from the field and 4 for 6 from 3-point range. … Paul George had the night off. … Glenn Robinson III started and scored 17 points.
BULLS: Nikola Mirotic broke out of his preseason shooting slump with 18 points and nine rebounds, going 6 for 9 and making four 3-pointers. … Jimmy Butler had 15 points but made only 3-of-11 shots. … Rajon Rondo didn’t play.
UP NEXT: Indiana (2-1) faces Milwaukee on Wednesday in Evansville, Indiana. Chicago (1-2) hosts Cleveland on Friday.
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KNICKS 116, NETS 98
NEW YORK - Carmelo Anthony scored 16 points, Kristaps Porzingis had 12 and the Knicks won the first preseason meeting between the city rivals in four years.
Both teams played without their starting point guards. Derrick Rose remains in Los Angeles for his rape trial, while former Knicks star Jeremy Lin sat out after scoring 21 points Thursday in his Nets debut.
New York got its first victory under Jeff Hornacek after getting routed 130-103 by Houston in its opener.
NETS: Former No. 1 pick Anthony Bennett scored 15 points, going 11 for 14 from the free throw line. … Brooklyn also gave Luis Scola the night off.
KNICKS: Joakim Noah sat out again with a sore left hamstring and probably won’t play Monday, coach Jeff Hornacek said. … Chasson Randle had 14 points, getting extra playing time in Rose’s absence.
UP NEXT: Brooklyn (1-1) visits Miami on Tuesday. New York (1-1) hosts Washington on Monday.
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CELTICS 104, HORNETS 86
UNCASVILLE, Conn. - Tyler Zeller scored 14 points as the Celtics beat the winless Hornets for the second time in three days.
Boston beat Charlotte 107-92 on Thursday in Greensboro, North Carolina.
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist scored 11 points and Frank Kaminsky had 10, though the starting forwards combined to shoot 8 for 28.
HORNETS: Kemba Walker had six points in 14½ minutes as he continues his recovery from offseason left knee surgery. … Jeremy Lamb, like Walker a former University of Connecticut star, started and scored nine points. … Christian Wood led Charlotte with 13 points.
CELTICS: Al Horford and Isaiah Thomas didn’t play. … Jordan Mickey led Boston with 16 points, going 8 for 10. … Jaylen Brown, the No. 3 pick in the draft, shot 2 for 10, missing all four 3-point attempts.
UP NEXT: Charlotte (0-3) hosts Minnesota on Monday. Boston (2-1) visits Brooklyn on Thursday.
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BUCKS 88, MAVERICKS 74
MADISON, Wis. - Jabari Parker scored 21 points in Milwaukee’s victory in Wisconsin’s capital city.
Dwight Powell scored 15 for Dallas.
MAVERICKS: Dallas was held below 20 points in three quarters.
BUCKS: Milwaukee plays a second straight game at a neutral site on Wednesday, facing the Pacers in Evansville, Indiana.
UP NEXT: Dallas (1-2) hosts Oklahoma City on Tuesday. Milwaukee (2-0) faces Indiana on Wednesday in Evansville, Indiana.
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