The Houston Rockets (2-1) barely escaped a Sunday night battle with the visiting Dallas Mavericks, prevailing 93-92 over their Southwest Division rivals. James Harden once again led the charge for the club, putting in 28 points, hauling in 7 rebounds and facilitating 7 assists. Harden revealed on Monday that he rolled his left ankle during the game, but is listed as probable on the team’s injury report. Ryan Anderson had 14 points and 12 rebounds en route to a double-double, while Eric Gordon had 14 points of his own while going 5 of 15 from the field and 2 of 8 from downtown. Tuesday’s matchup will be the first stop in a five-game road trip for the club. Team brass have to be pleased with the good start for the team, as they face a brutal schedule over the next three weeks, including hosting the Hawks and Thunder, back-to-back games against the Spurs and a trip to Toronto.
Nothing appears to be slowing down the NBA Champion Cleveland Cavaliers (3-0), who have played as a well-oiled machine in their first three outings and spent Saturday night taking care of a game Orlando squad, 105-99. LeBron James predictably served as the offensive general for the team, putting in 23 points, doling out 9 assists and taking in 6 boards on a 7 of 11 shooting night from the charity stripe. James added another accolade to his growing list during the game, becoming the Cavs all-time leader in defensive rebounds, surpassing Brad Daugherty. Kyrie Irving shot 7 of 18 from the paint to drop 20 points, while Kevin Love contributed 19 points, and 5 rebounds. Love went 0 for 5 from long range, indicative of the team’s cold night as a whole from long range, where they shot 30 percent. Cleveland was dominant on home court last season, where they dropped only eight games (the third-best home record in the league).
