The 2024/25 preseason of the NBA kickstarted on Friday, October 4, with a match between the Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets during the NBA Abu Dhabi Games 2024.
We are already in the last week of the preseason of the upcoming edition of the NBA. Here’s how the third week of the NBA preseason went.
NBA 2024/25 Preseason Week 3: As It Happened
A total of 29 matches took place in the third week of the NBA preseason. There were a lot of close games as well as some one-sided encounters. Here are the final results:
Monday, October 14
On Monday, six matches took place. The first game of the day pitted the New Orleans Pelicans against the Miami Heat. The Heat defeated the Pelicans with a final score of 101 to 99. Tyler Herro was the team’s game leader and collector of 12 points.
The New York Knicks played against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the next game and won with a score of 115 to 110. Anthony Edwards scored a total of 31 points for the Timberwolves but couldn’t help his team seal a victory.
The Portland Trail Blazers defeated the Sacramento Kings in an almost one-sided affair, with a final score of 105 to 85.
The Boston Celtics played the Toronto Raptors in the next game and won 115–111. It was the fourth win for the Celtics in the preseason, and they finished with a record of 4-1. Six Celtic players scored in double figures for the team, including Jayson Tatum (24 points) and Derrick White (23 points).
The Phoenix Suns faced the Denver Nuggets in the next game. The match ended in the Suns’ favor, 118-114. Ryan Dunn and Monte Morris led the way for the Suns with 20 points each.
In the last game of the day, the Golden State Warriors defeated the Detroit Pistons 111–93.
Tuesday, October 15
The Memphis Grizzlies took on the Indiana Pacers in the first game of the day and won with a score of 120 to 116. Desmond Bane and Zach Edey each scored 23 points.
The Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Atlanta Hawks in the next game 104–89. However, Paul George, who recently signed with the 76ers, suffered a left knee hyperextension during the second quarter of the game and didn’t return to the court.
The Brooklyn Nets had an excellent outing against the Washington Wizards at their home and won 131–92. Cam Thomas scored 17 points – the most for the Nets.
The penultimate game of the day ended in favor of the Milwaukee Bucks, who defeated the Chicago Bulls 111–107. It was their first victory in the preseason after they suffered defeats at the hands of the Detroit Pistons and the Los Angeles Lakers.
The final game of the day was between the LA Clippers and the Dallas Mavericks. The Clippers won 110–96.
Wednesday, October 16
On Wednesday, seven matches were played. In the first game, the Toronto Raptors defeated the Boston Celtics 119–118. The Raptors scored 46 points in the first quarter. The Celtics made a smooth comeback in the second quarter and earned a lead by one point. However, they didn’t have a decent outing in the third quarter and lost the match despite scoring 32 points in the last quarter.
Miami Heat defeated the San Antonio Spurs in the second game of the day 120–117. Bam Adebayo was the best performer for the Heat. He spent 24 minutes in the middle and finished with 20 points to his name.
The New York Knicks took on the Charlotte Hornets in the next game of the day and won 111–105. Precious Achiuwa scored 16 rebounds and 20 points for the Knicks.
Houston Rockets defeated the New Orleans Pelicans in the next game and won 118-98. The Pelicans had a decent show in the third quarter with 33 points. But it was too late for them to bounce back after conceding the first two quarters.
The Oklahoma City Thunder were up against the Denver Nuggets in the next game and won 124–94. A total of six players made a double-digit score for the Thunder. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was the top performer, with 19 points and three assists in 20 minutes.
Utah Jazz faced the Sacramento Kings in the next game of the day and didn’t let the momentum shift after earning a lead in the first quarter. The Jazz won the match 117–114. Lauri Markkanen (21 points) and Keyonte George (24 points) were the top scorers for Jazz.
In the last game of the day, the Los Angeles Lakers lost to the Golden State Warriors 97–111. It was the fifth preseason win for the Warriors. Stephen Curry led the charge for the Warriors with six assists, two steals, and 16 points.
Thursday, October 17
Detroit Pistons defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 108–92. Simone Fontecchio (18 points) and Daniss Jenkins (13 points) were the only players who scored double figures for the Pistons.
The Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Brooklyn Nets in the next game 117–95. Kelly Oubre Jr (18 points) finished with the most points among the two teams. He had two rebounds and one assist to his name as well.
The Miami Heat defeated the Atlanta Hawks 120–111 in the third match of the day. The Hawks had earned a lead in the first half but couldn’t sustain it in the end.
In the next game, the Chicago Bulls defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 125–123. The game marked the comeback of point guard Lonzo Ball after a hiatus of two years. He spent 15 minutes in the middle and scored 10 points.
The final game of the day was closely contested between the Portland Trail Blazers and Ratiopharm Ulm. The Trail Blazers defeated the Ulm 111–100. A total of seven players scored double figures for their teams. Scoot Henderson had a terrific outing and finished with 23 points, six assists, and five rebounds.
Friday, October 18
A total of seven games were played on Friday and two out of them went for overtime. The first game of the day saw the Indiana Pacers taking on the Charlotte Hornets. The match finished in a tie and went into overtime. The Hornets scored 10 points in the overtime, while the Pacers earned 15 points and won the match.
The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Milwaukee Bucks in the next match 109–84. Three players scored double figure points for the Bucks. Kyrie Irving finished with 14 points, the most for the Mavericks.
Houston Rockets defeated the San Antonio Spurs 129–107 in the third game of the day.
Oklahoma City Thunder won the fourth game of the day against the Atlanta Hawks with a final score of 104–99. Kobe Buffin scored 31 points for the Hawks. However, it was not enough as no other player managed to cross the 15-point mark for the team.
The next game ended in Denver Nuggets’ favor as they defeated Minnesota Timberwolves 132–126.
In the penultimate game, the Los Angeles Lakers registered a victory over the Phoenix Suns 128–122. The duo of Anthony Davis and Dalton Knecht scored 35 points each for the Lakers. Only one other player managed to make a double figure for the Lakers.
The final game of the day saw the LA Clippers defeat the Sacramento Kings 113–91. Jordan Miller finished as the highest scorer for the team with 21 points, two assists, and one steal.
Coming Next: NBA 2024/25 Season
The preseason games are almost over and now we’ll see the 2024/25 edition of the NBA season. It will begin on October 22 and conclude on April 13. A total of 82 matches will be played, out of which three matches will be played at international venues.
The NBA Paris Games 2025 will see the Indiana Pacers taking on the San Antonio Spurs in the first game on January 23, 2025. The second game will be played between the San Antonio Spurs and Indiana Pacers on January 25. Both these matches will be played at the Accor Arena in Paris.
The Boston Celtics faced the Dallas Mavericks in the best-of-seven final of the last edition of the NBA. The Celtics won the final after winning four out of the first five matches. It was the first championship win for the Celtics since 2008.
Stay tuned for more NBA updates.
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