LeBron James scored a season-high 40 points, and the Los Angeles Lakers dropped the visiting New Orleans Pelicans 118-109 on Tuesday night.
Anthony Davis had 21 points, 14 rebounds and six blocks for the Lakers, who won their sixth in a row. Danny Green contributed 17 points while Kentavious Caldwell-Pope added 15 points. James also had eight rebounds and six assists.
Brandon Ingram, who was among the Lakers dealt in the trade for Davis, had 34 points and seven rebounds for the Pelicans, who are 0-3 against the Lakers this season.
Rookie sensation Zion Williamson, in his first contest against the Lakers, finished with 29 points and six boards. Jrue Holiday had 11 points, nine assists and five rebounds for New Orleans.
Milwaukee Bucks 108 – Toronto Raptors 97
Khris Middleton scored 22 points and grabbed eight rebounds, and Milwaukee won at Toronto.
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 19 points and added 19 rebounds and eight assists for the Bucks, who have won 18 of their past 20 games. The Bucks have won the first two meetings this season with the Raptors, who beat Milwaukee in six games in last year’s Eastern Conference finals.
Pascal Siakam had 22 points for the Raptors, who lost for only the second time in 19 games.
Boston Celtics 118 – Portland Trail Blazers 106
Jayson Tatum drained a career-high eight 3-pointers while scoring 36 points to lead Boston past host Portland for its 13th win in the last 16 games.
Jaylen Brown added 24 points and seven rebounds for Boston. Brad Wanamaker added 13 points, Gordon Hayward and Marcus Smart scored 12 points apiece, and Daniel Theis had 10 points and nine rebounds.
CJ McCollum recorded 28 points, 10 assists and three blocked shots, and Hassan Whiteside added 18 points and 19 rebounds for Portland, which lost for the fourth time in five games. Trevor Ariza contributed 17 points and eight rebounds while Carmelo Anthony tallied 14 points.
Denver Nuggets 115 – Detroit Pistons 98
Jerami Grant scored a career-high 29 points, Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray scored 16 each, and host Denver handed Detroit its seventh straight loss.
Michael Porter Jr. had 13 points for the Nuggets, who won their second straight game.
Derrick Rose and Christian Wood scored 20 points each, Brandon Knight had 14, Langston Galloway 12 and Tony Snell 10 for Detroit.
Indiana Pacers 119 – Charlotte Hornets 80
Domantas Sabonis posted 21 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists, and Indiana held Charlotte to 33 percent shooting en route to a lopsided win at Indianapolis.
Sabonis led six Pacers scoring in double figures, joined by T.J. Warren with 19 points, Malcolm Brogdon with 15, and the trio of Justin Holiday, Doug McDermott and JaKarr Simpson adding 16, 10 and 10, respectively, off the bench.
Just two Hornets scored in double figures. Miles Bridges had 17 points, and Caleb Martin added 11 off the bench, shooting 3 of 4 from behind the 3-point arc. P.J. Washington, who made 3 of 6 from long distance, scored nine points.
Oklahoma City Thunder 124 – Chicago Bulls 122
Danilo Gallinari scored 24 points to help Oklahoma City hold on for a victory at Chicago. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander recorded 21 points and 11 rebounds, and Dennis Schroder added 21 points off the bench as the Thunder won their fourth straight game.
Oklahoma City’s Chris Paul had 19 points and nine assists, and Steven Adams added 16 points, nine rebounds, three steals and three blocked shots.
Zach LaVine poured in 41 points for the Bulls but was off the mark with a 3-point attempt as time expired. Chicago rookie Coby White scored a season-best 35 points while making six 3-pointers and collecting seven rebounds. White, 20, joined Michael Jordan as the only rookies in franchise history with three straight 30-point outings.
Sacramento Kings 112 – Golden State Warriors 94
Buddy Hield bombed in three consecutive 3-pointers to open the fourth quarter and break open a competitive game, helping Sacramento defeat Golden State in San Francisco.
Former Golden State champion Harrison Barnes and De’Aaron Fox led six Sacramento players in double figures with 21 points apiece as the Kings won their third straight game. The Kings never trailed in the contest.
Marquese Chriss produced 21 points and 10 rebounds for the Warriors, who lost their seventh straight overall and seventh in a row at home.
—Field Level Media
