What We Learned Last Night: Grizzlies Stay Perfect, Hawks Stun Cavs in NBA Thursday Recap
Thursday night in the NBA delivered a clear message to bettors: the early season standings are already starting to sort themselves out. The Memphis Grizzlies stayed perfect, the Atlanta Hawks ended a skid with a comeback win, and the New Orleans Pelicans finally broke through.
Grizzlies stay perfect behind Boozer triple-double
Memphis improved to 5-0 with a 124-103 road win over the Portland Trail Blazers. Rookie Cameron Boozer recorded his first career triple-double with 18 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists, and the Grizzlies pulled away by outscoring Portland 66-45 in the second half. Deni Avdija led Portland with 24 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, but the Blazers took their first loss of the season.
Memphis and Houston are now the last two unbeaten teams in the league.
Hawks rally past Cavaliers in a three point thriller
Atlanta beat Cleveland 114-111 at home, snapping a three game losing streak and ending the Cavaliers three game winning streak. Onyeka Okongwu scored a season high 29 points with 12 rebounds, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker sank two free throws with 15.3 seconds left to seal it. James Harden led Cleveland with a season high 24 points, while Donovan Mitchell scored 22 but missed two potential tying three pointers in the final seconds.
Atlanta trailed by 15 points in the first quarter before rallying, which makes this a useful reminder for live bettors: the Hawks have now repeatedly dug early holes and climbed out of them.
Pelicans get their first win, Kings fall to 0-5
New Orleans beat Sacramento 132-120 for its first win of the season. Jeremiah Fears and Zion Williamson each scored 22 points for the Pelicans, while Kings rookie Darius Acuff Jr. poured in a season best 34 points in defeat. Sacramento is now the first team in the league to lose five games this season, a trend that should keep the Kings as a fade candidate until they show they can defend for four quarters.
What It Means for Bettors
Do not overreact to one night, but do update your priors. Memphis at 5-0 is no longer a fluke, and the Grizzlies host Sacramento on Saturday, a spot where the winless Kings will be catching points against a confident team. Atlanta at 3-3 looks like a live betting team rather than a pregame favorite to trust, and Cleveland at 3-2 heads to Milwaukee on Saturday in a tough bounce back spot. Check the latest numbers and injury news before you bet, especially the status of Ja Morant, who departed Thursday in the fourth quarter with a left hamstring injury after scoring 14 points. Compare lines at BetUS, Bovada and BetOnline before locking anything in.
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