Leonard and Kessler thrive as NBA debuts diverge — SkimNews
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- Kawhi Leonard scored 23 points with four steals in only 24 minutes as Toronto beat Chicago by 43, with Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley also topping 20 points.
- Damian Lillard scored 25 points and hit six 3-pointers in his first Portland game since 2023, helping the Trail Blazers race to a 21-0 lead and rout Phoenix 124-83; Ja Morant added 14 points and eight assists.
- Walker Kessler made all 12 of his shots, including 10 dunks, and grabbed nine rebounds in his first Lakers game after arriving from Utah, although Golden State was injury-plagued.
- Victor Wembanyama shot 1-for-13 in San Antonio's loss to Oklahoma City, where 7-foot-3 rookie Aday Mara blocked him at the rim; the Thunder later overcame poor outside shooting to beat Denver.
- LaMelo Ball drew viral attention for a sidestepping step-back 3 against Miami, but the referees' association confirmed he traveled; Anthony Edwards scored 45 as Minnesota routed the new-look Heat.
- LeBron James helped Philadelphia rack up 24 fast-break points, lined up Jaylen Brown for a buzzer-beating 3 and defended centers during Embiid's foul trouble as the 76ers beat the Knicks and Cavaliers.
- Paul George scored at least 38 points and hit seven 3-pointers in his Celtics debut, but Detroit erased a 22-point lead to win as Boston's offense went cold and Jayson Tatum failed to reach the free-throw line.
Why it matters: Philadelphia’s new star trio gained structure immediately: LeBron James, Jaylen Brown and Joel Embiid sacrificed individual scoring to keep Tyrese Maxey central, while James still created 24 fast-break points in wins over the Knicks and Cavaliers. Two wins and Maxey’s team-first role make the rebuilt 76ers look ahead of schedule.
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