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In the NBA, the Houston Rockets defeated the Toronto Raptors 139-121, with Turkish national player Alperen Sengun coming close to a triple-double to help secure the victory.
Playing about 35 minutes at Scotiabank Arena, Sengun scored 18 points with eight rebounds and nine assists. He made six of eight two-point attempts and one of two three-pointers, adding two steals and two blocks to his stat line.
Kevin Durant contributed 31 points and Jabari Smith Jr. added 25 for the Rockets, who recorded their second win of the season. For the Raptors, Scottie Barnes scored 31 points and Brandon Ingram had 29, but their efforts were not enough to avoid a fourth loss of the season.
The Denver Nuggets defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 122-88 at Ball Arena. Serbian star Nikola Jokic led the way with 21 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists, marking the Nuggets’ third win of the season.
Jokic also matched the NBA record held by Oscar Robertson (1961-62) and Russell Westbrook (2020-21) for recording a triple-double in the first four games of a season. Christian Braun and Jamal Murray each contributed 17 points for Denver. For New Orleans, Jeremiah Fears scored 21 points and Zion Williamson 11.
The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 116-115 at Target Center, thanks to Austin Reaves’ buzzer-beater. LeBron James and Luka Doncic were absent due to injuries, and Reaves stepped up with 28 points and 16 assists.
Jake LaRavia added 27 points, while Rui Hachimura and Deandre Ayton contributed 17 each for the Lakers, who recorded their third win of the season. Julius Randle scored 33 points and Jaden McDaniels 30 for the Timberwolves, who suffered their third loss.
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