Chris Paul recorded the first triple-double of the new NBA season as the Los Angeles Clippers beat the Utah Jazz on Monday night at Staples Center.
The point guard finished with 13 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists for his first triple-double in almost three years with the LA outfit, who came past the Jazz 107-101 to go 3-1 for the season.
James Harden went off for 35 points as the Houston Rockets continued their 100% start to the season at the winless Philadelphia 76ers.
Harden top-scored at the Wells Fargo Center as Houston came through 104-93 to improve to 4-0, making it their best start to a season since 1996.
In New York, the Brooklyn Nets played their first home game of the season and annihilated the injury-hit Oklahoma City Thunder 116-85 at Barclays Center.
Nets center Brook Lopez played his first game in almost a year and was joint top-scorer for the hosts with 18 points. Reggie Jackson made his Thunder debut for the season and led all scorers with 23.
At FedExForum, the Memphis Grizzlies had a historic night as they beat the New Orleans Pelicans 93-81 to win their 16th straight regular-season home game - a new franchise record.
The Grizz are now 4-0 for the season and it was their defense that shone as they restricted New Orleans to just 34% from the field and 17% from three-point range.
The Dallas Mavericks are now 3-1 for the season after a 118-113 victory at home over the Boston Celtics.
The Mavs' victory was all down to an electric first half, where they outscored Boston 40-19 in the first quarter, establishing a 67-41 lead at the interval. The Celtics, behind Jeff Green's 35 points and a career-high 32 for Avery Bradley, fought back, but couldn't pull off a mighty comeback.
At Pepsi Center, the Sacramento Kings edged out the Denver Nuggets 110-105 in an ugly Western Conference affair.
Both sides shot less than 23% from three-point range and there were 63 total fouls committed in the contest as the Kings improved to 3-1. The two sides meet again in two days' time in Sacramento.
Results in full: Houston Rockets 104-93 Philadelphia 76ers, Oklahoma City Thunder 85-116 Brooklyn Nets, New Orleans Pelicans 81-93 Memphis Grizzlies, Boston Celtics 113-118 Dallas Mavericks, Sacramento Kings 110-105 Denver Nuggets, Utah Jazz 101-107 Los Angeles Clippers
Pascal Lemesre
