The NBA continued their opening night Wednesday, as 22 teams took the floor to start their NBA season. One of the best moments on Wednesday is when Gordon Hayward sent a message to the Celtics fans in their home opener against the Bucks. Hayward suffered a dislocated ankle and fractured tibia Tuesday night against the Cavaliers. Many teams are looking to show what they can do, as many teams are afterthoughts considering the Warriors and Cavaliers dominant rosters. In Wednesday night's action, stars shined bright and provided a big boost to their team.
John Wall spoils 76ers debut
The Washington Wizards welcomed the Philadelphia 76ers into D.C as they feel confident they can become a threat to the Cavs in the east. The game was dominated by the debut of Markelle Fultz and Ben Simmons' debut for the Sixers, as all of their young talents took the floor at the same time. Joel Embiid was also a headline, but for his minutes restriction placed on him for the beginning of the season. The Wizards didn't care about that at all and played cohesive basketball.
John Wall struggled to start out the game hitting only 3 of his first 13 shots. He quickly caught fire and finished with 28 points and eight assists. His backcourt partner Bradley Beal also started off slow, shooting 1-5.
He also rebounded quickly, finishing with 25 points. The Wizards played good defense in crunch time, getting timely blocks and causing the Sixers to commit turnovers when open looks were available. The Wizards won the game 120-115, starting the season 1-0.
Giannis Antetokounmpo dominates Boston
The Boston Celtics took the floor a day after their loss to the Cavs in Cleveland.
Kyrie Irving now has the task of leading the Celtics through the season without Hayward there to help take off the scoring burden. The Bucks were looking to take the next step with their superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo. Antetokounmpo wasted no time picking where he left off last season, as he scored 37 points against the Celtics, 16 of them coming in the final quarter.
The Celtics gave up an 11-1 run to the Bucks, which gave them the 97-90 lead with under three minutes to play in the game. Jaylen Brown had a team-high 18 points, while Kyrie Irving struggled, scoring 17 on 7-25 shooting. The Celtics are now 0-2 and looking to rebound when they play the Sixers Friday night.
Other NBA scores include the Magic outlasting the heat 116-109, the Pistons, who played their first game in Detroit in about four decades, beat the Hornets 102-90. Also, the Pacers defeated the Nets 130-119, and the Grizzlies beat the Hornets 103-91. Many NBA games have yet to conclude so be sure to tune into those games as well.
