Luka Dončić and the Dallas Mavericks pass Victor Wembanyama's San Antonio Spurs

CNN
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Luka Dončić and Klay Thompson showed an impressive combination in their first game together and led the Dallas Mavericks against the San Antonio Spurs 120:106 in the latest edition of the I-35 Rivalry.

Dončić missed the entire preseason with a calf injury, but the Slovenian superstar and the four-time NBA champion already seemed to have a lot of chemistry, an ominous sign for the rest of the league.

Also concerning for opponents is that Dončić said he felt “rusty” after the game and still scored 28 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists despite shooting just 36% from the floor.

Thompson had 22 points, seven rebounds and three steals and made six of his 10 three-pointers – a Dallas franchise record for a debut – to show why the Mavs gave him a three-year, $50 million contract in the offseason and with it his 13-year association with the Golden State Warriors.

“He was great, man,” Dončić said of Thompson, according to ESPN. “I just hit a lot of shots and he moved out of there. He also played great defense.

“It’s easy to play with a guy like that. It makes your life easier. You have to find him.”

It was a quiet night for Dončić's backcourt nut Kyrie Irving, who scored 15 points on 35.3% shooting from the field.

French phenom Victor Wembanyama had a rough night for the Spurs, scoring just 17 points while shooting a meager 27.8% from the floor.

In his debut in San Antonio, veteran point guard Chris Paul had just three points but had eight assists and seven rebounds.

The Boston Celtics backed up their dominant opening win over the New York Knicks with a 122-102 victory over the Washington Wizards.

On his 28th birthday, Jaylen Brown scored a game-high 27 points with eight rebounds, three assists and four steals, while Jason Tatum added 25 points, 11 rebounds and six assists.

It was another stunning win for the defending champions, who have picked up two opening wins and already look to be in mid-season form.

Tatum sat the entire fourth quarter against the Wizards, who are at the start of a rebuild and added two rookies – second overall pick Alex Sarr and 14th overall pick Bub Carrington – to their starting lineup.

Jordan Poole scored a team-high 26 points for the Wizards, while Jonas Valančiūnas scored 18 in his Washington debut.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and the Oklahoma City Thunder dominated the Denver Nuggets, posting an impressive 102-87 road win over the 2022-23 champions.

It was the first game of the season for both teams and the Thunder, who finished last season as the youngest No. 1 team in NBA history, were ahead by as many as 20 points in the fourth quarter.

Gilgeous-Alexander had 28 points, seven rebounds, eight assists, two steals and three blocks, while Holmgren added 25 points and 14 rebounds – a career high – five assists and four blocks.

For the Nuggets, reigning MVP Nikola Jokić recorded his first triple-double of the season with 16 points, 13 assists and 12 rebounds.

His running mate, Jamal Murray, had 12 points on 30.8% shooting, while Russell Westbrook scored six points off the bench in his Nuggets debut.

In an unusual move, the NBA was forced to correct the result of Wednesday night's game between the Golden State Warriors and the Portland Trail Blazers a day later.

The league recorded a 139-104 Warriors win, but a “scoring error” was committed in the third quarter when Golden State guard De'Anthony Melton mistakenly missed two free throws.

In fact, he made one of his two attempts, meaning the league had to change the score to 140-104 when it was announced Thursday.

Just when Portland thought their night couldn't get any worse.

Away at Home (winners in bold)

San Antonio Spurs 109-120 Dallas Mavericks

Boston Celtics 122-102 Washington Wizards

Oklahoma City Thunder 102-87 Denver Nuggets

Minnesota Timberwolves 117-115 Sacramento Kings