Injury News
Wesley Johnson: Johnson left the game in the first half with a strained left foot, will have MRI Monday. In 8 minutes, Johnson had two points (1-5 FG) and three rebounds.
Wilson Chandler: Chandler (strained left hamstring) didn’t play Sunday, but he intends to practice this week. It’s unclear when he’ll suit up again, but the injury is not serious.
Kobe Bryant: Kobe is still unlikely to play this preseason, and is reportedly still in Germany for a knee procedure. Nuggets head coach Brian Shaw, a good friend of Bryant, said he thinks its unlikely Kobe will play in the season opener, for what it’s worth.
Nuggets 97 Lakers 88
Pau Gasol and Steve Nash both made their preseason debuts after sitting out the opener in Ontario on Saturday night. Gasol, after a summer of knee tendinitis, had 13 points (4-13 FG) and four rebounds in 23 minutes. Nash, coming off his own hamstring issues, in 22 minutes, went scoreless but added six assists and five rebounds.
Jordan Farmar (calf cramps) and Chris Kaman sat out the game after starting on Saturday. The Lakers are attempting to keep their veterans as fresh as possible during the preseason.
Nick Young, unsurprisingly, took the most shots for L.A., going 4-of-16 from the field with nine points. He looks like the starting shooting guard while Kobe is out, and could slide over to the three whenever Bryant returns.
Off the bench for the Lakers, Xavier Henry looked good, posting 15 points (4-7 FG, 7-9 FT) in 24 minutes. Marcus Landry put up 13 points (4-11 FG, 3-9 3Pt, 2-2 FT) in 18 minutes, and Steve Blake dished out seven assists.
Ty Lawson had a strong debut, with 15 points (7-10 FG), 10 rebounds, and six assists in his 27 minutes. He’s clearly going to be the Nuggets biggest playmaker this season, and the favorite to be their leading scorer.
Kenneth Faried struggled, with just five points (1-8 FG) and four boards in 19 minutes.
JaVale McGee, who should be the starting center, posted 12 points and seven rebounds, and hit all six of his free throws, a promising sign.
Newly acquired Randy Foye had six points and five turnovers. He got the start, but Evan Fournier played more minutes off the bench, and had nine points on 4-of-10 shooting. Jordan Hamilton was the best shooting guard for Denver, providing 15 points (7-12 FG, 1-4 3Pt) in his 16 minutes. It'll be interesting to monitor which way Shaw leans for the season opener. He’s also hinted at possibly moving Chandler to the two when Danilo Gallinari (knee) returns.
Two of the Nuggets new additions also added some spark off the bench, with J.J. Hickson going for 10 points (5-10 FG) and six rebounds, while Nate Robinson scored nine points (2-5 FG, 2-4 3PT, 3-3 FT) in his 17 minutes.
76ers 106 Bilbao Basket 104
Evan Turner started his preseason off strong with 25 points (7-15 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 10-12 FT) and five rebounds in 31 minutes. Turner will be Philly’s top offensive option this season, at least until he gets traded, which is a very legitimate possibility.
Thaddeus Young, Philly’s other top option, posted 14 points (6-11 FG), six rebounds, and five steals in his debut. Young’s fantasy value is higher than ever before, because of the increased minutes and opportunities.
First-round pick Michael Carter-Williams, who struggled mightily during summer league, had a decent debut, going just 1-of-5 from the field, but dishing out five assists with no turnovers, and grabbing three steals. He has a long way to go, but he already looks improved from the summer. Tony Wroten, meanwhile, continued his excellent camp with 16 points in 24 minutes. He looks like he can provide a spark off the bench for Philly.