NBA Friday Recap: LeBron's Lakers edged by Blazers , Simmons grabs triple-double in 76ers win

Benyam Kidane

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NBA Friday Recap: LeBron's Lakers edged by Blazers , Simmons grabs triple-double in 76ers win image

It was a blockbuster day in the NBA, with LeBron James's Laker debut taking centre stage. Ben Simmons starred in the early game, with his first triple-double of the season, while the Miami Heat escaped with a win off a last second shot from Kelly Olynyk.

Missed any of the action? We've got you covered with our recap of the day below.

To go to a specific game, click here:   Blazers-Lakers | Sixers-Bulls | Heat-Wizards

Blazers 128 def Lakers 119 

Box Score  | Play-by-play

LeBron James' Lakers debut didn't have a Holywood ending, thanks to some big-time fourth-quarter buckets from Damian Lillard.

Lilllard had 28 points, six rebounds and four assists, and helped stretch the Blazers lead late with 10 points in the final frame.

Nik Stauskas caught fire from deep, coming off the bench and hitting 5-of-8 three-pointers for his 24 points. CJ McCollum added 21 points and Jusuf Nurkic 16.

All eyes were on LeBron, who led the fast-paced Lakers all night, finshing with 26 points, 12 rebounds and six assists, starting his Lakers career with his rim-rattling jam..


On a positive note, L.A got back into the game with their defence, getting out in transition all night, but they were let down by their three-point shooting, connecting on just 7-of 30, missing their first 15. Josh Hart was the lone bright spark from deep, coming off the bench, to score 20 points, including three from downtown.

The Lakers now return to Los Angeles for their home opener against the Houston Rockets on Sunday, from 1:30pm on NBA League Pass.

NOTE: NBA League Pass is FREE through October 22. CLICK HERE.

76ers 127 def  Bulls 108

Box Scores | Play-by-play

The Philadelphia 76ers returned to their home court and put on a show for their fans, cruising to a 127-108 win over the Chicago Bulls.

After a strong showing against Boston, Ben Simmons was a force again today, posting a 13-point, 13-rebound, 11-assist triple-double and making history along the way.


He added two blocks and one steal, with his defense arguably the most impressive part of his game today.

Joel Embiid was unstoppable against the Bulls' young frontcourt, posting 30 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks. The big man set the tone from the jump, scoring 14 of his points in the first period, dominating the glass. The Sixers out-rebounded the Bulls 55-39 on the night.


The Sixers struggled to get the ball moving in their loss to Boston, but they quickly found their groove, piling up 30 assists on 44 made field goals. 

Encouragingly, Markelle Fultz, who was roaringly cheered on to 'shoot' by the home crowd, found some success shooting the ball, hitting his first three-pointer of the season, finishing with 12 points, four rebounds and five assists.


For the Bulls, Zach LaVine led the way with 30 points on an efficient 11-of-19 shooting, while Bobby Portis added 20 points and 11 rebounds.

Jabari Parker came off the bench, playing 25 minutes. He chipped in 15 points and five rebounds on the night.

Heat 113 def Wizards 112

Box Scores | Play-by-play

Kelly Olynyk was the hero in Washington, hitting the game-winning bucket on a putback with 0.2 seconds remaining, putting the Heat up by one.

Olynyk got the glory, but it was Josh Richardson who led the Miami comeback, scoring 13 points in the fourth quarter, willing his team to the 113-112 win.


Richardson finished with 28 points on 8-of-21 shooting, while Rodney McGruder added 20 points, eight rebounds and six assists, Derrick Jones Jr also chipped in 17 points.

John Wall led the Wizards with 26 points and 10 assists.

Benyam Kidane

Benyam Kidane Photo

Benyam Kidane is a senior NBA editor and has been covering the league for The Sporting News since 2016. In his spare time you can find him watching Allen Iverson highlights on repeat.