Wildfires raged in parts of Los Angeles to the point where Lakers forward LeBron James needed to evacuate his family. In the James Family tradition of Taco Tuesday, LeBron purchased a taco truck to feed firefighters in the area.
Once inside the Staples Center, it was forward/center Anthony Davis who was ablaze against the Memphis Grizzlies. Davis left the game for a short time with a shoulder injury but returned to scorched the Grizzlies for 40 points and 20 rebounds in the Lakers 120-91 victory.
Miami Heat 112 - Atlanta Hawks 97 - Jimmy Butler made his Heat and season debut to the tune of 21 points and 5 assists. Heat rookie guard Tyler Herro continued his early season onslaught scoring 19 of his 29 points in the second quarter on 5 of 6 shooting. Bam Adebayo chipped in with 17 points and 10 boards. Trae Young was limited to only 11 minutes with an ankle injury. Tests revealed no structural damage and he should return to action soon. The Hawks were led by John Collins with 30 points and 7 rebounds.
Dallas Mavericks 109 - Denver Nuggets 106 - The Mavs loaded the stat sheet with balanced scoring, placing 9 players in double figures. This was a close game throughout with the Mavs outscoring the Nuggets 26-18 in the final quarter. Maxi Kleber and Tim Hardaway Jr. led Dallas with 14 points each. The Nuggets were led by Paul Milsap's 23 points and a 10 point, 10 rebound and 10 assist triple-double from center Nikola Jokic.
Los Angeles Lakers 120 - Memphis Grizzlies 91 - The Lakers outscored the Grizzlies 39-20 in the third quarter to propel them to a blowout victory. Anthony Davis became the first Laker to have a 40/20 game since Shaquille O'Neal in 2003. Davis was an impressive 26 of 27 from the stripe. LeBron James added 23 points and 8 assists. Ja Morant led the Grizzlies with 16 points on 6 of 13 shooting. Jonas Valaciunas scored 14 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. Grayson Allen scored 13 points shooting 4 for 14 and finishing at a minus 36.