The Philadelphia 76ers won their first game of the season.

HOSPITAL WARD

Six games. Twelve teams. Zero casualties.

M.I.A.

• Brooklyn
  • Andrea Bargnani (hamstring)
• Cleveland
  • Kyrie Irving (knee)
  • Iman Shumpert (wrist)
• Dallas
  • Chandler Parsons (rest)
  • J.J. Barea (ankle)
  • JaVale McGee (rest)
• Memphis
  • Brandan Wright (knee)
• Minnesota
  • Nikola Pekovic (ankle)
• New Orleans
  • Quincy Pondexter (knee)
  • Kendrick Perkins (pectorals)
• Orlando
  • C.J. Watson (calf)
  • Dewayne Dedmon (DNP-CD)
  • Mario Hezonja (DNP-CD)
• Philadelphia
  • Tony Wroten (knee)
  • Kendall Marshall (knee)
  • Carl Landry (wrist)
  • Richaun Holmes (DNP-CD)
• Phoenix
  • Tyson Chandler (hamstring)
• Portland
  • Chris Kaman (ankle)
• Washington
  • Nene Hilario (calf)
  • Gary Neal (groin)
  • Alan Anderson (ankle)
  • Drew Gooden (calf)

ROTATION NOTES

All five Wizards starters played at least 32 minutes. With four injured players, coach Wittman moved to a seven-man rotation and relied on six players in the second half. Otto Porter played a game-high 42 minutes, but he only produced six points (3-8 FG, 0-2 3Pt), five rebounds, two assists, and one block. He's shooting 30 percent over the last five games with a barren stat line to boot. I consider dropping Porter if he can't turn his struggles around against Lakers tonight. Nonetheless, I don't think it's an easy decision, acknowledging his recent woes and practicing patience six weeks into the season. His role feels solidified.

Nerlens Noel came off the bench after missing the past two games with knee soreness and illness. He acted as Jahlil Okafor's primary backup, playing alongside him sparingly in the final quarter. In 26 minutes, Noel provided 14 points (5-7 FG, 4-6 FT), a team-high nine rebounds, three assists, and one steal. He scored primarily on dunks, but he's not owned for his scoring or efficiency. Noel's 1.4 steals and 0.9 blocks are a byproduct of his positional change and current right knee soreness limiting his mobility. The Sixers have been competitive since coach Brown moved Noel to the bench and Robert Covington found his shooting stroke, and it's unclear how long the Noel will continue to anchor the second unit.

Lou Williams missed the previous two games for personal reasons. Upon his return, he played 21 minutes off the bench, and coach Scott gave both D'Angelo Russell and Jordan Clarkson 37 minutes. Clarkson generated the better stat line, and he's playing a team-high 32 minutes a night, securing his role on the team and in fantasy leagues. Russell is merely a rookie on a team chock-full of ball hogs and a coach who operates outside the realm of common sense.

Ricky Rubio was held out of the previous two games with a sore ankle. It was precautionary after he aggravated the area three games ago. In his return to the lineup, Zach LaVine resumed his bench role, and Rubio contributed three points (0-5 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 3-4 FT), five rebounds, three assists, and three steals in 27 minutes. He was hounded by Elfrid Payton much of the night. Rubio is shooting 53 percent from the field in the first quarter and 24 percent the rest of the game this season. He hasn't made a three-pointer outside of the first quarter yet. Two of the three three-pointers he made this season occurred on opening night (the one time he shot at least 50 percent from the field) when he scored a career-high 28 points against the Lakers. Rubio's still producing steals and assists in bunches, but the offense has cratered to the point where LaVine has better nine-category value over the past 30 days.

Tyreke Evans and Norris Cole made their regular season debut. Evans started over Eric Gordon, a maneuver coach Gentry chalked up to improving his second unit offense. Both Evans and Cole have been cleared to participate in back-to-backs, and they will likely play tonight in Houston.

Evans perforated the box score with a team-high 20 points (7-12 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 4-4 FT), a team-high 10 assists, five rebounds, and one block in 31 minutes, zooming past his prescribed minute allotment. Even though he's been cleared for both end of the back-to-back, I think coach Gentry will keep Evans closer to 25 minutes tonight to even out the sum total. Otherwise, you risk the chance of a setback because Evans isn't fully healthy.

Gordon was limited to 20 minutes and scored eight points. I wasn't ready for him to slide into obscurity overnight, but a minute regression was due given his injury history. I honestly don't know how he remained unscathed after playing at least 35 minutes in seven consecutive games earlier this season. I expect Gordon to receive closer to 30 minutes in tonight's back-to-back contest.

Cole played 23 minutes and scored 11 points on 3-of-12 shooting. He's back.

Ish Smith was limited to 14 minutes as the curtain draws on his fantasy usefulness. Good night, sweet prince. He'll get more minutes on Wednesday with Jrue Holiday scheduled to sit out the second night of a back-to-back. Afterward, Smith can be jettisoned. In fact, you can get rid of him now if there's someone on the wire worth adding.

Alexis Ajinca replaced Omer Asik in the starting lineup. Ajinca accrued four fouls in 12 minutes, and the two centers combined for 18 minutes. The move was done to add spacing to the floor, and the Pelicans scored a season-high 38 points in the first quarter.

Toney Douglas was axed from the rotation.

Meyers Leonard started the second half over Noah Vonleh, who didn't play in the second half. Before fouling out in overtime, Leonard scored a season-high 23 points (8-17 FG, 4-11 3Pt, 3-3 FT), grabbed seven rebounds, recorded an assist, and notched a steal in 32 minutes. He's accumulated one steal and one block combined in his last seven games, and this game against the Mavericks was the outlier of the season. Leonard will probably reenter the starting lineup on Thursday against the Pacers, but playing alongside Mason Plumlee hinders his rebounding opportunities. And C.J. Miles has been guarding power forwards this season, making it harder for Leonard to shake loose on the perimeter for wide open shots. He's a solid rotisserie league add for his efficiency, but given the Blazers' rotation uncertainty and his defensive ineptitude, there's no telling whether he'll get 20 minutes or 30 minutes on a given night. The same goes for the rest of the big men in Portland. Full disclosure: I'm irritated that Leonard is being touted as a 50/40/90 guy when he didn't even qualify for any of the shooting categories last season.

FANTASY LINE OF THE NIGHT

John Wall defiled all those who stood in his path, righteous or otherwise. After a ghastly 6-of-25 performance the game prior, Wall tallied a season-high 35 points (14-24 FG, 3-5 3Pt, 4-5 FT), 10 assists, five steals, and four rebounds in 41 minutes. There were possessions where no defender picked up Wall streaking toward the basket. It was akin to a layup line out there. When Wall couldn't get to the rim in the fourth quarter, he relied on his elbow jumper, the same one that has let him down so often this season. After seven games without a block, Wall no longer leads the Wizards in blocks, dipping to 0.9 per game.

ROOKIE OF THE NIGHT

Jahlil Okafor clinched this award with a showing of 12 points (6-14 FG, 0-1 FT), five rebounds, two assists, and one block in 30 minutes. The numbers were mediocre, and they occurred on a night when Karl-Anthony Towns played 22 minutes, D'Angelo Russell played 37 minutes, and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson failed to record a steal or block. Okafor was beguiled by Roy Hibbert on the offensive end, and his defensive awareness is going to be an issue all season. As long as the Sixers can limit his minutes, coach Brown indicated 32 would be the high mark during preseason, Okafor won't be worn down and ineffective in the latter stages of the game.

TRIPLE-DOUBLE WATCH

Bradley Beal shot 6-of-19 from the field and 1-of-10 from downtown. It was his worst shooting display this season, but he assuaged efficiency concerns with 18 points, nine rebounds, six assists, and one steal in 42 minutes. That's two straight games over 40 minutes, and he's averaging a team-high 37.6 minutes per game over the last five. The Wizards began a stretch of eight games in 12 days last night. This is frightening territory for Beal, because more times than not when he strings together high minute totals in a condensed duration, he sustains a right leg injury that leads to a stress reaction.

Anthony Davis was responsible for nine of the Pelicans' 11 blocks last night. Regardless of his 4-of-15 shooting performance, Davis contributed 17 points, 14 rebounds, two assists, two steals, and one three-pointer in 41 minutes. He's played over 40 minutes in consecutive losses, and sooner or later injury is going to reappear. This is your chance to trade Davis if you're bothered by the constant fear of potential injury.

Marc Gasol averaged 38 minutes over the previous five games. Prior to last night's game, coach Joerger vowed to limit Gasol's minutes to lessen the extensive workload. Not only did Gasol play a game-high 42 minutes, but he supplied a career-high 38 points (11-22 FG, 16-16 FT), 13 rebounds, six assists, and four blocks. Outstanding performance aside, the Grizzlies play once in the next four days, a battle against the Spurs that will test Joerger's edict once more. Gasol has been playing overloaded minutes with Brandan Wright (knee) missing a timetable and Zach Randolph returning from knee soreness.

Damian Lillard shook off the previous night's stomach bug to procure 25 points (10-24 FG, 3-7 3Pt, 2-2 FT), 10 assists, eight rebounds, and one steal in 41 minutes. He scored nine of his points in the final two minutes of overtime when the Mavericks were surrendering baskets for free-throws. Lillard continued to struggle with his shot, and he hasn't made 50 percent of his baskets in 12 straight games, overlapping the November 11th game where his right thumbnail was ripped off. He's top-10 in scoring (24.4), assists (6.9), three-pointers made (2.8), and minutes (36.6) per game.

Deron Williams played 45 minutes in an overtime contest. The Mavericks have two days off before their next game, justifying the move. He provided a season-high 30 points (11-17 FG, 2-6 3Pt, 6-7 FT), eight assists, six rebounds, and two blocks. Nine of his points came in overtime, and he was able to abuse the tandem of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum on offense. If coach Rick Carlisle can convert Jose Calderon into a spot-up shooter, O.J. Mayo into a deadly three-point shooter, and Monta Ellis into an efficient scorer, then reviving Williams' career was simply the next step in the progression.

BOX SCORE HIGHLIGHTS AND ODDITIES

Marcin Gortat tabulated 10 points, four rebounds, and four blocks in the first quarter, then coasted the rest of the game, adding five more points and seven more rebounds in 33 minutes. He was absent for the final nine minutes of the fourth quarter, per usual, but he's registered three double-doubles in his last four games. The playing time has spiked with Nene Hilario (calf) and Drew Gooden (calf) unavailable. The same circumstance played out during last season's second half, and Gortat became a top-20 fantasy value in that span. It's obvious coach Wittman detests Gortat, but as long as Gortat is the only healthy big, the minutes are a lock. The Wizards signed Ryan Hollins a few days ago, and he didn't make an appearance.

Kevin Love offered a solid eight points (2-10 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 4-4 FT) and eight rebounds in 33 minutes. He missed his final eight attempts, most of which were wide open including two bunnies around the rim. I'm calling it an off night, and the last shot shouldn't have been recorded as such; the rebound deflected off his hand, but he didn't make an attempt to tip it back in. Love is shooting 40 percent on three-pointers, one percent below his mark post-All-Star break last season when he started to figure out how to play with LeBron James and Kyrie Irving (knee). And he's shooting a career-high 87 percent from the free-throw line. Regression in his shooting and usage are expected upon Irving's return. But if you play in head-to-head leagues, the Cavaliers possess a stellar playoff schedule during Week 21-23. Except, that assumes coach Blatt doesn't rest his players down the stretch once they secure a playoff berth.

Kobe Bryant scored nine points in the first 75 seconds and the Lakers' first 11 points. However, he finished 7-of-26 from the field and 4-of-17 on three-pointers for 20 points and added five rebounds, two assists, and one steal in 32 minutes. I'm stressing out about his minutes, especially with seven more road games over the next 12 days. Expect him to rest or get injured at this pace. And if potential injury worries you, along with Bryant's 30 percent accuracy from the field, trade him now.

Jerami Grant is thriving as the Sixers' starting power forward. Ignoring the fact that he played the Lakers, Grant supplied 14 points (6-7 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 2-2 FT), seven rebounds, four assists, four blocks, and one steal in 31 minutes. He leads the team with 1.8 blocks per game and improved his free-throw shooting to 72.5 percent, a 13-percent bump from his rookie season on more attempts. I think he'll finish the season under 70 percent, but the significant progress is a testament to the Sixers' development staff. The next step is to fix his outside shot. Because the Sixers are bringing Nerlens Noel off the bench, Grant's position in the rotation is currently fixed, catapulting him from streaming option to hold status for his blocks.

Hollis Thompson is leading the Sixers in three-point percentage for the third straight season. On top of that, he's averaging 12.8 points and 2.4 three-pointers in the last five games on 29.1 minutes a night. His consistency has knocked Nik Stauskas to the back of the rotation. Stauskas was so terrible on defense that he was removed early in the fourth quarter for Isaiah Canaan. And when I say bad, Kobe Bryant blew by him for a reverse layup, and two minutes later, D'Angelo Russell drove him off a pick and threw down an emphatic dunk, bringing the Lakers to within six points and forcing coach Brown to call a timeout to shuffle the lineup. Thompson is a deeper league option because a majority of his value rests in points and threes when his shot is falling.

Alex Len played 35 minutes, an abnormally high amount of minutes necessitated by the opposition, Brook Lopez. Len compiled 13 points (4-7 FG, 5-6 FT), 14 rebounds, three blocks, two assists, and two steals. Coach Hornacek typically runs smaller lineups, but with the Pistons scheduled on Wednesday night, I believe Hornacek will play Len as much as possible. However, he'll likely get into early foul trouble guarding Andre Drummond, so 35 minutes is out of reach. The Suns began a stretch of five games in seven nights last night, all road games, which makes Len an immediate fantasy option with Tyson Chandler (hamstring) out for an undetermined amount of time.

Shane Larkin was called upon when Rondae Hollis-Jefferson fell victim to foul trouble, forming a feared backcourt of Jarrett Jack and Larkin. In 30 minutes, Larkin matched Jack in nearly every category, including the facial hair column. Both scored 11 points and handed out eight assists. Larkin's five rebounds were one more than Jack, and Jack's three steals trumped Larkin's two. They were nearly identical in every way. Larkin is shooting a career-high 52 on three-pointers and having a career-year in general, outperforming his past seasons from top to bottom.

Andrew Nicholson has emerged from the Jacque Vaughn ashes, and he shall now be referred to as Drew. He's played at least 23 minutes in five straight games, culminating in last night's season-high 31-minute outing.  He provided 15 points (6-11 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 3-4 FT), and six rebounds. There shouldn't be any room for Nicholson in the rotation, yet here we are, contemplating our own existence. Nicholson is a professional scorer with a dash of old-man face.

Gorgui Dieng played 29 minutes and contributed in almost every category, adding 11 points (4-6 FG, 3-3 FT), seven rebounds, three blocks, one assist, and one steal. He's playing 27.0 minutes per game over the last five contests as coach Sam Mitchell limits Karl-Anthony Towns to 22.2 minutes in that same stretch by withholding him from fourth quarters. The role reversal has occurred as a measure to guard Towns against the rigors of six-month NBA season. It's not my place to tell coach Mitchell how to run his rotation. All I can do is accept the new information and act accordingly. The Timberwolves have three days off before their next game, plenty of time for Towns to vault back up to 30 minutes against the Trail Blazers. However, coach Mitchell said the following in the post-game regarding benching Towns in the fourth quarter:

"Man, don't come ask me that question. Ask me a question about the game. Don't ask me a question about playing time."

Matt Barnes is a fixture in the Grizzlies rotation, even after the return of Zach Randolph. In 27 minutes, Barnes supplied 13 points (5-11 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 2-2 FT), six rebounds, and three assists. Once coach Joerger follows through on his promise to limit Marc Gasol's minutes, the team can play with four perimeter threats surrounding Randolph as the center. They've had varied success with the spread rotation, something that was forced on them in Randolph's absence. Barnes is averaging 12.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.6 three-pointers in the last six games, four of which occurred without Randolph. Barnes is playing more minutes than Courtney Lee in that stretch, and his presence reduced the playing time of Mario Chalmers and Tony Allen.

Zaza Pachulia nearly outrebounded the rest of his team, pulling down 21 in 38 minutes to go along with 14 points (6-10 FG, 2-3 FT), one assist, one steal, and one block. JaVale McGee (rest) was unavailable, and the game went into overtime. Alas, this wasn't an outlier from Pachuls. It was his 12th double-double. Dirk Nowitzki chipped in 28 points (11-24 FG, 2-7 3Pt, 4-4 FT), seven rebounds, six assists, and one block in 37 minutes because no one on the Blazers could guard him. As mentioned earlier, the Mavericks get two days off before their next match.

Allen Crabbe scored a career-high 18 points (6-12 FG, 3-6 3Pt, 3-3 FT) in 35 minutes. Not to be outdone, Gerald Henderson scored a season-high 20 points (7-13 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 4-4 FT) in 24 minutes. The minutes were abundant because Al-Farouq Aminu was benched and limited to 18 minutes. Coach Stotts rolled with the players that were producing, and Meyers Leonard's emergence claimed a few of Aminu's power forward minutes. Stotts values three-point shooting and defense, and Aminu only checks one of those boxes. I know the writing is on the wall, but I'm holding Aminu in head-to-head leagues because he was getting over 30 minutes prior last night's tectonic shift.

Even though he attempted 21 shots in 40 minutes, C.J. McCollum failed to score 15 points for the first time this season. That 37-point season opener is but a fleeting memory. McCollum is venturing down the path Bradley Beal wondered after his rookie season: take a bunch of shots, rarely get to the free-throw line, hit a solid percentage of his three-pointers, and struggle with efficiency. Every two or three months, Beal would muster a 30-point performance to get everyone worked up, but soon after, he returned to a 16-point on 16 shots type of role. It's important to remember McCollum is playing unprecedented minutes (35.2), and defenses are building the scouting report.

NIGHTLY LEADERS

Points

1. Marc Gasol, C, MEM: 38 points
2. John Wall, G, WAS: 35 points
3. Deron Williams, G, DAL: 30 points

Rebounds

1. Zaza Pachulia, C, DAL: 21 rebounds
2. Anthony Davis, F, NOP: 14 rebounds
3. Alex Len, C, PHX: 14 rebounds

Assists

1. John Wall, G, WAS: 10 assists
2. Damian Lillard, G, POR: 10 assists
3. Tyreke Evans, G, NOP: 10 assists

Steals

1. John Wall, G, WAS: 5 steals
2. Eric Bledsoe, G, PHX: 4 steals
3. Four players tied with three steals

Blocks

1. Anthony Davis, F, NOP: 9 blocks
2. Marc Gasol, C, MEM: 4 blocks
3. Marcin Gortat, C, WAS: 4 blocks
4. Jerami Grant, F, PHI: 4 blocks

Three-Pointers

1. Robert Covington, F, PHI: 5-11 3Pt
2. Kobe Bryant, G, LAL: 4-17 3Pt
3. Isaiah Canaan, G, PHI: 4-7 3Pt
4. Meyers Leonard, F, POR: 4-11 3Pt
5. Mirza Teletovic, F, PHX: 4-9 3Pt

Minutes

1. Deron Williams, G, DAL: 45 minutes
2. Marc Gasol, C, MEM: 42 minutes
3. Bradley Beal, G, WAS: 42 minutes
4. Otto Porter Jr., F, WAS: 42 minutes