I am so very excited to be taking on another exciting NBA season with you, BBN! Mondays can be tough, but at least we have a lot of former ‘Cats to follow. Let’s see what they did last night.

RECAP:

Celtics hand Hornets first loss of season

Jayson Tatum is heating up early. He put up 41 points last night as the Celtics handed the Hornets a 140-129 overtime loss in Charlotte. Jaylen Brown added 30 of his own, including a statement dunk over Miles Bridges in overtime. It was the first loss of the season for a promising Charlotte team, which was seeking their first 4-0 start in franchise history.

JAYLEN BROWN. FATALITY!!! pic.twitter.com/pW5uvMsDeQ

— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) October 26, 2021

The offense in Charlotte looks good. Bridges led the Hornets with a double-double of 25 points and 10 rebounds. LaMelo Ball added 25 points of his own, but fouled out in overtime – an overtime that the Celtics dominated. Before fouling out, Ball looked very impressive. He was 7-14 from three, hitting several shots to keep his team in the game.

Former Wildcat PJ Washington did not play in last night’s game due to soreness in his right knee. Washington had a promising start to his season. In the Hornets opening game against the Indiana Pacers, Washington hit two free throws in the final seconds to give the Hornets the lead, and then made Coach Cal proud with a defensive stand to secure the win. Hopefully he can get back out there soon.

Nick Richards got some minutes too, ending with seven points, three rebounds and three blocks – including this MONSTER denial of Jabari Parker. This counts as an assist, right?!

Nick Richards says NOOOOOOO!!! pic.twitter.com/XzsbN2O1bA

— Matt Jones (@KySportsRadio) October 26, 2021

KAT leads Timberwolves in loss to Pelicans

Speaking of first losses of the season, the Minnesota Timberwolves were handed their first as well. They lost 107-98 at home to New Orleans last night, giving the Pelicans their first win of the season. It was also a big first for Pelicans head coach Willie Green–his first win as an NBA head coach. Green, 40, played in the league for 12 years, including time in New Orleans (when they were still the Hornets).

On the other hand, Duke grad Brandon Ingram led the Pelicans with 27 points and nine rebounds. Jonas Valanciunas and Devonte Graham added 22 and 21 respectively. Valanciunas is in his first season in New Orleans, and Pelicans fans have to be excited. The Lithuania native had 23 rebounds, three assists and two blocks last night, as well.

Jonas Valanciunas tonight:

22 Points
23 Rebounds
3 Assists
2 Blocks

20-20 game for JV. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/otr5eh7uNQ

— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) October 26, 2021

Former ‘Cat Karl-Anthony Towns led Minnesota with 32 points, seven assists, two steals and two blocks. That’s pretty good. Anthony Edwards added 28 points to the Minnesota effort, but it wasn’t enough to overcome a hungry Pelicans team. ‘Cats

Bam, Herro help lead Heat to victory

Jimmy Butler is already doing Jimmy Butler things this season. Last night, he put up 36 points in Miami’s 107-90 win over the Orlando Magic. Bam Adebayo added 16 points and 13 rebounds of his own, helping push the Heat past the Magic in the fourth quarter.

Tyler Herro came off the bench and ended just shy of a double-double with 13 points and nine assists. If his first three games are any indication, Herro is looking to have a great season in South Beach. The former Wildcat favorite put up 27 points in the season opener against the Bucks and 30 last weekend in Indianapolis.

HERRO ➡️ BUTLER pic.twitter.com/HmVNeOpqtS

— Hot Hot Hoops (@hothothoops) October 26, 2021

Orlando is coming off an impressive win over the Knicks this weekend. Former North Carolina Tarheel Cole Anthony led the Magic with 29 against the Knicks (and in rebounds and assists, too). Last night, he just couldn’t quite find the same offensive groove. He and Jalen Suggs both ended last night’s game with 15 points. ‘Cats

Here are the full stats from last night’s games:

Player	Result	Points	FG (3P)	Rebounds	Assists	Steals	Blocks	Turnovers	Minutes	+/-
Karl Anthony Towns (MIN)	107 -98 L to Pelicans	32	10-24 (4-10)14	14	7	2	2	3	40	+8
Bam Adebayo (MIA)	107-90 W over Magic	16	4-9	13	2	1	0	0	29	+8
Tyler Herro (MIA)	107-90 W over Magic	13	5-12 (1-3)	5	9	0	0	3	30	+19
Trey Lyles (DET)	122-104 L to Hawks	8	2-7 (0-1)	4	2	0	1	1	21	-7
Nick Richards (CHA)	140-129 L to Celtics (OT)	7	3-4	3	0	0	3	1	14	-3
Hamidou Diallo (DET)	122-104 L to Hawks	2	1-3 (0-2)	2	1	1	0	0	11	-9
Jarred Vanderbilt (MIN)	107 -98 L to Pelicans	0	0-0	0	0	0	0	1	9	-16

Today in the BBNBA

7:30 (TNT): 76ers (Maxey) @ Knicks (Knox, Noel, Quickley, Randle)
8:00: Warriors @ Thunder (Gilgeous-Alexander)
8:30: Rockets (Wall-out) @ Mavericks (Cauley-Stein)
8:30: Lakers (Davis, Monk, Rondo) @ Spurs (Johnson)
10:00 (TNT): Nuggets (Murray-out) @ Jazz