NBA Cup: Celtics lose and Warriors beat Mavericks

The Atlanta Hawks pulled off an upset on the opening day of the NBA Cup, defeating the Boston Celtics 116-117 at TD Garden in Massachusetts. Despite trailing at halftime, the Hawks sealed the win with a basket in the final six seconds. 

The Hawks' victory is even more impressive considering that their star, Trae Young, missed the game due to injury. Instead, Jalen Johnson stepped up as the team's leader, delivering an outstanding triple-double (18 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists) that left the crowd at the TD Garden in awe.

Johnson's standout performance was complemented by strong contributions from Clint Capela, Onyeka Okongwu, Larry Nance Jr. and Dyson Daniels, with Daniels leading the charge by scoring 28 points.

When Jayson Tatum isn't at his best, the Celtics feel the impact. The star forward for the reigning NBA champions scored only 20 points, well below his usual output. Jaylen Brown and Derrick White were the only players to step up, scoring 37 and 31 points, respectively.

Warriors outplay Mavericks

In Klay Thompson's return to the Chase Center, his new , the Dallas Mavericks, were narrowly defeated by the Golden State Warriors, 120-117. Despite the loss, Thompson received a warm welcome from his former fans.  

As expected, Stephen Curry led the Warriors to victory, scoring 37 points to boost his personal tally.

Four other players from Steve Kerr's squad scored over ten points: Draymond Green, De'Anthony Melton, Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield.

On the other side of the court, Luka Doncic was the standout with 31 points. Thompson scored 22 points against his former teammates, while Kyrie Irving added 21 points. However, the Mavericks have raised concerrns with their performance early in the season.