NBA champions Oklahoma City Thunder continued their dominant start to the season on Friday, cruising to their 14th consecutive win with a 132-111 victory over the Dallas Mavericks to move to 22-1 on the year.

Reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander poured in 33 points, with Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren each adding 15 as Oklahoma City extended the best season-opening run since Golden State began 2015-16 at 24-0.

With a 30-point cushion after three quarters, the Thunder were able to rest their starters in the final period as Dallas saw its three-game win streak emphatically halted.

Jaden Hardy delivered 23 points off the bench to pace the Mavericks, while star big man Anthony Davis managed only two points, scoring his lone basket late in a game that was already decided.

Davis, who has battled injuries throughout his career, appeared to tweak his left knee in the third quarter and spent time on the bench with it wrapped before briefly returning in the fourth.

Celtics roll past depleted Lakers

In Boston, Jaylen Brown led the way with 30 points as the Celtics eased past a short-handed Los Angeles Lakers side, 126-105.

The highly anticipated matchup lost some shine with LeBron James sidelined by the sciatica that cost him the first 14 games of his 23rd NBA season as well as lingering foot arthritis. Luka Doncic also sat out for a second straight game due to personal reasons.

Austin Reaves scored a game-high 36 for Los Angeles, but Boston controlled the contest wire-to-wire, leading by as many as 29.

Jokic powers Denver’s comeback

In Atlanta, Nikola Jokic erupted for 30 of his 40 points after halftime as the Denver Nuggets stormed back to edge the Hawks 134-133.

Jalen Johnson was spectacular for Atlanta, posting a triple-double before the break with 11 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists, and finishing with 21-18-16.

Despite trailing by 23 late in the first half, the Nuggets exploded for 80 points in the second to complete the rally. Jamal Murray added 23 points and came up with a critical late block to secure Denver’s ninth straight win away from home.

Magic fend off the Heat

In Orlando, Franz Wagner scored 32 and Jalen Suggs chipped in 22 as the Magic held off the Miami Heat 106-105.

Miami sliced a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to one on a Norman Powell drive with 50.9 seconds left, but multiple late opportunities slipped away. Powell missed a fadeaway, the Heat were forced to burn a final timeout after failing to inbound, and Bam Adebayo’s last-second three-pointer hit iron.

Durant reaches scoring milestone

Houston’s Kevin Durant made history in the Rockets’ 117-98 victory over the Phoenix Suns, becoming just the eighth player in NBA history to surpass 31,000 career points.

Facing his former team for the first time since a blockbuster July trade, Durant needed four points coming in and reached the milestone with a mid-first-quarter jumper. He finished with 28 points, while Amen Thompson delivered a season-best 31 as Houston notched its fifth win in six games.

“I’m just grateful to be in this position to live out my dreams every single day,” said Durant, a two-time champion and former MVP. “So many people have invested in my life. I’m just grateful for them, and I want to keep it going.”

Knicks blitz Jazz

At Madison Square Garden, the New York Knicks came out firing, opening on a stunning 23-0 run and never looking back in a 146-112 demolition of the Utah Jazz.