It was a busy night in the NBA on Friday.
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Many teams lined up their new-look rosters for the first time following the frenzy that was the NBA trade deadline on Thursday. Things got a little interesting at the beginning of the night as Kevin Love made his return to the Cleveland Cavaliers' lineup after being sidelined for 50 games due to a toe injury. He played just six minutes, as was the plan, and finished with four points, one rebound and one assist.
Then the revamped Philadelphia 76ers pulled out a victory over the Denver Nuggets in the first game for Tobias Harris, thanks to a big night from JJ Redick.
Later on in the night, the Golden State Warriors avoided an upset by pulling away to beat the Phoenix Suns.
Here's everything you need to know about Friday's NBA action, along with Saturday's schedule.
NBA scores for Friday, Feb. 8 NBA schedule for Saturday, Feb. 8
*All times Eastern
AD booed, benched in return
Anthony Davis played in his first game since demanding a trade from the Pelicans, and the New Orleans crowd let their displeasure be heard when Davis took the court for pregame introductions. He was phenomenal during the game, scoring 32 points in just 24 minutes, but was noticeably benched during the fourth quarter in a close Pelicans win. Davis spoke after the game, but didn't comment on being benched.
“My teammates came to me and said they wanted me to play. I just love being back on the floor ...”
—Anthony Davis after returning to the court for the first time since demanding a trade pic.twitter.com/dGusx0d4PZ
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 9, 2019
Giannis with another monster game
We're becoming spoiled by the exploits of Giannis Antetokounmpo, and on Friday he put up another monster stat line with 29 points, 17 rebounds and five assists in 31 minutes as the Bucks won their sixth straight game.
Redick catches fire in Sixers win
Tobias Harris made his debut for the 76ers on Friday, but it was JJ Redick who stole the spotlight. The sharpshooter scored 34 points, going 6-of-7 from the 3-point line in the win over the Nuggets.
LeVert welcomed back in Brooklyn
Caris LeVert hadn't played since suffering a gruesome ankle injury in November, but he received a standing ovation as he made his return on Friday night in front of the Nets' home crowd. LeVert finished with 11 points, four assists and five steals in 14 minutes.
Simmons, Butler connect on alley-oop
It looks like Jimmy Butler and Ben Simmons have already developed some pretty good chemistry in Philadelphia. Simmons motioned for Butler to cut, threw him a lob and Butler used his athleticism for the one-handed finish.
Embiid starts against Nuggets
In what could have been a downer for Sixers fans, Joel Embiid was questionable for Friday's matchup against the Nuggets due to an illness. Fortunately for Philly, he suited up and took his normal spot at starting center.
