The 2012-13 Basketball Season Is Here

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Surging Knicks easily top Hornets, 102-80



NEW ORLEANS (AP) Carmelo Anthony scored 29 points and the New York Knicks extended the undermanned New Orleans Hornets' losing streak to four games with a 102-80 victory Tuesday night.

Raymond Felton and J.R. Smith each added 15 points. Felton scored all of his points on five 3-pointers as New York hit 14 3s as a team.

Tyson Chandler grabbed 12 rebounds for the Knicks, who've won two straight since their first loss of the season and are 8-1 for only the third time in franchise history. The other two times, the 1969-70 and 1972-73 seasons, they won championships.

Ryan Anderson, starting in place of Anthony Davis, led the Hornets with 15 points. Davis was ruled out shortly before tip-off because tenderness in his left ankle.

Rookie Austin Rivers added a career-high 14 points and Brian Roberts 13 for New Orleans.

It might not have mattered much if the Hornets had Davis' shot blocking ability at their disposal. The Knicks scored only 20 points in the paint, but still shot 44.6 percent (37 of 83) thanks to stellar jump shooting. They finished 14 of 36 (38.9 percent) from 3-point range.

The Knicks came in attempting just more than 26 3s a game this season and seem to have figured out the art of positioning themselves for long rebounds off of missed perimeter shots. New York had 13 offensive rebounds, 17 second-chance points and badly outrebounded New Orleans overall, 49-36.

The Knicks led most of the game, going up 12, at 29-17 at the end of the opening quarter while the Hornets went more than four minutes without scoring.

Anthony scored 19 on 8 of 9 shooting in the first quarter alone, taking advantage of his matchup against rookie Darius Miller later in the period. At one point, Anthony spun past Miller on the dribble and drained a floater in the lane while being fouled by Hornets 7-foot Jason Smith.

The Knicks led by 14 early in the second quarter before the Hornets briefly made it competitive again with a 13-0 run. The spurt included two 3s by Anderson, the second giving New Orleans a 36-34 lead.

It was still as close as 43-42 late in the second quarter after a tough driving floater by Rivers, but Felton made a pair of quick 3s during an 8-0 run that also included an 18-footer by Anthony, and the Knicks were quickly back up by nine before taking a 53-48 lead into halftime.

New York then opened the third quarter on a 10-4 run that included another Anthony jumper and Ronnie Brewer's 3 to make it 63-52. The lead remained in double digits from there on, growing as large as 26 on James White's fast-break dunk in the fourth quarter.

NOTES: Davis is day to day and he is traveling with the Hornets on a four-game road trip that begins Wednesday night at Indiana. ... Knicks coach Mike Woodson was called for a technical foul in the first quarter by official Scott Foster. Woodson and Foster could be seen bickering shortly before the technical was assessed. ... Anthony has led New York in scoring in eight of the Knicks' first nine games. ...The Hornets have now given up 100 or more points in each loss during their current four-game skid.

 

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Richardson, Young lead 76ers over Raptors



PHILADELPHIA (AP) Jason Richardson scored six of his 21 points late in the fourth quarter, Nick Young had 23 off the bench and the Philadelphia 76ers rallied to beat the Toronto Raptors 106-98 on Tuesday night.

Jrue Holiday had 19 points and 12 assists and Thad Young scored 18 to help the Sixers win their third straight game.

DeMar DeRozan had 24 and Andrea Bargnani scored 22 for the Raptors, who are off to a 3-8 start. Jose Calderon, who had a season-high 18 assists in Toronto's win over Orlando on Sunday night, got 12 more to go with 13 points.

Down 87-80 early in the fourth, the Sixers came back to win their first game in which they trailed after three quarters. Nick Young's 3-pointer got Philadelphia to 92-89 with 5:11 left. After Richardson and Dorell Wright missed 3s that would've tied it, Young nailed another 3 to make it 92-all.

The teams traded baskets before Richardson scored on a driving layup, got fouled and made the free throw for a 99-96 lead with 1:54 remaining.

Richardson extended the lead to 102-96 with his fourth 3, and the Raptors didn't get any closer in the final minute.

For a while, it seemed the Raptors were going to run away with it.

After Holiday's dunk put the Sixers up 65-64 midway through the third quarter, Toronto scored 12 straight points. Bargnani started the run with a 16-footer and finished it off with a 3-pointer, giving the Raptors an 11-point lead that was the largest for either team.

But the Sixers answered in the fourth.

The Raptors built a 10-point lead early and led the entire first half until Philadelphia went on an 18-8 run late in the second quarter. Richardson hit a 3-pointer and scored on a fast-break layup off a steal to get the Sixers to 46-44.

Holiday hit a 3-pointer to give Philadelphia its first lead, 51-48, with 30 seconds left in the half. Calderon answered with a 3 to tie it going into the locker rooms.

NOTES: Richardson left the game briefly to be treated for a bruise after Kyle Lowry inadvertently stepped on his face in the third quarter. ... Lowry, who went to nearby Villanova, returned after missing six games with a foot injury. ... The Sixers completed a five-game homestand, going 3-2. ... The Raptors began a stretch of 10 of 12 games on the road. They are 1-5 away from home this season. ... Toronto visits Charlotte on Wednesday night. The Raptors already have three wins on the second night of back-to-back games. They were 4-16 in those situations last year. ... The Sixers were 0-4 when tied or trailing after three quarters.

 

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Lakers vs Nets highlights

Mike D'Antoni coaches his first game for the Lakers and gets his first win.

 

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Kings upset listless Lakers, 113-97



SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) The Los Angeles Lakers had talked about bringing Showtime back to the franchise when they hired Mike D'Antoni to implement his fast and flashy offense.

The curtains are still waiting to be raised on that act.

Kobe Bryant scored an efficient 38 points but Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol struggled inside, and the lethargic Lakers lost 113-97 to the struggling Sacramento Kings on Wednesday night to snap a three-game winning streak.

"If we're going to play Showtime, my God, they just closed the whole theatre on us,'' D'Antoni said. "Showtime, are you kidding? It was Muppet Time.''

Marcus Thornton scored 23 points and Tyreke Evans had 18 to pace Kings, who had lost five straight games. Jason Thompson added 13 points and 10 rebounds to help Sacramento run away in the fourth quarter and cement the latest Lakers setback.

Los Angeles seemed to be turning things around since hiring D'Antoni. Instead, the Lakers looked lost and listless against the Western Conference's worst team, showing all the same problems that got coach Mike Brown fired.

"The first half might have been the worst basketball I've seen in 10 years,'' D'Antoni said. Later, he added, "It was like we were wrestling in m&d.''

Bryant finished 11-of-20 shooting and Jodie Meeks had 15 points off the bench as D'Antoni lost for the first time on the Lakers bench. A night after beating Brooklyn in Los Angeles, the Lakers might've been bad enough to give D'Antoni a headache to go with the pain still throbbing in his surgically replaced knee.

Bryant still almost willed his tired team back.

After the Lakers went down by 10 points early in the fourth quarter, he converted a three-point play over DeMarcus Cousins that sliced Sacramento's lead to 96-92 with 3:06 remaining. Thornton thwarted the rally in a hurry, swishing a 3-pointer from the top of the key on the next possession.

Officials whistled Gasol for a flagrant foul when he swatted Thompson in the face going for a rebound. Thompson made one of two free throws, Cousins added a pair of driving layups and a free throw to put Kings ahead 105-93, and the home fans chanting "Beat L-A! Beat L-A!'' while Bryant finished the game on the bench with a towel over his head.

"It always feels good beating the Lakers,'' Thornton said. "Our fans were into it so we don't really want to let them down. So we came out and played hard, I don't know what for, but we played extremely hard against the Lakers.''

Though point guards Steve Nash and Steve Blake are expected to be out with injuries for at least another two games, the limited Lakers talent was hardly an excuse in this matchup.

The Lakers held Sacramento to 31 percent shooting in the first quarter. Kings big man Chuck Hayes also had to go back to the locker room to receive stitches after he was cut around his right eye and had blood dripping down his cheek, and yet Los Angeles still only led by six.

Aaron Brooks started Sacramento's spurt in the third quarter when he floated an underhand layup over Howard and drew a foul for a three-point play on the new Lakers center, who tumbled hard into a row of photographers under the baseline. Brooks added a jumper and a 3-pointer to highlight the 17-5 run that put the Kings ahead 69-58.

"Our team went on a whirlwind,'' Kings coach Keith Smart said.

D'Antoni kept yelling and motioning for the Lakers to sprint up court to match Sacramento's speed. Instead, they often kept the pace at a slow crawl.

Howard finished with seven points on 2-of-4 shooting. Gasol scored eight points on 3 of 10 from the field, and the Lakers were outscored 50-22 in the paint.

"It seemed like we were a little lethargic for whatever reason,'' Bryant said. "We just have to push through it, particularly the second unit, especially while Dwight is in there. You don't have to go to as many pick-and-rolls, really, just dump the ball down to him and let him operate.''

Never happened.

After the Lakers closed within a point, James Johnson made three straight layups during an 11-2 run that put the Kings ahead 88-78 early in the fourth quarter. D'Antoni called a timeout in the middle of Sacramento's surge to put his starters back in the game and give his listless Lakers a chance to refocus.

No chance for that now.

D'Antoni's knee - and the Lakers mettle - will be tested even more. Los Angeles plays at Memphis on Friday and at Dallas on Saturday to complete a quick three-game trip.

"I think you always have a little bit of shock when a guy comes in new, and so you start off all like puppies out there,'' D'Antoni said of his team's turnaround when he was hired. "Now it's back to reality a little bit.''

NOTES: The Kings won all three preseason games against the Lakers. The series is 1-1 in the regular season, with the home team winning each time. ... Howard made 3 of 4 free throws after going 7 for 19 from the line a night earlier against Brooklyn. His first attempts came with 7:07 remaining in the fourth quarter.

 

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Heat beat Bucks, 113-106 in OT



MIAMI (AP) The night started with the Miami Heat paying tribute to Udonis Haslem, who became the franchise's career rebounding leader in the first quarter.

Maybe, then, it was fitting that rebounds became a necessary theme the rest of the way for the Heat.

LeBron James had 28 points and 10 rebounds, Dwyane Wade added 28 more points in his return from injury and the Heat scored the first six points of overtime on the way to beating the Milwaukee Bucks 113-106 on Wednesday night.

Chris Bosh had 24 points and 18 rebounds, his most rebounds in a Heat uniform. James also had eight assists, and Ray Allen scored 17 points for the Heat, who moved to 5-0 at home - even after wasting an early 18-point lead and having to rally from seven points down in the final minutes of regulation.

"We've got to just continue to get better,'' James said. "We came out for a quarter and a half and played some good basketball and then we kind of got laxed offensively, had some turnovers and let them get back into the game. But I guess we like close games - and figure out a way to execute down the stretch.''

The Bucks took 109 shots, their most in a game since March 8, 2003. They shot just 42 percent for the game, and 33 percent in overtime.

John Henson came off the bench to finish with 17 points and 18 rebounds for Milwaukee. Brandon Jennings scored 19 points on 9-for-25 shooting for the Bucks, who got 16 from Mike Dunleavy, 11 from Tobias Harris and 10 from Samuel Dalembert.

"LeBron made some big plays, got his guys, found his guys,'' Henson said. "That's what helped them win the game.''

Miami outscored Milwaukee 15-8 in overtime, meaning the last run - on a night filled with back and forth - belonged to the Heat, who survived despite wasting an early 18-point lead.

In fact, it was Miami which had to rally just to extend the game late.

"That's the nature of NBA games,'' Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "They're long. The other team will make a run. ... This is a very good basketball team. They stormed right back into it. You have to give them credit.''

Allen's 3-pointer with 1:07 left sealed it for Miami, giving the Heat a 109-100 lead.

Haslem became the franchise career leader in rebounds late in the first quarter, grabbing the 4,808th of his career, one more than Alonzo Mourning - now a Heat executive who was in his customary seat beyond one baseline to see his mark get passed.

The team paid tribute with a video and Spoelstra said Haslem's teammates also honored him in the locker room. But the night almost went for naught.

Down seven late in the fourth quarter, the Heat reclaimed the lead with a 10-0 run. James played quarterback for much of the burst, hitting a 3-pointer, setting up Wade for a score that tied the game and eventually finding Allen in the right corner for another 3 and a 94-91 lead.

Milwaukee took the lead twice more and Miami tied it quickly both times. The Bucks went for the win late, but Monta Ellis missed a jumper, Henson couldn't score on the rebound, and the Heat eventually controlled the ball and got a stoppage with 1.4 seconds left. They just didn't get a shot off - Ellis knocked the ball from Wade's hands before he could fire off a chance at the win, and the teams went to overtime tied at 98.

"Small margin of error against that team,'' Bucks coach Scott Skiles said. "And we still had a shot to win the game. It just didn't go in.''

The Heat ran out to an early 37-19 lead, and the margin still seemed more than comfortable at 44-28 with 4:10 left in the half, when the Bucks seemed to be coming completely apart.

Larry Sanders committed a personal foul, didn't like the call and let everyone know his feelings. Sanders slammed the ball toward the basket for one technical, started complaining, kept complaining, picked up the second technical and then appeared to even have a few choice words for his own bench as he departed for the Milwaukee locker room.

For whatever reason, the game changed in that instant.

Milwaukee scored the next 13 points and closed the half on a 16-2 run - the last three of those points coming in the most unexpected way, with Dalembert connecting from about 27 feet. Dalembert had missed all 10 of his previous 3-point tries in his career.

"Guys get up to play us and we understand that,'' James said. "Guys are in this league for a reason.''

NOTES: Jennings and Ellis combined to miss their first 10 shots. Jennings scored with 3:28 left in the half, the first points of the Bucks' 13-0 run. ... With Thanksgiving on Thursday, Wade and James revealed some of their must-have side dishes. James said he's "not participating'' in Thanksgiving if he doesn't have candied yams and macaroni and cheese on his plate; Wade said he needs "some good stuffing to set me right.'' ... Skiles said he expects F Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (offseason knee surgery) at practice "within the next week or so.''

 

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Parker, Duncan carry Spurs past Celtics, 112-100



BOSTON (AP) San Antonio's Tony Parker went from a proficient point guard to a prolific scorer to outduel Boston's Rajon Rondo.

In a battle of two of the league's elite point guards, Parker scored a season-high 26 points and chipped in six assists to carry the Spurs to a 112-100 victory over the defensively challenged Celtics on Wednesday night.

Parker knew he'd need to elevate his play against Rondo.

"Definitely. It's always a good challenge,'' Parker said. "Rondo is one of the best in the NBA and every time you play one of the best, you want to be aggressive. Rondo had a great game, too, so it was a good battle of point guards.''

Tim Duncan had 20 points and 15 rebounds, and reserve Tiago Splitter added a season-high 23 points, many coming when the Spurs took charge late in the third and early in the fourth.

Duncan could see that Parker was looking to score more.

"He's been missing a lot of shots that he usually makes and he just made them tonight and that was kind of the difference,'' he said. "He made his floaters, he made his in-betweens and that opened up the floor for a lot of us. More than just being aggressive, I think he's just kind of trying to get his shot back and trying to feel good about it.''

Rondo had 22 points and extended his consecutive streak of double-digit assist games to 35 with 15. Paul Pierce, who sprained his ankle in a 20-point loss at Detroit on Sunday, had 19 points.

It was the fourth straight game Boston (6-6) has allowed over 100 points.

"We shot 53 percent and the reason we were there is because our offense allowed us to stay there,'' Boston coach Doc Rivers said. "But to me, that was fools' gold because the way we were playing defense, you're not going to get a stop, you're not going to win a game.''

DeJuan Blair chipped in with 12 points for the Spurs (9-3), but it was Parker's play that led to the win.

"This was his best game in a while,'' Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "He hasn't really scored, he hasn't been aggressive for whatever reason. He's known it and he's tried to work through it and put a finger on it, but tonight he played a complete game.''

Parker, Duncan carry Spurs past Celtics, 112-100
BOSTON (AP) San Antonio's Tony Parker went from a proficient point guard to a prolific scorer to outduel Boston's Rajon Rondo.

In a battle of two of the league's elite point guards, Parker scored a season-high 26 points and chipped in six assists to carry the Spurs to a 112-100 victory over the defensively challenged Celtics on Wednesday night.

Parker knew he'd need to elevate his play against Rondo.

"Definitely. It's always a good challenge,'' Parker said. "Rondo is one of the best in the NBA and every time you play one of the best, you want to be aggressive. Rondo had a great game, too, so it was a good battle of point guards.''

Tim Duncan had 20 points and 15 rebounds, and reserve Tiago Splitter added a season-high 23 points, many coming when the Spurs took charge late in the third and early in the fourth.

Duncan could see that Parker was looking to score more.

"He's been missing a lot of shots that he usually makes and he just made them tonight and that was kind of the difference,'' he said. "He made his floaters, he made his in-betweens and that opened up the floor for a lot of us. More than just being aggressive, I think he's just kind of trying to get his shot back and trying to feel good about it.''

Rondo had 22 points and extended his consecutive streak of double-digit assist games to 35 with 15. Paul Pierce, who sprained his ankle in a 20-point loss at Detroit on Sunday, had 19 points.

It was the fourth straight game Boston (6-6) has allowed over 100 points.

"We shot 53 percent and the reason we were there is because our offense allowed us to stay there,'' Boston coach Doc Rivers said. "But to me, that was fools' gold because the way we were playing defense, you're not going to get a stop, you're not going to win a game.''

DeJuan Blair chipped in with 12 points for the Spurs (9-3), but it was Parker's play that led to the win.

"This was his best game in a while,'' Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "He hasn't really scored, he hasn't been aggressive for whatever reason. He's known it and he's tried to work through it and put a finger on it, but tonight he played a complete game.''

Brandon Bass scored 16 and Kevin Garnett 14 for the Celtics, who managed just one offensive rebound and lost for the third time in four games.

Boston hopes to get its defense fixed before it faces Oklahoma City, another Western Conference power, at home on Friday, and Garnett knows the team's defensive reputation has taken a hit.

"It damages it a little bit. But you know what? It's not going to be the first time,'' he said. "Good offenses always get the best of a better defense, I feel.''

The Spurs closed the third quarter with a 6-0 run, with Splitter getting a pair of baskets, to take an 82-74 lead.

They opened the fourth by scoring eight of the initial 10 points to open their biggest lead at that point, 90-76 on Splitter's three-point play with just under 10 minutes to play.

Splitter's two free throws increased it to 94-78 with 8:41 to go.

Boston closed the gap to nine, but the Spurs had a pair of easy driving baskets by Parker to maintain a comfortable margin.

That was until Rondo answered with a long jumper from the right corner off his own steal and a spinning bank shot, closing it to 104-98 with 3:17 left.

But that was as close as Boston would get.

Duncan had five points during a 9-0 spree that gave the Spurs a 69-60 edge midway into the third quarter. Boston then scored seven of the next nine, closing it to two on Pierce's 3 from the right wing.

Rondo was responsible either with an assist, basket or pass for all the Celtics' 23 points in the opening 8 1/2 minutes of the third quarter. He had eight assists, two baskets and fed Pierce, who got fouled in the lane before hitting two free throws.

In the quarter, the Celtics' playmaker had eight assists and two baskets - accounting for all but one of Boston's buckets - Jeff Green's drive.

In the first half, Parker dominated Rondo, scoring 15 on 7 for 10 shooting.

Neither team held more than a four-point lead until the Spurs scored 14 of the final 20 points in the first half to take a 56-48 edge into the break. Danny Green nailed a 3-pointer in the middle of the streak, giving him 30 straight games with at least one 3, the league's longest current streak.

NOTES: Rivers was asked before the game to compare the play of longtime stars Garnett, known for showing emotion, and the usually fairly stoic Duncan. "They're both extremely tough and extremely motivated. It's amazing how similar they are and how different they act.'' ... Rivers also commented on Parker and Rondo before tip-off. "They're both terrific,'' he said. "It's amazing how many good point guards there are in the league right now and you have to prepare for every one differently. It's a good time in the league now for that position.'' ... The Spurs won the only meeting last season - 87-86 when Pierce missed a shot at the buzzer on an isolation over Duncan. ... San Antonio played the first of a six-game road trip, which closes next Thursday in Miami.

 

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Thunder edge Clippers 117-111 in overtime



OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Kendrick Perkins challenged his Oklahoma City Thunder teammates before a showdown of division leaders with the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night.

The Thunder had lost their first two games this season against other top teams in the Western Conference, and Perkins wanted that trend to stop immediately.

It wasn't easy, but Oklahoma City got the job done.

Kevin Durant scored 35 points, Russell Westbrook added 23 and Oklahoma City's All-Star tandem scored all of the Thunder's points in overtime in a 117-111 victory over the Clippers.

"It felt good to finally get one of those wins, and we can move on now,'' Durant said.

Westbrook connected on a 3-pointer from the left wing to open the scoring in overtime, and Durant rattled one in from about the same spot two possessions later for a 108-104 advantage.

Westbrook then answered DeAndre Jordan's three-point play with a baseline jumper, and Oklahoma City was able to close it out from the foul line.

"This is a good win for us, especially against a team like that, that had some success lately,'' said Thabo Sefolosha, who hounded Clippers All-Star Chris Paul much of the game.

Blake Griffin led Los Angeles with 23 points and Jamal Crawford scored 20 for the Clippers, who had a six-game winning streak snapped after entering the game tied for the best record in the West.

After trailing for the previous 44 minutes, the Clippers finally pulled even at 102 when Matt Barnes drove for a layup with 36 seconds left in regulation. Griffin denied Durant the ball on the Thunder's ensuing possession, and Westbrook came up empty on a drive to the basket.

Paul then dribbled out the rest of the clock before missing a turnaround jumper from the left elbow as the horn sounded.

"I think the frustrating part is we had an opportunity to win and, regardless of what anybody says, it's going to be hard for us to win a game when I play that bad,'' said Paul, who missed 12 of 14 shots and ended up with nine points and nine assists.

"It's tough because you work so hard but there's going to be nights like that.''

Los Angeles had been tied with Memphis for the West's best record at the start of the day but dropped behind Oklahoma City and San Antonio with the loss. The Clippers were trying to win at least seven games in a row for only the sixth time in franchise history, and the first time since 1991.

"We fought the whole game and Chris got a great look. We're going to live and die on that shot,'' Jordan said. "We fought but we definitely made some mistakes tonight. They made more plays than we did down the stretch.''

Matt Barnes scored 19 points while replacing starting forward Caron Butler in the Clippers' lineup. Butler missed the game with a strained right shoulder sustained Monday night in a win at San Antonio.

Kevin Martin scored 20 points and Serge Ibaka chipped in 15 points and 12 rebounds for Oklahoma City before fouling out in overtime. Hasheem Thabeet also matched his career high with 10 points off the bench.

The Clippers won three out of four against Oklahoma City in a sometimes testy series last season that included Griffin's memorable throwdown over Perkins in a Clippers win and Perkins' retaliation with a hard foul to Griffin's face as Oklahoma City won the rematch.

Barnes had a couple scuffles with Ibaka and Perkins but nothing quite as noteworthy.

The Clippers ended up with a 54-38 edge scoring in the paint and a 28-10 advantage in second-chance points. Oklahoma City made up for it by making 34 of 39 free throws, while L.A. was 24 for 33.

Durant was 19 for 21 at the line, with coach Vinny Del Negro telling official Kevin Fehr after one call: "He doesn't need any help scoring.''

"Those guys are physical and (I was) just trying to fight through it. Just trying to get there, man,'' Durant said. "I think early on, me driving and me getting into the paint, I was a little hesitant in the second half because I was turning the ball over.

"But I just tried to keep going. My teammates told me to just keep being aggressive, and that's what I tried to do.''

The Thunder pushed ahead with a string of eight straight made baskets in the first quarter, and the lead stretched to 26-16 after Westbrook's extra effort turned a potential turnover into a three-point play for Thabeet.

The Clippers finally got back within striking distance early in the fourth, with Thunder coach Scott Brooks yelling to Durant to get off the bench with Los Angeles back within 78-75.

With Durant back in, Oklahoma City responded with the next six points to stabilize momentarily before the Clippers' final charge.

Notes: Los Angeles has held eight straight opponents below 46 percent shooting. The Thunder were just shy at 45.6 percent. ... Crawford made all four of his free throws, stretching his streak of consecutive makes to 29. He made 37 in a row in April. ... Jordan, one of the NBA's worst foul shooters at 42 percent, got Oklahoma City to stop hacking him intentionally in the fourth quarter by making three of four.

 

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Thunder vs Clippers highlights

Kevin Durant has 35 points to lead the Thunder past the Clippers in OT.

 

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Give And Go: Taking stock of early-season trends across the NBA


By Ben Golliver and Rob Mahoney

Give And Go is a recurring feature in which The Point Forward’s Ben Golliver and Rob Mahoney bat an NBA topic du jour back and forth.

The NBA season is nearly a month old, and it’s time to draw lines between what has yet come to pass and what ultimately will. The league’s lengthy 82-game slate is often littered with mirages, and though the 2012-13 season has already had its fair share of surprises, it can be tricky to suss out which of those early trends are really worth buying into. Yet today we endeavor to do just that, as we attempt to project the long-term reliability of some of the NBA’s early successes and struggles.


Buy or sell: Memphis’ strong start.

RM: Buy. I didn’t have very high hopes for the Grizzlies coming into this season, but the reinvention of their offense — based on largely internal improvements — gives them a much higher ceiling and an entirely new outlook. Memphis’ defense is scrappy and reliable, but the playmaking bumps displayed by Mike Conley, Jerryd Bayless and Marc Gasol have made the meshing of disparate talents a fairly simple enterprise and have helped elevate a shaky bench into one of the league’s finest. Names like Wayne Ellington and Quincy Pondexter may not inspire much confidence on first glance, but those two have been vital performers for a Grizzlies team that’s clicking on all cylinders and showing no signs of slowing down. Count me among those completely buying into what the Grizz have been able to accomplish so far.

BG: Huge buy. How many thousands of words have we written preaching the importance of continuity when it comes to the Heat, Spurs and Thunder (especially pre-Harden deal, but even now that they’ve survived the first chapter of the transition)? The Grizzlies committed so much money to their core guys — Zach Randolph, Marc Gasol, Rudy Gay and Mike Conley — that the price tags obscured the fact that the deals were given to above-average players (including a few elite guys) and that they would run almost perfectly concurrently. That’s one of the NBA’s toughest tricks: getting the most important contracts to line up so that a group can really gel together. They’ve won almost 60 percent of their games over the last two seasons even with Randolph missing some time due to injury, they beat the Spurs in a playoff series and they should have beaten the Clippers last year. They’re a top-seven team on both offense and defense and the personality of their coach, Lionel Hollins, is perfectly aligned with the personality of their key guys. Give me more Grizz. I’ll be very disappointed if these guys aren’t one of the West’s Final Four come May.


Buy or sell: The early struggles of the Denver Nuggets.

BG: I’m selling, if only because I’m conditioned to believe that George Karl will find a way to pull this group up from its 14th ranked offensive efficiency. The imbalanced home/road start — eight out of their 11 games played were on the road — will come back in their favor, and it would surprising if a team that’s finished in the top-five in offense the last three seasons can’t pick itself up from 44.2 percent shooting, 30.6 three-point shooting and 66.0 percent free-throw shooting. All three of those numbers are down a meaningful amount from last year. Ty Lawson, he of the new contract extension, looms large here. He’s shooting 37.3 percent from the field and 26.1 percent from deep, both way off his career numbers. He needs to be more effective, and he’s been solid enough over the last two seasons that he’s earned the right to some collective patience. With so much of the rotation returning, and so much talent in one place, this smells like an early funk and not a long-lasting stench. Three of their six losses are to top competition, too: they’ve lost to the Heat twice and at the Spurs — no shame in that. How many more excuses should I make for these guys? Stop me, Rob. Stop me.

RM: Stop you? I’m the one pouring the Kool-Aid. There are so many little aberrations in the Nuggets’ micro-level performance that will ultimately be remedied — both as a larger sample size regresses everything to the mean, and as a team that’s made some understated changes finds its way. Denver retained much of its core, but the initial impact of letting Arron Afflalo and Al Harrington go has disrupted more of the Nuggets’ offensive spacing than most anticipated. There’s nothing ultimately doomed about Denver’s spacing, but, for the moment, the lack of perimeter shooting (and of perimeter threats to attract defensive attention) has made it difficult for the Nuggets to freewheel their way to their usual offensive efficiency. That said, there’s just too much dynamism throughout the top of the roster and too many creative solutions buzzing about Karl’s head for this offense to be sub-elite in terms of points per possession.


Buy or sell: The Celtics’ regressed defense.

RM: This may be the toughest call of the bunch, forcing me to walk the line between buy and sell a bit. Ultimately, Boston will be fine (read: an excellent end-of-season defense) so long as they have Kevin Garnett anchoring the middle for significant minutes; he covers up too many vulnerabilities and prevents too many potential mistakes for the Celtics to be anything but superb on D whenever he’s on the floor. That said, I do get the sense that with Garnett’s powers dwindling a bit, we may see Boston stretched and tested in ways that they haven’t been for some time. Jared Sullinger, Chris Wilcox, Leandro Barbosa and Jason Terry all create strains on the Celtics’ otherwise sturdy system, and though none of those four players is totally unmanageable within a team defensive concept, together they may present enough problems for the Celtics to falter. That may only mean Boston tumbles a bit toward the bottom half of the top 10, but paired with the C’s offensive inconsistency, that kind of drop-off could prove fatal.

BG: Sell. Sell. Sell. Call me in May on all Celtics questions. Among the elite tier of contenders, Boston is near the top when it comes to most new rotation pieces. The top four guys in terms of minutes played for Doc Rivers — Rajon Rondo, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Brandon Bass — haven’t changed, but the next six guys are all new to consistent minutes, and that group includes a rookie (Jared Sullinger) and a guy who didn’t play last year (Jeff Green), and it doesn’t include everyone’s favorite tenacious undersized guard, Avery Bradley. That’s not the best formula for playing elite defense in November. The track record of four straight seasons with top-five defensive efficiency ratings overwhelms three weeks worth of below-average results. We know the core guys can lock down, especially Garnett as you mentioned, and we know Boston is always a hot spot for veteran additions when the calendar gets toward playoff push time and/or the trade deadline. If they’re not a top-10 defense by season’s end, at minimum, I’ll be shocked.


Buy or sell: Milwaukee’s early returns.

BG: Buy. I’ll give this one as a courtesy buy, mainly as a nod to Brandon Jennings’ play and the fact that his backcourt pairing with Monta Ellis has exceeded my expectations by a large amount to date. My hang-up is that I’m not sure where this is going. The Bucks are currently slightly better than average on offense and slightly better than average on defense. That’s not a formula to blow anyone way, but that has the makings of a lock playoff team and a solid contender to win a weakened Central Division if the trend continues. Yet they still feel like a team that needs to make a trade, either shipping out Ellis or balancing the roster by thinning out the froncourt just a bit. I mentioned this as a courtesy buy and it might be a sympathy buy, too. Bucks fans were held in limbo by Michael Redd and Andrew Bogut for years; it’s hard to dim their early season shine in what’s been one of the most care-free stretches of hoops in the franchise’s recent memory.

RM: I’m buying, and completely content in the fact that the Bucks will likely be a first-round out. Tanking may be all the rage for teams without a legit shot at the title, but for Milwaukee (and other teams in a similar position) it makes far more sense to come out on the top side of the playoff cut. The Bucks are an incomplete and imperfect team, but they somehow make it all work despite all of the skill and positional redundancies strewn throughout the roster. That’s impressive, and not something to forfeit for the sake of a pick at the tail end of the lottery. Winning at a respectable clip has a tangible impact on every stage of a team’s operation, from locker room morale all the way down to player development. It keeps teammates in line. It makes the scolding of head coach Scott Skiles a bit less grating. It gets the Bucks aimed in the direction that they’ll ultimately need to go, even if this isn’t the roster to get them to their final destination. There should be no expectation for this particular group of players to take Milwaukee to some new great heights, but the Bucks have developed into a fun, feasible extension of Jennings’ chutzpah; in a single-game format, they’re the kind of deep, giant-killing outfit no one thought them capable of being.


Buy or sell: The Sixers getting by without Bynum.

RM: Buy, with the knowledge that this could wind up as a completely regrettable decision. Philadelphia is one of the most inconsistent teams in the entire league, and has earned every bit of the public doubt regarding their performance. It may not be entirely wise to put too much stock in a team that’s both without Bynum (the star who was supposed to anchor the team’s offense going forward) and missing the tandem of Andre Iguodala and Elton Brand (a pair which had previously propped up the Sixers’ defense), but I’m liking what I’ve seen out of Philly’s D and an evolving Jrue Holiday. An assortment of any-given-night scorers gives the Sixers a chance to hang in games offensively in spite of their poor shot selection, and a complete lack of turnovers allows Philadelphia to hoist up shots in volume without giveaways putting their defense at a disadvantage via transition opportunities. The Sixers attempt a shot, get set in their defense and force opponents to earn every point. There may not be much glamour in that kind of approach, but it’s more viable than the Sixers’ rep would have you believe.

BG: Sell hard. It’s difficult to make it through a paragraph about the Bynum-less Sixers without the mind wandering straight to the gutter. Profuse apologies. Second-guessing trades after injury developments is one of life’s easiest occupations. There’s a big difference between saying “the Sixers were wrong to trade for Bynum” and “the Sixers are screwed, big picture, without him 100 percent healthy.” The first statement may or may not be correct, but it can’t be Philadelphia’s concern now, not with so much riding on Bynum’s health, which is in such an uncertain state. The Sixers’ 7-4 record entering Wednesday is inflated with wins over New Orleans, Cleveland and two over Toronto. We got a clear look at their postseason fate with back-to-back butt-kickings by the Knicks in early November. Outside of maybe Jrue Holiday, there’s not a single guy on this roster I trust to bring meaningful positive impact over the course of a seven-game series. They shocked the world last year by overachieving, but mainly by catching a lucky break with Derrick Rose’s injury. Coach Doug Collins has them playing the league’s sixth best defense at the moment, something that may or may not continue, but this whole thing relies on Bynum. They can make all the regular season noise they want, but the Sixers are one and done, quickly, without Bynum.

 

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Ian Thomsen>INSIDE THE NBA

Tough decisions await Jazz with their talented quartet of big men



The Jazz have a unique way of turning problems into strengths. They're supposed to be a small-market team unlikely to recruit free agents, and yet they've gone 39 years with just two -- two! -- losing seasons. With this tradition in mind, the Jazz face their latest test: how to manage their quartet of big men?

They've assembled the deepest young frontcourt in the NBA with Paul Millsap, Al Jefferson, Enes Kanter and Derrick Favors, who is the most promising of them all. The problem is money. Millsap and Jefferson, both 27, are going to be free agents in the summer. Can the Jazz afford to maintain their frontcourt in an expensive market that will pay Millsap and Jefferson eight figures each per year?

"The possibilities are always there," said Dennis Lindsey, in his first year as GM of the Jazz. "Is it realistic? We'll find out in time."

The 6-6 Jazz are positioning themselves for a run at a second straight appearance in the playoffs. Jefferson (15.4 points and 12.0 rebounds) and Millsap (15.3 points and 9.3 rebounds) are their most productive players, while Favors (24.5 minutes) and Kanter (14.2 minutes) are in supporting roles.

The real question is whether they should keep all of their big men, and the answer is obvious. Their four-man rotation can't be maintained for the long-term. One of them must go.

And yet the Utah experiment of blending these four talents has been working surprisingly well. In other NBA cities this kind of rotation would be brimming with controversy and innuendo, with one player feeling slighted or another hinting of his desire to be the man. But that isn't happening here. Instead Jefferson works with 20-year-old Kanter on his low-post moves while publicly declaring that 21-year-old Favors will be an All-Star someday -- even though the two of them may force Jefferson's departure by the February trading deadline.

"I think it has to do with the type of people we are," said Favors. "Paul and Al, they're good guys. They come to practice, they work hard, and they help us out with a lot of stuff. Most of the credit goes to them because most guys in their situation would be pissed and saying, 'I'm not helping them.' Or they'd be going to the coach and GM."

The most obliging of all the Jazz big men has been Millsap, for whom the league should create a Self-Made Man award. Millsap was a second-round pick from Louisiana Tech (the school of Karl Malone, the ultimate self-made star) who has steadily transformed himself from an undersized rebounder in the paint to a sleek scorer with range out to the three-point line, where he is shooting 55.6 percent, good for fourth in the NBA. The improvement of his ball handling and virtually every other phase of his game has enabled the 6-foot-8, 258-pound Millsap to start at small forward against smaller opponents.

"I get to see the floor a little bit different -- it's a change," said Millsap of playing on the wing. "I'm glad I can get out there and see the court in a different aspect, as opposed to being under the basket a lot. I'm trying to help us win in that area."

Does he like playing small forward?

"I don't have a problem with it," he said.

He doesn't love it, which means, when he becomes a free agent this summer, he won't settle for having to adapt to it. He has worked too hard to settle, and there are going to be several teams in the market for a highly reliable producer like Millsap. He may never become a classic go-to scorer, but in some ways it's harder to find a player like him than to come up with an All-Star. Millsap is one of those rare players who serves only to help a franchise -- he improves every year, sets a high example of integrity for teammates and seeks to help a team in every way he can. He has applied his career to fulfilling the values established by Malone and John Stockton, and the Jazz should do everything they can to keep him, because they will be damaging their own identity if he should go.

Not only would Utah be unable to replace Millsap, but he might miss the Jazz just as badly. Many NBA teams are not committed to the values in which he and the Jazz share.

If Millsap stays in Utah as a power forward, then Favors must become a center. At 6-10 and 263 pounds, with a young body that continues to strengthen and evolve, he is capable of that move. The bigger question is whether the Jazz would be limiting his potential by shifting him to a different position. Coach Ty Corbin and his assistants have been working with Favors to develop his low-post footwork -- not in preparation for a move to center, but because it can separate him from Amar'e Stoudemire and other promising big men who never learned how to play with their backs to the basket.

"If he can get the footwork, with his athletic ability and the way that he can move on the perimeter, he'd be unstoppable in the paint area," said Corbin. "The way he explodes off the floor" -- Corbin snaps his fingers -- "that little footwork advantage of just getting him to move without actually moving would be huge for him."

Favors has been generating 9.3 points and 7.7 rebounds while playing in roughly half of each game. He has been working on a jump hook and a faceup jumper but has yet to decide on a go-to move in the post.

"I'm just playing naturally, just reacting," he said. "If they take away the right hand, go to the left; if they take away the left, go to the right. During the game I try not to think about it. When I get the ball in the post, just make a move and go."

Favors moves through opponents like a defensive end that is impossible to block. He is explosive in transition and under the basket, he has soft hands and he has a hunger for the ball. He's another keeper because -- like Millsap -- he appears inclined to put in the work that will fulfill his illustrious potential.

Isn't it amazing how the Jazz move like trapeze artists from era to era without falling? From the departures of Stockton & Malone to the trade of Deron Williams and the abrupt "retirement" of Jerry Sloan (who continues to be in the mix for new coaching jobs), the Jazz have been able to avoid the extended collapses suffered by most franchises. Based on finances, geography and culture, the Jazz would appear to be among the least attractive franchises for players, and yet executive VP Kevin O'Connor has kept his team among the most successful in the league.

Here's one man's guess for how this plays out: They trade Jefferson at the deadline only if they receive an explosive perimeter scorer (which is a need) or a dynamic young point guard in return. But the Jazz won't have to make a deal, because their frontcourt depth enables them to survive Jefferson's departure as a free agent while using the cap space created to address needs elsewhere.

They re-sign Millsap as a cornerstone whose value to the Jazz is greater than it would be for any other team. They turn Favors into a center, which will enable him to flourish against that weakened position. And they bring Kanter off the bench as a 6-11, 267-pound project who is still finding his way after missing 2010-11 in an NCAA eligibility dispute and then losing 50 pounds last summer.

Then again, they could lose both Jefferson and Millsap; or they could yet decide to keep Jefferson as a low-post complement to the athleticism of Favors. No matter what the Jazz do, the likelihood is that this problem will once again turn out to be a good thing for them. The rest of the league is dying for talented size, and it's the team in Utah -- the franchise that shouldn't be able to compete -- that has more young big men than it can afford.

 

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Parker leads Spurs past Pacers


INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Tony Parker says he's been working on his shot, and it looks as if it's paying off.

Parker had 33 points and 10 assists, and the San Antonio Spurs erased a 17-point deficit on their way to a 104-97 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Friday night.

Tim Duncan had 22 points for San Antonio (10-3), which closed the game with a 17-2 run. Manu Ginobili scored 19.

David West scored 22 for the Pacers (6-8), and Paul George finished with 15. George Hill collected 11 points and Roy Hibbert had 10.

Parker made his first eight shots and scored 16 in the first quarter. He put together a 15-for-23 night from the field and made three of his four foul shots.

Parker said coach Gregg Popovich "wanted me to be more aggressive, take more shots, and so I've been working with Chip (assistant coach Engelland), and the last two games, it's been working well for me.''

West scored seven points and Lance Stephenson had four as the Pacers went on a 13-1 run to build a 70-53 lead with 6:35 to play in the third. But Ginobili and the Spurs responded with an impressive rally.

The 35-year-old Ginobili was seemingly everywhere, driving the lane, taking shots from beyond the arc and finding his teammates for open baskets. He scored seven points and Parker added six as the Spurs closed the period with a 20-7 run.

"No panic,'' Parker said. "Obviously, Indiana was making a run the third quarter. They were making great shots and playing great defense, and we just didn't panic. We just keep playing.

"In the third quarter, we cut it to four, so that was huge for us. And then, in the fourth quarter, we started making stops, and we made the shots that we needed.''

Indiana grabbed a 95-90 lead on Hill's jumper from the free-throw line with 5:30 to play. But the Pacers missed their last 11 shots, managing just two free throws by West down the stretch.

"I think we competed our tails off, but give credit to San Antonio,'' Pacers coach Frank Vogel said. "They executed better than we did down the stretch and got the W.

"Our guys are playing good offensive basketball and executing pretty well. That's the game of basketball for you, though. Sometimes, the ball doesn't go in the basket.

Gary Neal fueled San Antonio's final surge with two free throws and a basket. Parker hit a jumper from the free-throw line and Duncan followed with a jumper from the top of the key and a layup after a scramble for a loose ball. Parker sank two free throws for a 103-95 lead with 1:33 to play.

West made two free throws with 55 seconds left, but Parker hit a foul shot with 25 seconds to go.

"He got us going the whole game,'' Popovich said of Parker. "He had double-digit assists, 33 points. He was phenomenal. He played great D.''

George said Parker is tough to stop when he gets going.

"It's hard to be able to get gaps and slow him down, because they've got a lot of shooters spotting up,'' he said. "It's kind of pick your poison.''

"We couldn't put the ball in the basket at the end. It just got real difficult, for some reason. We got great looks. Sometimes, it goes like that.''

NOTES: The Pacers sent rookies Miles Plumlee and Orlando Johnson to the Mad Ants in Fort Wayne for two games this weekend. It's the first time the Pacers have assigned players to their NBA D-League affiliate. . The Spurs have won five straight games at Indiana. . The Spurs outscored the Pacers 48-36 in the paint, matching the second-most points in the paint for an Indiana opponent this season. . Led by a season-high eight by D.J. Augustin, the Pacers dished out a season-best 27 assists.

 

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Grizzlies' NBA's best again, beat Lakers 106-98


MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) The Memphis Grizzlies had to wait three long days before getting back on the court after a loss snapped their eight-game winning streak.

They made up for the wait by continuing the best start in franchise history.

Rudy Gay scored 21 points, and the Grizzlies beat the Los Angeles Lakers 106-98 on Friday night to improve to 9-2 and take back the NBA's best record.

"It was good to get the bad taste out of our mouth,'' Grizzlies center Marc Gasol said. "Definitely been three days without a game, that whole game kept growing on us, and we really wanted to come out and show our fans we want to play.''

The Grizzlies bounced back after a 97-92 loss to Denver on Monday night. They took the lead over the Lakers in the first quarter and never let go. Zach Randolph had 17 points and 12 rebounds, and Gasol added 14 points and eight assists. Mike Conley scored 19 points, and Tony Allen finished with 12.

Memphis didn't practice the day before the loss to Denver after back-to-back games. Coach Lionel Hollins put his Grizzlies on the court Thursday morning even with the Thanksgiving holiday.

"This group when they take a day off, it is always pulling hair or pulling teeth,'' Hollins said. "We had to come in and practice and get some work in. We didn't work hard, but we got some work in. I just think that with this group you have to do that.''

The Lakers, playing their third road game in four nights, now have lost all four road games this season and their second straight with new coach Mike D'Antoni on the bench. They still are trying to find their way with the coaching change while waiting for the return first of guard Steve Blake, then Steve Nash from injuries.

D'Antoni said Pau Gasol was off with his shot, which didn't help with the Grizzlies collapsing on Howard.

"Offense is all about rhythm,'' said D'Antoni who used a stool to talk to reporters before and after the game in the only nod to his recovery from knee replacement surgery. "We had some sometimes, but we have got to maintain the rhythm of the game and we are not there yet.''

Kobe Bryant scored the final 14 points of the game for the Lakers and finished with 30. Metta World Peace and Antawn Jamison each had 16.

Randolph and Marc Gasol outscored Howard and Pau Gasol while helping Memphis outrebound the Lakers 39-28, including 13 offensive boards. That led to a 40-24 scoring edge in the paint as well, including a 16-4 margin in the second half.

"We just focused on stopping them in the paint and stopping the lob, and we did a good job,'' Randolph said. "Everybody packed the paint in tonight. We got rebounds, we didn't let them get too many offensive rebounds. It was a good collective team win.''

Pau Gasol, who missed five of his first six shots, did not play in the final period.

"I was thinking, "Well, I'd like to win this game,' D'Antoni said of keeping Pau on the bench late. "That's the reason.''

Pau Gasol reached 15,000 career points on Nov. 18 and said he didn't remember the last time he didn't play the final quarter in his career. He said he was taking a lot of jump shots and would like some chances closer to the basket near Howard.

"That's not my decision, my call. I'm a professional. When my number is called, I'm out there,'' Pau said. "That is something that I don't think has happened to me.''

Bryant said Pau Gasol is still a bit of a work in progress trying to figure out how the Lakers want to attack in the system.

"Getting up and down is obviously a big part of it, and we're trying to work in getting it in the proper form to be able to run like we should,'' Bryant said. "It's a balance, and if he feels like he needs to get more touches down there, then we will get him some more.''

Memphis played the second of a season-long five-game home stand with one of the Grizzlies' new co-owners sitting at mid-court.

Musician and actor Justin Timberlake joined the Grizzlies at their shootaround, then spent the first half of the game at mid-court with his wife, actress Jessica Biel. Wearing a blue and white Memphis hat, Timberlake stood up after the first quarter and danced along with the Grizzlies' Grannies and Grandpas, though he stayed at his seat.

The Grizzlies outscored the Lakers 34-18 in the first quarter and 26-21 in the third while leading by as much as 16.

Jamison threw up a shot that beat the buzzer at the end of the third quarter, then hit a 3 to open the fourth. With the Grizzlies doubling down to defend Howard in the paint, that left his teammates open. Jodie Meeks hit back-to-back 3s, then Howard had the assist when he found Chris Duhon for another 3.

Bryant hit a 3 with 5:26 left to get the Lakers within five. Memphis then brought Allen back in to defend Bryant, and Randolph hit a free throw to help Memphis finish off the win.

The Lakers' reserves helped start the second quarter with a 15-2 run to close to 36-33 on Howard's dunk with 7:05 left.

NOTES: Memphis improved to 7-0 when scoring at least 100 points this season. ... Grizzlies F Darrell Arthur made his debut with 25.6 seconds left in the first half. Arthur missed last season after tearing an Achilles tendon, and he broke a bone in his leg in September. He wound up playing almost eight minutes and hit his only shot. ... The Lakers went 20 of 24 at the free throw line, with Bryant hitting 13 of 14 after struggling at the line in a 113-97 loss at Sacramento on Wednesday night. ... The Lakers had won seven of their last 10 trips to Memphis.

 

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Pierce leads Celtics to 108-100 win over Thunder


BOSTON (AP) The Oklahoma City Thunder might have thought they had Paul Pierce bottled up.

Then he broke through with 22 second-half points.

"Paul Pierce is one of the more crafty guys in this league,'' Oklahoma City coach Scott Brooks said after the Boston Celtics beat the Thunder 108-100 on Friday night. "You don't think he can get around you, but he gets around you. You don't think he can get the shot off, but he gets it off. He just has a knack for making the right play.''

Pierce scored 22 of his 27 points after the half, and the Celtics snapped a two-game losing streak by beating the defending Western Conference champions. Kevin Garnett had 18 points and nine rebounds for the Celtics, and Rajon Rondo had 16 assists and eight rebounds.

Kevin Durant scored 29 points for Oklahoma City, which trailed by 14 before cutting the lead to three points with under 2 minutes remaining. But Durant missed a 3-pointer that could have tied it, and the Celtics pulled away.

"Oh, man, it felt good,'' Durant said. "It left my hand, it was online. I'd take that shot 10 out of 10 times. I shot it well. Unfortunately, it just bounced out.''

Russell Westbrook had 26 points, eight assists and seven rebounds, and Serge Ibaka added 17 points and 13 rebounds for the Thunder, who lost for just the second time in their last 10 games.

"It's great to beat Oklahoma,'' Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. "They were in the finals last year, and they're the team to beat, I guess, in the West. But it was more how we played. We played with great force tonight.''

The Celtics had struggled to a .500 record so far this season, with two of their six victories against winless Washington and another against Toronto, which is in last place in the Atlantic Division. It was just their second win against a team that had a winning record heading into Friday night.

"It's big for us,'' Pierce said. "This is a gut-check type of a win, a "look yourself in the mirror' type of game. ... I know we are capable of playing against quality opponents.''

Boston led 84-70 on Pierce's 3-pointer with just under 10 minutes left, but the Thunder cut it to six, 93-87, thanks in part to a 3-pointer from Durant and a dunk from Ibaka. It was 101-89 when Westbrook made a pair of free throws and Durant hit a 3-pointer, then they each added a pair of free throws to cut the deficit to three points.

But Durant's 3-point attempt was a little short, then Garnett's free throws gave Boston back a cushion. Jason Terry hit a 3-pointer with 37 seconds left to clinch it.

Kendrick Perkins had five points and nine rebounds in his second game in Boston since he was traded to Oklahoma City by the team he helped win the 2008 NBA championship. Jeff Green, the only remaining player on the Celtics from that deal, scored 17 points off the bench.

Pierce matched his season-high in points, taking advantage of Durant after he picked up three fouls early in the second quarter.

"He's got a lot of tricks,'' said Perkins, his former teammate. "That's the reason he's been scoring the ball like he has for years. Got a lot of tricks, man. He did a great job tonight of just playing smart.

The Celtics trailed by seven points after one quarter but took a 48-45 lead into the half. They quickly expanded it to eight thanks to three straight baskets from Pierce, including a 3-pointer that made it 55-47 just 1:18 into the third quarter.

It got as high as nine points before the Thunder came within two, 66-64 with Garnett and Pierce on the bench. But Garnett came back into the game and Boston scored the next 11 points before Kevin Martin made a free throw with 2 seconds left in the third to make it 77-65.

Pierce hit a 3 to make it 84-70 with 9:52 to play, Boston's biggest lead of the game.

 

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Celtics vs Thunder highlights

Pierce has 27 points and Rondo has 16 assists for Celtics victory.

 

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Heat escape Cavs with late rally, 110-108


MIAMI (AP) Down by seven points with less than 2 minutes left, LeBron James' current team was in big trouble against his former team.

That is, until the Miami Heat saved their very best for the very end.

James found Ray Allen for the go-ahead 3-pointer with 18.2 seconds left, highlighting a nine-point run to end the game and lift the Heat to a 110-108 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday night.

Miami held the lead for just 2 minutes, 29 seconds. Cleveland led 108-101 with 1:58 remaining, before the reigning NBA champions found a way to stay perfect at home.

"It speaks to the competitive will that the guys have at the end of close games,'' Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "We have a lot of gamers in that locker room. They rise to the occasion. They want situations like that. That can be dangerous, as well.''

James finished with 30 points for the Heat. Chris Bosh scored 23 points, Dwyane Wade added 18 and Allen finished with 17 - 15 in the fourth quarter - for the Heat, who lost Shane Battier in the third quarter to a sprained right knee.

Of the nine Cleveland players who logged minutes, everyone but Tyler Zeller scored at least 10 points. Jeremy Pargo and Dion Waiters each scored 16 for Cleveland, which got 15 from Omri Casspi, 13 from Tristan Thompson, 12 from Alonzo Gee, 11 from Gibson, a 10-point, 15-rebound night from Anderson Varejao, and 10 more points from CJ Miles.

The Cavaliers were 14 for 31 from 3-point range, forced 18 turnovers and turned them into 22 points, led by 13 points in the third quarter - and still fell to 1-7 against Miami since James' infamous decision to leave Cleveland and join the Heat in July 2010.

"Tough loss,'' Varejao said. "We had control of the whole game and at the end we gave away easy layups and we didn't play smart on offense and we lost the game.''

After Allen's 3-pointer, Cleveland had a good look at the lead, but Wade blocked Pargo's jumper with 3 seconds left.

"I liked my chances to at least make it a tough shot,'' Wade said.

Allen added one free throw to stretch the lead to two, and when he missed the second try, Cleveland controlled the rebound with 0.6 seconds left, but never got anything near the rim.

"Our guys showed a lot of guts, but it's just the little things that are killing us, the little things that are killing us especially at the end,'' Cavs coach Byron Scott said. "We just haven't figured it out yet and we did a couple of bonehead things towards the end of the game.''

Cleveland controlled virtually the entire game, and led by eight midway through the fourth. James and Allen made consecutive 3-pointers to start a Heat flurry, and a free throw by Wade with 3:09 left tied it at 101-all.

But Varejao tipped in a rebound on the next Cleveland trip, Waiters hit two free throws after a clear-path foul against Mario Chalmers, and the Cavs seemed to have all but sealed it on a 3-pointer by Gibson for a 108-101 edge.

The Cavs were thrilled.

It was temporary, as the Heat found a way to survive and move to 6-0 at home. The biggest 3 of the night was the one that Allen hit late, after he and James - who also teamed up on what became an Allen four-point play to lift Miami over Denver earlier this month - were in synch again.

"I'm able to be the Tom Brady of the play all the time,'' James said. "For some reason, it ends up in my hand and I find Ray. Big-time shot.''

Allen said he's not surprised that he and James are already clicking.

"He's a great passer,'' Allen said. "He attacks throughout the whole game. Me, what I've been doing, I'm just trying to read him.''

The second quarter could be summed up by one stat-sheet disparity: While Miami was 5 for 13 from the floor in the period, Cleveland was 6 for 13 - from 3-point range alone.

Sure enough, 3s were wild for the Cavs in the first half.

Casspi's beat-the-clock try from beyond the arc gave Cleveland a 29-26 lead after one quarter, and the Cavs just kept firing. Cleveland held the lead for the entire second quarter, stretching it to 59-48 at the break after an 8-0 run - fueled by 3s from Casspi and Pargo. The Cavs were 10 of 19 from beyond the arc in the half.

And even when the Heat remembered to defend the 3, the plan backfired.

Wade fouled Gee behind the stripe with 9:48 left in the third, Gee connected on all three free throws, and Cleveland held a 65-53 lead - then its largest of the night. The lead was still 12 when the Heat made their first big run, scoring 11 straight to get within 68-67 when Battier made a 3-pointer from the left corner.

But on the next Cleveland possession, Battier landed awkwardly while defending at the rim, remained down for a few moments, then awkwardly ran into the Miami locker room. A team spokesman said Battier felt much better after the game.

So did all his teammates.

"We need to get out of here as quickly as we can, before they put more time on the clock,'' Spoelstra said.

NOTES: Miami entered the night having allowed the third-most 3-point tries in the NBA this season, behind only Denver and Houston, teams that had each played one more game than the Heat. ... Injured Cavs G Kyrie Irving was on the court about an hour before the game, doing some work and greeting Battier - a fellow Duke product. ... Miami debuted its "White Hot'' uniforms, one of several outfits the Heat will don for various games this season. ... Former NFL star Thomas "Hollywood'' Henderson, who spent most of his career with the Dallas Cowboys, sat courtside.

 

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Durant, Westbrook lead Thunder over 76ers


PHILADELPHIA (AP) No matter how many shots the Oklahoma City Thunder missed, they remained confident about the next one.

Kevin Durant scored 37 points, Russell Westbrook had 30 and the Thunder beat the Philadelphia 76ers 116-109 in overtime Saturday night.

Serge Ibaka added 18 points for the defending Western Conference champions, who've won nine of 11 to go to 10-4.

The Thunder missed their last seven shots in regulation, but got 3-pointers from four different players in OT.

"We weren't making shots at the end, but I like the fact guys continued to stick with each other and trust each other,'' Thunder coach Scott Brooks said. "Trust isn't a word we throw around loosely. You're not always going to make shots, but if a guy is open, you have to trust he'll make the next one.''

Thad Young had a season-high 29 points and career-high 15 rebounds, and Evan Turner scored 26 points for Philadelphia, which has lost two in a row after winning three straight.

Trailing most of the game, the Sixers tied it at 94 on a dunk by Young off an underneath pass by Turner with 5:01 left.

The Thunder regained the lead on Westbrook's driving layup and Durant's 10-footer made it 98-94. A pair of free throws by Lavoy Allen cut it to 98-96. The teams combined for eight misses and three turnovers until Young's layup tied it at 98 with 1:36 to go.

Each team missed its next two shots and Turner deflected away an inbound pass with 3 seconds left to send it to overtime.

That's when the Thunder found their shooting touch from beyond the arc.

"We trust each other. We live and die with those shots. Make the right play and they came up big for us,'' Durant said. "It's part of the game. You've got to have trust if you want to be a good team. It doesn't matter what. These guys are in the NBA for a reason. They can play. I trust them 100 percent to go make that shot. I think it's going in every time.''

Durant scored Oklahoma City's first five points on two free throws and a 3-pointer. Kevin Martin nailed a 3 to extend the lead to 106-100. Westbrook's 3 made it 109-102. Thabo Sefolosha then sent the fans scattering for the exits with another 3 for a 112-104 lead with under a minute left.

"I left my offense in Oklahoma City,'' said Martin, who was 3 for 16 against Boston and Philadelphia in consecutive games. "We all know what people are doing night in and night out. That's when the trust comes.''

The Sixers learned before the game that All-Star center Andrew Bynum is now out indefinitely. General manager Tony DiLeo said Bynum has "bilateral bone bruises and a weakened cartilage state'' in his knees. Bynum's target date for returning to basketball activities has been pushed back four times, so the team has to move on without him at least for the immediate future.

"We got the ball out of Kevin Durant's hands a couple of times at the end of (regulation), Sixers coach Doug Collins said. "We had a couple of shots to win the game and ours didn't go. We had some guys play great, great games, fought, competed, played great. Evan, Thad were terrific. Jrue (Holiday) I thought was very aggressive in the first half.''

The Thunder led nearly the entire first half, going ahead by 10 on a few occasions. But after Ibaka hit a long jumper to make it 42-32, the Sixers outscored Oklahoma City 17-8 to get within a point at halftime. Jason Richardson started the run with a 3-pointer and made two more during the stretch.

Durant threw down a thunderous dunk to give Oklahoma City an 85-79 lead after three quarters.

Holiday had 10 of his 13 assists in the first half for Philadelphia.

"They made big shots down the stretch in overtime,'' Young said "When you give guys looks, a lot of open looks, they eventually start lining the ball up and knocking down shots and that's what they did.''

Notes: Richardson left with a sprained ankle. ... The Thunder are 19-3 after a loss since the start of last season, including 4-0 this year. ... Julius "Dr. J'' Erving presented the ball for the opening tip-off. Erving led the Sixers to their last NBA title in 1983. ... Holiday's 10 assists were a first-half record at the Wells Fargo Center, which opened in 1996. ... The Thunder are 5-0 in the second game of back-to-backs. ... None of Philadelphia's games has been decided by fewer than six points.

 

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Lakers start hot, roll past Mavericks, 115-89


DALLAS (AP) The Los Angeles Lakers have scoring beyond Kobe Bryant in Mike D'Antoni's offense. Not so much for the Dallas Mavericks when O.J. Mayo is a bit off, at least until Dirk Nowitzki gets back.

Metta World Peace hit three quick 3-pointers to spark a Los Angeles barrage from long range, and the Lakers scored 36 points before Bryant took his first shot in a 115-89 blowout of the Mavericks on Saturday night.

Once he started shooting, Bryant, the league's leading scorer, ended up joining World Peace among three Lakers with 19 points, and Los Angeles avoided its first 0-5 road start in nearly 20 years by scoring 100 points for the first time in four games under its hobbled coach.

"Metta played great. There was no reason not to,'' said D'Antoni, now 2-2 since joining the Los Angeles bench after knee replacement surgery. "The force that we had rolling, and the way the ball moves, he'll get it and he should get 10 3s a night.''

Mayo didn't get any 3-pointers on this night, going 0 for 5 despite coming in as the league leader with 42 from long range. Harassed by tough defense from Bryant, he scored 13 points - nine below his average - and even missed the rim on a finger-roll layup attempt while starting 1 of 7 from the field.

"Oh man, terrific defense,'' Mayo said. "But a lot of them were missed open shots.''

The Lakers don't expect their offense to find a high gear until Steve Nash returns from a leg injury, but they didn't need him against his old team, which will be missing his old running buddy, Nowitzki, for about another month at least.

Really, the Lakers didn't even need Bryant a night after he scored the final 14 Los Angeles points in a loss at Memphis. He hit his first shot early in the second quarter to put the Lakers up 41-23, and he made it a 20-point game on another bucket with 8:54 left in the half.

For good measure, Bryant hit a 3-pointer with 1.9 seconds left in the second quarter to give Los Angeles a 65-38 halftime lead.

Antawn Jamison was the other Los Angeles player with 19 points, and he had 15 rebounds to help the Lakers finish 2-2 in a stretch of four games in five nights and answer a surprising season-opening loss to the Mavericks that triggered a 1-4 start and the firing of coach Mike Brown.

"We have a lot of weapons offensively,'' Jamison said. "We've got to utilize that, and we weren't before this. We moved the ball the way we needed to.''

World Peace scored the first 10 Los Angeles points and finished the first quarter with 16, finally missing his first shot on a 3-pointer just before the buzzer. He was 6 of 7 from the floor, including 4 of 5 from long range. The first points from someone else came on an alley-oop dunk by Dwight Howard from Bryant.

World Peace didn't score again until another 3-pointer in the fourth quarter, but other Lakers got into the long-range act. They made 8 of 10 from 3-point range and shot 59 percent overall before halftime. Jodie Meeks hit a pair of 3-pointers, and Bryant and Jamison had the others as the Mavericks gave up a season high in points for a half and a game.

"I thought (World Peace) was the one who got them going,'' Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said. "It put them in a really tough mode defensively, and we didn't execute well against them.''

Howard, coming off consecutive seven-point games, scored 15 points. He had just two blocks, but altered several other shots from driving Dallas guards in helping hold the Mavericks to 38 percent shooting in the decisive first half. Dallas shot 37 percent for the game.

Brandan Wright was the leading scorer for the Mavericks until the 7:40 mark of the second quarter after playing just 22 minutes total the previous five games. He didn't play at all in two of those games. He scored six of the first eight Dallas points on a pair of jumpers and a follow-up dunk.

Vince Carter, appearing in his 1,000th game, led the Mavericks with seven at halftime, and finished with a team-high 16 after hitting three 3-pointers in a meaningless second half as the Mavericks fell back to .500 in their 14th game without Nowitzki.

"We know he's not going to be back for a while,'' Carlisle said. "When we were 4-1, it wasn't a problem. We've got enough here to win games provided that everyone is doing their job, and tonight we didn't do it.''

A night after sitting the entire fourth quarter at Memphis, Pau Gasol had 13 points and nine rebounds for the Lakers.

Rookie Jae Crowder scored 15 for Dallas, but 13 came with the outcome decided.

Notes: Carter has made 947 starts among the 1,000 games in his 15-year career. Dirk Nowitzki played his 1,000th game for Dallas last season. Carter has played 75 games in Dallas with 40 starts. Jamison played in his 999th game Saturday night. ... The 0-4 road start for the Lakers was their worst since 1995, when they finally won in the fifth game at Sacramento. They lost their first six on the road to start the 1993-94 season. ... The Mavericks gave up a season high in points. The previous high came in a 113-94 loss at Utah.

 

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Mavericks vs Lakers highlights

Lakers defeat Mavericks by 115 to 89

 

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Heat escape Cavs with late rally, 110-108


MIAMI (AP) Down by seven points with less than 2 minutes left, LeBron James' current team was in big trouble against his former team.

That is, until the Miami Heat saved their very best for the very end.

James found Ray Allen for the go-ahead 3-pointer with 18.2 seconds left, highlighting a nine-point run to end the game and lift the Heat to a 110-108 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday night.

Miami held the lead for just 2 minutes, 29 seconds. Cleveland led 108-101 with 1:58 remaining, before the reigning NBA champions found a way to stay perfect at home.

"It speaks to the competitive will that the guys have at the end of close games,'' Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "We have a lot of gamers in that locker room. They rise to the occasion. They want situations like that. That can be dangerous, as well.''

James finished with 30 points for the Heat. Chris Bosh scored 23 points, Dwyane Wade added 18 and Allen finished with 17 - 15 in the fourth quarter - for the Heat, who lost Shane Battier in the third quarter to a sprained right knee.

Of the nine Cleveland players who logged minutes, everyone but Tyler Zeller scored at least 10 points. Jeremy Pargo and Dion Waiters each scored 16 for Cleveland, which got 15 from Omri Casspi, 13 from Tristan Thompson, 12 from Alonzo Gee, 11 from Gibson, a 10-point, 15-rebound night from Anderson Varejao, and 10 more points from CJ Miles.

The Cavaliers were 14 for 31 from 3-point range, forced 18 turnovers and turned them into 22 points, led by 13 points in the third quarter - and still fell to 1-7 against Miami since James' infamous decision to leave Cleveland and join the Heat in July 2010.

"Tough loss,'' Varejao said. "We had control of the whole game and at the end we gave away easy layups and we didn't play smart on offense and we lost the game.''

After Allen's 3-pointer, Cleveland had a good look at the lead, but Wade blocked Pargo's jumper with 3 seconds left.

"I liked my chances to at least make it a tough shot,'' Wade said.

Allen added one free throw to stretch the lead to two, and when he missed the second try, Cleveland controlled the rebound with 0.6 seconds left, but never got anything near the rim.

"Our guys showed a lot of guts, but it's just the little things that are killing us, the little things that are killing us especially at the end,'' Cavs coach Byron Scott said. "We just haven't figured it out yet and we did a couple of bonehead things towards the end of the game.''

Cleveland controlled virtually the entire game, and led by eight midway through the fourth. James and Allen made consecutive 3-pointers to start a Heat flurry, and a free throw by Wade with 3:09 left tied it at 101-all.

But Varejao tipped in a rebound on the next Cleveland trip, Waiters hit two free throws after a clear-path foul against Mario Chalmers, and the Cavs seemed to have all but sealed it on a 3-pointer by Gibson for a 108-101 edge.

The Cavs were thrilled.

It was temporary, as the Heat found a way to survive and move to 6-0 at home. The biggest 3 of the night was the one that Allen hit late, after he and James - who also teamed up on what became an Allen four-point play to lift Miami over Denver earlier this month - were in synch again.

"I'm able to be the Tom Brady of the play all the time,'' James said. "For some reason, it ends up in my hand and I find Ray. Big-time shot.''

Allen said he's not surprised that he and James are already clicking.

"He's a great passer,'' Allen said. "He attacks throughout the whole game. Me, what I've been doing, I'm just trying to read him.''

The second quarter could be summed up by one stat-sheet disparity: While Miami was 5 for 13 from the floor in the period, Cleveland was 6 for 13 - from 3-point range alone.

Sure enough, 3s were wild for the Cavs in the first half.

Casspi's beat-the-clock try from beyond the arc gave Cleveland a 29-26 lead after one quarter, and the Cavs just kept firing. Cleveland held the lead for the entire second quarter, stretching it to 59-48 at the break after an 8-0 run - fueled by 3s from Casspi and Pargo. The Cavs were 10 of 19 from beyond the arc in the half.

And even when the Heat remembered to defend the 3, the plan backfired.

Wade fouled Gee behind the stripe with 9:48 left in the third, Gee connected on all three free throws, and Cleveland held a 65-53 lead - then its largest of the night. The lead was still 12 when the Heat made their first big run, scoring 11 straight to get within 68-67 when Battier made a 3-pointer from the left corner.

But on the next Cleveland possession, Battier landed awkwardly while defending at the rim, remained down for a few moments, then awkwardly ran into the Miami locker room. A team spokesman said Battier felt much better after the game.

So did all his teammates.

"We need to get out of here as quickly as we can, before they put more time on the clock,'' Spoelstra said.

NOTES: Miami entered the night having allowed the third-most 3-point tries in the NBA this season, behind only Denver and Houston, teams that had each played one more game than the Heat. ... Injured Cavs G Kyrie Irving was on the court about an hour before the game, doing some work and greeting Battier - a fellow Duke product. ... Miami debuted its "White Hot'' uniforms, one of several outfits the Heat will don for various games this season. ... Former NFL star Thomas "Hollywood'' Henderson, who spent most of his career with the Dallas Cowboys, sat courtside.

 

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Lakers start hot, roll past Mavericks, 115-89


DALLAS (AP) The Los Angeles Lakers have scoring beyond Kobe Bryant in Mike D'Antoni's offense. Not so much for the Dallas Mavericks when O.J. Mayo is a bit off, at least until Dirk Nowitzki gets back.

Metta World Peace hit three quick 3-pointers to spark a Los Angeles barrage from long range, and the Lakers scored 36 points before Bryant took his first shot in a 115-89 blowout of the Mavericks on Saturday night.

Once he started shooting, Bryant, the league's leading scorer, ended up joining World Peace among three Lakers with 19 points, and Los Angeles avoided its first 0-5 road start in nearly 20 years by scoring 100 points for the first time in four games under its hobbled coach.

"Metta played great. There was no reason not to,'' said D'Antoni, now 2-2 since joining the Los Angeles bench after knee replacement surgery. "The force that we had rolling, and the way the ball moves, he'll get it and he should get 10 3s a night.''

Mayo didn't get any 3-pointers on this night, going 0 for 5 despite coming in as the league leader with 42 from long range. Harassed by tough defense from Bryant, he scored 13 points - nine below his average - and even missed the rim on a finger-roll layup attempt while starting 1 of 7 from the field.

"Oh man, terrific defense,'' Mayo said. "But a lot of them were missed open shots.''

The Lakers don't expect their offense to find a high gear until Steve Nash returns from a leg injury, but they didn't need him against his old team, which will be missing his old running buddy, Nowitzki, for about another month at least.

Really, the Lakers didn't even need Bryant a night after he scored the final 14 Los Angeles points in a loss at Memphis. He hit his first shot early in the second quarter to put the Lakers up 41-23, and he made it a 20-point game on another bucket with 8:54 left in the half.

For good measure, Bryant hit a 3-pointer with 1.9 seconds left in the second quarter to give Los Angeles a 65-38 halftime lead.

Antawn Jamison was the other Los Angeles player with 19 points, and he had 15 rebounds to help the Lakers finish 2-2 in a stretch of four games in five nights and answer a surprising season-opening loss to the Mavericks that triggered a 1-4 start and the firing of coach Mike Brown.

"We have a lot of weapons offensively,'' Jamison said. "We've got to utilize that, and we weren't before this. We moved the ball the way we needed to.''

World Peace scored the first 10 Los Angeles points and finished the first quarter with 16, finally missing his first shot on a 3-pointer just before the buzzer. He was 6 of 7 from the floor, including 4 of 5 from long range. The first points from someone else came on an alley-oop dunk by Dwight Howard from Bryant.

World Peace didn't score again until another 3-pointer in the fourth quarter, but other Lakers got into the long-range act. They made 8 of 10 from 3-point range and shot 59 percent overall before halftime. Jodie Meeks hit a pair of 3-pointers, and Bryant and Jamison had the others as the Mavericks gave up a season high in points for a half and a game.

"I thought (World Peace) was the one who got them going,'' Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said. "It put them in a really tough mode defensively, and we didn't execute well against them.''

Howard, coming off consecutive seven-point games, scored 15 points. He had just two blocks, but altered several other shots from driving Dallas guards in helping hold the Mavericks to 38 percent shooting in the decisive first half. Dallas shot 37 percent for the game.

Brandan Wright was the leading scorer for the Mavericks until the 7:40 mark of the second quarter after playing just 22 minutes total the previous five games. He didn't play at all in two of those games. He scored six of the first eight Dallas points on a pair of jumpers and a follow-up dunk.

Vince Carter, appearing in his 1,000th game, led the Mavericks with seven at halftime, and finished with a team-high 16 after hitting three 3-pointers in a meaningless second half as the Mavericks fell back to .500 in their 14th game without Nowitzki.

"We know he's not going to be back for a while,'' Carlisle said. "When we were 4-1, it wasn't a problem. We've got enough here to win games provided that everyone is doing their job, and tonight we didn't do it.''

A night after sitting the entire fourth quarter at Memphis, Pau Gasol had 13 points and nine rebounds for the Lakers.

Rookie Jae Crowder scored 15 for Dallas, but 13 came with the outcome decided.

Notes: Carter has made 947 starts among the 1,000 games in his 15-year career. Dirk Nowitzki played his 1,000th game for Dallas last season. Carter has played 75 games in Dallas with 40 starts. Jamison played in his 999th game Saturday night. ... The 0-4 road start for the Lakers was their worst since 1995, when they finally won in the fifth game at Sacramento. They lost their first six on the road to start the 1993-94 season. ... The Mavericks gave up a season high in points. The previous high came in a 113-94 loss at Utah.