The 2012-13 Basketball Season Is Here

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Dallas stuns loaded Lakers in opener, 99-91


LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Dwight Howard missed a two-handed dunk on his first shot, and the night never got much better for the Los Angeles Lakers .

When Howard and Steve Nash took their places alongside Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol under the Hollywood spotlight, the Lakers opened a season of enormous expectations with an equally big dud of a performance.

Darren Collison scored 17 points, Brandan Wright added 14, and the Dallas Mavericks spoiled the Lakers debuts of Howard and Steve Nash with a 99-91 victory over Los Angeles on Tuesday night.

In his first regular-season game in a gold jersey, Howard had 19 points and 10 rebounds while missing 11 of his 14 free throws before fouling out with 2:02 to play.

That's hardly the debut he anticipated after arriving in a trade with Orlando last August, but not much has gone according to plan in the first month for the Lakers' starters, who barely played together in their winless preseason due to injuries.

"It's not an excuse, but it will all come with time," Howard said. "We haven't had an opportunity to really play together as much as we want, but we're going to get it. ... We're going to chip away, and we're going to get better."

The Lakers' superstar newcomers both had debuts to forget. Nash managed just seven points and four assists while trying to balance the Lakers' new motion offense with his own strengths on the pick-and-roll - all while getting roundly outplayed by Mavs newcomer Collison.

"It's growing pains, and it's a struggle," Nash said. "We're out of sync, and we're going to probably have some more moments in games like that."

O.J. Mayo had 12 points as the Mavericks pulled off a stunner in their opener, comfortably beating the Lakers without any help from injured Dirk Nowitzki. Dallas and Los Angeles both made big moves in the offseason, yet the Mavericks appeared to be much more together than their high-profile rivals.


"It's a great win," Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said. "If you execute in this league and have talent, you have a chance to win, and we did that. The Lakers are going to be fine. They've got a lot of new guys and a new system, but we were opportunistic tonight and got the job done."

Bryant scored 22 points while playing on an injured right foot for the Lakers, whose loaded lineup followed up its 0-8 preseason with a largely passionless second-half effort in front of a sellout crowd expecting to see a super team capable of contending for the franchise's 17th championship - a fact acknowledged by Bryant when he addressed the fans before the game.

"As you know, we have a lot of expectations this season," Bryant said. "We're trying to live up to the expectations. We're trying to bring another championship back to where it belongs, back to Los Angeles."

Instead, the Lakers showed how much work they will have to do to challenge Miami and the NBA's best.

Dallas steadily pulled away to a 16-point lead in the second half, never allowing any serious runs by their disjointed, disorganized opponents as the Lakers lost their opener for just the fourth time in the last 21 years.

"It's not the way we wanted it to go," said Gasol, who led the Lakers with 23 points and 13 rebounds. "We know it's not going to happen for us right away, but we've just got to stick with it."

Vince Carter, Shawn Marion and Rodrigue Beaubois scored 11 points apiece for the Mavericks, who snapped a six-game skid against the Lakers over the past two seasons.

Dallas also contained Howard by using his career-long free-throw ineptitude against him - hardly a novel strategy, but one that worked particularly well when combined with Howard's opening-night nerves.

"When he had me in a bad position, I wanted to foul him," said Elton Brand, who had eight points and 11 rebounds in his Dallas debut. "Underneath the basket, he's a beast and he's hard to stop. I know he can dunk, and I know he can make those tough layups, so I'm playing the percentages. He obviously hasn't been a good free throw shooter, and tonight he was 3 for 14."

The Lakers were 12 for 31 altogether from the free-throw line, a major factor in their inability to close the gap on Dallas in the second half.

"I've just got to stop thinking so much and get up there and make them," Howard said.

Jae Crowder scored eight points in his NBA debut for the Mavericks, who are likely to be without Nowitzki for at least six more weeks while the German superstar recovers from arthroscopic knee surgery. Dallas also played without new center Chris Kaman, yet had little trouble containing the Lakers down low.

NOTES: Dallas opened its season on the road for the first time since 2007. The Mavericks had opened the season against the Lakers three previous times, losing all three games. ... Howard was called for a flagrant foul in the third quarter for hammering Brand on an open shot in the lane. ... Katy Perry, Russell Brand, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Adam Levine, Jon Cryer and Los Angeles Galaxy stars David Beckham and Robbie Keane attended the game.

 

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Nash sputters out in Lakers debut as Mavericks stun on Opening Night


LOS ANGELES -- In the 20 years after Magic Johnson retired, the Lakers either could not find an elite point guard, or did not believe they needed one. They went through Nick Van Exel and Brian Shaw, Derek Fisher and Smush Parker, Jordan Farmar and Ramon Sessions, along with so many others, like Rumeal Robinson and Derek Harper, Tyronn Lue and Chucky Atkins, Lindsey Hunter and Jannero Pargo. They had Ron Harper, but he was past his prime, and Gary Payton, but so was he. Fisher was among the few who stuck, in part because the Lakers ran the triangle offense, and they did not require a driver to initiate it.

But the NBA has become a point guard league, and this summer, the Lakers finally landed one. Steve Nash, more than Dwight Howard, was going to bring back Showtime. He was going to assume the ball-handling duties from Kobe Bryant. He was going to lead the fast break. He was going to run pick-and-rolls with Howard and Pau Gasol until Staples Center needed new rims. "He's high-octane gas in a Ferrari," said Mike D'Antoni, Nash's former coach in Phoenix.

D'Antoni claimed it would not matter what system the Lakers ran because Nash could operate them all. But it was obvious, from the past eight years of Nash's career, what offense suited him best: an up-tempo attack featuring loads of pick-and-roll with the ball in his hands. Lakers head coach Mike Brown went a different way, implementing elements of the the Princeton offense, which relies more on spacing and cutting. Obviously, judgment cannot be rendered after one game or even one month, but Nash bore no resemblance to rocket fuel on Opening Night. The Lakers completely marginalized him in a mortifying 99-91 loss to the Mavericks.

Before introductions at Staples, Bryant grabbed the microphone from the public address and hollered to the crowd: "Let's get this party started. Enjoy the show." It was a dud. The Lakers may have four Hall of Famers in the starting lineup, but they were embarrassed by a fringe Western Conference playoff team missing power forward Dirk Nowitzki and center Chris Kaman. The Lakers, with their 28 All Star appearances, were essentially undone by the likes of Brandan Wright, Eddy Curry and Jae Crowder. Given the state of the Mavericks' front line, as opposed to the Lakers', it was hard to imagine how they'd come away with a rebound. They ended up with 40, just six fewer than the Lakers. Mavs owner Mark Cuban, who predicted that the Lakers would struggle to build chemistry this season, sat gleefully on the bench

The 2010 Heat taught us not to overreact to the early struggles of a super team. After all, the Heat started 9-8, before bulldozing their way to the Finals. The problem is not that the Lakers went 0-8 in the pre-season or even that they dropped the opener. More troubling is the way they used Nash -- or failed to use him -- in the new system. Instead of maximizing the point guard they waited so long to obtain, the Lakers treated him like a new incarnation of Fisher, watching him dribble the ball up the court, launch a few 3-pointers, and do little else. Nash finished with seven points and four assists, a stat line that would have been unheard of in Phoenix. The Lakers tallied seven fast-break points, a total that would have made D'Antoni shudder. Steve Blake, Nash's backup, had more assists. So did Gasol, a seven-footer. It was as though Brown slipped lead weights into Nash's sneakers.

"Steve has the ability to do Steve," Brown said. "Every time down the floor in early offense he has the ability to play pick-and-roll with Dwight. He can do that whenever he wants or he can get us into offense....He's thinking some. He knows he can come down and go get his, but he's got Kobe here and Metta (World Peace) here and Dwight here and Pau here. He's trying to find the balance of what to do and when to do it. His job by no means is easy. He's an intelligent enough guy and a good enough leader where he'll figure it out."

In a typical Lakers play, Howard sets a high screen, and Nash must determine whether to run an immediate pick-and-roll or guide the team into its offense. He opted for the latter Tuesday and became a bystander. "I'm caught trying to get the ball moving and get us into different sets," Nash said. "Tonight I didn't get a lot of pick-and-roll. There are growing pains and there will probably be more."

If Nash was to be the catalyst for the Lakers offense, Howard was to fill the same role on defense. The Mavs, even with their flimsy frontcourt, managed 46 points in the paint. Howard's timing was understandably off, given that he is recovering from back surgery, but he was also worse than usual at the free-throw line. Howard went 3 of 14 from the stripe and one of those was a bank. After it went in, the crowd cheered mockingly, and Howard missed the subsequent free throw. He gathered the rebound but air-balled a short runner.

In the past three months, anticipation built for this night, when the Lakers would unveil their best center since Shaquille O'Neal and their best point guard since Magic. For a decade, nobody in the NBA has been able to slow the one-man fast break known as Steve Nash. Except, perhaps, the Lakers.

 

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Heat get rings, then win over Celtics, 120-107


MIAMI (AP) -- LeBron James got cramps, Ray Allen was snubbed and Dwyane Wade was steaming.

None of that spoiled the Miami Heat mood on ring night.

Wade scored 29 points, James finished 26 points and 10 rebounds while missing much of the second half because of cramps in both legs, and the reigning NBA champion Heat beat the Boston Celtics 120-107 on Tuesday night in the season opener for both teams.

There were actual fireworks before the game to close the ceremony where the Heat got their championship rings and raised their title banner. There also were plenty of figurative fireworks late, first with Boston almost digging out of a 19-point hole and, after the outcome was decided, Rajon Rondo flagrantly fouling Wade by wrapping his arms around his neck on a drive.

In the end, though, the first Celtics-Heat matchup of this season was like the final one of last season - with Miami winning.

"It was good to cap this night off with a win," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "It was an emotional time for all of us in our organization."

Even for the newcomers, like Allen. He scored 19 points - needing only seven field goal attempts - in his first game with Miami since leaving Boston over the summer. Chris Bosh had 19 points and 10 rebounds for Miami.

Allen got chants from the Heat crowd, which is nothing new. Except this time, they were positive.

"Never thought I'd hear that here," Allen said.

Paul Pierce scored 23 points, Rondo finished with 20 points and 13 assists, and Leandro Barbosa scored 16 for Boston. The Celtics, who lost to the Heat in last season's Eastern Conference finals, were not on the court for the ring ceremony.

They almost wrecked the festive mood with a late comeback.

An 11-2 run late in the fourth quarter got Boston within 111-107 on Courtney Lee's layup with 2:09 left. That was the last Celtics' hurrah - Bosh scored the game's next seven points, sealing it for Miami.

"I thought they were the aggressor the whole game," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. "They got on the floor where they wanted to get on the floor. They took us out of stuff that they wanted to."

Rashard Lewis scored 10 points for Miami, which held on even while James, last season's MVP of both the regular season and NBA Finals, was in the locker room for the second time because of the cramps, first in his right leg and then his left.

"It's not an all-the-time thing," James said. "I'm not too worried about it."

The Heat got their championship rings from owner Micky Arison before the game, then watched the banner get hoisted to the rafters. More emotion came late, when Wade drove past Rondo - and the Celtics guard grabbed Wade around the neck. Wade appeared as though he was ready to throw the ball at Rondo in retaliation, and stopped himself.

"I thought he hooked me," Rondo said.

Wade had a different opinion.

"It was a punk play by him," Wade said. "The league will take care of it. He clotheslined me, with two hands."

So Rondo raised eyebrows by putting hands on Wade. Kevin Garnett made news by not offering his hand to Allen.

As Allen entered the game for the first time, he trotted toward the Boston bench, exchanging a handshake, embrace and a few words with Rivers, who hasn't hidden his displeasure about his former shooting guard's decision to sign with Miami and didn't sound certain before the game how he would react when he saw Allen in Miami colors. Allen then briskly shook hands with a few assistant coaches.

But when Allen tried to engage Garnett, the mutual pleasantries ended. Allen tapped Garnett on the shoulder as he sat on the Boston bench; Garnett didn't even flinch, staring straight ahead, refusing to acknowledge the gesture in any way.


"I was just trying to focus as much as I could. I am such an intense person," Garnett said. "It was a blank. Obviously he's on the other side. It's time to play the game, man."

Allen didn't seem flustered. His first shot in a Miami uniform was - what else? - a corner 3-pointer, which swished.

"He was by himself in the corner," Rivers said. "You'd think we'd know better."

Miami controlled much of the first half, taking a 62-54 lead after James went by Pierce and Garnett for a two-handed dunk and yell for the crowd.

The first Heat angst of the season came in the third quarter, when James walked slowly to the bench after a timeout with 4:40 remaining, favoring his right leg and then headed out the tunnel toward the locker room.

When he left, the Miami lead was 79-70.

When he returned to open the fourth quarter, the lead was 93-76. The Heat scored the final eight points of the third, with Bosh, Allen, Mario Chalmers and Lewis all scoring in the final 2:17 to give the Heat their biggest lead of the game.

James - who was dealing with a cramping issue, like he experienced at times in last season's NBA Finals - opened the fourth quarter with a jumper to extend the run to 10-0, and Miami seemed well on its way. But he returned to the locker room a short time later, the cramps having flared up again.

"Once you start cramping, there's nothing you can do about it," James said.

Jeff Green, who had season-ending surgery for an aortic aneurysm last January, played in a game that counts for the first time since May 11, 2011 - also in Miami, when the Heat ousted the Celtics from that season's playoffs. Green finished with three points in 23 minutes.

NOTES: Wade passed the 15,000-point mark for his career early in the second quarter, becoming the 123rd player in NBA history to reach that mark, according to STATS LLC. ... Rondo had at least 10 assists for the 25th straight regular-season game. ... The Celtics allowed 62 points in the first half; they gave up 62 or more only seven times in 379 regular-season and playoff games over the past four seasons. ... Miami players wore sneakers with gold somewhere in the color scheme; James' were primarily gold - in honor of the ring - and trimmed in white and red.

 

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Heat look ready to defend title with solid win over Celtics in opener


Miami looked ready to defend its championship during a 120-107 opening night win against the visiting Celtics on Tuesday.

1. LeBron James picked up where he left off. He was every bit the same player who dominated the NBA Finals last June, right down to the leg cramps. The ailment kept James sidelined for all but 10 minutes of the second half, but not before the reigning MVP contributed 26 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and zero turnovers to help the Heat build a 19-point advantage early in the fourth quarter.

The recently acquired Leandro Barbosa made his Celtic debut by scoring all 16 of his points (6-of-8 shooting) in the fourth to pull Boston within four with 2:09 left -- a run that affirmed LeBron's dominance, since it took place while he was in the locker room receiving treatment for his cramping. The Celtics were unable to establish Kevin Garnett (Nine points, five turnovers in 32 minutes) down low as they failed to exploit their size advantage in the middle. As the game progressed, Boston chose to go small and try and matchup with fast-paced Miami.

The evening began with James receiving his first championship ring from NBA Commissioner David Stern and Miami owner Micky Arison. The extended ceremony didn't distract James in the least as he and his teammates shot 56.7 percent through the first three quarters. Miami instantly developed the kind of balance it will be attempt to sustain all year long -- 29 points from Dwyane Wade, 19 each for Chris Bosh (10 rebounds) and Ray Allen, 11 assists for Mario Chalmers and a highly promising 10 points from Rashard Lewis as he attempts to recover from years of injury.

All of these strengths manifested around James, who at 27, is in his prime in terms of understanding, athleticism and confidence. As long as he stays hydrated, he looks like the runaway favorite to win his fourth MVP in five years.

2. Ray Allen: new uniform, same impact. The Celtics felt betrayed by Allen's decision to sign with rival Miami for less money than he had been offered to remain with Boston, and Garnett -- resting stoically on the bench -- refused to acknowledge his former teammate when Allen jogged over as he entered the game in the first quarter.

Boston coach Doc Rivers and a few teammates greeted Allen more warmly, but none of it seemed to have any impact one way or the other. Allen scored a typical 19 points on 7 shots, including two 3-pointers in 31 minutes. He outperformed his replacement in Boston, Jason Terry, who went 2 of 7 (0 of 3 beyond the arc) in 25 minutes.


Allen's first attempt for Miami was a corner three that he drilled it successfully in front of his new team's bench. His new fans in Miami derided the Celtics by chanting, "We got Ray!'' If the ball moves all season as fluidly as it did on opening night, then Allen will have no trouble swishing open shots in the company of so much talent.

3. Continuity favors the Heat. Miami generated more assists (25 to 24) than Boston, an unusual advantage underscoring the fact that the Heat's rotation has been together longer than Boston's. Over the preceding two years Rajon Rondo has been the dominant playmaker of this rivalry, but on this night he was playing catch-up in spite of his terrific numbers (20 points, 13 assists, 7 rebounds). Rondo grew frustrated in the fourth quarter while earning a technical foul and committing a flagrant foul.

The Celtics were relying on five players who were not involved in Boston's conference final loss to Miami last season, and their uncertainty was most noticeable at the defensive end. The Celtics weren't able to apply any pressure to Miami -- Wade was the only Heat player with more than one turnover.

4. Wade looked strong. He struggled to create his own shot for much of the playoffs last season and underwent knee surgery over the summer. Wade then took time off during training camp, but he looked as aggressive as ever while going 10 for 22 (which amounted to six more attempts than anyone else Tuesday) with a game-high 11 free throw attempts in 35 minutes. No Heat star will benefit more from fluid ball movement than Wade, because he won't have to work so hard off the dribble to generate open shots.

5. The Celtics' new style. They've promised to be more explosive in transition this year -- and they wasted no time pushing that agenda while outscoring Miami by a surprising 27-12 on fast breaks. It helped that Boston outrebounded its hosts 41-36, in part thanks to power forward Brandon Bass's declared emphasis on rebounding this season. Bass had six offensive boards and 11 boards overall, an output that will help keep him in the starting lineup ahead of rookie Jared Sullinger, whose strength is also rebounding.

 

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Irving, Varejao pace Cavaliers over Wizards 94-84


CLEVELAND (AP) -- Anderson Varejao was already having the most prolific rebounding game of his career when he looked at the scoreboard and noticed he was close to his first triple-double.

One point, one assist was all he needed.

"I was like, `Whoa, I wish I had a little bit more time,"' he said with a smile.

On a night when Cleveland unveiled its backcourt of the future, Varejao did a little bit of everything for the Cavaliers, who blew a 16-point lead in the second half before holding on and beating the short-handed Washington Wizards 94-84 on Tuesday night in the first game on the NBA schedule.

Playing his first home game after missing the final 41 last season with a broken wrist, Varejao had a career-high 23 rebounds. Kyrie Irving scored 29 points and rookie Dion Waiters added 17 for the Cavs, who needed big plays from Irving and Varejao in the final minutes to hold off the Wizards.

Varejao, the Cavs' 6-foot-11 frizzy-haired Brazilian bundle of energy, added nine points and had a career-high nine assists, two setting up dunks by Tristan Thompson in the last two minutes.

Irving, who typically dishes during the game, handed his teammate a big compliment afterward.

"It's the greatest feeling in the world just having somebody that you know what you're going to get from them every single night," Irving said of Varejao. "He almost had a triple-double, that's typical Andy."

Jordan Crawford scored 11 points to lead the Wizards, who were without star point guard John Wall, power forward Nene and forward Kevin Seraphin. Wall, the former No. 1 overall pick, is expected to be out until late November with a knee injury and the Wizards missed him badly as rookie guard Bradley Beal and AJ Price combined to shoot 4 of 21.

Beal scored eight points - all in the first half - and Emeka Okafor had 10 points. Washington coach Randy Wittman has high hopes for his young team, but he won't know what he has until he gets Wall and Nene, who is out with plantar fasciitis in his left foot, on the court.

"That wasn't the team I've seen the last four weeks," Wittman said. "I watched them do things tonight that I didn't ever see these guys do. They (Cavaliers) dictated the tempo, which I thought was key. We can't get beat up on the boards like we did (54-39) or shoot free throws like we did (12 of 20) and have a realistic chance to win."


Irving, the NBA's reigning rookie of the year, began his second season with a strong performance alongside Waiters, a surprising No. 4 overall pick by the Cavs. Waiters didn't start a game at Syracuse, but coach Byron Scott has been impressed with his progress and wanted to pair his two young guards together from the outset.

They played well in spurts, combining for 46 points and eight rebounds. But the duo made enough mistakes to keep Scott from giving them too much freedom.

"Dion is starting to understand what we're doing," said Scott, who has been demanding of Waiters during training camp and the exhibition season. "I thought he did a good job."

The Cavs seemed to be on their way to a relatively routine win, but in a league where players are fond of saying "every team makes a run," the Wizards made theirs.

Down 61-45 in the third quarter and looking flat, Washington opened the fourth with its 14-0 spurt, taking a 76-74 lead when Jannero Pargo drained a 3-pointer from the corner. The Wizards rallied while Irving was getting some rest, and it wasn't long before Scott sent his young star back in to help restore order.

"I told Kyrie at the eight-minute mark that we have two timeouts left," Scott said. "He patted me on the leg and said, `Don't worry about it Coach, I got it."'

Irving's driving layup in traffic gave Cleveland an 82-80 lead, and he calmly stepped up and drained a 21-foot jumper to put the Cavaliers ahead 86-80.

With the Cavs up by four, Varejao fed Thompson underneath for a dunk to make it 88-84. Crawford made two free throws for Washington, and on Cleveland's next possession, Irving made a spin move in the lane and passed it to Varejao, who then upstaged his slick passing teammate with a feed to Thompson for another dunk.

Irving then rebounded a miss by the Wizards and it was his turn to pick up an assist to Thompson.

Scott was thrilled with the way his young team - with an average age of 24.9 years - responded down the stretch.

"They showed a lot of heart," he said. "They showed a lot of guts."

Notes: According to the Cavs, Varejao is the first player to get at least nine points, 23 rebounds and nine assists in a season opener since Wilt Chamberlain in 1967. ... Thompson finished with five assists. He had just 27 last season. ... Washington was only 8 of 32 on 3-pointers, and missed some big ones in the fourth. ... Browns rookie QB Brandon Weeden, a big Oklahoma City fan, and RB Trent Richardson, sat behind the Cavs' bench and they got a huge ovation when shown on the giant scoreboard in the second quarter. They sat with Cavs owner Dan Gilbert in the second half. ... Before the game, Gilbert said he regrets guaranteeing the Cavs would win an NBA title before LeBron James, who left Cleveland as a free agent in 2010. "Looking back now, that probably was not the most brilliant thing I've ever done in my life," Gilbert said.

 

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Highlights of Heat vs Celtics

Ray Allen wearing a Heat jersey and facing his former team.

 

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Highlights of Lakers vs Mavericks

No Dirk but Mavericks still win

 

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Lakers drop 2nd straight, fall to Blazers 116-106


PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- This was not the start the Los Angeles Lakers envisioned.

The talent-laden Lakers have dropped two straight to open the season - their opener at home against the Dallas Mavericks followed by a 116-106 thumping by the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday night.

To make matters worse, two-time MVP Steve Nash, brought in by the Lakers in the offseason along with six-time All-Star Dwight Howard, was injured late in the first half against Portland.

"We've got to learn how to play together," said Howard, who had 33 points and 14 rebounds in the loss to Portland. "You've got to be good before you can be great."

The Lakers' stockpile of stars lacked a sense of urgency against the Blazers, who led by as many as 19 points. Nicolas Batum had 26 points and Damian Lillard, the sixth overall pick in the June draft, had 22 points and 11 assists in his NBA debut.

Kobe Bryant had 30 points and Howard's output Wednesday night was a vast improvement over his debut the night before against the Mavs, when he had 19 points and 10 rebounds but made just three of 14 free throws before fouling out. The Lakers lost that one 99-91.

But it was apparent for the second night in a row that the Lakers were still getting used to each other. The starters rarely played together during an 0-8 preseason.

"We didn't expect to just come together and be awesome," Howard said. "It's always a process. We've got to stick with it so that at the end of the year we can have a trophy."

Nash collided with Lillard and limped to the locker room. Although the team initially reported he was fine, Nash struggled when he returned for the second half and left the game for good a short time later.

The team said he had a bruised left leg. He said after the game he hopes to play Friday when the Lakers host the Clippers.

"We're not sharp," Nash said. "I think the guys are trying, we just didn't live up to what we're trying to do."

The Blazers, who finished 28-38 last season and out of the playoffs, opened their season with eight newcomers on the roster after an offseason rebuilding effort around All-Star LaMarcus Aldridge, Wesley Matthews and Batum.

"People probably didn't expect us to come out and beat that type of team, but we've been competing very hard in practice, and we did that same thing tonight," Lillard said. "We were flying around, lots of energy. I think our activity kind of wore on them."

Portland pulled out to a 30-26 lead late in the first quarter after Matthews' 3-pointer. Lillard extended the lead to 35-26 with a running bank shot in traffic.

J.J. Hickson's jumper made it 41-34 for Portland, but Bryant answered for the Lakers with a 3-pointer. Batum's fast-break jam gave the Blazers a 46-40 lead and Portland went into halftime with a 62-57 lead.

Portland took its momentum into the second half, going up 72-64 on another dunk by Batum. Sasha Pavlovic's 3-pointer gave the Blazers an 88-76 lead just before Howard was called for his fourth foul.

Matthews' jumper made it 102-83 in the fourth quarter. Batum had a 3-pointer to make it 108-94 as the game slipped out of reach for the Lakers.

Batum's opener comes after an uncertain offseason as a restricted free agent. The Blazers got into a poker match with the Timberwolves over the 23-year-old Frenchman, eventually matching Minnesota's four-year offer sheet worth more than $45 million.

Batum, like the rest of the Blazers, was trying to keep the victory low-key.

"This was just one game, just one game," he said. "It was a really good win, but we've got to focus on the next game on the road."

Portland visits Oklahoma City on Friday night.

The Blazers wore new red uniforms for the opener and encouraged fans to wear red, but the crowd was nonetheless sprinkled with plenty of Lakers gold. Among them was a fan that lifted a sign reading, "I love Steve Nash."

"The morale is fine, but nobody wants to lose," Lakers coach Mike Brown said. "We've just got to focus on what it will take for us to get a win. That's defense, first, and then, obviously, we've got to take care of the basketball."

NOTES: The Blazers declined team options for next season on guards Elliott Williams and Nolan Smith, and forward Luke Babbitt, to maintain salary cap flexibility. All three will become unrestricted free agents at the end of the season, but the Blazers will retain their Bird rights. ... Portland added 10 players to the roster of the team's NBA D-League affiliate, the Idaho Stampede, including training camp participants Coby Karl, Justin Holiday and Dallas Lauderdale.

 

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Harden brilliant, Rockets beat Pistons 105-96


AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) -- James Harden agreed to a big new contract extension - and he certainly looked worth it in his first game with the Houston Rockets .

Harden had 37 points and 12 assists in a stirring debut for his new team, and Carlos Delfino made four 3-pointers in the fourth quarter to lift the Rockets to a 105-96 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night.

Detroit led 83-72 early in the fourth, but Harden and Delfino brought the Rockets back. Houston acquired Harden on Saturday night in a trade with Oklahoma City and agreed Wednesday on a five-year, $80 million contract extension with him.

"I think I just wanted to get out there and play," Harden said. "All the talking and all the craziness that has been happening this last week - I just wanted to go out there and play basketball."

The reigning Sixth Man of the Year fell just short of his career high of 40 points, and his 12 assists were a career best. Not bad for a guy still adjusting to new teammates and a new situation.

Harden started only seven games in three seasons in Oklahoma City, as he developed into an indispensable reserve. But he was in the starting lineup Wednesday and looked ready to play a bigger role with Houston.

"I just tried to score and create opportunities," Harden said. "Carlos Delfino came in hot. I just tried to get my bigs involved. A lot of different guys stepped up, and I think that's how it's going to be throughout this entire season."

Jeremy Lin, Houston's other big acquisition, had 12 points and eight assists. The Rockets won without Patrick Patterson, who was out with a left quad strain.


Brandon Knight led Detroit with 15 points.

With Houston down 11 points, Harden started the comeback with a 3-pointer, and Greg Smith followed with a dunk. Detroit led only 85-83 after consecutive 3-pointers by Delfino, then a layup by Chandler Parsons tied it.

Smith dunked to put the Rockets ahead 89-87, and he dunked again to make it a four-point game before hobbling off with what he later said was a minor left foot injury. By then, Houston was already taking control of the game behind its two new playmakers, Harden and Lin.

"They're very smart players. You've got to give credit to them," Smith said. "They know what they're doing on the court. They're very intelligent."

A dunk by Detroit's Jonas Jerebko cut the lead to two, but Delfino made two more 3-pointers to make it 97-89.

Harden pretty much put the game away with a three-point play with 1:27 remaining that put Houston ahead 104-94.

"They keep it so simple as far as just spreading it out and letting him create," Detroit's Rodney Stuckey said. "Pick and rolls, that's pretty much what got us. They did a good job of spreading us out. He was getting in the lane, making shots and finding his teammates and they were making shots, too."

Attendance was announced at 16,646 at the Palace, and there were plenty of empty seats on Halloween. The fans who did turn out saw an entertaining performance by the Pistons that ultimately fell short.

Harden scored 19 points in the first half, but Detroit led 58-55 after a 36-point second quarter.

"I thought it was a challenge for James to kind of figure out what we were doing," Rockets coach Kevin McHale said. "We put some plays in that he was comfortable with that they ran at Oklahoma City."

The Rockets led 65-58 after Harden's two-handed dunk off a nice one-handed bounce pass from Lin. The Pistons looked terrific for the rest of the quarter. They scored 13 straight points - including consecutive dunks by Greg Monroe and Jason Maxiell - to take a 71-65 lead.

A 3-pointer by Harden cut the deficit to two, but Detroit ran off another eight straight points and led 79-69 following a basket by Kyle Singler.

It was 81-72 after three quarters.

NOTES: Detroit's Corey Maggette was out with a left calf strain. ... There was a brief delay near the end of the second quarter when what looked like steam began coming out of a generator behind one of the baskets. ... Stuckey went 1 for 10 from the field. ... Pistons owner Tom Gores was noncommittal when asked about the possibility of the team someday playing in downtown Detroit. "You don't want to leave and say, `Nice to see you, the Palace.' I don't think you want to do that," Gores said. "If the future is downtown and that's what we have to do to grow, I'm not against that."

 

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Clippers open season with win over Grizzlies


LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The Los Angeles Clippers ended Memphis' 2011-12 season with a gritty win in Game 7 of the Western Conference quarterfinals.

They began this season the same way - with another solid defensive performance against the Grizzlies - and instant offense from their new supersub, Jamal Crawford.

Crawford scored 29 points in 30 minutes in his first official game with his new club, and the Clippers converted 21 turnovers into 29 points Wednesday night in a 101-92 victory that extended the Grizzlies' NBA-record streak of opening-night losses to 12.

Crawford, who signed with the Clippers as a free agent after averaging 14 points in 60 games last season with Portland, was the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year in 2009-10 with Atlanta.

"It's like night and day from last year, honestly," Crawford said. "I haven't felt like this since I was with the Knicks, mentally. I feel like I've found a home. The last few years I've basically played on one-year contracts. And that's always tough. Some of the guys here called me and told me I was their number one option in free agency at the guard position. And when you feel wanted like that and see where the team is going and how you can fit it, it's very cool."

Blake Griffin and Chris Paul, who had 12 assists, were among six Clippers to score in double figures. The Clippers are 20-23 in season openers, 12-17 since moving from San Diego to Los Angeles in 1984. The Grizzlies are 2-16 on opening night, 0-12 since the franchise shifted from Vancouver to Memphis in 2001.

"How many nights are you going to hold Blake to 10 points and me to 12? It's fun to be a part of this, to have guys come off the bench like Jamal and score effortlessly," Paul said. "Me and Grant Hill have been trying to come up with a nickname for him - not `The Microwave,' because that doesn't really stay hot. So we're trying to come up with something that does.

"Everybody knows what's coming, but you still can't stop it," Paul added. "I mean, he had 29 and Bled (Eric Bledsoe) was unbelievable - and those guys are our so-called `backups.' I want to play every second of the game, but it's fun to be on the bench and cheer guys on because the way they're playing is exciting."


The Grizzlies, who haven't won on opening night since their final season in Vancouver, got 25 points from Rudy Gay and 20 from Marc Gasol. Zach Randolph, who missed more than 2 1-2 months last season after tearing the MCL in his right knee and undergoing surgery, had 15 points and 16 rebounds.

"We didn't get defensive stops, and I didn't play good," Randolph said. "We broke down on some defensive plays toward the end. We all have to put a whole game together in order for us to get a game like this."

Crawford gave the Clippers an 83-77 lead with a short jumper and a 3-pointer less than 2 minutes apart after they entered the fourth quarter trailing by four.

Memphis managed to stay close until Paul set up Crawford for a 3-pointer from the left corner with 2:41 remaining for a 96-90 lead, after DeAndre Jordan grabbed a critical offensive rebound of Paul's missed 3-point attempt.

Less than a minute later, Crawford was awarded a basket on a goaltending call against Mike Conley following a steal by Paul, who then threw alley-oop pass to Jordan for a nine-point lead with 1:05 to play.

"We had consistent defense, but you can't guard fast breaks and alley-oops," coach Lionel Hollins said. "Jamal Crawford came off the bench and had an outstanding game for them, and we had no answer for him. They had 29 points on 21 turnovers, and that was huge for them."

The Grizzlies began their 18th season in the NBA under new management, following the announcement Wednesday that the $377 million sale of the club to a group led by California technology entrepreneur Robert J. Pera had been finalized and that the team will stay in Memphis. Pera's group includes former NBA star Penny Hardaway, as well as actor and singer Justin Timberlake. The league's board of governors approved the sale last Thursday.

The Grizzlies and Clippers both set franchise records for winning percentage during the lockout-shortened 2011-12 season, finishing 4-5 in the Western Conference standings. Memphis was 41-25 and Los Angeles 40-26.

The Clippers made the playoffs last season for the first time since 2006 and only the fifth time in Los Angeles. They were swept by San Antonio in the conference semifinals after beating the Grizzlies in the first round - a seven-game series that included a stunning 99-98 victory in Game 1 after the Clippers trailed by 24 points in the fourth quarter. They became the first team ever to win Games 1 and 7 on the road in a first-round series.

"I told the guys before we ran out there that when the schedule was released during the summer, I'm sure everybody with their team and everybody with our team felt this wasn't a coincidence. I'm sure this was on purpose," Paul said.

"That's a good team we just beat over there. We knew it was going to be a hard-fought game and chippy. I expected nothing less. I wasn't expecting a blowout because that's a playoff team that we beat. If anyone thought this was going to be a blowout, I'd say they were tripping."

Reserve forward Matt Barnes, who rejoined the Clippers on Sept. 14 as a free agent after playing the last two seasons with the Lakers, served a one-game suspension from the league.

The suspension stemmed from Barnes' arrest in July on suspicion of resisting arrest and threatening a public official, which is a felony, after he was approached on foot by a Manhattan Beach officer who was aware that Barnes had an outstanding warrant for a misdemeanor traffic violation. The 10th-year veteran pleaded no contest to the original misdemeanor charge last month at the Los Angeles County district attorney's office.

NOTES: After learning of his suspension on Tuesday, Barnes wrote on his Twitter page: "My suspension handed down by the NBA 2day is a (hash)JOKE, but best of luck 2 my team 2maro vs a tough Memphis team & ill be ready for Friday vs Lakers." ... The Grizzlies exercised the fourth-year option on swingman Quincy Pondexter's rookie contract, which will pay him $2.2 million next season. He was acquired from New Orleans last December for G Greivis Vasquez.

 

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Pacers' Hill scores winner in closing seconds


TORONTO (AP) -- With a tireless effort, and a fantastic fourth quarter, George Hill and the Indiana Pacers pulled out an impressive opening-night win.

Hill scored the go-ahead basket with two seconds left, completing Indiana's rally in a 90-88 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night.

"They brought it harder, but we brought it longer," Hill said. "That's something that Coach has been talking about. We lost on that first stat of bringing it harder, but we won on the second one, playing longer and grinding it out."

David West scored 14 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter, and Paul George had 14 points and 15 rebounds for the Pacers, who trailed 84-74 with just under six minutes to play. Roy Hibbert added 14 points for Indiana.

"David put us on his shoulders in the fourth quarter, at both ends of the court, and just carried us," Pacers coach Frank Vogel said. "This victory is squarely on his shoulders."

West said his shot got better and better as the Pacers fought back.

"As the game got tighter I felt like I was getting loose," West said. "The game slowed down a little bit and I was able to get some good looks."

Kyle Lowry led Toronto with 21 points, and Jonas Valanciunas had 12 points and 10 rebounds in his NBA debut. Andrea Bargnani had 16 points, and Jose Calderon added 15 for the Raptors.

West scored on back-to-back possessions to make it 84-78 with 4:47 left and, following a layup by Lowry, converted a jump hook. Hill made a 3-pointer, and West followed with a turnaround bank shot to cut it to 86-85 with 2:38 remaining.

Lowry made two shots from the foul line, but West then hit an open jumper. Hill tied it at 88 with 59 seconds left by making one of two free throws.

After DeMar DeRozan missed a layup, Hill misfired on a jumper at the other end, and the ball was knocked out of bounds. After checking the replay, the officials gave the ball to Indiana. Hill let the clock wind down before driving for the go-ahead hook shot.


"The opportunity was there for me to get in the paint and be aggressive, and I took that," Hill said. "I'm not scared to take shots like that, I live for things like that. Those were the things I did at the park growing up as a kid, counting down and trying to hit game-winning shots."

The Raptors gave the ball to Bargnani, but his jump shot came up short as the game ended, silencing the capacity crowd of 19,800 and spoiling Toronto's opening night.

Indiana won 42 games last season, the fifth-best record in the NBA's lockout-shortened season. That success has bred a new attitude, Hill said.

"Even when we were down, during timeouts you still heard players yelling, `We're still going to win this game. We've been here before. Let's keep grinding it out,"' Hill said.

Hill started for Indiana despite missing the entire preseason because of a left thumb injury and a right hip pointer. He finished with eight points, six coming in the final 3:16.

"George Hill and David West are beasts at their positions," Vogel said. "They both have great size for their position, and toughness."

DeRozan finished with 10 points.

"There's a couple of things down the stretch that we kick ourselves in the head about," he said. "We've just got to be better the next time around."

Indiana played without forward Danny Granger, the team's leading scorer the past five seasons, who is sidelined indefinitely with soreness in his left knee. Granger is scheduled to seek a second opinion as he continues to recover from a knee injury sustained during last spring's Eastern Conference semifinals. He aggravated the injury during the preseason.

"The confidence this team has, knowing the success we had last year, we think we can win without anybody almost," Hill said.

George scored 10 points in the first quarter, and Hibbert had nine to help give the Pacers a 27-25 lead after the opening period. Lowry scored eight points in the second quarter, and Calderon added seven to help Toronto get into a 48-48 halftime tie.

Valanciunas had six points and six rebounds in the first six minutes of the third as Toronto used a 10-0 run to open a 64-53 lead. The Raptors carried a 71-63 lead into the fourth.

NOTES: Bargnani started for Toronto despite missing two days of practice with flu-like symptoms. ... The game featured 11 ties and 16 lead changes. ... Raptors coach Dwane Casey dropped to 3-1 in season openers. ... Toronto is 9-9 in season openers, going 6-6 at home. ... Before Valanciunas, the previous Raptors rookie to post a double-double in his debut was guard Damon Stoudamire, who did it Nov. 3, 1995, against New Jersey. ... DeRozan stood at center court to deliver a brief pregame address. ... Former Blue Jays outfielder Joe Carter attended the game.

 

[fastbreak]

Pistons vs Rockets:

highlights of new Rocket James Harden

 

[fastbreak]

Thunder must plan future without Harden after falling to host Spurs



Can Oklahoma City return to the NBA Finals without James Harden? The first impressions weren't promising, as Harden scored 37 to win his debut with the Rockets and the Thunder were ineffective offensively during their 86-84 loss Thursday at San Antonio.

But it's neither fair nor relevant to weigh the Thunder's bold move based on these opening games. Harden is going to be an entirely different player in Houston, where he'll be the No. 1 option, than he was for OKC, where he was No. 3 in line behind Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. If he scores prolifically for a bad team, will that necessarily make Harden a more valuable player than he was last season, when he averaged an unremarkable 16.8 points to help push the Thunder to within three wins of the championship?

"That first game was an anomaly,'' said an Eastern conference advance scout of Harden's 37-point, 12-assist win in Houston's opener Wednesday at Detroit. The scout's point was that neither the Pistons nor the Rockets are likely to be contending for the playoffs. "The way Houston is going to play, he's going to have a chance to put up big numbers,'' the scout said. "They're spreading the floor and as long as he has a couple of shooters around him, he's going to be hard to guard.


"But Harden hasn't been in that situation yet when the pressure is on you to have to deliver every night. Is he going to be comfortable doing that? He says he is, but we all know how the dynamic changes when people depend on you to do stuff.''

The scout wasn't trying to predict that Harden will fail to become a leading star for Houston; he was simply pointing out that he has to prove he can do for the Rockets what Durant has done for the Thunder, which is to carry them to title contention.

At the same time, Durant is now going to have to prove that he can keep the Thunder in contention without Harden as the team's third star. Kevin Martin, the key player to arrive in the Houston trade, made a strong debut of his own Thursday in San Antonio with 15 points on 10 shots, including a spot-up three he made shortly after Durant had passed out of a double-team. That catch-and-shoot jumper by Martin tied the game at 80-80 with 3:31 remaining, and free throws by Westbrook would give OKC an 84-81 advantage into the final minute.

"I think Kevin Martin is a super talent,'' said another Eastern scout. "Sam Presti (the Thunder GM) did a brilliant job getting a guy like Martin, who is not that much worse than Harden.''


This scout was comparing OKC's trade to the deals made by the Nuggets (in moving Carmelo Anthony) and the Jazz (in moving Deron Williams) two seasons ago. "Is James Harden in the Carmelo Anthony and Deron Williams league? No, but he's close to that level,'' the scout said. "When you compare those trades to the trade Sam made, I think Sam got more for Harden than those teams got for Carmelo or Williams.

"I know they're going to miss Harden and the fact that he could do so many things for their second unit. But they're still a good team, and they're still going to be able to throw the ball to Kevin Martin and get points out of him.''

The bottom line is that Martin should be able to replicate the scoring production that Harden generated in his second-unit role with the Thunder. But Martin is going to be able to generate the assists as well as the other winning plays that earned Harden the Sixth Man Award last year.

"But I don't think that's going to change their status,'' the scout went on in rating the Thunder's prospects for this season. "With or without Harden, I don't think they were going to get back to the Finals or be able to beat Miami.''

The view of this scout is that the Thunder, as constructed with Harden as their third star together with a low-scoring frontcourt of power forward Serge Ibaka and center Kendrick Perkins, weren't going to be able to overcome the talent of the Lakers (in spite of their poor start) or the champion Heat. Instead, the Thunder will be able to use the next couple of years to reinvent themselves around Martin (should they choose to re-sign him this summer at a much cheaper salary than they would have owed Harden), rookie Jeremy Lamb and the two first-round picks they received in the trade with Houston.

"It could help them become a championship team when and if the Heat break up,'' said this scout in reference to LeBron James's free agency in 2014, "and if the Lakers are done in a year or two. It could put them back up as the top team in the West.''

In the meantime, the Thunder were beaten by a pair of Tony Parker jumpers in the final half-minute Thursday. The Spurs won this game without their own starring sixth man, Manu Ginobili, who was sidelined by back spasms, and it will be their contention that they'll be able to handle both the Thunder and the Lakers in the playoffs this season. In six months all of these theories will give way to fact; but for now the Thunder are going to have to learn to deal with the big-number linescores Harden is likely to produce in Houston.

 

[fastbreak]

With home loss to Clippers, winless Lakers nearing critical juncture


LOS ANGELES -- In the fall of 1978, Jack Kent Cooke owned the Lakers, Jerry West coached them, and Kobe Bryant was a newborn. They began the season on a road trip back east, with losses at Philadelphia, New Jersey and Cleveland, the last two by only a basket. The Lakers finished that season in the Western Conference Semifinals against Seattle, and in the following year, the team was sold to Jerry Buss, drafted Magic Johnson and won the championship. Their hideous start was just a small part of a glorious process.

Perhaps the same is true again, as the Lakers fell to 0-3 for the first time since '78, but this team is not waiting on a savior. All their bedrocks are in place: Bryant, Dwight Howard, Pau Gasol and Steve Nash, four likely Hall of Famers, adding up to nothing but a wretched opening week. Though the Lakers continue to talk about their lofty aspirations, only one team in NBA history has come back from 0-3 to capture a title, the 1990-91 Bulls. Of course, the Lakers are drawing more regular comparisons to the 2010-11 Heat, whose superstars also struggled to assimilate, but they were 9-8 at the outset, not 0-3.

The Lakers aren't just losing close games and they aren't just stumbling in hostile environments. They've been beaten soundly all three times they've played, twice at Staples Center, most recently to the cross-town Clippers on Friday night. There were times that the Clippers -- specifically DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin -- appeared to jump over their older, slower, earthbound neighbors. Without Nash, who is ailing from a bruised leg, the Lakers never led after 1-0. They cracked 20 turnovers for the second game in a row. Their bench was outscored by 30 points. Chris Paul had as many assists as the Lakers' entire roster.

The final score was respectable, 105-95, only because Bryant logged 43 minutes and scored 40 points on a strained right foot he said would require a walking boot to leave the arena. Staring at the stat sheet, Bryant noticed that the Clippers scored 20 second-chance points on nine offensive rebounds. "I'm having a hard time understanding how that's mathematically possible," he said.

The Lakers shortcomings are confounding. On offense, they don't take care of the ball, and on defense, they can't stop it. Head coach Mike Brown claims they will jell by the All-Star break, but he shouldn't expect to get that much time. The Lakers have not won since mid-May and are 0-11 when counting the pre-season. It's impossible to call a game in the first week of November a must-win, but if the Lakers somehow lose to Detroit on Sunday, Staples Center could turn toxic.

The Princeton offense, which became a source of consternation around L.A. this week for marginalizing Nash, may be turning back into the Lower Merion offense. A week ago, Bryant could barely walk because of his foot, but he could not stand to miss any games. He had to send a message to the new Lakers: They can be a super team, but not a diva team. Although Bryant is the least of their problems -- he is averaging more than 30 points on better than 61 percent shooting -- he is taking over as if it's 2007 and he's still got Kwame Brown at center.

Howard mustered only seven shots against the Clippers, scored 13 points, and was still stuck on two rebounds early in the third quarter. The Lakers never understood why Howard was so reluctant to join them after he asked out of Orlando last season. It made no sense, given all their talent, and all the marketing opportunities in L.A. But perhaps Howard sensed the flaws in this experiment. The Lakers, despite their transcendent skill, lack speed. The Clippers became the latest opponent to fast break them in half.

More than a championship is at stake for the Lakers this season. They are grooming their next superstar to assume the mantle from Bryant. But Howard is a free agent July 1, and while it's widely assumed that he'll sign long term, the Lakers must still convince him he's in the right place. Bryant admonished local fans and media for their collective hysteria after practice Thursday -- "Everybody shut up," he said. "Let us work" -- but following Friday's latest disappointment he joked about dismissing his own advice. "We're hitting the panic button now," he said. "That's what we're supposed to do. That's our job. We've got to push at it."

 

[fastbreak]

'Melo, Knicks show winning recipe in halting defending champion Heat


NEW YORK -- Possession after possession, play after play, Carmelo Anthony elevated and fired, a maligned Madison Square Garden crowd desperate for a diversion roaring with his every stroke. For months Anthony had heard about his need to sacrifice, heard about his difficulties playing with Amar'e Stoudemire, heard about his need to change his game for the Knicks to achieve any real success. No more. With Stoudemire down for at least the next six weeks, maybe more, it was time to let 'Melo be 'Melo, and Anthony responded with a 30-point, 10-rebound effort in New York's 104-84 season-opening win over the Heat on Friday night.

This is the Anthony the Knicks need now, aggressive, gunslinging, able to carry the team on his broad shoulders. The Knicks moved the ball with surprising fluidity on Friday (27 assists), spreading the floor with a three-guard starting lineup and creating openings for an onslaught of three-point shooting (19-36), with Steve Novak (17 points), Raymond Felton (14) and Jason Kidd (12) leading the way. More often than not though the ball found its way into the hands of Anthony, whose 30 points led the team, whose 28 shots were 15 more than anyone else.

In a way, it was the perfect lineup for Anthony: A team capable of knocking down jumpers around him yet ready to yield to him when he wanted the ball.

"He's very motivated right now," said Tyson Chandler. "I've only been with him for two years but this is the most motivated I've seen him. He's doing so much, and not only what you saw in display tonight. But in the film room and walk throughs. He's changed. He's getting in early, putting up shots from everywhere, pulling guys aside to give them advice. He's being a great teammate."

The Knicks can win plenty of regular season games this way. Miami won't always be such a pushover, but beyond the Heat there are no teams that appear overwhelmingly daunting. Indiana is young, Boston is old, Chicago is injured. The Nets and Sixers are improved, but neither are all that intimidating. The Knicks have an aging roster -- yes that was 38-year old Rasheed Wallace, nearly two and a half years removed from his last game action, knocking down a three in garbage time -- but a deep one. If the defense -- which was decent against Miami -- holds up and the shooting can stay consistent, Anthony can carry New York to the finish line. He did it in Denver: In Anthony's last three full seasons with the Nuggets, Denver won 50 games each time.

The question is if 'Melo-ball can succeed in the playoffs, which is where Stoudemire re-enters the discussion. Assuming Stoudemire can return healthy -- no sure thing when you are dealing with a knee that has been carved up too often by a surgical knife -- the chemistry with Anthony will be critical. They looked like a lost cause last season -- when Anthony played well, Amar'e disappeared, and often vice versa -- something that can't happen for the Knicks to succeed in this one.

One solution: Bring Stoudemire off the bench. Knicks coach Mike Woodson has been resistant to it, though some scouts think he should. "I would," said an Eastern Conference scout. "Amar'e would terrorize second-line centers." Give each a leading role and let the hot hand have the ball in the fourth quarter.

It's a legitimate concern, though not one Woodson has to deal with for a while. With Stoudemire down it's defend, move the ball and let 'Melo lead the way. The Knicks gave a city still reeling from the effects of Hurricane Sandy a reason to cheer on Friday. With this style and this player, there is no reason to think they can't do it a lot more.

 

[fastbreak]

Jennings scores 21 as Bucks beat Celtics 99-88


BOSTON (AP) -- Brandon Jennings had another big opening night for the Milwaukee Bucks , just as he did in his first game as a pro.

He enjoyed Friday night's debut a lot more.

"We lost that game" in 2009, he said. "So I was glad to take this one."

The Bucks took it to the Celtics from the start - outhustling them and playing better offense and defense - and ruined Boston's home opener with a 99-88 win that broke Milwaukee's streak of five consecutive opening-game losses.

Jennings had 21 points, 13 assists and six steals. In his first NBA game, he had 17 points, nine rebounds and nine assists but lost 99-86 at the Philadelphia 76ers.

On Friday, the Bucks didn't trail after the first 6 minutes and led by at least 11 points throughout the second half.

Boston had cut a 46-30 halftime deficit to 48-35. Milwaukee scored the next six points and led 76-58 going into the fourth quarter.

"In the third, when they started to get after it, started to bump us, we responded really well," Bucks coach Scott Skiles said. "We had a lot of energy. Guys were doing their jobs out there."

The same can't be said for the Celtics.

They allowed the second-fewest points in the NBA last season, but struggled defensively for the second consecutive game. They lost 120-107 to the Miami Heat on Tuesday night, matching the most points they allowed in any game last season.

"We have a lot of new people, a lot of guys trying to get adjusted," said Jason Terry, who signed in the offseason as a free agent from the Dallas Mavericks . "It's going to take a while, but to get outworked is definitely unacceptable."

Boston was led by Kevin Garnett with 15 points and Rajon Rondo had 14 points and 11 assists. The Celtics lost their first three games last season but reached the Eastern Conference finals where they lost in seven games to the Heat.

"It starts and ends with our defense," Rondo said. "I'm the point guard. I'm the first line of defense and initiate the offense. I've got to be better."

The biggest cheers of the night went to David Ortiz, the Boston Red Sox designated hitter seated in the front row at midcourt.

A baseball official with knowledge of the negotiations said the team and Ortiz had agreed to a two-year, $26 million deal. Several fans shouted "congratulations" to Ortiz as he walked to his seat early in the third quarter. A loud cheer went up when he was shown on the video scoreboard, then he raised his left arm straight up to acknowledge the crowd.

Later in the quarter, the fans booed the Celtics when Monta Ellis hit a layup after a steal by Jennings, giving the Bucks a 66-46 lead with 4:10 left in the period.

Tobias Harris scored 18 points for Milwaukee and Ellis had 14.

The Bucks led 94-72, matching their biggest lead, on a basket by Jennings with 3:45 to go in the game before the Celtics whittled the final margin to 11 points.

The Celtics have just six players who saw action with the team last season and are struggling defensively after holding opponents to the lowest field goal percentage in the league, 41.9 percent. Offensively, the Celtics could do little inside.

"We locked down that paint pretty good," said Larry Sanders, who had 10 points and seven rebounds for the Bucks. "We were all dependent on our teammates."

The Celtics allowed the Heat to shoot 54.4 percent in the opener and the Bucks to make 46.5 percent. In their final regular season game last season, the Celtics beat the Bucks 87-74.

"We missed the playoffs two years in a row, so it started from tonight," Jennings said. "Whether I shoot bad or not, just as long as they know I gave it my all."

Milwaukee took control after Paul Pierce gave Boston its last lead, 10-8, with two free throws with 6:34 left in the first quarter.

Jennings followed with a layup, Ersan Ilyasova made a short jumper and Ellis dunked on a fast break for a 16-10 lead. It was 25-18 after one quarter before the Bucks held the Celtics to 12 points in the second quarter.

Boston improved its shooting in the third quarter, hitting 56.3 percent, but committed seven turnovers that led to 10 points.

"I don't like our urgency yet," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. "When you watch us play, I don't like how we're approaching the games. And until we (improve) that, we're going to struggle."

Notes: The Celtics allowed the Bucks to hit 44.4 percent of their 3-point shots, one game after the Heat made 50 percent. Last season, Boston was the best in the NBA defending the shot at 30.8 percent. ... Milwaukee won its first season opener since Nov. 1, 2006, when it beat Detroit 105-97. ... Led by Ilyasova's 11 rebounds, the Bucks held a 51-41 advantage on the boards.

 

[fastbreak]

Harden has 45, Rockets beat Hawks 109-102


ATLANTA (AP) -- The Houston Rockets are winning with James Harden performing like the team's new franchise player.

The Atlanta Hawks struggled in the start of their new era without their longtime franchise player.

Harden continued to shine at the start of his Houston career, scoring a career-high 45 points to lead the Rockets to a 109-102 victory over the Hawks on Friday night.

Harden, traded to the Rockets from Oklahoma City on Saturday, topped 30 points for the second time in his first week with his new team.

"He's pretty good, I'd say," Rockets coach Kevin McHale said. "He just kept battling and playing."

Jeremy Lin, who had 21 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists, said Harden makes a "big time" difference.

"He frees everybody up," Lin said. "He knows what he's doing. We're thankful that he showed up."

Marcus Morris had 17 points for Houston.

Rockets center Omer Asik had a career-high 19 rebounds but did not score, missing seven shots from the field.

Lou Williams led the Hawks with 22 points in his Atlanta debut. Josh Smith had 18 points and 10 rebounds.

Williams averaged a career-high 14.9 points per game with the Sixers last season when he was runner-up to Harden for NBA's Sixth Man of the Year Award.

Williams appears bound for another year as a sixth man. Harden is thriving in his new role as a starter.

"It's a lot different," Harden said. "Having the offense run basically through you, it's a lot different, but that's my job now so I've got to get used to it."

Harden said he wasn't focused on his impressive scoring in his first two games.

"I don't even worry about it," he said. "I just go out there and play hard."

The Hawks traded six-time All-Star Joe Johnson to the Brooklyn Nets in July for five players and a draft pick. Johnson averaged more than 20 points in five of his seven seasons as Atlanta's top player.

"We're still trying to establish an identity," Hawks coach Larry Drew said. "That may take a little time to do."

Drew said his team struggled in rebounding and on defense, especially in helping stop Harden's drives.

"When he gets the basketball in transition, he's going to get to the basket," Drew said. "It won't be just one guy's responsibility, it will be a team responsibility."

With the game tied 92-92, Harden had consecutive baskets, including a three-point play, to give Houston the lead for good. Chandler Parson's 3-pointer with 1:55 remaining pushed the lead to 100-94.

Harden was 14 of 19 from the field and 15 of 17 from the free throw line. Harden's 17 free-throw attempts matched Atlanta's total.

Harden, who signed a five-year, $80 million contract extension with Houston following the trade, had 37 points, 12 assists and six rebounds in a 105-96 win at Detroit in his debut on Wednesday night.

Houston led after each of the first three periods. The Rockets took a 68-52 lead in the third before Atlanta cut the deficit to 81-74 at the end of the quarter.

A basket by Smith with 7:12 remaining gave Atlanta an 88-87 lead, its first since the opening period.

"We were just trying to put together as many stops as we could," Williams said. "We battled our way back into the game to even get it to that point."

The Rockets are 2-0, but McHale said the team needs work on closing out wins.

"We need a few days together in the gym where we can slow some things down and figure out how we want to finish games," McHale said.

After a preseason of sampling lineup combinations, Drew had two newcomers - Devin Harris and Kyle Korver - join Al Horford, Smith and Jeff Teague. Drew said he had "a little indecision" about Harris starting at shooting guard as the coach worried about the defensive matchup with Harden, who at 6-foot-5 is at least 3 inches taller than Harris.

DeShawn Stevenson, who could match Harden's height - and at least come close to matching Harden's beard - became an important player off the bench for Atlanta.

Stevenson had 12 points on four 3-pointers, including one at the buzzer to end the first half.

Teague had 14 points and seven assists and Horford had 14 points.

The Rockets had a 58-36 advantage in rebounds.

"We have some things that we really have to focus in and work on," Drew said. "There were areas in this game where we weren't very good, very polished, particularly on the boards."

Drew said his perimeter players were beaten for too many long rebounds.

"We didn't play well, yet we gave ourselves a chance in fighting back," he said.

Notes: Houston F Patrick Patterson started after missing the opener with a strained left quad. C Greg Smith (strained left foot) did not play. ... Harden's previous career high was 40 points against the Suns on April 18. ... Hawks C Johan Petro was inactive. ... Stevenson fouled out in the final minute. ... Harden is the first player to score 40 points against Atlanta since LeBron James had 43 points on March 18, 2011.

 

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Thunder beat Blazers 106-92 in home opener


OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- So far, Kevin Martin considers it an easy transition into James Harden's old role as the Oklahoma City Thunder 's top bench player.

Having two All-Stars to work with can make it look that way.

Russell Westbrook scored 32 points, Kevin Durant had 23 points and 17 rebounds and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Portland Trail Blazers 106-92 on Friday night to win their fourth straight home opener.

Martin added 19 points, hitting a 3-pointer and a runner during an 11-2 spurt that extended the Thunder's lead to 95-81 with 4:05 remaining. Durant had the assist on both baskets.

"They have to pick their poison when it comes to us," Martin said. "We're both used to putting up numbers in this league, so they're going to take him and he's going to make the easy pass to me or ... they took me and then I made the pass to him.

"We can read off each other very well."

LaMarcus Aldridge led Portland with 22 points and 15 rebounds and first-round pick Damian Lillard followed a sizzling debut with 21 points and seven assists. The Trail Blazers shot 36 percent and were unable to follow up their surprising opening win against the Los Angeles Lakers .

"We competed for most of the game," first-year Blazers coach Terry Stotts said. "We had a hard time putting the ball in the basket."

Oklahoma City bounced back from an opening loss at San Antonio that at least temporarily shifted the focus off Harden's departure. The NBA's Sixth Man of the Year was traded to Houston on Saturday night, shaking up the Thunder's second line before they could even play a game after making it to the NBA Finals.

He wasn't missed as much in this one.

Oklahoma City led throughout the second half, but twice allowed Portland to get within one point late in the third quarter. Lillard's right-handed floater got the Trail Blazers within 64-63 with 3:04 left in the period, before Durant hit a free throw and Nick Collison got free for a two-handed dunk.

The Thunder never looked back, finishing with a 44-24 scoring advantage in the paint and a 23-6 edge on the fast break.

"We just ran the floor better. A lot of guys finished a lot better around the basket. That got us easy points," said Westbrook, who was 13 for 24 from the field and had six assists.

Durant ended up with a full stat line, finishing one shy of his career best in rebounds to go with seven assists and six of the Thunder's 12 turnovers while dabbling at the point guard.

Collison was Oklahoma City's only other player in double figures, with 12 points. He dived to save a ball from going out of bounds on one baseline, getting it to Westbrook, who whipped it ahead to help Durant earn two free throws.

"I saw the ball and was able to get after it quick," Collison said. "I feel good. I feel like I'm reacting well. I feel like I'm really locked into the game.

"Those are the type of plays you can make if you're really locked in mentally, where you can just go get it and react."

The sequence finished off the Thunder's big fourth-quarter run and effectively put the game away.

"We got enough stops. That was big. We finally were getting some stops and created some separation," Collison said.

Wesley Matthews chipped in 17 points and J.J. Hickson contributed 14 points and 12 rebounds, seven on the offensive end, for Portland. Lillard, who joined Oscar Robertson and Isiah Thomas as the only players with at least 20 points and 10 assists in an NBA debut, had seven assists and two turnovers.

"It's not really about how I play," said Lillard, the No. 6 pick in this year's draft. "It's more about the team making a few more shots to get the win."

Durant scored seven points in the middle of an 11-0 run as the Thunder recovered from an early deficit to take a 24-18 lead after Martin's jumper from the left wing, his first basket at home with his new team.

Portland rallied to go ahead briefly with the first eight points of the second quarter, only for Martin to hit a 3 and start a 7-0 response that put Oklahoma City back on top to stay.

"When you talk about chemistry with our group, you haven't been around our group," Thunder coach Scott Brooks said. "James was a good player but it wasn't Dr. James. He wasn't helping the group stick together. All the guys do that."

As a group, the Thunder bench outscored Portland's reserves 42-15.

"You have to have a punch coming off the bench. I think that's one of our biggest strengths right now," Martin said.

"We've just got to keep on jelling as a group and help the first unit when they need a little rest."

NOTES: Durant had 12 points and 10 rebounds in the first half. It was only the second time in his career that he had a double-double by halftime. The other time came March 9, 2011, against Philadelphia. He said afterward that he has set a goal of averaging a double-double this season. ... The Houston at Oklahoma City game on Nov. 28, marking Harden's only return to Chesapeake Energy Arena of the season, was picked up by NBA TV on Friday. The network also dropped its coverage of a Portland-Oklahoma City rematch on Jan. 13 and added Tuesday's Thunder-Raptors game. ... Rookie Jeremy Lamb, one of Oklahoma City's acquisitions in the trade for Harden, entered late and hit a 3-pointer for his first NBA points.

 

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Allen's four-point play lifts Heat, 119-116


MIAMI (AP) -- Ray Allen was left unguarded for about one second.

Big mistake.

And his first game-winner for the Miami Heat was one to remember.

Allen got a pass from LeBron James and converted a four-point play with 6.7 seconds left that put Miami ahead for good, and Chris Bosh scored 40 points to help the Heat hold off the Denver Nuggets 119-116 on Saturday night.

"LeBron found me," Allen said after just his third game with the Heat. "It was curtains."

The league's reigning MVP and its career leader in 3-point shooting combined to put Corey Brewer in a bad spot on Miami's last possession of the night.

Trailing by a point with 14.1 seconds left, the Heat called time out and designed a play where James would have the ball and the option to either drive or pass. He had just scored by driving the left side of the lane moments earlier, and started his move on the deciding possession by going in that same direction.

Brewer, who was shadowing Allen, saw James' drive and moved in for help. That left Allen alone, and he slipped to the left corner - one of his favorite spots on the floor. James threw him the ball, Allen got the shot off as a late-arriving Brewer fouled him, and yet another sellout crowd in Miami got a wild finish to a wild game.

"We've been on the other end, as the recipient of that type of pain, in the locker room when he puts the dagger to your heart with a 3 - and the and-one, just for the heck of it," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "Do we expect him to do that every single night? That's not necessarily what he has to do. It's what he's done his whole career, but he's found a way to fit in."

Allen scored 23 points, and James finished with 20 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds for the Heat, who escaped when Danilo Gallinari's 3-point try with 2 seconds left bounced off the rim.

Gallinari finished 3 for 17 from the floor, 1 for 9 from 3-point range.

"The timing wasn't right," Gallinari said.

Dwyane Wade added 14 points for Miami (2-1).

Kenneth Faried and Andre Iguodala each scored 22 for Denver, which fell to 0-3. Andre Miller made his first eight shots and finished with 17 for the Nuggets, who also got 16 points from JaVale McGee and outrebounded Miami 47-32.

"Right now we just need to get a win," Nuggets coach George Karl said. "This would have been a great win for us. It would have salvaged the trip. It doesn't feel good. It never feels good."

The 40 points were a Heat-high for Bosh, and they needed every one of them.

"Good teams find a way to win," Bosh said. "We haven't been playing our best basketball. We know we've gotten off to a slow start defensively. We have to pick that up. We have to make a better. I'm just glad we got out of here alive tonight."

It was a frantic last 3 minutes, and Denver seemed to take control in the final moments. Faried grabbed a rebound and scored with 49 seconds remaining, and after a Denver stop, the Nuggets took the lead when Iguodala connected over Wade from the left wing with 14.1 left on the clock for a 116-115 edge.

So for the first time this season, the Heat faced a last-second situation.

James and Allen - teammates now for all of three games - were in perfect synch. Allen made the shot, the free throw swished, the Heat lead was three, and they escaped.

"As I stepped up to the free-throw line, I was like, `Please make this free throw,"' Allen said. "It'll be a better story to tell."

Denver was up six midway through the fourth quarter, but the Heat erased the deficit in a hurry on a pair of 3-pointers by Allen, 41 seconds apart.

At various times in the early going, Denver held a 40-10 edge in points in the paint, a 12-0 advantage in second-chance points, and Faried and McGee were shooting a combined 13 for 16 in the game's first 20 minutes. By halftime, it was 66-64, the Nuggets having scored one more point than what anyone posted in the first half of any game against Miami last season, playoffs included.

Ultimately, the 23rd - and final - lead change of the night was pulled off by Allen and the Heat.

"It's good that he made them in a white and red uniform," Wade said.

NOTES: Denver didn't score more than 89 points in either of its first two outings this season - it had 91 by the end of the third quarter on Saturday. ... Miami has allowed 175 points in the first halves of its three games. ... The Heat shook up the rotation, with Norris Cole essentially being swapped out and replaced by Mike Miller. Heat backup C Joel Anthony also made his first appearance of the season, after battling a hamstring issue since training camp.

 

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Pierce's late 3 lifts Celtics over Wizards 89-86


WASHINGTON (AP) -- After his Boston Celtics held the Washington Wizards to 1-for-14 shooting at the start, then scoreless for nearly 3 minutes at the end, coach Doc Rivers spoke about "great defensive intensity."

"Defense," he said, as if to underline the point, "is exhausting."

Wizards guard Jordan Crawford offered another explanation for the way things went in Boston's 89-86 victory over Washington on Saturday night.

"We're forgetting plays," Crawford said.

A night after what Rivers called a "flat game," the Celtics used defensive stands early - Washington's only scoring in the first 8 minutes came on Kevin Garnett's goaltending call - and late, plus Paul Pierce's 27 points, including a key 3 down the stretch, to edge the Wizards and improve to 1-2.

Washington dropped to 0-2 after its home opener in front of a sellout crowd of 20,308 that occasionally included folks chanting "Let's go, Celtics!" Washington is still without two starters: point guard John Wall, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 draft, and center Nene.

"Our starts are so bad, you don't know if you're ever going to see daylight again. I didn't know if the ... sun was coming up tomorrow. I truly didn't," Wizards coach Randy Wittman said with a chuckle after watching his club fall behind Boston 17-2 at the outset. "That's how bad it was to me, sitting there."

Bradley Beal, the No. 3 overall pick this year, missed all five of his shots and scored two points for the Wizards, while Crawford led the hosts with 21 points despite hurting his left ankle in the second half.

"I wasn't involved, really," Beal said. "I wasn't asserting myself. I wasn't aggressive."

Another Wizards reserve, Kevin Seraphin, played after being sidelined by a right calf injury for their season opener and made his first seven shots, finishing with 19 points. But Seraphin also threw the ball away with Washington down one point and 28 seconds left.

Cartier Martin scored five consecutive points during a 16-4 run that put Washington ahead 86-84 on Seraphin's turnaround 12-footer with a little under 3 minutes remaining.

"You don't want to give teams any life," Pierce said. "Today we gave them life and they had a shot at us."

But with thousands in the stands asking for "De-fense! De-fense!" Pierce made a 3-pointer to put Boston back in front with 2 1/2 minutes left.

From there, neither team managed to score until Jason Terry's two free throws with 1.2 seconds left padded Boston's lead.

"Our defense put us in the situation to get where we were at," Celtics guard Rajon Rondo said. "We didn't shoot the ball well tonight. We had a lot of easy shots we missed. We can't control that, but what we can control is our effort on the defensive end and we did that tonight."

Rondo had 12 points - including two on an acrobatic, one-handed push that he likened to a shot put - and 12 assists, while Garnett scored 15.

Wall has a knee injury and is expected to miss another month or so, while Nene is out with a foot problem and no one is quite sure when he'll be back. Both are really missed on offense, which was apparent not only with the way Washington opened the game, but also by checking the assists column on the stat sheet: The starting five combined for a grand total of one assist in the first half.

Yes, the Wizards got points less than 1 1/2 minutes in, but that was because Garnett was called for goaltending on a short shot by Emeka Okafor. Otherwise, Washington missed 13 of its first 14 field-goal attempts. That run of futility included shanked 3-pointers and midrange jumpers, layups and putbacks. Even a dunk.

Rondo's 19-foot jumper put Boston ahead 17-2 with a little less than 4 1/2 minutes left in the first quarter. By then, three Celtics - Garnett, Pierce and rookie Jared Sullinger - each had at least twice as many points as the entire Wizards roster.

A day after losing by 11 at home to Milwaukee, the Celtics led by as much as 24-8 before Washington made a game of it.

"When you lose two games in a row and you play as poorly as we played last night, you're either going to come out with great intensity or we're still going to be thinking about last night and get down 20," Rivers said. "That cushion won the game for us."

NOTES: Sullinger, the Ohio State forward taken in the first round of the draft, made his first NBA start, replacing Brandon Bass in Boston's lineup. Sullinger ended up with four points and four fouls. ... The teams play each other again Wednesday at Boston.