McGrady's 47 Sparks Rockets Past Jazz

Team	1	2	3	4					Full Time
Rockets	24	33	21	28					106
Jazz	29	20	17	29					95

Houston 106, Utah 95

SALT LAKE CITY, Nov. 1 (AP) -- Tracy McGrady said he didn't hold a grudge against Utah for last season's opening-round loss in the playoffs.

But what he said and how he played were quite different.

McGrady scored 47 points and the Houston Rockets beat the Utah Jazz 106-95 Thursday night, earning a little revenge for last season's playoffs, when Houston won the first two games but lost the series.

"It doesn't really mean anything. It's only the second game of the season,'' said McGrady, who was 17-for-27 from the floor.

The Rockets improved to 2-0 under new coach Rick Adelman, who wasn't with Houston for Utah's first-round comeback last spring.

McGrady was, and seemed to take it personally with his 42nd career 40-point game. He also had more help than he did in the postseason, when the Rockets basically counted on he and Yao Ming to beat the Jazz.

Mike James added 15 points -- two more than the Jazz reserves combined -- and Chuck Hayes had 13 rebounds for the Rockets.

"We feel like it's Game 8 for us,'' said Yao, referring to the seven-game series the Jazz rallied to win. "We wanted to get this win and start our new season.''

Carlos Boozer had 30 points and 16 rebounds, and Mehmet Okur finished with 16 points and 10 boards, but after dominating the first quarter the Jazz tapered off in the second and never recovered.

Deron Williams had 18 points and 13 rebounds, and Ronnie Brewer scored 13 points for the Jazz, who led by 12 in the first quarter before McGrady took over the game.

Even with Yao on the bench with foul trouble and the Jazz knowing very well who was going to be getting the ball, Utah couldn't stop McGrady.

Inside, outside or at the foul line, McGrady carried the Rockets. He only missed 10 of his 27 field goal attempts and went 11-for-14 from the line. He also added four assists and four rebounds.

"This is the start of a new season. I'm just feeling good mentally, physically and having fun playing basketball with my new teammates and coaching staff,'' McGrady said. "This is a fun system to play in.''

The Rockets forced 20 turnovers while committing just 12, and the Jazz didn't help themselves any by going 20-for-29 from the foul line.

"We tried to go one-on-one. Everyone tried to beat them by themselves,'' Utah coach Jerry Sloan said. We're not good enough to play that way.''

Every time the Jazz made a run in the second half, McGrady stopped it. Okur hit a short jumper to get the Jazz within 89-82, but McGrady answered with a 3-pointer and did teammate Dikembe Mutombo's finger wag while backpedaling on defense. The "no, no, no'' gesture seemed appropriate because the Jazz could not stop McGrady when they needed to all night.

"Tracy was just unbelievable,'' said Adelman, who inherited McGrady when he replaced former coach Jeff Van Gundy over the summer. "What I liked about him was he had a really good mix. He made jumpers, but he attacked the basket and went to the free throw line.''

The Jazz, who were playing their home opener, got within five twice late in the fourth quarter, but no closer.

After Boozer cut the lead to 96-91, McGrady hit two free throws with 2:53 remaining, then Yao added a layup that cooled off Utah's comeback and quieted the fans.

Yao finished with 11 points and seven rebounds, for the Rockets, who play their home opener Saturday against Portland.

Notes: Houston's reserves outscored Utah's 30-13. ... McGrady scored 13 of Houston's 24 points in the first quarter. ... Boozer had a double-double by halftime with 13 points and 11 rebounds. ... Jazz rookies Morris Almond and Kyrylo Fesenko were inactive for the second straight game.

source : NBA.com

Suns Rally Past Durant, Sonics

Team	1	2	3	4					Full Time
Suns	27	28	24	27					106
Supersonics	26	32	24	17					99

Phoenix 106, Seattle 99

SEATTLE, Nov. 1 (AP) -- Amare Stoudemire, playing for the third time since knee surgery a month ago, had 23 points and 11 rebounds, and the Phoenix Suns rallied past Kevin Durant and the SuperSonics 106-99 Thursday night in the home opener of the Sonics' 41st and most awkward season in Seattle.

Steve Nash had 18 points, including the clinching 3-pointer, and 12 assists, while veteran Grant Hill added 13 points, six rebounds and five assists in his Suns debut. Phoenix won for just the second time in nine season openers.

Durant, the second overall draft pick, scored 27 points on 11-for-23 shooting. Chris Wilcox had 23 points and 11 rebounds for Seattle, which blew a nine-point lead it had late in the third quarter one night after getting blown out late in its opener at Denver.

Durant made a 14-foot jumper over Hill with 4:15 left to cut Phoenix's lead to 93-90. After Raja Bell made with a 3-pointer, Durant answered back with his own 3 to keep Seattle within 96-93.

But with the score 98-93, Durant had the ball stolen by Shawn Marion and then charged into Bell for another turnover with 2:11 left. Nash then made his third 3-pointer in three tries and Seattle never got closer.

The night began with fireworks exploding beneath the scoreboard and fans flashing green-and-gold signs such as "This City Needs the Sonics.'' The crowd, announced as a sellout of 17,072 though there were a few empty seats upstairs, erupted into chants of "Save our Sonics!'' during play in the second and third quarters.

Team chairman Clay Bennett, who will announce Friday his next move toward relocation to his native Oklahoma now that his deadline to get a Seattle-area arena deal passed Wednesday, watched it all while talking in a suite with Hall of Fame center Bill Russell, a Sonics regular and resident of suburban Mercer Island, Wash.

The Sonics continually ran inbounds plays for Durant, who had equaled his opening-night total of 18 points by halftime. He made a 14-footer off a set play 4 1/2 minutes into the second half to reach 20 points and put Seattle ahead 66-61. Bell - who checked the 19-year-old most of the night while giving up five inches to the 6-foot-9 guard - extended both arms with his palms toward the arena's roof and flashed a baffled look to Suns teammates.

Seattle took an 82-73 in the final minute of the third quarter on a 3-pointer by new arrival Wally Szczerbiak. But three consecutive 3-pointers by Marcus Banks tied the game at 82 with 20 seconds gone in the final period.

Phoenix outscored Seattle 19-8 to take an 88-84 lead on Stoudemire's third consecutive basket with 9:05 left. Durant was on the bench for all but the last 1:07 of that Suns run.

The fired-up crowd stood and roared after Damien Wilkins grabbed a rebound of a miss by Hill, dribbled to midcourt and launched a leaner that swished as the halftime buzzer sounded. Wilkins walked to the scorer's table and pointed into the crowd and Durant gave his teammate a bear hug as Seattle took a 58-55 lead into the locker room.

Jeff Green, the fifth overall pick, missed seven of his first eight shots - including both a botched dunk and layup in the first half. But he also took a charge and stole a pass that Durant turned into his first 3-pointer in three tries.

Durant yelled over the crowd's roar to punctuate that, which put Seattle up 35-32 three minutes into the second quarter.

Notes: Wilcox played one night after throwing up fluid that was in his lungs at halftime and scoring just two of his 14 points thereafter at Denver. He crashed to the floor after missing a dunk with 7 minutes left but returned. ... Music star Kid Rock, 12 days removed from a fist fight at a Waffle House in Atlanta, Seahawks GM Tim Ruskell and players Marcus Trufant, Rocky Bernard, Julian Peterson, Deon Grant and Josh Brown joined Hall of Fame QB Warren Moon, University of Washington men's basketball coach Lorenzo Romar and women's coach Tia Jackson courtside sitting near the court. ... F-C Sean Marks was inactive after "tweaking'' his back in a fall at practice Wednesday, Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said. ... Seattle has lost its last three home openers. ... The Suns open at home Friday night against the Los Angeles Lakers.

source : NBA.com

Prince Carries Pistons Past Heat

Team	1	2	3	4					Full Time
Pistons	26	22	18	25					91
Heat	22	20	20	18					80

Detroit 91, Miami 80

MIAMI, Nov. 1 (AP) -- For three days, the Miami Heat worked on defending plays the Detroit Pistons love to call for Tayshaun Prince.

Didn't matter.

Prince weaved his way to a career-high 34 points, matched a career best with 12 rebounds, and the Pistons pulled away in the fourth quarter to beat the Heat 91-80 Thursday night in the season opener for both teams.

The Pistons played without Richard Hamilton, who tended to a family matter. So Prince picked up the slack, going 13-for-23 from the floor, and the Pistons also got 19 points and 11 assists from Chauncey Billups.

"With Rip out, I had to really respond,'' Prince said. "When you get layups and good looks at the rim, you are in a good rhythm.''

He sliced across the lane often for layups or dunks, using his oddly long frame to keep any Heat defender at bay.

"Most times, he has mismatches,'' Billups said. "And we have to use him.''

Meanwhile, the Heat were without 2006 finals MVP Dwyane Wade, still sidelined as he recovers from offseason knee and shoulder surgeries. So with Wade out - Heat coach Pat Riley said after the game he may have a "decision'' about Wade's rehab schedule Friday - Miami was to run its offense through Shaquille O'Neal.

Problem was, the Pistons doubled O'Neal from the outset, holding him to six shots and nine points - none of those coming in the first half.

And one game into the season, the Big Fella isn't exactly happy.

"We took a lot of jump shots, way too many jump shots,'' O'Neal said. "I'd like more than six shots if we're going to win, especially until Dwyane comes back.''

The Pistons used a 12-0 run - sparked by zone defense that befuddled Miami - over a 6-minute span down the stretch to take control. Rasheed Wallace scored 11 points for Detroit.

Ricky Davis scored 23 points for Miami, which dropped its opener for the second straight season. Sure, this one was closer than last year's 108-66 ring-night debacle against the Chicago Bulls, but that'll offer little consolation.

Udonis Haslem had 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Heat before fouling out with 4:29 left.

"We kind of stood still and went back on our heels when they went into their zone defense,'' Haslem said. "And that's when the game went away from us.''

Detroit won despite shooting only 39 percent, making up for that by going 23-for-30 from the foul line and scoring 28 points off 17 Heat turnovers.

Miami was 9-for-15 at the line, and wound up losing for the seventh straight time dating back to last season - not including its 0-7 preseason record.

"Very disappointing way to start the season, obviously,'' Riley said. "The same things that bothered us or hurt us in preseason are the same things that happened to us tonight. ... The turnovers and the lack of free-throw attempts are sometimes hard to overcome.''

Miami opened the game on a 16-8 run, before the Pistons answered with a 22-6 burst over the next 8 minutes and maintained the lead for the remainder of the half.

There were two glaring stats that jumped out at halftime: O'Neal had zero points (with three fouls), and the Pistons had a 19-6 edge in free throws attempted - certainly part of the reason why they led 48-42 at intermission.

The other reason was Prince. He went 6-for-12 for 16 points in the half, including a personal 6-0 run over a 72-second spurt to give Detroit what was its biggest lead, 43-32 with 3:49 left until halftime.

Miami fought back in the third. The Heat missed what would have been go-ahead jump shots on four straight possessions late in the quarter, before Smush Parker's layup - his first basket in a Miami uniform - tied it at 62 with 1:15 left in the period.

Momentum didn't exactly shift, though. The Pistons scored the next 12 points, capped by a jumper from Prince with 7:39 left, to reclaim control.

"If you continue to play aggressively, good things will happen,'' Prince said.

Notes: Parker hit a 3-pointer at the end of the third quarter that would have drawn Miami within 66-65, but video review showed it was after time expired. ... Penny Hardaway got his first taste of regular-season action in nearly two years, checking in for Miami with 9:20 left in the second quarter. ... The always-excitable Wallace's first foul of the season led to his first referee complaint of the season: "That's crazy,'' he told Joe DeRosa after fouling O'Neal with 11:10 left in the third. ... Haslem started his fifth straight opener for Miami, one shy of Rony Seikaly's team record.

source : NBA.com

Nuggets Spoil Durant's Debut in Denver

Team	1	2	3	4					Full Time
Supersonics	31	27	23	22					103
Nuggets	35	24	27	34					120

Seatle Sonics 103, Denver Nuggets 120

DENVER, Oct. 31 (AP) -- Kevin Durant's shot was off in his NBA debut, and the Denver Nuggets beat the Seattle SuperSonics 120-103 on Wednesday night in the season opener for both teams.

Durant scored 18 points in 31 minutes, but shot just 7-of-22.

Carmelo Anthony bottled up the rookie on defense, and showed him a move or two on offense. Anthony finished with 32 points, making three 3-pointers.

Allen Iverson had 25 points and 14 assists, and Linas Kleiza chipped in 18 points and hit five 3-pointers.

Durant was taken by the Sonics with the No. 2 pick in the draft last June. He scored his first NBA point on a free throw about 10 1/2 minutes into the game, and had his first airball two minutes later on a short jumper in the lane. Durant's initial basket came on a driving layup late in the first quarter. He showed no effects of a gimpy ankle, which he sprained on Oct. 23.

Damien Wilkins had 21 points and reserve Delonte West chipped in 19.

Kenyon Martin contributed seven points in 18 minutes. Martin was back in Denver's starting lineup after missing 106 games over the last two seasons due to microfracture surgeries on both knees.

Seattle had a 79-78 lead with 3:05 left in the third quarter, but Denver went on a 28-11 run to put away the game midway through the fourth quarter. Kleiza had four of his five 3-pointers to fuel the run.

source : NBA.com

Spurs' Ginobili Scores Game-Winner vs.Grizzlies

Team	1	2	3	4					Full Time
Spurs	23	29	27	25					104
Grizzlies	26	26	30	19					101

San Antonio 104, Memphis 101

MEMPHIS, Tenn., Oct. 31 (AP) -- Down the stretch, the San Antonio Spurs showed why they are the NBA champions, and the Memphis Grizzlies are a team with some growing to do.

Manu Ginobili scored 30 points, including the go-ahead basket with 32 seconds left, and the Spurs beat the Grizzlies 104-101 Wednesday night.

Ginobili, who had nine points down the stretch, added seven assists and drew a late charge from Grizzlies forward Rudy Gay to preserve the Spurs' lead.

Gay's desperation shot just before the buzzer was off the mark as Memphis lost its season opener for the seventh straight year - all of them at home.

"They executed and did what they were supposed to do,'' Grizzlies forward Pau Gasol said. "We didn't finish a couple of actions that would have been important for us to get the lead down the stretch.''

San Antonio won both ends of a season-opening, back-to-back after beating Portland on Tuesday. For Ginobili, who scored 16 against the Trail Blazers, an offseason conditioning program where he did little during August and started training in September is providing early dividends.

"I feel great right now. It seems to be paying off,'' Ginobili said. "I don't know what that means a few months from now, but right now I feel really fresh.''

Tim Duncan and Tony Parker had 17 points apiece, and Duncan grabbed nine rebounds. Matt Bonner finished with 11 points, going 3-of-4 outside the arc.

Gasol led Memphis with 22 points, while Damon Stoudamire had 18 and Gay finished with 16. Mike Miller had 11 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in the Grizzlies' first game under new coach Marc Iavaroni.

"I was proud of the effort we gave,'' Iavaroni said. "I was pleased with the way we played, just not satisfied with the outcome.''

The game was close throughout the first three quarters, with neither team leading by more than seven points. The Spurs leaned heavily on Duncan, Parker and Ginobili for their offense, while the Grizzlies were spreading their points with Gasol leading the way.

The teams were tied at 95 with 1:42 left after Duncan scored inside over Darko Milicic. Ginobili's drive with 32 seconds remaining gave San Antonio the lead for good, and he went 7-of-8 from the free throw line after the go-ahead basket.

"The difference in the game is that Manny willed it. He just willed it,'' Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "He went to the hole, took charge, made the free throws. He saved the day for us.''

There were 16 lead changes and 17 ties. The teams were tied at 52 at halftime, with Ginobili scoring 18 points.

Duncan and Parker accounted for 17 of the Spurs' 23 first-quarter points. But Memphis shot well early while playing Iavaroni's running style. The Grizzlies finished with a 24-11 advantage in fast-break points.

The Spurs' long-range shooting erased a Memphis lead late in the half. San Antonio scored nine straight points on 3-pointers, one by Parker and a pair by Ginobili, who went 5-of-9 outside the arc.

The game remained close in the third, and Gasol's 3-pointer from the top of the key gave Memphis an 82-79 lead entering the fourth.

But despite holding onto the lead at the end, the champs were impressed with the challenge Memphis posed with its new running offense and the addition of players like Milicic, Casey Jacobsen and Juan Carlos Navarro.

"They gave us all we could handle,'' Popovich said. "They looked like a playoff team. ... And I'm not trying to blow smoke on them or anything. I really believe that. I thought they executed offensively better than we did.''

Notes: The Grizzlies have opened at home every year since moving from Vancouver in 2001. ...The lengthy opening night pregame production included a drum line, trampolinists, announcer Michael Buffer and enough pyrotechnics to cause a smoky opening few minutes of the game. ... Spurs rookie point guard Darius Washington got a lot of media attention before the game and a nice round of applause when he entered in the first quarter. Washington played collegiately at the University of Memphis. ... Even with his defensive reputation, the opening-night numbers for Spurs forward Bruce Bowen - no points and one rebound against Portland - were uncharacteristic. "I wanted to take a look at guys, and he was in and out and never got a rhythm,'' Popovich said, taking a bit of the blame. "Hell, he's like 45 years old. He knows what's going on. If he loses a step, let me know if that happens. I keep looking for it.''

source : NBA.com

Jefferson, Wright Lead Nets To OT Win Over Bulls

Team	1	2	3	4	OT				Full Time
Bulls	21	20	32	23	7				103
Nets	25	31	18	22	16				112

New Jersey 112, Chicago 103

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J., Oct. 31 (AP) -- Antoine Wright has learned to deal with rejection very well.

Told by the New Jersey Nets last week that they won't be picking up the option on his contract next year, Wright started his walk year by making a statement.

Wright scored 14 of his career-high 21 points in the fourth quarter and overtime to lead the Nets to a 112-103 victory over the distracted Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night.

"I am a little excited,'' Wright said. "I am looking at this as an opportunity to show people I can be consistent and play every night. At the end of the year, hopefully everything will take care of itself.''

Wright spent $25,000 this summer to work out three times daily on his overall game at a camp in Las Vegas, and it certainly paid off.

"For him to have a game like this on opening night to save us, I'm just happy for him,'' Frank said. "It's nice to see him have a big game like this and hopefully, he'll have more like this.''

Richard Jefferson, who battled injuries in recent years, added 29 points and 10 rebounds as the Nets won their 12th straight against the Bulls in New Jersey. Vince Carter had 24 points and a big steal late and Jason Kidd handed out 13 assists.

Kidd was impressed with Wright, whose previous high was 16 points last season.

"I think it gives him confidence and puts him on the radar,'' Kidd said. "He played extremely well.''

The Bulls struggled at times in the season opener, the possible victims of rumors of a major trade with the Lakers for Kobe Bryant.

Ben Gordon had 27 points and Luol Deng added 22 points and 11 rebounds for the Bulls, who rallied from a 17-point second-half deficit to force the overtime.

"There's never a deadline when it comes to trades,'' Deng said. "I guess I have to learn to expect that for the rest of my career. There's always someone who wants you. I didn't think it really bothered us.''

Wright gave the Nets a 99-96 lead with a 3-pointer from the left corner less than a minute into the overtime.

Andres Nocioni, whose 3-pointer with 40 seconds to play tied the game at 96, got Chicago within a point with a jumper.

The teams traded two baskets apiece over the next three minutes with Ben Wallace getting Chicago within 103-102 with a dunk on a nice pass from Kirk Hinrich with 1:38 to play.

Jefferson then hit a floater and Carter, who was a woeful 6-of-21 from the field, stole a weak pass by Wallace near the foul line.

Jefferson nailed a 3-pointer with 37 seconds to play to push the Nets' lead to 108-102 and he blocked a shot to end the Bulls' chances.

Chicago rallied from a seven-point deficit over the final 1:31 to force the overtime. The Bulls even had a chance to win in regulation after Carter threw up the Nets' third straight air ball with just under 20 seconds to play.

Gordon took the inbound pass and held the ball. He eventually was forced out on the right wing and got off a bad shot.

Hinrich, who finished with 14 points on a foul-plagued night, hit a floater to get the Bulls within 96-91 with 1:31 to go.

After Carter threw up an air ball from the right corner, Deng put in the rebound of a miss by Gordon to cut the lead to three points.

It was Kidd's turn to hit air on the Nets' next possession. Nocioni tied the game with a 3-pointer with 40 seconds to go.

Until the rally, Wright was going to be the hero. He hit two 3-pointers around two baskets by Carter and two free throws by Jefferson in a 12-2 spurt that gave New Jersey a 96-89 lead with 2:02 to play in regulation.

The Nets hit 37 of 41 free throws in the game, while Chicago was 19-of-26. Jefferson hit all 12 of his attempts from the line.

"It was definitely a good effort, but we just waited too long to turn it on for some reason,'' Gordon said. "We have to be more consistent. We should have had more energy to come out on opening night. There's no excuse for that.''

Notes: Celebrities in attendance included Chris Rock, Donald Trump and part-owner and rapper Jay-Z. ... Carter had to leave the floor for about a minute in the third quarter after being hit in the face. ... Wallace finished with seven points and five rebounds in 37 minutes. ... Nets C Nenad Krstic had 10 points in his first game since hurting his knee on Dec. 22.

source : NBA.com

Lewis, Turkoglu are Orlando's Magic Men Against Bucks

Team	1	2	3	4					Full Time
Bucks	24	22	16	21					83
Magic	24	24	35	19					102

Orlando 102, Milwaukee 83

ORLANDO, Fla., Oct. 31 (AP) -- Rashard Lewis came out decidedly on top in a matchup of two frontcourt debuts. Yi Jianlian proved he could be dangerous with a little more experience.

Lewis, the former Seattle All-Star who landed a $118 million offseason payday, scored 26 points on 9-of-13 shooting Wednesday night to help the Orlando Magic beat the Milwaukee Bucks 102-83.

Jianlian, the No. 6 overall draft pick from China, had nine points in 25 minutes on 4-of-5 shooting. He sat several stretches after getting his third and fourth fouls, but showed the same impressive range that has made Lewis so valuable. Not bad for a guy that three months ago never looked like he'd play for Milwaukee.

"If I can control the fouls, I can play much better,'' Yi said.

Lewis probably couldn't have. The 6-foot-10 forward scored from all over the floor, leading a Magic 3-point barrage that buried Milwaukee in the third quarter. As Orlando hoped, he stretched halfcourt sets to open up the paint for Dwight Howard, and vice versa.

"He obviously makes it easier for us because he draws so much attention down low,'' Lewis said. "And when we're knocking down 3s, he's left with his man one-on-one.''

Orlando, one of the league's worst 3-point teams by attempts last season, shot better from 3-point range (54 percent) than the field (44 percent). Besides Lewis, Hedo Turkoglu keyed the effort with 24 points on 3-for-5 shooting from behind the arc.

"Turkoglu presents a matchup problem not just for our team but for a lot of guys,'' Bucks coach Larry Krystkowiak said. "He's an offensive-minded player. He's crafty - he's been around the block a time or two.''

Milwaukee hit 4-of-17 from 3-point range and 38 percent from the field. Michael Redd led the Bucks with 25 points, 12 in the first eight minutes, and Bobby Simmons added 16. Andrew Bogut finished with 11 rebounds.

Yi's first NBA statistic was a steal, followed by a turnover a few seconds later. He responded the next play by blocking Turkoglu's layup, and the 7-footer scored his first NBA basket about 30 seconds after that on a 22-foot jumper.

Howard had 16 points, 12 rebounds and seven blocks. Perhaps most importantly for Orlando, he hit eight of 10 free throws.

"He's a rare guy who is capable of absolutely dominating a game even when he's not having a great offensive night,'' said Magic coach Stan Van Gundy, also making his Orlando debut. "He struggled a bit offensively, particularly early in the game, but to not even play the fourth quarter and end up with 12 rebounds and seven blocks is unbelievable.''

Trailing 56-55 a few minutes into the third quarter, the Magic took off on a 28-8 run keyed by Turkoglu and Lewis. Lewis hit three 3-pointers, Turkoglu had two and Keith Bogans and Keyon Dooling each chipped in one.

Turkoglu sparked the run with a sharp play to draw Yi's fourth foul. The seven-year veteran caught the rookie in the air, passing up an open jumper to lean in for contact and two free throws.

Simmons scored nine of Milwaukee's first 10 points in the second quarter, and the Bucks built a 41-34 lead midway through the period. Turkoglu and Howard led Orlando back with an 8-0 run over the next two minutes, and Lewis scored four in the quarter's final 2:33 to give the Magic a 48-46 halftime lead.

Notes: The Magic announced a five-year contract extension for Jameer Nelson before the game, keeping him in Orlando as long as Howard. ... Magic president and CEO Bob Vander Weide wore face paint and a cape on the arena TV screen during player introductions. ... Krystkowiak played for Orlando in the 1993-94 season, averaging five points in 34 games.

source : NBA.com

Paul, Hornets Return Home With Triumph Over Kings

Team	1	2	3	4					Full Time
Kings	24	18	19	29					90
Hornets	29	28	30	17					104

New Orldeans 104, Sacramento 90

NEW ORLEANS, Oct. 31 (AP) -- Chris Paul and the rest of the Hornets' starting five got their team's full-time return to New Orleans off to a promising start.

Paul had 22 points and 12 assists, while Peja Stojakovic showed some of his All-Star form of old with 19 points to help the Hornets beat the Sacramento Kings 104-90 on Wednesday night.

Tyson Chandler, fresh of a stint playing for the U.S. national team, had 15 points and 13 rebounds for New Orleans, while David West showed no signs of a recent ankle sprain in scoring 17.

Newly acquired shooting guard Morris Peterson chipped in with 13, including three 3-pointers.

Stojakovic missed all but 13 games last season because of back surgery. New Orleans will need him to stay healthy this season, and he looked fine against his former team, playing 31 minutes and hitting four 3-pointers.

Defensively, Sacramento missed Ron Artest, who is serving a seven-game suspension after pleading no contest to a charge related to domestic violence. With Mike Bibby out at least eight weeks after surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left thumb, the Kings' offensive firepower was diminished as well.

Kevin Martin led the Kings with 26 points, while John Salmons scored 22, Francisco Garcia 17 and Brad Miller 12.

The Hornets took a double-digit lead in the first half and maintained it for most of the game.

NBA commissioner David Stern was in New Orleans to announce a season-long, league-wide community service initiative in New Orleans that will include a day of service by players, coaches, team employees and their families two days before the NBA All-Star game here on Feb. 17.

He also attended the game, the first of 41 regular-season contests the Hornets will play here in their first full season in New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina struck on Aug. 29, 2005. The team spent most of the past two seasons in Oklahoma City, playing only nine regular-season games in the Big Easy during that time.

"Thank you, New Orleans, for having us back,'' Stern said to the crowd in brief comments shortly before tipoff, with Hornets majority owner George Shinn standing nearby. "Thank you to George Shinn and to the Hornets, who are committed to being part of the rebuilding of New Orleans. The NBA is committed to this in a way we think is going to have a significant contribution to the rebuilding effort.''

Then Stern handed the microphone to Shinn, whose decision to leave behind big crowds in Oklahoma City and return to New Orleans has been questioned by a number of pro basketball observers.

"I'm tired of people criticizing us and pulling us down,'' Shinn said. "We believe in New Orleans.''

Stern's and Shinn's comments drew the first rousing applause of the night, but certainly not the last. The Hornets took care of that with a hustling, all-court effort and excellent shooting.

The Hornets shot 59 percent in the first half.

Chandler and West each scored 13 points and Stojakovic hit two of the Hornets' five 3-pointers as New Orleans took a 57-42 halftime lead.

Notes: Kings G Quincy Douby left the game after running blindly into Chandler's screen while trying to chase Paul out of the backcourt. Douby went down holding his head and team officials said he had a mild concussion. ... Actors Anthony Anderson and Cole Hauser, stars of the New Orleans-based police drama "K-Ville,'' sat a couple of rows behind the Hornets' bench. They also got a chance to sit in on the Hornets' radio broadcast in the fourth quarter, both yelling unintelligibly into their microphones during a Hornets fast break while longtime Hornets play-by-play announcer Bob Licht shook his head and laughed. ... Attendance was announced at 15,188.

source : NBA.com

Mavs Slow Down James, Beat Cavs In Opener

Team	1	2	3	4					Full Time
Mavericks	29	25	24	14					92
Cavaliers	15	19	25	15					74

Dallas 92, Cleveland 74

CLEVELAND, October 31 (AP) -- The Dallas Mavericks began anew. LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers wish they could start over.

Jason Terry scored 24 points, Dirk Nowitzki added 15 and the Mavericks, whose NBA title pursuit last season ended with a stunning first-round exit against Golden State, opened 2007-08 with a 92-74 victory over the Cavaliers on Wednesday night.

The Mavericks held a foul-plagued James scoreless in the first half and made an impressive debut in dominating the defending Eastern Conference champions, who are being given little chance of making a return trip to the finals.

Jerry Stackhouse added 17 points for Dallas, which got six 3-pointers from Terry and finished 9-of-18 behind the arc.

James had the worst opening night of his brilliant career. He had 10 points on 2-of-11 shooting and was a non-factor in the Cavaliers' most lopsided home loss since April 5, 2005.

Zydrunas Ilgauskas had 17 points and 18 rebounds for the Cavs.

Last season, Dallas seemingly had it all: a playoff-tested roster, the league's best record and in Nowitzki, the MVP. Then came the playoffs, and it all meant nothing against the only-small-in-stature Warriors, who stunned the Mavericks in six games.

It was a second straight playoff meltdown for Dallas, which blew a 2-0 lead against Miami in the previous year's finals.

Coach Avery Johnson has already been preaching patience to his players, reminding them of the long haul ahead.

"We're ready for a long season,'' he said before the game. "That's what it's all about. It's not about one moment or one game. It's about the season.''

The Mavericks looked poised to make it another good one as they schooled the Cavs with ball movement, help defense and a go-for-the-throat attitude from the start. Dallas led by 14 after one quarter, 20 at halftime and eventually built a 25-point advantage before the Cavs closed down the stretch.

The Mavericks rolled despite playing without All-Star swingman Josh Howard, serving a two-game suspension for his role in an altercation with Sacramento's Brad Miller in a preseason game.

Dallas was also missing center Erick Dampier (shoulder surgery) and forward Devean George (injured foot).

None of them was needed, as the Mavericks had little trouble with the Cavaliers, who had downplayed a 1-6 exhibition season by saying they would be ready for their opener. They didn't look like they were.

One of the few bright spots for Cleveland fans was a Sasha Pavlovic sighting. A restricted free agent, Pavlovic ended his contract holdout on Tuesday by agreeing to terms on a three-year deal.

However, Cleveland remains without frizzy-haired forward Anderson Varejao, another restricted free agent who is asking for a $9 million per year contract.

The Cavaliers went to the locker room behind 54-34 at halftime.

James was 0-for-4 from the field when he committed his third personal foul and spent the final 6:27 of the second quarter on the bench. Without their superstar, the Cavs briefly cut Dallas' lead to 13 before the Mavericks closed the quarter with a 14-4 run.

Cleveland was still in it late in the third, but Terry drained a 3-pointer and Devin Harris hit one at the horn to give the Mavericks a 78-59 lead entering the fourth.

James arrived in costume a few hours before tipping off his fifth pro season, appropriately dressed as "Business LeBron,'' one of the four characters he plays in his popular Nike commercials.

James, who filled up his offseason by playing with the U.S. national team and hosting "Saturday Night Live'' among other activities, was looking forward to a pregame banner-raising ceremony to honor the Cavs' first conference title.

"It's special to us and special to the fans,'' he said. "No one can take that away from us.''

Notes: Shortly after the Cavs were swept by San Antonio, Cleveland coach Mike Brown called Johnson, a close friend, who was able to put things in perspective by reminding him that only two teams made the finals. Brown imitated Johnson's high-pitched Cajun twang as he told of their talk. "After that, I felt better for the rest of the summer,'' Brown said. ... Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, recently voted off "Dancing With the Stars,'' was the target of several in-game skits on the arena scoreboard. Cuban was a good sport, laughing and waving at the camera from his seat behind Dallas' bench.

source : NBA.com

Tinsley - Big Finish Leads Pacers Past Wizards

Team	1	2	3	4	OT				Full Time
Wizards	23	22	25	33	7				110
Pacers	28	20	22	33	16				119

Indiana 119, Washington 110

INDIANAPOLIS, Oct. 31 (AP) -- Jamaal Tinsley flashed his old form for his new coach.

Indiana's point guard looked like the playmaker who dazzled the NBA as a rookie in 2001 with his fearlessness and clutch play. He scored 16 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter and overtime, and the Pacers beat the Washington Wizards 119-110 on Wednesday night to give coach Jim O'Brien a win in his debut.

Tinsley, who also had nine rebounds and eight assists, has said he felt shackled for years in Rick Carlisle's structured system. O'Brien's up-tempo style has set Tinsley free, and the Wizards became the first of many teams that might pay the price.

"Any time when you've got the ball in your hands and you can create for yourself and others, I'm the type of person that can break my man down at any time,'' Tinsley said. "It fits my game.''

Gilbert Arenas, who led Washington with 34 points, said the Pacers have changed dramatically.

"All you need to do is just let them go,'' he said. "They don't look like robots this year. They look like a totally different team.''

Mike Dunleavy had 25 points and 12 rebounds, and Danny Granger added 20 points and 13 boards for the Pacers.

The Pacers won without forward Jermaine O'Neal, who sat out with a hyperextended left knee. Center Troy Murphy also missed the game with a strained left Achilles' tendon.

Antawn Jamison had 27 points and 16 rebounds, Caron Butler had 19 points and 11 rebounds, and Brendan Haywood added 10 points and 13 boards for the Wizards.

Tinsley scored with 3:34 left in overtime to give Indiana a 108-106 lead. Jamison tried to answer, but David Harrison slammed his shot against the backboard with both hands. Dunleavy made a 3-pointer at the other end to give Indiana a 111-106 lead with 2:41 remaining.

Arenas made two free throws with 1:37 to go to cut Indiana's lead to 111-108, but that was as close as the Wizards would get. A 3-pointer by Granger with 43 seconds left made it 116-108.

In regulation, Marquis Daniels made a 3-pointer with 1:10 left to give Indiana a 101-96 lead, but Jamison answered with a 3-pointer while falling to the ground to make it 101-99.

After Daniels missed a shot, the Wizards worked the clock and got the ball to Arenas. He drove to the hoop and missed. A foul was called against Indiana on the offensive rebound, and Butler made the second of two free throws to cut Indiana's lead to 101-100 with 8.9 seconds to go.

Tinsley made two free throws with 6.8 seconds left to make it 103-100 before Washington worked for a final shot.

Arenas, who had missed his first six 3-point tries, stuck one from the top of the key to force overtime.

"I never doubt myself,'' he said. "I did it again, but it wasn't enough to bring us to victory.''

Dunleavy said the Pacers never lost confidence, even after Arenas' shot.

"I think a lot of teams could have allowed that to be demoralizing,'' Dunleavy said, "but we hung in there. That's going to be the way we are this year. We have a tough mind-set. We may not be the most talented bunch or the sexiest bunch, but we're going to hang in there and play tough.''

Washington made 32 of 45 free throws, while the Pacers were 30-of-36.

"That didn't help,'' Washington coach Eddie Jordan said. "You just have to keep climbing uphill. We were winning the rebounding battle, we just shot badly all night.''

It was Arenas' first regular-season game since April 4. He missed the final eight and the playoffs last season with a torn lateral meniscus in his left knee.

It also marked a return for Butler, who missed the final 10 regular-season games and the playoffs last season with a broken right hand.

They hoped for better in their first game back, but they kept the loss in perspective.

"Everyone came out and played hard,'' Arenas said. "It's not the end of the world. They're a good ballclub.''

Notes: O'Brien said he expects O'Neal to return Friday against Miami. ... Pacers F Ike Diogu made his third career start for Indiana in place of O'Neal. He was traded to the Pacers in the middle of last season. ... O'Neal missed 13 games last season with various injuries and illnesses. He missed 82 games the previous three seasons to injuries, illnesses and suspensions. ... Pacers F Shawne Williams served the first game of a team-imposed three-game suspension after being caught driving without a license. ... O'Neal presented O'Brien with the game ball.

source : NBA.com

Guard Tandem Points Raptors To Win vs. Sixers

Team	1	2	3	4					Full Time
76ers	22	28	17	30					97
Raptors	24	34	23	25					106

Toronto 106, Philadelphia 97

TORONTO, Oct. 31 (AP) -- Midway through the second quarter of the Toronto Raptors' season opener, Jose Calderon threw a high looping pass to Chris Bosh that the All-Star forward finished with a resounding dunk.

The point guard tandem of Calderon and T.J. Ford wanted to set the tone for the new season, and they did just that while leading the defending Atlantic Division champions to a 106-97 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night.

"T.J. Ford and Jose Calderon did great,'' Raptors coach Sam Mitchell said. "If you look at their stat line, it was unbelievable.''

Ford had 14 points and 12 assists, while Calderon had 13 points and four assists. They each had just one turnover.

"I think that's how it has to be all year,'' Ford said. "When we play well, the guys are able to get open and guys will continue to have that confidence.''

Andrea Bargnani scored 20 points, Bosh added 16, and Anthony Parker finished with 13 for the Raptors.

Andre Iguodala led the 76ers with 23 points, while Kyle Korver had 20.

The Sixers cut a 22-point, third-quarter deficit to 14 heading into the fourth quarter, then pulled to 90-89 on a running jump shot by Iguodala with 4:47 left.

Bargnani answered with a 3-pointer and was fouled by Samuel Dalembert. Bargnani made the free throw for just the 14th four-point play in franchise history. That put Toronto back up by five.

"They were an important four points,'' Bargnani said. "I received a very nice pass, I was hoping it would come to me and I was a little lucky.''

Ford drove to the basket to finish with a nifty finger roll with 1:46 left, then Jason Kapono, the former Miami Heat 3-point champion, connected on a long jumper to put Toronto up by nine.

Bosh had a decent night, despite a left knee injury that limited him to 15 minutes combined over the final two preseason games and kept him out of the previous three games completely.

The All-Star forward was 5-for-10 from the field, his alley-oop dunk from Calderon in the second quarter bringing the sellout crowd of 19,800 to its feet.

"It felt good to be back out there, but I'm not up to 30 minutes a game yet, so I just have to be patient with the whole situation,'' Bosh said.

With Bargnani leading the way, the Raptors shot 49 percent, but the Sixers outrebounded Toronto 47-35 and grabbed a couple of key boards in the final few minutes.

Dalembert finished with four points and six rebounds. The Sixers center played just one preseason game because of a stress fracture in his foot.

The Raptors led 24-22 heading to the second quarter, then used a 17-4 run to lead 58-50 at halftime.

"We put ourselves in such a hole down 22 points,'' Sixers coach Maurice Cheeks said. "Toronto is a good basketball team the way they spread the floor and kick the ball to different players.''

Bargnani had seven points in the third, including a layup with 6:04 left in the quarter that gave Toronto a 22-point lead. The Sixers outscored Toronto 12-4 to the end of the quarter, cutting the Raptors' lead to 81-67 heading into the fourth.

Notes: The Raptors handed out several awards before the game: Bosh for all-NBA second team, and Jorge Garbajosa and Bargnani as all-rookie first team. Mitchell was honored for being named Coach of the Year, and GM Bryan Colangelo as NBA executive of the year. ... A vocal group of Toronto FC fans occupied a section of the arena.

source : NBA.com