Indiana Pacers vs New Orleans Pelicans 95-90
четвртак, 31. октобар 2013.
NBA Golden State Warriors vs Los Angeles Lakers
Golden State Warriors vs Los Angeles Lakers 125-94
Klay Thompson led the Warriors with a career-high 38 points including 5-for-7 shooting from downtown while David Lee added 24 points, eight rebounds and five assists.
Stephen Curry ran into foul trouble early, but finished with 10 points, six assists and four rebounds in 24 minutes.
The Warriors were up 59-40 at the half, but increased the lead to 34 points by the end of the third quarter in which Golden State shot 55 percent from the floor.
Kent Bazemore made it a 35-point lead on a three-pointer in the fourth.
Draymond Green chipped in seven points, seven rebounds, two assists and one steal in 19 minutes off the bench, but in truth everyone contributed to the victory - Mo Speights grabbed seven rebounds while Jermaine O'Neal and Toney Douglas combined for 17 points.
Head coach Mark Jackson played his entire bench and the team chemistry and collective passing were outstanding.
Match Highlights
NBA Sacramento Kings vs Denver Nuggets
Sacramento Kings vs Denver Nuggets 90-88
Just as easy as the New York Knicks made it look in building a 25 point halftime lead, it was that much easier to blow such a lead against a much inferior team.
Tyson Chandler had 10 points and six rebounds, including six points in the final quarter to lead all Knicks' players, to help New York defeat the Milwaukee Bucks 90-83 in the season opener for the Knickerbockers. With the the team trailing by one late in the game, Chandler was able to rescue his squad with a putback slam off a missed Carmelo Anthony shot with 2:36 lead that gave them the lead for good.
"I wanted to play with energy." said Chandler. " At that point I knew my team needed something. I was trying to provide a big play for the team."
Anthony then scored back-to-back baskets with a huge tip-in and another basket in the paint to make it 86-81. After a Bucks basket, Chandler dunked again to make it 88-81. Anthony led all players with 19 points and 10 rebounds as the Knicks were able to hold on for their first victory of the season.
"We had to buckle down and get back to how we started the game," said Anthony. " We had a lapse in that third quarter giving up 33 points. At the end of the day, they are professionals and an NBA team. They never gave up tonight."
Anthony took six shots in the first half and ended up with only 16 for the evening. That many shot attempts is not what made Anthony the scoring champion last season, and may not good enough for this team to be where it wants to be.
"It wasn't them, " said Anthony. "For me, I was trying to see what everyone else was about and try to give everyone else a chance to fill in. As far as scoring the ball, I can do that. I wanted to get everyone else going."
Before things started to get real close, the Knicks played an almost flawless first half in building a 56-31 halftime lead. They shot 57 percent in the first two quarters, while forcing the Bucks to commit 16 turnovers and make just 36 percent of their shots.
" We were really aggressive turning up those guys over in the first half," said Raymond Felton, who added 18 points. "Getting after them and getting the ball up and down the court and playing fast."
After toying for most of the preseason with starting Andrea Bargnani at power forward in a big lineup, Woodson decided to bring Bargnani off the bench and start Prigioni in the backcourt in a small lineup. The move paid off as Prigioni finished with seven points and five assists, while Bargnani continued to his struggles from the preseason shooting only 3-9 for six points. New York won 13 in a row, and 16 of their final 18 regular season games with Prigioni starting.
"This unit is kind of battle tested from last season, " said Woodson. "This was the unit we started down the stretch..the 13 game winning streak we had. They are battle tested defensively and we made every defensive play we had to make. We had to have that in order to secure the win."
New York will now head to Chicago to play the second game of a back-to-back tomorrow night, and knows it needs to play a more complete game if they want to come away with the victory.
"There's definitely things we can learn, and like I told the guys coming into the locker room, we want to put teams away, especially, you know, you're going into a back-to-back, so you have an opportunity to rest," Chandler said. "But like I say, at the end of the day, learning experience, and I'd rather learn with a win than a loss."
Tyson Chandler had 10 points and six rebounds, including six points in the final quarter to lead all Knicks' players, to help New York defeat the Milwaukee Bucks 90-83 in the season opener for the Knickerbockers. With the the team trailing by one late in the game, Chandler was able to rescue his squad with a putback slam off a missed Carmelo Anthony shot with 2:36 lead that gave them the lead for good.
"I wanted to play with energy." said Chandler. " At that point I knew my team needed something. I was trying to provide a big play for the team."
Anthony then scored back-to-back baskets with a huge tip-in and another basket in the paint to make it 86-81. After a Bucks basket, Chandler dunked again to make it 88-81. Anthony led all players with 19 points and 10 rebounds as the Knicks were able to hold on for their first victory of the season.
"We had to buckle down and get back to how we started the game," said Anthony. " We had a lapse in that third quarter giving up 33 points. At the end of the day, they are professionals and an NBA team. They never gave up tonight."
Anthony took six shots in the first half and ended up with only 16 for the evening. That many shot attempts is not what made Anthony the scoring champion last season, and may not good enough for this team to be where it wants to be.
"It wasn't them, " said Anthony. "For me, I was trying to see what everyone else was about and try to give everyone else a chance to fill in. As far as scoring the ball, I can do that. I wanted to get everyone else going."
Before things started to get real close, the Knicks played an almost flawless first half in building a 56-31 halftime lead. They shot 57 percent in the first two quarters, while forcing the Bucks to commit 16 turnovers and make just 36 percent of their shots.
" We were really aggressive turning up those guys over in the first half," said Raymond Felton, who added 18 points. "Getting after them and getting the ball up and down the court and playing fast."
After toying for most of the preseason with starting Andrea Bargnani at power forward in a big lineup, Woodson decided to bring Bargnani off the bench and start Prigioni in the backcourt in a small lineup. The move paid off as Prigioni finished with seven points and five assists, while Bargnani continued to his struggles from the preseason shooting only 3-9 for six points. New York won 13 in a row, and 16 of their final 18 regular season games with Prigioni starting.
"This unit is kind of battle tested from last season, " said Woodson. "This was the unit we started down the stretch..the 13 game winning streak we had. They are battle tested defensively and we made every defensive play we had to make. We had to have that in order to secure the win."
New York will now head to Chicago to play the second game of a back-to-back tomorrow night, and knows it needs to play a more complete game if they want to come away with the victory.
"There's definitely things we can learn, and like I told the guys coming into the locker room, we want to put teams away, especially, you know, you're going into a back-to-back, so you have an opportunity to rest," Chandler said. "But like I say, at the end of the day, learning experience, and I'd rather learn with a win than a loss."
NBA Detroit Pistons vs Washington Wizards
Detroit Pistons vs Washington Wizards 113-102
Indeed they could, as the Pistons beat the Wizards by a score of 113-102. The Pistons scoring 113 points in a game!? What a world we now live in. Plus, they didn't have Brandon Jennings at point guard, leaving them shorthanded. Still, they got the victory, a nice beginning for the Mo Cheeks era.
The Wizards had the lead scorer of the game, as Trevor Ariza scored 28 points, adding 10 rebounds. John Wall had a good game as well, with 20 points and 11 assists. Ariza got a bit lucky, as he went 6-for-11 on three-pointers, but the Pistons won, so it's all good.
For Detroit, Greg Monroe led the way. You remember Monroe, right? Used to be the best player on this team? The focal point? He was loss in the shuffle this offseason. The Pistons added Josh Smith with a big contract. They trade for Jennings. They brought back Chauncey. Andre Drummond makes everybody so very, very excited. Also, Monroe struggled a bit shooting last year, but that could have been a fluke. In this game, Monroe scored 24 points and pulled down 16 rebounds. He went 6-for-15 from the field, but he went 12-for-15 on free throws, which is good.
The Pistons went with a short rotation, as they basically played seven guys. Will Bynum got the start with Jennings out, scoring 19 points and having five assists. Mr. Big Shot looked good in his return to the Motor City. Billups scored 16 points thanks to going 4-for-5 from beyond the arc. He added five assists too.
You know who also had five assists? J Smoove himself. Smith scored 19 points with five rebounds, five dimes, and a block. It was a good debut, but there is one thing that concerns me. He went 3-for-7 on three-pointers. The main takeaway here: Smith shot SEVEN threes. He is not a good shooter from distance. If this continues, I am wary. Rookie Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored nine points on 4-for-12 shooting. Welcome to the NBA, KCP.
The Pistons won, and that is great. This is an intriguing season for them. The playoffs are a possibility. I mean, the projection systems love Detroit. They've got them pretty much a lock for the most part. I've seem a couple that have them finishing fifth in the East. That would be amazing, even if they would pretty much be guaranteed to be a first round exit still. I am particularly paying attention to these early, Jennings-free games. If they can win a couple before he returns, that is a bonus in some ways. So far, so good.
Match Highlights
NBA Toronto Raptors vs Boston Celtics
Toronto Raptors vs Boston Celtics 93-87
Boston Celtics rumors state that the team suspended Jared Sullinger for the season opener. By the Celtics suspending Sullinger, the team has an even tougher task when it comes to beating the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday (Oct. 30). According to a report from Tuesday (Oct. 29), the team felt that his domestic violence altercation in August warranted sitting out at least one game.
Match Highlights
NBA Philadelphia 76ers vs Miami Heat
Philadelphia 76ers vs Miami Heat 114-110
The Heat sat out Dwayne Wade, but didn't appear to need him to beat the supposed worst team in the NBA this year -- if not of all time. The Sixers proved them wrong by starting out on a 26-4 run, but in typical Heat fashion, they woke up to cut their deficit to two by halftime. When Miami scored 45 points in the third quarter to go up by nine, it looked like business as usual after all.
However, the Heat only had enough left to score 14 points in the fourth, while the Sixers did some waking up of their own. Spencer Hawes put them ahead for good with a three-pointer and a layup, capping off a night where he was one of three Sixers to score more than 20 points. The others were the embattled Evan Turner with 26 points, and rookie Michael Carter-Williams with 22.
In fact, Carter-Williams fell just one steal and three rebounds short of a quadruple-double in his NBA debut, although he settled for nine steals, seven rebounds and 12 assists. As one of two rookies who are supposed to make Philadelphia's rebuilding project worth it in the long run, Carter-Williams set the bar even higher for Nerlens Noel when he debuts sometime next season.
The bar is set even higher for the Sixers, who are still unlikely to have a moment like this for their next 81 games. Even if they do come close to losing 70 games, they will still have this rare victory over the Heat to show that this rebuilding can pay off.
Of course, everyone expects it to pay off with losses and a chance to grab Anthony Wiggins in next year's draft -- and in regard to that effort, Philadelphia lost by winning. Is this a sign that the Sixers can't really win even if they get surprise wins?
Match Highlights
NBA Cleveland Cavaliers vs Brooklyn Nets
Cleveland Cavaliers vs Brooklyn Nets 98-94
On Wednesday, October 30, 2013, the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Brooklyn Nets by the score of 98-94 to open the season. The home crowd at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland was delighted by the debut of Andrew Bynum who played his first NBA game since May 21, 2012 while being among the first NBA fans to see former Boston Celtics’ superstars Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce in their Nets’ uniforms.
All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving who logged 15 points, seven rebounds and nine assists led Cleveland, while forward Tristan Thompson added 18 points and nine boards. Bynum scored three points and grabbed three boards in eight minutes off the bench.
Center Brook Lopez led Brooklyn with 21 points while Pierce added 17 points and Garnett logged 10 rebounds.
All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving who logged 15 points, seven rebounds and nine assists led Cleveland, while forward Tristan Thompson added 18 points and nine boards. Bynum scored three points and grabbed three boards in eight minutes off the bench.
Center Brook Lopez led Brooklyn with 21 points while Pierce added 17 points and Garnett logged 10 rebounds.
Match Highlights
среда, 30. октобар 2013.
NBA Miami Heat vs Chicago Bulls
Miami Heat vs Chicago Bulls 107-95
They got their rings before the game, then a challenge as it was winding down.
The Miami Heat responded to both.
Shane Battier went 4 for 4 from 3-point range, including a critical shot from the right corner with 1:33 remaining, and the Heat wasted most of what had been a 25-point lead before holding off Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls 107-95 Tuesday night in the season-opener for both teams.
"You never know what to expect when you're trying to keep the main thing the main thing, and that's the game," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "But you can't deny the emotions and what a special moment it was for everybody in the organization because we know how difficult that was and how harrowing that was last season. So it was great to actually get the win after that to cap off a very good night for the Miami Heat."
LeBron James had 17 points, eight assists and six rebounds for Miami, which got its 2013 NBA championship rings and raised the franchise's third banner in a pregame ceremony. The Heat trailed 9-2 early, then outscored Chicago 52-24 over the remainder of the first half.
Rose finished with 12 points in 34 minutes in his first regular-season game since a serious knee injury in April 2012. Carlos Boozer had 31 points and seven rebounds for Chicago, which got within eight points in the final minutes.
But Battier's right-corner 3 — a staple for the Heat — snuffed out the comeback, and Miami wasn't in trouble again.
"We're not trying to pull close. There were a lot of corrections that we have to make," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. "It always comes back to the same thing — our defence and our rebounding. And if we could have taken better care of the ball early on, we would have been in position to win down the stretch."
Chris Bosh scored 16 points, Battier finished with 14 and Dwyane Wade and Mario Chalmers each had 13 for Miami, which had seven players score in double figures. Ray Allen and Norris Cole each scored 11 for Miami.
Rose shot 4 for 15 for the Bulls.
"I think we had a lot to do with it," Allen said.
Said Rose: "If anything, I'm disappointed in the loss. My performance, I can easily change that by making shots and keep down the turnovers."
By halftime, Miami was rolling, up 54-33 — putting the game on pace for a 108-66 final, which would have exactly matched the score of the game in 2006 when Chicago came into Miami and spoiled the Heat franchise's first ring night.
Not this time, though the Bulls made it plenty interesting down the stretch.
A layup by Jimmy Butler with 5:34 left got the Bulls within 15, and after he missed the ensuing free throw, the rebound made its way to Kirk Hinrich — who made a 3-pointer that cut Miami's lead to 91-79.
Hinrich fouled out on the ensuing Miami possession. Wade scored seconds later, the Heat followed that with a stop, and James simply overpowered Luol Deng in the post on the next trip to restore the 16-point lead.
But again, the Bulls weren't done, cutting the lead to 95-87 on a drive by Boozer with 2:47 left. They would get no closer, and James raved about Miami's balance.
"It's a team game," James said. "That's what this team is put together for."
Rose's start was promising early, with two drives for impressive scores. The Bulls led 15-10 when Rose checked out for the first time with 3:36 left in the opening quarter.
When he returned, the lead was gone for good. The Heat outscored the Bulls 13-3 in Rose's first stint on the bench, turning a five-point lead into a five-point deficit, and by then the Heat were off and running.
Over a 4-minute stretch of the second quarter, everything changed.
Rose's surgically repaired knee might be fine, but in the basketball vernacular, Cole broke the ankles of the 2011 NBA MVP — starting a run that turned what was a tight game into a romp. Cole faked out Rose on the dribble, causing the Bulls' star to tumble, and the Heat reserve connected on an 18-foot jumper that sent the Miami bench leaping from its seats.
"There was a lot of emotions going on," Cole said.
That began the 17-0 run. The Bulls missed nine straight shots, Rose getting blocked by Bosh on one, and the Heat went to work. Miami shot 7 for 10 during the burst, which was capped with a driving layup by James with 4:23 left, and suddenly the Heat led 41-20.
It was a runaway, and became a grind-it-out win.
NOTES: Going back to last season's Eastern Conference semifinals, Miami has won five straight games over the Bulls. ... James is 31 points shy of 25,000 for his career, including regular-season and playoff games. He would be the 28th player in NBA history to reach that milestone.
The Miami Heat responded to both.
Shane Battier went 4 for 4 from 3-point range, including a critical shot from the right corner with 1:33 remaining, and the Heat wasted most of what had been a 25-point lead before holding off Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls 107-95 Tuesday night in the season-opener for both teams.
"You never know what to expect when you're trying to keep the main thing the main thing, and that's the game," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "But you can't deny the emotions and what a special moment it was for everybody in the organization because we know how difficult that was and how harrowing that was last season. So it was great to actually get the win after that to cap off a very good night for the Miami Heat."
LeBron James had 17 points, eight assists and six rebounds for Miami, which got its 2013 NBA championship rings and raised the franchise's third banner in a pregame ceremony. The Heat trailed 9-2 early, then outscored Chicago 52-24 over the remainder of the first half.
Rose finished with 12 points in 34 minutes in his first regular-season game since a serious knee injury in April 2012. Carlos Boozer had 31 points and seven rebounds for Chicago, which got within eight points in the final minutes.
But Battier's right-corner 3 — a staple for the Heat — snuffed out the comeback, and Miami wasn't in trouble again.
"We're not trying to pull close. There were a lot of corrections that we have to make," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. "It always comes back to the same thing — our defence and our rebounding. And if we could have taken better care of the ball early on, we would have been in position to win down the stretch."
Chris Bosh scored 16 points, Battier finished with 14 and Dwyane Wade and Mario Chalmers each had 13 for Miami, which had seven players score in double figures. Ray Allen and Norris Cole each scored 11 for Miami.
Rose shot 4 for 15 for the Bulls.
"I think we had a lot to do with it," Allen said.
Said Rose: "If anything, I'm disappointed in the loss. My performance, I can easily change that by making shots and keep down the turnovers."
By halftime, Miami was rolling, up 54-33 — putting the game on pace for a 108-66 final, which would have exactly matched the score of the game in 2006 when Chicago came into Miami and spoiled the Heat franchise's first ring night.
Not this time, though the Bulls made it plenty interesting down the stretch.
A layup by Jimmy Butler with 5:34 left got the Bulls within 15, and after he missed the ensuing free throw, the rebound made its way to Kirk Hinrich — who made a 3-pointer that cut Miami's lead to 91-79.
Hinrich fouled out on the ensuing Miami possession. Wade scored seconds later, the Heat followed that with a stop, and James simply overpowered Luol Deng in the post on the next trip to restore the 16-point lead.
But again, the Bulls weren't done, cutting the lead to 95-87 on a drive by Boozer with 2:47 left. They would get no closer, and James raved about Miami's balance.
"It's a team game," James said. "That's what this team is put together for."
Rose's start was promising early, with two drives for impressive scores. The Bulls led 15-10 when Rose checked out for the first time with 3:36 left in the opening quarter.
When he returned, the lead was gone for good. The Heat outscored the Bulls 13-3 in Rose's first stint on the bench, turning a five-point lead into a five-point deficit, and by then the Heat were off and running.
Over a 4-minute stretch of the second quarter, everything changed.
Rose's surgically repaired knee might be fine, but in the basketball vernacular, Cole broke the ankles of the 2011 NBA MVP — starting a run that turned what was a tight game into a romp. Cole faked out Rose on the dribble, causing the Bulls' star to tumble, and the Heat reserve connected on an 18-foot jumper that sent the Miami bench leaping from its seats.
"There was a lot of emotions going on," Cole said.
That began the 17-0 run. The Bulls missed nine straight shots, Rose getting blocked by Bosh on one, and the Heat went to work. Miami shot 7 for 10 during the burst, which was capped with a driving layup by James with 4:23 left, and suddenly the Heat led 41-20.
It was a runaway, and became a grind-it-out win.
NOTES: Going back to last season's Eastern Conference semifinals, Miami has won five straight games over the Bulls. ... James is 31 points shy of 25,000 for his career, including regular-season and playoff games. He would be the 28th player in NBA history to reach that milestone.
NBA Indiana Pacers vs Orlando Magic
Indiana Pacers vs Orlando Magic 97-87
Indiana fans gave Victor Oladipo a warm welcome to the NBA on Tuesday night.
Then the Pacers gave Oladipo and his Orlando teammates the cold shoulder.
Paul George's buzzer-beating 3-pointer at the end of the third quarter spurred a 21-4 run, finally sending Indiana past the Magic 97-87 in a tougher-than-expected opening night matchup.
"We've got to win the battles, win the tough games and we've got to win the games that we should win," George said. "We have to take care of business early and not rely on the end of the season to start playing well and start getting a streak going. We have to start a streak early."
They got off to a good start Tuesday — even though it was a little ragged for a team that might have the best chance of unseating two-time defending NBA champion Miami.
Indiana committed 20 turnovers and gave up 13 offensive rebounds against the worst team in the league last season.
Roy Hibbert, who was two rebounds short of his career-high (17) in the first half, grabbed only one in the second half and left midway through the fourth quarter after an awkward tumble underneath his own basket that left him grasping at his knee. A few moments later, the 7-foot-2 former All-Star limped to the bench and coach Frank Vogel said Hibbert is expected to play Wednesday night at New Orleans.
Despite the struggles, the Pacers still managed to get things done.
George finished with 24 points, six rebounds and five assists. Lance Stephenson had 19 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Hibbert scored just eight points but had 16 rebounds and seven blocks and the rebuilt bench played a huge role, scoring all but four points during the decisive run.
It left Vogel optimistic about the season.
"Our bench, in the last three preseason games and tonight, really just blew the game open," he said. "I think they're going to be really strong, I think it was just a matter of nerves tonight."
The Pacers were aware they were facing split allegiances in Oladipo's adopted home state.
More than 90 minutes before tipoff, one section near the court was almost completely full of fans decked out in Indiana University colours or fans wearing new Magic jerseys, far more than the 18 to 20 people Oladipo said he gave tickets to.
When the former Indiana star wasn't announced as a starter, the fans saved a rousing standing ovation for Oladipo's grand entrance — midway through the first quarter. But by the third quarter most of those cheers were drowned out by a smattering of boos, a sign that Oladipo is no longer just the hometown kid.
The Magic were led by Andrew Nicholson, who scored all 18 of his points in the first half. Maurice Harkless added 14 and Jameer Nelson had 12 as the Magic shot 38.7 per cent from the field.
But most of the near sellout crowd wanted to see how quickly and smoothly Oladipo could make the transition from college star to NBA franchise player. He finished 4 of 11 from the field with 12 points, three rebounds, two assists and three turnovers.
"It was a great atmosphere. There were a lot of Hoosier fans in there," he said. "I would have liked to have won, but overall it was pretty cool."
The short-handed Magic still had a chance after Ronnie Price cut the Pacers lead to 65-64 with 6.1 seconds left in the third quarter.
After the basket, Orlando was called for delay of game and David West made the free throw. George then took the inbounds pass from his own baseline, drove to within 26 feet and made a 3 from beyond the top of the key to give Indiana a 69-64 lead.
Indiana's rebuilt bench then took control. The backups scored the first five points of the fourth quarter to extend the lead to 10, and that 12-4 run made it 86-68 with 7:35 left.
Orlando, even with Oladipo, couldn't challenge the Eastern Conference runner-ups again.
"We have to be dominant at home if we hope to compete for the one seed with the likes of Brooklyn, New York, Chicago and Miami," Vogel said. "You have to be dominant at home."
NOTES: Indiana recognized last season's Central Division title banner during pregame introductions. ... Pacers fans got a special preview of the 15-foot statue of Larry Bird that will be dedicated at a formal ceremony next weekend on the campus of Indiana State, Bird's alma mater. It was temporarily placed in the lobby of Bankers Life Fieldhouse. ... The Pacers lead the all-time series with Orlando 45-44. ... Indiana Hoosiers coach Tom Crean told Orlando's Fox affiliate that he would miss Oladipo's scoring and deflections more than his singing. ... Orlando's Tobias Harris and Doron Lamb sat out with sprained ankles.
Then the Pacers gave Oladipo and his Orlando teammates the cold shoulder.
Paul George's buzzer-beating 3-pointer at the end of the third quarter spurred a 21-4 run, finally sending Indiana past the Magic 97-87 in a tougher-than-expected opening night matchup.
"We've got to win the battles, win the tough games and we've got to win the games that we should win," George said. "We have to take care of business early and not rely on the end of the season to start playing well and start getting a streak going. We have to start a streak early."
They got off to a good start Tuesday — even though it was a little ragged for a team that might have the best chance of unseating two-time defending NBA champion Miami.
Indiana committed 20 turnovers and gave up 13 offensive rebounds against the worst team in the league last season.
Roy Hibbert, who was two rebounds short of his career-high (17) in the first half, grabbed only one in the second half and left midway through the fourth quarter after an awkward tumble underneath his own basket that left him grasping at his knee. A few moments later, the 7-foot-2 former All-Star limped to the bench and coach Frank Vogel said Hibbert is expected to play Wednesday night at New Orleans.
Despite the struggles, the Pacers still managed to get things done.
George finished with 24 points, six rebounds and five assists. Lance Stephenson had 19 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Hibbert scored just eight points but had 16 rebounds and seven blocks and the rebuilt bench played a huge role, scoring all but four points during the decisive run.
It left Vogel optimistic about the season.
"Our bench, in the last three preseason games and tonight, really just blew the game open," he said. "I think they're going to be really strong, I think it was just a matter of nerves tonight."
The Pacers were aware they were facing split allegiances in Oladipo's adopted home state.
More than 90 minutes before tipoff, one section near the court was almost completely full of fans decked out in Indiana University colours or fans wearing new Magic jerseys, far more than the 18 to 20 people Oladipo said he gave tickets to.
When the former Indiana star wasn't announced as a starter, the fans saved a rousing standing ovation for Oladipo's grand entrance — midway through the first quarter. But by the third quarter most of those cheers were drowned out by a smattering of boos, a sign that Oladipo is no longer just the hometown kid.
The Magic were led by Andrew Nicholson, who scored all 18 of his points in the first half. Maurice Harkless added 14 and Jameer Nelson had 12 as the Magic shot 38.7 per cent from the field.
But most of the near sellout crowd wanted to see how quickly and smoothly Oladipo could make the transition from college star to NBA franchise player. He finished 4 of 11 from the field with 12 points, three rebounds, two assists and three turnovers.
"It was a great atmosphere. There were a lot of Hoosier fans in there," he said. "I would have liked to have won, but overall it was pretty cool."
The short-handed Magic still had a chance after Ronnie Price cut the Pacers lead to 65-64 with 6.1 seconds left in the third quarter.
After the basket, Orlando was called for delay of game and David West made the free throw. George then took the inbounds pass from his own baseline, drove to within 26 feet and made a 3 from beyond the top of the key to give Indiana a 69-64 lead.
Indiana's rebuilt bench then took control. The backups scored the first five points of the fourth quarter to extend the lead to 10, and that 12-4 run made it 86-68 with 7:35 left.
Orlando, even with Oladipo, couldn't challenge the Eastern Conference runner-ups again.
"We have to be dominant at home if we hope to compete for the one seed with the likes of Brooklyn, New York, Chicago and Miami," Vogel said. "You have to be dominant at home."
NOTES: Indiana recognized last season's Central Division title banner during pregame introductions. ... Pacers fans got a special preview of the 15-foot statue of Larry Bird that will be dedicated at a formal ceremony next weekend on the campus of Indiana State, Bird's alma mater. It was temporarily placed in the lobby of Bankers Life Fieldhouse. ... The Pacers lead the all-time series with Orlando 45-44. ... Indiana Hoosiers coach Tom Crean told Orlando's Fox affiliate that he would miss Oladipo's scoring and deflections more than his singing. ... Orlando's Tobias Harris and Doron Lamb sat out with sprained ankles.
Match Highlights
субота, 26. октобар 2013.
NBA Sacramento Kings vs Los Angeles Clippers
Sacramento Kings vs Los Angeles Clippers 110-100
Isaiah Thomas scored 27 points to lead the Sacramento Kings to a 110-100 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night.
Thomas helped the Kings go on a 22-6 run to start the second quarter to bring Sacramento (5-2) back from a 10-point deficit.
The Clippers led 30-20 after the first quarter but couldn't maintain the pace. They shot just 26.7 per cent from the floor in the second quarter and found themselves trailing the rest of the way.
DeMarcus Cousins scored eight points for the Kings in the first quarter but sat out the second with three fouls. He returned in the second half and finished with 20 points. Marcus Thornton added 17 points for the Kings.
Chris Paul led the Clippers (5-3) with 23 points.
Thomas helped the Kings go on a 22-6 run to start the second quarter to bring Sacramento (5-2) back from a 10-point deficit.
The Clippers led 30-20 after the first quarter but couldn't maintain the pace. They shot just 26.7 per cent from the floor in the second quarter and found themselves trailing the rest of the way.
DeMarcus Cousins scored eight points for the Kings in the first quarter but sat out the second with three fouls. He returned in the second half and finished with 20 points. Marcus Thornton added 17 points for the Kings.
Chris Paul led the Clippers (5-3) with 23 points.
NBA Los Angeles Lakers vs Utah Jazz
Los Angeles Lakers vs Utah Jazz 111-106
Steve Blake scored 13 of his 19 points in the third quarter, Pau Gasol and Nick Young each had 16, and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Utah Jazz 111-106 Friday night in the preseason finale for both teams.
Gordon Hayward led Utah with 18 points and seven rebounds, and Alec Burks had 18 off the bench. Rudy Gobert got 12 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter to help the Jazz keep it close.
A moment of silence was observed at Honda Center for Hall of Famer Bill Sharman, who coached the Lakers to their first NBA championship in Los Angeles in 1971-72 — when they won a franchise-record 69 games and a league-record 33 in a row.
Sharman died Friday at age 87 after suffering a stroke last Saturday. He had been a special consultant with the organization for the previous 23 seasons.
Trailing by 15 points after three, the Jazz got as close as 100-96 on Lester Hudson's 3-pointer with 5:41 remaining.
Hayward led Utah to a 53-51 halftime lead with 16 points, eight of them at the end of a 19-2 run that turned an 11-point deficit into a 48-42 advantage with 2:27 left in the second quarter.
But the Lakers opened the third with a 20-6 run that put them ahead 71-59, and they increased the margin to 88-73 on Blake's 3-pointer with 8.4 seconds left in the quarter.
The Lakers finished the preseason 4-4. It was their first training camp under coach Mike D'Antoni, who was hired five games into last season after the team started out 1-4 under Mike Brown.
The Lakers open the regular season Tuesday night against the Clippers, who won all four meetings last season.
Utah will host Oklahoma City in its opener on Wednesday night after finishing its exhibition schedule a league-worst 1-7.
"I'm looking forward to it," coach Tyrone Corbin said. "We've made some great strides in the exhibition season. We're starting over in some ways, so performance and consistency is going to be a key for us, along with how we're going to perform in certain situations.
"It's going to be different and there's going to be a lot of adjustments, so we have to make sure we stay on top of it and keep ourselves growing as much as we can."
Gordon Hayward led Utah with 18 points and seven rebounds, and Alec Burks had 18 off the bench. Rudy Gobert got 12 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter to help the Jazz keep it close.
A moment of silence was observed at Honda Center for Hall of Famer Bill Sharman, who coached the Lakers to their first NBA championship in Los Angeles in 1971-72 — when they won a franchise-record 69 games and a league-record 33 in a row.
Sharman died Friday at age 87 after suffering a stroke last Saturday. He had been a special consultant with the organization for the previous 23 seasons.
Trailing by 15 points after three, the Jazz got as close as 100-96 on Lester Hudson's 3-pointer with 5:41 remaining.
Hayward led Utah to a 53-51 halftime lead with 16 points, eight of them at the end of a 19-2 run that turned an 11-point deficit into a 48-42 advantage with 2:27 left in the second quarter.
But the Lakers opened the third with a 20-6 run that put them ahead 71-59, and they increased the margin to 88-73 on Blake's 3-pointer with 8.4 seconds left in the quarter.
The Lakers finished the preseason 4-4. It was their first training camp under coach Mike D'Antoni, who was hired five games into last season after the team started out 1-4 under Mike Brown.
The Lakers open the regular season Tuesday night against the Clippers, who won all four meetings last season.
Utah will host Oklahoma City in its opener on Wednesday night after finishing its exhibition schedule a league-worst 1-7.
"I'm looking forward to it," coach Tyrone Corbin said. "We've made some great strides in the exhibition season. We're starting over in some ways, so performance and consistency is going to be a key for us, along with how we're going to perform in certain situations.
"It's going to be different and there's going to be a lot of adjustments, so we have to make sure we stay on top of it and keep ourselves growing as much as we can."
Match Highlights
NBA Indiana Pacers vs Dallas Mavericks
Indiana Pacers vs Dallas Mavericks 98-77
Paul George scored 10 of his game-high 28 points in the third quarter and the Indiana Pacers used a 13-0 run to race past the Dallas Mavericks 98-77 on Friday night in the preseason finale for both teams.
Centre Roy Hibbert had 14 points and eight rebounds as the Pacers (3-5) closed preseason play with three consecutive victories.
The Mavericks (4-4) were led by forward Dirk Nowitzki with 14 points and small forward Shawn Marion added 10.
The Pacers trailed 51-43, their largest deficit, early in the third period before the 13-point run. They never trailed again, and the final margin equaled their largest lead.
Pacers small forward Danny Granger missed his third consecutive game with a strained calf.
Indiana coach Frank Vogel said Granger's availability for the team's opener on Tuesday at home against Orlando is unclear.
Match Highlights
NBA Houston Rockets vs Memphis Grizzlies
Houston Rockets vs Memphis Grizzlies 92-73
Houston Rockets guard James Harden was listed as day-to-day after leaving Friday night's preseason game against the Memphis Grizzlies with a right knee bruise.
Rockets coach Kevin McHale said after Houston's 92-73 victory that his star guard bumped knees with Memphis' Quincy Pondexter in the first quarter. Harden did not return after the injury.
"He iced it, and stuff, and we'll see how he feels (Saturday)," McHale said indicating that he didn't think the injury was serious.
Harden, who entered the game as the team's leading scorer in the preseason with a 20.8 average, connected on a 3-pointer from the right wing with 4:35 left in the first quarter and went down to the court in front of the Rockets bench when he was fouled by Pondexter.
Harden eventually got up, made the ensuing free throw and went straight to the locker room at the next stoppage of play.
Harden finished with six points and four rebounds in his 7-plus minutes before the injury.
Omri Casspi scored 11 points, Donatas Motiejunas finished with 10 for Houston.
Marc Gasol led Memphis with 17 points, but connected on only 4 of 13 shots.
The game was a bit chippy at times with Gasol and the Rockets Dwight Howard earning double technicals in the first half, and Memphis forward Ed Davis drawing an ejection with a flagrant foul in the fourth.
Match Highlights
NBA Chicago Bulls vs Denver Nuggets
Chicago Bulls vs Denver Nuggets 94-89
Derrick Rose scored 15 points and the Chicago Bulls ended the preseason with a 94-89 win Friday over the Denver Nuggets.
Rose and the Bulls, who were without Joakim Noah (groin) and Kirk Hinrich (concussion), went 8-0 and completed their first perfect preseason of at least eight games since 1992.
Carlos Boozer led the Bulls with 24 points and Luol Deng added 23 points and 12 rebounds for Chicago, which fell behind 48-29 with 2:16 left in the first half on a JaVale McGee basket.
Chicago took its first lead at 60-58 on a Deng 3-pointer with 4:26 remaining in the third and took the lead for good on a Boozer layup with 1:50 left.
Anthony Randolph and McGee each had 15 points for Denver, which lost four straight to end the preseason at 2-5.
Former Bulls guard Nate Robinson missed a potential game-tying 3-pointer with 18.1 seconds left.
Ty Lawson left the game with left groin tightness and scored 11 points in 16 minutes.
The Nuggets open Wednesday in Sacramento against the Kings.
Rose and the Bulls, who were without Joakim Noah (groin) and Kirk Hinrich (concussion), went 8-0 and completed their first perfect preseason of at least eight games since 1992.
Carlos Boozer led the Bulls with 24 points and Luol Deng added 23 points and 12 rebounds for Chicago, which fell behind 48-29 with 2:16 left in the first half on a JaVale McGee basket.
Chicago took its first lead at 60-58 on a Deng 3-pointer with 4:26 remaining in the third and took the lead for good on a Boozer layup with 1:50 left.
Anthony Randolph and McGee each had 15 points for Denver, which lost four straight to end the preseason at 2-5.
Former Bulls guard Nate Robinson missed a potential game-tying 3-pointer with 18.1 seconds left.
Ty Lawson left the game with left groin tightness and scored 11 points in 16 minutes.
The Nuggets open Wednesday in Sacramento against the Kings.
Match Highlights
NBA Charlotte Bobcats vs New York Knicks
Charlotte Bobcats vs New York Knicks 85-83
The New York Knicks had old faces on the floor and a new look to their arena. Only Kemba Walker and the Charlotte Bobcats kept it from being a completely successful night.
Walker scored 18 points and made the tiebreaking basket with 1:31 remaining as the Bobcats spoiled the Knicks' return to Madison Square Garden with an 85-83 preseason victory Friday night.
Walker finished with nine rebounds and six assists as the Bobcats wrapped up a 5-3 preseason. Josh McRoberts had 19 points and nine rebounds, Gerald Henderson scored 18 points and Bismack Biyombo grabbed 20 rebounds in what Walker said was a "huge" victory for Charlotte.
"It shows us that we can play because the Knicks didn't just give us that game, we worked for that game," he said. "So it shows us that we can go out there and compete with the best of them."
Carmelo Anthony scored 13 points but shot 4 of 17, missing a potential tying jumper in the final seconds.
The Knicks had a 19-point lead in the first half but then missed 18 of 22 shots in the third quarter. They regained the lead on Anthony's jumper with 2:26 remaining before Walker made consecutive high-arching jumpers in the lane, the second making it 85-83 with 1:31 to play.
It was the Knicks' lone home game on the final night of the NBA's preseason schedule. Madison Square Garden reopened Thursday after completion of its $1 billion renovation that spanned the last three offseasons, featuring a giant new videoboard, two overhead bridges with views of the court and an expanded entrance from Seventh Ave.
The Knicks played six road games while the work was completed, which Anthony said was difficult. They will practice here Saturday and open their season here Wednesday against Milwaukee.
"We never really got a chance to adjust here during the preseason, but that's over," Anthony said. "Now the real deal starts and this journey begins."
J.R. Smith and Amare Stoudemire both made their preseason debuts after working their way back from knee surgeries. Smith scored 11 points and Stoudemire had six points on 3-of-4 shooting, both reserves playing limited minutes.
Smith will miss the first five regular-season games while serving a suspension for violating the NBA's anti-drug program, but Stoudemire said he's ready to go after recovering from his third knee surgery in the last year.
"I feel great. I feel strong," he said. "I feel no soreness right now after the game, so I'm sure I'll be ready for go for Wednesday."
Second-year forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist missed the game for Charlotte after straining his right hamstring Thursday against Cleveland.
Walker scored 18 points and made the tiebreaking basket with 1:31 remaining as the Bobcats spoiled the Knicks' return to Madison Square Garden with an 85-83 preseason victory Friday night.
Walker finished with nine rebounds and six assists as the Bobcats wrapped up a 5-3 preseason. Josh McRoberts had 19 points and nine rebounds, Gerald Henderson scored 18 points and Bismack Biyombo grabbed 20 rebounds in what Walker said was a "huge" victory for Charlotte.
"It shows us that we can play because the Knicks didn't just give us that game, we worked for that game," he said. "So it shows us that we can go out there and compete with the best of them."
Carmelo Anthony scored 13 points but shot 4 of 17, missing a potential tying jumper in the final seconds.
The Knicks had a 19-point lead in the first half but then missed 18 of 22 shots in the third quarter. They regained the lead on Anthony's jumper with 2:26 remaining before Walker made consecutive high-arching jumpers in the lane, the second making it 85-83 with 1:31 to play.
It was the Knicks' lone home game on the final night of the NBA's preseason schedule. Madison Square Garden reopened Thursday after completion of its $1 billion renovation that spanned the last three offseasons, featuring a giant new videoboard, two overhead bridges with views of the court and an expanded entrance from Seventh Ave.
The Knicks played six road games while the work was completed, which Anthony said was difficult. They will practice here Saturday and open their season here Wednesday against Milwaukee.
"We never really got a chance to adjust here during the preseason, but that's over," Anthony said. "Now the real deal starts and this journey begins."
J.R. Smith and Amare Stoudemire both made their preseason debuts after working their way back from knee surgeries. Smith scored 11 points and Stoudemire had six points on 3-of-4 shooting, both reserves playing limited minutes.
Smith will miss the first five regular-season games while serving a suspension for violating the NBA's anti-drug program, but Stoudemire said he's ready to go after recovering from his third knee surgery in the last year.
"I feel great. I feel strong," he said. "I feel no soreness right now after the game, so I'm sure I'll be ready for go for Wednesday."
Second-year forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist missed the game for Charlotte after straining his right hamstring Thursday against Cleveland.
Match Highlights
NBA Brooklyn Nets vs Miami Heat
Brooklyn Nets vs Miami Heat 108-87
Deron Williams got his first preseason action. LeBron James and Chris Bosh didn't need any more.
Williams scored 11 points in 10 minutes, Alan Anderson scored 17 points, and the Brooklyn Nets finished the exhibition season with a 108-87 win over the Miami Heat on Friday night.
The Nets went 5-2 in the preseason, the Heat 5-3.
Paul Pierce scored 16 points and Jason Terry added 14 for the Nets, who made 11 of 16 tries from 3-point range in the first half and eventually led by as many as 31. Brooklyn played without Kevin Garnett (rest) and Andrei Kirilenko (back).
"I felt really good. I'm happy to be back out there," Williams said. "It was great. I've been missing basketball. It was another step in the right direction."
Udonis Haslem went 8 for 9 from the field and scored 16 points for Miami, which got 12 from Mario Chalmers (on 6 for 7 shooting) and 12 from Ray Allen. Michael Beasley scored 11 for the Heat.
James and Bosh got the night off to rest.
"Well, we've got four days," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "We've got four days to get ready. And we've had a productive October so our guys are looking forward to Tuesday."
The Heat will hoist the franchise's third NBA championship banner on Tuesday night before opening the season at home against the Chicago Bulls. Brooklyn opens Wednesday at Cleveland.
Other than Garnett, the Nets went with their anticipated opening-night lineup, and all eyes were on Williams — who had been out for the entire preseason because of a right ankle problem.
He looked good as new.
"He looked good," Nets coach Jason Kidd said. "He's gotten better and stronger. He probably wanted more minutes, but we're not concerned about that."
Williams made three 3-pointers in a span of 67 seconds of the opening quarter, and he added a short jumper early in the second quarter before coming out of the game for good.
"Surprisingly, he played with a lot of rhythm," Spoelstra said.
The game was tied at 40 with about 6 minutes left in the half — and over the next 17 minutes, the Nets went on a 49-18 run to pull away.
NOTES: Heat F Rashard Lewis returned to the team after missing time because of a death in the family. He scored four points in 21 minutes. ... Mason Plumlee had 10 rebounds for the Nets. ... Chalmers had six assists. ... Heat G Dwyane Wade had a little bit of a bloody lip, courtesy of a first-half hit from Pierce. "I enjoyed my few minutes of banter with him," Wade said.
Williams scored 11 points in 10 minutes, Alan Anderson scored 17 points, and the Brooklyn Nets finished the exhibition season with a 108-87 win over the Miami Heat on Friday night.
The Nets went 5-2 in the preseason, the Heat 5-3.
Paul Pierce scored 16 points and Jason Terry added 14 for the Nets, who made 11 of 16 tries from 3-point range in the first half and eventually led by as many as 31. Brooklyn played without Kevin Garnett (rest) and Andrei Kirilenko (back).
"I felt really good. I'm happy to be back out there," Williams said. "It was great. I've been missing basketball. It was another step in the right direction."
Udonis Haslem went 8 for 9 from the field and scored 16 points for Miami, which got 12 from Mario Chalmers (on 6 for 7 shooting) and 12 from Ray Allen. Michael Beasley scored 11 for the Heat.
James and Bosh got the night off to rest.
"Well, we've got four days," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "We've got four days to get ready. And we've had a productive October so our guys are looking forward to Tuesday."
The Heat will hoist the franchise's third NBA championship banner on Tuesday night before opening the season at home against the Chicago Bulls. Brooklyn opens Wednesday at Cleveland.
Other than Garnett, the Nets went with their anticipated opening-night lineup, and all eyes were on Williams — who had been out for the entire preseason because of a right ankle problem.
He looked good as new.
"He looked good," Nets coach Jason Kidd said. "He's gotten better and stronger. He probably wanted more minutes, but we're not concerned about that."
Williams made three 3-pointers in a span of 67 seconds of the opening quarter, and he added a short jumper early in the second quarter before coming out of the game for good.
"Surprisingly, he played with a lot of rhythm," Spoelstra said.
The game was tied at 40 with about 6 minutes left in the half — and over the next 17 minutes, the Nets went on a 49-18 run to pull away.
NOTES: Heat F Rashard Lewis returned to the team after missing time because of a death in the family. He scored four points in 21 minutes. ... Mason Plumlee had 10 rebounds for the Nets. ... Chalmers had six assists. ... Heat G Dwyane Wade had a little bit of a bloody lip, courtesy of a first-half hit from Pierce. "I enjoyed my few minutes of banter with him," Wade said.
Match Highlights
NBA New Orleans Pelicans vs Orlando Magic
New Orleans Pelicans vs Orlando Magic 101-82
Brian Roberts scored 21 points and Eric Gordon added 12 to lead the New Orleans Pelicans to a 101-82 rout of the Orlando Magic on Friday night.
New Orleans coach Monty Williams played what will likely be his regular-season starters to open both halves, while the Magic coach Jacque Vaughn gave extended minutes to training camp signees trying to make the roster.
New Orleans led by as many as 14 in the first half, but the game was tied at halftime. But the Pelicans recovered, riding a 52 per cent shooting night (35 for 67) to separate themselves down the stretch.
Manny Harris led the Magic with 12 points, but was one of four players the Magic cut after the game to trim their roster. Also waived were forwards Romero Osby, Kris Joseph and centre Mickell Gladness.
The roster now stands at 15 players, though the team is trying to buyout veteran forward Hedo Turkoglu's contract.
Orlando opens the regular-season Tuesday at Indiana. New Orleans hosts the Pacers on Wednesday.
Match Highlights
петак, 25. октобар 2013.
NBA Portland Trailblazers vs Golden State Warriors
Portland Trailblazers vs Golden State Warriors 90-74
The taxing preseason, which included two games in China, is finally over. Whether the Golden State Warriors are ready to live up to lofty expectations remains unclear.
Damian Lillard scored 21 points, LaMarcus Aldridge added 16 points and 12 rebounds, and the Portland Trail Blazers rallied to beat the Warriors 90-74 Thursday night in the preseason finale for both teams.
"There are certain teams with different mentalities and agendas going into the preseason. Some teams, we were there once, it's important to win ball games," Warriors coach Mark Jackson said. "For some teams it's important to stay healthy. Some teams you just want to establish a rhythm. I think the two latter ones were us. The danger is you can't believe you can turn it on when you want to."
The Warriors will carry that message into the regular-season opener against the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night.
Golden State led by 11 early in the third quarter before the Blazers scored 22 straight points. The Warriors missed 17 shots in a row and were held scoreless for more than 8 minutes during Portland's run.
Stephen Curry had 17 points and six assists, and Klay Thompson scored 16 points for the Warriors, who blew a double-digit lead for the second straight game. Golden State lost 91-90 at Sacramento on Wednesday night after leading by 17 points in the third quarter.
"That's going to be our Achilles' heel. When we're not making shots, how do we defend? What's our personality going to be?" said new addition Andre Iguodala, who had nine points, four rebounds and two assists.
The Warriors ended the preseason 3-4, including wins against the Lakers in Beijing and Shanghai. Portland won its final five games to finish the preseason 5-2.
"Just as we ignored the predictions last year that we weren't going to make the playoffs," forward David Lee said, "we're not going to let the positive outlook change the way we work."
Jackson said he feels satisfied with the way the preseason ended because the Warriors emerged "relatively healthy." The third-year coach still never really got the chance to experiment with lineups in the exhibitions like he had hoped.
Small forward Harrison Barnes missed the last four games with left foot inflammation. His status for the regular-season opener is murky.
Lee also sat out Thursday after undergoing dental work on his two front teeth, which were loosed by an inadvertent elbow from Jason Thompson in the loss at Sacramento. Lee is not expected to miss any time.
Adding to the concerns, Nemanja Nedovic — drafted 30th overall out of Serbia — landed hard on his left wrist and lower back after Mo Williams fouled him on a layup attempt in the fourth quarter. Officials called a flagrant foul but downgraded it to a common foul after a video review.
The Warriors have less than a week to rest up and regroup — not to mention sort out the rotation. With the addition of Iguodala, the question remains: Who will come off the bench?
All five starters — Curry, Thompson, Barnes, Lee and Andrew Bogut — are back from a team that won 47 games last season before beating the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs and losing to the eventual Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs in six games. Either Barnes or Thompson will come off the bench.
Jackson is still trying to find the right combination, especially after wasting leads in consecutive losses, albeit in the preseason.
"It is somewhat of a concern, but not overly concerned," Jackson said. "I think that second unit, probably in a normal game, someone will be in there as a calming effect — not just a scorer, but a guy that could get us good looks. With that being said, leaving a starter in the game to take some of the pressure off would be ideal."
Thompson started his third straight game in the preseason finale, which is usually more of a showcase for unproven players than the regulars, though neither coach treated it that way.
Second-year Blazers coach Terry Stotts mixed up his backcourt rotation throughout, but leaned on Lillard when it mattered most.
The reigning NBA Rookie of the Year and Oakland native started the Blazers' big run with a 3-pointer. He made another from beyond the arc to put Portland up 76-59 early in the fourth.
Wesley Matthews (irregular heartbeat), C.J. McCollum (fractured left foot) and former California guard Allen Crabbe (stomach flu) all sat out for the Blazers.
Damian Lillard scored 21 points, LaMarcus Aldridge added 16 points and 12 rebounds, and the Portland Trail Blazers rallied to beat the Warriors 90-74 Thursday night in the preseason finale for both teams.
"There are certain teams with different mentalities and agendas going into the preseason. Some teams, we were there once, it's important to win ball games," Warriors coach Mark Jackson said. "For some teams it's important to stay healthy. Some teams you just want to establish a rhythm. I think the two latter ones were us. The danger is you can't believe you can turn it on when you want to."
The Warriors will carry that message into the regular-season opener against the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night.
Golden State led by 11 early in the third quarter before the Blazers scored 22 straight points. The Warriors missed 17 shots in a row and were held scoreless for more than 8 minutes during Portland's run.
Stephen Curry had 17 points and six assists, and Klay Thompson scored 16 points for the Warriors, who blew a double-digit lead for the second straight game. Golden State lost 91-90 at Sacramento on Wednesday night after leading by 17 points in the third quarter.
"That's going to be our Achilles' heel. When we're not making shots, how do we defend? What's our personality going to be?" said new addition Andre Iguodala, who had nine points, four rebounds and two assists.
The Warriors ended the preseason 3-4, including wins against the Lakers in Beijing and Shanghai. Portland won its final five games to finish the preseason 5-2.
"Just as we ignored the predictions last year that we weren't going to make the playoffs," forward David Lee said, "we're not going to let the positive outlook change the way we work."
Jackson said he feels satisfied with the way the preseason ended because the Warriors emerged "relatively healthy." The third-year coach still never really got the chance to experiment with lineups in the exhibitions like he had hoped.
Small forward Harrison Barnes missed the last four games with left foot inflammation. His status for the regular-season opener is murky.
Lee also sat out Thursday after undergoing dental work on his two front teeth, which were loosed by an inadvertent elbow from Jason Thompson in the loss at Sacramento. Lee is not expected to miss any time.
Adding to the concerns, Nemanja Nedovic — drafted 30th overall out of Serbia — landed hard on his left wrist and lower back after Mo Williams fouled him on a layup attempt in the fourth quarter. Officials called a flagrant foul but downgraded it to a common foul after a video review.
The Warriors have less than a week to rest up and regroup — not to mention sort out the rotation. With the addition of Iguodala, the question remains: Who will come off the bench?
All five starters — Curry, Thompson, Barnes, Lee and Andrew Bogut — are back from a team that won 47 games last season before beating the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs and losing to the eventual Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs in six games. Either Barnes or Thompson will come off the bench.
Jackson is still trying to find the right combination, especially after wasting leads in consecutive losses, albeit in the preseason.
"It is somewhat of a concern, but not overly concerned," Jackson said. "I think that second unit, probably in a normal game, someone will be in there as a calming effect — not just a scorer, but a guy that could get us good looks. With that being said, leaving a starter in the game to take some of the pressure off would be ideal."
Thompson started his third straight game in the preseason finale, which is usually more of a showcase for unproven players than the regulars, though neither coach treated it that way.
Second-year Blazers coach Terry Stotts mixed up his backcourt rotation throughout, but leaned on Lillard when it mattered most.
The reigning NBA Rookie of the Year and Oakland native started the Blazers' big run with a 3-pointer. He made another from beyond the arc to put Portland up 76-59 early in the fourth.
Wesley Matthews (irregular heartbeat), C.J. McCollum (fractured left foot) and former California guard Allen Crabbe (stomach flu) all sat out for the Blazers.
Match Highlights
NBA Houston Rockets vs San Antonio Spurs
Houston Rockets vs San Antonio Spurs 109-92
James Harden had 22 points and 11 assists, Dwight Howard added 15 points and 16 rebounds, and the Houston Rockets routed the San Antonio Spurs 109-92 on Thursday night.
Aron Baynes scored 16 points, and Danny Green and Marco Belinelli each added 12 points in San Antonio's preseason finale. Tim Duncan had six points and eight rebounds in 23 minutes, while Tony Parker had eight points and four assists in 20 minutes.
Omri Casspi and Chandler Parsons each had 16 points and Jeremy Lin added 11. Houston closes its preseason schedule Friday at Memphis before opening the season at home Wednesday against Charlotte.
Howard and Harden played all but the final minute of the third quarter, and the Rockets outscored the Spurs 37-25 in the period.
Boris Diaw and Belinelli started for Kawhi Leonard and Green. Leonard and Manu Ginobili both sat out the game to rest for San Antonio's season opener at home Wednesday against Memphis.
Match Highlights
NBA Detroit Pistons vs Minnesota Timberwolves
Detroit Pistons vs Minnesota Timberwolves 99-98
Josh Smith made a 3-pointer as time expired and finished with 20 points to lift the Detroit Pistons to a 99-98 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday night in both teams' exhibition finale.
J.J. Barea's layup with 3.6 seconds left gave the Timberwolves (4-3) a 98-96 lead but Smith, who got the ball out of a timeout, launched his shot in the final second. It hit the rim and fell in as the horn sounded.
Greg Monroe and Will Bynum each added 17 points, rookie Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 13 and Andre Drummond grabbed 20 rebounds for the Pistons (4-4).
Kevin Love had 19 points and 10 rebounds, and Kevin Martin added 18 points for Minnesota on a night both coaches gave their younger players plenty of playing time.
J.J. Barea's layup with 3.6 seconds left gave the Timberwolves (4-3) a 98-96 lead but Smith, who got the ball out of a timeout, launched his shot in the final second. It hit the rim and fell in as the horn sounded.
Greg Monroe and Will Bynum each added 17 points, rookie Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 13 and Andre Drummond grabbed 20 rebounds for the Pistons (4-4).
Kevin Love had 19 points and 10 rebounds, and Kevin Martin added 18 points for Minnesota on a night both coaches gave their younger players plenty of playing time.
Match Highlights
NBA Charlotte Bobcats vs Cleveland Cavaliers
Charlotte Bobcats vs Cleveland Cavaliers 105-92
Jeffery Taylor scored 20 points and Gerald Henderson added 19 as the Charlotte Bobcats beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 105-92 on Thursday night.
Kyrie Irving led the Cavaliers with 20 points on 6-of-13 shooting in 27 minutes.
Taylor, who saw additional playing time after starting small forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist left the game with a strained right hamstring, was 7 of 11 from the field and 3 of 4 from 3-point range.
Earl Clark had 12 points for the Cavaliers, who wrapped up the preseason 4-4.
Charlotte's Cody Zeller had 13 points and eight rebounds. But he'll have to wait for another night to face older brother Tyler, who remains out following an appendectomy.
The Bobcats (4-3) came into the game with the league's best defence this preseason, allowing fewer than 83 points per game. The Cavaliers were the first team to score 90 points against them.
Kyrie Irving led the Cavaliers with 20 points on 6-of-13 shooting in 27 minutes.
Taylor, who saw additional playing time after starting small forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist left the game with a strained right hamstring, was 7 of 11 from the field and 3 of 4 from 3-point range.
Earl Clark had 12 points for the Cavaliers, who wrapped up the preseason 4-4.
Charlotte's Cody Zeller had 13 points and eight rebounds. But he'll have to wait for another night to face older brother Tyler, who remains out following an appendectomy.
The Bobcats (4-3) came into the game with the league's best defence this preseason, allowing fewer than 83 points per game. The Cavaliers were the first team to score 90 points against them.
Match Highlights
четвртак, 24. октобар 2013.
NBA Los Angeles Clippers vs Utah Jazz
Los Angeles Clippers vs Utah Jazz 103-99
Darren Collison scored 14 of his 15 points in the fourth quarter and Blake Griffin had 15 points through the first three periods, helping the Los Angeles Clippers post a 103-99 preseason victory over the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night.
Chris Paul, who had 40 points and 11 assists Saturday night in the Clippers' 118-111 overtime win over the Denver Nuggets at Las Vegas, played more than 12 scoreless minutes against the Jazz before ending the drought on a 3-pointer with 2:25 left in the first half. He finished with 14 points and 10 assists.
Jamal Crawford led the Clippers with 16 points.
Shooting guard J.J. Redick, who came to the Clippers from Milwaukee in a three-team trade with Phoenix on July 10, had 14 points in his preseason debut and played 19 minutes after sitting out the first five games because of a partial tear of his left quadriceps. The injury occurred the first day of training camp.
Clippers No.1 draft pick Reggie Bullock, who is recovering frim a sore right knee, also played his first game, playing 6 scoreless minutes. Matt Barnes remained sidelined with a sore left calf.
Derrick Favours had 24 points and 17 rebounds for the Jazz, who have lost six straight since opening their exhibition schedule with a 101-78 win over Golden State.
Utah's John Lucas III had four points during a foul-plagued 27 minutes. The six-year veteran has taken over as the starting point guard for highly regarded rookie Trey Burke, who broke a finger in the team's third preseason game and is expected to be out from two to three months.
Clippers coach Doc Rivers rested his starters the entire fourth quarter after they ended the third trailing 75-72. Ryan Hollins gave them an 84-83 lead with a dunk from an alley-oop pass with 7:08 to play, and Los Angeles never trailed after that.
Hayward gave Utah a 48-47 halftime lead on a 21-footer with 7.4 seconds left in the second quarter after the Jazz squandered a nine-point lead, their largest of the game.
Rudy Gobert, the first player off the Utah bench, missed his first four shots and played 17 scoreless minutes before his slam dunk off an offensive rebound gave the Jazz an 81-76 lead with 10:37 remaining. The 7-foot-1 reserve centre had 12 rebounds, but was posterized by Griffin on a slam dunk that tied the score 64-all with 4:02 left in the third quarter.
The Clippers, coming off their first division title in franchise's history, conclude their preseason schedule Friday night at Staples Center against Sacramento before opening their 30th season in Los Angeles next Wednesday against the Lakers. The Jazz have one more dress rehearsal Friday in Anaheim against the Lakers before opening up the regular season next Wednesday at home against Oklahoma City.
Chris Paul, who had 40 points and 11 assists Saturday night in the Clippers' 118-111 overtime win over the Denver Nuggets at Las Vegas, played more than 12 scoreless minutes against the Jazz before ending the drought on a 3-pointer with 2:25 left in the first half. He finished with 14 points and 10 assists.
Jamal Crawford led the Clippers with 16 points.
Shooting guard J.J. Redick, who came to the Clippers from Milwaukee in a three-team trade with Phoenix on July 10, had 14 points in his preseason debut and played 19 minutes after sitting out the first five games because of a partial tear of his left quadriceps. The injury occurred the first day of training camp.
Clippers No.1 draft pick Reggie Bullock, who is recovering frim a sore right knee, also played his first game, playing 6 scoreless minutes. Matt Barnes remained sidelined with a sore left calf.
Derrick Favours had 24 points and 17 rebounds for the Jazz, who have lost six straight since opening their exhibition schedule with a 101-78 win over Golden State.
Utah's John Lucas III had four points during a foul-plagued 27 minutes. The six-year veteran has taken over as the starting point guard for highly regarded rookie Trey Burke, who broke a finger in the team's third preseason game and is expected to be out from two to three months.
Clippers coach Doc Rivers rested his starters the entire fourth quarter after they ended the third trailing 75-72. Ryan Hollins gave them an 84-83 lead with a dunk from an alley-oop pass with 7:08 to play, and Los Angeles never trailed after that.
Hayward gave Utah a 48-47 halftime lead on a 21-footer with 7.4 seconds left in the second quarter after the Jazz squandered a nine-point lead, their largest of the game.
Rudy Gobert, the first player off the Utah bench, missed his first four shots and played 17 scoreless minutes before his slam dunk off an offensive rebound gave the Jazz an 81-76 lead with 10:37 remaining. The 7-foot-1 reserve centre had 12 rebounds, but was posterized by Griffin on a slam dunk that tied the score 64-all with 4:02 left in the third quarter.
The Clippers, coming off their first division title in franchise's history, conclude their preseason schedule Friday night at Staples Center against Sacramento before opening their 30th season in Los Angeles next Wednesday against the Lakers. The Jazz have one more dress rehearsal Friday in Anaheim against the Lakers before opening up the regular season next Wednesday at home against Oklahoma City.
Match Highlights
NBA Sacramento Kings vs Golden State Warriors
Sacramento Kings vs Golden State Warriors 91-90
Isaiah Thomas scored 21 points to help the Sacramento Kings rally in the fourth quarter and beat the Golden State Warriors 91-90 in a preseason game Wednesday night.
After Stephen Curry gave the Warriors an 89-88 lead with a jumper, John Salmons hit a 3-pointer with 7.6 seconds left to give the Kings a 81-89 lead. David Lee was fouled with 1.3 seconds left and made the first free throw, but missed the second that would have tied the game.
Salmons had nine of his 14 points in the fourth quarter when the Kings outscored Golden State 21-9.
Patrick Patterson had 11 points and DeMarcus Cousins, who fouled out midway through the fourth quarter, had 11 points and nine rebounds for the Kings (4-2).
Curry scored 24 points and had six assists for the Warriors (3-3), while Klay Thompson had 16 points, Andrew Bogut 12 and Lee 11.
Trailing by 14 points, the Kings used a 16-1 run to take a one-point lead with 4:17 left.
Curry got going in the third quarter, making four 3s and scoring 14 points to help the Warriors outscore Sacramento 30-22 and take an 81-70 lead into the fourth.
The Kings end the preseason Friday at the Los Angeles Clippers. Sacramento opens the season Oct. 30 at home against Denver.
The Warriors, who close the preseason Thursday at home against Portland, won two games on their China trip, defeating the shorthanded Los Angeles Lakers twice last week.
Harrison Barnes (foot injury) missed his fourth straight game. Warriors coach Mark Jackson said he thinks the second-year forward will be ready for the regular-season opener Oct. 30, at home against the Lakers.
Earlier Wednesday the Kings announced that Brendan Malone resigned from his son Michael Malone's coaching staff "based on factors associated with the rigours of coaching in the NBA."
Chris Jent will assume the elder Malone's responsibilities as the Kings' lead assistant coach.
Sacramento forward Luc Mbah a Moute, who missed the previous three games with a sore right knee, went scoreless in 7 minutes in the fourth quarter.
After Stephen Curry gave the Warriors an 89-88 lead with a jumper, John Salmons hit a 3-pointer with 7.6 seconds left to give the Kings a 81-89 lead. David Lee was fouled with 1.3 seconds left and made the first free throw, but missed the second that would have tied the game.
Salmons had nine of his 14 points in the fourth quarter when the Kings outscored Golden State 21-9.
Patrick Patterson had 11 points and DeMarcus Cousins, who fouled out midway through the fourth quarter, had 11 points and nine rebounds for the Kings (4-2).
Curry scored 24 points and had six assists for the Warriors (3-3), while Klay Thompson had 16 points, Andrew Bogut 12 and Lee 11.
Trailing by 14 points, the Kings used a 16-1 run to take a one-point lead with 4:17 left.
Curry got going in the third quarter, making four 3s and scoring 14 points to help the Warriors outscore Sacramento 30-22 and take an 81-70 lead into the fourth.
The Kings end the preseason Friday at the Los Angeles Clippers. Sacramento opens the season Oct. 30 at home against Denver.
The Warriors, who close the preseason Thursday at home against Portland, won two games on their China trip, defeating the shorthanded Los Angeles Lakers twice last week.
Harrison Barnes (foot injury) missed his fourth straight game. Warriors coach Mark Jackson said he thinks the second-year forward will be ready for the regular-season opener Oct. 30, at home against the Lakers.
Earlier Wednesday the Kings announced that Brendan Malone resigned from his son Michael Malone's coaching staff "based on factors associated with the rigours of coaching in the NBA."
Chris Jent will assume the elder Malone's responsibilities as the Kings' lead assistant coach.
Sacramento forward Luc Mbah a Moute, who missed the previous three games with a sore right knee, went scoreless in 7 minutes in the fourth quarter.
Match Highlights
NBA Chicago Bulls vs Oklahoma City Thunder
Chicago Bulls vs Oklahoma City Thunder 104-95
Derrick Rose shook off poor shooting early to hit clutch shots late and Carlos Boozer had 20 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Chicago Bulls to a 104-95 preseason victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night.
Chicago (7-0) remained the only unbeaten team in the preseason behind Rose, who hit three 3-pointers in the final 4 minutes. He scored 26 points on 6-of-15 shooting in 34 minutes.
Luol Deng had 20 points and 10 rebounds for Chicago.
Kevin Durant's 22 points in 32 minutes and Jeremy Lamb added 19 points for the Thunder (3-3) while Reggie Jackson had 14 points.
The Bulls outrebounded the Thunder 46-32 in the game played at Intrust Bank Arena.
Rose followed two free throws with a pull-up 3-pointer to put the Bulls ahead for good, 89-85.
The victory didn't have coach Tom Thibodeau smiling.
"You never want to feel good in this league," he said "When you start feeling good, well, you know what happens."
But even Thibodeau had to admit that the work of Rose and Deng to close out a game felt familiar.
"They have a great chemistry, know how to read things," he said. "Derrick showed great patience. His shot wasn't falling early, but he was able to make things happen down the stretch."
For most of the game, it appeared Chicago was in control. Then Durant led a comeback
His 12-foot jumper with 5:16 remaining in the third quarter gave him eight points in the half and trimmed Chicago's lead to 64-62.
A layup by Steven Adams with 9:46 to play put the Thunder ahead 78-76, Oklahoma City's first lead since 9-8 with more than 7 minutes left in the first quarter.
"I thought we did a good job trusting the system," Durant said. "We fought back to take the lead. But they did a great job of closing it out."
NOTES: The Thunder were missing Russell Westbrook, and Serge Ibaka did not play. Kirk Hinrich and Joakim Noah did not play for the Bulls. ... The Thunder completed their preseason schedule and open the regular season Oct. 30 at Utah. The Bulls' final preseason game is Friday against visiting Denver. ... One of the biggest ovations came for Thunder rookie Rodney McGruder, who played at Kansas State. Former Kansas All-America Nick Collison was also greeted warmly and scored 12 points in 23 minutes.
Chicago (7-0) remained the only unbeaten team in the preseason behind Rose, who hit three 3-pointers in the final 4 minutes. He scored 26 points on 6-of-15 shooting in 34 minutes.
Luol Deng had 20 points and 10 rebounds for Chicago.
Kevin Durant's 22 points in 32 minutes and Jeremy Lamb added 19 points for the Thunder (3-3) while Reggie Jackson had 14 points.
The Bulls outrebounded the Thunder 46-32 in the game played at Intrust Bank Arena.
Rose followed two free throws with a pull-up 3-pointer to put the Bulls ahead for good, 89-85.
The victory didn't have coach Tom Thibodeau smiling.
"You never want to feel good in this league," he said "When you start feeling good, well, you know what happens."
But even Thibodeau had to admit that the work of Rose and Deng to close out a game felt familiar.
"They have a great chemistry, know how to read things," he said. "Derrick showed great patience. His shot wasn't falling early, but he was able to make things happen down the stretch."
For most of the game, it appeared Chicago was in control. Then Durant led a comeback
His 12-foot jumper with 5:16 remaining in the third quarter gave him eight points in the half and trimmed Chicago's lead to 64-62.
A layup by Steven Adams with 9:46 to play put the Thunder ahead 78-76, Oklahoma City's first lead since 9-8 with more than 7 minutes left in the first quarter.
"I thought we did a good job trusting the system," Durant said. "We fought back to take the lead. But they did a great job of closing it out."
NOTES: The Thunder were missing Russell Westbrook, and Serge Ibaka did not play. Kirk Hinrich and Joakim Noah did not play for the Bulls. ... The Thunder completed their preseason schedule and open the regular season Oct. 30 at Utah. The Bulls' final preseason game is Friday against visiting Denver. ... One of the biggest ovations came for Thunder rookie Rodney McGruder, who played at Kansas State. Former Kansas All-America Nick Collison was also greeted warmly and scored 12 points in 23 minutes.
Match Highlights
NBA Phoenix Suns vs Denver Nuggets
Phoenix Suns vs Denver Nuggets 98-79
Eric Bledsoe scored 21 points, including eight in the fourth quarter, and the Phoenix Suns pulled away to beat the Denver Nuggets 98-79 in a preseason game Wednesday night.
Gerald Green added 19 points and Markieff Morris 12 for the Suns, who wrapped up exhibition play with a 5-2 mark. Phoenix opens the regular season by hosting Portland next Wednesday.
Anthony Randolph had 15 points for the Nuggets (2-4), who conclude exhibition play Friday at Chicago. The Nuggets led most of the way before being outscored 38-14 in the fourth quarter. They were missing five players because of injuries, including Kenneth Faried (hamstring) and Wilson Chandler (hamstring).
The Suns scored the first seven points of the fourth, taking their first lead of the night, 67-65, on a layup by Bledsoe. With about 3 1/2 minutes left, the Suns extended their lead to 87-77, keyed by successive baskets by Channing Frye and Green.
Match Highlights
NBA Dallas Mavericks vs Atlanta Hawks
Dallas Mavericks vs Atlanta Hawks 98-88
Dirk Nowitzki scored 17 points, Monta Ellis added 15 and the Dallas Mavericks beat the short-handed Atlanta Hawks 98-88 in a preseason game Wednesday night.
Al Horford, Jeff Teague and Kyle Korver sat out the preseason finale for the Hawks (1-6). Horford stayed home with a sore hamstring, and Korver was out for personal reasons.
With the top three returning scorers out, Dennis Schroder led the Hawks with 21 points and Mike Scott scored 19.
Like their visit to Houston to face Dwight Howard on Monday, the Mavericks (4-3) had something resembling a dress rehearsal with Nowitzki, Ellis and Jose Calderon playing together in front of the home crowd for the first time.
The Mavericks finish the preseason Friday night against Indiana before playing the Hawks again in the season opener next Wednesday.
Vince Carter and Jae Crowder had 3-pointers in an 8-0 run bridging the third and fourth quarters to put Dallas up 79-69. The Hawks got within five in the fourth before Crowder hit another 3 to push the lead back to 11 in the last 2 minutes.
Nowitzki, Ellis and Calderon all played more than 20 minutes for the second straight game, and were all on the court with Dallas nursing a six-point lead early in the fourth quarter.
Nowitzki, who was ejected for a flagrant foul late in the third quarter against the Rockets, was 7 of 17 from the field and 1 of 6 from 3-point range.
Ellis had five assists and was 5 of 13 from the field after scoring eight points on 3-of-13 shooting against Houston.
Atlanta's Elton Brand had seven points and six rebounds in his return to Dallas after playing 72 games with 18 starts in his only season with the Mavericks. Jared Cunningham, a first-round pick acquired by Dallas in 2012 and traded to the Hawks on draft night this year, scored 14.
Devin Harris, who spent last season with the Hawks, is back in Dallas after starting his career with the Mavericks nine years ago. He won't see the Hawks early in the season while he recovers from off-season toe surgery.
Al Horford, Jeff Teague and Kyle Korver sat out the preseason finale for the Hawks (1-6). Horford stayed home with a sore hamstring, and Korver was out for personal reasons.
With the top three returning scorers out, Dennis Schroder led the Hawks with 21 points and Mike Scott scored 19.
Like their visit to Houston to face Dwight Howard on Monday, the Mavericks (4-3) had something resembling a dress rehearsal with Nowitzki, Ellis and Jose Calderon playing together in front of the home crowd for the first time.
The Mavericks finish the preseason Friday night against Indiana before playing the Hawks again in the season opener next Wednesday.
Vince Carter and Jae Crowder had 3-pointers in an 8-0 run bridging the third and fourth quarters to put Dallas up 79-69. The Hawks got within five in the fourth before Crowder hit another 3 to push the lead back to 11 in the last 2 minutes.
Nowitzki, Ellis and Calderon all played more than 20 minutes for the second straight game, and were all on the court with Dallas nursing a six-point lead early in the fourth quarter.
Nowitzki, who was ejected for a flagrant foul late in the third quarter against the Rockets, was 7 of 17 from the field and 1 of 6 from 3-point range.
Ellis had five assists and was 5 of 13 from the field after scoring eight points on 3-of-13 shooting against Houston.
Atlanta's Elton Brand had seven points and six rebounds in his return to Dallas after playing 72 games with 18 starts in his only season with the Mavericks. Jared Cunningham, a first-round pick acquired by Dallas in 2012 and traded to the Hawks on draft night this year, scored 14.
Devin Harris, who spent last season with the Hawks, is back in Dallas after starting his career with the Mavericks nine years ago. He won't see the Hawks early in the season while he recovers from off-season toe surgery.
Match Highlights
NBA Miami Heat vs New Orleans Pelicans
Miami Heat vs New Orleans Pelicans 108-95
For Greg Oden and his Miami Heat teammates, four minutes on an NBA court in a preseason game was cause for celebration.
"It's been a long time and I've been wanting to get out there," Oden said after his preseason debut in Miami's 108-95 victory at New Orleans on Wednesday night. "It was only a couple minutes, but it was what I needed, what I can handle right now and, you know, small baby steps."
Oden is attempting to come back from knee injuries that have plagued him since he was drafted first overall out of Ohio State in 2007. The last time he played in an NBA game was on Dec. 5, 2009, for the Portland Trail Blazers.
Not long after he came in against the Pelicans, he scored his only points of the night on a dunk, which was also his only shot. He also grabbed a pair of defensive rebounds.
"It was a very special moment," LeBron James said of Oden's appearance. "I have no idea what my feeling would be like, being away from the game for three years. It was like a proud moment, man. I was so excited for him when he got on the court and he checked in — and his first basket he gets a dunk. Can you write it any better? Obviously he's not where he wants to be, but the process is going great.
"I can just imagine how excited he was to get back out there," James continued. "I'm going to have to take a toast for him, man. I ain't no drinker, but I might have to take a shot for him. It was an absolutely great moment."
Miami is a team used to celebrating NBA championships after winning the past two. Oden was gratified to see how much it also meant to the Heat to see him show the first small sign of a successful return to the game he loves, and missed.
"In December it would be four years, so four minutes, that's enough for me," Oden said. "As long as I got out there and I walked off and I'm healthy, that's all that matters.
"I know the guys were happy for me," Oden added. "I definitely felt love. And I'm excited that they were there for me."
Heat Coach Erik Spoelstra said Oden's face "lit up" when he told him he was going to put him in the game.
"We are just so pleased for him," Spoelstra said. "It was just great to see him do something he loves to do. It was taken away from him for four years. We just continue to make patient, steady progress forward from here."
James scored 27 points and Dwyane Wade added 25 for the Heat, who trailed after three quarters but opened the fourth with a 21-2 run.
Wade hit a 3 during the decisive surge, then stole the ball for a breakaway jam. Ray Allen did all his scoring with three straight 3s to make it 98-84.
Chris Bosh had 14 points and nine rebounds for Miami (5-2), and Chris Andersen added 13 points.
Eric Gordon scored 19 for New Orleans (6-1), while Anthony Davis had 18 points and eight rebounds. Anthony Morrow added 16 points, Jrue Holiday 12 and Ryan Anderson 10.
"It's been a long time and I've been wanting to get out there," Oden said after his preseason debut in Miami's 108-95 victory at New Orleans on Wednesday night. "It was only a couple minutes, but it was what I needed, what I can handle right now and, you know, small baby steps."
Oden is attempting to come back from knee injuries that have plagued him since he was drafted first overall out of Ohio State in 2007. The last time he played in an NBA game was on Dec. 5, 2009, for the Portland Trail Blazers.
Not long after he came in against the Pelicans, he scored his only points of the night on a dunk, which was also his only shot. He also grabbed a pair of defensive rebounds.
"It was a very special moment," LeBron James said of Oden's appearance. "I have no idea what my feeling would be like, being away from the game for three years. It was like a proud moment, man. I was so excited for him when he got on the court and he checked in — and his first basket he gets a dunk. Can you write it any better? Obviously he's not where he wants to be, but the process is going great.
"I can just imagine how excited he was to get back out there," James continued. "I'm going to have to take a toast for him, man. I ain't no drinker, but I might have to take a shot for him. It was an absolutely great moment."
Miami is a team used to celebrating NBA championships after winning the past two. Oden was gratified to see how much it also meant to the Heat to see him show the first small sign of a successful return to the game he loves, and missed.
"In December it would be four years, so four minutes, that's enough for me," Oden said. "As long as I got out there and I walked off and I'm healthy, that's all that matters.
"I know the guys were happy for me," Oden added. "I definitely felt love. And I'm excited that they were there for me."
Heat Coach Erik Spoelstra said Oden's face "lit up" when he told him he was going to put him in the game.
"We are just so pleased for him," Spoelstra said. "It was just great to see him do something he loves to do. It was taken away from him for four years. We just continue to make patient, steady progress forward from here."
James scored 27 points and Dwyane Wade added 25 for the Heat, who trailed after three quarters but opened the fourth with a 21-2 run.
Wade hit a 3 during the decisive surge, then stole the ball for a breakaway jam. Ray Allen did all his scoring with three straight 3s to make it 98-84.
Chris Bosh had 14 points and nine rebounds for Miami (5-2), and Chris Andersen added 13 points.
Eric Gordon scored 19 for New Orleans (6-1), while Anthony Davis had 18 points and eight rebounds. Anthony Morrow added 16 points, Jrue Holiday 12 and Ryan Anderson 10.
Match Highlights
Пријавите се на:
Коментари (Atom)