NBA Brooklyn Nets vs Miami Heat

Brooklyn Nets vs Miami Heat 101-100

Before they can think about beating Miami in the playoffs, the Brooklyn Nets had to show they could do it in a game.

By the time they ended 4 1/2 years of futility, the only losing streak belonged to Miami — for the first time in 10 months.

Paul Pierce and Joe Johnson scored 19 points each, and the Nets ended a 13-game skid against the Heat and sent the NBA champions to consecutive losses for the first time since January with a 101-100 victory Friday night.

"It was good that we got a taste of this type of atmosphere this early in the season to try to see where we're at," Pierce said. "Miami, whenever they come into town, they're a measuring stick for everybody, so it was good for us to come out and get the win."

Pierce and Johnson both hit two free throws in the final seconds as the Heat were trying to pull off a comeback. Instead, they fell to 1-2 and have dropped two in a row for the first time since Jan. 8 and 10.

The Heat got Dwyane Wade back after he missed Wednesday's loss in Philadelphia, and he scored 21 points. LeBron James led Miami with 26 points as the Heat again fell far behind and couldn't catch up.

"What you've done in the past doesn't mean you can make it happen in the present, so we've just got to have a little more sense of urgency," James said. "It's not doomsday right now. We're good, but we understand what we need to fix and correct."

The Nets ended a 13-game skid against the Heat with their first victory since March 20, 2009, before Miami's Big Three got together and when the Nets were still playing in East Rutherford, N.J. — two homes ago.

Deron Williams, who came to the Nets two years later, said he wasn't aware of the skid until seeing it on TV earlier Friday.

"You don't want to have those types of losing streaks to any franchise," he said, "so it was definitely on our mind."

Brooklyn, bigger and deeper, opened an 11-point lead after three quarters and kept the lead right around there until the final 2 minutes. Then Miami ran off 10 straight, cutting it to 96-94 with 18 seconds left after consecutive 3-pointers by Wade and Mario Chalmers.

James later nailed a 3-pointer from the corner to cut it to 99-98 with 4.7 seconds remaining before Johnson hit two free throws. Chris Bosh was fouled and after making the first appeared to try and miss the second, but it went in and the Heat couldn't commit another foul in time.

The Nets bounced back from a season-opening loss in Cleveland by winning in their second and final game without first-year coach Jason Kidd, suspended two games by the NBA after pleading guilty in a drunken driving case.

James heated up late for his 21st straight 20-point game against the Nets. Only Michael Jordan had a longer streak, with 39 in a row from 1984-95.

Miami had bounced back with a win after every loss since following a Jan. 8 defeat to Indiana with another loss two nights later in Portland. But the Nets seized control in the third quarter behind 11 points from Pierce, holding the Heat without a basket for nearly 6 minutes and building just enough of a lead.

"This ain't nothing new. We've dealt with this before. This story line continues," Wade said. "At the end of the day, we want to play better. We would love to play better, obviously the start, the first and the third, but we had a chance to win the game. We have to find a way to pull it out."

The Heat swept three games against the Nets last season by an average of 21 points, the series appearing more lopsided than ever.

Getting Kevin Garnett and Pierce from Boston should change that, as well as whatever pleasantries might have existed between the teams. Garnett said James should worry about the Heat and stay out of Celtics business last month after James made some critical comments about their departure from Boston, and James refused to answer any questions about the Nets before the game Friday, saying Garnett told him not to talk about other teams.

Brooklyn got eight points in 12 minutes from Andrei Kirilenko after he missed the opener with back spasms. Fellow newcomer Alan Anderson also had eight points, while Andray Blatche led the reserves with nine.

NOTES: Miami's longest winning streak against an opponent is 12 in a row over Charlotte. ... The crowd included Magic Johnson, David Beckham, Allen Iverson and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Match Highlights

 

NBA Milwaukee Bucks vs Boston Celtics

Milwaukee Bucks vs Boston Celtics 105-98

The World Series trophy was in the building. Bill Russell was courtside. And the next Boston Celtics championship seems so very far away.

The Celtics opened the season at home on Friday night without Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce or Doc Rivers — or Rajon Rondo, for that matter — and gave away a 22-point second half lead as the Milwaukee Bucks won 105-98 for their first victory of the season.

The loss spoiled the home debut of new Celtics coach Brad Stevens and dampened the cheer in the city following the Red Sox victory in the World Series on Wednesday.

Zaza Pachulia had 20 points and nine rebounds, making two free throws with 44 seconds left to give the Bucks their first lead since the opening basket. It was the second straight night Milwaukee fell behind early, having spotted the New York Knicks to a 25-point lead before coming back to tie it — and then lose — on Wednesday.

"We have to figure this out, getting off to such a bad start," said Bucks coach Larry Drew, who earned his first victory after taking over for Jim Boylan. "I've got to get my finger on it. Two straight games where we just got off to bad starts. It hasn't been great execution. We're just putting too pressure on ourselves defensively."

Red Sox owners John Henry and Tom Werner took the court before the game with the World Series trophy, and Russell was also courtside a few hours after a statue of him was unveiled near City Hall. The 11-time NBA champion was honoured during a first-half timeout, and Stevens made sure his team watched.

"There are things that are bigger than the game, although right now I don't feel good about life," the former Butler coach said. "To honour Bill Russell and to have us be in a huddle while they're honouring Bill Russell wouldn't be right."

John Henson had 14 points and nine rebounds for the Bucks, who scored the last 10 points of the game. In its opener on Wednesday, Milwaukee rallied to take a lead with 3:13 left before giving up 10 of the last 12 points.

"The second time, same (bad start)" Pachulia said. "In New York, we just couldn't finish out the game. We have to fix the mistakes we make."

Vitor Faverani scored 12 points with 18 rebounds for Boston. Brandon Bass and Jeff Green each had nine rebounds for the Celtics, who scored 20 of the first 26 points in the game and led 72-50 with 19 minutes to play.

But Milwaukee scored 11 of the last 14 points in the third quarter and then tied it 93-all with a 20-10 run to start the fourth. After Gerald Wallace hit a 3-pointer to give Boston back the lead, the teams traded free throws and then the Bucks scored the next 10 points.

Milwaukee made 10 straight free throws to end the game, including two by Pachulia that made it 99-98.

"We can't play like that. It all starts with me," Green said. "We've got to get it going in the right direction and I take responsibility for that. We can't lose — not the way we played in the first half."

It was the first regular-season home game for the Celtics, who traded Pierce and Garnett to the Brooklyn Nets over the summer and sent Rivers to the Los Angeles Clippers. Stevens replaced Rivers, making his NBA debut about a week after his 37th birthday.

Injured point guard Rajon Rondo took over Pierce's usual role of speaking to the fans before the opener. Wearing a suit and tie and a fake beard — a tribute to the Red Sox — Rondo welcomed the fans before taking a seat on the bench for the rest of the game.

Rondo, who is recovering from a torn ACL in his right knee, is not expected to play for at least a month. The Celtics aren't expected to be competitive until he returns, which is OK with the fans who want them to earn a high pick in what is said to be the deepest NBA draft in years.

Boston came out and scored 16 of the first 20 points in the game and never led by less than seven points until the fourth-quarter collapse, when they were outscored 34-15. Faverani had 11 rebounds at halftime and Green had 11 points.

NOTES: Celtics PG Avery Bradley was evaluated for a concussion on Friday but was cleared to play. ... Bucks PG Brandon Knight, who strained his right hamstring 2 minutes into Milwaukee's opener, did not play. ... Russell sat courtside. ... Boston's Jared Sullinger returned from a one-game suspension after he was charged with domestic violence. The charges were dismissed by a judge

Match Highlights

 

NBA Philadelphia 76ers vs Washington Wizards

Philadelphia 76ers vs Washington Wizards 109-102

Well, that's a confounding sight at the top of the standings.

The rebuilding, supposed-to-be-really-bad Philadelphia 76ers are 2-0, having followed their stunner over the Miami Heat with a win that left the Washington Wizards' fans booing and their coach already questioning the players' commitment.

Thaddeus Young scored 29 points, rookie Michael Carter-Williams started cold and finished hot, and John Wall did just the opposite Friday night as the 76ers pulled away in the fourth quarter for a 109-102 victory.

"It's only two," first-year 76ers coach Brett Brown said, "but we sure are happy."

The 76ers are 2-0 for the first time since 2006-07, and they have done it by pushing the tempo and playing decent defence. They trailed by 12 points in the third quarter, but they shot 65 per cent over the final 12 minutes and finished with a staggering 74 points in the paint.

Young scored 10 points in the fourth quarter. Evan Turner scored 23 points, and Spencer Hawes had 16 points and 14 rebounds. Carter-Williams finished 6 for 15 from the field after an 0-for-5 start and had 14 points and five assists.

It was an inevitable climb-down from Carter-Williams' stellar NBA debut when he had 22 points, 12 assists, nine steals and seven rebounds against the Heat. He overcame some early foul trouble to hit some big shots when the 76ers were making up ground on the Wizards in the third quarter.

"How does a young guy respond?" Brown said. "You just keep seeing different ways where he doesn't get fazed by the moment."

The Wizards were as embarrassed as they could be. They are 0-2 for the fourth consecutive year, but this season has essentially been labeled as playoffs-or-bust by owner Ted Leonsis.

Coach Randy Wittman, in the last season of his contract, answered only two questions at his postgame news conference and took 5 minutes to do so, using language not appropriate for live television.

"Commitment to ... playing defence. That's what it is. ... The thing they haven't learned, and I got to figure out a way," Wittman said. "You could see it coming out of the locker room. You've got to respect the game, your opponent. ... Everything you get is 'No, we're OK.' We're not OK. We're 0-2. We're not OK."

Wall made his first seven shots and went 3 for 12 the rest of the way. He said he battled back spasms in the second half but should be fine for Sunday's game at Miami.

Trevor Ariza added 14 rebounds for the Wizards, who played without forward Nene (strained left calf). Marcin Gortat, acquired only a week ago in a trade, had 12 points and seven rebounds in his first start for Washington.

Wall looked unstoppable in the first quarter when he reeled off 10 points in a 55-second span, beating his chest with his right fist and shouting at himself after making his second 3-pointer, but the Wizards couldn't hold a lead. Washington led by 12 after the first quarter but failed to get a field goal for nearly 6 minutes in the second.

In the third quarter, a 12-point Wizards' lead was wiped out in a matter of minutes, and the teams were tied at 74 entering the fourth. Carter-Williams' 3-pointer with 6:28 remaining gave the 76ers their first lead of the game. They never trailed again, a team able to play with nothing to lose because everyone expects them to.

"We have a lot of confidence in each other," Carter-Williams said. "And not by any means are we going to go out there and play like we don't want to win. There's a bunch of winners on this team."

NOTES: Philadelphia missed its first 10 attempts from 3-point range and finished 6 for 23 for the game. ... The home opener failed to generate much buzz for a Wizards franchise that hasn't been to the playoffs since 2008. Wall addressed the crowd a few minutes before tipoff, saying "Y'all are the best fans in the NBA" — to an arena that was less than half full. The announced attendance was 17,160. ... The Wizards remain without No. 3 overall pick Otto Porter, who has a right hip flexor injury.

Match Highlights

 

NBA Orlando Magic vs New Orleans Pelicans

Orlando Magic vs New Orleans Pelicans 110-90

There were so many positives from the Orlando Magic's first victory of the season that it was hard for coach Jacque Vaughn to stop praising his players.

The Magic held New Orleans under 40 per cent shooting in three of the four quarters and to 34.8 per cent for the game in a 110-90 rout Friday night that wasn't close after the first quarter.

Orlando got 30 points from Arron Afflalo, 20 from Maurice Harkless and had four other players score in double figures, while shooting 55.7 per cent from the field. That included going 11 of 22 on 3-pointers.

The Magic led by 18 points at halftime, 25 after three quarters and pushed the lead to as many as 30 in the final period.

"When we're able to dictate what we want the opponents to do we're in good shape and we were able to do that," Vaughn said. "Our focus on our game plan was there right from the start. To keep them under 40 per cent all night . we'll take that. It will give us a chance.

"And even the 11 (3-point shots) we missed, a couple of them were in-and-out and they were all good looks."

Harkless got most of the good looks in the first half when Orlando built a 53-35 lead by outscoring the Pelicans 31-15 in the second quarter. Harkless was 3 for 4 in the quarter, including two 3-pointers, and scored 12 points.

Afflalo took over in the third quarter, hitting all five field goal attempts, including three 3-pointers, and scoring 15 points as Orlando took command for good.

Kyle O'Quinn had 14 points and Jammer Nelson, Nikola Vucevic and Victor Oladipo added 10 apiece for the Magic. Oladipo, the second pick in the NBA draft, added six assists and six rebounds.

"New Orleans is a good team, but we came out and played the way we wanted to," Harkless said. "We've got to be able to put games like this together on a nightly basis.

New Orleans got 26 points and 17 rebounds from Anthony Davis, but the No. 1 pick in the 2012 draft hit only nine of 23 shots as the Magic swarmed him every time he touched the ball. Jrue Holiday rebounded from 1-for-8 shooting in the first half to score 17 points, but neither he nor Davis could light a fire under a morose New Orleans team that dropped to 0-2.

"Let's face it, we've got some players who aren't playing that well," Pelicans coach Monty Williams said. "We've got to play much harder than we played. We just did not play with a sense of urgency on every possession."

The only other Pelicans in double figures were reserve Anthony Morrow, who hit all four 3-point attempts on his way to 14 points, and Eric Gordon, who had 12.

"It just wasn't us tonight," Gordon said. "The Magic just played harder and outworked us. We could never get in a flow throughout the whole game."

Orlando took control of the game in the second and third quarters, outscoring New Orleans 63-40 with Harkless and Afflalo taking turns leading the charge. Harkless had 12 points in the second quarter and Afflalo had 15 in the third as the Magic built a 25-point lead.

Orlando used a superb defensive effort in the first half to build a 53-35 lead. The Magic held New Orleans to 15-of-49 shooting (30.6 per cent), swarming the guards every time they entered the lane and making every possession a grind for the visitors.

The Magic started the game hitting five of their first six shots, including two 3-pointers from Nelson, but all it got them was a 22-20 first-quarter lead.

The Pelicans were 6 for 21 (28.6 per cent) in the second quarter, with Holiday and Tyreke Evans a combined 1 for 14 at halftime. Evans finished the game with no points on 0-for-7 shooting.

The Magic, meanwhile, were getting surprising contributions from Harkless, who scored 16 points in the first two games and matched that in the first half. The second-year forward from St. John's scored seven straight points and 12 of the Magic's last 18 in the quarter, including two 3-pointers.

Harkless' last 3 gave Orlando a 53-33 lead with 19 seconds left in the half and though Gordon made a driving layup at the buzzer, the Magic were clearly in control.

The Pelicans hit their first five shots, three by Holiday, in the third quarter but the closest they got was 62-48 on a highlight-reel lob-and-dunk from Holiday to Davis with 8:28 left in the third quarter.

The Magic answered with a 13-3 run and the lead was up to 24 when Afflalo nailed a 3-pointer to make it 75-51. Orlando finished the quarter with an 85-60 lead and all but one of its starters on the bench.

NOTES: The Magic honoured former player Tracy McGrady as part of the season-long celebration of the franchise's 25th anniversary. McGrady led the NBA in scoring his last two years in Orlando and was an all-star all four seasons (2000-2004) he played for the Magic. ...The Pelicans' roster starts the season with the least experience in the NBA, averaging just 3.6 years' experience. . Magic reserve PF Solomon Jones tore the lateral meniscus in his left knee against Minnesota and is out indefinitely.

Match Highlights

 

NBA Charlotte Bobcats vs Cleveland Cavaliers

Charlotte Bobcats vs Cleveland Cavaliers 90-84

Kemba Walker outdueled Kyrie Irving and the Charlotte Bobcats earned their first win of the season.

Walker won the battle of small, but speedy point guards, scoring 23 points and handing out seven assists to help the Bobcats beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 90-84 on Friday night in their home opener.

Walker hit a 3-pointer over Irving with 58 seconds left to break a tie.

The Cavaliers had two chances to tie, but Josh McRoberts came up with a steal and Jarrett Jack had an air-ball on a 3-pointer with 12 seconds left.

Gerald Henderson added two free throws in the final 11 seconds to make it a two-possession game and help seal the win.

Bismack Biyombo, who filled in for injured centre Al Jefferson, came up big for Charlotte scoring 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting and grabbing 10 rebounds.

CJ Miles had 22 points, and Tristan Thompson added 21 for the Cavaliers.

Irving had 16 points on 7-of-17 shooting, but was held to one point in the fourth quarter. He attempted only three shots in the fourth and missed them all.

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist finished with 15 points and six rebounds for the Bobcats. Henderson had 10 points on 2-of-10 shooting.

The Bobcats led throughout the first half and was up 54-49 behind 12 points from Walker and eight apiece from rookie Cody Zeller and reserve Ramon Sessions.

Zeller, the No. 4 overall pick in the draft, outplayed No. 1 pick Anthony Bennett in his first game in front of the home crowd.

The 7-footer showed terrific athleticism getting up and down the court and knocked down two mid-range jumpers while finishing with nine points and five rebounds.

Bennett failed to score in 12 minutes and had four fouls.

Zeller got a chance to guard his older brother Tyler — and even deflected one of his shots.

The Bobcats played without Jefferson, their top free agent acquisition this off-season. The 6-10 centre re-aggravated his ankle in Charlotte's loss at Houston on Wednesday night.

Coach Steve Clifford said Jefferson will be reevaluated over the weekend.

"It's significant," Clifford said of having to play without Jefferson. "He's our best offensive player. I don't want to go crazy, but he's of the two or three best low post scorers in the league."

Jefferson's absence meant the Bobcats had to change their style of play using more pick and rolls instead of pounding the ball into the low post.

NOTES: Carolina Panthers coach Ron Rivera took in the game from courtside. ... Walker has scored in double digits in 26 of his last 27 games dating to last season. ... The Bobcats have won their last four home games dating to last season.

NBA Los Angeles Clippers vs Golden State Warriors

Los Angeles Clippers vs Golden State Warriors 126-115

The Clippers finished nine games ahead of second-place Golden State last season to win the franchise's first division championship. That margin would have been larger had the Warriors not beaten them three times.

The teams renewed their intense rivalry Thursday night as Chris Paul scored 42 points and had three of his 15 assists on consecutive alley-oop dunks by Blake Griffin during a 30-second span of the third quarter, helping lead Los Angeles to a 126-115 victory in the Clippers' home opener.

"Those three plays started with defence, and that's what got us going," Griffin said. "That's a positive thing, and we have to learn from that. We have to know that we can extend a lead and put the game where we need it to be with our defence."

The Clippers, coming off a club-record 56-win season, began their 30th season in Los Angeles on Tuesday with a 116-103 loss to the Lakers, that night's home team in the shared arena.

This is the first season in which the Lakers' championship banners and retired numbers will be covered up during Clippers home games by banners depicting some of their players in action — an innovation by new head coach Doc Rivers.

Griffin had 23 points and 10 rebounds before fouling out with 3:53 remaining for the Clippers. Reserve Jamal Crawford added 17 points and DeAndre Jordan had 17 rebounds and nine points.

Golden State's Stephen Curry, who set an NBA single-season record with 272 3-pointers last season made nine 3s against the Clippers and finished with 39 points and nine assists. David Lee scored 22 points before fouling out with 4:10 to play, and centre Andrew Bogut had 17 points.

Warriors guard Klay Thompson, who had a career-high 38 points on 15-for-19 shooting in a 125-94 rout of the Lakers on Wednesday night, did not attempt a field goal against the Clippers until he was awarded a basket on a goaltending call against Jordan with 5:04 left in the half. Thompson finished with 10 points.

"We're not running our offence through Klay. That's not who we are," coach Mark Jackson said. "We pick and choose, find the hot hand, we run our offence and we execute. Last night he had it going and we made a steady diet of Klay. Tonight we were trying to find a rhythm and then Steph got it going."

Trailing by as many as 19, the Warriors sliced the deficit to 110-102 on a four-point play by Curry, who was fouled by Jared Dudley on his fourth 3-pointer of the fourth quarter with 6:05 remaining.

"It's crazy. I mean, you give him one or two inches and he can still get his shot off," Griffin said. "I thought we did a decent job on him, but he was just in one of those zones where it seemed like he was hitting everything he put up."

The Warriors, however, never got closer as the Clippers responded with a 10-5 run capped by newcomer J.J. Redick's 3-pointer with 3:12 left.

"When you're on the road playing against a team like that, one that thrives off turnovers and easy baskets, you can't give them a game like that," Curry said. "It's disappointing for me to let my shooting performance be overshadowed by my 11 turnovers. But it's not going to keep me down."

Lee committed his fifth foul with 6:38 left in the third quarter and went to the bench with the Warriors trailing 77-67. Paul and Griffin then worked the sellout crowd of 19,060 into a frenzy with their sudden reprise of "Lob City," helping the Clippers pull away to an 88-70 lead with 4:31 left in the quarter.

Los Angeles led 68-55 at halftime with four players reaching double digits, including Paul with 18 points. The Clippers took their biggest lead, 65-47, on a 21-footer by Redick that capped an 11-2 spurt with 1:43 left in the second quarter. He finished with 17 points.

"We had no business being in this game, but we fought, we battled and we hung in there. We just couldn't get over the hump," Jackson said. "We just lost to a good basketball team. You can't turn the ball over against them because they'll make you pay the price."

After getting in early foul trouble, Bogut picked up his third with 2:50 left in the half when he hacked Jordan on the arm as the Clippers' centre backed into him while dribbling the ball in the paint. The two players got into a shoving match before they each received technical fouls. The Clippers were leading 58-45 at the time.

"It's just basketball," Jordan said. "He fouled me and I thought he followed through a little bit, so I want to protect myself at all times. It's didn't escalate anymore, and that's it."

The Clippers did not raise a banner signifying the first division championship in franchise history, which dates back to the 1970-71 season when they were the Buffalo Braves. Nor was it mentioned during the pregame introductions.

"I didn't have a lot of say in that this summer," Griffin said with a smirk. "We did win the division, but whether there's a banner up there or not, we have such bigger goals that that. Just getting to the playoffs is not enough. Our goal is to win four series in the playoffs."

NOTES: The Clippers are 15-15 in home openers since moving from San Diego to Los Angeles for the 1984-85 season. ... The Clippers have beaten the Warriors at least once in each of the last 27 seasons, their longest such streak against any club. ... Jordan recorded his 1,000th regular-season field goal in the NBA on an alley-oop dunk set up by Paul in the first quarter. Jordan's league-best 64.3 shooting percentage last season was a franchise record, topping James Donaldson's old mark in 1984-85, the Clippers' first season in L.A. ... The Clippers franchise is 5-11 on Halloween and 2-8 since the club moved to Los Angeles.

NBA Chicago Bulls vs New York Knicks

Chicago Bulls vs New York Knicks 82-81

Forget about the neck stiffness that almost postponed Derrick Rose's homecoming. Forget about all those missed shots, too.

Rose made the only play that mattered Thursday night, and it was just like old times for the Chicago Bulls.

Rose connected on a baseline floater with 5.7 seconds left to lift Chicago to an 82-81 victory over the New York Knicks in his first home game since he injured his left knee 18 months ago.

"That's what builds your resume," Rose said. "Leaves a mark on your legacy."

The 2011 NBA MVP had 18 points on 7-of-23 shooting and committed four turnovers. But there was no doubt who was getting the ball after Tyson Chandler went 1 for 2 at the line to give New York an 81-80 lead with 10.8 seconds remaining.

Rose, who was a game-time decision for Chicago's home opener due to an achy neck, got the ball on the wing, drove to the baseline and lofted a well-placed floater over the 7-foot Chandler and Raymond Felton for the go-ahead basket, drawing a standing ovation from the delirious crowd of 22,022.

"I was right there. He just made a big-time play," Chandler said. "I don't know if he saw the basket to be honest with you."

New York had one last chance but Carmelo Anthony missed a long jumper. Anthony then stood with his hands on his hips as the Bulls celebrated.

"I got the look I wanted," Anthony said.

Chicago had just two field goals in the final period — both by Rose — and committed six turnovers in the last 12 minutes. But it still managed to equal a franchise record with its sixth consecutive win in home openers.

Luol Deng had 17 points and Carlos Boozer finished with 14 as the Bulls beat the Knicks for the sixth straight time.

"It's tough when you go into a game and you don't know who you have," coach Tom Thibodeau said. "That's all part of it. It's the start of the season. As long as we are putting everything into each and every day and strive for improvement, it will work out."

New York coach Mike Woodson opted for a bigger look against Chicago, inserting 7-foot Andrea Bargnani into the starting lineup and using guard Pablo Prigioni as a reserve. But the Bulls still enjoyed a 46-24 advantage in points in the paint and a 48-42 rebounding edge, led by Joakim Noah's 15 boards.

"We competed tonight. It says a lot for our club," Woodson said. "Now I just need to do a better job getting us through down the stretch."

Amar'e Stoudemire made his season debut for the Knicks and had five points in 11 minutes. The power forward, who turns 31 on Nov. 16, is coming off minor knee surgery over the summer and looked as if the years of health problems had robbed him of much of his athleticism.

"Very pleased with how I felt tonight, as far as my body," he said. "Just going to continue to keep building and keep getting better."

New York trailed 76-66 with 7:53 remaining, but rookie Tim Hardaway Jr. made a 3-pointer to spark a 12-0 run for the Knicks. Felton connected from long range, Iman Shumpert had a dunk and Anthony closed out the spurt with a turnaround jumper that put New York in front with 4:10 remaining.

The last part of the game mostly consisted of turnovers and missed shots, but Chicago managed to survive behind Rose.

"He showed a lot of toughness," Thibodeau said. "It was a struggle early on in the game. He found his way at the start of the third, that got him a little lift."

Jimmy Butler finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds for Chicago, which lost 107-95 at NBA champion Miami in its season opener on Tuesday night.

Anthony led New York with 22 points on 8-of-24 shooting. Chandler had 19 rebounds, but the Knicks were unable to open the season with consecutive victories on consecutive nights. They were coming off a 90-83 victory against Milwaukee on Wednesday.

Wearing strips of black tape on either side of his achy neck, Rose received a thunderous ovation from the sellout crowd when he was the last player introduced during the pregame festivities. He showed no outward emotion as he ran out of the tunnel with fans waving glowing red sticks in celebration of the return of the Chicago native.

After Rose got on the court, chants of "M-V-P! M-V-P!" rang out from the seats at the United Center.

It was Rose's first real game at the Bulls' longtime home since he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee in the first game of the 2012 playoffs against Philadelphia. What followed was a long and arduous rehabilitation process that raised questions about Rose's toughness when he was unable to return last season.

That whole "Will he or won't he play" episode was long forgotten when he took the court against the Knicks, taking a quick moment to blow a kiss toward the luxury boxes before tipoff.

The speedy point guard was just 2 for 11 from the field in the first half, but Deng had 12 points to help Chicago to a 43-38 lead at the break.

"I'm not going to continue missing shots that I'm missing," Rose said, pointing to what he thinks will be even better days ahead. "I work too hard."

NOTES: Chicago improved to 27-21 in home openers, including a 12-8 record at the United Center. ... Hardaway provided a spark as a reserve, finishing with 10 points.

Match Highlights