NBA Capsules (October 31, 2016)

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) Avery Bradley had 31 points on a career-high eight 3-pointers, and Boston defeated Charlotte 104-98 on Saturday night.

Bradley was 8 of 11 from beyond the arc and had 11 rebounds as the Celtics shot 75 percent from the field in the fourth quarter.

Isaiah Thomas had 24 points and seven assists and Al Horford added 14 points for the Celtics, who trailed by one entering the fourth quarter.

Boston finished 15 of 31 from 3-point range, while the Hornets were just 9 of 32.

Kemba Walker led the Hornets in their home opener with 29 points, while Frank Kaminsky had 11 points and four rebounds in his first regular season action.

---

KNICKS 111, GRIZZLIES 104

NEW YORK (AP) - Kristaps Porzingis scored 21 points, Carmelo Anthony had 20 and New York used a fast start and strong finish to beat Memphis in its home opener.

Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah and Courtney Lee all had impressive moments in their first home games at Madison Square Garden, and Anthony converted the three-point play that sparked the decisive spurt.

Rose had a couple of crossovers and quick bursts into the lane that showed his legs looked healthy and scored 13 points. Noah finished with six points, 10 rebounds and seven assists, and Lee scored 16 points as the Knicks got their first win under coach Jeff Hornacek after falling apart in the second half and getting routed 117-88 by Cleveland in the NBA season opener.

Marc Gasol scored 20 points for the Grizzlies.

---

CAVALIERS 105, MAGIC 99

CLEVELAND (AP) - LeBron James scored 23 points, Kyrie Irving added 20 and Cleveland beat Orlando for the 15th straight time.

Kevin Love scored 19 points to help the NBA champion Cavaliers improve to 3-0. They haven't lost to the Magic since Nov. 23, 2012, in Orlando.

Evan Fournier scored 22 points for Orlando. The Magic cut a 22-point deficit to 88-85 with 4 minutes to play, but J.R. Smith hit three 3-pointers and scored 11 in the fourth quarter.

Smith made 3-pointers on consecutive possessions and Cleveland forced a shot-clock violation. James followed with two baskets, including a left-handed finish at the rim.

Serge Ibaka converted a three-point play and hit a free throw, cutting the lead to 98-95 with 45 seconds left, but Smith's 3-pointer from the corner pushed the lead to six.

---

BUCKS 110, NETS 108

MILWAUKEE (AP) - John Henson's tip-in at the buzzer gave Milwaukee its first victory of the season.

Rashad Vaughn scored a career-high 22 points, including six 3-pointers, for Milwaukee. Giannis Antetokounmpo added 21 points and 11 rebounds. He scored all of his points in the paint, including seven dunks.

Vaughn, who surpassed his previous career high of 12 points, hit consecutive 3-pointers that gave Milwaukee a seven-point lead late in the fourth quarter. But after Matthew Dellavedova missed a driving layup, Bojan Bogdanovic nailed a 3-pointer to tie the score with 11.6 seconds remaining, setting up Henson's heroics.

Bogdanovic's 26 points led the Nets, who made just 11 of 35 3-point attempts.

---

BULLS 118, PACERS 101

CHICAGO (AP) - Doug McDermott had 23 points, Jimmy Butler added 16 on 6-of-9 shooting and Rajon Rondo had 13 assists to lead the Bulls to their second straight victory to open the season.

McDermott scored 11 points in the fourth quarter as coach Fred Hoiberg gave his veteran starters - Butler, Rondo and Dwyane Wade, who had 14 points - the rest of the night off after the third quarter.

Taj Gibson had 12 points and eight rebounds, and Robin Lopez added 12 points for the Bulls.

Paul George and Myles Turner had 20 points apiece to lead the Pacers (1-2).

The Bulls had a 24-20 lead at the end of the first quarter before breaking things open with a dominant second. They scored 38 points on 14-for-18 (77.8 percent) shooting in the quarter to race out to a 62-41 halftime lead.

---

SPURS 98, PELICANS 79

SAN ANTONIO (AP) - Kawhi Leonard had 20 points and San Antonio won in its home opener.

The Spurs won their first season opener in 20 years without Tim Duncan, who retired in the offseason. San Antonio played without any of its Big Three as Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili both sat out to rest in the first night of back-to-back games.

San Antonio didn't appear to miss them, as 11 players scored to help the team remain unbeaten after three games.

Patty Mills scored 18 points starting in place of Parker, and LaMarcus Aldridge had 12 points.

Pelicans forward Anthony Davis was held to 18 points after scoring 50 and 45 points in the first two games. Aldridge picked up three fouls in the first half as Davis' primary defender, but still managed to hold the 6-foot-10 forward to 6-for-15 shooting in the game.

E'Twaun Moore also had 18 points for New Orleans (0-3).

---

HAWKS 104, 76ERS 72

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Paul Millsap scored 17 points to lead five Hawks in double figures.

Kyle Korver chipped in 15 points and Mike Muscala added 14 for Atlanta.

The Hawks barely needed top offseason acquisition Dwight Howard. The big man had just two points and seven rebounds in his second game for his hometown team after signing a three-year, $70 million free-agent contract this summer. The 31-year-old center had 19 rebounds and 11 points in Atlanta's season-opening 114-99 win over Washington on Thursday.

Dennis Schroder had 11 points and 11 assists for Atlanta.

Joel Embiid and Sergio Rodriguez had 14 points apiece for the 76ers.

---

TRAIL BLAZERS 115, NUGGETS 113, OT

DENVER (AP) - Damian Lillard scored 37 points, including the go-ahead floater with less than a second remaining in overtime, and Portland won in a game that featured a 28-minute delay in the fourth quarter due to a power surge.

Lillard blew past big man Kenneth Faried in the lane and floated in a shot with 0.3 seconds left. Lillard had tied the game on a runner in regulation with 2.1 seconds remaining.

Denver led 90-85 early in the fourth quarter when a bank of lights went out near the ceiling at the Pepsi Center. The teams shot jumpers until the game was restarted. Portland shot lights out in its return to the court - the Nuggets not as much, especially down the stretch when they squandered a nine-point lead.

CJ McCollum had seven of his 23 points in overtime to provide a spark for Portland.

Nikola Jokic led six Denver players in double figures with 23 points and he had a career-high 17 rebounds in the home opener for Denver.

---

KINGS 106, TIMBERWOLVES 103

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - DeMarcus Cousins had 29 points and Rudy Gay added 28 for Sacramento.

Ben McLemore had 13 points for the Kings, who won for the first time at new Golden 1. Matt Barnes had 12 points and nine assists. Cousins picked up two fouls in the game's final minute and fouled out.

Andrew Wiggins scored 29 points for the Timberwolves, who are off to an 0-2 start under new coach Tom Thibodeau. Zach Levine had three 3-pointers and 21 points while Karl Anthony-Towns had 15 points and Gorgui Dieng had 14 points and 13 rebounds.

NBA Capsules (October 29, 2016)

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Russell Westbrook had 51 points and a triple-double and scored the winning points in the Oklahoma City Thunder's 113-110 overtime victory over the Phoenix Suns on Friday night.

According to the Thunder, it was the first 50-point triple-double since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had one in 1975. Westbrook finished with 13 rebounds and 10 assists and took a career-high 44 shots.

Westbrook made a layup to put the Thunder up a point with 7.6 seconds remaining. Phoenix's Devin Booker missed a layup and Westbrook was fouled. Westbrook scored his 50th and 51st points at the free-throw line with 3.5 seconds remaining. Booker missed a 3-pointer as time expired.

Westbrook has 38 career triple-doubles. He scored 39 points in the second half and overtime.

T.J. Warren had a career-high 30 points for the Suns.

CAVALIERS 94, RAPTORS 91

TORONTO (AP) — Kyrie Irving had 26 points and LeBron James scored 21, helping Cleveland hold off DeMar DeRozan and Toronto.

DeRozan had 32 points for Toronto in the first of four games scheduled between last season's Eastern Conference finalists. Cleveland beat Toronto in six games on its way to winning the franchise's first NBA championship.

Kevin Love had 18 points and 10 rebounds for the Cavs. Toronto's Jonas Valanciunas had his second straight double-double to open the season with 10 points and 17 rebounds, while Cleveland's Tristan Thompson had his first of the season with 11 points and 10 rebounds.

HORNETS 97, HEAT 91

MIAMI (AP) — Kemba Walker scored 24 points to lead six players in double figures and Charlotte erased a 19-point deficit in the second half.

Jeremy Lamb scored 16 points for the Hornets, who lost a first-round series in seven games to Miami last season — albeit a very different looking Miami. Nic Batum and Marco Belinelli each scored 12 points for Charlotte.

Hassan Whiteside led Miami with 20 points and 15 rebounds. Goran Dragic scored 14 points and Dion Waiters added 13 for the Heat, who lost a home opener for the first time in nine years.

ROCKETS 106, MAVERICKS 98

DALLAS (AP) — Trevor Ariza scored 27 points, James Harden had 26 and Houston beat Dallas with Dirk Nowitzki missing from the Mavericks' home opener.

Nowitzki didn't play for just the second time in 19 home openers with Dallas. The 38-year-old had a stomach ailment bad enough that coach Rick Carlisle wasn't sure he would make the trip to Houston for the Rockets' home opener Sunday.

Harrison Barnes, playing his first home game for the Mavericks after signing a max contract in the summer, had a career-high 31 points.

NETS 103, PACERS 94

NEW YORK (AP) — Jeremy Lin had 21 points and just missed a triple-double in his Brooklyn home debut, Brook Lopez scored 25 and the Nets got their first victory.

Lin finished with nine rebounds and nine assists, drawing some delirious cheers the way he briefly did during his run of Linsanity last time he played in New York, with the Knicks in 2012.

Sean Kilpatrick hit consecutive 3-pointers during the decisive fourth-quarter surge as the Nets gave new coach Kenny Atkinson his first victory, not far from where the Northport native grew up.

PISTONS 108, MAGIC 82

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) — Andre Drummond had 12 points and 20 rebounds, helping Detroit rout Orlando in what might have been the final home opener for the Pistons at The Palace of Auburn Hills.

Pistons owner Tom Gores confirmed before the game the team is close on a deal to move downtown next season.

Tobias Harris scored 18 points for the Pistons, and Marcus Morris added 17. Ish Smith had 16 points and eight assists.

Aaron Gordon led the Magic with 17 points.

NBA Capsules (October 28, 2016)

CHICAGO (AP) — Dwyane Wade scored 22 points in a triumphant Chicago debut, Jimmy Butler had 24 and the Bulls won their season opener, beating the Boston Celtics 105-99 on Thursday night.

Wade nailed a 3 from the corner in the final minute to make it a five-point game. Taj Gibson added 18 points and 10 rebounds, and the new-look Bulls got off to a winning start after missing the playoffs last season for the first time since 2008.

Isaiah Thomas led Boston with 25 points. Avery Bradley had 16, and Jae Crowder 14 points, but the Celtics came up short after opening with a win over Brooklyn the previous night.

The Bulls remade their roster in the offseason, jettisoning one hometown superstar and welcoming another when they traded Derrick Rose to New York and signed Wade to a two-year deal worth about $47 million in a move that stunned Miami.


The three-time NBA champion and 12-time All-Star is off to a good start with the Bulls after 13 seasons with the Heat. Wade hit 4 of 6 3-pointers in this game after making just seven all of last season.

HAWKS 114, WIZARDS 99

ATLANTA (AP) — Dwight Howard dominated the boards in his Atlanta debut, Paul Millsap scored 28 points and Tim Hardaway Jr. ignited the new-look Hawks in a victory over Washington.

Howard grabbed 19 rebounds to go along with 11 points, just what the Hawks expected from their new center, and it certainly wasn't unusual for three-time All-Star Millsap to lead the way in scoring.

But Hardaway's performance was totally unexpected given the way he struggled in his first season with the Hawks, when he was largely confined to the bench and even forced to spend time in the D-League.

He scored 21 points, matching his high in an Atlanta uniform, and broke open a close game with back-to-back 3-pointers in the fourth. The Hawks, who led only 81-80 heading to the final period, outscored the Wizards 33-19 over the final 12 minutes.

NBA Capsules (October 27, 2016)

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Myles Turner scored 30 points, tied his career high with 16 rebounds and made a 3-pointer with 1:18 left in overtime to start an 8-0 run that allowed the Indiana Pacers to close out a 130-121 victory Wednesday night over the Dallas Mavericks.

Three-time All-Star Paul George added 25 points, including another 3 with 55 seconds left to seal Indiana's fifth season-opening win in six years.

Deron Williams scored 25 points, while J.J. Barea and Dirk Nowitzki each added 22 as the Mavs lost their fifth straight in the series. They still haven't won in Indianapolis since February 2014.

Dallas didn't tie the score or take a lead until the fourth quarter, yet still forced overtime when Harrison Barnes' open 3-pointer made it 115-all with 2.3 seconds left.


Turner could have won it with a long buzzer-beating 3, but it bounced off the back of the rim.

NUGGETS 107, PELICANS 102

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Jusuf Nurkic scored 23 points, Will Barton added 22, and the Nuggets survived a dominant performance by Anthony Davis to defeat the Pelicans.

Davis had 50 points, 16 rebounds, seven steals, five assists and four blocks. His production helped New Orleans trim a deficit as large as 14 late in the second quarter down to two points in the waning minutes. He simply didn't have enough help.

The rest of the Pelicans combined to shoot 21 of 58. Tim Frazier scored 15 for the Pelicans. E'Twaun Moore added 10 points, but missed a 3-point attempt that could have tied it with 24 seconds left.

Danilo Gallinari scored 15 for Denver and Wilson Chandler added 12 points.

HORNETS 107, BUCKS 96

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Michael Kidd-Gilchrist had 23 points and 14 rebounds in his return from a shoulder injury, Roy Hibbert added 15 points, and the Hornets opened their season with a victory over the Bucks.

The Hornets led by as many as 24 points in the third quarter before fending off a late charge from Milwaukee.

The Bucks, who looked lackluster for much of the game, drew energy from Greg Monroe's hustle in the paint and Jason Terry's floater that cut the lead to 93-85 with 5:08 left.

But the Hornets held on down the stretch, getting a straightaway 3 from Marvin Williams for a 12-point lead with 3:21 left.

The 7-foot-2 Hibbert had a couple of rim-rocking dunks in the third quarter that helped build the 20-point lead.

Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 31 points.

HEAT 108, MAGIC 96

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Miami center Hassan White had 18 points, 14 rebounds and four blocked shots and point guard Goran Dragic added 16 points as the Heat cruised to a season-opening victory over the Magic.

The Heat, taking advantage of the one-game suspension of Orlando center Bismack Biyombo, dominated inside all game with Whiteside and Willie Reed off the bench. Neither Nikola Vucevic nor Serge Ibaka could match the athleticism and strength of the 7-foot Whiteside inside.

The new-look Heat, playing without Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh this season, outscored the Magic in the paint 74-36 and outrebounded them 52-44.

Vucevic finished with 17 points and 14 rebounds while Evan Fournier added 20 points. Ibaka, making his debut with the Magic, managed 14 points on 6-of-17 shooting.

CELTICS 122, NETS 117

BOSTON (AP) — Isaiah Thomas had 25 points and nine assists, Jae Crowder added 21 points and Al Horford pitched in 11 in his Boston debut as the Celtics survived a late scare to beat the Nets.

Bojan Bogdanovic scored 21 for Brooklyn, including a 3-pointer to make it 120-117 with 47 seconds left after the Nets erased most of a 23-point deficit against the Boston bench. But he missed one with a chance to tie it after Joe Harris intercepted Thomas' cross-court pass, and the Celtics were able to hold on.

Justin Hamilton came off the bench to score 19 points and grab 10 rebounds for the Nets in coach Kenny Atkinson's debut.

RAPTORS 109, PISTONS 91

TORONTO (AP) — DeMar DeRozan scored 40 points and Jonas Valanciunas added a career-high 32 as the Raptors opened their season with a victory over the Pistons.

DeRozan made a career-high 17 field goals on 27 shots and was a perfect 6 for 6 from the free throw line, while Valanciunas was 10 for 15 from the field to go along with 11 rebounds. Valanciunas' previous career high was 31, also against the Pistons, on Jan. 12, 2015.

Tobias Harris had 22 points and Marcus Morris had 17 points and nine rebounds for the Pistons, who lost for the eighth time in their last 11 games against Toronto.

DeRozan broke Vince Carter's opening-night record of 39 points, set against the-then New Jersey Nets in 2003. Alvin Robertson is the only other Toronto player to record a 30-point opening-night game, in the franchise's first-ever game, also against New Jersey, in 1995.

GRIZZLIES 102, TIMBERWOLVES 98

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Mike Conley scored 24 points, Marc Gasol added 18 and the Grizzlies overcame a slow start for a victory over the Timberwolves.

Conley and Gasol led a push down the stretch as the Grizzlies erased a 90-86 deficit the final 2:44. Zach Randolph had 19 points and 11 rebounds for Memphis.

Andrew Wiggins led the Timberwolves with 25 points, while Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 21. Zach LaVine added 19 points.

The game was the debut of two coaches with new teams, Tom Thibodeau for Minnesota and former Miami Heat assistant David Fizdale with Memphis.

Both teams had big runs in the game, Minnesota at the start and Memphis to open the second half. Then the game settled into a tight affair in the fourth quarter.

THUNDER 103, 76ERS 97

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Russell Westbrook had 32 points, 12 rebounds and took over late to lead the Thunder to a victory over the 76ers.

Westbrook scored the decisive points on opening night for the Thunder in their first game since franchise star Kevin Durant left in free agency and signed with the Golden State Warriors.

Joel Embiid scored 20 points in 22 minutes in his first game for the Sixers since they made him the No. 3 overall pick in the 2014 draft. Embiid had sat out the last two seasons with foot injuries. He received a roaring ovation when he was introduced and fans went wild on every shot.

NBA Capsules (October 26, 2016)

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) Kawhi Leonard scored a career-high 35 points and the San Antonio Spurs emphatically spoiled Kevin Durant's long-awaited Warriors debut Tuesday with a 129-100 rout that sent Golden State fans for the exits early on opening night.

Durant had 27 points and 10 rebounds, but little looked in sync for MVP Stephen Curry and the reigning Western Conference champions in a forgettable first game - and quite a different one after the Warriors dominated at home and came out of the blocks last season with a record 24-0 start.

Leonard scored 31 points by the end of the third, LaMarcus Aldridge added 26 points and 14 rebounds and Gregg Popovich thoroughly outdid a couple of his close friends on the opposite bench in reigning NBA Coach of the Year Steve Kerr and top assistant Mike Brown.

Curry, last season's first unanimous MVP, scored 26 points but was just 3 for 10 from 3-point range. Draymond Green had 18 points, 12 rebounds and six assists, while Klay Thompson was limited to 11 points on 5-of-13 shooting.

CAVALIERS 117, KNICKS 88

CLEVELAND (AP) - LeBron James had his 43rd career triple-double, Kyrie Irving scored 29 points and Cleveland, after raising its championship banner before the game, beat New York in the NBA season opener.

James scored 19 points and added 11 rebounds and 14 assists in front of a raucous home crowd that was on its feet from the pregame ceremony until late in the game, celebrating the city's first championship in 52 years.

James, who spoke to the crowd before the game, continued his perfect record on ring nights. He was 2-0 when the Miami Heat players were presented with their championship rings.

Irving scored 19 points in the third quarter, when Cleveland used a 20-4 run to take a 74-53 lead. Kevin Love scored 23 for theCavaliers.

Carmelo Anthony led New York with 19 points and Derrick Rose had 17.

TRAIL BLAZERS 113, JAZZ 104

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Damian Lillard scored 39 points and Portland extended its winning streak in home openers to a league-record 16 straight games with a victory over Utah.

CJ McCollum added 25 points for the Blazers, who trailed 83-77 at the start of the fourth quarter. They were still down 102-99 with under 5 minutes left before McCollum made a pull-up jumper and 3-pointer to give Portland a 104-102 lead.

Lillard made a pair of free throws before nailing a 3-pointer that put Portland up 109-102 with 1:02 left and the Jazz couldn't catch up.

Joe Johnson scored 29 points in his debut with the Jazz and Rodney Hood added 26, including a rim-rattling dunk in the third quarter.

Pistons assistant coach Tim Hardaway suspended

NEW YORK – Detroit Pistons’ assistant coach Tim Hardaway was suspended for three games yesterday for pleading guilty to driving while intoxicated with an excessive blood alcohol level, in violation of the law of the State of Michigan, the NBA announced today.

Hardaway will be suspended for the first three games of the 2016-17 NBA regular season.

Pelicans F Anthony Davis leaves game after injuring ankle

BEIJING (AP) New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis has left Wednesday's preseason game against the Houston Rockets after hurting his right ankle.

Davis fell to the court early in the first quarter of Wednesday's game in Beijing, the last of the NBA's two exhibitions in China. He re-entered the game briefly, but soon walked to the locker room. The team said he would not return.

Davis, the first overall pick of the 2012 NBA Draft, is a two-time All-Star who averaged 24.3 points and 10.3 rebounds per game last season.

Pelicans guard E'Twaun Moore also left the game in the first half with a right heel injury and was not expected to return.

via Associated Press