By MICHAEL MAROT
Associated Press
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Victor Oladipo took a big step toward stamping Indianapolis as his town Sunday.
All it took was one clutch shot.
The Pacers’ new starting guard knocked down a step-back 3-pointer with 10 seconds left to complete a late rally and give Indiana a rare 97-94 victory over San Antonio.
“It was a little deep, a little too deep,” he said. “Honestly, I didn’t really want to shoot it that far but the move felt good and I just made my follow through. I like shooting at the end of the game. That’s stuff you dream about.”
In Indiana, game-winners have been hard to find lately.
Four-time All-Star Paul George had 15 go-ahead shots in the final 20 seconds of games during his career with the Pacers — and missed all 15.
Oladipo had no trouble making the first with his new team.
In fact, the two guys Indiana acquired from Oklahoma City in last summer’s widely-panned deal for George, became the catalysts in only the Pacers’ third win over the Spurs since 2007.
Oladipo finished with 23 points and five assists and led the Pacers in scoring for the sixth time in six games. Domantas Sabonis added 22 points and 12 rebounds, both career highs, while going 9 of 9 from the field.
It wasn’t by happenstance.
“We try to come in every night and prove that we’re not just those players who were in the Paul George trade and that we actually mean something,” Sabonis said after again replacing the injured Myles Turner in the starting lineup.
They helped offset LaMarcus Aldridge, who finished with 26 points and eight rebounds, and Pau Gasol, who had 17 points, seven rebounds, five blocks and five assists.
San Antonio’s second straight loss will force coach Gregg Popovich to wait at least one more day to tie Phil Jackson for No. 6 on the NBA’s career victory list, too.
But when the Spurs opened the fourth quarter on an 18-5 run to take an 82-73 lead with 6:44 left, it looked like the Spurs might run away.
Instead Sabonis and Oladipo spurred a 16-3 spurt that gave Indiana an 89-85 lead with 3:06 left and a couple of possessions later, Oladipo broke an 89-89 tie with a three-point play.
Danny Green answered with five straight to give the Spurs a 94-92 lead, but Oladipo hit the long jumper to put Indiana ahead for good.
“It was well-contested,” Popovich said. “He was deep and he was off balance. But give him credit, he knocked it down. It was well-contested and it doesn’t bother me at all.”
Aldridge’s 19-footer with 5 seconds left bounced off the rim, Cory Joseph grabbed the rebound and drew a foul and made two free throws.
Patty Mills’ 3 from the corner at the buzzer was way off the mark.
TIP-INS
Spurs: Shot 40 percent after making a season low 33.7 percent Friday at Orlando. ... Aldridge has led San Antonio in scoring in all six games this season. ... Kawhi Leonard and Tony Parker continue to miss games with quad injuries. ... Manu Ginobili was 0 for 6 from the field and 0 for 2 on 3s and had three points.
Pacers: Turner missed his fifth consecutive game with a concussion. It’s not clear when he’ll return. ... Indiana and San Antonio each finished with 44 rebounds. ... Sabonis has had 11 or more rebounds in four straight games.
HALL OF FAME TRIBUTE
The Indiana Pacers honored their newest Hall of Fame member, George McGinnis, at halftime.
“To have three guys, three players from the same team and a coach in the Hall of Fame, I think that tells you how good our team was,” McGinnis said.
He was referring to former teammates Mel Daniels and Roger Brown, both of whom have died, and coach Bobby “Slick” Leonard, who is the team’s color analyst on radio broadcasts.
BACK HOME AGAIN
Popovich seems to enjoy reliving his past when he gets back to Indiana.
The longtime Spurs coach played high school basketball in Merrillville, Indiana, which is located in the northwest corner of the state. Before the game, Popovich was shown a photo from his prep days and was asked about his career.
“They should have made me a high school All-American,” he said with a laugh. “They screwed me. I was a 6-foot-2 center, come on.”
UP NEXT
Spurs: Visit the Celtics on Monday, looking for their 11th straight win in the series and seventh straight in Boston.
Pacers: Will seek a straight win in the Sacramento series Tuesday at home.
Monday, October 30, 2017
Cavaliers’ Rose returns after missing 4 games
CLEVELAND (AP) — Cavaliers point guard Derrick Rose will play against the New York Knicks on Sunday after missing four games because of a sprained left ankle.
Rose hasn’t played since the second game of the season on Oct. 20. The Cavaliers have lost three of the four games he’s missed.
Injuries to Rose and Dwyane Wade, who missed one game with a bruised left knee, has forced coach Tyronn Lue to juggle his starting lineup. Sunday’s game will mark Cleveland’s fifth different lineup in the first seven games.
Rose played with the Knicks last season, averaging 18.0 points and 4.4 assists in 64 games. He signed a one-year contract with Cleveland in July and became the team’s starter when Kyrie Irving was traded to Boston.
Rose was named the league’s MVP in 2011 while with the Chicago Bulls, but has battled injuries since.
Thursday, October 26, 2017
Harris scores 34, Pistons rout Timberwolves 122-101
By DAVE HOGG
Associated Press
DETROIT (AP) — Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy has been waiting for his team to start playing better in transition.
Against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Detroit did everything he wanted and more.
The Pistons outscored the Minnesota Timberwolves 24-0 in fast-break points on their way to an easy 122-101 victory.
“Counting the playoffs, I’ve coached something like 900 games in this league, so I can’t remember all of them,” he said. “I might have seen a disparity like that before, but it is certainly rare.”
The Pistons forced 14 turnovers, matching their season-low, but took advantage of the lethargic Timberwolves off missed shots. Andre Drummond had 15 rebounds for the Pistons, who pulled down 83 percent of Minnesota’s misses.
“We’re getting better defensively, Andre makes us a great rebounding team and our point guards are moving the ball,” Van Gundy said. “We want to run, and those are the things that made it possible.”
Tobias Harris matched a career high with 34 points, and Detroit had six players score in double figures. Ish Smith had 13 of Detroit’s season-high 32 assists.
“Playing team basketball and getting into transition are really important for us,” said Avery Bradley, who scored 20 points. “We were able to get stops and get out for easy baskets tonight.”
Karl-Anthony Towns had 23 points and 10 rebounds for Minnesota, while Andrew Wiggins added 21. The Timberwolves lost for the second time in two nights.
“Things change very quickly in this league,” Timberwolves coach Tom Thibodeau said. “You can be going good, but if you don’t come with an edge every night, you’re going to get knocked on your butt.”
The Pistons trailed by 21 in the first half of their last two games and allowed Minnesota to score the first nine points Wednesday. This time, they stayed in the game and took the lead early in the second quarter.
Van Gundy started to talk about the poor start, but shook his head.
“We just played 45 minutes of outstanding basketball,” he said. “I’m not going to worry about the first three.”
Detroit led 63-44 at halftime after a 40-point second quarter. Harris had 16 points in the half, while Drummond had 10 rebounds.
Minnesota committed six fouls in the first three minutes of the third, allowing the Pistons to stay in control from the free-throw line.
“We need to understand that every player in the league is here for a reason, and every team can beat you,” Taj Gibson said. “I think after we beat Oklahoma City on Sunday, we relaxed a little. We have to be better than that.”
Detroit led 91-73 at the end of the quarter and wasn’t challenged in a sloppy final 12 minutes.
TIP INS
Timberwolves: Jimmy Butler missed his second straight game with an upper respiratory infection. ... The Timberwolves have lost five in a row to Detroit.
Pistons: Drummond grabbed his 5,000th career rebound in the first quarter, making him the sixth Pistons player to reach that total. ... Stanley Johnson’s first-quarter layup was his first made field goal at Little Caesars Arena after a 0-for-15 start.
HARRIS’ HOT STREAK
Harris has four career games with more than 30 points, with two of them coming in Detroit’s last three games. He’s averaging 23.2 points in five games this season, well above his career best of 17.1 for the 2014-15 Orlando Magic.
“Tobias was 6-of-9 on 3s tonight, and he obviously isn’t going to do that every night,” Van Gundy said. “But if he’s getting good looks, we want him to take the shot and we’ll live with the results.”
UP NEXT
Timberwolves: Host Oklahoma City on Friday night.
Pistons: Visit the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday night to start a three-game West Coast trip.
Associated Press
DETROIT (AP) — Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy has been waiting for his team to start playing better in transition.
Against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Detroit did everything he wanted and more.
The Pistons outscored the Minnesota Timberwolves 24-0 in fast-break points on their way to an easy 122-101 victory.
“Counting the playoffs, I’ve coached something like 900 games in this league, so I can’t remember all of them,” he said. “I might have seen a disparity like that before, but it is certainly rare.”
The Pistons forced 14 turnovers, matching their season-low, but took advantage of the lethargic Timberwolves off missed shots. Andre Drummond had 15 rebounds for the Pistons, who pulled down 83 percent of Minnesota’s misses.
“We’re getting better defensively, Andre makes us a great rebounding team and our point guards are moving the ball,” Van Gundy said. “We want to run, and those are the things that made it possible.”
Tobias Harris matched a career high with 34 points, and Detroit had six players score in double figures. Ish Smith had 13 of Detroit’s season-high 32 assists.
“Playing team basketball and getting into transition are really important for us,” said Avery Bradley, who scored 20 points. “We were able to get stops and get out for easy baskets tonight.”
Karl-Anthony Towns had 23 points and 10 rebounds for Minnesota, while Andrew Wiggins added 21. The Timberwolves lost for the second time in two nights.
“Things change very quickly in this league,” Timberwolves coach Tom Thibodeau said. “You can be going good, but if you don’t come with an edge every night, you’re going to get knocked on your butt.”
The Pistons trailed by 21 in the first half of their last two games and allowed Minnesota to score the first nine points Wednesday. This time, they stayed in the game and took the lead early in the second quarter.
Van Gundy started to talk about the poor start, but shook his head.
“We just played 45 minutes of outstanding basketball,” he said. “I’m not going to worry about the first three.”
Detroit led 63-44 at halftime after a 40-point second quarter. Harris had 16 points in the half, while Drummond had 10 rebounds.
Minnesota committed six fouls in the first three minutes of the third, allowing the Pistons to stay in control from the free-throw line.
“We need to understand that every player in the league is here for a reason, and every team can beat you,” Taj Gibson said. “I think after we beat Oklahoma City on Sunday, we relaxed a little. We have to be better than that.”
Detroit led 91-73 at the end of the quarter and wasn’t challenged in a sloppy final 12 minutes.
TIP INS
Timberwolves: Jimmy Butler missed his second straight game with an upper respiratory infection. ... The Timberwolves have lost five in a row to Detroit.
Pistons: Drummond grabbed his 5,000th career rebound in the first quarter, making him the sixth Pistons player to reach that total. ... Stanley Johnson’s first-quarter layup was his first made field goal at Little Caesars Arena after a 0-for-15 start.
HARRIS’ HOT STREAK
Harris has four career games with more than 30 points, with two of them coming in Detroit’s last three games. He’s averaging 23.2 points in five games this season, well above his career best of 17.1 for the 2014-15 Orlando Magic.
“Tobias was 6-of-9 on 3s tonight, and he obviously isn’t going to do that every night,” Van Gundy said. “But if he’s getting good looks, we want him to take the shot and we’ll live with the results.”
UP NEXT
Timberwolves: Host Oklahoma City on Friday night.
Pistons: Visit the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday night to start a three-game West Coast trip.
Eric Gordon hits 3 at the buzzer to lift Rockets past 76ers
By DAN GELSTON
Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Eric Gordon and Ryan Anderson kept an eye on the TV in the Houston locker room, which was appropriately showing the World Series.
“Justin Verlander is a neighbor of mine,” Anderson said. “He’s obviously a clutch guy. The city is lucky to have him.”
The Rockets’ own Mr. October was pretty clutch in the NBA’s version of the bottom of the ninth.
Gordon pumped-faked a lunging Joel Embiid, took one dribble, and then buried a 3 at the horn over an outstretched Embiid that completed a furious rally and lifted the Rockets to a 105-104 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night.
“You’ve got to be prepared to try and knock down shots like that,” Gordon said. “You miss it, you miss it.”
He didn’t miss.
Gordon’s winner from the corner gave Houston its only lead over the final 18 minutes and shook a 76ers team that made a series of bad plays and bad decisions down the stretch.
Embiid, who scored 21 points, did not shoot over the final 3:44. He was whistled for a goaltending that cut Houston’s gap to three, and the Sixers’ attempt to run down the clock backfired when Jerryd Bayless — and not Embiid or Ben Simmons — missed a shot with the game in the balance.
“I think that we let one slip. Some of it was luck,” 76ers coach Brett Brown said.
The Rockets scored the final nine points and Gordon hit three 3s in the fourth. If luck was Brown’s code word for bad D, he nailed it.
Gordon scored 29 points, James Harden had 27 and Clint Capela had 16 points and 20 rebounds.
J.J. Redick scored 22 points, and Robert Covington had 20 for the Sixers.
“It’s a learning experience,” Embiid said. “We’re going to need that in the future. We’re young. That’s not an excuse, but we can all get better.”
Embiid, the 7-foot center out of Cameroon, again had the Sixers playing like a playoff team and not pushovers when he’s healthy and energized. His 3 off the glass from the top of the arc in the fourth gave the Sixers a nine-point lead. Embiid pointed toward the sky as he ran back on defense and his bucket about blew the roof off an arena packed with fans who have had little reason to cheer the last five years.
Harden and Gordon hit 3s that stunned the Sixers and cut the gap to three, starting a rally that lasted down to the final bucket.
Both teams played without key cogs to their offense: Chris Paul was out again for the Rockets because of an injured left knee, and Markelle Fultz, the No. 1 pick of the 2017 draft, missed the game with a sore right shoulder. Fultz will miss the next two games and will be evaluated next week.
The Sixers drew another big crowd — 20,682 — as fans have bought into “The Process,” and big plays had fans going wild. They were given souvenir signs that had a picture of Simmons, Embiid and Fultz, the trio expected to soon carry the Sixers into the playoffs.
Embiid, who sat out the second quarter, waved his arms and exhorted the crowd to get louder on a “Trust the Process” chant, and then hit a free throw for a 72-69 lead. He egged on the crowd on a “Ref, you suck” chant and soaked in the calls for “MVP! MVP!”
Simmons and Embiid have been a fantastic 1-2 punch and helped the Sixers win at Detroit on Monday night. Simmons, the No. 1 pick in the 2016 draft, struggled for most of Tuesday’s game until he connected on a rim-rattling dunk off the break that kept the Sixers’ lead at five.
It just wasn’t enough.
“For us to be a good team, we have to win in games like this,” Gordon said.
TIP-INS
Rockets: G Trevor Ariza will miss the three-game trip with a sprained left foot. He will be evaluated next week when the Rockets return home. ... C Nene sat out with a sore left Achilles.
76ers: Team president Bryan Colangelo said there had been “no medical reason” not to play Fultz this season and the shoulder had no structural damage. ... Fultz is shooting 33 percent, 50 percent from the free-throw line and has not attempted a 3-point shot all season, all as a reserve.
PAUL OUT
Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni said the offense remains “uneven” without Paul, who is week-to-week with his knee injury.
NUMBERS GAME
Houston and the 76ers each hit 12 3s. But the Rockets made 21 of 24 from the free-throw line while the Sixers were just 6 of 10.
UP NEXT
Rockets: Friday at Charlotte.
76ers: Saturday at Dallas.
Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Eric Gordon and Ryan Anderson kept an eye on the TV in the Houston locker room, which was appropriately showing the World Series.
“Justin Verlander is a neighbor of mine,” Anderson said. “He’s obviously a clutch guy. The city is lucky to have him.”
The Rockets’ own Mr. October was pretty clutch in the NBA’s version of the bottom of the ninth.
Gordon pumped-faked a lunging Joel Embiid, took one dribble, and then buried a 3 at the horn over an outstretched Embiid that completed a furious rally and lifted the Rockets to a 105-104 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night.
“You’ve got to be prepared to try and knock down shots like that,” Gordon said. “You miss it, you miss it.”
He didn’t miss.
Gordon’s winner from the corner gave Houston its only lead over the final 18 minutes and shook a 76ers team that made a series of bad plays and bad decisions down the stretch.
Embiid, who scored 21 points, did not shoot over the final 3:44. He was whistled for a goaltending that cut Houston’s gap to three, and the Sixers’ attempt to run down the clock backfired when Jerryd Bayless — and not Embiid or Ben Simmons — missed a shot with the game in the balance.
“I think that we let one slip. Some of it was luck,” 76ers coach Brett Brown said.
The Rockets scored the final nine points and Gordon hit three 3s in the fourth. If luck was Brown’s code word for bad D, he nailed it.
Gordon scored 29 points, James Harden had 27 and Clint Capela had 16 points and 20 rebounds.
J.J. Redick scored 22 points, and Robert Covington had 20 for the Sixers.
“It’s a learning experience,” Embiid said. “We’re going to need that in the future. We’re young. That’s not an excuse, but we can all get better.”
Embiid, the 7-foot center out of Cameroon, again had the Sixers playing like a playoff team and not pushovers when he’s healthy and energized. His 3 off the glass from the top of the arc in the fourth gave the Sixers a nine-point lead. Embiid pointed toward the sky as he ran back on defense and his bucket about blew the roof off an arena packed with fans who have had little reason to cheer the last five years.
Harden and Gordon hit 3s that stunned the Sixers and cut the gap to three, starting a rally that lasted down to the final bucket.
Both teams played without key cogs to their offense: Chris Paul was out again for the Rockets because of an injured left knee, and Markelle Fultz, the No. 1 pick of the 2017 draft, missed the game with a sore right shoulder. Fultz will miss the next two games and will be evaluated next week.
The Sixers drew another big crowd — 20,682 — as fans have bought into “The Process,” and big plays had fans going wild. They were given souvenir signs that had a picture of Simmons, Embiid and Fultz, the trio expected to soon carry the Sixers into the playoffs.
Embiid, who sat out the second quarter, waved his arms and exhorted the crowd to get louder on a “Trust the Process” chant, and then hit a free throw for a 72-69 lead. He egged on the crowd on a “Ref, you suck” chant and soaked in the calls for “MVP! MVP!”
Simmons and Embiid have been a fantastic 1-2 punch and helped the Sixers win at Detroit on Monday night. Simmons, the No. 1 pick in the 2016 draft, struggled for most of Tuesday’s game until he connected on a rim-rattling dunk off the break that kept the Sixers’ lead at five.
It just wasn’t enough.
“For us to be a good team, we have to win in games like this,” Gordon said.
TIP-INS
Rockets: G Trevor Ariza will miss the three-game trip with a sprained left foot. He will be evaluated next week when the Rockets return home. ... C Nene sat out with a sore left Achilles.
76ers: Team president Bryan Colangelo said there had been “no medical reason” not to play Fultz this season and the shoulder had no structural damage. ... Fultz is shooting 33 percent, 50 percent from the free-throw line and has not attempted a 3-point shot all season, all as a reserve.
PAUL OUT
Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni said the offense remains “uneven” without Paul, who is week-to-week with his knee injury.
NUMBERS GAME
Houston and the 76ers each hit 12 3s. But the Rockets made 21 of 24 from the free-throw line while the Sixers were just 6 of 10.
UP NEXT
Rockets: Friday at Charlotte.
76ers: Saturday at Dallas.
Kaminsky scores 20 off bench, Hornets rout Nuggets 110-93
By JUSTIN PARKER
Associated Press
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Marvin Williams often guards Frank Kaminsky in practice, so Williams wasn’t surprised when his Charlotte Hornets teammate scored 20 points off the bench Wednesday night against Denver.
But what impresses Williams even more is Kaminsky’s improvement on defense and in playing the pro game.
“Frank’s a smart, smart guy,” he said.
Kaminsky’s infusion of offense was critical in a decisive and dominant second quarter as the Hornets built a 25-point lead and cruised to a 110-93 victory over the Nuggets.
Kaminsky showed his versatility by scoring in multiple ways. He had 14 points at halftime, hitting two 3-pointers and also scoring on a series of mid-range jumpers and back-to-the-basket moves.
Williams said it’s obvious Kaminsky benefited from being healthy throughout the offseason for the first time as a pro.
“It’s a very big difference if you don’t spend three or four months out of the summer time trying to rehab your body to play this season as opposed to getting your body stronger, getting in great shape and being able to work on your game,” Williams said. “I feel like for him this summer, he was able to do those things.”
Meanwhile, Dwight Howard was again dominant in the paint and on the glass for the Hornets. He scored 15 points and pulled down 19 boards, his third double-double in four games.
Kemba Walker added 19 points and five assists for Charlotte. Malik Monk scored 12 of his 17 in the first half, and Jeremy Lamb finished with 16 points.
“Obviously, that was the most balanced and well-rounded game we’ve played so far,” coach Steve Clifford said. “We had better readiness to start.”
Nikola Jokic had 18 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Nuggets, who lost their second straight. Gary Harris also scored 18, and Jamal Murray had 16. Mason Plumlee grabbed 10 rebounds to go with eight points.
Denver shot 7 of 30 from the field in the second quarter as the Hornets built a 62-39 halftime lead. Nuggets coach Michael Malone was not happy with the effort he saw.
“My message is simple,” he said. “I’m going to start our group and if I see guys that don’t want to play or compete, I’m going to put guys out there that are going to play hard and compete and at least give us a chance. If you’re going to go down, at least go down fighting. That’s my nature and I want that to be my team’s nature.”
TIP-INS
Nuggets: Juancho Hernangomez (illness), Tyler Lydon (G league assignment) and two-way players Monte Morris and Torrey Craig were inactive.
Hornets: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist made his season debut after missing the first three games for personal reasons. He started and played 10:37, scoring two points on 1-of-6 shooting. ... Charlotte was without Nicolas Batum (sprained left elbow), Michael Carter-Williams (knee soreness) and Julyan Stone (strained left hamstring). ... Treveon Graham left in the first half with a bruised right quadriceps but returned to play 11 minutes after halftime. ... Howard picked up two fouls in the first 4:33.
HOWARD CONNECTS
One game after missing all nine free throw attempts at Milwaukee, Howard shot 7 of 11 at the line. He also became the first Charlotte player since Emeka Okafor in 2007 with four consecutive 15-rebound games. Howard had seven rebounds, including three offensive boards, in the first quarter despite being limited by two early fouls.
COLLEGE COACHES COME TO VISIT
Two prominent college coaches were seated courtside. Kentucky’s John Calipari and North Carolina’s Roy Williams were on hand to watch former players. Calipari was checking in on four former Wildcats: Kidd-Gilchrist, Monk, and Denver’s Jamal Murray and Trey Lyles. Marvin Williams and Hornets teammate Marcus Paige played for Williams at North Carolina. Calipari and Williams greeted one another with a hug and brief conversation just before tipoff. Roy Williams received a warmer welcome when shown on the video board.
WALKER FOR 3
Walker hit two 3-pointers to give him 800 for his career, which ranks second in franchise history behind Dell Curry’s 929. “I’ve worked hard to get to this point, so it’s an honor,” Walker said.
UP NEXT
Nuggets: Visit the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night.
Hornets: Host the Houston Rockets on Friday night.
Associated Press
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Marvin Williams often guards Frank Kaminsky in practice, so Williams wasn’t surprised when his Charlotte Hornets teammate scored 20 points off the bench Wednesday night against Denver.
But what impresses Williams even more is Kaminsky’s improvement on defense and in playing the pro game.
“Frank’s a smart, smart guy,” he said.
Kaminsky’s infusion of offense was critical in a decisive and dominant second quarter as the Hornets built a 25-point lead and cruised to a 110-93 victory over the Nuggets.
Kaminsky showed his versatility by scoring in multiple ways. He had 14 points at halftime, hitting two 3-pointers and also scoring on a series of mid-range jumpers and back-to-the-basket moves.
Williams said it’s obvious Kaminsky benefited from being healthy throughout the offseason for the first time as a pro.
“It’s a very big difference if you don’t spend three or four months out of the summer time trying to rehab your body to play this season as opposed to getting your body stronger, getting in great shape and being able to work on your game,” Williams said. “I feel like for him this summer, he was able to do those things.”
Meanwhile, Dwight Howard was again dominant in the paint and on the glass for the Hornets. He scored 15 points and pulled down 19 boards, his third double-double in four games.
Kemba Walker added 19 points and five assists for Charlotte. Malik Monk scored 12 of his 17 in the first half, and Jeremy Lamb finished with 16 points.
“Obviously, that was the most balanced and well-rounded game we’ve played so far,” coach Steve Clifford said. “We had better readiness to start.”
Nikola Jokic had 18 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Nuggets, who lost their second straight. Gary Harris also scored 18, and Jamal Murray had 16. Mason Plumlee grabbed 10 rebounds to go with eight points.
Denver shot 7 of 30 from the field in the second quarter as the Hornets built a 62-39 halftime lead. Nuggets coach Michael Malone was not happy with the effort he saw.
“My message is simple,” he said. “I’m going to start our group and if I see guys that don’t want to play or compete, I’m going to put guys out there that are going to play hard and compete and at least give us a chance. If you’re going to go down, at least go down fighting. That’s my nature and I want that to be my team’s nature.”
TIP-INS
Nuggets: Juancho Hernangomez (illness), Tyler Lydon (G league assignment) and two-way players Monte Morris and Torrey Craig were inactive.
Hornets: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist made his season debut after missing the first three games for personal reasons. He started and played 10:37, scoring two points on 1-of-6 shooting. ... Charlotte was without Nicolas Batum (sprained left elbow), Michael Carter-Williams (knee soreness) and Julyan Stone (strained left hamstring). ... Treveon Graham left in the first half with a bruised right quadriceps but returned to play 11 minutes after halftime. ... Howard picked up two fouls in the first 4:33.
HOWARD CONNECTS
One game after missing all nine free throw attempts at Milwaukee, Howard shot 7 of 11 at the line. He also became the first Charlotte player since Emeka Okafor in 2007 with four consecutive 15-rebound games. Howard had seven rebounds, including three offensive boards, in the first quarter despite being limited by two early fouls.
COLLEGE COACHES COME TO VISIT
Two prominent college coaches were seated courtside. Kentucky’s John Calipari and North Carolina’s Roy Williams were on hand to watch former players. Calipari was checking in on four former Wildcats: Kidd-Gilchrist, Monk, and Denver’s Jamal Murray and Trey Lyles. Marvin Williams and Hornets teammate Marcus Paige played for Williams at North Carolina. Calipari and Williams greeted one another with a hug and brief conversation just before tipoff. Roy Williams received a warmer welcome when shown on the video board.
WALKER FOR 3
Walker hit two 3-pointers to give him 800 for his career, which ranks second in franchise history behind Dell Curry’s 929. “I’ve worked hard to get to this point, so it’s an honor,” Walker said.
UP NEXT
Nuggets: Visit the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night.
Hornets: Host the Houston Rockets on Friday night.
Aldridge scores 31, Spurs now 4-0 after beating Heat 117-100
By TIM REYNOLDS
Associated Press
MIAMI (AP) — San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich was asked at least a half-dozen times Wednesday about the status of injured starters Kawhi Leonard and Tony Parker and when they might be returning.
His consistent answer: They’ll play when they’re ready.
With the way the Spurs have started, there’s no need to rush them.
LaMarcus Aldridge continued his hot start by scoring 31 points, Rudy Gay needed only eight shot attempts to score 22 off the bench and the Spurs stayed unbeaten by topping the Miami Heat 117-100.
“We really didn’t get a handle on our defense for basically the entire game,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “That’s a big credit to what they do and how they execute, how they have purpose and intention to every single possession.”
The win was No. 1,154 for Popovich, now one shy of matching Phil Jackson for sixth-most in NBA history. Danny Green scored 15, Manu Ginobili had 14, Pau Gasol scored 13 and Kyle Anderson finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Spurs, who — even without Parker and Leonard — are off to a 4-0 start for the second consecutive season.
Popovich wasn’t exactly celebrating afterward.
“I thought it was mediocre,” Popovich said. “There were way too many mistakes. ... Our offense got us through.”
Tyler Johnson scored 23 points for Miami, while James Johnson finished with 21 and Goran Dragic added 20. Dragic’s 3-pointer midway through the third got Miami within 61-60, but the Spurs soon took control for good.
Gay — who had Miami on his wish-list of teams when he was a free agent this past summer — scored 15 points in a 32-13 run that San Antonio put together in the next 9 minutes. The Spurs made seven consecutive shots to end the third, scored on 12 of their final 14 possessions of the quarter and led 93-73 when Gay connected on a stepback jumper with 10 minutes left.
“I’m just playing basketball at this point,” Gay said. “It’s a lot of unknown with the lineups and we’ve got guys hurt. So right now we just have to play basketball.”
Miami got within 98-87 on a 3-pointer by Dragic with 5:33 left, but Aldridge stopped the Heat comeback try with a turnaround jumper and the margin remained double-digits the rest of the way.
“It’s tough to beat this kind of team if you’re playing well only on offense,” Dragic said. “You need to get some stops. And tonight, our defense was not good.”
TIP INS
Spurs: Aldridge has scored at least 20 in all four games this season and this was the ninth time he’s had at least 31 in a Spurs uniform. San Antonio is 8-1 in those games. ... The Spurs allowed 30 first-quarter points, a season-worst for any quarter. ... Parker practiced Wednesday with the G League’s Austin Spurs in San Antonio, and will again Friday.
Heat: Miami led for exactly 2:00. ... C Hassan Whiteside (bruised knee) missed his third consecutive game. ... Josh Richardson was 1 for 8 in 33 minutes, missing all four of his 3-point tries and fouling out. ... The Heat started 16 for 16 from the line, before Waiters came up short with 1:52 left. They finished 17 for 18.
BAM! PAU!
Spoelstra gave fans of onomatopoeia a thrill when he switched his starting lineup, putting Bam Adebayo at center to jump against Gasol (though technically, the Bam-Pau matchup was brief and Adebayo guarded Aldridge to start the game). Adebayo is the first Heat rookie to start within the season’s first four games since Mario Chalmers and Michael Beasley in 2008.
GINOBILI’S FANS
In the Latin gateway of Miami, Spanish-speaking players always are greeted at Heat games and Ginobili is no exception. Ginobili was swarmed by hundreds for a quick meet-and-greet pregame, taking selfies and giving out plenty of embraces. There were at least a half-dozen Argentinian flags being held by fans as well, and many wore his Spurs jersey.
UP NEXT
Spurs: San Antonio’s four-game trip continues Friday in Orlando.
Heat: Miami plays Game 4 of its six-game homestand Saturday against Boston.
Associated Press
MIAMI (AP) — San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich was asked at least a half-dozen times Wednesday about the status of injured starters Kawhi Leonard and Tony Parker and when they might be returning.
His consistent answer: They’ll play when they’re ready.
With the way the Spurs have started, there’s no need to rush them.
LaMarcus Aldridge continued his hot start by scoring 31 points, Rudy Gay needed only eight shot attempts to score 22 off the bench and the Spurs stayed unbeaten by topping the Miami Heat 117-100.
“We really didn’t get a handle on our defense for basically the entire game,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “That’s a big credit to what they do and how they execute, how they have purpose and intention to every single possession.”
The win was No. 1,154 for Popovich, now one shy of matching Phil Jackson for sixth-most in NBA history. Danny Green scored 15, Manu Ginobili had 14, Pau Gasol scored 13 and Kyle Anderson finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Spurs, who — even without Parker and Leonard — are off to a 4-0 start for the second consecutive season.
Popovich wasn’t exactly celebrating afterward.
“I thought it was mediocre,” Popovich said. “There were way too many mistakes. ... Our offense got us through.”
Tyler Johnson scored 23 points for Miami, while James Johnson finished with 21 and Goran Dragic added 20. Dragic’s 3-pointer midway through the third got Miami within 61-60, but the Spurs soon took control for good.
Gay — who had Miami on his wish-list of teams when he was a free agent this past summer — scored 15 points in a 32-13 run that San Antonio put together in the next 9 minutes. The Spurs made seven consecutive shots to end the third, scored on 12 of their final 14 possessions of the quarter and led 93-73 when Gay connected on a stepback jumper with 10 minutes left.
“I’m just playing basketball at this point,” Gay said. “It’s a lot of unknown with the lineups and we’ve got guys hurt. So right now we just have to play basketball.”
Miami got within 98-87 on a 3-pointer by Dragic with 5:33 left, but Aldridge stopped the Heat comeback try with a turnaround jumper and the margin remained double-digits the rest of the way.
“It’s tough to beat this kind of team if you’re playing well only on offense,” Dragic said. “You need to get some stops. And tonight, our defense was not good.”
TIP INS
Spurs: Aldridge has scored at least 20 in all four games this season and this was the ninth time he’s had at least 31 in a Spurs uniform. San Antonio is 8-1 in those games. ... The Spurs allowed 30 first-quarter points, a season-worst for any quarter. ... Parker practiced Wednesday with the G League’s Austin Spurs in San Antonio, and will again Friday.
Heat: Miami led for exactly 2:00. ... C Hassan Whiteside (bruised knee) missed his third consecutive game. ... Josh Richardson was 1 for 8 in 33 minutes, missing all four of his 3-point tries and fouling out. ... The Heat started 16 for 16 from the line, before Waiters came up short with 1:52 left. They finished 17 for 18.
BAM! PAU!
Spoelstra gave fans of onomatopoeia a thrill when he switched his starting lineup, putting Bam Adebayo at center to jump against Gasol (though technically, the Bam-Pau matchup was brief and Adebayo guarded Aldridge to start the game). Adebayo is the first Heat rookie to start within the season’s first four games since Mario Chalmers and Michael Beasley in 2008.
GINOBILI’S FANS
In the Latin gateway of Miami, Spanish-speaking players always are greeted at Heat games and Ginobili is no exception. Ginobili was swarmed by hundreds for a quick meet-and-greet pregame, taking selfies and giving out plenty of embraces. There were at least a half-dozen Argentinian flags being held by fans as well, and many wore his Spurs jersey.
UP NEXT
Spurs: San Antonio’s four-game trip continues Friday in Orlando.
Heat: Miami plays Game 4 of its six-game homestand Saturday against Boston.
Nets overcome James’ triple-double, beat Cavs 112-107
By BRIAN MAHONEY
Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) — With injuries on both sides, the point guard matchup came down to LeBron James against Spencer Dinwiddie.
James had the bigger numbers.
Dinwiddie made the biggest plays.
Dinwiddie hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with 43 seconds left, and the Brooklyn Nets overcame James’ first triple-double of the season to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 112-107 on Wednesday night.
A former second-round pick of Detroit starting only because of injuries to Jeremy Lin and D’Angelo Russell, Dinwiddie scored a career-high 22 points as the Nets blew a 14-point lead in the final quarter but recovered to improve to 3-2 — the same record as the defending Eastern Conference champion Cavaliers.
“Obviously they’re Eastern Conference champions just about every year — or actually every year — and then either win the Finals or don’t obviously,” Dinwiddie said. “And for us to pull out a win and be able to close them out obviously after they made their run and to be able to respond, I think it just of kind of brings a young group a little bit closer together and kind of shows us that we can do it and hopefully propels us going forward.”
James had 29 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds in his 56th triple-double, but he missed two free throws — the second intentionally — with the Cavaliers trailing by two with 7.6 seconds remaining. DeMarre Carroll then hit a free throw and the Cavs’ long inbounds pass intended for James went out of bounds.
But the Cavs pointed to the start of the game as their problem.
“Just taking us too much time to get into the game; like get into the flow of the game,” James said. “Teams are playing with a faster pace than us to start the game and we have to figure that out for sure.”
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Allen Crabbe added 19 points apiece and Carroll scored 18 for the Nets, who bounced back from Tuesday’s loss in Orlando, when Russell sprained his right knee to join Lin on the injured list, and fell just shy of becoming the first NBA team in 32 years to open a season with five straight 115-point games.
“Everybody from 1 to 15 on the roster, everybody’s ready,” Crabbe said. “Everybody works hard, so when opportunities come guys are ready to step up and ready to play.”
With Derrick Rose still nursing a sprained left ankle and Dwyane Wade joining him after bruising his left knee in Tuesday’s victory over Chicago, James started at point guard in his 772nd game with the Cavs, passing former teammate Zydrunas Ilgauskas for most in team history.
He ran the offense fine but his long-range shooters couldn’t convert enough of his passes. Kevin Love finished 4 for 13 from the floor and J.R. Smith was 1 for 9, missing all five 3-point attempts.
“I mean it’s a lot of pressure to put on LeBron, have him handle the ball for 40 minutes, and that’s why I talk about playing the point guard position, it could wear you down,” coach Tyronn Lue said. “Unfortunately that’s all we have right now until D-Rose gets back.”
The Nets led by 14 when Quincy Acy made a 3-pointer to open the scoring in the fourth, but James led the Cavs on a 13-0 run that gave them a 94-92 lead on Love’s 3-pointer. The teams traded narrow leads from there.
TIP-INS
Cavaliers: Lue said he hoped Rose could play Saturday at New Orleans. ... The Cavs had won the last four meetings.
Nets: The Nets are 3-0 at home for the first time since 2002-03, when they started 5-0 back in East Rutherford, New Jersey. ... The last team with five straight 115-games to open a season was the 1985-86 Pistons. The Nets came in leading the NBA with 123.5 points per game.
DRAFT DODGING
The Cavaliers will get the Nets’ first-round pick, which originally was dealt to Boston and then sent to Cleveland in the Kyrie Irving-Isaiah Thomas swap. But Lue said the Cavs aren’t paying attention to how the Nets are doing.
“My main focus is just on our team and try to get us to play the right way,” he said before the game.
BRONX BOMBERS IN BROOKLYN
Aaron Judge, CC Sabathia and Dellin Betances of the New York Yankees watched from a sideline seat.
UP NEXT
Cavaliers: Visit New Orleans on Saturday.
Nets: Visit New York on Friday.
Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) — With injuries on both sides, the point guard matchup came down to LeBron James against Spencer Dinwiddie.
James had the bigger numbers.
Dinwiddie made the biggest plays.
Dinwiddie hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with 43 seconds left, and the Brooklyn Nets overcame James’ first triple-double of the season to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 112-107 on Wednesday night.
A former second-round pick of Detroit starting only because of injuries to Jeremy Lin and D’Angelo Russell, Dinwiddie scored a career-high 22 points as the Nets blew a 14-point lead in the final quarter but recovered to improve to 3-2 — the same record as the defending Eastern Conference champion Cavaliers.
“Obviously they’re Eastern Conference champions just about every year — or actually every year — and then either win the Finals or don’t obviously,” Dinwiddie said. “And for us to pull out a win and be able to close them out obviously after they made their run and to be able to respond, I think it just of kind of brings a young group a little bit closer together and kind of shows us that we can do it and hopefully propels us going forward.”
James had 29 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds in his 56th triple-double, but he missed two free throws — the second intentionally — with the Cavaliers trailing by two with 7.6 seconds remaining. DeMarre Carroll then hit a free throw and the Cavs’ long inbounds pass intended for James went out of bounds.
But the Cavs pointed to the start of the game as their problem.
“Just taking us too much time to get into the game; like get into the flow of the game,” James said. “Teams are playing with a faster pace than us to start the game and we have to figure that out for sure.”
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Allen Crabbe added 19 points apiece and Carroll scored 18 for the Nets, who bounced back from Tuesday’s loss in Orlando, when Russell sprained his right knee to join Lin on the injured list, and fell just shy of becoming the first NBA team in 32 years to open a season with five straight 115-point games.
“Everybody from 1 to 15 on the roster, everybody’s ready,” Crabbe said. “Everybody works hard, so when opportunities come guys are ready to step up and ready to play.”
With Derrick Rose still nursing a sprained left ankle and Dwyane Wade joining him after bruising his left knee in Tuesday’s victory over Chicago, James started at point guard in his 772nd game with the Cavs, passing former teammate Zydrunas Ilgauskas for most in team history.
He ran the offense fine but his long-range shooters couldn’t convert enough of his passes. Kevin Love finished 4 for 13 from the floor and J.R. Smith was 1 for 9, missing all five 3-point attempts.
“I mean it’s a lot of pressure to put on LeBron, have him handle the ball for 40 minutes, and that’s why I talk about playing the point guard position, it could wear you down,” coach Tyronn Lue said. “Unfortunately that’s all we have right now until D-Rose gets back.”
The Nets led by 14 when Quincy Acy made a 3-pointer to open the scoring in the fourth, but James led the Cavs on a 13-0 run that gave them a 94-92 lead on Love’s 3-pointer. The teams traded narrow leads from there.
TIP-INS
Cavaliers: Lue said he hoped Rose could play Saturday at New Orleans. ... The Cavs had won the last four meetings.
Nets: The Nets are 3-0 at home for the first time since 2002-03, when they started 5-0 back in East Rutherford, New Jersey. ... The last team with five straight 115-games to open a season was the 1985-86 Pistons. The Nets came in leading the NBA with 123.5 points per game.
DRAFT DODGING
The Cavaliers will get the Nets’ first-round pick, which originally was dealt to Boston and then sent to Cleveland in the Kyrie Irving-Isaiah Thomas swap. But Lue said the Cavs aren’t paying attention to how the Nets are doing.
“My main focus is just on our team and try to get us to play the right way,” he said before the game.
BRONX BOMBERS IN BROOKLYN
Aaron Judge, CC Sabathia and Dellin Betances of the New York Yankees watched from a sideline seat.
UP NEXT
Cavaliers: Visit New Orleans on Saturday.
Nets: Visit New York on Friday.
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