By CLIFF BRUNT
Associated Press
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Paul George scored just 10 points against his former team, and it was the kind of game he had longed for.
Russell Westbrook’s triple-double picked up the slack and helped the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Indiana Pacers 114-96 on Wednesday night.
The Pacers traded George to Oklahoma City after it became public knowledge that he didn’t plan on staying with the team long-term. George, a four-time All-Star while he was with the Pacers, savored being able to have an off night while his team still won comfortably. Westbrook finished with 28 points, 16 assists and 10 rebounds and Carmelo Anthony had 28 points and 10 rebounds for the Thunder to take the pressure off George.
“That hasn’t happened often in my career,” George said. “Fortunate to have those guys carry me. They know how big this game was for me, and they went out and got it for me.”
George rarely fouls out, but he committed his sixth with 6:15 remaining after playing just 19 minutes.
“It’s a coincidence, right?” George said. “I don’t know what was the cause. It was an agenda tonight.”
Steven Adams added 17 points and 11 rebounds for the Thunder, who snapped a two-game skid.
Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis, who were sent from Oklahoma City to Indiana as part of the George deal, both started against their former team. Oladipo scored 35 points on 11 for 18 shooting.
Oladipo downplayed facing the Thunder.
“Yeah, just another game, man,” Oladipo said. “We have to go out and try to win. Unfortunately we came up short.”
Oladipo increased his scoring average to 26 points per game. He has thrived in coach Nate McMillan’s up-tempo offense.
“Vic’s been playing really well for us,” said Pacers guard Darren Collison, who scored 18 points. “He has a good flow. It’s good to have a player like that, that can get it going the way he’s been getting it going. Hopefully we get some wins with that and make us productive.”
The Thunder led 54-48 at halftime behind 15 points from Anthony and 11 points and 10 assists from Westbrook. Oladipo scored 21 points before the break.
Oklahoma City got it going early in the second half. A 3-pointer by Josh Huestis put the Thunder ahead 70-57. A driving layup by Westbrook expanded the lead to 82-66 with about three minutes left in the period.
Westbrook had eight rebounds when he sat down to rest late in the third. He returned in the fourth period and grabbed his 10th rebound with just under five minutes remaining.
“He was great tonight,” Thunder coach Billy Donovan said. “Overall, I felt like he surveyed and managed the game and the floor, moving guys around. He did an exceptional job.”
TIP-INS
Pacers: The Oklahoma City crowd greeted Oladipo and Sabonis warmly during pregame introductions. ... Sabonis got his fourth straight start at center in place of Myles Turner, who was out again with a concussion and a sore neck. Sabonis finished with four points. ... Indiana was coming off a 130-107 win at Minnesota on Tuesday night. ... McMillan was issued a technical foul early in the fourth period.
Thunder: Anthony made a layup at the buzzer to end the first period. ... Rookie G Terrance Ferguson played in the fourth period. He sat out Sunday’s game against Minnesota with a sprained left ankle.
QUOTABLE
Oladipo, when asked if he was comfortable at Chesapeake Energy Arena: “I’m comfortable on this team.”
STAT LINES
Adams has made 24 of 36 shots this season after having ranked among the league leaders in field goal percentage last season. He is averaging 13.8 points and 8.5 rebounds per game.
UP NEXT
Pacers: Indiana hosts the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday.
Thunder: Visits the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday. Minnesota’s Andrew Wiggins banked in a buzzer beater from near half-court to beat the Thunder 115-113 last Sunday.
Thursday, October 26, 2017
Smith leads Mavericks past Grizzlies for first win
By SEAN SHAPIRO
Associated Press
DALLAS (AP) — Dennis Smith Jr. took a major step forward in his fourth career game.
The 19-year-old point guard had 19 points and five assists to lead the Dallas Mavericks to their first win of the season, 103-94 over the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night.
“I’ve been waiting for this,” Smith said. “I got tired of losing.”
Smith was at his best in the second half, with 14 points and four assists, as Dallas snapped a four-game losing streak.
“Well, Smith’s pretty clearly a gamer. He is unafraid,” Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said. “Tonight was the biggest amount of responsibility that we have put on him.”
Grizzlies guard Mike Conley, who went head-to-head with Smith, was also impressed by the rookie.
“I love his game. I watched a lot of film on him. He plays with a great pace, very patient,” Conley said. “He’s going to be something special in the league and they’ve got a good one. It’s fun to compete against him.”
Memphis had a season-opening three-game win streak come to an end in the opener of a home-and-home back-to-back between the teams.
Marc Gasol had 26 points for Memphis. Conley scored 21 points and Tyreke Evans had 13 off the bench for the Grizzlies.
Wesley Matthews added 16, Harrison Barnes had 15, J.J. Barea scored 14, and Dirk Nowitzki scored 13 points for Dallas.
“I think the ball is moving better,” Barea said. “Everybody is touching it. We are more active on offense.”
The Mavericks went ahead 8-7 with 8:30 remaining in the first quarter on a hook shot by Nerlens Noel and never surrendered the lead. Memphis pulled within three in the fourth quarter before Dallas went on a 9-0 run to regain control.
“We couldn’t get stops, it’s simple,” Gasol said. “When you don’t have enough stops, you won’t be able to get over the hump. ... We didn’t play enough good D and we were not disciplined enough in order for us to win.”
Dallas led by as much as 19 in the first half, but Gasol helped drag his team back into the game in the third quarter. Gasol scored 12 points on 4-for-6 shooting in in the period, cutting the score to 79-72 before the fourth quarter.
Both teams struggled at the free-throw line. The normally reliable Grizzlies made 16 of 24 free throws, and Dallas went 20-for-29.
Devin Harris played his first game since the death of his brother on Oct. 19 and had six points. Before the game, Carlisle said Harris wouldn’t travel to Memphis with the team on Thursday.
TIP-INS
Grizzlies: F Chandler Parsons didn’t play since he isn’t yet medically cleared to play in back-to-back games. Parsons, a former Maverick, is expected to play Thursday. ... Memphis will play 16 back-to-backs this season.
Mavericks: Barea played in his 700th career game. ... Dallas’ 32 points in the first quarter where a season-high. ... Nowitzki played in his 1,399th career game. He can become the seventh player in NBA history to reach 1,400 on Thursday.
NOT SO FREE
Gasol went 3-for-8 from the line. He entered the game having converted on 26 of 27 free-throw attempts, including a 10-for-10 night.
REBOUNDING
The Mavericks have struggled with rebounding this season and had been outrebounded 211-160 in their first four games. The Grizzlies had a 36-35 edge in total rebounds, but Carlisle felt his team won the overall battle because Memphis collected a few rebounds late once the game had been decided.
UP NEXT
Grizzlies: Have a chance to bounce back against the Mavericks on Thursday night.
Mavericks: Will try to win their third straight game in the all-time series against Memphis.
Associated Press
DALLAS (AP) — Dennis Smith Jr. took a major step forward in his fourth career game.
The 19-year-old point guard had 19 points and five assists to lead the Dallas Mavericks to their first win of the season, 103-94 over the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night.
“I’ve been waiting for this,” Smith said. “I got tired of losing.”
Smith was at his best in the second half, with 14 points and four assists, as Dallas snapped a four-game losing streak.
“Well, Smith’s pretty clearly a gamer. He is unafraid,” Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said. “Tonight was the biggest amount of responsibility that we have put on him.”
Grizzlies guard Mike Conley, who went head-to-head with Smith, was also impressed by the rookie.
“I love his game. I watched a lot of film on him. He plays with a great pace, very patient,” Conley said. “He’s going to be something special in the league and they’ve got a good one. It’s fun to compete against him.”
Memphis had a season-opening three-game win streak come to an end in the opener of a home-and-home back-to-back between the teams.
Marc Gasol had 26 points for Memphis. Conley scored 21 points and Tyreke Evans had 13 off the bench for the Grizzlies.
Wesley Matthews added 16, Harrison Barnes had 15, J.J. Barea scored 14, and Dirk Nowitzki scored 13 points for Dallas.
“I think the ball is moving better,” Barea said. “Everybody is touching it. We are more active on offense.”
The Mavericks went ahead 8-7 with 8:30 remaining in the first quarter on a hook shot by Nerlens Noel and never surrendered the lead. Memphis pulled within three in the fourth quarter before Dallas went on a 9-0 run to regain control.
“We couldn’t get stops, it’s simple,” Gasol said. “When you don’t have enough stops, you won’t be able to get over the hump. ... We didn’t play enough good D and we were not disciplined enough in order for us to win.”
Dallas led by as much as 19 in the first half, but Gasol helped drag his team back into the game in the third quarter. Gasol scored 12 points on 4-for-6 shooting in in the period, cutting the score to 79-72 before the fourth quarter.
Both teams struggled at the free-throw line. The normally reliable Grizzlies made 16 of 24 free throws, and Dallas went 20-for-29.
Devin Harris played his first game since the death of his brother on Oct. 19 and had six points. Before the game, Carlisle said Harris wouldn’t travel to Memphis with the team on Thursday.
TIP-INS
Grizzlies: F Chandler Parsons didn’t play since he isn’t yet medically cleared to play in back-to-back games. Parsons, a former Maverick, is expected to play Thursday. ... Memphis will play 16 back-to-backs this season.
Mavericks: Barea played in his 700th career game. ... Dallas’ 32 points in the first quarter where a season-high. ... Nowitzki played in his 1,399th career game. He can become the seventh player in NBA history to reach 1,400 on Thursday.
NOT SO FREE
Gasol went 3-for-8 from the line. He entered the game having converted on 26 of 27 free-throw attempts, including a 10-for-10 night.
REBOUNDING
The Mavericks have struggled with rebounding this season and had been outrebounded 211-160 in their first four games. The Grizzlies had a 36-35 edge in total rebounds, but Carlisle felt his team won the overall battle because Memphis collected a few rebounds late once the game had been decided.
UP NEXT
Grizzlies: Have a chance to bounce back against the Mavericks on Thursday night.
Mavericks: Will try to win their third straight game in the all-time series against Memphis.
Curry, Durant hit key 3s late, Warriors hold off Raptors
By JANIE McCAULEY
Associated Press
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — The defending NBA champions are working to rediscover their defense. Not to mention their basic rebounding fundamentals of boxing out and ability to avoid silly fouls.
They barely beat the scrappy Raptors to avoid an 0-2 home start.
“Our defense has been horrible,” Draymond Green said.
Stephen Curry hit a go-ahead 3-pointer from the top with 31.9 seconds left on the way to 30 points, and the sloppy Warriors held off Toronto 117-112 on Wednesday night.
Kevin Durant’s 3-pointer with 1:02 remaining tied the game at 112, then he found Curry for the 3 that made the difference.
“A 4-year-old up in the stands probably could have seen that we should have been boxing out,” Durant said of the 17 offensive rebounds surrendered. “... We don’t want to build bad habits and Coach is doing a good job of correcting us when we make mistakes.”
Durant finished with 29 points on 11-for-20 shooting, Klay Thompson scored 22 points with four 3-pointers, and Curry capitalized with a huge second half.
DeMar DeRozan scored 24 points. He drove through the paint for a dunk with 3:53 to play then hit a key jumper a minute later to put Toronto in position after Curry, Durant and Thompson each missed key 3s down the stretch.
Green had 15 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and two steals but also six of Golden State’s 17 turnovers.
Jakob Poeltl had 11 of his 14 rebounds on the offensive glass.
“It’s a focus thing,” Green said.
Curry scored 13 of his points in the third quarter and the defending champions avoided falling to 0-2 at home after losing their opener to Houston on Oct. 17. He made an off-balance layup with 1:28 to go then Golden State made a stop on the other end before Durant’s big 3.
“We had ourselves in a great position and we made some key mental mistakes that cost us,” DeRozan said. “Nothing went our way, everything went their way in that last minute.”
Pascal Siakam scored 20 points as Toronto lost its 13th in a row at Golden State and seventh straight in the series. Serge Ibaka added 15 points and Kyle Lowry 14 points and nine assists.
Thompson had two 3s and Durant another from downtown during a 9-0 run late in the second quarter and Thompson another in the waning seconds that put Golden State up 61-53 at the break.
BELL’S BACKBOARD DUNK
Rookie Jordan Bell’s dunk that featured a toss to himself off the backboard Saturday at Memphis drew some debate.
Coach Steve Kerr spoke to the first-year forward out of Oregon, whose play had Curry and Durant’s jaws dropping.
“I told him after it happened, I said be ready for them to retaliate. He had a bewildered look on his face. I think the issue is you’ve got old-school people, players on our own team, like Shaun Livingston, David West,” Kerr said. “The young guys are like, ‘Man, that was cool.’ I’m sort of in the middle, I never want to embarrass our opponent.”
LGBT PRIDE NIGHT
Kerr made a heartfelt message about loving and accepting your neighbor as the Warriors hosted LGBT Pride Night. Warriors President and COO Rick Welts was the first openly gay NBA executive.
Kerr’s remarks:
“There’s never been a more important time in our country to respect the person next to you, regardless of race, creed, color, sexual preference, sexual identity. I’m really encouraged by my kids’ experience here in California growing up, just in terms of acceptance. It seems like the young generation is learning more and more about we all just are who we are. We’re all individuals. What makes our country great is our diversity. The fact that we can respect each other and work together and embrace each other, I think it’s an important night for us. We want to welcome everybody from the LGBTQ community. Maybe, if you’re coming to the game tonight and your child says, ‘What does that mean?’ explain it to them. Explain to them the importance of loving the person next to you, respecting them, no matter who they are, where they come from. They’re human beings, we’re all human beings. We’re all in this together.”
TIP-INS
Raptors: DeRozan has never won on the Warriors home floor (0-7). ... Jonas Valanciunas missed his second straight game and Lucas Nogueira also sat out, each with sprained left ankles.
Warriors: C JaVale McGee was a healthy inactive based on matchups. ... Thompson has hit a 3 in 59 straight games, the NBA’s longest active streak. ... Kerr spent the morning film session on cutting down fouls — and Golden State had just 15. “We have a number of issues that we’re concerned about but that’s No. 1. That’s by far at the top of the list because the domino effect of fouling is dramatic,” he said.
UP NEXT
Raptors: Visit the Lakers on Friday, continuing a season-long six-game road trip.
Warriors: Host Washington on Friday.
Associated Press
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — The defending NBA champions are working to rediscover their defense. Not to mention their basic rebounding fundamentals of boxing out and ability to avoid silly fouls.
They barely beat the scrappy Raptors to avoid an 0-2 home start.
“Our defense has been horrible,” Draymond Green said.
Stephen Curry hit a go-ahead 3-pointer from the top with 31.9 seconds left on the way to 30 points, and the sloppy Warriors held off Toronto 117-112 on Wednesday night.
Kevin Durant’s 3-pointer with 1:02 remaining tied the game at 112, then he found Curry for the 3 that made the difference.
“A 4-year-old up in the stands probably could have seen that we should have been boxing out,” Durant said of the 17 offensive rebounds surrendered. “... We don’t want to build bad habits and Coach is doing a good job of correcting us when we make mistakes.”
Durant finished with 29 points on 11-for-20 shooting, Klay Thompson scored 22 points with four 3-pointers, and Curry capitalized with a huge second half.
DeMar DeRozan scored 24 points. He drove through the paint for a dunk with 3:53 to play then hit a key jumper a minute later to put Toronto in position after Curry, Durant and Thompson each missed key 3s down the stretch.
Green had 15 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and two steals but also six of Golden State’s 17 turnovers.
Jakob Poeltl had 11 of his 14 rebounds on the offensive glass.
“It’s a focus thing,” Green said.
Curry scored 13 of his points in the third quarter and the defending champions avoided falling to 0-2 at home after losing their opener to Houston on Oct. 17. He made an off-balance layup with 1:28 to go then Golden State made a stop on the other end before Durant’s big 3.
“We had ourselves in a great position and we made some key mental mistakes that cost us,” DeRozan said. “Nothing went our way, everything went their way in that last minute.”
Pascal Siakam scored 20 points as Toronto lost its 13th in a row at Golden State and seventh straight in the series. Serge Ibaka added 15 points and Kyle Lowry 14 points and nine assists.
Thompson had two 3s and Durant another from downtown during a 9-0 run late in the second quarter and Thompson another in the waning seconds that put Golden State up 61-53 at the break.
BELL’S BACKBOARD DUNK
Rookie Jordan Bell’s dunk that featured a toss to himself off the backboard Saturday at Memphis drew some debate.
Coach Steve Kerr spoke to the first-year forward out of Oregon, whose play had Curry and Durant’s jaws dropping.
“I told him after it happened, I said be ready for them to retaliate. He had a bewildered look on his face. I think the issue is you’ve got old-school people, players on our own team, like Shaun Livingston, David West,” Kerr said. “The young guys are like, ‘Man, that was cool.’ I’m sort of in the middle, I never want to embarrass our opponent.”
LGBT PRIDE NIGHT
Kerr made a heartfelt message about loving and accepting your neighbor as the Warriors hosted LGBT Pride Night. Warriors President and COO Rick Welts was the first openly gay NBA executive.
Kerr’s remarks:
“There’s never been a more important time in our country to respect the person next to you, regardless of race, creed, color, sexual preference, sexual identity. I’m really encouraged by my kids’ experience here in California growing up, just in terms of acceptance. It seems like the young generation is learning more and more about we all just are who we are. We’re all individuals. What makes our country great is our diversity. The fact that we can respect each other and work together and embrace each other, I think it’s an important night for us. We want to welcome everybody from the LGBTQ community. Maybe, if you’re coming to the game tonight and your child says, ‘What does that mean?’ explain it to them. Explain to them the importance of loving the person next to you, respecting them, no matter who they are, where they come from. They’re human beings, we’re all human beings. We’re all in this together.”
TIP-INS
Raptors: DeRozan has never won on the Warriors home floor (0-7). ... Jonas Valanciunas missed his second straight game and Lucas Nogueira also sat out, each with sprained left ankles.
Warriors: C JaVale McGee was a healthy inactive based on matchups. ... Thompson has hit a 3 in 59 straight games, the NBA’s longest active streak. ... Kerr spent the morning film session on cutting down fouls — and Golden State had just 15. “We have a number of issues that we’re concerned about but that’s No. 1. That’s by far at the top of the list because the domino effect of fouling is dramatic,” he said.
UP NEXT
Raptors: Visit the Lakers on Friday, continuing a season-long six-game road trip.
Warriors: Host Washington on Friday.
Warren scores 27, Suns top Jazz 97-88 to go 2-0 under Triano
By BOB BAUM
Associated Press
PHOENIX (AP) — After three games this season, the Phoenix Suns were allowing almost 129 points per game. Now they’re playing tough defense, believe it or not.
The Suns have undergone a strange, unexpected transformation since interim coach Jay Triano took over when Earl Watson was fired two games ago.
“They’re just having fun,” Utah’s Rudy Gobert said, “playing hard and playing free and good things can happen when you do that.”
T.J. Warren scored 20 of his 27 points in the second half and the Suns improved to 2-0 under Triano with a 97-88 victory over the Jazz on Wednesday night.
“We’re just playing together, on both ends,” Devin Booker said. “I said it right after they made the coaching change, this should be eye-opening for us. And I love the way we responded.”
The Jazz, who lost the previous night to the Clippers in Los Angeles, never led. Phoenix was up by as many as 17 in the first half and 18 in the second.
Booker added 17 for the Suns, including a crucial 3-pointer with 1:29 to play after Utah had cut the lead to eight. Alex Len and Tyler Ulis scored 13 apiece. Len also grabbed 13 rebounds.
“They were very aggressive,” Utah coach Quin Snyder said. “They were the more aggressive team. You saw it on the offensive glass, you saw it getting loose balls. They attacked.”
Rodney Hood scored 22 for the Jazz, and Gobert had 16. Derrick Favors and Ricky Rubio added 14 apiece.
“We lacked energy,” Hood said. “We’ve just got to understand when we turn the ball over, especially against a team that is playing loose right now, playing with a lot of confidence, it just makes it harder for us.”
It’s been quite a turnaround for Phoenix, which opened the season with the most one-sided loss in its history, 124-76 to Portland, and was clobbered by 42 points against the Clippers two games later.
That led to the firing of Watson and the promotion of Triano, the former Toronto head coach and coach of the Canadian national team. Phoenix beat Sacramento in Triano’s debut Monday night.
“I think we’re playing for each other right now,” Marquese Chriss said. “We’re moving the ball, just playing real unselfishly and we’re just pushing the tempo.”
The biggest difference has been when the Suns don’t have the ball, with Booker — in the past known for his big-time offense but certainly not his defense — a major contributor.
“In the years I’ve been here, I haven’t seen Devin this focused at the defensive end of the floor,” Triano said. “He’s chasing over screens, he’s in a stance, his work ethic at the defensive end has been great. I was worried while he transitions into becoming a very good defensive player, his offensive game is going to go, but he was money down the stretch when we needed him.”
Just as they did in their previous game, the Suns jumped out to a big lead.
It was 10-2 after Booker’s basket with nine minutes left in the first quarter and, after Josh Jackson threw a slick behind-the-back pass to Len for a dunk, Phoenix was up 32-15 with 9:42 to play in the half.
Phoenix had a fast start to the second half, too. The Suns scored the first six points of the third quarter and outscored the Jazz 21-10 over the first 8½ minutes of the period to take their biggest lead, 69-51, on Ulis’ 14-footer with 3:30 remaining.
Phoenix was up 83-65 on Warren’s basket with 9:02 to play. But the Jazz rallied with a 16-6 run to cut it to 89-81 with 3:31 remaining. After a two-minute scoring drought by both teams, Booker sank his 3 and the Suns never were seriously threatened again.
TIP-INS
Jazz: Utah committed 24 turnovers to the Suns’ 16. ... Hood played despite a mild left leg strain. ... Utah fell to 0-3 on the road. ... The Jazz swept the season series the last two years.
Suns: Chriss rolled his left ankle and had be assisted off the court with 3:29 to play but said afterward it was nothing serious. ... The Phoenix bench outscored the Jazz reserves 38-9. ... Triano joins Jerry Colangelo, Scott Skiles, Alvin Gentry, Lindsey Hunter and Jeff Hornacek as Suns coaches to win their first two games.
UP NEXT
Jazz: Utah returns home to face the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night.
Suns: Phoenix opens a six-game road trip at Portland on Saturday night.
Associated Press
PHOENIX (AP) — After three games this season, the Phoenix Suns were allowing almost 129 points per game. Now they’re playing tough defense, believe it or not.
The Suns have undergone a strange, unexpected transformation since interim coach Jay Triano took over when Earl Watson was fired two games ago.
“They’re just having fun,” Utah’s Rudy Gobert said, “playing hard and playing free and good things can happen when you do that.”
T.J. Warren scored 20 of his 27 points in the second half and the Suns improved to 2-0 under Triano with a 97-88 victory over the Jazz on Wednesday night.
“We’re just playing together, on both ends,” Devin Booker said. “I said it right after they made the coaching change, this should be eye-opening for us. And I love the way we responded.”
The Jazz, who lost the previous night to the Clippers in Los Angeles, never led. Phoenix was up by as many as 17 in the first half and 18 in the second.
Booker added 17 for the Suns, including a crucial 3-pointer with 1:29 to play after Utah had cut the lead to eight. Alex Len and Tyler Ulis scored 13 apiece. Len also grabbed 13 rebounds.
“They were very aggressive,” Utah coach Quin Snyder said. “They were the more aggressive team. You saw it on the offensive glass, you saw it getting loose balls. They attacked.”
Rodney Hood scored 22 for the Jazz, and Gobert had 16. Derrick Favors and Ricky Rubio added 14 apiece.
“We lacked energy,” Hood said. “We’ve just got to understand when we turn the ball over, especially against a team that is playing loose right now, playing with a lot of confidence, it just makes it harder for us.”
It’s been quite a turnaround for Phoenix, which opened the season with the most one-sided loss in its history, 124-76 to Portland, and was clobbered by 42 points against the Clippers two games later.
That led to the firing of Watson and the promotion of Triano, the former Toronto head coach and coach of the Canadian national team. Phoenix beat Sacramento in Triano’s debut Monday night.
“I think we’re playing for each other right now,” Marquese Chriss said. “We’re moving the ball, just playing real unselfishly and we’re just pushing the tempo.”
The biggest difference has been when the Suns don’t have the ball, with Booker — in the past known for his big-time offense but certainly not his defense — a major contributor.
“In the years I’ve been here, I haven’t seen Devin this focused at the defensive end of the floor,” Triano said. “He’s chasing over screens, he’s in a stance, his work ethic at the defensive end has been great. I was worried while he transitions into becoming a very good defensive player, his offensive game is going to go, but he was money down the stretch when we needed him.”
Just as they did in their previous game, the Suns jumped out to a big lead.
It was 10-2 after Booker’s basket with nine minutes left in the first quarter and, after Josh Jackson threw a slick behind-the-back pass to Len for a dunk, Phoenix was up 32-15 with 9:42 to play in the half.
Phoenix had a fast start to the second half, too. The Suns scored the first six points of the third quarter and outscored the Jazz 21-10 over the first 8½ minutes of the period to take their biggest lead, 69-51, on Ulis’ 14-footer with 3:30 remaining.
Phoenix was up 83-65 on Warren’s basket with 9:02 to play. But the Jazz rallied with a 16-6 run to cut it to 89-81 with 3:31 remaining. After a two-minute scoring drought by both teams, Booker sank his 3 and the Suns never were seriously threatened again.
TIP-INS
Jazz: Utah committed 24 turnovers to the Suns’ 16. ... Hood played despite a mild left leg strain. ... Utah fell to 0-3 on the road. ... The Jazz swept the season series the last two years.
Suns: Chriss rolled his left ankle and had be assisted off the court with 3:29 to play but said afterward it was nothing serious. ... The Phoenix bench outscored the Jazz reserves 38-9. ... Triano joins Jerry Colangelo, Scott Skiles, Alvin Gentry, Lindsey Hunter and Jeff Hornacek as Suns coaches to win their first two games.
UP NEXT
Jazz: Utah returns home to face the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night.
Suns: Phoenix opens a six-game road trip at Portland on Saturday night.
Caldwell-Pope hits 3, Lakers beat Wizards 102-99 in OT
By DAN GREENSPAN
Associated Press
LOS ANGELES (AP) — There will be times when defense is a problem for the young Los Angeles Lakers. Not on this night as they earned their first home win of the season.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope hit a 3-pointer with 58 seconds remaining and the Lakers handed the Washington Wizards their first loss, 102-99 in overtime Wednesday.
Wizards guard John Wall was stuffed by Julius Randle driving to the basket with less than 15 seconds left. After officials initially ruled the ball hit Randle last, a video review gave the Lakers possession, and they broke through pressure to set up a dunk by Randle.
Wall missed an off-balance 3 while being defended by Lonzo Ball as time expired.
The Lakers forced the Wizards to miss their first seven shots and then their final three.
“You have a chance to win if you can play defense,” coach Luke Walton said. “That’s kind of the message that we have been trying to deliver, so it was good to have them actually experience that for themselves in a game.”
Brandon Ingram scored 19 points for the Lakers, who dropped their first two home games. Ball had six points, eight rebounds and 10 assists in an anticipated matchup against Wall. Larry Nance Jr. added 18 points and 10 rebounds, and Caldwell-Pope scored 14.
Bradley Beal had 28 points for the Wizards, who were looking to match their best start since the 1978-79 season by winning four in a row.
Wall finished with 18 points and nine rebounds. Washington shot 41.1 percent from the field (39 of 95) and 6 of 26 on 3-pointers.
Beal made one of two free throws with 12.8 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, giving the Lakers a chance to send it to overtime when Ingram tipped in his own miss with 0.7 seconds left. Beal missed a corner 3-pointer as time expired in regulation.
The Wizards scored six straight points after Ingram tied it at 85 with 3:26 remaining, but the Lakers responded with Ingram’s jumper and a 3-pointer by Randle.
“Fourth quarter, we did too much standing around,” Wizards coach Scott Brooks said. “We had more dribbles than passes and it wasn’t good basketball. Give them credit. They outplayed us down the stretch and they deserved the win tonight.”
TIP-INS
Wizards: Wall and Beal combined to attempt 10 free throws after going to the stripe at least 18 times in each of their first three games. . Jason Smith had two points and two rebounds in his first action since missing two games with a sprained right shoulder.
Lakers: Nance had six points and six rebounds in the first six minutes. ... The Lakers had lost five straight home games against the Wizards.
FEISTY FINISH
The showdown between Wall and Ball largely fizzled, especially in the first half after the rookie picked up two fouls in the first quarter.
But there was some aggression between Ingram and Wizards forward Kelly Oubre Jr. Walton thought it sparked the strong finish for Igram, who had 15 points in the second half.
“Early he seemed to be a little flustered,” Walton said. “I thought when they kind of started jawing a little bit it, for whatever reason, got Brandon to another level, and he turned a mediocre game into one where he was grabbing defensive rebounds, calling plays out in a half-court set. Not always the right play, but, hey, steps.”
STAR POWER
Even with the Dodgers playing Game 2 of the World Series at the same time, Rams running back Todd Gurley and boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. were at Staples Center.
Lakers president of basketball operations and Dodgers co-owner Earvin “Magic” Johnson left Dodger Stadium early for a halftime on-court interview with ESPN.
UP NEXT
Wizards: Visit the Golden State Warriors on Friday night as they continue a four-game road trip.
Lakers: Host the Toronto Raptors on Friday night.
Associated Press
LOS ANGELES (AP) — There will be times when defense is a problem for the young Los Angeles Lakers. Not on this night as they earned their first home win of the season.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope hit a 3-pointer with 58 seconds remaining and the Lakers handed the Washington Wizards their first loss, 102-99 in overtime Wednesday.
Wizards guard John Wall was stuffed by Julius Randle driving to the basket with less than 15 seconds left. After officials initially ruled the ball hit Randle last, a video review gave the Lakers possession, and they broke through pressure to set up a dunk by Randle.
Wall missed an off-balance 3 while being defended by Lonzo Ball as time expired.
The Lakers forced the Wizards to miss their first seven shots and then their final three.
“You have a chance to win if you can play defense,” coach Luke Walton said. “That’s kind of the message that we have been trying to deliver, so it was good to have them actually experience that for themselves in a game.”
Brandon Ingram scored 19 points for the Lakers, who dropped their first two home games. Ball had six points, eight rebounds and 10 assists in an anticipated matchup against Wall. Larry Nance Jr. added 18 points and 10 rebounds, and Caldwell-Pope scored 14.
Bradley Beal had 28 points for the Wizards, who were looking to match their best start since the 1978-79 season by winning four in a row.
Wall finished with 18 points and nine rebounds. Washington shot 41.1 percent from the field (39 of 95) and 6 of 26 on 3-pointers.
Beal made one of two free throws with 12.8 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, giving the Lakers a chance to send it to overtime when Ingram tipped in his own miss with 0.7 seconds left. Beal missed a corner 3-pointer as time expired in regulation.
The Wizards scored six straight points after Ingram tied it at 85 with 3:26 remaining, but the Lakers responded with Ingram’s jumper and a 3-pointer by Randle.
“Fourth quarter, we did too much standing around,” Wizards coach Scott Brooks said. “We had more dribbles than passes and it wasn’t good basketball. Give them credit. They outplayed us down the stretch and they deserved the win tonight.”
TIP-INS
Wizards: Wall and Beal combined to attempt 10 free throws after going to the stripe at least 18 times in each of their first three games. . Jason Smith had two points and two rebounds in his first action since missing two games with a sprained right shoulder.
Lakers: Nance had six points and six rebounds in the first six minutes. ... The Lakers had lost five straight home games against the Wizards.
FEISTY FINISH
The showdown between Wall and Ball largely fizzled, especially in the first half after the rookie picked up two fouls in the first quarter.
But there was some aggression between Ingram and Wizards forward Kelly Oubre Jr. Walton thought it sparked the strong finish for Igram, who had 15 points in the second half.
“Early he seemed to be a little flustered,” Walton said. “I thought when they kind of started jawing a little bit it, for whatever reason, got Brandon to another level, and he turned a mediocre game into one where he was grabbing defensive rebounds, calling plays out in a half-court set. Not always the right play, but, hey, steps.”
STAR POWER
Even with the Dodgers playing Game 2 of the World Series at the same time, Rams running back Todd Gurley and boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. were at Staples Center.
Lakers president of basketball operations and Dodgers co-owner Earvin “Magic” Johnson left Dodger Stadium early for a halftime on-court interview with ESPN.
UP NEXT
Wizards: Visit the Golden State Warriors on Friday night as they continue a four-game road trip.
Lakers: Host the Toronto Raptors on Friday night.
Wednesday, October 25, 2017
Early theme to NBA season: You score, I score, we all score
By BRIAN MAHONEY
Associated Press
Maybe it’s the 3-ball. Perhaps it’s all about small ball.
Whatever the reasons, NBA teams had few problems putting the ball in the basket and piling up points through the first week of the regular season.
A third of the league is averaging 110 or more, and the Brooklyn Nets became the first team to score 115 in their first four games in 32 years — and they only won half of them, because they were giving up more than 120 a night.
The floor is open and offenses are flowing — with ease.
“The game has changed. Offense has changed in the last 10 years radically just because the players are getting better, they shoot the ball better, offense has opened up, 3-point line, everybody shoots now,” Houston coach Mike D’Antoni said. “So the offense has changed radically. Defense traditionally has not changed that much.”
It’s advantage offense in a big, entertaining fashion.
D’Antoni ran the NBA’s most potent offense when he was in Phoenix a decade ago, and in 2006-07 the Suns were the only team to average 110 for the season, finishing at 110.2.
That would have barely cracked the top 10 entering Tuesday’s play. The Nets — yes, the Nets — are leading the way, averaging 123.5 a night. The system of playing small and firing 3-pointers may have been sneered at then, but it’s practically becoming the norm now.
“It’s hard to keep your bigs in the game now, so there’s nobody tall at the rim anymore,” Orlando coach Frank Vogel said. “I think that’s made offense a lot easier. It’s really just kind of a style of play and stylistically teams are playing with more shooting and more guards and more speed and less rim protection around the basket, so it’s definitely benefited the offense.”
He had Roy Hibbert in that role when he was in Indiana, and the Pacers rode their rugged defense toward the top of the Eastern Conference. Now, Vogel’s Magic have yielded 126 and 121 while splitting a pair of games against the Nets.
Brooklyn is the first team since the Lakers, Pacers and Pistons in 1985-86 to open with four straight 115-point games.
D’Antoni believes defenses will have to evolve because “they can’t keep up with the offense.”
That, NBA fans, is an understatement.
___
WEEK 1 MVP
Nobody has ever started an NBA season quite like Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The Greek Freak put up 147 points, 43 rebounds and 21 assists during the Bucks’ 3-1 start, stats that the NBA said had never been reached in a player’s first four games. He scored at least 30 points in every game, including a career-high 44 against Portland.
Antetokounmpo is also off to the best scoring start in Bucks history. Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had 146 in 1970-71, when he won his first of two straight MVP awards.
Antetokounmpo might be on his way to one. The online sportsbook Bovada lowered his odds from 10 to 1 in the preseason to 5 to 2 Monday, listing him as its current MVP favorite.
___
Other things to watch around the league:
HOMECOMING WEEK: DeMarcus Cousins returns to Sacramento for the first time since his midseason trade to New Orleans last season when the Pelicans visit the Kings on Thursday. The next night, Paul Millsap is back in Atlanta for the first time since moving West to the Denver Nuggets over the summer.
MOVING ON UP: San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich needs four wins to pass Phil Jackson and move into sixth place of the NBA’s career list. Jackson had 1,155 victories in the regular season. Popovich has 1,152 entering the Spurs’ game in Miami on Wednesday.
GEORGE’S GUESTS: Paul George will see his old Indiana mates Wednesday when the Pacers visit Oklahoma City for the first time since surprisingly trading their All-Star forward in the summer.
BACKCOURT BATTLE: Two of the league’s best backcourts go head-to-head Friday when John Wall and Bradley Beal lead Washington into Oracle Arena to face Golden State’s Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.
___
STAT LINE OF THE WEEK: Ben Simmons, Philadelphia: 21 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists Monday in a 97-86 victory over Detroit. The rookie needed just four games for his first career triple-double.
Associated Press
Maybe it’s the 3-ball. Perhaps it’s all about small ball.
Whatever the reasons, NBA teams had few problems putting the ball in the basket and piling up points through the first week of the regular season.
A third of the league is averaging 110 or more, and the Brooklyn Nets became the first team to score 115 in their first four games in 32 years — and they only won half of them, because they were giving up more than 120 a night.
The floor is open and offenses are flowing — with ease.
“The game has changed. Offense has changed in the last 10 years radically just because the players are getting better, they shoot the ball better, offense has opened up, 3-point line, everybody shoots now,” Houston coach Mike D’Antoni said. “So the offense has changed radically. Defense traditionally has not changed that much.”
It’s advantage offense in a big, entertaining fashion.
D’Antoni ran the NBA’s most potent offense when he was in Phoenix a decade ago, and in 2006-07 the Suns were the only team to average 110 for the season, finishing at 110.2.
That would have barely cracked the top 10 entering Tuesday’s play. The Nets — yes, the Nets — are leading the way, averaging 123.5 a night. The system of playing small and firing 3-pointers may have been sneered at then, but it’s practically becoming the norm now.
“It’s hard to keep your bigs in the game now, so there’s nobody tall at the rim anymore,” Orlando coach Frank Vogel said. “I think that’s made offense a lot easier. It’s really just kind of a style of play and stylistically teams are playing with more shooting and more guards and more speed and less rim protection around the basket, so it’s definitely benefited the offense.”
He had Roy Hibbert in that role when he was in Indiana, and the Pacers rode their rugged defense toward the top of the Eastern Conference. Now, Vogel’s Magic have yielded 126 and 121 while splitting a pair of games against the Nets.
Brooklyn is the first team since the Lakers, Pacers and Pistons in 1985-86 to open with four straight 115-point games.
D’Antoni believes defenses will have to evolve because “they can’t keep up with the offense.”
That, NBA fans, is an understatement.
___
WEEK 1 MVP
Nobody has ever started an NBA season quite like Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The Greek Freak put up 147 points, 43 rebounds and 21 assists during the Bucks’ 3-1 start, stats that the NBA said had never been reached in a player’s first four games. He scored at least 30 points in every game, including a career-high 44 against Portland.
Antetokounmpo is also off to the best scoring start in Bucks history. Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had 146 in 1970-71, when he won his first of two straight MVP awards.
Antetokounmpo might be on his way to one. The online sportsbook Bovada lowered his odds from 10 to 1 in the preseason to 5 to 2 Monday, listing him as its current MVP favorite.
___
Other things to watch around the league:
HOMECOMING WEEK: DeMarcus Cousins returns to Sacramento for the first time since his midseason trade to New Orleans last season when the Pelicans visit the Kings on Thursday. The next night, Paul Millsap is back in Atlanta for the first time since moving West to the Denver Nuggets over the summer.
MOVING ON UP: San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich needs four wins to pass Phil Jackson and move into sixth place of the NBA’s career list. Jackson had 1,155 victories in the regular season. Popovich has 1,152 entering the Spurs’ game in Miami on Wednesday.
GEORGE’S GUESTS: Paul George will see his old Indiana mates Wednesday when the Pacers visit Oklahoma City for the first time since surprisingly trading their All-Star forward in the summer.
BACKCOURT BATTLE: Two of the league’s best backcourts go head-to-head Friday when John Wall and Bradley Beal lead Washington into Oracle Arena to face Golden State’s Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.
___
STAT LINE OF THE WEEK: Ben Simmons, Philadelphia: 21 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists Monday in a 97-86 victory over Detroit. The rookie needed just four games for his first career triple-double.
Davis leaves Portland game with left knee injury
Associated Press
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Anthony Davis left the Pelicans’ game against the Trail Blazers on Tuesday night with a left knee injury.
Davis left for the locker room midway through the first quarter. It appeared that he bumped knees with Blazers guard Damian Lillard.
Davis, in his sixth NBA season, had 27 points and 17 rebounds in New Orleans’ 119-112 victory over the Lakers in Los Angeles on Sunday. He had a basket and a rebound through the first 5 minutes against the Blazers.
Davis averaged a career-best 28 points and 11.8 rebounds last season with the Pelicans.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Anthony Davis left the Pelicans’ game against the Trail Blazers on Tuesday night with a left knee injury.
Davis left for the locker room midway through the first quarter. It appeared that he bumped knees with Blazers guard Damian Lillard.
Davis, in his sixth NBA season, had 27 points and 17 rebounds in New Orleans’ 119-112 victory over the Lakers in Los Angeles on Sunday. He had a basket and a rebound through the first 5 minutes against the Blazers.
Davis averaged a career-best 28 points and 11.8 rebounds last season with the Pelicans.
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