NBA Roundup This Time, the Celtics Finish Off the Bulls Early
Paul Pierce scored 20 of his 22 points in the third quarter Friday night, and the Boston Celtics rolled to a 118-90 victory over the Chicago Bulls in the teams’ first matchup since last spring’s thrilling seven-game playoff series.
Ray Allen had 20 points for Boston, and Kevin Garnett, who missed the final 25 games of the regular season and the playoffs with strained ligaments in his right knee, added 16. Rajon Rondo had 16 assists and 8 rebounds as the Celtics improved to 3-0.
John Salmons led the Bulls (1-1) with 16 points.
Unlike in Boston’s opening-round playoff victory, a series that had the teams play a record seven overtime periods in four games and had one game decided in the closing seconds, the Celtics broke this one open early in the first half.
THUNDER 91, PISTONS 83 Kevin Durant scored 11 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter to lead Oklahoma City over host Detroit.
The Thunder (2-0) began 1-16 last season, its first in Oklahoma City, and did not get its second victory until Nov. 29.
Ben Gordon led Detroit (1-1) with 25 points.
CAVS 104, TIMBERWOLVES 87 LeBron James scored 24 points to lead visiting Cleveland to its first win of the season. James took most of the fourth quarter off, finishing with nine rebounds and six assists in 34 minutes and avoiding his first 0-3 start in five years.
HEAT 96, PACERS 83 Miami’s Jermaine O’Neal had 22 points and 12 rebounds against his former team. Dwyane Wade scored 32 points for the Heat. Danny Granger led host Indiana with 22 points, but he shot 6 for 20.
GRIZZLIES 115, RAPTORS 107 Zach Randolph scored 30 points to lead Memphis to its first win. Marc Gasol added 19 points for the Grizzlies. Chris Bosh led the Raptors with 37 points and 12 rebounds.
Memphis guard Allen Iverson missed his second game, still recovering from a partial right hamstring tear.
HAWKS 100, WIZARDS 89 Josh Smith scored 20 points and reached a blocked-shots milestone for host Atlanta. Gilbert Arenas had 23 points for Washington.
Smith, 23, rejected a shot by Arenas in the fourth quarter to become the youngest N.B.A. player to block 900 shots. Shaquille O’Neal was 24 when he reached 900.
IN OTHER GAMES Paul Millsap scored 17 of his 23 points in the second half and the Utah Jazz used a 15-0 run spanning the third and fourth quarters to beat the Los Angeles Clippers, 111-98. ... Andre Iguodala scored 19 points and Elton Brand had 17 as the Philadelphia 76ers bounced back from a dismal opener to beat the visiting Milwaukee Bucks, 99-86. Michael Redd and Brandon Jennings led the Bucks with 17 points each. ... Chris Paul scored 31 points and Emeka Okafor capped a strong performance by blocking Kevin Martin’s tying 3-point attempt in the final seconds to help the New Orleans Hornets beat the visiting Sacramento Kings, 97-92. Okafor, who missed the entire preseason with a sprained toe, finished with 11 points and 13 rebounds.
AROUND THE LEAGUE The Celtics decided not to suspend forward Glen Davis after his early-morning fight with a childhood friend the day before the season opener left him sidelined for at least five weeks with a broken right thumb. The Celtics did, however, fine Davis an undisclosed amount. ...Pistons guard Richard Hamilton will miss at least two games after sustaining a sprained right ankle in Wednesday night’s season-opening victory at Memphis.
Paul Pierce scored 20 of his 22 points in the third quarter Friday night, and the Boston Celtics rolled to a 118-90 victory over the Chicago Bulls in the teams’ first matchup since last spring’s thrilling seven-game playoff series.
Ray Allen had 20 points for Boston, and Kevin Garnett, who missed the final 25 games of the regular season and the playoffs with strained ligaments in his right knee, added 16. Rajon Rondo had 16 assists and 8 rebounds as the Celtics improved to 3-0.
John Salmons led the Bulls (1-1) with 16 points.
Unlike in Boston’s opening-round playoff victory, a series that had the teams play a record seven overtime periods in four games and had one game decided in the closing seconds, the Celtics broke this one open early in the first half.
THUNDER 91, PISTONS 83 Kevin Durant scored 11 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter to lead Oklahoma City over host Detroit.
The Thunder (2-0) began 1-16 last season, its first in Oklahoma City, and did not get its second victory until Nov. 29.
Ben Gordon led Detroit (1-1) with 25 points.
CAVS 104, TIMBERWOLVES 87 LeBron James scored 24 points to lead visiting Cleveland to its first win of the season. James took most of the fourth quarter off, finishing with nine rebounds and six assists in 34 minutes and avoiding his first 0-3 start in five years.
HEAT 96, PACERS 83 Miami’s Jermaine O’Neal had 22 points and 12 rebounds against his former team. Dwyane Wade scored 32 points for the Heat. Danny Granger led host Indiana with 22 points, but he shot 6 for 20.
GRIZZLIES 115, RAPTORS 107 Zach Randolph scored 30 points to lead Memphis to its first win. Marc Gasol added 19 points for the Grizzlies. Chris Bosh led the Raptors with 37 points and 12 rebounds.
Memphis guard Allen Iverson missed his second game, still recovering from a partial right hamstring tear.
HAWKS 100, WIZARDS 89 Josh Smith scored 20 points and reached a blocked-shots milestone for host Atlanta. Gilbert Arenas had 23 points for Washington.
Smith, 23, rejected a shot by Arenas in the fourth quarter to become the youngest N.B.A. player to block 900 shots. Shaquille O’Neal was 24 when he reached 900.
IN OTHER GAMES Paul Millsap scored 17 of his 23 points in the second half and the Utah Jazz used a 15-0 run spanning the third and fourth quarters to beat the Los Angeles Clippers, 111-98. ... Andre Iguodala scored 19 points and Elton Brand had 17 as the Philadelphia 76ers bounced back from a dismal opener to beat the visiting Milwaukee Bucks, 99-86. Michael Redd and Brandon Jennings led the Bucks with 17 points each. ... Chris Paul scored 31 points and Emeka Okafor capped a strong performance by blocking Kevin Martin’s tying 3-point attempt in the final seconds to help the New Orleans Hornets beat the visiting Sacramento Kings, 97-92. Okafor, who missed the entire preseason with a sprained toe, finished with 11 points and 13 rebounds.
AROUND THE LEAGUE The Celtics decided not to suspend forward Glen Davis after his early-morning fight with a childhood friend the day before the season opener left him sidelined for at least five weeks with a broken right thumb. The Celtics did, however, fine Davis an undisclosed amount. ...Pistons guard Richard Hamilton will miss at least two games after sustaining a sprained right ankle in Wednesday night’s season-opening victory at Memphis.
Source: New York Times
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