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[tonistork]

NBA Power Rankings: Heat open on top
Yahoo Sports

1. Miami Heat (66-16 last season): While much has been made about LeBron James' pending free agency, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh also will be extra motivated this season to position themselves for one last big contract.
2. San Antonio Spurs (58-24 last season): Keep an eye on guard Marco Belinelli, who averaged 14 points in his last four preseason games. An All-Star season could be on the horizon for budding star Kawhi Leonard.
3. Indiana Pacers (49-32 last season): The return of Danny Granger will be a big lift, but his health remains a concern. The addition of reserve forward Luis Scola was one of the offseason's smartest moves.
4. Chicago Bulls (45-37 last season): Derrick Rose is jumping higher, shooting runners with both hands well and hitting his jumper. There isn't a more intriguing season-opener than Rose's return against Miami.
5. Los Angeles Clippers (56-26 last season): New Clippers president and coach Doc Rivers made a good decision to cover the Lakers' banners during home games. Rivers wants the Clippers to have their own strong identity.
6. Houston Rockets (45-37 last season): In the preseason, Dwight Howard looked healthy, appeared to have worked on his face-up game and co-existed well with fellow All-Star James Harden.
7. Golden State Warriors (47-35 last season): One NBA scout said the Warriors' biggest question is depth at point guard and center. Andre Iguodala's versatility could help overcome some personnel issues.
8. Oklahoma City Thunder (60-22 last season): The Thunder are only beginning the season this low because Russell Westbrook might not be back from knee surgery until December. The Thunder should be near the top of the rankings by the New Year.
9. Memphis Grizzlies (56-26 last season): All eyes will be on new head coach Dave Joerger, who replaced the franchise's most successful coach in Lionel Hollins. Even with the addition of Mike Miller, Memphis needs more shooting.
10. New York Knicks (54-28 last season): Curious to see how underachieving Andrea Bargnani performs in a new uniform in New York. Playing alongside Carmelo Anthony should get him some easy outside looks.
11. Brooklyn Nets (49-33 last season): The biggest coaching challenge of the season goes to rookie head coach Jason Kidd, who has some talented veterans with egos in Deron Williams, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett.
12. Denver Nuggets (57-25 last season): The Nuggets not only don't have Andre Iguodala any more, but forward Danilo Gallinari also won't be back until at least December as he recovers from a knee injury.
13. Minnesota Timberwolves (31-51 last season): Kevin Love, Ricky Rubio and Nikola Pekovic spent 15 minutes on the floor together last season. If they're healthy – and Kevin Martin plays well – the Wolves can finally make the postseason.
14. Washington Wizards (29-53 last season): The Wizards made a strong move to get John Wall to his first postseason by acquiring center Marcin Gortat. It also helps Nene, who is better as a power forward than a center.
15. New Orleans Pelicans (27-55 last season): New Orleans has a new nickname, new practice facility and two new notable players in Jrue Holiday and Tyreke Evans. Anthony Davis believes the Pelicans will make the playoffs. They have a shot.
16. Cleveland Cavaliers (24-58 last season): As if the pressures of being the top draft pick wasn't enough, rookie forward Anthony Bennett also has asthma and sleep apnea. When will Andrew Bynum play?
17. Detroit Pistons (29-53 last season): Josh Smith is now officially the face of the Pistons. Expect rookie shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to make a strong impact. Brandon Jennings needs to play well for a successful season.
18. Los Angeles Lakers (45-37 last season): A surprisingly cautious Kobe Bryant will miss the season opener against the Clippers on Tuesday. It's uncertain when he will debut; Bryant has not even practiced yet. Stay tuned.
19. Portland Trail Blazers (33-49 last season): LaMarcus Aldridge says Portland can earn the West's seventh playoff spot. The return of promising rookie C.J. McCollum (foot) will help that cause once he can play.
20. Dallas Mavericks (41-41 last season): The Mavs landed one of the NBA's most intimidating scorers in Monta Ellis during free agency. Ellis and Dirk Nowitzki will have to be an All-Star caliber tandem for the Mavs to challenge for a playoff spot.
21. Toronto Raptors (34-48 last season): Expecting a breakout season for Jonas Valanciunas, who was the Most Valuable Player of the Vegas Summer League.

22. Charlotte Bobcats (21-61 last season): New center Al Jefferson (ankle) is expected to be available for the season opener against Dwight Howard and the Rockets. Keep an eye on intriguing rookie power forward Cody Zeller.
23. Atlanta Hawks (44-38 last season): Al Horford is now the face of the Hawks with Josh Smith gone. Horford is also the only remaining player from the 2006-07 team that began a six-year playoff streak. Expect a lot of empty seats in Atlanta.
24. Sacramento Kings (28-54 last season): The Kings' new ownership and management has rolled the dice by giving center DeMarcus Cousins a max contract. Greivis Vasquez and rookie Ben McLemore were great guard pickups.
25. Utah Jazz (43-39 last season): The Jazz have a lot of young talent led by Gordon Hayward, Derrick Favors and Enes Kanter, but not having a quality starting point guard is a major concern. Keep an eye on coach Tyrone Corbin.
26. Milwaukee Bucks (38-44 last season): Expect a rebuilding year for new coach Larry Drew and the Bucks, whose injury list includes forward Ersan Ilyasova (ankle), center Ekpe Udoh (knee) and swingman Carlos Delfino (foot).
27. Orlando Magic (20-62 last season): The Magic will take part in another rebuilding season and have their eyes set on the stellar 2014 NBA draft. Guard Victor Oladipo should be a strong Rookie of the Year candidate.
28. Boston Celtics (41-40 last season): The good news is the rebuilding Celtics have nine first-round draft picks in the next five years, including two in 2014. The bad news is they're headed for a very long season. Is it worth it for Rajon Rondo to play?
29. Phoenix Suns (25-57 last season): The Suns went from bad to worse by dealing center Marcin Gortat to Washington for injured center Emeka Okafor and a 2014 first-rounder. Rookie center Alex Len will get big minutes.
30. Philadelphia 76ers (34-48 last season): The Sixers will challenge the 9-73 NBA-worst record set by the 1972-73 Sixers.

[kingjames24szupladoh]

2013-2014 NBA Rosters:

ATLANTA HAWKS:
PG: Jeff Teague/Dennis Schroeder/Shelvin Mack/Jared Cunningham
SG: Lou Williams/John Jenkins
SF: Kyle Korver/DeMarre Carroll/Cartier Martin
PF: Paul Millsap/Elton Brand/Mike Scott
C: Al Horford/Pero Antic/Gustavo Ayon
Coach: Mike Budenholzer

BOSTON CELTICS:
PG: Rajon Rondo/Phil Pressey
SG: Avery Bradley/Courtney Lee/Keith Bogans/Jordan Crawford
SF: Jeff Green/Gerald Wallace/MarShon Brooks
PF: Brandon Bass/Jared Sullinger/Kris Humphries
C: Kelly Olynyk/Vitor Faverani
Coach: Brad Stevens

BROOKLYN NETS:
PG: Deron Williams/Shaun Livingston/Tyshawn Taylor
SG: Joe Johnson/Jason Terry/Alan Anderson
SF: Paul Pierce/Andrei Kirilenko/Mirza Teletovic
PF: Kevin Garnett/Reggie Evans/Tornike Shengelia
C: Brook Lopez/Andray Blatche/Mason Plumlee
Coach: Jason Kidd

CHARLOTTE BOBCATS:
PG: Kemba Walker/Ramon Sessions/Jannero Pargo
SG: Gerald Henderson/Ben Gordon
SF: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist/Jeffery Taylor/James Southerland
PF: Bismack Biyombo/Josh McRoberts/Anthony Tolliver/Jeff Adrien
C: Al Jefferson/Cody Zeller/Brendan Haywood
Coach: Steve Clifford

CHICAGO BULLS:
PG: Derrick Rose/Kirk Hinrich/Marquis Teague/Mike James
SG: Jimmy Butler/Tony Snell
SF: Luol Deng/Mike Dunleavy
PF: Carlos Boozer/Taj Gibson/Erik Murphy
C: Joakim Noah/Nazr Mohammed
Coach: Tom Thibodeau

CLEVELAND CAVALIERS:
PG: Kyrie Irving/Jarrett Jack/Matthew Dellavedova
SG: Dion Waiters/C.J. Miles/Carrick Felix
SF: Alonzo Gee/Anthony Bennett/Earl Clark/Sergey Karasev
PF: Anderson Varejao/Tristan Thompson/Henry Sims
C: Andrew Bynum/Tyler Zeller
Coach: Mike Brown

DALLAS MAVERICKS:
PG: Jose Calderon/Devin Harris/Shane Larkin/Gal Mekel
SG: Monta Ellis/Wayne Ellington/Ricky Ledo
SF: Shawn Marion/Vince Carter/Jae Crowder
PF: Dirk Nowitzki/DeJuan Blair/Brandan Wright
C: Samuel Dalembert/Bernard James
Coach: Rick Carlisle

DENVER NUGGETS:
PG: Ty Lawson/Andre Miller/Nate Robinson
SG: Randy Foye/Evan Fournier/Jordan Hamilton
SF: Danilo Gallinari/Wilson Chandler/Quincy Miller
PF: Kenneth Faried/Darrell Arthur/Anthony Randolph
C: JaVale McGee/J.J. Hickson/Timofey Mozgov
Coach: Brian Shaw

DETROIT PISTONS:
PG: Bradnon Jennings/Will Bynum/Chauncey Billups/Peyton Siva
SG: Rodney Stuckey/Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
SF: Josh Smith/Kyle Singler/Gigi Datome
PF: Greg Monroe/Jonas Jerebko/Charlie Villanueva/Tony Mitchell
C: Andre Drummond/Josh Harrellson
Coach: Maurice Cheeks

GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS:
PG: Stephen Curry/Toney Douglas/Nemanja Nedovic
SG: Klay Thompson/Kent Bazemore
SF: Andre Iguodala/Harrison Barnes/Draymond Green
PF: David Lee/Marreese Speights
C: Andrew Bogut/Festus Ezeli/Jermaine O’Neal/Ognjen Kuzmic
Coach: Mark Jackson

HOUSTON ROCKETS:
PG: Jeremy Lin/Patrick Beverley/Aaron Brooks/Isaiah Canaan
SG: James Harden/Francisco Garcia/Ronnie Brewer
SF: Chandler Parsons/Omri Casspi
PF: Omer Asik/Terrence Jones/Donatas Motiejunas/Robert Covington
C: Dwight Howard/Greg Smith
Coach: Kevin McHale

INDIANA PACERS:
PG: George Hill/C.J. Watson/Donald Sloan
SG: Paul George/Lance Stephenson/Orlando Johnson
SF: Danny Granger/Chris Copeland/Rasual Butler/Solomon Hill
PF: David West/ Luis Scola
C: Roy Hibbert/Ian Mahinmi
Coach: Frank Vogel

LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS:
PG: Chris Paul/Darren Collison/Maalik Wayns
SG: J.J. Redick/Jamal Crawford/Willie Green/Reggie Bullock
SF: Jared Dudley/Matt Barnes
PF: Blake Griffin/Antawn Jamison
C: DeAndre Jordan/Byron Mullens/Ryan Hollins
Coach: Doc Rivers

LOS ANGELES LAKERS:
PG: Steve Nash/Steve Blake/Jordan Farmar
SG: Kobe Bryant/Jodie Meeks/Xavier Henry
SF: Nick Young/Wesley Johnson/Elias Harris
PF: Pau Gasol/Shawne Williams/Ryan Kelly
C: Chris Kaman/Jordan Hill/Robert Sacre
Coach: Mike D’Antoni

MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES:
PG: Mike Conley/Jerryd Bayless/Nick Calathes
SG: Tony Allen/Quincy Pondexter/Jamaal Franklin
SF: Tayshaun Prince/Mike Miller
PF: Zach Randolph/Ed Davis/Jon Leuer
C: Marc Gasol/Kosta Koufos
Coach: Dave Joerger

MIAMI HEAT:
PG: Mario Chalmers/Norris Cole
SG: Dwyane Wade/Ray Allen/Roger Mason Jr.
SF: LeBron James/Shane Battier/James Jones
PF: Udonis Haslem/Rashard Lewis/Michael Beasley
C: Chris Bosh/Chris Andersen/Greg Oden/Joel Anthony
Coach: Erik Spoelstra

MILWAUKEE BUCKS:
PG: Brandon Knight/Luke Ridnour
SG: OJ Mayo/Gary Neal/Nate Wolters
SF: Caron Butler/Carlos Delfino/Giannis Antetokounmpo/Khris Middleton
PF: Ersan Ilyasova/John Henson
C: Larry Sanders/Zaza Pachulia/Ekpe Udoh/Miroslav Raduljica
Coach: Larry Drew

MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES:
PG: Ricky Rubio/J.J. Barea/A.J. Price
SG: Kevin Martin/Alexey Shved/Corey Brewer
SF: Chase Budinger/Shabazz Muhammad/Robbie Hummel
PF: Kevin Love/Derrick Williams/Dante Cunningham
C: Nikola Pekovic/Gorgui Dieng/Ronny Turiaf
Coach: Rick Adelman

NEW ORLEANS PELICANS:
PG: Jrue Holiday/Tyreke Evans/Brian Roberts
SG: Eric Gordon/Austin Rivers
SF: Al-Farouq Aminu/Anthony Morrow/Darius Miller
PF: Ryan Anderson/Jason Smith/Lance Thomas/Arinze Onuaku
C: Anthony Davis/Greg Stiemsma/Jeff Withey
Coach: Monty Williams

NEW YORK KNICKS:
PG: Raymond Felton/Pablo Prigioni/Beno Udrih/Chris Smith
SG: Iman Shumpert/J.R. Smith/Tim Hardaway Jr./Toure’ Murry
SF: Carmelo Anthony/Metta World Peace
PF: Amar’e Stoudemire/Kenyon Martin
C: Tyson Chandler/Andrea Bargnani/Cole Aldrich
Coach: Mike Woodson

OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER:
PG: Russell Westbrook/Reggie Jackson/Derek Fisher
SG: Thabo Sefolosha/Jeremy Lamb/Andre Roberson
SF: Kevin Durant/Ryan Gomes/Perry Jones
PF: Serge Ibaka/Nick Collison
C: Kendrick Perkins/Hasheem Thabeet/Steve Adams
Coach: Scott Brooks

ORLANDO MAGIC:
PG: Jameer Nelson/E’Twaun Moore/Ronnie Price
SG: Arron Afflalo/Victor Oladipo/Doron Lamb
SF: Tobias Harris/Moe Harkless/Hedo Turkoglu
PF: Glen Davis/Andrew Nicholson/Jason Maxiell
C: Nikola Vucevic/Kyle O’Quinn/Solomon Jones
Coach: Jacque Vaughn

PHILADELPHIA 76ERS:
PG: Michael Carter-Williams/Darius Morris
SG: Jason Richardson/James Anderson/Tony Wroten
SF: Evan Turner/Hollis Thompson/Brandon Davies
PF: Thaddeus Young/Lavoy Allen/Arnett Moultrie
C: Spencer Hawes/Nerlens Noel/Kwame Brown/Daniel Orton
Coach: Brett Brown

PHOENIX SUNS:
PG: Goran Dragic/Eric Bledsoe/Ishmael Smith
SG: PJ Tucker/Archie Goodwin/Dionte Christmas
SF: Marcus Morris/Gerald Green
PF: Markieff Morris/Channing Frye/Miles Plumlee
C: Alex Len/Emeka Okafor/Vyacheslav Kravtsov
Coach: Jeff Hornacek

PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS:
PG: Damian Lillard/Mo Williams/Earl Watson/C.J. McCollum
SG: Wesley Matthews/Will Barton/Allen Crabbe
SF: Nicolas Batum/Dorell Wright/Victor Claver
PF: LaMarcus Aldridge/Thomas Robinson/Joel Freeland
C: Robin Lopez/Meyers Leonard
Coach: Terry Stotts

SACRAMENTO KINGS:
PG: Greivis Vasquez/Isaiah Thomas/Ray McCallum
SG: Marcus Thornton/Ben McLemore/Jimmer Fredette
SF: John Salmons/Luc Mbah a Moute/Travis Outlaw
PF: Jason Thompson/Patrick Patterson/Carl Landry
C: DeMarcus Cousins/Chuck Hayes
Coach: Mike Malone

SAN ANTONIO SPURS:
PG: Tony Parker/Cory Joseph/Patrick Mills
SG: Danny Green/Manu Ginobili/Marco Belinelli/Nando De Colo
SF: Kawhi Leonard
PF: Tim Duncan/Boris Diaw/Jeff Ayres
C: Tiago Splitter/Matt Bonner/Aron Baynes
Coach: Gregg Popovich

TORONTO RAPTORS:
PG: Kyle Lowry/D.J. Augustin/Dwight Buycks/Julyan Stone
SG: DeMar DeRozan/Landry Fields/Terrence Ross
SF: Rudy Gay/Austin Daye/Quincy Acy
PF: Amir Johnson/Tyler Hansbrough/Steve Novak
C: Jonas Valanciunas/Aaron Gray
Coach: Dwane Casey

UTAH JAZZ:
PG: Trey Burke/John Lucas/Jamaal Tinsley
SG: Gordon Hayward/Alec Burks/Brandon Rush/Ian Clark
SF: Marvin Williams/Richard Jefferson
PF: Derrick Favors/Jeremy Evans/Mike Harris
C: Enes Kanter/Rudy Gobert/Andris Biedrins
Coach: Tyrone Corbin

WASHINGTON WIZARDS:
PG: John Wall/Eric Maynor/Garrett Temple
SG: Bradley Beal/Martell Webster/Glen Rice Jr.
SF: Trevor Ariza/Otto Porter/Chris Singleton
PF: Nene/Trevor Booker/Al Harrington/Jan Vesely
C: Marcin Gortat/Kevin Seraphin
Coach: Randy Wittman

[kingjames24szupladoh]

Tuesday, October 29 Schedule: 3 games (Western Time)

* Orlando at Indiana - 7 pm ET, 4 pm PT

* Chicago at Miami - 8 pm ET, 5 pm PT on TNT

* L.A. Clippers at L.A. Lakers - 10:30 pm ET, 7:30 pm PT on TNT

[kingjames24szupladoh]

Daily Injury Updates (Only for teams playing tonight):


ORLANDO at INDIANA:
-Glen Davis (foot) will not play.
-Tobias Harris (ankle) will not play.
-Danny Granger (calf) will not play. (Out 3 weeks)

CHICAGO at MIAMI:
-Joakim Noah (groin) expected to play.
-Kirk Hinrich (concussion)
expected to play.

L.A. CLIPPERS at L.A. LAKERS:
-Maalik Wayns (knee) will not play.
-Kobe Bryant (Achilles) will not play.

For a complete list of injuries visit here.

* malapit na mag-umpisa

[kingjames24szupladoh]

October 29, Final Scores/Leaders: (Western Time)

Magic – 87 Pacers – 97
Nicholson: 18 Pts. Nelson: 7 Asts. Vucevic: 10 Rebs./George: 24 Pts. George: 5 Asts. Hibbert: 16 Rebs.

Bulls – 95 Heat – 107
Boozer: 31 Pts. Rose: 4 Asts. Noah: 11 Rebs./James: 17 Pts. James: 8 Asts. Andersen: 8 Rebs.

Clippers – 103 Lakers – 116
Griffin: 19 Pts. Paul: 11 Asts. Jordan: 11 Rebs./Henry: 22 Pts. Farmar: 6 Asts. Gasol: 13 Rebs.

[kingjames24szupladoh]

Wednesday, October 30 Schedule: 14 games(Western Time)

Brooklyn at Cleveland - 7 pm ET, 4 pm PT on NBATV
Miami at Philadelphia - 7 pm ET, 4 pm PT
Boston at Toronto - 7 pm ET, 4 pm PT
Washington at Detroit - 7:30 pm ET, 4:30 pm PT
Milwaukee at New York - 7:30 pm ET, 4:30 pm PT
Charlotte at Houston - 8 pm ET, 5 pm PT
Orlando at Minnesota - 8 pm ET, 5 pm PT
Indiana at New Orleans - 8 pm ET, 5 pm PT
Atlanta at Dallas - 8:30 pm ET, 5:30 pm PT
Memphis at San Antonio - 8:30 pm ET, 5:30 pm PT
Oklahoma City at Utah - 9 pm ET, 6 pm PT
Portland at Phoenix - 10 pm ET, 7 pm PT
Denver at Sacramento - 10 pm ET, 7 pm PT
L.A. Lakers at Golden State - 10:30 pm ET, 7:30 pm PT on NBATV

[tonistork]

Bucks rally for 105-98 win in Celtics home opener
AP - Sports

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

source: http://sports.yahoo.com/news/bucks-rally-105-98-win-021034202

[tonistork]

Nets hand Heat first 2-game skid since January
AP - Sports
 
NEW YORK (AP) -- Before they can think about beating Miami in the playoffs, the Brooklyn Nets had to show they could do it in a game.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

NOTES: Miami's longest winning streak against an opponent is 12 in a row over Charlotte. ...

source: http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nets-hand-heat-first-2-031809179

[tonistork]

Parker, Spurs hold off Lakers 91-85 without Duncan
AP - Sports

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Tony Parker had 24 points and six assists, Kawhi Leonard added 15 points and 11 rebounds, and the San Antonio Spurs survived without Tim Duncan for a 91-85 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night.

Parker hit the tiebreaking jumper with 2:13 to play, and Manu Ginobili capped his 20-point performance off the bench with a key defensive play and a dunk in the final seconds of the Spurs' road opener.

Duncan sat out after bruising his chest in Wednesday's season-opening victory over Memphis. Boris Diaw hit a key 3-pointer with 1:40 to play and scored 14 points while starting in his place.

Pau Gasol had 20 points and 11 rebounds for the Lakers, who finished their season-opening string of three games in four days with two losses after their season-opening win over the Clippers.

After San Antonio erased an early 15-point deficit, the teams traded 14 lead changes in a tense fourth quarter. Parker put the Spurs ahead to stay, and Tiago Splitter made an impressive tip-in with 1:10 left to cap a 9-1 Spurs run.

Kobe Bryant sat out for the Lakers, and is still weeks away from a return after tearing his Achilles tendon in April. In their absence, the Lakers and Spurs played the first game between the perennial Western Conference powers without either Duncan or Bryant on the court since November 1996, when Bryant was a rookie and Duncan was at Wake Forest.

Jodie Meeks scored 14 points and Wes Johnson added 12 for the Lakers. Steve Nash had five points on 1-for-8 shooting and five assists in his return after sitting out Wednesday's game at Golden State in a bid to rest the 39-year-old point guard during back-to-backs.

Los Angeles trimmed the Spurs' lead to 87-83 in the final minute, and Diaw missed two free throws. But Ginobili stripped the ball from Meeks on the way to the basket and then dunked on the other end with 11 seconds left to seal it.

The Spurs started slowly without Duncan, missing 10 of their first 12 shots and falling behind 33-18 early in the second quarter. Parker got San Antonio rolling with a 15-2 run, erasing most of that lead in 3 1/2 minutes.

Before the game, Bryant said he's progressing well in his recovery from a torn Achilles tendon in April, running on flat ground and doing more work on a weight-bearing treadmill. Bryant will need at least two more weeks of conditioning before considering a return to practice, he said.

NOTES: The Spurs aren't sure when Duncan will be back. San Antonio has two more games on its trip, including Saturday night in Portland. ...

source: http://sports.yahoo.com/news/parker-spurs-hold-off-lakers-051829180

[tonistork]

Clippers hold off Kings after blowing big lead
AP - Sports

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- Los Angeles Clippers point guard Chris Paul didn't let a slow start against the Sacramento Kings throw him off course.

A quick pep talk by coach Doc Rivers and some encouraging words from his teammates convinced Paul to keep jacking up shots until they started to fall.

Just like that, Paul's sizzling start to the season rolled on.

Paul had 26 points and 10 assists for his third straight double-double, and the Clippers came back after blowing a 15-point lead in the second half to beat the Kings 110-101 on Friday night.

''I came out a little slow and tried to let the game develop, but I can't be that way,'' Paul said. ''I have to be more aggressive. Once I got more aggressive, that opened up things for everybody.''

Blake Griffin added 20 points, 17 rebounds and six assists while reserve Jamal Crawford had 18 points for the Clippers, who have won two straight since a season-opening loss to the Lakers.

Six players scored in double figures for Los Angeles, which trailed 92-90 midway through the fourth quarter before going ahead for good on a 3-pointer by Paul. The Clippers' point guard had nine points over the final 6 minutes, including four consecutive free throws to extend the lead to 108-101.

Paul got into it with Sacramento center DeMarcus Cousins. The two exchanged words and had to be separated in the first quarter after it appeared Paul tried to push on Cousins' face while the Kings' center was on the ground.

Cousins later drew a technical in the fourth quarter after blocking a shot by Paul when he appeared to taunt the guard. Isaiah Thomas, who led the Kings with 29 points, was also hit with a technical foul while Los Angeles reserve Matt Barnes was called for a flagrant foul.

''It was a track meet and it was physical, too,'' Rivers said. ''It had a little bit of everything.''

The Clippers led most of the game and were ahead 66-51 early in the third quarter before the Kings made their best run of the night behind Thomas.

Thomas, Sacramento's diminutive backup point guard, scored seven points including a driving layup as he crashed to the court. That helped the Kings trim the gap to single digits, and Travis Outlaw's tip-in following Cousins' missed 18-footer cut the Clippers' lead to 79-77 heading into the fourth quarter.

''I love the fact that we got back in the game and we didn't stop competing,'' Sacramento coach Michael Malone said. ''But you can't beat a good team if you allow them to shoot 50 percent from the field and from the 3-point line.''

Paul scored five straight points and fed DeAndre Jordan with an alley-oop pass for a dunk that gave Los Angeles a 97-94 lead.

Cousins, who finished with 24 points and 10 rebounds, scored on a short hook to pull the Kings within 102-99 but Jared Dudley and Paul made two free throws apiece to help the Clippers seal the win.

''I'm one of those people that let my teammates get me going, and I need that,'' said Paul, who shot 7 of 14 from the field. ''Doc talks to me about it but it's my teammates that help me.''

Los Angeles led comfortably until Sacramento's push in the second half.

Barnes and J.J. Redick made consecutive 3s as part of a 12-0 run by the Clippers midway through the first quarter. The Kings pulled even at 22-all on two free throws from Thomas before Crawford made a runner in the lane to give Los Angeles the early lead.

Crawford scored six of the Clippers' first nine points in the second quarter and Griffin added four on a driving layup and two free throws to help Los Angeles take a 41-31 lead.

The Kings shot just 38.1 percent in the first half but pulled within 52-45 on a free throw by Thomas with 21.5 seconds left. Paul answered with a 15-footer to extend the Clippers' lead to nine at halftime.


NOTES: Paul is averaging 27.3 points through the first three games. ... Crawford was 7 of 10 from the field. ... Former NBA star and current Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson was among those seated courtside.


source: http://sports.yahoo.com/news/clippers-hold-off-kings-blowing-050235851

[tonistork]

Bledsoe's 3-pointer gives Suns 87-84 win over Jazz
AP - Sports

PHOENIX (AP) -- Three ugly quarters didn't get Eric Bledsoe down. And his fourth quarter was a beauty.

Bledsoe, who missed 10 of his first 11 shots, scored the final 14 points for Phoenix, topping it off with a 3-pointer with 0.7 seconds to play to give the Suns an 87-84 victory over the Utah Jazz on Friday night.

Phoenix improved to 2-0 under new coach and ex-Jazz player and assistant coach Jeff Hornacek.

Gordon Hayward's 3-pointer tied it for Utah at 84 with 22.9 seconds to play.

Bledsoe, 4 of 15 from the field, finished with 18 points for the Suns, 17 in the fourth quarter. Miles Plumlee added 13 points and 13 rebounds.

Enes Kanter scored 20 points and Hayward had 18 points for Utah.

The Suns' Goran Dragic played 3 minutes in the third quarter then left because of a right face contusion he sustained in a nasty collision with teammate Markieff Morris late in the first half.

Dragic wanted to play but Hornacek pulled him.

''He just didn't look right,'' Hornacek said.

Bledsoe made one of two free throws with 30.4 seconds to play, making it 84-81 and giving Utah a chance to tie.

The Jazz did just that when Hayward broke free for the 3-pointer.

Bledsoe calmly dribbled down the clock then pulled up for his game-winning 3 from the top of the key.

''I knew that he was playing me to drive so I was going to wait until the clock got really low to shoot it,'' Bledsoe said. ''... He was daring me to shoot it so you know I was going to shoot it.''

Hayward confirmed he was worried about Bledsoe driving to the basket.

''I tried to sag off him just a tad but he is a little quicker than I am,'' Hayward said. ''He kind of shown he would drive to the basket the whole game but he made a nice pull-up there. It was a tough shot.''

The Jazz were called for an out-of-bounds violation on their desperation attempt at the finish.

Neither team led by more than eight points as both struggled from the field. Utah shot 36.5 percent, the Suns 37.3 percent.

Utah took its biggest lead at 53-45 on Kanter's rebound basket with 8:58 left in the third quarter. Then Dionte Christmas, in his first NBA appearance, scored seven consecutive points on a long 2-pointer, a free throw and a 3-pointer, igniting a 17-3 run that gave Phoenix a 62-56 lead on Morris' 19-footer with 2:49 left in the third.

Utah outscored the Suns 6-1 the rest of the quarter and trailed 63-62 entering the fourth.

Phoenix scored the first five points of the fourth quarter on Christmas' layup and Bledsoe's three-point play to lead 68-62 with 10:28 to play.

Utah came back to tie it at 72 on Alec Burks' fast-break layup with 6:20 left.

The Suns' two point-guard lineup of Bledsoe and Dragic, which accounted for 48 points in Phoenix's season-opening win over Portland on Wednesday, was a combined 6 for 26 from the field.

NOTES: As players, Corbin and Hornacek were teammates for two seasons in Phoenix. ... Hornacek stuck with Channing Frye as starting power forward even though Morris, expected to fill that role, was back from a one-game suspension. ... Plumlee is the eighth player to get a double-double in his first two games for the Suns. ... Hornacek used 12 of his 13 players.


source: http://sports.yahoo.com/news/bledsoes-3-pointer-gives-suns-043923212

[kingjames24szupladoh]

November 1, Final Scores/Leaders: (Western Time)

Cavaliers – 84 Bobcats – 90
Miles: 22 Pts. Irving: 7 Asts. Thompson: 11 Rebs./Walker: 23 Pts. McRoberts: 8 Asts. Biyombo: 10 Rebs.

Pelicans – 90 Magic – 110
Davis: 26 Pts. Holiday: 5 Asts. Davis: 17 Rebs./Afflalo: 30 Pts. Oladipo: 6 Asts. Harkless: 8 Rebs.

Sixers – 109 Wizards – 102
Young: 29 Pts. Anderson: 6 Asts. Hawes: 14 Rebs./Wall: 26 Pts. Ariza: 6 Asts. Ariza: 14 Rebs.

Raptors – 95 Hawks – 102
DeRozan: 31 Pts. Lowry: 4 Asts. Fields: 9 Rebs./Horford: 22 Pts. Teague: 12 Asts. Horford: 16 Rebs.

Bucks – 105 Celtics – 98
Pachulia: 20 Pts. Wolters: 6 Asts. Henson: 9 Rebs./Bass: 17 Pts. Wallace: 4 Asts. Faverani: 18 Rebs.

Mavericks – 105 Rockets – 113
Nowitzki: 22 Pts. Calderon: 6 Asts. Marion: 10 Rebs./Harden: 34 Pts. Lin: 4 Asts. Howard: 16 Rebs.

Pistons – 108 Grizzlies – 111
Smith: 19 Pts. Billups: 6 Asts. Drummond: 16 Rebs./Conley: 22 Pts. Gasol: 5 Asts. Randolph: 10 Rebs.

Thunder – 81 Timberwolves – 100
Lamb: 16 Pts. Jackson: 4 Asts. Ibaka: 9 Rebs./Love: 24 Pts. Rubio: 10 Asts. Love: 12 Rebs.

Heat – 100 Nets – 101
James: 26 Pts. James: 6 Asts. James: 7 Rebs./Pierce: 19 Pts. Williams: 8 Asts. Garnett: 7 Rebs.

Blazers – 113 Nuggets – 98
Aldridge: 25 Pts. Lillard: 7 Asts. Matthews: 12 Rebs./Robinson: 24 Pts. Lawson: 6 Asts. Faried: 11 Rebs.

Jazz – 84 Suns – 87
Kanter: 20 Pts. Hayward: 8 Asts. Favors: 17 Rebs./Bledsoe: 18 Pts. Bledsoe: 6 Asts. Plumlee: 13 Rebs.

Clippers – 110 Kings – 101
Paul: 26 Pts. Paul: 10 Asts. Griffin: 17 Rebs./Thomas: 29 Pts. Cousins: 4 Asts. Cousins: 10 Rebs.

Spurs – 91 Lakers – 85
Parker: 24 Pts. Parker: 6 Asts. Splitter: 14 Rebs./Gasol: 20 Pts. Blake: 9 Asts. Gasol: 11 Rebs.



STANDINGS:
West:
1. Timberwolves 2-0
2. Rockets 2-0
3. Suns 2-0
4. Spurs 2-0
5. Clippers 2-1
6. Warriors 1-1
7. Blazers 1-1
8. Kings 1-1
9. Thunder 1-1
10. Mavericks 1-1
11. Grizzlies 1-1
12. Lakers 1-2
13. Jazz 0-2
14. Nuggets 0-2
15. Pelicans 0-2

East:
1. Pacers 2-0
2. Sixers 2-0
3. Hawks 1-1
4. Bobcats 1-1
5. Bulls 1-1
6. Cavaliers 1-1
7. Knicks 1-1
8. Bucks 1-1
9. Nets 1-1
10. Pistons 1-1
11. Raptors 1-1
12. Heat 1-2
13. Magic 1-2
14. Celtics 0-2
15. Wizards 0-2

[kingjames24szupladoh]

Saturday, November 2 Schedule: 8 games (Western Time)

Cleveland at Indiana - 7 pm ET, 4 pm PT
Chicago at Philadelphia - 7:30 pm ET, 4:30 pm PT on NBATV
Charlotte at New Orleans - 8 pm ET, 5 pm PT
Memphis at Dallas - 8:30 pm ET, 5:30 pm PT
Toronto at Milwaukee - 8:30 pm ET, 5:30 pm PT
Houston at Utah - 9 pm ET, 6 pm PT
San Antonio at Portland - 10 pm ET, 7 pm PT
Sacramento at Golden State - 10:30 pm ET, 7:30 pm PT

[kingjames24szupladoh]

Injury Updates :


*George Hill (Pacers) is out today

*Tim Duncan (San Antonio) may not play today

*Tobias Harris (Orlando) has a severe ankle sprain

*Derrick Rose (Chicago) will continue to wear tape around his neck

*Rudy Gay (Toronto) is likely to be traded.

* Kyrie Irving (Cleveland) will play today despite an elbow injury.

*Avery Bradley (Boston) may not play today.

[tonistork]

76ers win again, beat Bulls
AP - Sports
 
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Rookie Michael Carter-Williams had 26 points and 10 assists and Spencer Hawes added 18 points and 11 rebounds as the Philadelphia 76ers continued their stunning start to the season, beating the Chicago Bulls 107-104 on Saturday night.

Pegged to be one of the league's worst teams, the Sixers (3-0) have opened the season with wins over Chicago, Washington and two-time defending champion Miami.

Carlos Boozer led the Bulls with 22 points and 10 rebounds and Luol Deng had 20 points.

Still dealing with neck soreness, Derrick Rose finished with 13 points and six assists for Chicago.

After trailing by as many as 18 points in the second half, the Sixers took a 100-99 lead with 3:29 left when Carter-Williams picked up a loose ball and calmly laid it in. It was the Sixers' first lead since 11-10.


source: http://sports.yahoo.com/news/76ers-win-again-beat-bulls-020356780