Associated Press
Associated Press
NEW YORK — Paul Pierce and Joe Johnson scored 19 points each, and the Brooklyn Nets ended years of futility against the Miami Heat and sent the NBA champions to their first losing streak in 10 months with a 101-100 victory Friday night.
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 consecutive games 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.
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.
TIMBERWOLVES 100
THUNDER 81
MINNEAPOLIS — Kevin Love had 24 points and 12 rebounds and Ricky Rubio added 14 points, 10 assists and five steals to lead Minnesota over Oklahoma City.
Nikola Pekovic had 15 points and 10 rebounds for Minnesota, which played surprisingly good defense against Kevin Durant and the Thunder. Derrick Williams had 10 points and seven rebounds for Minnesota after not playing in the opener.
Durant scored 13 points on 4-for-11 shooting and had trouble finding clean look against a Timberwolves team that was supposed to be porous on defense. But the Thunder shot 35 percent and turned the ball over 21 times to get run out of the building.
ROCKETS 113, MAVS 105
HOUSTON — James Harden scored 34 points and Dwight Howard had 13 points and 16 rebounds in Houston’s victory over Dallas.
The Mavericks scored eight straight points, with five from Monta Ellis, to get to 91-83 with eight minutes left. But Dallas lost its star and momentum a couple minutes later when Dirk Nowitzki fouled out on Harden’s fast-break layup.
Nowitzki had 22 points to lead the Mavericks, and Ellis added 20.
BOBCATS 90, CAVS 84
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Kemba Walker had 23 points and seven assists to help Charlotte beat Cleveland Cavaliers in its home opener.
Walker hit a 3-pointer over Kyrie Irving with 58 seconds left to break a tie.
The Cavaliers had two chances to tie, but Charlotte’s Josh McRoberts came up with a steal and Jarrett Jack had an air-ball on a 3-pointer with 12 seconds left.
Bismack Biyombo filled in for injured center Al Jefferson and had 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting and added 10 rebounds for Charlotte.
CJ Miles had 22 points, and Tristan Thompson added 21 for the Cavaliers. Irving had 16 points on 7-of-17 shooting.
GRIZZLIES 111
PISTONS 108
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Mike Conley scored 22 points, Zach Randolph and Tony Allen added 16 each and Memphis beat Detroit in overtime for its first victory of the season.
Memphis outscored the Pistons 11-2 to start the extra period. Marc Gasol added 15 points for Memphis and Randolph had 10 rebounds.
Josh Smith and Rodney Stuckey led Detroit with 19 points each, although Smith was 7 of 23 from the field. Will Bynum had 18 points, while Greg Monroe finished with 16 for the Pistons and Andre Drummond had 12 points and 16 rebounds.
The teams were tied at 95 at the end of regulation. Gasol’s tip-in with 8.2 seconds left in regulation tied the game. Chauncey Billups missed a 3-pointer as time ran out.
76ERS 109, WIZARDS 102
WASHINGTON — Thaddeus Young scored 29 points, rookie Michael Carter-Williams started cold and finished hot while John Wall did just the opposite in scoring 26 points, and Philadelphia is a surprising 2-0 after pulling away in the fourth quarter to beat Washington.
After stunning the two-time defending champion Miami Heat on Wednesday, the 76ers rallied from a 12-point second-half deficit and ruined the home opener for Wall and the Wizards.
Young scored 10 in the fourth quarter, Evan Turner finished with 23 points, and Spencer Hawes had 16 points and 14 rebounds for the 76ers. Carter-Williams went 6 for 15 from the field after an 0-for-5 start and finished with 14 points and five assists.
Wall made his first seven shots but went 3 for 12 the rest of the way.
MAGIC 110, PELICANS 90
ORLANDO, Fla. — Arron Afflalo scored 30 points and Maurice Harkless added 20 points and eight rebounds in leading Orlando to the rout of New Orleans.
Anthony Davis led winless New Orleans with 26 points and 17 rebounds, while Jrue Holiday added 17 points and five assists.
Orlando seized control in the second quarter when Harkless scored 12 points and the Magic limited New Orleans to 6-of-21 shooting on their way to a 53-35 halftime lead.
BUCKS 105, CELTICS 98
BOSTON — Zaza Pachulia had 20 points and nine rebounds, making two free throws with 44 seconds left to give Milwaukee its first lead since the opening basket, and the Bucks rallied from a 22-point third-quarter deficit to beat Boston.
The loss spoiled the home debut of new Celtics coach Brad Stevens and dampened the cheer following the Red Sox victory in the World Series on Wednesday.
John Henson had 14 points and nine rebounds for the Bucks, who scored the last 10 points of the game.
Vitor Faverani had 12 points and 18 rebounds for Boston.
HAWKS 102, RAPTORS 95
ATLANTA — Al Horford scored 22 points, three other Atlanta starters reached double figures in a victory over Toronto that gave coach Mike Budenholzer his first victory.
The Hawks built an 18-point lead late in the third quarter, then held off a Raptors comeback in the final period. Jeff Teague and Kyle Korver had 17 points apiece, while Paul Millsap added 15.