LA Lakers down Rockets to launch new era

THE new-look Los Angeles Lakers, with superstar Kobe Bryant now retired and coach Luke Walton at the helm, opened their NBA season with a 120-114 victory over the Houston Rockets on Wednesday.

Jordan Clarkson came off the bench to score 12 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter. D’Angelo Russell scored 20 points and Julius Randle (pictured, AFP) added 18 points, seven rebounds and six assists for the Lakers, who overcame James Harden’s 34 points and career-high 17 assists for Houston – who lost in former Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni’s first game in charge of the Rockets.

“It feels good,” said Walton, a former Laker who cut his coaching teeth as an assistant to Steve Kerr at Golden State.

“It feels really good. The guys really fought tonight. A big part of what we’re tr ying to do here is develop this iden- tity, this culture re . . . learning how to win games is a skillill at t thishis level.”

Walton admittedmitted to “ner ves and excitement” before t he contest, but said he was as buoyed by the pr e s enc e off h i s f at her, for mer NBA s stt a r Bi l l Walton.

“The Walton n force wi l l b e s t r o n g tonight,” said the 3 6 - y e a r - o l d coach, who has been tasked with turning around nd a Lakers team that hat p l u n g e d t o a 21-61 record d in 2014-15, onlyy to follow up with ith a f r a n c h i s e wor s t 17-65 campaign gn last season.

Two f re e throws from Clarkson liftedli the Lakers to a 108108-104 lead with 6:41 to p play. But Harden convertedconv a pair of foul shotssh with 3:53 left to knotk the score at 110. Two Russ Russell free throws boostedboos the Lakers to a 113-112 lead with 2:47 remaining and the hosts wouldn’t t r a i l from there. The Miami Heat,Heat forging ahead after the free-agentfre departure of Dwayne Wade, opened the season with a 108-96 victory over the Magic in Orlando.O The Heat made up for whatw they lack in star power with energy,e a well-balanced attack andan determined defence. Hassan Whiteside scoredsc 18 points, pulled down 14 rebounds and blocked four shots.

Six Heat players scored in double figures and six players notched at least six rebounds.

The Oklahoma City Thunder, also adjusting to the departure of a star after Kevin Durant signed as a free agent with the Golden State Warriors, leaned on Russell Westbrook in a 103-97 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.

In Toronto, DeMar DeRozan poured in 40 points to lead the Raptors to a 10991 victory over the Detroit Pistons.

DeRozan connected on 17 of 27 shots from the field and six of six free throws in what coach Dwane Casey called “one of the most efficient” performances he’d seen from his star.

A monster 50-point game from New Orleans’ Anthony Davis couldn’t save the New Orleans Pelicans, however, as they fell 107-102 to the Denver Nuggets in Louisiana.