Blazers spoil James’ Lakers debut
PORTLAND, ORE. (AP): LEBRON JAMES opened with two thunderous dunks and had 26 points and 12 rebounds in his first game with the Los Angeles Lakers, but the Portland Trail Blazers prevailed 128-119 Thursday night in the season opener for both teams.
Damian Lillard had 28 points and Nik Stauskas came off the bench to score 24 for Portland, who won their 18th straight home opener to extend an NBA record.
It was the Blazers’ 16th straight victory over the Lakers.
The opening festivities were tempered by the death this week of Trail Blazers owner Paul Allen. A ‘Rip City’ baseball cap rested in Allen’s courtside seat with a single rose.
The enigmatic co-founder of Microsoft died Monday in Seattle from complications of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. He was 65. There was a moment of silence before the game and tributes to Allen throughout the night.
MONSTER DUNKS
On the court, the focus was all on James. His monster dunks to start stunned the Moda Center crowd, while Nike cofounder Phil Knight looked on from courtside seats.
Ben Simmons had a triple-double with 13 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists and Joel Embiid had 30 points and 12 rebounds in Philadelphia’s 127-108 victory over Chicago.
Zach LaVine led the Bulls with 30 points in their season opener.
Kelly Olynyk’s putback of Dwyane Wade’s missed jumper produced the go-ahead basket with 0.2 seconds left, lifting Miami past Washington 113-112.
Josh Richardson led Miami with 28 points, Rodney McGruder added 20, and the Heat hit consecutive 3s late in the fourth quarter.