Harden fuels Rockets
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – James Harden had 27 points and nine assists, and the Houston Rockets made it a perfect two-game road trip to start the season despite playing this one without Chris Paul, beating the Sacramento Kings 105-100 on Wednesday night. While he didn't shoot especially well, Harden hit a trio of dagger 3-pointers with 8:13, 6:00 and 5:13 left – the second of which put Houston ahead 89-79. He also had a key lefthanded layup late and finished 8 for 21 and 4 of 14 from 3-point range. Sacramento forced the Rockets into a shot-clock violation and the Kings got the ball back with just less than a minute remaining and down 96-92. Willie Cauley-Stein made one of two free throws with 41 seconds left and Harden found Clint Capela for an alley-oop dunk moments later. After the Kings stole the inbounds pass from Eric Gordon with 25 seconds left and down 98-95, it was initially ruled Sacramento ball but the play
NEW YORK (AFP) – Boston Celtics forward Gordon Hayward vowed he ''will be all right'' in a video message Wednesday after a gruesome left leg injury from which he is expected to make a full recovery.
Hayward appeared in a video message from his hospital bed before the Celtics' home opener against Milwaukee just a night after suffering the injury in a 102-99 loss at Cleveland.
''I'm going to be all right,'' Hayward said in a video shown on the arena scoreboard. ''It's hurting me that I can't be there for the home opener. went to replay review and a foul was issued to George Hill instead. Gordon converted two free throws. TRAIL BLAZERS 124, SUNS 76
Damian Lillard scored 27 points and Portland opened the season in Phoenix by handing Phoenix the most one-sided loss in the franchise's 49year history.
The 48-point rout exceeded Phoenix's previous record, a 44-point loss to Seattle (151-107) on April 2, 1988.
BUCKS 108, CELTICS 100 Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 16 of his 37 points in the fourth quarter, and the Milwaukee Bucks opened their season with a road victory over Boston to spoil the homecoming of a Celtics team coming off a late and emotional season opener.
One night after a gruesome broken ankle just six minutes into the season cost Boston top free agent Gordon Hayward – perhaps for the entire season – the Celtics fell to 0-2 by giving up an 11-1 run that left Milwaukee with a 97-90 lead and under three minutes to play.
Kyrie Irving scored 17 points on 7-for-25 shooting in his Boston debut. SPURS 107, TIMBERWOLVES 99
LaMarcus Aldridge had 25 points and 10 rebounds, and San Antonio held on to beat Minnesota at home while opening the season without leading scorer Kawhi Leonard.
The Spurs were without Leonard and Tony Parker, but had enough to hold off the revamped Timberwolves.
PISTONS 102, HORNETS 90
Tobias Harris scored 17 of his 27 points in the first quarter, helping Detroit celebrate its return downtown with the victory over Charlotte.
The Pistons and Hornets opened the season in Little Caesars Arena, a new facility that brought them back to the city for the first time in nearly four decades. Eminem made a surprise appearance, grabbing the microphone to fire up the crowd just before tipoff. Kid Rock, another Motor City musical artist, sat in a baseline seat near Detroit's bench.