Garcia takes early lead at Valderrama golfest
OKLAHOMA CITY — Much has changed about the Thunder. One thing hasn't — Russell Westbrook still gets triple-doubles.
The reigning MVP had 21 points, 16 assists and 10 rebounds, and Oklahoma City beat the New
York Knicks 105-84 on Thursday night
(Friday Phl time) in their first regularseason game with All-Star additions Paul
George and Carmelo Anthony.
Anthony liked watching Westbrook's dynamic play from a new perspective.
"You guys are used to it," Anthony said. "I'm used to watching it. I'm used to going up against it. Now, to be on the other side of that on the same team as him, and to reap those benefits of what he can bring to the game — I'm excited about what we started out tonight, what we created tonight and where we're headed."
George, who was acquired in an offseason trade with the Indiana Pacers, led the Thunder with 28 points. He said he wasn't used to getting so many open looks, but Westbrook took pressure off of him.
"It's great," George said. "The game comes so easy. I know I'm going to get those easy opportunities like I did tonight. It's only going to make me better."
Anthony, who was traded from the Knicks to the Thunder right before training camp began, had 22 points against his former team.
"That chapter's closed," Anthony said. "No more Knicks talk. Just focus in on the Thunder moving forward and what we have to do."
Kristaps Porzingis had 31 points and 12 rebounds for the Knicks. Enes Kanter, who joined the Knicks in the deal that sent Anthony to the Thunder, finished with 10 points and seven rebounds. No other New York players scored in double figures.
Anthony was impressed with Porzingis' performance and willingness to take charge.
"Just to see that he's ready to take on that role — he looked aggressive tonight," Anthony said. "He looked comfortable, felt comfortable tonight. I was happy to see that."
George broke away for a dunk as time expired in the first half to give the Thunder a 53-42 lead. Porzingis scored 19 points before the break to keep the Knicks in it.
Kanter made three buckets early in the third quarter to keep the Knicks in it, but Westbrook found Steven Adams and Andre Roberson for back-to-back alley-oop
SOTOGRANDE, Spain — Home favorite Sergio Garcia grabbed a share of the first-round lead in his Andalucia Masters title defense with a five-underpar 66 at Valderrama.
The Masters champion is tied at the top of the leaderboard in southern Spain with Dutchman Joost Luiten after carding seven birdies.
"The game was on pretty much all day. I hit my irons very well, I didn't drive the ball well on the eighth hole but I was pretty much spot on there and I made some nice putts here and there," Garcia told europeantour.com.
"It was gettable because it was soft but you still had to hit good shots and I was able to do that for the most part of the day. I'm very happy with my round."
The 37-year-old is hosting the first staging of the event since he won the title in 2011, with the tournament having been cut the following year due to funding problems.
He is looking for a first win since claiming his long-awaited first major title at Augusta National in April, but he carded four birdies on his front nine after starting on the 10th hole.
A bogey at the eighth took some shine off Garcia's round, after he had rolled in dunks to give the Thunder a 69-52 lead.
After that, it was time for the Westbrook triple-double watch. He reached double digits in assists midway through the third quarter, then grabbed his 10th rebound with about four minutes remaining in the game.
CLIPPERS 108, LAKERS 92
At the Staples Center, Blake Griffin scored 29 points, DeAndre Jordan added 14 points and 24 rebounds, and the Los Angeles Clippers spoiled Lonzo Ball's quiet NBA debut for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Lou Williams added 12 points in the Clippers' first game since Chris Paul spurned the perennial playoff team after six years and forced an offseason trade to Houston. The Clippers will have a new look this season, but they were still miles ahead of their Staples Center co-tenants in both teams' season
openers. three birdies in four holes on his inward half.
The world number 11 is second in the European Tour's Race to Dubai standings behind Englishman Tommy Fleetwood, who is not playing in Spain this week, with just five events remaining this season.
World number 102 Luiten matched Garcia on the 1997 Ryder Cup course, mainly thanks to a run of five birdies in his Ball had three points, four assists and nine rebounds in 29 minutes during the first game foir the the No. 2 overall pick from UCLA.
Ball is expected to revitalize his hometown team this season, but the rookie started out with all the nerves and mistakes that might be expected from any 19-year-old point guard with the weight of a 16-time NBA champion franchise on his slender shoulders. Along with a handful of good-looking passes and a 3-pointer late in the first half, he went 1 for 6 from the field and committed two turnovers.
Brook Lopez scored 20 points in his debut for the Lakers, and Jordan Clarkson added 18.
RAPTORS 117,
BULLS 101
In Toronto, Jonas Valanciunas had 23 points and 15 rebounds, C.J. Miles scored 22 points in his Toronto debut and the Raptors beat shorthanded Chicago in the opener for both teams.
Norman Powell added 15 points, Delon Wright had 13, and Kyle Lowry 12. final seven holes.
There was disappointment, though, for world number five Jon Rahm, as the 22-year-old Spaniard stumbled to a three-over-par 74 in his first professional round on home soil.
Rahm's compatriot Pablo Larrazabal made a late charge to sit tied for second with England's Robert Rock, one shot adrift of the leading duo.