Lakers lose in LeBron’s debut
Simmons has triple-double as 76ers get win over Bulls
PORTLAND, Ore. — LeBron James scored 26 points in his Lakers debut but Los Angeles lost to the Portland Trail Blazers 128-119 Thursday.
James, who added 12 rebounds and six assists, scored 18 points in the first half with his new team.
Damian Lillard scored 28 to lead the Trail Blazers and Nik Stauskas added 24 and hit five 3-pointers.
Other new Lakers JaVale McGee and Rajon Rondo combined to score 26 points.
Josh Hart, who scored 20 points, hit a 3-pointer in the third quarter after the Lakers started 0-for-15 from beyond the arc and finished 7-for-30.
76ERS 127, BULLS 108: In Philadelphia, Ben Simmons had a triple-double with 13 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists and Joel Embiid had 30 points and 12 rebounds to lead Philadelphia past Chicago.
Zach LaVine led the Bulls with 30 points in their season opener.
The curious case of Markelle Fultz continued against the Bulls when one of the more scrutinized players in the NBA managed to steal the spotlight from his more accomplished teammate with simple jumpers.
Fultz had open looks early and 76ers fans exhorted him to “Shoot! Shoot!” each time he touched the ball as the second-year guard tries to overcome his aversion to jumpers.
He found the look he wanted 3 minutes into the second quarter. Fultz dribbled to the foul line and hit an uncontested pull-up jumper, the ball rattling around the rim four times before it plopped through the net for two points. HEAT 113, WIZARDS 112: In Washington, Kelly Olynyk’s putback of Dwyane Wade’s missed jumper produced the goahead basket with 0.2 seconds left gave Miami a comeback victory over Washington Wizards.
Olynyk was booed every time he touched the ball, on account of a past playoff fracas with the Wizards back when he was with the Boston Celtics. But he certainly got to enjoy the way this game ended, after Miami trailed by as many as nine points.
Josh Richardson led Miami with 28 points, Rodney McGruder added 20.
The Wizards were led by old standby John Wall, who delivered 26 points and nine assists. He and fellow All-Star guard Bradley Beal, who scored 20 points, accounted for Washington’s last eight points.
But with a 112-111 lead, Wall missed a 26-foot pull-up jumper, giving Miami a chance. Wade’s shot with about 3 seconds left was off the mark, but Olynyk grabbed the rebound and his layup won it.
The Heat were playing on the second night of a back-to-back — they lost at Orlando on Wednesday — and Wade appeared in both games, scoring nine each night. He shot a combined 7 for 24.
Washington was only 7 for 26 from beyond the arc.
Wall led the way with 18 points as Washington went into halftime ahead 59-58.
G LEAGUE: The G League is planning to offer an option to players who are not yet eligible for the NBA draft a chance to turn pro out of high school and avoid the college one-and-done route.
Players will be eligible to sign a “select contract” if they turn 18 by Sept. 15 prior to the season that they would spend in the G League. The $125,000 contracts will be made available to elite prospects. The league said Thursday it is establishing a working group to identify players who could be offered the contract.
Players are not eligible to enter the NBA draft until one year after high school. The G League contracts will start being available for the 2019-20 season.