Blazers best James in Lakers’ debut
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, which won its 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 cofounder of Microsoft died Monday in Seattle from complications of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. He was 65. There was moment of silence before the game and tributes to Allen throughout the night.
On the court, the focus was all on James. The four-time league MVP joined a revamped group that includes veterans Rajon Rondo, JaVale McGee, Lance Stephenson and Michael Beasley, as well as a young core of Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, Josh Hart and rookie Moe Wagner.
While the Lakers made big changes in the offseason, the Trail Blazers returned all five starters from a team that finished third in the Western Conference last season — including the nucleus of Lillard, CJ McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic.
James will make his Lakers home debut against the Houston Rockets on Saturday. 76ERS 127, BULLS 108 » 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 in Philly’s home opener. Zach LaVine led the Bulls with 30 points in their season opener. Simmons hit a triple-double with 2:34 left in the third, the 13th of his career and the first Sixer to get one in the home opener. HEAT 113, WIZARDS 112 » Kelly Olynyk’s putback of Dwyane Wade’s missed jumper produced the go-ahead basket with 0.2 seconds left, lifting Miami to a ragged win over Washington, who were without new center Dwight Howard for its season opener. Josh Richardson led Miami with 28 points.
With Howard sidelined by a sore backside, the Wizards were led by John Wall, who delivered 26 points and nine assists. He and fellow AllStar 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 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. G LEAGUE TO OFFER ONE-ANDDONE PLAYERS A CONTRACT OPTION » The G League will begin offering “select contracts” worth $125,000 next year to elite prospects who are not yet eligible for the NBA, a move that could slightly lessen the handful of one-and-done players at the college level.
There is no determination yet on how players will be identified as potential targets for such a contract. The G League said Thursday that it is establishing a working group to develop that process and other criteria, and that there will be no cap on how many players could be signed to a select deal.
Players will be eligible to sign the select deal if they turn 18 by Sept. 15 prior to the season that they would spend in the G League. The move follows recommendations released earlier this year by the Commission on College Basketball and was tasked with reforming the college game.
Under current rules, players are not eligible to enter the draft until they are a year removed from high school.