James rebounds, leads Cavs to OT win over Bulls
CHICAGO: LeBron James scored 36 points and the Cleveland Cavaliers beat Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls 114-108 in overtime on Friday night.
James was at his best after struggling the previous night, scoring eight points in the extra period, and the Cavaliers picked up the win the after opening with a loss at home to New York.
Derrick Rose scored 20 points for Chicago, but his first meaningful home game in about a year was spoiled by a sprained left ankle and a dominant performance by the Cavaliers’ megastar.
Cleveland rallied from five down in the closing minute of regulation after blowing a nine-point lead to start the fourth quarter
Bucks 93 Sixers 81: In Milwaukee, O.J Mayo scored 10 of his gamehigh 25 points in the fourth quarter, and rookie Jabari Parker had 11 points and 10 rebounds in his Milwaukee debut to lead the Bucks in their home opener.
Mayo’s three-pointer with 5:10 left put Milwaukee up 88-81. The veteran guard sparked a 7-0 run to start the fourth quarter with another 3.
Parker scored nine in the first quarter on 4 of 6 shooting. Larry Sanders grabbed 15 rebounds.
Rookie Nerlens Noel had 14 points and 10 boards for Philadelphia.
Grizzlies 97 Pacers 89: In Indianapolis, Zach Randolph scored 11 of his 22 points in the third quarter and added 13 rebounds to lead the Grizzlies.
Marc Gasol had 20 points and six rebounds and Mike Conley added 17 points for the Grizzlies, who are 2-0 for just the third time in franchise history. They have a shot to open the season with three straight wins for the first time.
Chris Copeland came off the bench with 16 points and six rebounds and C.J. Miles finished with 13 for the short-handed Pacers.
Conley and Randolph combined for 13 points in a 26-2 run by Memphis to take a 74-63 lead with 2:23 remaining in the third quarter.
Suns 94 Spurs 89: In Phoenix, Isaiah Thomas scored 10 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter, rallying Phoenix with a relentless series of driving layups, as the Suns beat the San Antonio Spurs.
Phoenix took its first lead when Thomas’ layup made it 88-87 with 3:34 to play. It was part of a 10-0 run that put the Suns up 92-87 on Markieff Morris’ dunk with 1:09 left.
Manu Ginobili made two of three free throws with 59.8 seconds left to cut the lead to 92-89. Then San Antonio had a chance to tie at the finish, but with 6.5 seconds remaining Boris Diaw couldn’t get the ball inbounds and was called for a fivesecond violation.
Tony Parker scored 19 for the Spurs and Tim Duncan added 16, none in the final quarter.
Clippers 118 Lakers 111: In Los Angeles, Blake Griffin scored 39 points and went 11 for 12 from the free throw line, powering the Los Angeles Clippers to a gritty victory over the winless Lakers.
DeAndre Jordan had 11 points and 13 rebounds during a foulplagued 39 minutes. The two-time defending Pacific Division champions have won eight of nine against the Lakers since the start of the 2012-13 campaign, including victories by margins of 36, 48 and 23 points in the final three meetings last season.
Chris Paul had 12 points, 10 assists and two steals for the Clippers.
Jordan Hill scored 13 of his 21 points in the third quarter and Kobe Bryant had 21, but cost the Lakers down the stretch with his cold shooting.
Kings 103 Trail Blazers 94: In Sacramento, California, Rudy Gay scored 40 points — one off his career high — including a pair of key 3-pointers, as the Sacramento Kings surprised the Portland Trail Blazers.
DeMarcus Cousins added 17 points and nine rebounds for the Kings, who rebounded from a sloppy season-opening loss to the Golden State Warriors. MINNEAPOLIS: The clock was ticking down toward the deadline for reaching agreement on an extension of his rookie contract, and just like he does on the court for the Minnesota Timberwolves, Ricky Rubio took charge.
“I was talking with my agents and I told them I really wanted to stay here,” Rubio told The Associated Press in a phone interview late Friday night. “I told them to make something work. At the end of the day it did happen and I’m happy about it.”
About two hours before the midnight Eastern deadline, Rubio signed a four-year contract extension worth $55 million that includes another $1 million in incentives, bringing an end to a long and sometimes tense negotiation between the flashy Spanish point guard and the team that drafted him in 2009.
Rubio averaged 10.1 points, 8.1 assists and 2.3 steals but shot just 37 percent in his first three seasons. The shooting numbers led some to say the Timberwolves would have been better off waiting to see how Rubio performs this season before extending him an offer given that they would have had the ability to match any offer that he received on the open market next summer.
But owner Glen Taylor has long been big on loyalty, and he reached out directly to Rubio earlier this week to make one last push.
“I want to call Minnesota home for a long time,” Rubio said. “That’s why I signed the contract. My mom’s going to get mad at me, but I don’t leave home when I’m here. This is my second home. I really feel very welcome here.”
As salaries stand right now, Rubio’s $13.75 million average annual salary starting next season will be more than high profile point guards like Tony Parker, Steph Curry, Kyle Lowry and Ty Lawson. Rubio’s representatives targeted Phoenix guard Eric Bledsoe’s five-year, $70 million deal to eclipse, and ended up coming very close despite not having the leverage that Bledsoe had as a restricted free agent.
In Rubio, Taylor and Flip Saunders, the team’s president of basketball operations, head coach and minority owner, see a dynamic 24-year-old point guard who is only starting to scratch the surface of his potential.
Rubio made an immediate impact as a rookie on a long-suffering team, helping them climb to the eighth spot in the Western Conference playoff picture in early March before he tore two ligaments in his left knee in a game against the Lakers.
He played all 82 games last season and said he feels as healthy this year has he has been since the injury. Rather than wade through the potentially tricky waters of restricted free agency next summer, the Wolves engaged agents Dan Fegan and Jarinn Akana of Relativity Sports to get a deal done.