Thompson, Curry to fore as Warriors keep Lakers winless
OAKLAND, California: Klay Thompson scored a career-high 41 points in his first game since signing a contract extension, teaming with backcourt star Stephen Curry to lead the Golden State Warriors past the winless Los Angeles Lakers 127-104 on Saturday.
Thompson, who inked a four-year maximum extension worth about $70 million Friday, shot 14 for 18 from the floor. Curry added 31 points and 10 assists, and the Warriors withstood Kobe Bryant’s big plays to thrill a blue-shirt wearing sellout crowd of 19,596 in the team’s home opener.
Bryant scored 19 of his 28 points in the third quarter and nearly brought the depleted Lakers back. Instead, Los Angeles collapsed in the final quarter to lose its fourth game in five nights.
Chandler Parsons scored 20 points as the Dallas Mavericks won their second straight game, 109-104 over the New Orleans Pelicans.
Dirk Nowitzki scored 17 despite foul trouble, making a 12-foot fade over Anthony Davis that gave Dallas a 109-103 lead with 49 seconds left.
Monta Ellis also scored 17 for Dallas. Parsons’ performance was highlighted by a momentum-swinging 3-pointer from well behind the arc that gave Dallas a 101-96 lead in the middle of the fourth quarter.
Davis had 31 points, 15 rebounds and three blocks for New Orleans.
Atlanta’s Jeff Teague scored 25 points and Al Horford added 20 in the Hawks’ 102-92 win in the home opener against the Indiana Pacers.
Indiana closed to 95-92 when Donald Sloan was fouled in the corner by Horford and knocked down all three free throws with 1:13 left. But Teague answered with a jumper, Sloan missed and Teague made a pair of free throws with 26.6 seconds left to clinch the victory.
At Orlando, Florida, DeMar DeRozan scored 26 points and Kyle Lowry added 21 as the Toronto Raptors beat the Magic 108-95.
Evan Fournier scored 18 points for the Magic, who have lost three straight. Rookie point guard Elfrid Payton had 16 points and nine assists.
Chris Bosh had 30 points and eight rebounds for the Miami Heat, which downed the Philadelphia 76ers 114-96 for their second straight win.
Mario Chalmers scored 18 points, and Dwyane Wade had nine points and 10 assists for Miami.
Tony Wroten had 21 points and 10 assists for the Sixers
Paul Pierce was ejected before halftime in his first home game with the Wizards as Washington beat the Milwaukee Bucks 10897 after Otto Porter scored a career-high 21 points.
The Memphis Grizzlies edged the Charlotte Hornets 71-69 after Marc Gasol scored 22 points, and Zach Randolph had 12 points and 12 rebounds, while Joe Johnson scored 15 of his 34 points in the fourth quarter as Brooklyn Nets earned their first win, 102-90 over the Detroit Pistons.
In other games, the Houston Rockets defeated the Boston Celtics 104-90, the Oklahoma Thunder downed the Denver Nuggets 102-91 and the Chicago Bulls sneaked past the Minnesota Timberwolves 106-105.