DeRozan’s 40 carry Raptors past Wizards
DeMar DeRozan continued his hot start by scoring 40 points and outdueling John Wall in a showcase of All-Star guards as the Toronto Raptors beat the winless Wizards, 113-103, last night in Washington.
DeRozan was 14-of-23 from the floor despite leaving the game briefly to get his ankles taped. Raptors backcourt made Kyle Lowry needed three stitches to close a cut below his right eye but still scored 18 points.
Those problems didn’t slow down the Raptors (31) as they spoiled the home opener for the Wizards (03). Terrence Ross added 15 points for Toronto.
Wall was dominant in leading Washington with 33 points on 13-of-19 shooting and 11 assists. Otto Porter was 11-of-13 from the field for 23 points and Bradley Beal scored 15, but the Wizards did themselves in with 21 turnovers that Toronto turned into 30 points.
Jahlil Okafor was on a “minutes restriction” because of knee soreness and only played 23 minutes.
Hornets 109, 76ers 93 — Kemba Walker had 22 points, Nicolas Batum scored 17 of his 20 points in a pivotal third quarter and host Charlotte handed Philadelphia its fourth straight loss to open the season.
Led by Batum, the Hornets opened the second half on a 16-2 run to erase a seven-point halftime deficit and gain control.
Grizzlies 89, Pelicans 83 — JaMychal Green scored 21 points, Mike Conley added 20 and host Memphis beat New Orleans in overtime.
James Ennis had 16 points and 10 rebounds for Memphis, while Zach Randolph finished with 10 points and 11 rebounds, part of the Grizzlies outrebounding the Pelicans 52-43.
Nets 109, Pistons 101 — Brook Lopez had 34 points and 11 rebounds, Sean Kilpatrick added 24 points, and host Brooklyn beat Detroit.
Brooklyn hit 16 of its 20 shots in the first quarter to take a 38-30 advantage. The Nets had more turnovers (five) than misses. Brooklyn’s first miss came at the 6:03 mark in the first when Rondae Hollis-Jefferson was off on a 3-pointer.
Lopez had 14 in the first quarter and 24 by the end of the first half to lead the Nets as Brooklyn took a 7155 lead to the locker room.
Jazz 97, Mavericks 81 — George Hill scored 25 points and Utah defeated Dallas in Salt Lake City.
Hill continued to power the Jazz offensively after coming to the team in a three-way trade with the Pacers and Hawks last summer. He has scored 18-plus points in all five games, the only Jazz player to do so.
The Mavericks trailed the entire game except for a 16-15 lead at the beginning of the second quarter.
Rockets 118, Knicks 99 — James Harden had 30 points and 15 assists, leading Houston to a rout in New York.
The NBA’s leader coming into the day with 11.8 assists per game toyed with the Knicks defense, setting up teammates for lobs or open 3-pointers as the Rockets bounced back from a loss in Cleveland a night earlier.
Eric Gordon added 21 points for Houston, which has won seven straight at Madison Square Garden.
Lakers 123, Hawks 116 — Lou Williams scored 16 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter, and Los Angeles rallied after trailing most of the game to win in Atlanta.
D’Angelo Russell led the Lakers with 23 points.
The Lakers were without injured center Timofey Mozgov after he suffered a left eye contusion Tuesday. Results were inconclusive from a CT scan to find possible additional injuries.
Suns 118, Trail Blazers 115 — Eric Bledsoe dropped in a rainbow 3-pointer at the overtime buzzer, giving host Phoenix the victory against Portland.
Bledsoe finished with 20 points, his only 3 being the game-winner. The shot gave the Suns their first win of the season.
Elsewhere in the NBA — Guard Jordan Farmar is back with the Sacramento Kings, signing as a free agent nine days after being cut by the team.