Final Score: Charlotte 110, Philadelphia 93
Philadelphia, PA (Basketball News) - Emeka Okafor had a double-double, amassing 24 points and 11 rebounds, as the Charlotte Bobcats defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 110-93 at the Wachovia Center. Brevin Knight dictated the game’s tempo while scoring 14 points and dishing out 15 assists for the Bobcats. Kareem Rush scored 14 points as well, while rookie Sean May led three Charlotte players with 11 points. Allen Iverson scored a game-high 29 points for the 76ers, who are still looking for their first win after three straight losses to begin the season.
Final Score: Memphis 94, Orlando 85
Orlando, FL (Basketball News) - Eddie Jones netted 25 points and Pau Gasol added 22 along with eight rebounds as Memphis downed Orlando 94-85 at TD Waterhouse Centre. The Grizzlies earned their first victory of the young season by knocking down 10-of-22 shots from three-point range, with Jones hitting 5-of-10. The Magic, which lost their second in a row to start the year, went just 1-of-10 from beyond the arc. Damon Stoudamire contributed 17 points for Memphis, which rebounded from Wednesday’s 97-78 home loss to Miami. Steve Francis amassed 22 points and seven assists while Dwight Howard had 16 points in defeat.
Final Score: Detroit 82, Boston 81
Boston, MA (Basketball News) - Richard Hamilton knocked down the game-winning jumper just before time expired, as Detroit posted a dramatic 82-81 win over Boston at TD Banknorth Garden. Hamilton went 11-of-19 from the field and ended with 26 points while Chauncey Billups contributed 16 and eight assists for the Pistons, who improved to 2-0 under new head coach Flip Saunders. Paul Pierce had a game-high 28 points, including 13 in the fourth for the Celtics, who dropped their first game of the young season. Mark Blount added 16 points, including a basket with just under one second left that was nearly the difference, and nine rebounds in the setback.
Final Score: Washington 86, New York 75
New York, NY (Basketball News) - Gilbert Arenas scored a game-high 27 points and Antawn Jamison added 20, as the Washington Wizards defeated the New York Knicks, 86-75, at Madison Square Garden. Brendan Haywood added 11 points and Michael Ruffin pulled down nine rebounds for the Wizards, who have opened the season with two straight road wins. Stephon Marbury paced New York with 19 points and a team-high three assists while Eddy Curry chipped in 12 points for the Knicks, who are still looking for their first win under new head coach Larry Brown.
Final Score: San Antonio 102, Cleveland 76
San Antonio, TX (Basketball News) - Tim Duncan scored 15 of his 21 points in the second half and San Antonio overwhelmed Cleveland after intermission to cruise to a 102-76 victory at the SBC Center. Duncan finished 10-of-17 from the field and added 10 rebounds in just 28 minutes for the defending world champion Spurs, who outscored the upstart Cavaliers 52-31 over the final two quarters to break open a close game. Cleveland, which started its 2005-06 campaign with an easy 109-87 win over New Orleans/Oklahoma City on Wednesday, got 20 points from star LeBron James, but only eight points after intermission.
Final Score: Denver 107, Portland 68
Denver, CO (Basketball News) - Marcus Camby scored a game-high 23 points with 17 rebounds to lead the Denver Nuggets to a convincing 107-68 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers at the Pepsi Center. Voshon Lenard chipped in 17 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists, while Carmelo Anthony scored 14 points for the Nuggets, who won their first game after losing two straight to start the season. Denver head coach George Karl returned to the bench after serving a two-game suspension for violating league rules that prohibits contact between NBA players not eligible for the draft. Darius Miles led Portland with 13 points, while Zach Randolph added 12 for the Trail Blazers, who never led in the contest.
Final Score: LA Clippers 92, Atlanta 77
Los Angeles, CA (Basketball News) - Cuttino Mobley led all scorers with 19 points to lead the Los Angeles Clippers over the Atlanta Hawks, 92-77, at Staples Center. James Singleton had a double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds off the bench and Elton Brand had 12 points, nine rebounds, and four assists for the Clippers, who have won their first two games of the season. Salim Stoudamire had 15 points, shooting 3-for-4 from three-point range, and Zaza Pachulia added 13 points and seven rebounds for the Hawks, who have lost two in a row.
Final Score: Utah 91, Golden State 85
Oakland, CA (Basketball News) - Mehmet Okur poured in 23 points, 19 of which came in the second half, and pulled down 14 rebounds as Utah downed Golden State, 91-85, at The Arena in Oakland. Matt Harpring delivered 15 points in 17 minutes off the bench to help the Jazz to their second straight victory to begin the season. Jason Richardson and Derek Fisher each scored 18 points for the Warriors, who failed to achieve its first 2-0 start since 1994-95. Troy Murphy added 12 points and eight rebounds in the loss before fouling out late. Golden State played without star guard Baron Davis, who strained his left hamstring in Wednesday’s triumph over Atlanta, and struggled all night against the Jazz’s tough defense. The Warriors shot just 37 percent and produced their lowest point total in 20 games dating back to last season.
Final Score: Seattle 107, Minnesota 102 (OT)
Seattle, WA (Basketball News) - Ray Allen scored 32 points, including 11 in overtime, as the Seattle SuperSonics defeated Minnesota 107-102 at KeyArena. Allen also grabbed eight rebounds and dished out four assists for the Sonics, who recorded their first win of the season. Rashard Lewis chipped in 19 points and Luke Ridnour added 10 points and nine assists in the winning effort. Kevin Garnett scored a team-high 23 points to go with nine assists and seven boards for Minnesota, which dropped its first game of the year after winning its opener against Portland Wednesday. Marko Jaric scored 20 points, and Wally Szczerbiak donated 16.
