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Bucks' Yi Jianlian battles countryman Yao Ming of the Rockets for a rebound in Houston. (TIM JOHNSON/REUTERS) |
NBA roundup
Emeka Okafor had 25 points and 23 rebounds, Gerald Wallace scored 26 points, and the host Charlotte Bobcats rallied in the fourth quarter to beat the Indiana Pacers, 96-87, last night.
Okafor's second career 20-20 game helped the Bobcats erase memories of losing their previous two games by 31 and 32 points, while Okafor had his best game since he turned down a contract offer from the Bobcats before the season.
Raymond Felton added 16 points in his return after missing a game with a sore left knee and the Bobcats overcame 14 missed free throws with a dominant fourth quarter.
Jermaine O'Neal had 18 points, Troy Murphy scored 16 points, and Danny Granger added 15 for the Pacers, who were outscored, 24-4, in the first eight minutes of the final period and lost their second straight game.
Rockets 104, Bucks 88 - Yao Ming and Yi Jianlian both had their share of highlights in the much-anticipated first matchup of China's greatest player and its top rising star, and Yao's Rockets beat Yi's visiting Bucks.
Yao had 28 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 assists. Yi had 19 points and nine rebounds.
The game was an enormous event in China, where it started early this morning. It was being broadcast on 19 television networks and NBA officials were expecting the largest viewing audience for a game, well over 200 million.
Spurs 97, Hornets 85 - Tony Parker scored early, often, and from all over the court, finishing with 27 points as San Antonio won in New Orleans.
Tim Duncan had 24 points and 12 rebounds for San Antonio, while Manu Ginobili scored 14 and fellow Argentine Fabricio Oberto added 13 to help the Spurs maintain a double-digit lead through most of the second half.
Cavaliers 93, Kings 91 - LeBron James rallied visiting Cleveland with 8 points in the final 2:57, and the Cavaliers hung on for a victory over Sacramento.
Devin Brown had 20 points and a career-high 11 rebounds for the Cavaliers, who treaded dangerously close to a surprising upset loss until James scored 8 of their final 10 points in the fourth stop of Cleveland's six-game road trip.
Suns 106, Heat 101 - Steve Nash scored 11 straight points in the fourth quarter and finished with 30 to go with eight assists, and visiting Phoenix added to Miami's season-opening misery.
Leandro Barbosa finished with 17 points, Raja Bell scored 16, and Shawn Marion added 17 points and 24 rebounds for Phoenix, which shot 15 for 33 from 3-point range.
Lakers 107, Timberwolves 93 - Kobe Bryant scored 30 points and Lamar Odom had 18 points and 10 rebounds in his season debut to lead host Los Angeles over winless Minnesota.
The Lakers were well-balanced. Andrew Bynum and Chris Mihm each had 10 points and 10 rebounds. Derek Fisher had 11 points and nine assists, and Ronny Turiaf scored 11 points. Bryant chipped in with seven assists.
Trail Blazers 110, Grizzlies 98 - LaMarcus Aldridge had 30 points and 10 rebounds, Brandon Roy had 22 points and eight assists, and Portland defeated visiting Memphis.
Rudy Gay led the Grizzlies with 31 points. Pau Gasol had all of his 19 in the first half.
Jazz 103, SuperSonics 101 - Andrei Kirilenko held Seattle's Kevin Durant to 7-for-21 shooting and blocked Durant's attempt at a game-tying shot in the lane with three seconds remaining to help visiting Utah hold on to beat the winless SuperSonics, Seattle's franchise record-tying sixth consecutive loss to begin the season.
Magic 112, Knicks 102 - Dwight Howard had 22 points and 20 rebounds, Jameer Nelson added 24 points and 10 assists, and Orlando completed a perfect four-game road trip with a victory in New York.
Raptors 105, 76ers 103 - Chris Bosh made 16 of 18 free throws, scored 24 points, and had 10 rebounds to help Toronto snap a three-game losing streak with a victory in Philadelphia.
Pistons 103, Clippers 79 - Chauncey Billups scored 23 points and Antonio McDyess added 14 in Auburn Hills, Mich., to help Detroit hand Los Angeles its first loss.
Nuggets 118, Wizards 92 - Carmelo Anthony scored 12 consecutive points in a third quarter in which the home team was booed off the court, leading Denver to a victory in Washington that snapped a three-game losing streak.
© Copyright 2007 Globe Newspaper Company.
