Blazers defeat Heat as Oden returns to lineup
Published 11:06 pm Wednesday, November 12, 2008
MIAMI — Rudy Fernandez scored 25 points, including a clutch spinning jumper as the shot clock expired with 44.9 seconds left, and the Trail Blazers celebrated Greg Oden’s return to the lineup with a 104-96 victory over the Heat.
Brandon Roy scored 22 points and LaMarcus Aldridge added 14 for the Trail Blazers. Oden, the 2007 No. 1 overall pick who missed all of last season and sprained his right foot in this season’s opener, finished with three points and two rebounds in 16 minutes in his first action since spraining his right foot in Portland’s season-opener.
Dwyane Wade scored 36 points — his fourth straight game of 30 or better, a franchise record — for Miami, which failed in its bid for the first 4-0 home start in team history.
Celtics 103, Hawks 102
BOSTON — Paul Pierce hit a fallaway jumper with 0.5 seconds left, scoring 34 points as the Boston Celtics overcame a 16-point, second-quarter deficit to beat Atlanta and send the Hawks to their first loss of the season.
Kevin Garnett had 25 points and 12 rebounds, and Rajon Rondo had 10 assists for the Celtics.
Joe Johnson scored 28 for Atlanta (6-1), finding an open Marvin Williams for the go-ahead 3-pointer with seven seconds left. But Pierce answered at the other end and the Celtics beat Atlanta in Boston for the eighth straight time.
Magic 109, Thunder 92
OKLAHOMA CITY — Dwight Howard recorded his first career triple-double with 30 points, 19 rebounds and 10 blocks and the Magic beat the Thunder. Howard had a double-double and matched his previous career-best of seven blocks in the first half then scored the Magic’s first nine points after halftime to stretch the lead to 32.
Wizards 95, Jazz 87
WASHINGTON — Led by All-Star forwards Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison, and with a boost from rookie JaVale McGee, the Wizards avoided the first 0-6 start in franchise history by beating the Jazz. Butler finished with 27 points and nine rebounds, while Jamison had 21 points and eight rebounds.
Knicks 132, Grizzlies 103
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Wilson Chandler scored a career-high 27 points, missing only one of his 12 shots, and the Knicks made a franchise-record 19 3-pointers in a win over the Grizzlies.
Pacers 98, Nets 87
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — T.J. Ford had 18 points, nine assists and eight rebounds, and the banged-up Pacers won their third straight game with a victory over the Nets.
76ers 106, Raptors 96
TORONTO — Elton Brand scored a season-high 25 points, Andre Miller and Andre Iguodala each had 18, and the 76ers snapped a three-game losing streak by beating the Raptors.
Lakers 93, Hornets 86
NEW ORLEANS — Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher each scored 20 points, and the Lakers improved to 7-0 with a win over the Hornets. The Lakers never trailed and led by as much as 23 before nervously holding on against a team that is expected to be one of their chief rivals for Western Conference supremacy.
Rockets 94, Suns 82
PHOENIX — Tracy McGrady snapped out of a slump to score 22 of his 27 points in the second half, and Houston beat Phoenix in a game that featured a scoring landmark for Shaquille O’Neal, who scored 18 points to move past John Havlicek into 10th on the NBA career scoring list.
Bucks 82, Spurs 78
MILWAUKEE — Richard Jefferson scored 16 of his 19 points in the second half, Andrew Bogut grabbed 17 rebounds and the Bucks held on after a big run to beat Tim Duncan and the Spurs. The Bucks were without Michael Redd for the fifth straight game.
Kings 103, Clippers 98
LOS ANGELES — Beno Udrih had a career-high 30 points and seven assists, and the short-handed Kings never trailed in beating the Clippers for their fourth win in five games. Brad Miller added 16 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists and rookie Jason Thompson had 16 points and 11 rebounds.
NBA notes
Thunder’s Durant out
Kevin Durant missed the Oklahoma City Thunder’s game against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night because of a sore left ankle.
Coach P.J. Carlesimo said Durant will be day-to-day and his status for Friday’s game at New York is up in the air. Desmond Mason started in his place against Orlando.
Bulls’ Rose misses practice
Chicago Bulls rookie guard Derrick Rose is sitting out practice to rest a sore back but expects to play today against the Dallas Mavericks. Rose started getting back spasms before Tuesday night’s 113-108 loss to Atlanta but still played 42 minutes. He finished with 26 points to match his career-high, and had a career-best 10 rebounds for his first double-double.
Richardson has knee scoped
Charlotte scoring leader Jason Richardson will be out about a week following arthroscopic surgery on his right knee. Richardson underwent an exploratory procedure after complaining about inflammation. A team spokesman said no structural damage was found, but Richardson will miss Friday’s game against Utah.
