Published on ShanghaiDaily.com (http://www.shanghaidaily.com/)
http://www.shanghaidaily.com/sp/article/2008/200811/20081102/article_379174.htm
Pacers beat Celtics 95-79 to give defending champs first loss
Created: 2008-11-2 14:09:29
THE Boston Celtics started last season 12-0 but won't duplicate that early success because of poor fundamentals in a 95-79 loss to the Indiana Pacers in the NBA yesterday.
The defending champions had 24 turnovers and shot 21-for-35 from the free-throw line against Indiana in their third game.
Danny Granger scored 20 points, and T.J. Ford, the key acquisition in the trade that sent Jermaine O'Neal to Toronto, had 19 points and four assists for Indiana.
Kevin Garnett led Boston with 18 points and 14 rebounds.
Bobcats 100, Heat 87
At Charlotte, North Carolina, Gerald Wallace scored 34 points and Larry Brown earned his first victory in his ninth NBA head coaching job.
After a winless preseason and an ugly loss at Cleveland to open the regular season, Wallace, Jason Richardson and Emeka Okafor powered the Bobcats to a sharp performance that gave the well-traveled Brown his 1,011th career win.
Charlotte controlled the boards and took advantage of Dwyane Wade's off night to spoil Miami rookie coach Erik Spoelstra's 38th birthday.
Mavericks 95, Timberwolves 85
At Minneapolis, Dirk Nowitzki had 21 points, Jason Terry added 19, and Dallas picked up its first victory of the season.
Josh Howard had 14 points for the Mavericks, who have won nine straight over Minnesota.
Rashad McCants led Minnesota with 18 points. Al Jefferson scored 14 and grabbed 12 rebounds.
Pistons 117, Wizards 109
At Auburn Hills, Michigan, Richard Hamilton scored 24 points for Detroit, and Rasheed Wallace added 17 points and 11 rebounds.
Hamilton and Wallace, both former Washington players, were the only Detroit starters to play well, but Walter Herrmann had 16 points as the Pistons reserves scored 55 points.
Warriors 105, Nets 97
At East Rutherford, New Jersey, Andris Biedrins had 23 points and 11 rebounds and Stephen Jackson scored 20 of his 23 points in the second half for Golden State.
Corey Maggette added 20 points and 10 rebounds in the Warriors' first win in three games.
Vince Carter had 20 points and Josh Boone added 17 points and 14 rebounds in the game that featured 60 personal fouls, including 39 against New Jersey in its home opener.
Hawks 95, 76ers 88
At Atlanta, Joe Johnson scored 35 points, including a long 3-pointer that clinched it with 11 seconds remaining, as Atlanta battled back from a 23-point deficit to get the win.
The Hawks improved to 2-0 in their home opener, the team's best start in a decade.
Magic 121, Kings 103
At Orlando, Florida, Dwight Howard had 29 points and 14 rebounds as Orlando earned its first victory of the season.
Howard was one of four starters to score 20 or more points as Orlando's offense finally came alive in the third game of the season. Rashard Lewis had 26 points, Hedo Turkoglu scored 21 and Mickael Pietrus added 20.
Kevin Martin broke out of a shooting slump with 31 points for Sacramento.
The defending champions had 24 turnovers and shot 21-for-35 from the free-throw line against Indiana in their third game.
Danny Granger scored 20 points, and T.J. Ford, the key acquisition in the trade that sent Jermaine O'Neal to Toronto, had 19 points and four assists for Indiana.
Kevin Garnett led Boston with 18 points and 14 rebounds.
Bobcats 100, Heat 87
At Charlotte, North Carolina, Gerald Wallace scored 34 points and Larry Brown earned his first victory in his ninth NBA head coaching job.
After a winless preseason and an ugly loss at Cleveland to open the regular season, Wallace, Jason Richardson and Emeka Okafor powered the Bobcats to a sharp performance that gave the well-traveled Brown his 1,011th career win.
Charlotte controlled the boards and took advantage of Dwyane Wade's off night to spoil Miami rookie coach Erik Spoelstra's 38th birthday.
Mavericks 95, Timberwolves 85
At Minneapolis, Dirk Nowitzki had 21 points, Jason Terry added 19, and Dallas picked up its first victory of the season.
Josh Howard had 14 points for the Mavericks, who have won nine straight over Minnesota.
Rashad McCants led Minnesota with 18 points. Al Jefferson scored 14 and grabbed 12 rebounds.
Pistons 117, Wizards 109
At Auburn Hills, Michigan, Richard Hamilton scored 24 points for Detroit, and Rasheed Wallace added 17 points and 11 rebounds.
Hamilton and Wallace, both former Washington players, were the only Detroit starters to play well, but Walter Herrmann had 16 points as the Pistons reserves scored 55 points.
Warriors 105, Nets 97
At East Rutherford, New Jersey, Andris Biedrins had 23 points and 11 rebounds and Stephen Jackson scored 20 of his 23 points in the second half for Golden State.
Corey Maggette added 20 points and 10 rebounds in the Warriors' first win in three games.
Vince Carter had 20 points and Josh Boone added 17 points and 14 rebounds in the game that featured 60 personal fouls, including 39 against New Jersey in its home opener.
Hawks 95, 76ers 88
At Atlanta, Joe Johnson scored 35 points, including a long 3-pointer that clinched it with 11 seconds remaining, as Atlanta battled back from a 23-point deficit to get the win.
The Hawks improved to 2-0 in their home opener, the team's best start in a decade.
Magic 121, Kings 103
At Orlando, Florida, Dwight Howard had 29 points and 14 rebounds as Orlando earned its first victory of the season.
Howard was one of four starters to score 20 or more points as Orlando's offense finally came alive in the third game of the season. Rashard Lewis had 26 points, Hedo Turkoglu scored 21 and Mickael Pietrus added 20.
Kevin Martin broke out of a shooting slump with 31 points for Sacramento.
Agencies
Copyright © 2001-2009 Shanghai Daily Publishing House