November 3nd NBA Schedule

New Jersey Nets @ Philadelphia 76ers
Orlando Magic @ Washington Wizards
Indiana Pacers @ Memphis Griezzlies
Sacramento Kings @ Dallas Mavericks
Portland Trailblazers @ Houston Rockets
Chicago Bulls @ Milwaukee Bucks
Golden State Warriors @ Utah Jazz

Dallas Mavericks - Atlanta Hawkes 101


Atlanta 101, Dallas 94
The Atlanta Hawks' last playoff season began with their last season-opening win.

It's no wonder Joe Johnson and the Hawks placed so much emphasis on their 101-94 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night.

Atlanta opened with a win for the first time since the 1998-99 season, and the Hawks believe a strong start is needed to end their eight-year playoff drought, the longest active streak in the NBA.

Johnson scored 28 points to offset a 28-point effort by Dallas' Dirk Nowitzki, and the Hawks outscored the Mavericks 11-4 in the final 3 minutes to take the win.

Dallas recovered from an early 16-point deficit to lead 69-68 entering the final quarter. Normally for the Hawks in recent years, that has been a signal to collapse.

This time, the Hawks outscored the Mavericks 33-25 in the final period.

Hawks coach Mike Woodson said the fourth-quarter performance, following a 7-1 preseason, is a sign of maturity.

"Our team is growing up,'' Woodson said. "That's the difference. These guys are three- and four-year guys. They're starting to figure out what the league is all about.''

Johnson is beginning his seventh season, but the other leaders include such recent first-round picks as Josh Smith, who had 18 points and 11 rebounds, and Marvin Williams, who added 16 points.

Rookies Al Horford (nine points and 10 rebounds) and Acie Law (eight points in 14 minutes) also showed promise. Horford had three dunks and six rebounds in the opening period.

"If they can find that effort night in night out, they're a playoff team,'' said Dallas forward Jerry Stackhouse.

Added Mavericks coach Avery Johnson: "They made basically all the hustle plays all night. They got all of the loose balls. They really wanted this game.''

Johnson put the game away with a jumper with 11 seconds left that made it 97-92.

Jason Terry had 20 points for Dallas and Jose Barea added 14.

Nowitzki scored 11 points in the third quarter when Dallas took its first lead since the opening minute.

The Hawks were without their two most experienced inside players, Zaza Pachulia (left knee) and Lorenzen Wright (foot).

When Horford sat down with four fouls less than 4 minutes into the second half, Nowitzki took advantage of a matchup with Shelden Williams to score nine of the Mavericks' next 11 points.

The 6-foot-7 Johnson eventually shifted to defend the 7-foot Nowitzki, cutting off the Mavericks' momentum.

"I like taking a challenge guarding the team's best player,'' Johnson said. "I just wanted to stay in front of him and make him take tough shots.''

Law drove past Devin Harris with 6:22 left in the first half to give Atlanta its biggest lead, 41-25. The Hawks didn't have another field goal the rest of the half as Dallas cut the lead to 46-39.

A 3-pointer by Nowitzki gave Dallas its first lead, 57-56 with 6:30 left in the third quarter, but the Hawks responded.

"They can jump, they can run with the best in the league,'' Nowitzki said.

Harris scored the first 10 points for Dallas but scored only one more before bruising his left thigh late in the second quarter. He did not play in the second half.

The Mavericks reported Harris' status as day-to-day.

"My thigh is pretty sore so we will see how it responds tomorrow,'' Harris said.

Dallas plays Sacramento on Saturday, but Harris said he hopes to play Monday against Houston.

Dallas' Josh Howard served the second game of a two-game suspension for an altercation with Sacramento center Brad Miller in a preseason game. Howard will return Saturday for a rematch with the Kings.

Notes: F Juwan Howard made his season debut with Dallas late in the first quarter. He joined the team Tuesday. He did not score in 7 minutes. ... Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, also of "Dancing with the Stars'' fame, declined an invitation to join mascot Harry the Hawk in a dance routine during a timeout. ... Pachulia began running Friday as he recovers from a sprained left knee.

New Orleans Hornets defeat Indiana Pacers 93-113


NEW ORLEANS, Nov. 2 (AP) -- More than a million residents have returned to the New Orleans metro area since Hurricane Katrina, and many of them are missing some high-powered, winning basketball being played by the NBA franchise that recently came back as well.

Chris Paul scored 19 points and Peja Stojakovic added 18 as sharp-shooting New Orleans beat the Portland Trail Blazers 113-93 on Friday night for the Hornets' second lopsided victory in two games.

But only 9,817 showed up in the 17,956-seat New Orleans Arena, the Hornets' smallest announced crowd there since they moved from Charlotte in 2002. Never mind the more than 225,000 residents of an affluent suburb who can't see the games on TV because of stalled negotiations between cable companies.

Still, it's early, and Paul thinks the fans will come back as the season progresses.

"We feed off the crowd, and I think as long as we keep winning, we'll draw more and more fans,'' Paul said.

Seven players hit double figures for the Hornets, who drained 11 3-pointers in a victory that wasn't in doubt from midway through the third quarter on.

David West and Bobby Jackson each scored 14 points for New Orleans. Tyson Chandler had 10 points and 11 rebounds. Rasual Butler scored 11 points and Jannero Pargo 10.

The Hornets did not hesitate to take quick 3-pointers when they were open, and it paid off. Butler hit three of them, Stojakovic two and Paul another in the third quarter as New Orleans opened an 87-64 lead heading into the final period.

"The shots we took from outside were really good shots - shots in rhythm after we moved the ball. If you play right, you're going to have that,'' Stojakovic said. "It's good to have a good start, but it's still a learning process for us. I really believe we have the potential to play even better.''

With continued good shooting from outside and hustling defense until the end, New Orleans maintained a 20-point lead or better through most of the fourth quarter.

After scoring only seven points in Portland's opening-night loss at San Antonio, Brandon Roy led the Blazers with 23. James Jones added 14, scoring all but five in the fourth quarter, and Martell Webster scored 13.

New Orleans shot 56 percent and outrebounded Portland 40-30.

"We didn't play well. They were the aggressors,'' Portland coach Nate McMillan said. "When you leave the perimeter open against these guys, they have shooters who can knock down shots. ... They picked us apart.''

Having won their opener 104-90 over Sacramento, the Hornets have played exciting, high-scoring basketball through their first two outings since moving back to New Orleans full time from Oklahoma City, where they played most of their games for two seasons after Katrina.

Those who turned out to see Friday's game were lively and got a good show, particularly when Chandler crashed hard to the floor in the second quarter on a drive to the basket during which Jones hit him across the face with a forearm. Chandler had a bloody nose, but after a short delay while he received treatment under the basket, he shot his free throws with cotton hanging out of one nostril.

With Stojakovic grinning at him from the edge of the lane, Chandler made both foul shots, then went to the bench to enthusiastic applause.

Chandler had to change his jersey twice, limiting his playing time, because of blood stains.

"I got hit in the nose. I got bit one time. It got pretty wild,'' Chandler said. "They had to come in and actually wash one of my jerseys and throw it in the dryer real quick before they could get me out. I didn't want to be out of the game. I wanted to play. that was really the only frustrating thing in the game.''

Notes: Hornets first-round draft pick Julian Wright saw the first regular-season playing time of his NBA career in the second quarter and hit his first shot, a short jumper in the lane ... Blazers second-round pick, former Florida star Taurean Green, saw his first regular-season action during the last couple minutes of the game and score three points. ... Former Hornets player and Louisiana native P.J. Brown, who lives in the New Orleans suburb of Slidell, was in the audience and received one of the loudest cheers of the night when he was shown on the scoreboard video screen. Brown's home was damaged during Hurricane Katrina. He's living there again, but said some minor storm repairs remain unfinished. Brown, 38, and a free agent, said he is still considering playing this season if the right offer comes along.

Milwaukee Bucks - Charlotte Bobcats 99-102


CHARLOTTE, N.C., Nov. 2 (AP) --Charlotte's Sam Vincent talked about needing to hire a free throw coach. Milwaukee's Larry Krystkowiak may want to hire a scoreboard coach.

Raymond Felton had 26 points and 12 assists, and hit two free throws with 0.1 seconds left to help the Bobcats take advantage of a mistake by the Bucks' Maurice Williams in a 102-99 victory Friday night.

Gerald Wallace added 22 points and 10 rebounds, Jason Richardson had 21 points in his first game with Charlotte and the Bobcats won their opener despite hitting just 22 of 43 free throws.

The final seconds were bizarre. With the Bucks trailing by three, Williams inexplicably drove the lane and made a layup with 0.6 seconds left.

"I thought we were down two,'' Williams conceded.

Felton was then fouled, and he finally put it away by sinking both foul shots, allowing Vincent to rest easy on a night he was thinking about hiring somebody to help his players make shots from the line.

"Maybe a free throw coach. We don't have one right now,'' Vincent said. "Some teams do, and the teams that do shoot pretty high free throw percentages.''

The players gave Vincent, in his first NBA game as a head coach, the game ball. And as the Bobcats got off to the first 1-0 start in their fourth season, it allowed them to joke about their horrendous night at the line that kept the Bucks in the game.

"You make Shaq look like Reggie Miller,'' Bobcats reserve Derek Anderson told Wallace, who was 2-of-5.

Wallace was hardly the worst of the lot. Emeka Okafor was 3-of-13 and Richardson 2-of-6.

But Williams was the most embarrassed. Before Felton went to the line with 7.3 seconds left, Krystkowiak, because the Bucks were out of timeouts, huddled his players in front of the bench.

"My point to the guys was, hey if they make one of these, not two, then we have a chance to tie,'' Krystkowiak said. "I think maybe something got lost in the translation.''

Michael Redd scored 17 of his 21 points in the first half, and Williams added 20 for the Bucks, who took 29 fewer free throws in their second straight loss. China's Yi Jianlian, the No. 6 pick in the draft, was held to two points and four rebounds and didn't play in the fourth quarter.

Felton's two free throws with 1:41 left put Charlotte ahead to stay. But Felton and Okafor then combined to hit two of their next six free throws.

The Bobcats' opener was played in front of thousands of empty seats and without part-owner Michael Jordan, who was said to be out of town attending an event with his son.

Vincent, Jordan's hire in the offseason as coach despite having only one year of NBA experience as an assistant, grew agitated at the Bobcats' free throw woes. Wearing a gray suit and a red tie, Jordan's former teammate in Chicago, folded his arms and sighed after Felton missed a free throw with just over 2 minutes left.

Vincent said little early when Wallace made all six shots and scored 13 points in the first quarter to help Charlotte lead by as many as 10 points. But Wallace was 0-for-4 in the second quarter, and Redd scored all the points in a 9-2 run to close the first half to give the Bucks a 49-46 lead.

Yi, who fouled out in his debut Wednesday night in Orlando, picked up two fouls before the game was 8 minutes old. He spent the next 13 minutes on the bench. When he returned, the 7-footer appeared to struggle in the transition game.

Yi headed to the bench again after picking up his fourth foul midway through the third quarter. Krystkowiak used Charlie Villanueva in his place in the final quarter.

The Bucks rallied even after Andrew Bogut fouled out with 3:38 left, finishing with 11 points and 17 rebounds. Desmond Mason's half-hook tied the game with just under 2 minutes left

Richardson, who Jordan acquired on draft night in hopes of giving the Bobcats the go-to scorer they've never had, missed 10 of his first 14 shots through three quarters. But his scoop shot in the lane was part of a 6-0 run to start the fourth quarter to give Charlotte a 77-69 lead. He hit 4 of 5 shots in the final quarter.

"It was trying to do too much,'' Richardson said. "You're trying to impress the fans first time out. ... I settled down, but I know I've got to perform better than I did today.''

Notes: Bobcats F Othella Harrington, still recovering from offseason knee surgery, did not play. ... Krystkowiak was dismayed at Orlando's 13-minute opening introductions before Wednesday's opener. "It's a little bit of a concern when you let your body cool down and you don't get to go out and warm up again,'' Krystkowiak said. "But it's the nature of the league at this point.''

Toronto Raptros defeat New Jersey Nets


Toronto 106, New Jersey 69

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J., Nov. 2 (AP) -- Payback was sweet for the Toronto Raptors.

Andrea Bargnani scored 21 points Friday night to lead Toronto to a 106-69 victory over New Jersey in the first meeting between the teams since the Nets ousted the Raptors in the opening round of last season's playoffs.

"It added a lot to it,'' said Chris Bosh who had 15 points. "We did lose in this building in the playoffs. It was a significant factor.''

Juan Dixon scored 14 for Toronto. Jose Calderon, Carlos Delfino and Anthony Parker all had 10 as the Raptors set a team record for margin of victory in a road game. Their previous best was 33 at San Antonio on Feb. 19, 1997.

"We played well,'' Raptors coach Sam Mitchell said. "I didn't realize what the score was because we were on our guys about playing defense. It was a good win, but is only game 2 with 80 more to go.''

Richard Jefferson was the one bright spot for Nets with 27 points.

"We didn't play very well,'' Jefferson said. "To their credit, they shot the ball extremely well.''

Nets stars Vince Carter and Jason Kidd had dismal nights. Carter scored only seven points against his former team, while Kidd had two.

"We took one straight in the mouth,'' Carter said.

Toronto broke open the game with a 17-2 run to start the second quarter and grab a 38-23 lead. Calderon sparked the run with six points.

The Nets, other than Jefferson, were ice cold. He had 13 points in the period on 3-for-4 shooting from the field, including a 3-pointer. He also made all six free throws, giving him 22 points for the half. The rest of the Nets shot 3-for-11 from the field in the second quarter.

The Nets narrowed the gap late in the quarter, but Bosh closed the half by intercepting a pass and beating the buzzer with a shot from beyond the center stripe to give the Raptors a 56-41 lead at the half.

"It's line of vision,'' Bosh said. "I lined up with the goal and I thought I had a good shot. I'm just happy it went in and I think it kind of sparked us.''

It deflated the Nets, as Toronto crushed New Jersey to start the third. After Nenad Krstic scored the first basket of the half for the Nets, the Raptors poured in the next 18 points for an insurmountable 74-43 lead. Parker and Bargnani had 3-pointers in the run. The Raptors closed out the period with an 80-53 advantage.

Notes: Carter scored his 15,000th point with 1:57 remaining in the first period. He became the third-fastest active player to reach that level, doing it in his 623rd game. Shaquille O'Neal got there in 547 games. Allen Iverson needed 557. ... The Raptors ended a six-game losing streak in New Jersey, including three in last season's playoffs. ... Malik Allen was called for a flagrant foul on Calderon in the fourth quarter. ... Jefferson hasn't missed a free throw yet. He has made all 21 to start the season.

Philadelphia 76ers defeats Chicago Bulls


Philadelphia 96, Chicago 85

CHICAGO, Nov. 2 (AP) -- Andre Iguodala was exhausted, but not worn down. He had enough left at the end to shoot down the Chicago Bulls on a night when he was guarding Luol Deng and Ben Gordon.

Iguodala scored 11 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter, Andre Miller added 25, and the Philadelphia 76ers hung on to beat the Bulls 96-85 on Friday night.

"I was exhausted trying to switch off on both guys, and I was still trying to find a way to create on the offensive end,'' Iguodala said.

It was a disappointing home opener for the Bulls, who played like a team that could use some star power, even if general manager John Paxson put to rest the Kobe Bryant trade rumors the previous day. Some fans made it clear they wouldn't mind seeing the Lakers' superstar in a Chicago uniform, chanting "Kobe! Kobe!'' in the closing seconds.

"I'm not thinking about that,'' Chicago's Andres Nocioni said. "The people want to win. They can do whatever they want.''

The Sixers appeared to be in control after a tip-in by Iguodala and breakaway dunk by Willie Green gave them a 71-61 lead heading into the fourth. Fans let the Bulls hear it, and the boos only got louder after layups by Iguodala and Rodney Carney made it 75-63.

Chicago wasn't finished.

A 3-pointer by Deng made it 81-75 midway through the quarter, and Nocioni pulled the Bulls within two with another 3-pointer with 5:15 remaining. With fans chanting "Let's go Bulls!'' Nocioni missed a 3 that would have given Chicago a one-point lead, and the 76ers regrouped from there.

"I'm shooting terrible right now,'' said Nocioni, who was 6-for-15 overall and 2-for-8 on 3-pointers. "When I make 3s, it opens (things) for the big guys. ... We have time to recover, but we need to do it the right way.''

Chicago could not recover after Samuel Dalembert dunked, and Miller converted a three-point play on a fast break with 3:55 remaining to make it 87-80.

"They made their run and we came through that luckily,'' Miller said. "We rebounded the ball well, and some guys made some tough shots at the end.''

It wasn't a pretty win for the Sixers, who made just one of 11 3-pointers and were 35-for-83 overall, but a 55-36 rebounding enabled them to outscore the Bulls 25-5 on the break. Dalembert had 11 rebounds to go with 14 points, and Iguodala grabbed 10 while contributing six assists, three blocks and three steals.

"This is a confidence booster, something we can take home and build for tomorrow,'' Miller said.

Gordon led Chicago with 25 points. Second-year pro Tyrus Thomas had one of his best games, finishing with 21 points and a career-high 12 rebounds while blocking three shots. But it was a rough night for Deng and Kirk Hinrich.

Deng was 4-of-12 with 10 points and four rebounds, and Hinrich scored eight while shooting 3-for-12.

The Bulls find themselves in a familiar spot at 0-2. They're off to a slow start, just as they were in each of the previous three seasons before making the playoffs.

Whatever improvement they make is going to have to come from within, at least for now.

On Thursday, Paxson said the Bulls were never on the verge of a deal for Bryant and that talks were over for now.

He did not say they're over for good.

Paxson addressed the rumors because he was concerned they were becoming a distraction, and Deng even said the Kobe questions were getting annoying. Discussions could resume before the February trade deadline or maybe in the summer, but they're on the back burner for now.

But there are more immediate issues.

"We're not playing the Chicago Bulls' way,'' Nocioni said. "I don't know why. We practice really, really well. I think it's probably with the mind. We need to focus and try to play the way we play every year.''

Notes: The Bulls hit just 7 of 24 3-pointers and were 33-for-86 from the field. ... Bulls F Joakim Noah, the ninth pick in the draft, missed his second game with a sprained right ankle. ... Dalembert got credit for two more blocks in Wednesday's season opener at Toronto following a league review, giving him six for that game.

Cleveland Cavaliers Defeat New York Knicks


Cleveland 110, New York 106

CLEVELAND, Nov. 2 (AP) -- Isiah Thomas was having scary flashbacks. As Cleveland's star drove the lane, found open teammates and basically took over, New York's coach could only think of one other player.

LeBron James looked just like Mike.

Jordan, that is.

"He was as good as that other No. 23 I played against,'' Thomas said. "He was exceptional. He wasn't going to let his team lose.''

James scored 45 points and Daniel Gibson made four 3-pointers - three off passes from James - in just over two minutes in the fourth quarter to rally the Cavaliers past the Knicks 110-106 on Friday night.

Playing with more energy, James bounced back from a 10-point performance in a season-opening loss to Dallas by scoring the most points ever by a Cleveland player against New York. World B. Free dropped 39 on the Knicks in 1984.

After looking unworthy of calling themselves defending Eastern Conference champions against the Mavericks, the Cavaliers got big plays from James, big shots from Gibson and a big win before embarking on a tough, six-game road trip out West.

Gibson, Cleveland's shooting star in last season's playoffs, finished with six 3-pointers and 24 points. He made four 3s in a span of 2:17 of the fourth, when the Cavaliers turned a three-point deficit into an eight-point lead.

"When he's that open, it's almost like a practice shot,'' James said.

Three of Gibson's 3-pointers came off assists by James, who drew double- and triple-teams before finding his sweet-shooting sidekick.

"That's the thing about LeBron that everybody loves,'' Gibson said. "He had 45 but he's still finding his teammates and getting everybody involved.''

Drew Gooden added 14 points and Zydrunas Ilgauskas had 12 rebounds for Cleveland.

The Cavaliers trailed 86-83 when Gibson, sporting a haircut with a star shaved into his head, began hitting 3s. It was almost a replay of Game 6 in last season's conference finals, when he buried Detroit by scoring 19 points in the fourth to send the Cavs into the NBA finals for the first time.

The Knicks never recovered.

"It was very fast,'' Jamal Crawford said. "That gave them some life. It got away from us.''

Crawford scored 25 points and Zach Randolph had 21 points and 14 rebounds in his debut with the Knicks, who were finally playing a meaningful game following a turbulent offseason that included a jury finding Thomas and Madison Square Garden had sexually harassed a former team executive.

The Knicks had built their lead by pounding the ball inside to Randolph and Eddy Curry, who finished with 18 points. Curry, though, missed five free throws and the Knicks went 14-of-23 from the line.

Nate Robinson added 19 points for New York.

"Overall, I was pleased with our effort,'' Thomas said. "We had to do a better job at the foul line. If we could do a better job from the foul line, it's a different ballgame. In a six-point basketball game, it's the little things that beat you.''

With the Cavs in jeopardy of falling to 0-2, James and Gibson teamed up to turn things around, combining to score 20 straight points in the fourth.

Gibson's 3-pointer tied it 86-all, and James converted a three-point play before Gibson's second straight 3 made it 92-87. After Stephon Marbury countered with a 3 for New York, Gibson floated into the corner as James drew a double-team.

Gibson found an open spot, caught a soft pass from James and dropped in his third 3-pointer in less than two minutes to put Cleveland up 95-90.

Following a turnover by New York, Gibson came down and knocked down his fourth straight 3, a shot that had Cavaliers fans thinking about last spring's memorable night when Cleveland clinched the East at home.

"LeBron will get guys open shots,'' Robinson said. "You have to pray they miss them, but Gibson didn't.''

Less than an hour before tipoff, Cavaliers coach Mike Brown summoned James to his office for a talk. If Brown's message was to be more assertive, Cleveland's superstar listened and then went right at the Knicks.

He scored 23 points in the first half as he continually pushed the ball toward the basket or posted up his defenders.

"I didn't think I played Wednesday night with the energy I needed to play with,'' James said. "The guys feed off me.''

Notes: It was James' 18th career game of 40 points or more. ... Like everyone, James has been keeping an eye on the unfolding Kobe Bryant drama. Part of James wouldn't mind if Bryant ended up in the East. "As a competitor, I would love to play against Kobe Bryant four times a year,'' he said. "As a fan, it's almost like when Mike (Jordan) played for the Wizards. You really can't see Kobe playing for anyone but the Lakers.'' ... The Knicks are 36-26 in openers. ... Cavs F/G Sasha Pavlovic ended his holdout and signed a three-year contract extension on Wednesday, but the Serbia native wasn't able to play until he sorted through immigration red tape. He got his U.S. visa on Friday and is expected to practice Saturday.

Spurs Defeat Kings, Stay Unbeaten

San Antonio 96, Sacramento 80

SAN ANTONIO, Nov. 2 (AP) -- Manu Ginobili got the signal from San Antonio Spurs teammate Tim Duncan and took off running.

By the time the Sacramento Kings had regrouped, Duncan was in the midst of hurling a court-length pass to Ginobili for an easy layup at the other end.

Welcome to Friday night football, Spurs style.

"I just obeyed orders and the defensive balance was not good, so I was just wide open,'' Ginobili said after the Spurs' 96-80 win over the Kings on Friday. "Yeah, he gave me a look. He's a big football fan.''

The long pass with 4:43 left in the first half that put the Spurs up 40-21 wasn't the only time the game looked like it should have been played on Astroturf. Spurs point guard Tony Parker went down hard at least three times in the first half. He also got into the passing game, throwing one out of bounds and into the second row of courtside seats.

Despite that error, the Spurs remained unbeaten. They are 3-0 for the first time since the 2000-01 season, when they finished with the best record in the league.

The Kings, currently without Mike Bibby and Ron Artest, have yet to win a game this season. They never led Friday and were down by as many as 29.

Duncan and Tony Parker had 15 points apiece. Offseason addition Ime Udoka had 14 points, including three 3-pointers, for San Antonio. Fabricio Oberto and Duncan each had 10 rebounds.

Kevin Martin scored 22 points for the Kings, followed by John Salmons with 14 points and nine rebounds. Brad Miller finished with 13 points.

The Spurs were up 17-10 after one quarter and 50-23 at the half. The Kings shot just 7-of-36 in the first half (19 percent).

"Under 20 percent from the field is not easy to do,'' Ginobili said.

The Kings set franchise record-lows for points scored in the half and for fewest field goals made in the first half. The previous lows were set in 1957 and 1987, respectively.

"Sure, they're frustrated, they don't like to play like that,'' said Sacramento coach Reggie Theus. "But there's nothing we can do about it except just keep fighting hard. That's it.''

While the Kings were shooting poorly early, the Spurs were playing with energy.

On the possession after Duncan's football throw, he blocked Francisco Garcia's shot, leading to a 3-pointer from Ginobili that put the Spurs up by 22 points.

Martin led the Kings with 11 points in the third quarter as the Kings outscored San Antonio 31-21.

"We had a pretty serious conversation in the locker room,'' Theus said. "The guys have to understand that you can't hide, you cannot hide on the floor, you've got to be accountable.''

Martin's fast-break layup off an assist from Salmons cut the Spurs' lead to 19 with 30 seconds left in the period. Salmons followed with a basket to make it 71-54 heading into the fourth.

"Second half, we had to show some kind of pride. We can't let them just continue to just trample all over us,'' Salmons said. "Tomorrow, just got to forget about this game, and just come out with a lot of energy.''

Sacramento plays the Mavericks in Dallas on Saturday.

The Kings got within 71-56 early in the fourth, but back-to-back 3s from Brent Barry and Udoka pushed the Spurs back to an 81-60 lead with 8:09 to play.

Matt Bonner had 13 points for San Antonio. Ginobili finished with 10.

While the Spurs are off to a good start, coach Gregg Popovich still has a few things to figure out, including his bench rotation.

"I feel very uncomfortable,'' he said. "I have no clue on how to sub them.''

On Friday, his star players gave him the chance to tinker a little bit, with most of them sitting out much of the fourth quarter.

After starting dismally, Sacramento finished 29-of-75 from the field (39 percent). It wasn't too much worse than the Spurs, who went 31-of-75 (41 percent.)

"Still want to see more than 39 percent for the game,'' Miller said. "You just got to try to build on the things. You know, look at the second half, why did we do better.''

Guard Beno Udrih, who was traded on Monday to Minnesota, then signed with Sacramento after the Timberwolves waived him, did not dress while still recovering from a broken left index finger he got last month during Spurs training camp.

Udrih won two rings with the Spurs, including last season, when he lost his spot as backup point guard to Tony Parker after Jacque Vaughn took over.

Notes: Popovich gave Udrih his championship ring before tip-off Friday. ... The Spurs were 4-0 against the Kings last season. ... Duncan has four 20-20 games against the Kings, more than against any other opponent. ... The Kings also outscored the Spurs in the fourth quarter, 26-25. ... The Spurs hit 12 3-pointers, including three each from Udoka and Bonner, and two from Michael Finley. ... The Spurs outrebounded the Kings 50-35.

Kaman Leads Clippers to Opening Win Over Warriors

L.A. Clippers 120, Golden State 114

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 2 (AP) -- Chris Kaman had 26 points and 18 rebounds, Cuttino Mobley hit two fadeaway jumpers in the final 76 seconds, and the Los Angeles Clippers opened their season with a 120-114 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Friday night.

Kaman missed part of the third quarter, leaving the floor to get three stitches to close a cut above his left eye. He was hit when he tried to block a driving dunk by Kelenna Azubuike 1:10 into the period. He returned to the court with 2:58 left in the quarter.

Mobley, who finished with 21 points, made a 16-footer for a 115-112 lead with 1:16 left, then added a 15-footer off the glass for a five-point lead with 48 seconds to go. Kaman added three free throws in the closing seconds.

Tim Thomas added 20 points for Los Angeles, and Corey Maggette had 16 points, seven rebounds and five assists.

Azubuike had 33 points and eight rebounds, and Baron Davis had 22 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds for the Warriors, who lost their second straight. Utah beat them 117-96 on Tuesday.

The Clippers are missing their best player, Elton Brand, and point guard Shaun Livingston, with neither expected back for several months.

Brand tore his left Achilles' tendon working out in August. Livingston tore three ligaments in his left knee in a game last Feb. 26.

The Warriors were without Stephen Jackson, sitting out the second game of seven-game suspension levied by the league following his guilty plea to a felony charge of criminal recklessness for firing a gun into the air outside an Indianapolis club.

The Clippers were behind 95-94 when they went on a 13-0 run started by Ruben Patterson's layup with 10:44 left. Mobley scored six points during the run, capping it with a 21-footer with 7:22 remaining.

The Warriors responded with a 17-6 spurt to trim the deficit to 113-112 on a fastbreak layup by Monta Ellis with 1:31 left. But they got no closer.

Los Angeles led 92-90 heading into the fourth quarter, with Thomas scoring 12 points in the third.

Notes: The game was Mike Dunleavy's 329th as coach of the Clippers, most in franchise history. Jack Ramsay (1972-76) and Bill Fitch (1994-98) both coached the team in 328 games. Dunleavy has 153 wins as the Los Angeles coach; Ramsay is first on the team's list with 158. ... The Clippers and Warriors split their series 2-2 last season, both winning their two home games.

Lakers’ Bench Helps Rout Suns

L.A. Lakers 119, Phoenix 98

PHOENIX, Nov. 2 (AP) -- Vladimir Radmanovic made all four of his 3-pointers and scored 19 points, and Kobe Bryant added 16 points and 11 rebounds, leading the Los Angeles Lakers to a stunning 119-98 rout of listless Phoenix in the Suns' home opener on Friday night.

The capacity crowd at US Airways Center booed the home team, often, for the first time in recent memory as the Suns lost at home to the Lakers for the first time in the regular season since Steve Nash came to Phoenix in 2004.

Phoenix, the three-time defending Pacific Division champion, fell behind by 17 in the second quarter, 29 in the third and an embarrassing 33 in the fourth, giving up a seemingly endless series of layups, dunks and open jumpers.

Radmanovic, questionable before the game because of a sore throat, shot 6-of-7. Bryant, coming off a 45-point game in Los Angeles' season-opening loss to Houston, was just one of the guys in this one as five Lakers reached double figures.

The Lakers shot 57 percent, 8-of-13 from 3-point range. Andrew Bynum had 14 points and 13 rebounds.

Leading 63-50 at the half, the Lakers outscored Phoenix 27-11 to go up 90-61 with just under two minutes left in the third quarter on Ronny Turiaf's dunk, on a pass from Bryant.

After Boris Diaw scored four, Radmanovic made a 3-pointer from the corner at the buzzer and Los Angeles led 95-67 entering the fourth.

Amare Stoudemire was 2-for-10 shooting for four points and had one rebound in 24 miserable minutes for Phoenix.

Nash had 19 points but only three assists and sat out the fourth quarter, as did most of the Lakers' starters. Leandro Barbosa led the Suns with 23, 17 in the fourth quarter. Shawn Marion had 14 points and 10 rebounds, and Grant Hill scored 12 in his first home game for the Suns.

In a late-game exchange with the Lakers' coaching staff during a timeout, Phoenix coach Mike D'Antoni shouted "We're good. We've got three more games.''

After giving up 58 first-half points in Seattle in their opener on Thursday night, the Suns were even worse, and this time the lousy defense lasted the whole game.

The Suns were bad from the start, and Bryant was only a role player in a 17-2 Lakers' run that put Los Angeles ahead 25-14 after Jordan Farmar's two free throws with 2:38 to go.

In all, the Lakers outscored Phoenix 31-10 in the last nine minutes of the opening quarter to lead 33-20. It got worse for the Suns in the second quarter.

Luke Walton's uncontested inside basket put the Lakers up 48-31 with 7:23 left in the half.

Phoenix cut it to 56-44 when Brian Skinner made one of two free throws 3 minutes before halftime. The Lakers stretched it to 17 again, the last time at 63-46 when Sasha Vujacic made two free throws with 40 seconds to play. Nash scored the last four of the half to cut the margin to 13.

Notes: Nash was presented with the J. Walter Kennedy citizenship award before the game. The award, announced earlier, is for outstanding community service. ... D'Antoni has 199 victories as Phoenix coach. ... The Lakers beat Phoenix for the third time in their last 13 regular-season meetings, and just the second in 12 tries with Nash in the Suns lineup. ... Former Suns owner Jerry Colangelo will be inducted into the team's "ring of honor'' at halftime of Sunday night's game against Cleveland. ... The Suns were outrebounded 54-34.

November 2nd NBA Results

Miami Heat - Indiana Pacers 85-87
Detroit Pistons - Orlando Magic - 116-92
Milwaukee Bucks - Charlotte Bobcats 99-102
Dallas Mavericks - Atlanta Hawks 94-101
New York Knick - Cleveland Cavaliers 106-110
Toronto Raptors - New Jersey Nets - 106-69
Washington Wizards - Boston Celtics 83-103
Protland Trailblazers - New Orleans Hornets - 113-93
Denver Nuggets - Minnesota Timberwolves 99-91
Philadelphia 76ers - Chicago Bulls 96-85
Sacramento Kings - San Antonio Spurs 80-96
Golden State Warriors - Los Angeles Clippers 114-120
Los Angeles Lakers - Phoenix Suns 119-98