AP - Australia's Patty Mills led an early point-scoring charge to help the San Antonio Spurs to a 101-94 home win over the Memphis Grizzlies in their NBA season opener.
The newly-promoted Spurs back-up point guard didn't miss a beat, adding 12 points in just nine minutes in Wednesday night's rematch of last season's Western Conference finalists.
The 25-year-old's entry provided an instant boost, draining three straight three-pointers and a free throw to give San Antonio a 37-22 lead with 6:48 left in the first half.
Mills was one of six Spurs who finished on double figures - led by Kawhi Leonard and Boris Diaw on 14 points, and starting point guard Tony Parker with 13.
Tim Duncan left the game with a chest contusion after taking an inadvertent elbow in the third quarter and didn't return for the rest of the game.
Tony Allen had 15 points and Marc Gasol and Mike Conley 14 each for Memphis, while Mike Miller - in his return to the Grizzlies after playing last season for Miami Heat - laid on 11.
Meanwhile former Australian Boomers coach Brett Brown enjoyed a major upset in his NBA head coaching debut at the helm of the lowly-rated Philadelphia 76ers who downed reigning NBA champions Miami Heat 114-110.
The Sixers were strong from the opening tip, making their first 11 shots and racing to a 26-4 lead against the Heat - who had opened the season with a win over the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday night.
The Heat erased the deficit in the third quarter and appeared to take control behind LeBron James.
But James blew two straight late chances to put Miami up, losing the ball on a drive down the middle, then missing a six-footer on the next possession.
Spencer Hawes scored 24 points and hit the winning basket for Philadelphia.
In the night's other games, Dwight Howard added 17 points and a career-high-equalling 26 rebounds in his Houston debut, as the Rockets cruised past Charlotte 96-83.
The New York Knicks held off Milwaukee 90-83 after blowing a 25-point lead in their season-opener, while Anderson Varejao scored with 28 seconds left to send Cleveland over a remodelled Brooklyn 98-94.
Minnesota were victorious in an overtime battle with Orlando, finishing 120-115, as Toronto beat Boston 93-87 to end a three-game losing streak in home openers.
New-look Detroit won its season opener in convincing fashion over Washington 113-102; Indiana edged out New Orleans 95-90 thanks to a final minute three-pointer; Dallas spoiled Mike Budenholzer's coaching debut at Atlanta with a 118-109 victory; Kevin Durant scored 42 points in Oklahoma City's 101-98 win over Utah and Phoenix toppled Portland 104-91.
In the last of Wednesday's fixtures, Denver lost out to Sacramento 90-88, while the Golden State Warriors dispatched the LA Lakers 125-94.
