HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NBA GAMES PLAYED ON THURSDAY AEDT
ROCKETS 105 beat KINGS 100 - James Harden had 27 points and nine assists, and the Houston Rockets made it a perfect two-game road trip to start the season, despite playing this one without Chris Paul.
While he didn't shoot especially well, Harden hit a trio of dagger 3-pointers in the fourth quarter. He also had a key left-handed layup late and finished 8 for 21 and 4 of 14 from 3-point range.
TRAIL BLAZERS 124 bt SUNS 76 - Damian Lillard scored 27 points and Portland opened the season by handing Phoenix the most one-sided loss in the franchise's 49-year history.
Pat Connaughton added a career-high 24 points, making 4 of 6 3-pointers. The Trail Blazers outshot, outrebounded and outhustled the Suns from the opening tip.
The 48-point rout exceeded Phoenix's previous record, a 44-point loss to Seattle (151-107) on April 2, 1988.
BUCKS 108 bt CELTICS 100 - Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 16 of his 37 points in the fourth quarter and the Milwaukee Bucks opened their season with a victory over Boston.
One night after a gruesome broken ankle just six minutes into the season cost Boston top free agent Gordon Hayward - perhaps for the entire season - the Celtics fell to 0-2 by giving up an 11-1 run that left Milwaukee with a 97-90 lead and under three minutes to play.
SPURS 107 bt TIMBERWOLVES 99 - LaMarcus Aldridge had 25 points and 10 rebounds, and San Antonio held on to beat Minnesota while opening the season without leading scorer Kawhi Leonard.
The Spurs were without Leonard and Tony Parker, but had enough to hold off the revamped Timberwolves.
PISTONS 102 bt HORNETS 90 - Tobias Harris scored 17 of his 27 points in the first quarter, helping Detroit celebrate their return downtown with the victory over Charlotte.
The Pistons and Hornets opened the season in Little Caesars Arena, a new facility that brought them back to the city for the first time in nearly four decades.
WIZARDS 120 bt 76ERS 115 - John Wall scored 28 points, Bradley Beal rebounded from a rough start to add 25 and Washington beat Philadelphia to spoil the NBA debuts of top picks Ben Simmons and Markelle Fultz.
Simmons, the 2016 No.1 pick who missed all last season with a foot injury, had 18 points and 10 rebounds. Fultz, the 2017 No.1 pick, came off the bench to score 10 points.
PACERS 140 bt NETS 131 - Victor Oladipo scored 22 points in his Indiana debut, Darren Collison added 21 points and 11 assists in his return to Indianapolis, and the Pacers held off Brooklyn.
The Pacers, in their first game since trading All-Star Paul George, had their highest point total since a 144-point game against Denver on November 9, 2010.
HAWKS 117 bt MAVERICKS 111 - Dennis Schroder scored 28 points in his first game as the front man for Atlanta and the rebuilding Hawks spoiled rookie Dennis Smith Jr.'s solid Dallas debut.
MAGIC 116 b t HEAT 109 - Evan Fournier scored 23 points, Nikola Vucevic had 19 points and 13 rebounds and Orlando held off Miami.
Fournier stalled the Heat's rally by scoring seven points in the final 2:27, including a driving basket with 30 seconds left.
GRIZZLIES 103 bt PELICANS 91 - Mike Conley scored 27 points, rookie Dillon Brooks added 19 and Memphis beat New Orleans.
Memphis won their opener for the second straight year, a first in franchise history.
JAZZ 106 bt NUGGETS 96 - Rudy Gobert had 18 points and 10 rebounds in Utah's victory over Denver.
The new-look Jazz - without Gordon Hayward and George Hill - trailed most of the night before Alec Burks took over with a spectacular fourth quarter.
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