National Basketball Association Game Capsules

Indianapolis, IN (SportsNetwork.com) – Paul George scored 24 points, grabbed six rebounds and handed out five assists and the Indiana Pacers took over in the fourth quarter of a 97-87 victory over the Orlando Magic in the season opener for both clubs. The Pacers maintained the core of last season’s squad that took the eventual-champion Miami Heat to seven games in the Eastern Conference finals. Part of that nucleus, Roy Hibbert, finished with eight points, 16 rebounds and seven blocks before receiving a scare late in the game when he appeared to injure his left knee. He walked away under his own power after rolling around in pain and stayed on the bench for the final five- plus minutes with the outcome no longer in doubt. Lance Stephenson, starting in place of the injured Danny Granger, chipped in 19 points and David West added 13 for Indiana, which opened the fourth quarter on an 11-1 run to pull away. The Magic finished an NBA-worst 20-62 last season but stayed competitive Tuesday through three quarters. Their inexperienced but promising roster got a boost with the selection of Victor Oladipo as the No. 2 pick in the draft. The former Indiana Hoosiers All-American totaled 12 points in his debut. Andrew Nicholson scored 18 points in the first half but was held scoreless after the break for Orlando, which shot just 39 percent from the field.

Final Score: Miami 107, Chicago 95

Miami, FL (SportsNetwork.com) – The Miami Heat took in once last chance to relish their 2012-13 championship season. Then it was back to business. The two-time defending NBA title-holders sent a clear message to one of the expected top challengers to their crown, using a torrid shooting display and a dominant second quarter to deal the Chicago Bulls a 107-95 loss in the season opener for both Eastern Conference contenders at American Airlines Arena. Seven Miami players finished with double-figure points in a balanced offensive effort, and the Heat outscored the Bulls by a 37-18 margin during the pivotal second quarter to put their opponent at a substantial deficit it could never quite overcome. Reigning league MVP LeBron James paced Miami’s spread-the-wealth attack with 17 points to go along with eight assists and six rebounds, while Chris Bosh netted 16 points and Shane Battier went 4-for-4 from 3-point range to contribute 14 points off the bench. Despite a 31-point outburst from Carlos Boozer, the return of Derrick Rose still produced an undesired outcome for the Bulls. The star point guard, playing in his first meaningful game since tearing his left ACL during the 2012 Eastern Conference playoffs, went just 4- for-15 from the field and had five turnovers while accumulating 12 points. Luol Deng managed only four points in the loss while being saddled with foul trouble for much of the first half. Jimmy Butler scored 20 points for Chicago.

Final Score: LA Lakers 116, LA Clippers 103

Los Angeles, CA (SportsNetwork.com) – The Lakers didn’t have Kobe Bryant for their season opener, but their unheralded supporting cast came up big Tuesday to down the rival Clippers, 116-103, at Staples Center. Bryant, still rehabbing his Achilles injury, watched from the bench as Xavier Henry, Jordan Farmar, Jodie Meeks and Jordan Hill took over late to give the Lakers a surprising victory in the season’s first battle for Los Angeles. Henry scored 22 points, Farmar added 16 and Meeks and Hill added 13 and 12, respectively, for the Lakers, who made 14 3-pointers and erupted for 41 points over the final 12 minutes. Pau Gasol chipped in 15 points and 13 rebounds in the resounding win. The Clippers’ bench was a key component in last season’s franchise-record 56- win campaign. They added several new names to the fold after falling in the first round of the playoffs, most notably J.J. Redick, who had 13 points in a losing effort. They also switched head coaches from Vinny Del Negro to Doc Rivers, and Rivers saw his bench get outscored 76-34 in his first game on LA’s bench. Blake Griffin paced the Clippers with 19 points, DeAndre Jordan checked in with 17 points and 11 boards and Chris Paul scored 15 with 11 assists.

Categorized in: NBA