The Boston Celtics spoiled the opening act of LeBron James’ latest quest for an NBA title by defeating the Miami Heat 88-80 on Tuesday in a highly anticipated match-up of Eastern Conference powerhouses.
James, the two-time MVP who signed with the Heat as a free agent in the off-season after seven seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers, scored 31 points, but had eight turnovers in the season-opener for both teams.
“We all know Rome wasn’t built in one day, so it’s going to take time and we understand that,” said James, who hit 10-of-21 shots, but had trouble finding his rhythm from the outside. “We have to keep on making progress every day and just continue to get better.”
PHOTO: EPA
Boston held a comfortable 60-45 lead with three minutes left in the third quarter, but James scored nine points during a 12-3 Miami run that cut the Celtics’ lead to 63-57.
Miami trimmed their deficit to 68-64, but a lay-in by Glen Davis and a three-pointer by Paul Pierce raised the lead to 73-64.
James made a driving lay-up with 1 minute, 10 seconds left to cut the Heat’s deficit to 83-80, but Ray Allen responded with a three-pointer from the corner to increase the lead to 86-80 with 49 seconds remaining and send the crowd into a frenzy.
Miami guard Dwyane Wade had an awful game, scoring 13 points on four-of-16 shots, with six turnovers.
Wade admitted he was “a little bit out of rhythm, of course” and appeared undaunted as the Heat’s season opened with a loss.
“This is one of 82,” Wade said. “Sorry if everyone thought we were going to go 82-0. It just ain’t happening.”
The Celtics, who shot better and played with greater energy, were led by Allen, who finished with 20 points, and Pierce, who had 19.
“It was a fun game,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. “They’re going to be a lot better when we see them again and hopefully we are as well.”
James and Chris Bosh, a free agent who also signed in the off-season with Miami, joined Wade with the hope of leading the franchise to their first title since 2006.
While James played well in spots, Wade and Bosh were nothing short of awful at a raucous, sold-out Boston Garden, shooting a combined seven-of-27 from the floor.
“We just missed shots,” said Bosh, who scored eight points on three-of-11 from the field. “Sometimes they go in, sometimes they don’t.”
Celtics point-guard Rajon Rondo scored only four points, but had 17 assists for the Eastern Conference champions, whose fans endlessly chanted “over-rated, over-rated” at the Heat players.
Celtics forward Kevin Garnett said the Heat were not “polished” or had “the whole chemistry thing down” — yet.
“In order for them to get better, they’re going to have to continue to go through rough days and dog days, and that’s part of it,” Garnett said. “Lord knows we went through ours and we learned from it, and I’m pretty sure they’ll do the same.”
LAKERS 112, ROCKETS 110
REUTERS, LOS ANGELES
The Los Angeles Lakers were indebted to bench players Shannon Brown and Steve Blake as they launched their NBA championship defense with a nail-biting win over the Houston Rockets on Tuesday.
Brown knocked in four three-pointers and fellow guard Blake slotted three, the last of them with just 18.8 seconds left on the clock, as the Lakers came from 15 points behind.
The lead changed hands four times in the last minute of a gripping contest at the Staples Center, before Blake’s final shot effectively sealed the win.
“We just didn’t seem to find traction until Shannon and Steve got in the ballgame and changed the context,” Lakers coach Phil Jackson told reporters. “It was a great effort by those two. They gave us a big rally.”
Kobe Bryant, though not at his best after having off-season surgery on his right knee, scored 27 points for the Lakers, while Spanish forward Pau Gasol added a game-high 29 along with 11 rebounds. Brown ended up with 16 points and Blake with 10.
Kevin Martin top-scored with 26 points and fellow guard Aaron Brooks contributed 24, including four three-pointers, for the Rockets, who led throughout the second and third quarters.
Yao Ming, who missed all of last season because of a fractured bone in his left foot, contributed 11 rebounds and nine points for Houston after playing only 23 minutes.
The evening began on a high note for the Lakers when last season’s team and coaching staff were presented with diamond-encrusted gold championship rings.
Veteran forward Ron Artest, who joined the team before last season, then urged the sellout crowd to look upward as the 2009-2010 NBA championship banner was unveiled in the Staples Center rafters, sparking frenzied applause.
With the ceremony over, both teams displayed early-season rust, but the Rockets, helped by three three-pointers from Brooks, took advantage of poor Lakers defense to race into a 33-26 lead after the first quarter.
Los Angeles, initially struggling with their outside game, trailed by 15 points when Brooks knocked in another three-pointer late in the second period, before a Bryant jumper and two free-throws trimmed the deficit to 62-51 by halftime.
Gasol and Bryant, finally gelling superbly on offense, sparked a rousing Lakers fightback in the third quarter which ended with guard Blake scoring two three-pointers for Houston’s lead to be cut to 82-77.
Two free-throws by Matt Barnes leveled the score early in the fourth period, before a Barnes drive for a layup put the Lakers ahead for the first time since the opening quarter.
Brown coolly knocked in a three-pointer to give the home team a 91-86 cushion, before adding two more in a dizzying 21-second sequence to send the partisan crowd into a frenzy.
Leading 99-91, the Lakers inexplicably lost control at both ends of the court as the Rockets began to claw their way back to set up a thrilling finale.
“They’re the world champs and we knew it was going to be tough,” Houston coach Rick Adelman said. “For about seven minutes, we just didn’t play the way we’re capable of and they got back in the game.”
TRAIL BLAZERS 106, SUNS 92
AP, PORTLAND, OREGON
Nicolas Batum scored 19 points, including three late three-pointers, and had 11 rebounds to lead Portland to a season-opening victory over Phoenix.
Brandon Roy scored 24 points for the Blazers.
Steve Nash had 26 points for the Suns, who trailed most of the first half, before going ahead in the third quarter.
The score was locked at 86-86 with 8 minutes, 15 seconds to go. Batum hit a three-pointer and a jumper to make it 97-91 with 3 minutes, 14 seconds left, then sank two further long shots.
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