Embiid Leads Sixers To First Win
By Dan Bruno
The Philadelphia 76ers defeated the visiting Chicago Bulls, 127-108, at Wells Fargo Center on Thursday evening.
Both teams came out strong in the first quarter but the Bulls held the advantage, leading 41-38, heading into the second. However, the Sixers bounced back in the second, where they outscored the Bulls, 27-17, to take a 65-58 lead heading into halftime. The Sixers came out in domination mode in the third and outscored the Bulls, 37-18, to take a 102-76 lead heading into the fourth. The Bulls put up a fight in the fourth but the 76ers were able to cruise to their first win of the season without a problem.
Joel Embiid led the 76ers with 30 points on 9-of-14 shooting, in 33 minutes of action. Ben Simmons put up big numbers with 13 points, 13 rebounds, 11 assists, two blocks and one steal, in 34 minutes. Robert Covington finished with 20 points, five rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block, in 29 minutes. The Sixers shot 48 percent from the field, including 12-of-36 from long range.
Meanwhile, Zach LaVine led the Bulls with 30 points on 11-of-20 shooting, six rebounds, three assists and one block, in 33 minutes of action. Bobby Portis followed up with 20 points, 10 rebounds, two assists and two steals, while Antonio Blakeney added 15 points, five rebounds and two assists. The Bulls shot 44 percent from the field, including 11-of-33 from long range.
The Bulls (0-1) look to bounce back as they play host to the Pistons on Saturday. The Sixers (1-1) play host to the 76ers on Saturday.
Both teams came out strong in the first quarter but the Bulls held the advantage, leading 41-38, heading into the second. However, the Sixers bounced back in the second, where they outscored the Bulls, 27-17, to take a 65-58 lead heading into halftime. The Sixers came out in domination mode in the third and outscored the Bulls, 37-18, to take a 102-76 lead heading into the fourth. The Bulls put up a fight in the fourth but the 76ers were able to cruise to their first win of the season without a problem.
Joel Embiid led the 76ers with 30 points on 9-of-14 shooting, in 33 minutes of action. Ben Simmons put up big numbers with 13 points, 13 rebounds, 11 assists, two blocks and one steal, in 34 minutes. Robert Covington finished with 20 points, five rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block, in 29 minutes. The Sixers shot 48 percent from the field, including 12-of-36 from long range.
Meanwhile, Zach LaVine led the Bulls with 30 points on 11-of-20 shooting, six rebounds, three assists and one block, in 33 minutes of action. Bobby Portis followed up with 20 points, 10 rebounds, two assists and two steals, while Antonio Blakeney added 15 points, five rebounds and two assists. The Bulls shot 44 percent from the field, including 11-of-33 from long range.
The Bulls (0-1) look to bounce back as they play host to the Pistons on Saturday. The Sixers (1-1) play host to the 76ers on Saturday.
Heat Defeat Wizards at Buzzer
The Miami Heat defeated the Washington Wizards, 113-112, at Capital One Arena on Thursday.
After the Heat (1-1) were unable to convert on a potential game-winning possession in their season-opener Wednesday night, they made sure to not make the same mistake two games in a row. With Miami down by one point, a Dwyane Wade fadeaway jumper over John Wall hit the back of the rim, but Kelly Olynyk made sure he was in the right place at the right time. The big man got the rebound and laid it in with ease with just .02 seconds remaining to put the visiting team up one. The Wizards (0-1) didn't get a shot off in their final possession, and the Heat earned their first victory of the 2018-19 season.
Josh Richardson led the way for Miami, scoring a game-high 28 points to go along with five assists and four rebounds in 38 minutes. It was, however, still a complete team effort from the Heat on Thursday night, with seven players scoring at least nine points. The team managed to overcome a very rough shooting night, as Miami shot just 39.2 percent from the field.
As for the Wizards, their All-Star backcourt did everything they could to will the team to victory on opening night, with John Wall posting a team-high 26 points and nine assists, while Bradley Beal added 20 points of his own. Jeff Green was also impressive in his Wizards debut, scoring 17 points in 33 minutes off the bench. Washington was without starting center Dwight Howard (back), but the team still somehow managed to block 15 shots.
After the Heat (1-1) were unable to convert on a potential game-winning possession in their season-opener Wednesday night, they made sure to not make the same mistake two games in a row. With Miami down by one point, a Dwyane Wade fadeaway jumper over John Wall hit the back of the rim, but Kelly Olynyk made sure he was in the right place at the right time. The big man got the rebound and laid it in with ease with just .02 seconds remaining to put the visiting team up one. The Wizards (0-1) didn't get a shot off in their final possession, and the Heat earned their first victory of the 2018-19 season.
Josh Richardson led the way for Miami, scoring a game-high 28 points to go along with five assists and four rebounds in 38 minutes. It was, however, still a complete team effort from the Heat on Thursday night, with seven players scoring at least nine points. The team managed to overcome a very rough shooting night, as Miami shot just 39.2 percent from the field.
As for the Wizards, their All-Star backcourt did everything they could to will the team to victory on opening night, with John Wall posting a team-high 26 points and nine assists, while Bradley Beal added 20 points of his own. Jeff Green was also impressive in his Wizards debut, scoring 17 points in 33 minutes off the bench. Washington was without starting center Dwight Howard (back), but the team still somehow managed to block 15 shots.
Trail Blazers Defeat Lakers, 128-119
By Oscar Heanue
The Portland Trail Blazers defeated the Los Angeles Lakers, 128-119, at Moda Center on Thursday evening.
All eyes were on LeBron James in Thursday's season opener, as the 33-year-old superstar made his debut in a Lakers uniform against the Trail Blazers. Perhaps unsurprisingly, James did not disappoint, as he delivered 26 points and 12 rebounds to lead his team. However, the big performance was not enough to prevent Damian Lillard and the Trail Blazers from spoiling his first game as a Laker. Lillard's 28 points helped earn Portland a win in its first game of the season.
The Trail Blazers (1-0) overcame struggles to move the ball, scoring 128 points on only 21 assists. Portland maximized its offensive output thanks to strong shooting, knocking down 13 three-pointers and going 27-of-29 at the free-throw line. The Blazers also found offense from an unlikely source, as bench guard Nik Stauskas scored 24 points in only 27 minutes in his first game of the season.
The Lakers (0-1) struggled to match Portland's offensive output and tenacity on the glass. LA grabbed only eight offensive rebounds, as opposed to 14 for Portland. The Lakers did see strong facilitation from veteran point guard Rajon Rondo, who scored 13 points and dished out 11 assists. Lost in the mix was last year's second overall pick Lonzo Ball, who scored just seven points on 2-of-7 shooting in 19 minutes off the bench.
Los Angeles has another tough test up next, as it will play host to the Houston Rockets on Friday night. The Trail Blazers, meanwhile, will host the San Antonio Spurs.
All eyes were on LeBron James in Thursday's season opener, as the 33-year-old superstar made his debut in a Lakers uniform against the Trail Blazers. Perhaps unsurprisingly, James did not disappoint, as he delivered 26 points and 12 rebounds to lead his team. However, the big performance was not enough to prevent Damian Lillard and the Trail Blazers from spoiling his first game as a Laker. Lillard's 28 points helped earn Portland a win in its first game of the season.
The Trail Blazers (1-0) overcame struggles to move the ball, scoring 128 points on only 21 assists. Portland maximized its offensive output thanks to strong shooting, knocking down 13 three-pointers and going 27-of-29 at the free-throw line. The Blazers also found offense from an unlikely source, as bench guard Nik Stauskas scored 24 points in only 27 minutes in his first game of the season.
The Lakers (0-1) struggled to match Portland's offensive output and tenacity on the glass. LA grabbed only eight offensive rebounds, as opposed to 14 for Portland. The Lakers did see strong facilitation from veteran point guard Rajon Rondo, who scored 13 points and dished out 11 assists. Lost in the mix was last year's second overall pick Lonzo Ball, who scored just seven points on 2-of-7 shooting in 19 minutes off the bench.
Los Angeles has another tough test up next, as it will play host to the Houston Rockets on Friday night. The Trail Blazers, meanwhile, will host the San Antonio Spurs.