(The Sports Xchange) – ——-Gerald Green came off the bench to score 26 points, and Markieff Morris added 23 points and 10 rebounds as Phoenix beat Los Angeles Lakers 112-106.
The Lakers, who are 0-5, are off to their worst start since the club moved to Los Angeles for the 1960-61 season.
Phoenix reserve Isaiah Thomas had 22 points and nine assists.
Lakers guard Kobe Bryant scored a game-high 39 points with nine rebounds. Point guard Jeremy Lin finished with 18 points, while center Jordan Hill had 15 points and 15 rebounds.
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Trail Blazers 101, Cavaliers 82
Withstanding a white-hot Cleveland start, the Portland rolled to a victory.
Guard Damian Lillard produced a game-high 27 points plus seven assists and six rebounds to lead the Trail Blazers.
Portland also got 21 points and six rebounds from guard Wesley Matthews. Center Robin Lopez added 19 points on 8-for-11 shooting to go with six rebounds.
Forward Kevin Love collected 22 points and 10 rebounds for the Cavaliers.
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Rockets 108, Heat 91
James Harden came within one rebound of a triple-double as the Houston Rockets remained undefeated by beating the previously perfect Miami Heat 108-91.
Harden finished with 25 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds.
Center Dwight Howard provided game highs in points, with 26 and rebounds, with 10, for Houston.
Rockets small forward Trevor Ariza had nine of his 19 points in the fourth quarter. He made five of seven three-pointers, including three of four in the fourth quarter, when Houston extended a six-point lead to put Miami away.
Miami were led by forward Chris Bosh with 21 points and eight rebounds.
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Raptors 100, Thunder 88
Guard DeMar DeRozan scored 16 points and forward Patrick Patterson added 14 as Toronto defeated Oklahoma City.
Guard Lou Williams and forward Tyler Hansbrough each chipped in with 12 points for the Raptors, while guard Greivis Vasquez had 10.
Thunder forward Serge Ibaka led all scorers with 25 points despite picking up his fifth foul during the fourth quarter. Guard Lance Thomas added 14 points for Oklahoma City.
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Bulls 98, Magic 90
Paced by center Pau Gasol and guard Jimmy Butler, Chicago outlasted Orlando to win a game that was close until the last half of the fourth quarter.
The Bulls had five players finish in double figures, led by Butler with 21 points. Gasol, with Joakim Noah out due to illness, played for almost 41 minutes and finished with 16 points and 13 rebounds.
Butler, who pulled down nine rebounds, helped patch the hole left in the back court by Derrick Rose, who sat on the bench the entire game because of an ankle injury.
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Pelicans 100, Hornets 91
Forward Anthony Davis scored 12 of his game-high 24 points in the third quarter, grabbed 13 rebounds and blocked three shots to lead New Orleans past Charlotte.
After entering the game tied for last in the NBA in field-goal percentage at 39.1 percent, the Pelicans had their best-shooting game of the early season, converting 38 of 81 from the floor for 46.9 pct.
Davis made four mid-range jumpers to go along with a one-handed, alley-oop dunk in a 26-17 third quarter, as the Pelicans turned a 48-47 halftime deficit into a 73-65 lead.
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Wizards 98, Knicks 83
Forward Paul Pierce scored 17 points as Washington rode a dominating third quarter to a victory over New York.
Shooting guard Garrett Temple continued to provide a spark for the Wizards in place of injured Bradley Beal by adding 17 points. Backup forward Kevin Seraphin chipped in 15, while reserve guard Andre Miller added 12.
Guard Iman Shumpert led the Knicks with 19 points. Forward Carmelo Anthony added 18 points, but was 8-of-23 from the floor and committed seven turnovers.
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Bucks 87, Pacers 81
Milwaukee ended their 16-game road losing streak with a win over Indiana.
Point guard Brandon Knight’s 20-foot jumper with 22.3 seconds remaining extended the Bucks’ lead to five points.
Knight finished with a game-best 23 points, and added seven rebounds. Forward Chris Copeland led Indiana with 19 points, 18 during the final half.
