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NBA: New Orleans defeats Phoenix to stay undefeated on the road
By Bob Baum, AP Sports Writer
Friday, October 31, 2008 | No comments posted.
PHOENIX — No telling how good the New Orleans Hornets will be once they get to play a game at home.
They made it 2-0 on the road to start the season with a wire-to-wire 108-95 victory over Phoenix on Thursday night, spoiling the home debut of Suns coach Terry Porter.
“Man, this was a great team effort,” New Orleans’ Chris Paul said. “The way those guys started knocking down shots, as a point guard, it made my job so easy.”
Paul had 20 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds.
The Suns and Steve Nash seem to bring out the best in him.
“He respects Steve probably more than any point guard in the league, just because of the way he plays the game and the way he carries himself,” New Orleans coach Byron Scott said. “But he loves the challenge of going against him as well.”
The Hornets beat the Suns for the fifth time in a row after going 4-0 against them last season.
Peja Stojakovic added 20 points before leaving the game with a sprained right ankle in the first few seconds of the fourth quarter. New Orleans already was without starting center Tyson Chandler, who sprained his right ankle against the Warriors.
Morris Peterson added 21 and David West 18 for New Orleans. James Posey scored 13, including three 3-pointers in the fourth quarter.
“When you’ve got a guy like Tyson missing,” Peterson said, “everybody else has to step their game up a little more defensively. With us hitting shots, I think we’re a dangerous team.”
Rockets 112, Mavericks 102
Yao Ming and Ron Artest powered a 16-2 run late in the fourth quarter, and Houston ruined the debut of new Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle.
Yao finished with 30 points and 13 rebounds, and Artest scored 29 points. He had seven points in the decisive run, which began with the game tied at 92.
The host Mavericks got within eight in the final minutes, then Dirk Nowitzki blocked a layup by Houston’s Aaron Brooks, bringing fans to their feet. But Nowitzki missed a turnaround 12-footer on the other end and the result was never in doubt again.
Nowitzki scored 36 points, but had only one in the fourth quarter — on Artest’s technical. Josh Howard had 28 points and 11 rebounds, and Jason Kidd finished with seven points, seven rebounds and 12 assists.
Cavaliers 96, Bobcats 79
LeBron James scored 22 points, Daniel Gibson had 20 of his 25 in the first half and the Cavaliers won their home opener.
Mo Williams finished with 17 points for Cleveland, which spoiled well-traveled coach Larry Brown’s debut with the Bobcats and bounced back from a sloppy season-opening loss at Boston.
James just missed a triple-double, adding nine rebounds and nine assists in only 30 minutes.
They made it 2-0 on the road to start the season with a wire-to-wire 108-95 victory over Phoenix on Thursday night, spoiling the home debut of Suns coach Terry Porter.
“Man, this was a great team effort,” New Orleans’ Chris Paul said. “The way those guys started knocking down shots, as a point guard, it made my job so easy.”
Paul had 20 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds.
The Suns and Steve Nash seem to bring out the best in him.
“He respects Steve probably more than any point guard in the league, just because of the way he plays the game and the way he carries himself,” New Orleans coach Byron Scott said. “But he loves the challenge of going against him as well.”
The Hornets beat the Suns for the fifth time in a row after going 4-0 against them last season.
Peja Stojakovic added 20 points before leaving the game with a sprained right ankle in the first few seconds of the fourth quarter. New Orleans already was without starting center Tyson Chandler, who sprained his right ankle against the Warriors.
Morris Peterson added 21 and David West 18 for New Orleans. James Posey scored 13, including three 3-pointers in the fourth quarter.
“When you’ve got a guy like Tyson missing,” Peterson said, “everybody else has to step their game up a little more defensively. With us hitting shots, I think we’re a dangerous team.”
Rockets 112, Mavericks 102
Yao Ming and Ron Artest powered a 16-2 run late in the fourth quarter, and Houston ruined the debut of new Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle.
Yao finished with 30 points and 13 rebounds, and Artest scored 29 points. He had seven points in the decisive run, which began with the game tied at 92.
The host Mavericks got within eight in the final minutes, then Dirk Nowitzki blocked a layup by Houston’s Aaron Brooks, bringing fans to their feet. But Nowitzki missed a turnaround 12-footer on the other end and the result was never in doubt again.
Nowitzki scored 36 points, but had only one in the fourth quarter — on Artest’s technical. Josh Howard had 28 points and 11 rebounds, and Jason Kidd finished with seven points, seven rebounds and 12 assists.
Cavaliers 96, Bobcats 79
LeBron James scored 22 points, Daniel Gibson had 20 of his 25 in the first half and the Cavaliers won their home opener.
Mo Williams finished with 17 points for Cleveland, which spoiled well-traveled coach Larry Brown’s debut with the Bobcats and bounced back from a sloppy season-opening loss at Boston.
James just missed a triple-double, adding nine rebounds and nine assists in only 30 minutes.
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