SCOREBOARD
Thursday, Nov. 15
San Antonio at Dallas (8 p.m. EST). The Spurs, winners of four straight, take on the Mavericks, who are unbeaten at home.
STARS
Wednesday
-Dwight Howard, Magic, had 35 points and 16 rebounds in Orlando’s 117-116 overtime victory over Cleveland.
-Joe Johnson, Hawks, scored 34 points, had 10 assists and five rebounds in Atlanta’s 117-109 victory over Charlotte.
-Gilbert Arenas, Wizards, had 30 points, 11 assists and six rebounds to lead Washington to a 103-90 win over Indiana.
-Rashad McCants, Timberwolves, scored a career-high 33 points on 13-for-22 shooting in Minnesota’s first victory this season, 108-103 over Sacramento.
CRUISING
Boston routed the New Jersey Nets 91-69 Wednesday night to improve to 7-0, their best start since they opened 10-0 in 1972-73. The Celtics’ best start was 14-0 in 1957-58.
SNAPPED
Chris Wilcox scored 20 points, Damien Wilkins added 19 and the SuperSonics spoiled Dwyane Wade’s return to the Heat lineup by beating Miami 104-95 Wednesday night – Seattle’s first win in nine games this season.
DEBUTS
Dwyane Wade scored 15 points in 25 minutes on 5-for-9 shooting in his season debut, in Miami’s 104-95 loss to Seattle on Wednesday night. The Heat were down by 23 early in the fourth quarter, before an 18-3 run led by Wade made things interesting. Miami is now 0-4 at home for the second time in franchise history. … Ron Artest returned from his seven-game suspension with 17 points and six assists in Sacramento’s 108-103 loss to Minnesota. The Kings have lost all five of their road games.
WINLESS
The Detroit Pistons improbably came back from a 22-point deficit to beat the winless Golden State Warriors 111-104 Wednesday night. The Warriors remained the NBA’s only winless team at 0-6.
INJURED
Houston guard Tracy McGrady is expected to miss about a week after straining his right elbow in a 93-90 loss to the Lakers on Wednesday night. The 6-foot-8 McGrady, taken to a hospital for tests, was hurt trying to swat the ball away from Luke Walton in the final minute of the second quarter. McGrady’s arm hit Walton’s arm and snapped backward. McGrady was the NBA’s leading scorer coming into the game, has been plagued by injuries the last two seasons, mostly to his back. He missed 11 games last season, seven because of back spasms.
FINED
The New York Knicks fined Stephon Marbury more than $180,000 after he blew off Tuesday night’s game against Phoenix. According to the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement, players are docked 1/110th of their salaries for a missed game without a reasonable excuse. With Marbury scheduled to earn $20.1 million this season, that would be about $182,800. Marbury didn’t start in the Knicks’ 84-81 loss to the Clippers on Wednesday night, but he entered the game late in the first quarter and finished with 13 points.
STRONG IN DEFEAT
LeBron James scored 39 points, grabbed 13 rebounds, and dished out 14 assists in Cleveland’s 117-116 loss to Orlando. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, James is the first player to record that many points, assists and rebounds in a game since Wilt Chamberlain in 1968. … Yao Ming had 26 points and 13 rebounds in Houston’s 93-90 loss to the Lakers. … Gerald Wallace and Jason Richardson each scored 27 points but Charlotte fell to Atlanta 117-109. … Baron Davis had 29 points and 10 assists for Golden State, in a 111-104 loss to Detroit.
SPEAKING
“Unless you feel like you have something at stake or something to lose as a player, then things won’t change. If you don’t feel like the Heat mean something to you … you have to have a real meeting with yourself about what you care about. I don’t see a team that really feels like they have anything at stake here. They come in, they play, they get beat, they go home, they go out into the night.” – Miami coach Pat Riley after the Heat’s 104-95 loss to Seattle on Wednesday. Miami is now 0-4 at home for the second time in franchise history.