Clippers win home opener, Hawks spoil Knicks' homecoming
DeAndre Jordan and Clippers rout Mavs 104-88 in home opener
LOS ANGELES: Blake Griffin had 26 points and 10 rebounds, and Jamal Crawford added 15 points in the Clippers' 104-88 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday night in Los Angeles' home opener. DeAndre Jordan had six points, 15 rebounds and four blocked shots in his first game against the Mavericks since his summer misadventures in Dallas. Jordan tentatively agreed to join the Mavs as a free agent before the Clippers' top brass and players descended on his Houston home and persuaded him to return to Los Angeles, infuriating owner Mark Cuban and Dallas fans. Austin Rivers scored 14 points for the Clippers, who pulled away easily in the second half with a strong bench performance. Dirk Nowitzki scored 16 points for the Mavericks, who played without injured starting guards Deron Williams and Wesley Matthews. After Cuban disparaged the Clippers in pregame remarks, trash talk was abundant on the court and from both benches. The teams combined for four technical fouls and a series of hard personal fouls, including a heavy foul from Nowitzki that left Jordan flexing and yelling instead of fighting. The Mavs also engaged in Hack-a-DJ tactics late in the first half, sending the inept Jordan to the free-throw line eight times. The Clippers made a 17-3 run spanning the final two quarters, allowing their starters to rest late. The Mavericks had to play without both halves of their projected starting backcourt, but they're hoping the absences aren't long. Williams has a sprained left knee that shows no structural damage, while Matthews is returning to action slowly after surgery on his heel. Quarter by quarter
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 FINAL SCORE
Dallas Mavericks 17 26 25 20 88 Los Angeles Clippers 22 29 34 19 104
Hawks beat Knicks 112-101 for 1st victory of the season
NEW YORK: These looked like the Atlanta Hawks of last season, not last game. Jeff Teague scored 23 points, Al Horford added 21 and the Hawks beat the New York Knicks 112-101 on Thursday night for their first victory of the season. Playing more like the team that won 60 games last season and had the best record in the Eastern Conference than the one that was beaten badly at home in its opener, the Hawks shot 51 percent from the field. Kyle Korver had 15 points and Millsap added 11 points and 11 rebounds for Atlanta, which jumped to a 30-20 lead after 12 minutes. Carmelo Anthony scored 25 points and was 10 for 27 from the field in his second straight poor shooting game to open the season. Robin Lopez finished with 18 points. Atlanta lost 106-94 to Detroit on Tuesday, a poor opening act following its most successful regular season. But the Hawks played in this one as they did for so much of last season, with quick ball movement, accurate shooting and good balance. They put six players in double figures and made 10 3-pointers after Budenholzer challenged them following their ugly opener. The Knicks were coming off a 122-97 season-opening victory at Milwaukee on Wednesday but couldn't keep up with the Hawks' precision execution, and their second unit didn't have nearly the impact of a night earlier. Derrick Williams was held to nine points, a night after the former No. 2 draft pick scored 24. Quarter by quarter
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 FINAL SCORE
Atlanta Hawks 30 31 23 28 112 New York Knicks 20 25 27 29 101 Results: Memphis Grizzlies 112 beat Indiana Pacers 103, Atlanta Hawks 112 beat New York Knicks 101, Los Angeles Clippers 104 beat Dallas Mavericks 88 Live on Sony Six on October 31st, 2015- Cleveland Cavaliers v/s Miami Heat 4:30 AM Houston Rockets V/s Golden State Warriors 7:00 AM