NBA : Prince carries Pistons past Heat
Tayshaun Prince scored a career-high 34 points and matched a career best with 12 rebounds, and the Detroit Pistons used a big second-half run to beat the Miami Heat 91-80 Thursday night in Miami in the season opener for both teams.
Chauncey Billups added 19 points and 11 assists for the Pistons, who used a 12-0 run over a 6-minute stretch midway through the second half to take control. Rasheed Wallace scored 11 points for Detroit.
Ricky Davis scored 23 points for Miami, which dropped its opener for the second straight season. Sure, this one was closer than last year’s 108-66 ring-night debacle against the Chicago Bulls, but that’ll offer little consolation.
Miami guard Dwyane Wade watched from the bench, where he’ll remain for at least the next couple of weeks. The 2006 NBA finals MVP is still recovering from off-season knee and shoulder surgeries.
Detroit was without Richard Hamilton, who missed the game while tending to a family matter.
Rockets 106, Jazz 95: At Salt Lake City, Tracy McGrady scored 47 points and Houston got a little revenge for last season’s opening-round playoff loss by beating Utah.
Mike James added 15 points – two more than the Jazz reserves combined – and Chuck Hayes had 13 rebounds for the Rockets, who improved to 2-0 under new coach Rick Adelman and have yet to play a home game this season.
Carlos Boozer had 30 points and 16 rebounds, but after dominating the first quarter the Jazz tapered off in the second and never recovered.
Around the league
The New Jersey Nets waived guard David Wesley, less than a week after the team traded for the 14-year veteran. The Nets acquired Wesley on Monday from New Orleans for swingman Bernard Robinson, center Mile Ilic and cash considerations. … Al Jefferson could have waited until next summer to sign a contract extension with the Minnesota Timberwolves. That was what his agent advised him to do, but the 22-year-old Jefferson ignored that advice and signed a five-year, $65 million deal just before the deadline Wednesday night. “I didn’t even think I was worth max (money) this year anyway,” Jefferson said. … Kobe Bryant won’t be joining the Chicago Bulls anytime soon. Bulls general manager John Paxson squashed the notion that the Los Angeles Lakers’ superstar will wind up in Chicago, saying the teams were never on the verge of a deal and talks were over for now. “There’s not a deal done,” he said. “There’s not going to be a deal done.”