Sports in brief: Celtics upend Cavaliers in season opener

The reunited Big Three – and Rasheed – are one up on the Big Two.

Paul Pierce scored 23 points, Ray Allen 16 and Kevin Garnett 13 in his first regular-season game since last March as the Boston Celtics beat Cleveland 95-89 Tuesday night in the NBA season opener at Cleveland, spoiling the hyped debut of the Cavaliers with LeBron James and Shaquille O’Neal.

Pierce made two crucial jumpers and two free throws in the final 1:03 to pace the Celtics, whose drive to a second straight title was derailed when Garnett injured his knee late last season. Rasheed Wallace, added as a free agent during the offseason, had 12 points.

James scored 38 and O’Neal added 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Cavaliers, who won their first 23 home games last season but are already 0-1 on their floor.

Because of the 14-time All-Star O’Neal’s addition, the Cavaliers have received the bulk of the preseason attention and are a trendy pick to win their first NBA title.

Celtics forward Glen “Big Baby” Davis had surgery to repair his broken right thumb after fighting with a childhood friend while riding in an SUV less than two days before the season opener. A police report identified Davis as the victim and said his friend, Shawn Bridgewater, appeared to be intoxicated.

Davis is expected to miss at least six weeks, though the Celtics said he also could be suspended for his behavior.

Delonte West, who has battled a mood disorder and other personal problems during the preseason, was inactive for the Cavs.

•Champs open with win: Kobe Bryant scored 33 points and Andrew Bynum added 26 on his 22nd birthday as the Los Angeles Lakers, reigning NBA champions, opened defense of their title with a 99-92 victory over the Clippers, their Staples Center co-tenants who played without injured No. 1 overall draft pick Blake Griffin (broken kneecap).

The Lakers began the evening with a ceremony unveiling the franchise’s 15th gold-and-purple championship banner, earned four months ago after defeating Orlando in the finals.

•Outlaw knocks down Rockets: Reserve Travis Outlaw scored 23 points and the Portland Trail Blazers beat the visiting Houston Rockets in the season opener.

Brandon Roy added 20 points and five assists for the Blazers.

Titans GM wants quarterback change

NFL: Jeff Fisher has stayed away from a quarterback controversy all through the Tennessee Titans’ dreadful start.

Now, team owner Bud Adams reportedly wants a change.

Adams informed Fisher he wants Vince Young to start over Kerry Collins this weekend against Jacksonville, according to the Tennessean. The Nashville newspaper cited sources that Adams apparently told Fisher his preference after the Titans lost to New England 59-0 on Oct. 18 and became more insistent during the bye week.

•Accused attacker of former Jaguar in court: A prosecutor in Jacksonville, Fla., described the shooting of Jacksonville Jaguars offensive lineman Richard Collier as a cowardly act of revenge, while a defense attorney told jurors that the player had many enemies and police didn’t investigate all of them.

Assistant State Attorney Bernie de la Rionda said defendant Tyrone Hartsfield was carrying a grudge for months after a nightclub altercation with Collier and used a chance meeting at another club as his opportunity to get back at the player.

Collier was shot 14 times as he sat in a sport utility vehicle after leaving a nightclub in September 2008. He was left paralyzed from the waist down and lost one of his legs.

•49ers lineman out for season: The San Francisco 49ers took a big blow to their already struggling offensive line, losing right tackle Tony Pashos for the season with a broken left shoulder blade.

The 49ers placed Pashos on injured reserve a day after he had an MRI exam on the shoulder.

Man charged in death of UConn player

NCAA Football: Police charged a 21-year-old man with murder in the stabbing death of a University of Connecticut football player outside a school-sanctioned dance, where the suspect’s lawyer says he was just trying to break up a fight.

John William Lomax III, 21, is scheduled to appear in court today in Storrs, Conn., on charges of murder and conspiracy to commit assault in the Oct. 18 death of Jasper Howard, police said. His bond was set at $2 million.

Police also arrested two other people in connection with the fight that led to Howard’s death. Hakim Muhammad, 20, was charged with conspiracy to commit assault and Jamal Todd, 21, faces a felony charge of falsely reporting an incident and a misdemeanor charge of reckless endangerment for pulling a fire alarm that emptied the dance early that Sunday morning.

•Iowa back out with ankle injury: Iowa starting running back Adam Robinson is likely out for at least the rest of the regular season with an ankle injury.

Coach Kirk Ferentz said he was hopeful Robinson can return for a bowl game after suffering a high left ankle sprain in last week’s 15-13 win at Michigan State.

Ricketts family buys Cubs franchise

Miscellany: The $845- million sale of the Chicago Cubs, Wrigley Field and other assets from the Tribune Co. to the Ricketts family was completed, more than 21/2 years after the baseball franchise was put on the market.

•Williams beats Kuznetsova: Serena Williams overcame Svetlana Kuznetsova 7-6 (6), 7-5 in the group stage of the WTA Sony Ericsson Championships at Doha, Qatar, improving her chance of ending the year as No. 1.

Williams saved two set points in the tiebreaker despite a sore right ankle and made the decisive break for a 6-5 lead in the second before serving out the match at love.

•Whan to be named LPGA Tour commissioner: Two golf magazines have reported that Michael Whan has been selected new LPGA Tour commissioner and will be introduced today in New York.

He will replace Carolyn Bivens, who was ousted by the players this summer.

•America’s Cup won’t be held in Middle East: The America’s Cup won’t be sailed in the Middle East, after all.

Ras al-Khaimah, United Arab Emirates, cannot host the contentious showdown between American and Swiss crews based on the 19th-century document that governs sailing’s marquee regatta, a New York judge ruled.