Lakers crush Pistons to finally get 1st victory

LOS ANGELES: Dwight Howard scored 28 points, Kobe Bryant had 15 points and eight assists, and the Los Angeles Lakers finally got their first victory of the season, 108-79 over the winless Detroit Pistons on Sunday night.
Metta World Peace scored 18 points and Pau Gasol added 14 for the Lakers, who went 0-8 in the preseason and started the regular season 0-3 for just the fourth time in franchise history despite adding Howard and Steve Nash over the summer.
The Lakers’ growing worries about their new offense and their roster’s durability vanished for a day against the struggling Pistons, who never led. Jonas Jerebko scored 18 points for Detroit in the second stop on a difficult six-game road trip.
Raptors 105 Timberwolves 86: In Toronto, Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan each scored 22 points, Alan Anderson had 18 and the Toronto Raptors earned their first victory of the season.
Andrea Bargnani scored 10 points as the Raptors extended Minnesota’s miserable record against Toronto. The Raptors have won 15 of the past 16 meetings, including nine straight at home. Minnesota has not won in Toronto since Jan. 21, 2004.
Andrei Kirilenko scored 17 points and Nikola Pekovic had 15 for the Timberwolves, who were outscored 26-13 in the fourth quarter, making just four of 16 field goal attempts.
Derrick Williams had nine points and eight rebounds for Minnesota, who are without injured forward Kevin Love (broken hand) and guard Ricky Rubio (left knee).
Winless in two games coming in, Toronto was playing the second game of two straight. The Raptors lost 107-100 at Brooklyn on Saturday night, the Nets’ first game in their new home.
The Raptors scored 27 points off of 16 Minnesota turnovers in the first half, and got seven points from Lowry in a 12-4 run over the final 3:10 of the second quarter to open a 56-47 lead at the intermission.
Hawks 104 Thunder 95: In Oklahoma City, Al Horford had 23 points and 12 rebounds, Lou Williams added 10 of his 19 points during Atlanta’s decisive fourth-quarter surge and the Hawks beat the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Williams hit a 3-pointer, a 24-foot jumper and converted a three-point play off a driving scoop in the lane during a 12-4 push midway through the fourth quarter that put the Hawks in front to stay. Williams’ two free throws made it 91-84 with 4:44 to play, and Atlanta held off a final charge by Oklahoma City.
Williams ended up scoring 14 points overall during the fourth quarter as the Hawks won their road opener despite playing without starting forward Josh Smith because of a sprained right ankle.

Kevin Martin scored 28 points off the bench to lead the Thunder and Kevin Durant chipped in 22 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists.
Magic 115 Suns 94: In Orlando, Florida; J.J. Redick scored 24 points, Arron Afflalo and Glen Davis each had 22 points, and Nikola Vucevic added 18 points and 13 rebounds as the Orlando Magic rallied to beat the Phoenix Suns.
The Magic trailed by as many as 13 points early in the second half, but used a 40-point third quarter to build as much as a 21-point cushion in the fourth.
Luis Scola led the Suns with 24 points and Michael Beasley added 22. But Phoenix’s shooting eroded overall in the second half.
With the victory the Magic opened a season 2-0 for the first time since 2009-10. The Suns lost their fifth straight game in Orlando.
The Magic hit the road for the first time Tuesday for back-to-back games at Chicago and Minnesota.
Knicks 100 76ers 84: In New York, Carmelo Anthony scored 27 points, JR Smith had 20, and the New York Knicks rode another big 3-point shooting night to a victory over the Philadelphia 76ers in the opener of home-and-home series.
Jason Kidd had 12 points and six assists, and Raymond Felton added 11 points for the Knicks (2-0), who followed their 19 3-pointers in a season-opening victory over Miami by making 11 Sunday. They have won their two games by a combined 36 points.
Jrue Holiday had 27 points and seven assists for the 76ers (1-1), who will try for a split Monday at home. Thaddeus Young scored 16 points before fouling out and Evan Turner had 11 points and 11 rebounds.