The Miami Heat got their NBA championship rings, and then went out and played like champions. Dwayne Wade scored 29 points and the NBA champion Miami Heat beat the Boston Celtics 120-107 in their season opener. LeBron James scored 26 points and grabbed 10 rebounds while missing much of the second half with leg cramps. Ray Allen, in his first game with Miami since leaving Boston over the summer, added 19 points for the Heat. Chris Bosh also had 19. Paul Pierce scored 23 points to lead Boston.
In Los Angeles Darren Collison scored 17 and Dallas placed six players in double figures and schooled the new-look L.A. Lakers 99-91. Los Angeles added two-time MVP Steve Nash and Dwight Howard in the offseason, and Kobe Bryant missed most of the preseason resting a foot injury. Howard scored 19 points before fouling out. He was just 3 of 14 from the free throw line. Pau Gasol led all scorers with 23 for the Lakers, who made just 12 of 31 free throws.
And Kyrie Irving scored 29 points as the Cleveland Cavaliers opened the season with a 94-84 victory over the Washington Wizard. Rookie Dion Waiters added 17 points for the Cavs.
In local NBA news, the Nets' first game at their new Brooklyn home against the crosstown-rival Knicks on Thursday could be in jeopardy. The new arena is heavily dependent on mass transit and New York City subways and commuter rail are still out in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. Knicks forward Amare Stoudemire will have left knee surgery and is expected to miss six to eight weeks. That means Stoudemire could miss more than twice as long as the Knicks originally estimated when he was hurt during the preseason
In baseball news, Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira is one of two players to win a Golden Glove for the fifth time. St. Louis catcher Yadier Molina also nabbed his fifth.
Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press