Wade returns to Heat, but Seattle wins

Forward Kevin Durant (left) of the Seattle Supersonics steals the ball from Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade in the second half during NBA basketball action in Miami, Florida on Wednesday. Reuters

Chris Wilcox scored 20 points, Damien Wilkins added 19 and the SuperSonics spoiled Wade's return to the Heat lineup by beating Miami 104-95 Wednesday night - Seattle's first win in nine games this season.

Durant, the highly touted rookie, finished with 18 on 6-of-16 shooting for Seattle.

Wade scored 15 points in 25 minutes on 5-of-9 shooting for Miami (1-7), which is 0-4 at home for the second time in franchise history.

Ricky Davis scored 19 points on just 5-of-18 shooting for Miami. Jason Williams scored 14, Alonzo Mourning added 13 and Shaquille O'Neal finished with 10 for the Heat.

In Boston, the Celtics turned up the defense and the tempo while Kevin Garnett was on the bench with three fouls and improved to 7-0, their best start since they opened 10-0 in 1972-73. Their best start was 14-0 in 1957-58.

The Celtics' three stars all had decent games, hardly their best of the season. Garnett had 16 points and eight rebounds, Paul Pierce scored 15 points and Ray Allen had 14 as they beat the New Jersey Nets 91-69.

They got plenty of help from point guard Rajon Rondo and Tony Allen, a strong defensive guard, with 13 points apiece, and center Kendrick Perkins with 10.

Richard Jefferson scored 21 points and Jason Kidd had 19 for the Nets, who dropped their third straight game.

At Cleveland, Dwight Howard matched a career high with 35 points and Hedo Turkoglu tied up LeBron James for a jump ball in the final second of overtime to help Orlando remain unbeaten on the road, beating the Cavaliers 117-116.

James finished with 39 points, 14 assists and 13 rebounds. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, James is the first player to record that many points, assists and rebounds in a game since Wilt Chamberlain in 1968.

Howard added 16 rebounds and Jameer Nelson had 21 points and 11 assists for the Magic, who last opened a season 7-2 in 1998-99.

Drew Gooden added 23 points and Zydrunas Ilgauskas 18 for Cleveland, playing its first game at home following a six-game road trip out west.

At Houston, Kobe Bryant scored 30 points and the Los Angeles Lakers took advantage of Tracy McGrady's injury, winning over the Rockets 93-90.

McGrady, the league's leading scorer coming into the game, strained his right elbow late in the first half when Luke Walton fouled him on a reach-in. The Houston star was taken to a hospital for tests and his status beyond Wednesday's game wasn't immediately known.

Yao Ming had 26 points, 13 rebounds and five assists for Houston, but the stats were deceptive. Harassed all night by Lamar Odom and Kwame Brown, Yao shot only 6-of-18. He also went 14-of-20 from the free throw line after coming into the game shooting over 90 percent.

In Minneapolis, Rashad McCants scored a career-high 33 points on 13-of-22 shooting and Minnesota beat Sacramento 108-103 for its first victory this season.

Ron Artest returned from his seven-game suspension with 17 points and six assists for the Kings, who have lost all five of their road games.

Antoine Walker, who had only 14 points in Minnesota's first five games, scored 19 points on 7-of-14 shooting. Al Jefferson did the rest down low, with 23 points and seven rebounds.

Kevin Martin had 18 of his 22 points in the second half for Sacramento, and Brad Miller added 17 points.

In Milwaukee, Desmond Mason hit a 14-foot jumper with 13.6 seconds left, and Memphis' Pau Gasol missed a tying 3-pointer as the Bucks defeated the Grizzlies 102-99.

Michael Redd scored 31 points, and Andrew Bogut had 23 points and 12 rebounds to help Milwaukee overcome a bad early shooting effort. The Bucks have won all three of their home games.

Agencies

(China Daily 11/16/2007 page22)