NBA opening night schedule: Heat win, Lakers lose as season begins

The Lakers got off to a good start, leading by as many as six points during the first quarter, but the final three quarters belonged to the Mavericks. Dallas outscored Los Angeles by six in the second quarter to take a two-point halftime lead. The Mavericks extended the lead in the third quarter and went up by as many as 16 points during the fourth quarter.

Obviously, this behavior from Rondo was uncalled for at that time. Rondo didn’t cock back like Bell did, but it was still a dangerous move and a misguided attempt to appear tough. At the same time, it also probably wasn’t the right time for Wade to make a hard drive to the basket. It would have been more appropriate for Wade to hand the ball to the referee and accept the shot-clock violation.

James, clearly enjoying the moment on a night when he received his first championship ring, was peerless in his time on the floor. He had 26 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals on 10-of-16 shooting, all while playing nearly every position on the court.

Allen, in his first game against his old team, seemingly had no trouble adjusting to the Miami offense. He had 19 points on 5-of-7 shooting, but most surprising were his 8 free throw attempts, as he was able to take advantage of rotating Celtic defenders to get into the lane and draw fouls.

(Via @NBA).

After going into the locker room to have his ankle looked at, James returned only to leave early in the fourth quarter with leg cramps, according to a report.

In the time that he has been on the court, James has been playing incredible basketball. He already had a double-double before he left the game in the third quarter, with 26 points and 10 rebounds.

For those who have followed Nene’s career, the news isn’t all that shocking. The 30-year-old from Brazil has suffered from plantar fasciitis during the preseason, and was also limited to just 37 games in the lockout shortened 2011-2012 season.

Still, the news is disappointing for Wizards fans, who were hoping to see Nene as part of their new-look team this year. In addition to acquiring Nene from Denver late last season, the team also traded for Ariza and Okafor in the off-season, and drafted the highly-touted guard Beal out of Florida.