Rockets spoil Warriors' party
The new-look Houston Rockets roared back to beat NBA champions Golden State 122-121 yesterday morning (Singapore time), spoiling their celebrations on the season's opening day at the Warriors' Oracle Arena in Oakland.
The Warriors marked the new season by handing out their championship rings and raising their 2016-17 championship banner.
They thought they had won with a last-gasp basket from Kevin Durant, but the clock had expired a fraction of a second before the ball left Durant's hand.
Just five seconds earlier, they had a chance to win but Stephen Curry missed a three-pointer.
The Warriors became just the fourth defending champions since 2000 to lose their opener the following season.
Meanwhile, Boston Celtics' new signing Gordon Hayward suffered a gruesome broken left ankle injury 5min 15sec into the new season, as the Cleveland Cavaliers won 102-99 in Kyrie Irving's homecoming to Ohio's Quicken Loans Arena.
Hayward, who joined from Utah Jazz in a four-year deal worth US$128 million (S$173m), landed hard after trying to catch an alley-oop pass from Irving.
Cleveland's LeBron James, who missed most of pre-season with an ankle injury, started the game and scored 29 points. - AFP
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