NBA ROUNDUP : Grizzlies, Raptors Welcome Reality With Big Victories

The Vancouver Grizzlies were a stunning success Friday night in their NBA debut, defeating the Portland Trail Blazers, 92-80, behind the 29-point, 13-rebound performance of Benoit Benjamin at Portland.

Boos echoed through the Blazers’ new $262-million Rose Garden arena as Vancouver outscored Portland, 23-8, over the final 7:15. Clifford Robinson scored 33 points for the Blazers but was only 11 of 29 from the field. Greg Anthony scored 15 and Byron Scott 14 for Vancouver.

“I can’t even tell you how bad it is. It’s really bad,” Portland guard Rod Strickland said. “I didn’t see this coming. With due respect, I didn’t see us losing to Vancouver. We’ve just got to get some things together. We’ve got to get some movement instead of just standing around and dumping it in.”

Vancouver was 1-7 in the exhibition season, including two losses to Portland.

“I’m sure they’re shocked about it,” Grizzly Coach Brian Winters said. “But I’m not really that shocked because I saw it coming.”

Toronto 94, New Jersey 79--The Raptors made their NBA debut a victorious one at home as Alvin Robertson scored 30 points to lead the expansion team over the Nets.

A crowd of 33,306, the largest to see a basketball game in Toronto, was scattered throughout the cavernous SkyDome to see the Raptors cruise to victory.

Damon Stoudamire, the Raptors’ first draft choice, had 10 points and 10 assists. Former UCLA star Ed O’Bannon had four points for the Nets.

Houston 110, Golden State 92--The Rockets picked up where they left off less than five months ago, using a familiar formula of terrific defense and clutch shooting off the bench to start their quest for a third consecutive title.

Sam Cassell provided the spark from the bench, scoring 14 of his game-high 23 points, including three three-pointers, in the fourth quarter as Houston began the new season with a victory at home over the Warriors.

Chicago 105, Charlotte 91--Michael Jordan scored 42 points, making up for Scottie Pippen’s early injury, and Dennis Rodman grabbed 11 rebounds in his Chicago debut as the Bulls opened with a victory at home.

Jordan was 16 of 29 from the field and also had seven assists and six rebounds.

Already playing without starting center Luc Longley, who was serving a one-game suspension for fighting in an exhibition game, the Bulls lost Pippen to a groin injury early in the second quarter. Pippen, a five-time All-Star, was scoreless in 10 minutes.

Indiana 111, Atlanta 106--Reggie Miller scored 19 of his 32 points in the final quarter and reserve Ricky Pierce finished with 26, leading the short-handed Pacers to a season-opening victory in Atlanta.

The Pacers, playing without injured starters Rik Smits and Derrick McKey, never trailed after Antonio Davis’ dunk made it 78-77 with 11:42 to play. Davis finished with 18 points.

Utah 112, Seattle 94--Karl Malone scored 26 points, including 12 in a row in the third quarter after a technical foul, as the Jazz won their season opener at home.

Jeff Hornacek scored 19 points off the bench and John Stockton added 17.

Dallas 103, San Antonio 97--Jamal Mashburn scored 27 points and made a game-clinching three-pointer with 45.3 seconds left to spoil the Spurs’ home opener.

The Mavericks grabbed 49 rebounds to 40 for the Spurs, who traded Rodman--the league’s leading rebounder four consecutive seasons--to Chicago during the off-season.

Orlando 99, Cleveland 88--The defending Eastern Conference champion Magic opened the season at home without NBA scoring leader Shaquille O’Neal, but got an all-star performance from Anfernee Hardaway to put away the Cavaliers.

Hardaway scored 28 points and the Magic broke open a close game with a 17-3 fourth-quarter surge that turned a one-point advantage into a 94-79 lead.

Milwaukee 101, Boston 100--Vin Baker had 30 points and 13 rebounds and Todd Day came off the bench to score 22 at Boston to lead the Bucks to their fifth consecutive opening-night victory.

Glenn Robinson added 24 and made three of four free throws in the final eight seconds to ice it and spoil the regular-season debut of Boston’s new FleetCenter.

Sacramento 95, Minnesota 86--Walt Williams had 18 of his 20 points in the first half as the Kings defeated the Timberwolves at Sacramento, spoiling an impressive debut by rookie Kevin Garnett.

Garnett, the first high school player to jump to the NBA in 20 years, made all four of his shots and had eight points in 16 minutes for Minnesota.

Philadelphia 105, Washington 103--Rookie Jerry Stackhouse had a memorable NBA debut in Philadelphia, scoring 27 points in the 76ers’ victory.

The 76ers scored the decisive basket off a bad pass by the Bullets’ Juwan Howard, who led Washington with 25 points and 10 rebounds.

Vernon Maxwell, who had 18 points and 14 assists in his new role as the 76ers’ point guard, intercepted Howard’s pass and found Richard Dumas alone for the dunk that snapped a 103-103 tie with 10.6 seconds to play.

New York 106, Detroit 100--Charlie Ward almost equaled his career total with 15 points and Hubert Davis had 21 as the Knicks opened the season on the road with a victory over the Pistons. Ward, the former Heisman Trophy winner all but ignored by former New York Coach Pat Riley, scored only 16 points his entire rookie season.

NBA Notes

The Grizzlies signed free agent Darrick Martin, a former UCLA point guard who played last season with the NBA’s Timberwolves and Sioux Falls of the CBA.