76ers start fast and surprise the Heat, 114-110

Spencer Hawes scored 24 points and made the winning basket late in the fourth quarter as the Philadelphia 76ers stunned the visiting Miami Heat, 114-110, on Wednesday night.

The 76ers, picked by many to finish with the NBA’s worst record, made their first 11 shots, took a 19-0 lead and raced to a 26-4 advantage. The two-time defending champions erased the deficit with a 45-point third quarter and appeared to take control behind LeBron James, who had 25 points and 13 assists. But Hawes made a three-pointer, then a driving layup for a 109-108 lead with 2:01 left and the 76ers held on.

at Houston 96, Charlotte 83: Dwight Howard had 26 rebounds and 17 points in his Rockets debut.

at Cleveland 98, Brooklyn 94: Andrew Bynum helped out off the bench and Anderson Varejao’s basket with 28 seconds left gave Mike Brown the victory in his first game back with the Cavaliers.

at Toronto 93, Boston 87: The Raptors ended a three-game losing streak in home openers and spoiled the NBA debut of Celtics Coach Brad Stevens.

at San Antonio 101, Memphis 94: The Grizzlies never recovered after a 30-7 second-quarter blitz.

at Detroit 113, Washington 102: Greg Monroe had 24 points and 16 rebounds and Pistons had a 56-28 edge on points in the paint.

at New York 90, Minnesota 83: The Knicks blew a 25-point lead but still won their opener. Metta World Peace scored four points.

at Minnesota 120, Orlando 115 (OT): Kevin Love had 31 points and 17 rebounds and made the tying three-pointer with 10.2 seconds left to force overtime.

Indiana 95, at New Orleans 90: Paul George scored 32 points and the Pacers outscored the Pelicans in the second half, 59-40.

at Dallas 118, Atlanta 109: Monta Ellis scored 32 points in his debut with Mavericks, who shot 57.1%.

Oklahoma City 101, at Utah 98: Kevin Durant made 22 of 24 free throws, six in the last two minutes, and scored 42 points.

at Phoenix 104, Portland 91: The Suns’ Miles Plumlee scored 18 points, 16 in the first half, and grabbed 15 rebounds in his first NBA start.

at Sacramento 90, Denver 88: DeMarcus Cousins scored 30 points and Kings fans celebrated after the team’s near-move to Seattle.

at Golden State 125, Lakers 94