Michael Carter-Williams has superb debut for 76ers
Rookie out of Syracuse inspires Philadelphia to victory over Miami Heat
Michael Carter-Williams had an NBA debut to remember, notching 22 points, 12 assists and nine steals to lead the Philadelphia 76ers past the reigning champions Miami Heat 114-110.
The rookie out of Syracuse nearly upstaged Allen Iverson on a night Philly celebrated the retired star’s spectacular career.
“You see what he can bring on a big stage,” 76ers rookie head coach Brett Brown said.
In the fourth quarter, Carter-Williams picked up two steals, harassed LeBron James in the lane and sealed the win from the free-throw line.
“Everything was clicking tonight,” Carter-Williams said. “If we can consistently play together, then we can be a good team.”
The 76ers-Heat match was one of 14 in the NBA. Some of the highlights: Dwight Howard had 17 points and a career-high-equaling 26 rebounds in his Houston debut as the Rockets beat the Bobcats 96-83; Tony Parker had 13 points and nine assists to help San Antonio get off to a strong start after last season’s disappointing loss in the NBA Finals with a 101-94 win over Memphis; and the Timberwolves beat the Magic 120-115, with Kevin Love scoring 31 points, taking 17 rebounds and hitting the game-leveling 3-pointer with 10.2 seconds left to force overtime.