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Heat, Hawks and Warriors enjoy NBA wins

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Miami forward Jimmy Butler has helped the Heat to a 42-point season-opening thrashing of Milwaukee.
Camera IconMiami forward Jimmy Butler has helped the Heat to a 42-point season-opening thrashing of Milwaukee. Credit: AP

The Miami Heat have set a franchise record for most points in a season-opening game, using a 26-2 first-quarter run and 27 bench points from Tyler Herro to propel the home side to a 137-95 win over the defending NBA-champion Milwaukee Bucks.

Miami also got 21 points from Jimmy Butler on Thursday plus 20 points and a game-high 13 rebounds from Bam Adebayo.

Milwaukee, who went nine consecutive minutes without a field goal in a brutal first quarter and never led in the game, were led by superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, who had 15 points and 10 rebounds.

"It's good experience for some of our guys tonight to learn the physicality that comes with the game and the competitiveness," Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said.

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In San Francisco, Stephen Curry had a double-double (45 points, 10 rebounds) in the Golden State Warriors' 115-113 win over the Los Angeles Clippers.

The 33-year-old, who earlier in the day was named one of the top 75 NBA players of all time, dazzled in the first home game of his 13th NBA season.

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Curry had already had topped his total from two nights earlier against the Lakers with 25 points as Golden State built a 44-27 quarter-time lead.

The two-time MVP and reigning NBA scoring champion finished 16-for-25 from the floor (8-for-13 from three-point range) with 10 rebounds.

"Steph Curry was just Steph Curry, there's never been anybody like him," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said.

"Those last two three's were ridiculous ... I'm still blown away."

Curry was supported by Andrew Wiggins (17 points) and Damion Lee (11) while Draymond Green chipped in with a team-high seven assists, 10 points and six rebounds.

Paul George had 29 points, 11 rebounds and six assists in the Clippers' season opener, and Eric Bledsoe scored 22 points.

In Atlanta, guard Trae Young, who had 28 double-doubles last year, picked up where he left off by recording 19 points and 14 assists to lead the Hawks to a 113-87 win over the Dallas Mavericks.

The outcome ruined the debut of Dallas head coach Jason Kidd, who replaced Rick Carlisle in the summer.

Young was 6-for-16 from the floor, two of them three-pointers, in a near statistical draw with Dallas rival Luka Doncic, who had 18 points on 6-for-17 shooting, with 11 rebounds and seven assists.

The Mavericks' Australian guard Josh Green played the final 4 minutes 11 seconds of the contest and contributed one bucket while Jalen Brunson scored 17 points.

Cam Reddish came off the bench to lead the Hawks with 20 points on 7-for-15 shooting and all five Atlanta starters had double-figure scoring nights.

"We can play 10, 11 guys," Hawks coach Nate McMillan said.

"There's no need to pace yourself when you have a bench that can come in. We want to keep the pressure on an opponent."

With AP.

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