NBA nightly recap, Oct. 26

Boston 88, Miami 80

Whatever nickname you want to give LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh, the experiment didn't get off to a rousing start in Boston tonight. James was his usual dominant self, tallying 31 points, four rebounds, and eight assists, but shot just 8-of-12 from the free throw line and turned the ball over eight times. Dwyane Wade was terrible, scoring just 13 points and looking rusty after playing just three total minutes in the preseason. Chris Bosh started strong but finished with only 8 points and 8 rebounds. As expected, no one else had much fantasy value in Miami.

Rajon Rondo led the way fantasy-wise for the Celtics, handing out 17 assists to go with 2 steals and 5 rebounds. He didn't shoot well, just 2-for-7, but his assist total more than made up for that. Paul Pierce had a very efficient night, shooting 4-for-7 from the field, 8-for-8 from the line, 19 points, 3 assists, and 3 three-pointers. Ray Allen also had a nice night shooting, finishing with 20 points, including 5 threes, but didn't do much else. Glen Davis had 13 points and 5 rebounds and could do well as the sixth man in Boston this year.

Portland 106, Phoenix 92

Brandon Roy had himself an excellent statline with 24 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals. He also added 4 threes, but don't get too used to that. Nicolas Batum was stellar with 19 points and 11 rebounds and showed why he is a major fantasy sleeper this season. Marcus Camby had a quiet 13 points and 10 rebounds, while Wes Matthews poured in 13 points off the bench. He played over 30 minutes, third most on the team, and should see a huge boost with Jerryd Bayless out of the picture.

Steve Nash had a predictable line with more points (26) and less assists (6) than usual without Amare Stoudemire. Expect those kind of lines as the season goes along. Jason Richardson got his 2010 off to a good start by scoring 22 points on 9-of-13 shooting, including 3 threes. He could be in line for a big season. The newcomers struggled for the Suns, as Hedo Turkoglu (6 points), Hakim Warrick (10 points), and Josh Childress (4 points) were all non-factors. Robin Lopez was a non-factor with five points and five rebounds in just 24 minutes.

LA Lakers 112, Houston 110

No surprise in Los Angeles as Pau Gasol (29 points, 11 rebounds, 2 blocks) and Kobe Bryant (27 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists) stole the show, but there were some interesting lines off the bench that fantasy owners should take note of. Shannon Brown caught fire and finished with 16 points while Steve Blake severely outplayed a struggling Derek Fisher. Blake finished with 10 points, 3 assists, and a +/- of 13 while Fisher was held to 2 points and a +/- of -8. Blake could be worth a pick-up soon, so keep your eye on him.

Aaron Brooks looks poised for a breakout season after finishing with 24 points and 9 assists in the loss. He made all six of his free throws and connected on four shots from downtown. Kevin Martin also looked comfortable, scoring 26 points but not contributing in much else, as usual. Luis Scola had a huge line with 18 points, 16 rebounds, and 4 assists and should put up those kinds of numbers as long as Yao Ming (9 points, 11 rebounds in 23 minutes) is slowly worked back in. Chase Budinger quietly had a nice night with 13 points and 5 rebounds.