Thursday, Nov. 1

Detroit at Miami +4/180 (8 p.m. EDT).

The Heat struggled through an injury-plagued 2006-07 campaign before being swept by Chicago in the first round of the spring playoffs. Aging center Shaquille O'Neal missed more than half the season due to a knee injury, while 2006 finals MVP and leading scorer Dwyane Wade was sidelined 25 of the final 29 games to a severe shoulder strain.

After an 0-7 preseason O'Neal has admitted there is an urgency to the teams start tonight.  Wade, who averaged 27.4 points and team highs of 7.5 assists and 2.1 steals, is expected to be out until mid-November as he recovers from offseason knee and shoulder surgeries.

The Heat made a key trade to compensate for Wade's absence and space the floor for O'Neal, acquiring swingman Ricky Davis from Minnesota in a five-player trade on Oct. 24. He averaged 17.0 points last season while making a career-high 39.7 percent of his shots from 3-point range.

Detroit won two of three games between the teams last season and split two games in Miami and will win by double digits as a road favorite tonight.

Pick: Detroit minus the points (-4)


AP NBA News and Notes

STARS

Wednesday

-Carmelo Anthony, and Allen Iverson, Nuggets. Anthony had 32 points and Iverson added 25 and 14 assists in Denver's 120-103 victory over Seattle.

-Manu Ginobili, San Antonio, scored 30 points, including the go-ahead basket with 32 seconds left, and the Spurs beat the Grizzlies 104-101.

-Richard Jefferson, New Jersey, scored 29 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in the Nets' 112-103 overtime victory over Chicago.

-Chris Paul, New Orleans, had 22 points and 12 assists to lead the Hornets' to a 104-90 win over Sacramento.

DEBUTS

Kevin Durant's scored 18 points in 31 minutes, but shot just 7-of-22 in his NBA debut, in Seattle's 120-103 loss to Denver. ... Rashard Lewis scored 26 points to lift Orlando to a 102-83 victory over Milwaukee. ... Jamaal Tinsley scored 16 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter and overtime, and Indiana Pacers beat Washington 119-110 on Wednesday night to give coach Jim O'Brien a win in his debut. ... Newly acquired shooting guard Morris Peterson had 13, including three 3-pointers for the Hornets' in a 104-90 victory over Sacramento, to spoil the coaching debut of Reggie Theus.

WRIGHT STUFF

Antoine Wright scored 14 of his career-high 21 points in the fourth quarter and overtime to lead New Jersey to a 112-103 victory over Chicago on Wednesday night.

LE-BRICK

Jason Terry scored 24 points, Dirk Nowitzki added 15 and Dallas, beat Cleveland 92-74. LeBron James had the worst opening night of his brilliant career. He had 10 points on 2-of-11 shooting and was a non-factor in the Cavaliers' most lopsided home loss since April 5, 2005.

MAKING MOVES

The Houston Rockets on Wednesday extended guard Luther Head's contract through the 2008-09 season. The 6-foot-3 Head has averaged 9.8 points and 2.6 assists since the Rockets drafted him 24th overall in the 2005 draft. ... The Minnesota Timberwolves exercised the third-year option on guard Randy Foye and the fourth-year option on guard Rashad McCants. Foye, a second-year player from Villanova, earned NBA All-Rookie first-team honors in 2006-07. McCants averaged 7.9 points and 1.8 rebounds in 79 games as a rookie. ... The Toronto Raptors signed forward Kris Humphries to a contract extension through the 2010-11 season.

OUT

Pacers forward Jermaine O'Neal sat out Indiana's regular-season opener against Washington on Wednesday night because of a hyperextended left knee. O'Neal, a six-time All-Star, was hurt Oct. 8 when he collided with Shawne Williams during practice. The Pacers beat Washington 119-110 in overtime.

SUSPENDED

Lakers owner Jerry Buss has been suspended for two games and fined $25,000 by NBA commissioner David Stern in conjunction with Buss' conviction on a misdemeanor drunk driving charge. Buss, 74, was arrested in May in Carlsbad and pleaded no contest to the drunk driving charge on Sept. 4. He was placed on five years' probation and fined $1,900.

STREAKS

Richard Jefferson, had 29 points and 10 rebounds as the Nets won their 12th straight against the Bulls in New Jersey.

STRONG IN DEFEAT

Gilbert Arenas scored 34 points and Antawn Jamison had 27 points and 16 rebounds in Washington's 119-110 overtime loss to Indiana. ... Ben Gordon had 27 points and Luol Deng added 22 points and 11 rebounds for the Bulls, who lost to New Jersey 112-103 in overtime. ... Zydrunas Ilgauskas had 17 points and 18 rebounds in Cleveland's 92-74 loss to Dallas.

SPEAKING

''I thought he played all right for a 19-year-old kid playing his first game. It ain't about how individuals play. It's how our team played. We got beat.'' - Seattle coach P.J. Carlesimo after No. 2 pick over Kevin Durant scored 18 points and shot 7-of-22 from the field in the SuperSonics' 120-103 loss to Denver.