Miami Heat claimed a crushing 146-114 win over the Memphis Grizzlies in their first NBA game since guard Terry Rozier was arrested over alleged illegal sports betting.
Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups was also detained as part of a sweeping FBI investigation into illegal gambling. Both men deny the allegations.
But the Heat were not distracted as they put up 86 first-half points to lead Memphis by 39 after two quarters, the biggest half-time advantage in the franchise’s 37-year history.
Bam Adebayo led the way with 24 points and afterwards said Rozier had the team’s full backing.
“We stand behind him. Full support,” Adebayo said. “You support him through and through. That’s our brother at the end of the day.”
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra added: “Terry is somebody who is very dear to all of us. He’s had a real positive impact on our locker room.
“We send our thoughts and our care for him as he goes through this.”
Portland also won their first game since the arrests, with Brazilian Tiago Splitter stepping in as interim coach in Billups’ absence and leading the team to a convincing 139-119 victory over the Golden State Warriors.
“We all had great experiences with Chauncey and how he coached,” Splitter said. “We’re thinking of him and his family but we have a job to do.”
NBA commissioner ‘disturbed’ by arrests
Speaking about the arrests for the first time, NBA commissioner Adam Silver said he was “deeply disturbed” by the events of the past few days.
“There’s nothing more important to the league and its fans than the integrity of the competition,” he told Amazon Prime. “And so I had a pit in my stomach. It was very upsetting.”
Silver also said an NBA investigation into Rozier’s actions in March 2023, when there was “aberrational betting” in a game he played for the Charlotte Hornets against the New Orleans Pelicans, found nothing untoward.
“It was brought to our attention by the regulators and the betting companies,” he added.
“We then looked into that situation and were very transparent about it. And while there was that aberrational betting, we, frankly, couldn’t find anything.
“The federal government has subpoena power… [it] can threaten to put people in jail, can do all kinds of things that the league office can’t do.
“So, we’ve been working with them since then. And, of course, what they announced yesterday was an indictment.
“And two and a half years later, he still hasn’t been convicted of anything, in fairness to Terry.
“Obviously, it doesn’t look good, but he’s been put on administrative leave, and so it is a balance here between protecting people’s rights and investigating.”
Elsewhere, Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic scored more than 40 points for the second game in a row to start the season.
After racking up 43 points in a season-opening loss to the Warriors, the Slovenian put up 49 points – to go with 11 rebounds and eight assists – as the Lakers beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 128-110.
Greek forward Giannis Antetokounmpo also had a big night with 31 points, 20 rebounds and seven assists in the Milwaukee Bucks’ 122-116 win at the Toronto Raptors.
Houston Rockets were beaten 115-111 by the Detroit Pistons despite 37 points from Kevin Durant, while Victor Wembanyama had 29 points, 11 rebounds and nine blocks in the San Antonio Spurs’ overtime win against the Pelicans.
