The first Thursday double-header of the season gave us a pair of hotly-contested games. Derrick Rose fought off an ankle injury to lead the Bulls to a win, while Carmelo Anthony pushed the Nuggets to their second straight victory.

- Chicago 92, San Antonio 85

Team FIC Differential: Bulls +22.9, Spurs -22.9

The Chicago Bulls (1-0) outscored the San Antonio Spurs (1-1) by nine points in the third quarter to open the 2009-10 season with a victory. Luol Deng led with 17 points and nine rebounds, Joakim Noah posted 10 points and 10 boards and Derrick Rose contributed 13 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. Chicago outrebounded San Antonio by eight while turning the ball over just nine times. Tim Duncan starred with 28 points and 16 rebounds, Manu Ginobili tallied 12 points and six boards and Matt Bonner put up seven points and five rebounds in defeat.

Game FIC Scores

Tim Duncan, San Antonio ? 28.3

Luol Deng, Chicago ? 15.3

Derrick Rose, Chicago ? 14.6

Joakim Noah, Chicago ? 13.5

- Denver 97, Portland 94

Team FIC Differential: Nuggets +0.7, Trail Blazers -0.7

The Denver Nuggets (2-0) used a strong fourth quarter to put away the Portland Trail Blazers (1-1) at the Rose Garden. Carmelo Anthony excelled with 41 points and six rebounds, Nene tallied seven points and 11 boards and Chauncey Billups turned in 22 points and six assists. Portland shot just 34% from the field and the two clubs combined to attempt 90 foul shots. Brandon Roy had 30 points, five rebounds and five assists, Rudy Fernandez scored 22 points on 6-for-9 shooting and LaMarcus Aldridge posted nine points and seven boards on Thursday evening.

Game FIC Scores

Carmelo Anthony, Denver ? 21.4

Brandon Roy, Portland ? 17.0

Rudolfo Fernandez, Portland ? 14.8

Chauncey Billups, Denver ? 13.5

? RealGM calculates the Floor Impact Counter using the following formula: (Points + .75 Defensive Rebounds + Offensive Rebounds + Steals + Assists + Blocks - .75 Field Goal Attempts - .375 Free Throw Attempts - Turnovers - .5 Personal Fouls)

( )'s indicate a negative FIC score.

It is also used to rank players and to determine their ?Reina Value.? Click here to view the player rankings with the Reina Value for the current season

The Spurs exercised its option to keep guard George Hill on the roster for the 2010-11 season on Wednesday.

Gregg Popovich said it was an easy decision to pick up the third year of Hill's rookie-scale contract at $1.13 million.

?Yeah, that's a no-brainer,? Popovich said. ?If someone is your favorite player, you ought to extend him, whether he can play or not.?

The second night of the 2009-10 season brought us twelve stellar games. Big name acquisitions like Vince Carter (Orlando), Hedo Turkoglu (Toronto), Richard Jefferson (San Antonio) and Ben Gordon (Detroit) all had successful debuts for their new clubs.

- Atlanta 120, Indiana 109

Team FIC Differential: Hawks +35.2, Pacers -35.2

The Atlanta Hawks (1-0) used a ten-point edge in the fourth quarter to distance themselves from the Indiana Pacers (0-1). Al Horford starred with 24 points and 16 rebounds, Josh Smith posted 18 points and eight assists and Joe Johnson scored 25 points on 10-for-21 shooting. Indiana shot 53% from the field, but turned the ball over an astounding 25 times. Danny Granger led with 31 points, Troy Murphy tallied 14 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists and Earl Watson scored 20 points on 7-for-8 shooting off the bench.

Game FIC Scores

Al Horford, Atlanta ? 26.4

Josh Smith, Atlanta ? 22.1

Danny Granger, Indiana ? 17.0

Troy Murphy, Indiana ? 16.5

- Orlando 120, Philadelphia 106

Team FIC Differential: Magic +21.9, 76ers -21.9

The Orlando Magic (1-0) took a 31-point lead into the final period and held on to defeat the Philadelphia 76ers (0-1) at Amway Arena. Dwight Howard dominated with 21 points and 15 rebounds, Jason Williams tallied 15 points and five assists and Ryan Anderson contributed 16 points and five boards in the victory. Philadelphia attempted 13 more foul shots than Orlando, who shot 55% from the field. Marreese Speights led with 26 points and five rebounds, Elton Brand struggled with eight points and six boards on 2-for-7 shooting and Louis Williams put up 18 points, four rebounds and four assists in the loss.

Game FIC Scores

Dwight Howard, Orlando ? 26.5

Marreese Speights, Philadelphia ? 19.5

Louis Williams, Philadelphia ? 16.4

Jason Williams, Orlando ? 12.0

- Toronto 101, Cleveland 91

Team FIC Differential: Raptors +21.2, Cavaliers -21.2

The Toronto Raptors (1-0) dealt the Cleveland Cavaliers (0-2) their second loss in as many nights with a strong performance at Air Canada Centre. Andrea Bargnani had 28 points and five rebounds, Chris Bosh posted 21 points and 16 boards and Hedo Turkoglu added 12 points and 7 rebounds in his Raptor debut. Both teams took 37 free throws, while Cleveland shot just 34% from the field. LeBron James stuffed the stat sheet with 23 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds, Shaquille O?Neal tallied 12 points and seven boards and Mo Williams contributed 16 points and six rebounds for the Cavaliers.

Game FIC Scores

LeBron James, Cleveland ? 21.8

Andrea Bargnani, Toronto ? 16.5

Hedo Turkoglu, Toronto ? 13.5

Chris Bosh, Toronto ? 13.3

- Boston 92, Charlotte 59

Team FIC Differential: Celtics +63.8, Bobcats -63.8

The Boston Celtics (2-0) opened up a 22-13 after the first quarter and never looked back against the Charlotte Bobcats (0-1). Ray Allen scored a team-high 18 points in the balanced attack, Rajon Rondo tallied 10 points and 11 assists and Shelden Williams put up 12 points and nine rebounds off the bench. Boston held Charlotte to 31% shooting and outscored the young Bobcats in each of the game?s four quarters. Gerald Wallace led with 10 points and 12 rebounds, Raymond Felton posted nine points and four boards and rookie Gerald Henderson had eight points on 3-for-7 shooting in his professional debut.

Game FIC Scores

Rajon Rondo, Boston ? 19.8

Shelden Williams, Boston ? 13.6

Kevin Garnett, Boston ? 12.8

Paul Pierce, Boston ? 11.0

- Miami 115, New York 93

Team FIC Differential: Heat +23.8, Knicks ? 23.8

The Miami Heat (1-0) exploded in the third quarter en route to an emphatic win over the New York Knicks (0-1) on Wednesday night. Dwyane Wade starred with 26 points, five rebounds and five assists, Jermaine O?Neal posted 22 points and 12 boards and Michael Beasley scored 21 points on 9-for-14 shooting. Miami shot a blistering 56% from the field, while holding New York to 10-for-39 from three-point land. David Lee had 22 points and nine rebounds, Wilson Chandler tallied 21 points and seven boards and Danilo Gallinari contributed 22 points and six rebounds off the bench.

Game FIC Scores

Jermaine O?Neal, Miami ? 21.3

David Lee, New York ? 16.5

Danilo Gallinari, New York ? 16.5

Dwyane Wade, Miami ? 15.1

- Minnesota 95, New Jersey 93

Team FIC Differential: Timberwolves -0.3, Nets +0.3

Damien Wilkins rebounded a missed shot and put it in to give the Minnesota Timberwolves (1-0) and dramatic win over the New Jersey Nets (0-1). Rookie Jonny Flynn had 18 points, Wilkins posted 12 points and 10 rebounds and Al Jefferson struggled with nine points and four boards in 25 minutes of play. Minnesota outscored New Jersey 31-15 in the fourth quarter and forced 22 turnovers. Brook Lopez starred with 27 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks, Yi Jianlian tallied 17 points and 12 boards and Devin Harris put up 14 points, eight assists and six rebounds in defeat.

Game FIC Scores

Brook Lopez, New Jersey ? 26.6

Yi Jianlian, New Jersey ? 15.0

Damien Wilkins, Minnesota ? 14.9

Devin Harris, New Jersey ? 9.8

- San Antonio 113, New Orleans 96

Team FIC Differential: Spurs +25.5, Hornets -25.5

The San Antonio Spurs (1-0) started the new season off on the right foot with an impressive win over the New Orleans Hornets (0-1). Six players scored in double figures for the Spurs with Tony Parker turning in 17 points and six assists, Manu Ginobili 16 points on 5-for-11 shooting and rookie DeJuan Blair recording 14 points and 11 rebounds. San Antonio outrebounded New Orleans by nine and shot 52% from the floor. Chris Paul had 26 points and nine assists, Emeka Okafor debuted with 18 points and 10 rebounds and David West tallied 18 points and nine boards for the Hornets.

Game FIC Scores

David West, New Orleans ? 18.8

Chris Paul, New Orleans ? 16.8

Tim Duncan, San Antonio ? 15.5

DeJuan Blair, San Antonio ? 14.6

- Oklahoma City 102, Sacramento 89

Team FIC Differential: Thunder +29.5, Kings -29.5

The Sacramento Kings (0-1) tried to make a game of it in the fourth quarter, but the Oklahoma City Thunder (1-0) had built too much of a lead. Kevin Durant excelled with 25 points and 11 rebounds, Jeff Green posted 24 points and eight boards and Russell Westbrook flirted with a triple-double (14 points, 13 assists and seven rebounds). Oklahoma City shot 51% from the floor, while holding Sacramento to just 40%. Kevin Martin scored 27 points on 5-for-19 shooting, Jason Thompson tallied 11 points and nine rebounds and rookie Omri Casspi had 15 points on 7-for-9 shooting off the bench.

Game FIC Scores

Jeff Green, Oklahoma City ? 21.0

Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City ? 20.8

Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City ? 18.1

Kevin Martin, Sacramento ? 16.2

- Detroit 96, Memphis 74

Team FIC Differential: Pistons +31, Grizzlies -31

Ben Gordon scored 22 points in his debut as the Detroit Pistons (1-0) thumped the Memphis Grizzlies (0-1) at the FedEx Forum. Richard Hamilton had 25 points on 10-for-19 shooting, Tayshaun Prince posted 14 points and five rebounds and Charlie Villanueva had seven points and three blocks. Detroit held Memphis to 36% shooting and turned the ball over just nine times. Marc Gasol led with 21 points and 15 rebounds, Zach Randolph began his Memphis career with 14 points and nine boards and Rudy Gay added 16 points and five rebounds in the loss.

Game FIC Scores

Marc Gasol, Memphis ? 20.6

Richard Hamilton, Detroit ? 15.4

Tayshaun Prince, Detroit ? 11.1

Ben Gordon, Detroit ? 9.9

- Denver 114, Utah 105

Team FIC Differential: Nuggets +5.4, Jazz -5.4

The Denver Nuggets (1-0) used a strong fourth quarter to pull away from the Utah Jazz (0-1) on Wednesday night. Carmelo Anthony starred with 30 points, eight rebounds and five assists, Kenyon Martin tallied 16 points and 11 rebounds and rookie Ty Lawson contributed 17 points and six assists off the bench. Denver narrowly outshot and outrebounded Utah in the close battle. Deron Williams led with 28 points and 13 assists, Carlos Boozer posted 12 points and 11 rebounds and Andrei Kirilenko put up 16 points, five boards and four dimes.

Game FIC Scores

Deron Williams, Utah ? 23.5

Carmelo Anthony, Denver ? 19.8

Ty Lawson, Denver ? 14.4

Chauncey Billups, Denver ? 12.4

- Houston 108, Golden State 107

Team FIC Differential: Rockets +13.4, Warriors -13.4

Stephen Curry made a layup in the final seconds off a missed three-pointer by Anthony Morrow that was too little, too late for the Golden State Warriors (0-1) against the Houston Rockets (1-0). Trevor Ariza had 25 points, five rebounds and five assists, Luis Scola posted 21 points and 11 boards and Aaron Brooks contributed 18 points and 12 dimes. Houston used a 35-19 edge in the third quarter to grab control of the game. Monta Ellis led with 26 points and five assists, Corey Maggette tallied 10 points and nine rebounds off the bench and Curry had 14 points and seven dimes in his professional debut.

Game FIC Scores

Luis Scola, Houston ? 18.5

Aaron Brooks, Houston ? 17.8

Stephen Curry, Golden State ? 14.8

Shane Battier, Houston ? 14.5

- Phoenix 109, L.A. Clippers 107

Team FIC Differential: Suns +8.7, Clippers -8.7

Steve Nash hit a driving layup with six seconds remaining to give the Phoenix Suns (1-0) a close win over the Los Angeles Clippers (0-2). Nash led with 24 points and eight assists, Grant Hill tallied 19 points and 13 rebounds and Amare Stoudemire put up 16 points and five boards in the victory. Los Angeles shot 55% from the floor, but cooled down in the second half. Marcus Camby had 23 points and 11 rebounds, Baron Davis posted 12 points and 12 assists and Chris Kaman contributed 22 points and nine boards in the loss.

Game FIC Scores

Marcus Camby, Los Angeles ? 24.3

Grant Hill, Phoenix ? 18.5

Baron Davis, Los Angeles ? 17.8

Steve Nash, Phoenix ? 15.6

? RealGM calculates the Floor Impact Counter using the following formula: (Points + .75 Defensive Rebounds + Offensive Rebounds + Steals + Assists + Blocks - .75 Field Goal Attempts - .375 Free Throw Attempts - Turnovers - .5 Personal Fouls)

( )'s indicate a negative FIC score.

It is also used to rank players and to determine their ?Reina Value.? Click here to view the player rankings with the Reina Value for the current season

Tony Parker went down with a hard fall with 2:20 left in the third quarter of Wednesday's win against the Hornets and did not return.

After the game, Gregg Popovich said Parker only had the wind knocked out of him.

According to Joe Alexander of the Express-News, Parker was talking to some friends on the court about a half hour after the game and looked OK.

Though his report hasn't been verified, Chris Broussard of ESPN indicates growing rumors that Stephen Jackson trade talks have been heating up.

The Cavaliers, Hornets, Spurs, Nuggets and Clippers are all believed to be interested.

The Warriors are reportedly mulling several offers.

The San Antonio Spurs announced on Sunday that they have waived guard Marcus Williams.

Williams appeared in five preseason games for San Antonio and averaged 4.2 points and 1.8 rebounds in 13.8 minutes.

The Spurs roster stands at 15.

Spurs forward DeJuan Blair expected the Pacers to draft him with the 13th overall pick in June's NBA Draft.

Indiana selected North Carolina forward Tyler Hansbrough with the pick and Blair slipped to San Antonio in the second round.

"DeJuan Blair said he thought the Pacers were going to draft him at No. 13," Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star wrote on his Twitter page.

The regular season is less than a week away and the Spurs have two players fighting for one roster spot.

Malik Hairston and Marcus Williams are doing battle with the NBA's roster deadline looming on Monday.

Both are former second-round picks and D-League All-Stars.

"They've steadily improved since the day they became a part of the program," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich told the San Antonio Express-News. "They've put in their time in the D-League in Austin and summer leagues with us. They've both continued to develop nicely."

Regardless of which player makes the team, Popovich believes that they both have a future in the NBA.

"They're both going to have a place in the league," he said. "They're good enough to be in the league and will make a team."

The San Antonio Spurs today announced that they have waived forward/center Dwayne Jones.  

The 6-11, 250-lb Jones appeared in three preseason games for San Antonio and averaged 1.7 points and 1.7 rebounds in 11.0 minutes.

Spurs forward Tim Duncan will wear a brace on his left knee for the entire season.

"It feels pretty good," Duncan told the San Antonio Express-News after his first preseason game on Friday.

"I've gone through four or five braces this summer, trying to find the right one. That's the one that feels good so far."