🔗 Share this article

Miami Heat earned a crushing 146-114 win over the Memphis Grizzlies in their first basketball match after guard Terry Rozier was detained for suspected illegal gambling.

Portland Trail Blazers coach Billups was additionally detained as part of a broad FBI investigation into sports betting. The two individuals contest the allegations.

But, the Miami team were focused as they put up 86 opening half points to be ahead of Memphis by thirty-nine at halftime, the largest halftime lead in the team's 37-year existence.

Bam Adebayo top-scored with twenty-four scores and afterwards said Rozier had the support of the team.

"We stand behind him. Full support," Bam stated. "You support him through and through. He's like family at the end of the day."

Miami head coach Spoelstra commented: "Rozier is a person who is important to all of us. He has made a real positive impact on our team.

"Our thoughts are with him and our care for him as he faces this."

Portland also won their first game since the detentions, with Brazil-born Tiago Splitter taking over as temporary head coach in Billups' non-attendance and leading the team to a convincing 139 to 119 victory against the Golden State Warriors.

"Everyone experienced positive times with Billups and his coaching style," Splitter said. "We're thinking of him and his family but our focus is on the game."

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver 'Upset' over Arrests

Speaking about the arrests for the initial occasion, NBA commissioner Adam Silver stated he was "very upset" by the events of the recent days.

"Nothing is more critical to the league and its fans than the fairness of the competition," he told a broadcaster. "And so I had a pit in my stomach. It was disturbing."

Silver further mentioned an league probe into Rozier's actions in March 2023, when there was "unusual wagering" in a match he participated for the Charlotte Hornets against the New Orleans Pelicans, discovered no wrongdoing.

"It was brought to our attention by the regulators and the gambling firms," he continued.

"We then looked into the matter and were open about it. And while there was that aberrational betting, we, frankly, couldn't find anything.

"Federal authorities has subpoena power... [it] can threaten to put people in jail, can take various actions that the league office can't do.

"Therefore, we've been working with them from that point. Naturally, what they announced yesterday was an charge.

"Moreover 30 months 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 upholding rights and conducting an inquiry."

Other NBA Outcomes

Elsewhere, Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic scored more than 40 scores for the consecutive match in a row to begin the campaign.

Following racking up forty-three scores in a season-opening loss to the Golden State, the European star achieved forty-nine scores - to go with eleven rebounds and 8 passes - as the Lakers beat the Timberwolves 128 to 110.

From Greece player Giannis Antetokounmpo also had a big night with thirty-one scores, twenty rebounds and seven assists in the Milwaukee Bucks' 122 to 116 victory at the Toronto Raptors.

Houston Rockets were beaten 115-111 by the Detroit Pistons despite 37 points from Durant, while Wembanyama had twenty-nine scores, eleven rebounds and nine rejections in the Spurs' overtime win against the Pelicans.