James Harden ... point guard?In their first game without Kobe Bryant since 1995, the Lakers beat the Rockets 120-114 behind Jordan Clarksons 25 points off the bench. But that didnt stop Harden, who stepped in to play the point for Houston, from dishing out 17 assists (in just three quarters). He also added 34 points.Anthony Davis has monster gameThe Pelicans center scored a whopping 50 points in New Orleans season opener. According to ESPN Stats & Information, hes the fifth player in the last 50 seasons with 40 points and 10 rebounds in a season opener. Davis is the first player to notch 50 points in a season opener since Michael Jordan in 1989, according to Elias. One of Davis standout plays was this ferocious dunk:Westbrook narrowly misses triple-doubleIn his first game without Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook recorded 32 points, 12 rebounds, nine assists and this dunk in a 103-97 win over the 76ers.Raptors teammates run wildIf youre wondering who the only teammates in NBA history with a 40-point game and 30-point game in a season opener are, its?DeMar DeRozan (40 points) and Jonas Valanciunas (32), according to Elias. Behind that tandem,?Toronto beat Detroit 109-91.Worth the wait?Joel Embiid missed his first two NBA seasons because of injuries but finally made his regular-season debut for the 76ers Wednesday night, and his first bucket sent Philly fans into a tizzy. He scored 20 points in the game, which, according to ESPN Stats & Information, was a total he never reached in 28 games at Kansas.Pregame styles on pointThe Thunder are in Philly, and Russell Westbrook is upholding his reputation as the NBAs fashionista. Meanwhile, in Boston, Gerald Green (and his hair) are ready for their return to the Celtics. Discount Swell Bottles . "Thank you for the warm welcome," Beckham said on an 80-degree February morning. In this case, it was soccer weather. The sport moved a step closer to returning to South Florida on Wednesday, when Beckham confirmed he has exercised his option to purchase a Major League Soccer expansion franchise in Miami. SWell Marble Water Bottle . -- Golden State Warriors coach Mark Jackson asked his players a simple question during Fridays morning shootaround: How many of them had ever been on a team 14 games over . http://www.swellbottlesnz.com/swell-bottle-nz-sale.html . Carey Price didnt, but he still came out on top against one of his rivals for the No. 1 job at the Sochi Games. The Anahim Lake, B.C., native was stellar in making 39 saves in his home province and Lars Eller got credit for a bizarre short-handed winner as the Canadiens defeated the Canucks 4-1. Swell Bottle Nz Liberty . They had already blown a double-digit lead, fans were hitting the exits, and a long seven-game road trip waited at the end. Swell Bottle Nz OMAHA, Neb. -- Coastal Carolina showed that a baseball program from a school outside the power conferences can play with the best, and be the best.All my brothers in arms at the mid-majors, theyve been wearing my telephone out the whole week: `Wear the banner for us. Show us it can be done, Chanticleers coach Gary Gilmore said after his team beat Arizona 4-3 in the deciding Game 3 of the College World Series finals Thursday.Coastal Carolina won its first national championship in any sport, and it came in the Chanticleers 14th national tournament appearance in Gilmores 21 seasons at the school.The title also was the first in a team sport in the 33-year history of the Big South Conference. The Big South could savor the accomplishment for only about eight hours. The Chanticleers became members of the Sun Belt Conference on Friday.The Chanticleers have a .680 winning percentage since 2000, ranking among the best in the nation. Theyre the first non-power conference team since Fresno State in 2008 to win the title. In the last 50 years, the only other non-power conference baseball champions are Cal State Fullerton (1979, 1995, 2004) Wichita State (1989), Pepperdine (1992) and Rice (2003).Me personally, I dont think weve been a mid-major baseball program for a while, Gilmore said. I surely dont tell that to my kids. I tell them I think were a top four or five ACC-caliber club, that we can play with the SEC at times, that we dont shy away from anyone.Were a mid-major because were a 10,000-population school and we had (FBC) football, and you kind of get stigmatized by that.Coastal Carolina capitalized on two errors on the same play to score four unearned runs in the sixth inning of a game delayed a day by bad weather.It was worth the wait.Whenever I die, Ill know this group of guys here, they willed themselves to be the national champion, Gilmore said. It was just meant to be, no doubt. If there is such a thing as a team of destiny, this group is it.Coastal Carolina (55-18) became the first team since Minnesota in 1956 to win the title in its first CWS appearance. Arizona (49-24) was trying for its second national title since 2012 but came up just short in a season in which it was picked to finish ninth in the Pac-12.Amazing season, and theyre a deserving champion, first-year coach Jay Johnson said of the Chanticleers. We played as good as we possibly could this year, and theyre the best team weve played, in my opinion.Andrew Beckwith (15-1), the national leader in wins, went 5 2/3 innings after pitching two complete games and picked up his third victory of the CWS. He was named the Most Outstanding Player.Hes been coaching for 21 years, and he deserves every bit of it, Beckwith said of Gilmore. We got him to Omaha and we got him a national championship. The senior class, the hard work in the fall, the dedication of the guys who dont play much. It doesnt go unnoticed. It was a full team effort the whole College World Series, and we got it done.Alex Cunningham earned his first save, striking out Ryan Haug with a full-count fastball to end the game after Arizona had pulled within one in the bottom of the ninth.dddddddddddd When Haug swung and missed, Cunningham turned to his dugout, beat his chest with his fist three times and saluted before flipping his glove away to start the celebration.The running joke is that in high school I lost the state championship three times in a row. I was not going to lose this one, I promise you that, Cunningham said.Arizona, which came into the day with just two errors in seven CWS games, had second baseman Cody Ramer commit two on the same play in the sixth inning. He couldnt get a handle on a grounder, allowing David Parrett to score from third. Then Ramer tried to get Michael Paez running from second to third, but he overthrew Kyle Lewis. That allowed Paez to come home. G.K. Young then launched a no-doubt homer into the seats above the right-field bullpen for a 4-0 lead.The Wildcats cut the lead in half with two unearned runs in the bottom half of the sixth against a tiring Beckwith. Arizonas Bobby Dalbec (11-6) worked 5 2/3 innings, striking out eight to increase his CWS total to 26 in 20 2/3 innings.Arizonas first two batters in the bottom of the ninth reached base against Cunningham, and Gibbons sacrifice fly made it a one-run game with two outs. Ryan Aguilar then doubled into the left-field corner, but Ramer was held at third because Anthony Marks was able to get the ball back to the infield so quickly.Thats the play of the season in college baseball, Johnson said. We play aggressively, but Cody would have been out by 100 feet -- and I know its only 90 feet. I cant believe the play that was made.ARIZONA CATCHER HURTArizona catcher Cesar Salazar left the game at the end of the seventh inning after getting hit on the top of his head by Paezs bat on a swing-and-miss strike three. Salazar briefly lay face down and was tended to by an athletic trainer. He walked off under his own power and was replaced by Haug.ALL-CWS TEAMParrett, Coastal Carolina, catcher; Aguilar, Arizona, first base; Ramer, Arizona, second base; Zach Remillard, Coastal Carolina, third base; Ryan Merrill, TCU, shortstop; Gibbons, Arizona, outfield; Marks, Coastal Carolina, outfield; Jared Oliva, Arizona, outfield; Luken Baker, TCU, designated hitter; JC Cloney, Arizona, pitcher; Beckwith, Coastal Carolina, pitcher and Most Outstanding Player.COME ONE, COME ALLBecause of the noon start on a weekday -- caused by the rain-and-lightning postponement Wednesday night -- people attending the U.S. Olympic swim trials across the street at CenturyLink Center were admitted for free to the outfield seats. The game drew 18,823, raising tournament attendance to 341,667, the third-highest ever.UP NEXTThe celebration of Coastal Carolinas first national championship in any team sport gets underway in Conway, South Carolina. The Wildcats return to Tucson to regroup after a season of low expectations ended with them playing for the title. ' ' '