me has opened the door for Abrines to make the jump.dddddddddddd. His signing also likely signals the likely end of Dion

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Avery Bradley said his goal coming into the season was to expand his game.So far, so good.Bradley had 31 points on a career-high eight 3-pointers and grabbed 11 rebounds, and the Boston Celtics defeated the Charlotte Hornets 104-98 Saturday night.Bradley was 8 of 11 from beyond the arc as the Celtics shot 75 percent from the field in the fourth quarter to pull away.Bradley is averaging 21.3 points and nearly nine rebounds through three games this season.Thats my mindset this year -- Im trying to rebound, pass the ball and make plays for others, Bradley said. I work on my game every single summer and know Im trying to put it in the game.Isaiah Thomas had 24 points and seven assists and Al Horford added 14 points for the Celtics, who trailed by one entering the fourth quarter.Boston finished 15 of 31 from 3-point range, while the Hornets were just 9 of 32.Coach Brad Stevens left Bradley in the game with the second team to start the fourth quarter and the strategy paid off. Bradley was 5 of 7 from the field in the final 12 minutes and made all three 3-point attempts.Weve been starting or playing early in those quarters -- the second or fourth -- either Isaiah or Avery to try to keep one of our guards in with the second unit, Stevens said. I did think he was gassed at about the seven-minute mark. Thats why we took him back out for a couple of minutes.Hornets coach Steve Cliffford said Bradley was terrific.Especially in the stretch where they got a little bit of cushion (in the fourth quarter) which ended up being the difference in the game, Clifford said. Theyre a good team and they played well. You can see why people are saying theyll be top two or three in the East.Walker led the Hornets in their home opener with 29 points, while Frank Kaminsky had 11 points and four rebounds in his first regular season action.The Hornets spent most of the game trying to claw even with the Celtics after falling behind early. They finally took the lead on a 7-foot jumper by Nicolas Batum on the final possession of the third quarter. But the lead was short-lived as Bradley started to heat up in the fourth quarter and the Celtics built a 93-79 lead.TIP-INS:Celtics: G Marcus Smart is making progress from his left ankle sprain, but Stevens said hes not sure if Smart will play Wednesday vs. Chicago. I anticipate that hell at least go through some of Mondays practice, but I dont know if hell be live, Stevens said. ... Amir Johnson received a flagrant 1 foul when he elbowed Cody Zeller in the head on a post-up move.Hornets: Owner Michael Jordan took in the teams home opener from the end of the bench. ... C Roy Hibbert, who has had a strong start to the season, missed the game with soreness in his right knee. ... G Jeremy Lamb left the game in the second quarter with a strained left hamstring and did not return. ... The Hornets took 22 free throws in the first half; Boston just two.TOO MANY TURNOVERS:Stevens wasnt real happy with his teams 13 turnovers that led to 13 points for the Hornets.Theyre one of the best teams in the NBA at packing the paint, Stevens said. We tried to thread the needle a little bit too much.POOR DEFENSE:Clifford didnt like his teams effort on defense, particularly in the second half where they allowed 60 points.When you play defense, theres a way you do it. You have the right stance, you have the right talk, you have the right organization, Clifford said. That gives you a chance. When guys start making their own stuff up, youve got no shot against a good team. And thats what happened tonight.UP NEXT:Celtics: Host Chicago on Wednesday before heading on the road to face LeBron James and Cavaliers on Thursday.Hornets: Host Philadelphia on Wednesday, part of five home games during a six-game stretch.Air Max 270 Clearance .C. -- Charlotte Bobcats coach Steve Clifford said after all of these years in the NBA hes still amazed at some of the things LeBron James does. Yeezy Boost China Wholesale . -- When the Florida Panthers fell behind by two goals in the first period to the top team in the NHL, it appeared they were on their way to yet another loss. http://www.brandshoescheaponline.com/wholesale-air-max-china/max-90-clearance-sale.html . -- The boos poured down on Tom Brady and the New England Patriots at the end of a horrible first half. Nike Vapormax 97 Sale .Y. - Nelson Mandela will be honoured by the New York Yankees with a plaque in Monument Park. Nike Vapormax 97 Cheap . Those lessons were more than enough to overwhelm the Utah Jazz. Lou Williams scored 25 points and the Hawks continued their offensive upswing as they rolled to an easy 118-85 victory over the Jazz on Friday night, winning their third straight and for the fourth time in five games.The Oklahoma City Thunder have agreed to sign guard Alex Abrines to a three-year deal worth $18 million, sources confirmed to ESPN.com.The agreement was first reported by EuroHoops.net.Abrines, 22, was selected 32nd overall by the Thunder in the 2013 draft but remained with FC Barcelona for the past three seasons. Last season, he won the Euroleague Rising Star award (top under-22 player in Europe), topping 76ers lottery pick Dario Saric for the honor. Past winners include Ricky Rubio, Danilo Gallinari and Nikola Mirotic.Abrines signed a long-term deal with Barcelona last year through 2019 and will have to pay a $2.2 million buyout to be released from his contract. The Thunder are allowed to contribute $650,000 toward the buyout.The Thunder have been high on the 6-foot-6 Spanish guards development the past couple of seasons, but Abrines was not expected to join the team this season. However, with the departure of Keevin Durant, both cap space and apparent playing time has opened the door for Abrines to make the jump.dddddddddddd. His signing also likely signals the likely end of Dion Waiters tenure with the Thunder. Waiters, 24, is a restricted free agent, and has yet to ink an offer sheet with anyone, but unless the deal is a bargain, the Thunder are unlikely to match.Without Durant, the Thunder are in desperate need of perimeter shooting, and Abrines is known primarily as a marksman -- he hit 41.7 percent from 3 last season for Barcelona -- but has a well-rounded offensive skill set and sneaky athleticism. His struggle will likely be on the defensive end, as scouts have said he needs to get stronger to guard at the NBA level.Abrines will compete for Spain in the upcoming Olympic Games in Brazil. ' ' '