NBA Roundup - Pelicans pummel Nets to open NBA season, Suns beat Mavs

Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans opened their NBA season with a punishing 130-108 victory over the star-studded Nets in Brooklyn on Wednesday.

Brandon Ingram scored 28 points and Williamson -- playing his first regular-season game in more than 17 months -- scored 25 as he returns from the foot injury that sidelined him for a season.

"It's crazy," said Williamson, the 2019 top draft pick who at 22 has already battled a raft of injuries. "Simply playing the game I love, that I didn't get to play for a long time, it was a breath of fresh air.

"There's a lot of room for improvement," Williamson added. "I'm still learning my teammates... I'm just excited to go."

Williamson helped the Pels build an 18-4 lead midway through the first quarter, easily outpacing Brooklyn's Ben Simmons -- another former top draft pick who has also battled injuries.

Australian Simmons made his debut for the Nets, who acquired him from Philadelphia last season as he battled a back injury for which he had surgery in May.

Nets star Kevin Durant, who stayed put in Brooklyn after rocking the league with a trade demand in June, kept the hosts in touch, scoring 21 of his 32 points in the first half.

But the Pelicans out-scored the Nets 40-28 in the third quarter to take control for good. They never trailed and led by as many as 26 points, parlaying 21 offensive rebounds into 36 points.

Ingram was a model of efficiency, racking up his 28 points on 10-of-17 shooting.

In contrast, Kyrie Irving connected on just six of 19 shots for 15 points and Simmons scored just four points before fouling out.

The second night of the season saw a couple of nail-biters, as the Suns erased a 22-point third-quarter deficit to edge the Dallas Mavericks 107-105 in Phoenix. In