ERST LESEN! » in his previous three starts, but Seattle

LOS ANGELES -- Before his official head coaching debut, Luke Walton cautioned the Los Angeles Lakers about the long, difficult road from the start of this rebuilding season to sustained success.The outcome is less of a concern than how we play, and how we get after it, Walton said.Although these young Lakers wont be judged by wins and losses, their first victory together still felt awfully sweet.Jordan Clarkson scored 12 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter, and the Lakers held off the Houston Rockets 120-114 on Wednesday night to win Waltons debut.DAngelo Russell scored 20 points and Julius Randle added 18 points, seven rebounds and six assists as the Lakers got off to an exciting start in the franchises first season without Kobe Bryant since 1995. With a revamped roster coming off the worst season in the 16-time champion teams history, Los Angeles surged in the fourth quarter while the Rockets tired.It wasnt pretty, but it got the job done, Russell said. Everybody did their part tonight, and it showed in the results.The Lakers played an up-tempo offensive game under the 36-year-old Walton, and nobody seized the moment better than Clarkson, who came off the bench in his first game since signing a $50 million contract. His 3-pointer put Los Angeles up 116-112 with 1:48 left, and the Lakers hung on while the Rockets missed a series of open shots in the final minute.James Harden had 34 points, a career-high 17 assists and eight rebounds for the Rockets, who lost in former Lakers coach Mike DAntonis debut on the Houston bench. The Rockets missed 15 of their 16 3-point attempts in the second half on admittedly weary legs.I told them, `Look, the only thing thats been determined tonight is were not going to win 82 games, DAntoni said. We know that. You just throw it away and go to the next one. Its a marathon, a long time, and our legs will come to us.After matching the franchise record with 14 first-half assists, Harden tied his career high with his 16th early in the third quarter. The Los Angeles native managed only six points in the fourth quarter, going 1 for 5, and his teammates were a combined 5 for 16.We were scoring so easily that we just didnt get stops, Harden said. It gave them confidence early in the game to where they made shots at the end. But were not going to get down.FIRST TIMESBrandon Ingram scored nine points in the No. 2 picks debut for the Lakers. Timofey Mozgov had 12 points and eight rebounds, and Luol Deng had seven points in solid Lakers debuts for the veteran free agents.Ingram got a loud ovation when he checked in for his debut midway through the first quarter. The lanky wing scorers first NBA basket was a 3-pointer from the corner near the Lakers bench with the shot clock winding down.LUKES DEBUTAfter leading the Golden State Warriors to a 39-4 start last season while filling in for Steve Kerr, Walton finally has an actual game on his coaching record. His wins in Oakland were attributed to Kerr, but Walton captured the attention of the NBA and the Lakers, who brought him back to the city where he won two NBA title rings as a player.Hall of Famer Bill Walton proudly wore a purple Lakers T-shirt to his sons big night. Waltons mother and three brothers also attended the game. The Walton force will be strong tonight, Luke said.DANTONI RETURNSThe Lakers fired DAntoni after he went 27-55 in 2013-14, the first of a franchise-record three straight non-playoff seasons. When DAntoni was asked before the game about reflecting on his time in LA, the coach quickly quipped: I try not to. ... No, I loved it. I actually did.TIP-INSRockets: Eric Gordon scored 19 points. ... Clint Capela, the 6-foot-9 Swiss forward, replaced Dwight Howard in the middle of the lineup with 16 points and nine rebounds.Lakers: Metta World Peace began his 17th NBA season, picking up three fouls in his first two minutes while guarding Harden. ... Jack Nicholson, Denzel Washington, director Peter Berg, YG, Kendall Jenner, Karlie Kloss, Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver attended the game.UP NEXTRockets: At Dallas on Friday in the opener of a home-and-home series.Lakers: Open a four-game road trip at Utah on Friday. Cheap Nike Dunk Shoes Free Shipping . The visitors took a deserved lead in the 16th minute with midfielder Yohan Cabaye curling the ball beyond Adrian from inside the penalty area. Nike Dunk Shoes Outlet . Fellow centre Pavel Datsyuk remains out because of a concussion. Zetterberg has 11 goals and 19 assists for a team-high 30 points, and Datsyuk has a team-high 12 goals and 11 assists. http://www.cheapnikedunk.com/ . -- Playing time has been limited for Maxim Tissot this season, so the Montreal Impact defender made the most of his first scoring opportunity on Saturday. Cheap Nike Dunk Shoes Authentic . Arsenal failed to take full advantage of its main rivals stumbles on Saturday as substitute Gerard Deulofeu levelled with a hard shot from a tight angle in the 84th minute to give Everton a deserved point. Ahead of a crucial fortnight that will see them play against Napoli in the Champions League, Manchester City and Chelsea, Arsenal leads by five points ahead of Liverpool and Chelsea. Wholesale Nike Dunk Shoes . This should be celebrated because it will not always be this way. With the amount of money given to players by their clubs these days, it is a wonder that so many of those teams allow the sport to continue to take away many of their assets so they can play for a different team in the middle of their season.SEATTLE - Jered Weaver nearly matched Felix Hernandez for the first five innings. When Weaver couldnt sneak a fastball past Seattles Justin Smoak with two outs in the sixth, he instantly knew that the Angels were in trouble with how well Hernandez was pitching. "I couldnt keep us in it and Felix was dominant tonight," Weaver said. Hernandez threw eight shutout innings and Smoak drove in four runs off Weaver, including a three-run homer, in the Mariners 6-0 win over the Angels on Saturday night. Seattles ace allowed just two baserunners to reach third, the first coming on Mike Trouts triple in the third and not again until the eighth. Hernandez didnt rely on the strikeout and instead let the Angels put the ball in play. Hernandez struck out Albert Pujols twice and got Josh Hamilton and Erick Aybar swinging, but mostly relied on his defence. Hernandez allowed seven hits and didnt walk a batter. "You try to battle, try not to make a mistake, try to keep your team in the game," Weaver said. Hernandezs worst start of the season came less than a month ago against the Angels. Hernandez was knocked around for 12 hits and six earned runs in five innings, one of just two starts this season in which hes failed to pitch at least six complete innings. He allowed two home runs as well and got a no decision. That start was constantly in the back of Hernandezs mind and he vowed not to fall behind in counts against the Angels this time. The Angels noticed Hernandez taking a different approach, but were unable to make the adjustments. "Most guys probably dont have that many pitches in their repertoire to do that," Angels first baseman Mark Trumbo said. "He worked inside a lot more than he has before. I didnt see too many curveballs. ... He threw a slider and mixed in a changeup, but I found him throwing a lot more pitches inside tonight." Yoervis Medina pitched the ninth to finish off the shutout for Seattle. Smoak was at the centre of Weavers rough night. Smoak had an RBI single in the fourth inning that gave Seattle the lead, then provided the big blow in the sixth to cap a two-out rally. Kendrys Morales and Kyle Seager both singled and after Weaver received a visit from pitching coach Mike Butcher, Smoak hit the first pitch ouut to centre field for his eighth homer of the season.dddddddddddd The four RBIs were the most for Smoak since he drove in a career-high six runs on May 30, 2012 against Texas. Smoaks long ball was the 21st straight game with at least one homer for the Mariners, the longest streak for an American League team since the Rangers set the major league record with 27 straight in 2002. "It looked like he was sitting on something away," Weaver said. "It wasnt a bad pitch, but he put a good swing on it." Seattle first got to Weaver (3-5) in the fourth when Morales and Seager had consecutive singles. Seagers hit extended his hitting streak to 13 games. Smoak then capped a 10-pitch at-bat by lining a change-up from Weaver into right field. Third-base coach Daren Brown made the wrong call in sending Morales from second and Hamiltons throw easily beat the runner. But catcher Hank Conger failed to catch the ball cleanly and Morales scored. Conger was originally given an error, but the scoring decision was changed and Smoak was credited with an RBI. Morales and Seager started Seattles rally in the sixth with two-out hits that set the stage for Smoaks 411-foot shot to centre field. "I was thinking he was going to try and sneak a fastball in there first pitch and I was able to put a good swing on it," Smoak said. Weaver had allowed just two earned runs combined in his previous three starts, but Seattle raised his pitch count early. Weaver had thrown 107 pitches when he left after 5 2-3 innings, his shortest start since June 10 against Baltimore. "It goes both ways. I think if we had gotten on the board it might have let (Weaver) do a couple of things," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "He was pitching with his back against the wall." NOTES: Smoak now has five career games with four or more RBIs. ... Seattle RHP Stephen Pryor threw a second simulated game on Saturday and could be headed for a rehab assignment with Single-A Everett next week. OF Michael Morse (quad) is still not ready for a rehab assignment, manager Eric Wedge said. ... Angels RHP Tommy Hanson (forearm) threw a simulated game on Saturday and could be headed out on a rehab start next weekend following another bullpen session, Scioscia said. ' ' '