In Anthony Davis's N.B.A. Debut, Duncan and Spurs Prevail Anthony Davis fit right in. Tim Duncan and the wily San Antonio Spurs were celebrating at the end. Duncan scored 24 points, Tony Parker hit a huge 3-pointer, and the visiting Spurs opened the season with a 99-95 victory over the New Orleans Hornets in Davis's pro debut Wednesday night. Davis, the top draft pick, did his part. He scored 21 points and grabbed seven rebounds, a promising start for the player who spent only one season at Kentucky, leading the Wildcats to the national title and earning player of the year honors, But the Hornets are still rebuilding. The Spurs have their sights on making another run at a title with their aging roster. After Davis made two free throws with 1:08 remaining to give New Orleans its final lead, 95-94, the Spurs closed strong. San Antonio worked the ball with a series of quick passes until Parker broke free by the top of the arc. He connected with 49.6 seconds left, giving him 23 points and putting his team ahead to stay. Greivis Vasquez missed an open 3, slapping his hands in disgust after the ball bounced off the front of the rim. Duncan grabbed the rebound, was quickly fouled and padded the lead with two free throws. Al-Farouq Aminu took one more 3, but it missed badly. The Spurs dribbled out the clock, showing they're not ready to give in yet to a team such as the Hornets. New Orleans is starting over after dealing Chris Paul to the Clippers last year and plummeting to the bottom of the Western Conference. They won the lottery, nabbed Davis with the first pick and also grabbed Duke guard Austin Rivers in the opening round. PACERS RALLY At Toronto, George Hill scored the go-ahead basket with two seconds left, completing the Indiana Pacers" rally for a 90-88 season-opening win over the Raptors. David West scored 14 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter, and Paul George had 14 points and 15 rebounds for the Pacers, who trailed by 84-74 with just under six minutes left. Roy Hibbert added 14 points for Indiana. Kyle Lowry led Toronto with 21 points, and Jonas Valanciunas had 12 points and 10 rebounds in his N.B.A. debut. Andrea Bargnani had 16 points, and Jose Calderon added 15 for the Raptors. HAWES LIFTS 76ERS At Philadelphia, even in absentia from the opening night roster, Andrew Bynum heard a roaring ovation when he was introduced. By the end, the loudest cheers were reserved for the active big man in the middle: "Spen-cer Hawes!" Hawes had 16 points, 12 rebounds and 5 blocked shots to lead the 76ers to an 84-75 win over the Denver Nuggets. Hawes was set to start at power forward alongside Bynum until the All-Star center's knee injury forced the third-year coach Doug Collins to shuffle his lineup. Hawes accepted the shift to sixth man without complaint and proved how valuable he'll be around the basket with Bynum absent. On opening night, Hawes even heard chants of "M.V.P."" from a rowdy crowd of nearly 20,000 fans holding lofty expectations for the Sixers. NOAH BOOSTS BULLS At Chicago, Joakim Noah scored 23 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, and the Chicago Bulls got off to a good start without Derrick Rose, beating the Sacramento Kings, 93-87. Richard Hamilton added 19 points, while Carlos Boozer chipped in with 18 points and 8 rebounds. The Bulls are out to show they can get by while their superstar recovers from a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, and this was promising even if it was a struggle. Chicago led by 14 after a 10-0 run in the third quarter and hung on in the fourth after the Kings closed within three several times. GRIZZLIES STAYING PUT The chairman of the new Grizzlies ownership group said the N.B.A. team would remain in Memphis. The Grizzlies announced that the reported $377 million sale by Michael Heisley had been completed to a group led by Robert J. Pera, a former Apple engineer who founded the technology company Ubiquiti Networks. The group includes the entertainer Justin Timberlake, the former N.B.A. player Penny Hardaway and Ashley Manning, the wife of Peyton Manning.