LOS ANGELES -- Another chapter of storylines unfolds when the Los Angeles Lakers tip off their 2016-17 campaign Wednesday night.Last season, it was Kobe Bryants final year that grabbed the headlines, punctuated by a 60-point performance in his last game and a rare Lakers win.This time its Luke Walton stepping into the spotlight as he begins his first season as coach when the Lakers face the Houston Rockets at Staples Center in the season opener for both clubs.Walton replaces Byron Scott, who was dismissed after a franchise-worst 17-65 run last season. While Scott was known as a taskmaster and clashed with players, Walton brings a laid-back approach that the Lakers believe suits his young club well.I like leading by love, Walton said, according to the L.A. Times. But I had hippie parents so thats to be expected. Its the way I was raised.Walton, formerly the top assistant at Golden State under Steve Kerr, rose as a hot coaching property last season by guiding the Warriors to a 39-4 mark and winning an NBA-record 24 in a row to open the season as interim coach during Kerrs absence for health reasons.Walton already was on the radar of up-and-coming assistants destined for NBA coaching jobs, but that successful stretch expedited his elevation.Obviously, the Lakers job has major challenges. Walton will attempt to mix a crop of young talent (DAngelo Russell, Julius Randle, Jordan Clarkson, Larry Nance Jr. and rookie No. 2 pick Brandon Ingram) and blend it with a core of veterans (Lou Williams, Luol Deng, Jose Calderon, Timofey Mozgov and Nick Young).Theres no better guy to lead a franchise and teach a franchise from a youthful perspective that he brings to the game with maturity and knowledge, Phoenix Suns coach Earl Watson told the Orange County Register recently. He sees the game on a different level. Theres so many levels at this game. Theres so many games within a game. Few can see it with substance the way that he does.Mike DAntoni will return for the first time as a head coach since he quit the Lakers job after the 2013-14 season because the club refused to extend him a long-term deal.James Harden, the NBAs second-leading scorer at 29 points per game last season, leads a Rockets team that will play for the first time in three campaigns without center Dwight Howard, who bolted to Atlanta as a free agent.I think everybody is excited, everybodys ready to get going. Weve had a good preseason, said DAntoni, whose club finished 5-2 in exhibitions. Weve got still a lot of growth thats got to going on and weve got to get a lot better, but I think were at a reasonably good point.The Rockets will play without guard Patrick Beverly, who underwent arthroscopic knee surgery Tuesday. Beverly is expected to miss at least three weeks.We have to have a couple of guys (who) are going to step up without Pat, DAntoni said.In addition to Harden, Trevor Ariza, Ryan Anderson, Eric Gordon and Nene are among those players expected to carry to the load. Fake Yeezy 350 V3 . After dropping their final six games of December, the Wild opened the new calendar year with four consecutive wins. Following a loss to Colorado on Saturday, Minnesota rebounded the following night to blank Nashville 4-0, but then had the tables turned on them Tuesday. Cheap Air Force 1 Wholesale .Y. - New Orleans forward Anthony Davis was chosen Friday to replace the injured Kobe Bryant in the NBA All-Star game that will be played in his home city. http://www.cheapshoesstorewholesale.com/jordan-1-online-outlet.html .5 million, one-year contract on Friday. Hawkins, who turns 41 in December, will compete with Rex Brothers for the closers role at spring training. Wholesale Vapormax China . -- Catcher Brett Hayes has agreed to a $630,000, one-year contract with the Kansas City Royals, avoiding salary arbitration. Air Max 270 Fake . Its an influence in football and a big part of the game. ATLANTA -- At 42, Ichiro Suzuki shows no signs of slowing down.Hell probably play three or four more years, Atlantas Matt Kemp marveled.Suzuki scored two runs and drove in another during the 900th multihit game of his career, giving Miamis fading wild-card hopes a boost with a 7-5 victory over the Braves on Tuesday night.The Marlins, who remained five games out of a playoff spot, won for only the fifth time in their last 17 games.Just when you think hes run out of steam here in the season, all of a sudden hes throwing hits up, Marlins manager Don Mattingly said of Suzuki. Hes an amazing guy. He stays in great shape. Hes really good for our club.With the Marlins trailing 2-0, Suzuki ripped a single to right in the third to bring home a run. Christian Yelich followed with a two-run double to the gap in right-center.Suzuki sparked another three-run outburst in the fifth with the game tied 3-all, hardly looking his age as he sped around the bases for a leadoff triple. He scored the go-ahead run on Marcell Ozunas one-out single, and Justins Bours RBI single finished off starter Matt Wisler (6-12).Freddie Freeman and Kemp homered for the Braves, providing a glimmer of hope in the middle of Atlantas order for next season.It should be fun, said Kemp, whose solo shot in the fourth was his 31st homer of the season and eighth since being acquired by Atlanta on July 30.Freeman reached 30 homers for the first time in his career with a two-run homer in the first.Justin Nicolino (3-6) earned the win with two hitless innings of relief. A.J. Ramos worked a perfect ninth for his 35th save.Wisler surrendered 10 hits, walked two and didnt strike out anyone in 4 1/3 innings.The Braves closed the gap with a pair of runs in the seventh, when Miami bench coach Tim Wallach was tossed from the game by home-plate umpire Ramon De Jesus for griping about the strike zone. But Kyle Barraclough escaped a bases-loaded jam by getting Jace Peterson to ground into a force.In his third career start, Jake Esch lasted only 3 2/3 innings -- not long enough to qualify for the win. But the rookie did pick up his first big-league hit on an infield chopper, appropriately enough in the city where he played collegiately at Georgia Tech.UPON FURTHEER REVIEWFor the second night in a row, a call was overturned after a challenge by the Braves.ddddddddddddAdeiny Hechavarria was initially ruled safe at first as the Braves attempted to turn a double play in the second inning. After the replay showed the throw barely beat him to the bag, he was called out to end the inning.WEIRD DOUBLE PLAYFreeman grounded into a 6-5-3 double play to end the third.Thats right, 6-5-3.The Marlins had the shift on for the left-handed-hitting Freeman, putting three infielders to the right of second base. The slugger lined a grounder toward what would normally be the shortstop, but it was third baseman Martin Prado who made a nifty grab and made a backhanded flip to Hechevarria, the shortstop, covering second. He threw on to first to get Freeman.INSURANCE RUNMiamis Yefri Perez showed off his blazing speed in the eighth, racing home on a wild pitch that rolled only a few feet away from catcher Tyler Flowers.Perez broke as soon as he saw the ball skip away. Flowers quickly grabbed it and dove at Perez, but he was able to elude tag with a head-first slide, just getting his right hand on the plate.TRAINING ROOMMarlins: Ozuna was back in the lineup after being struck on the left knee with a pitch the previous night, forcing him out of the game. Being able to get him out of there was good for him, manager Don Mattingly said. We were able to keep the swelling down.Braves: RHP Mike Foltynewicz was hobbling around the clubhouse on crutches after being struck on the left calf with the line drive in Monday nights win. X-rays were negative and he hopes to pitch again this season, but its not known when hell be able to make another start with less than three weeks to go. I cant do anything, he said. I cant walk on it, let alone ... what its going to be like landing on it.UP NEXTJose Fernandez (14-8) will go for Miami on Wednesday in the finale of the three-game series. Julio Teheran (5-9) takes the mound for the Braves.---Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963 . His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/paul-newberry . ' ' '