76ers move to 3-0 as O’Neal sits out

Kyle Korver’s role has changed, but his three-point shooting has stayed the same.

The new sixth man used his three-pointers to help bump Philadelphia to an even bigger three: 3-0 for the first time in six seasons.

Allen Iverson had 31 points and 13 assists, and Korver scored 13 of his 22 points in the third quarter to help the 76ers remain the only unbeaten team in the Eastern Conference with a 107-98 win over the Miami Heat on Sunday at Philadelphia.

The Heat played without Shaquille O’Neal, who bruised his left knee in Friday’s win at New Jersey. The team said O’Neal would have X-rays upon his return to Miami.

“We’ve got to keep on building on what we’ve been doing,” said Korver, who made five of six three-pointers. “We have a long ways to go, but we feel like we’re doing OK right now.”

Korver rallied the 76ers in the third quarter and helped them build a 17-point lead midway through the fourth.

Antoine Walker scored 23 points, Udonis Haslem had 17 points and 16 rebounds, and Dwyane Wade added 20 points for Miami.

New Orleans 96, Houston 90 -- David West scored 20 points, Chris Paul tied a career high with 16 assists and the Hornets used a late 14-3 run to improve to 3-0 by winning their first home opener in New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina.

Houston led, 77-76, before the pivotal run.

Shane Battier led Houston with 18 points, while Yao Ming, limited by three fouls in the first five minutes, finished with 17. McGrady scored 14 but was only five for 15 from the field.

Atlanta 95, Orlando 82 -- Joe Johnson scored 31 points and the Hawks held the Magic to 11 first-quarter points en route to victory at Atlanta.

The Hawks (2-1) have a winning record after three games for the first time since the 2002-03 season. Orlando recorded only eight assists, matching a franchise-low, as it lost its first road game of the season.

Carlos Arroyo returned after missing one game because of a strained hamstring to lead Orlando with 22 points, including 13 in the final quarter.

San Antonio 103, Toronto 94 -- Tim Duncan scored 26 points and the Spurs used a late 8-0 run to prevail at Toronto.

Brent Barry made five 3-pointers and finished with 16 points for the Spurs, who shot 50% in rebounding from Friday’s loss to Cleveland.

Chris Bosh had 19 points and 17 rebounds for the Raptors.

San Antonio went on a decisive 8-0 run after Bosh’s layup cut the lead to five with 3:11 left.

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NBA Commissioner David Stern said there is no question about the Hornets’ full-time return to New Orleans in the short term, but that long-term concerns about the city’s recovery and corporate support for the team need to be resolved soon.

“We have to lock it all in, otherwise it becomes a lame duck and that’s really bad for us, but it’s even worse for New Orleans,” said Stern, who attended the home opener.

Sunday’s game was the first of six the Hornets will play in New Orleans this season. The rest will be played in Oklahoma City as part of a two-year agreement after Hurricane Katrina.