The Shoes That Won Last Night: Miami Heat Win on NBA Opening Night, Indiana Pacers Have Block Party Against Orlando Magic

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The NBA season officially kicked off with the Miami Heat franchise receiving their NBA championship rings and facing the Chicago Bulls featuring a new and improved Derrick Rose. The Heat won 107-95 in the season opener. The Indiana Pacers had 18 blocks shutting down the Orlando Magic 97-87 in a defensive battle featuring Roy Hibbert with 7 blocks. The Los Angeles Lakers also surprised the Los Angeles Clippers with a 116-103 in L.A. bragging rights. The Lakers bench dominated the Clippers in a decisive 41-24 fourth quarter led by Xavier Henry and the rest of the bench mob. Here are The Shoes That Won Last Night.

Rafael Canton is a freelance writer from Queens, NY and contributor to Sneaker Report. Anytime there is a conversation about the NBA, music, or nutella, he can be found in the thick of the discussion. He can be found on Twitter @RafelitoC7.

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Li-Ning Way of Wade 2 PE
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Shoe: Li-Ning Way of Wade 2 PE
Player: Dwyane Wade
Game: Miami Heat vs. Chicago Bulls

Dwyane Wade's not always going to play well offensively, but he always has an impact on the game in some kind of fashion. D-Wade had 13 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists in Miami's 107-95 victory over the Chicago Bulls. Wade wore a special Way of Wade 2 PE that featured gold stripes in honor of the Heat's ring ceremony on opening night. Some may doubt whether Wade can live up to his past dominance, but LeBron will take him at 50% over some of the mediocre talent found around the league.

Nike Hyperfuse 2013 PE
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Shoe: Nike Hyperfuse 2013 PE
Player: Roy Hibbert
Game: Indiana Pacers vs. Orlando Magic

Manning the middle is a tough responsibility for any NBA center. Roy Hibbert makes it a fun experience with his block party antics. The former All-Star center had 7 of Indiana's 18 blocks in the game, and he also had 12 of his 16 rebounds in the first quarter alone. Hibbert is a dominant force and while he only scored 8 points, he did what the Pacers needed that night. He blocked shots, affected shots, rebounded, and did all of that with the big goofy smile that is Roy Hibbert.

$110

adidas adiPure Crazyquick
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Shoe: adidas adiPure Crazyquick
Player: David West
Game: Indiana Pacers vs. Orlando Magic

When you put David West alongside Roy Hibbert on the Pacers they are a scary team. West uses his brute force and strength to get where he wants on the court and has a ridiculously good mid-range jumper. West struggled in some respects shooting 4-for-11 and had 5 turnovers. he did fill up the stat sheet with 13 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 5 blocks in 31 minutes. D. West will scare and physically impose himself on his opponents and did that in the Pacers season opener.

$140

Nike Zoom Hyperfuse 2012 Low
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Shoe: Nike Zoom Hyperfuse 2012 Low
Player: Jodie Meeks
Game: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Los Angeles Clipeprs

Jodie Meeks will get plenty of opportunities to prove himself this NBA season with Kobe out early. Meeks had a solid season off the bench for Los Angeles and the sharpshooter continued that with the season opener last night. Meeks had 13 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists in the Lakers victory. He also hit three shots from beyond the arc to give the Lakers an outside marksman that added some fire.

AND1 Tai Chi
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Shoe: And1 Tai Chi
Player: Lance Stephenson
Game: Indiana Pacers vs. Orlando Magic

Danny Granger might be hurt, but there is nothing to fear when Lance Stephenson is here... in Indiana. The Pacers guard was slicing and dicing the opposition as he got to the rim at will in transition and in the half court. Stephenson started and had 19 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists in Indiana's victory over the Orlando Magic. Stephenson playing well can only be good for the Pacers as they continue their quest to beat the Heat in the Playoffs this season.

Nike Air Foamposite One "Thermal Map/Crimson"
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Shoe: Nike Air Foamposite One "Thermal Map/Crimson"
Player: Norris Cole
Game: Miami Heat vs. Chicago Bulls

Fear the high-top fade. With Iman Shumpert shaving off his 'do, it's up to Norris Cole to keep the fade relevant in the NBA hair storylines. Cole did exactly that with 11 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists in the Heat victory over Chicago. Cole and his fade hounded Derrick Rose and he even shook up Rose on a fantastic crossover.

$250

Nike Hyperdunk 2013 PE
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Shoe: Nike Hyperdunk 2013 PE
Player: Pau Gasol
Game: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Los Angeles Clippers

With Kobe Bryant out because of an injury, this is Pau Gasol's team essentially. He wasn't featured too much in the Lakers offense last year, so with free agency looming, Gasol can improve his standing to make good money on the market by carrying the Lakers through this Kobe-less stretch. He got off to a good start in the Lakers opener with 15 points, 13 rebounds, and 4 assists in the victory. We're happy with it, but are the Lakers happy with it? As Shaq says, Pau needs to jump hook 'em to death.

$140

Nike Kobe 8 System Purple Gradient
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Shoe: Nike Kobe 8 System Purple Gradient
Player: Xavier Henry
Game: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Los Angeles Clippers

We might as well start calling the Lakers bench the bench mob. The bench played the entire fourth quarter and managed to outscore the Los Angeles Clippers 41-24. The leader of that furious mob was Laker newcomer Xavier Henry. The four-year pro put up 22 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists in the Lakers 116-103 victory over the crosstown rival Clippers. Henry had a few swooping drives and also played a little point-forward for stretches in the fourth quarter. Kobe who?

$140

Nike Hyperdunk 2013 PE
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Shoe: Nike Hyperdunk 2013 PE
Player: Paul George
Game: Indiana Pacers vs. Orlando Magic

Everyone is expecting Paul George to have another breakout season this year. After winning Most Improved Player last year, the sky is still the limit. PG had a great all-around stat line of 24 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 blocks in Indiana's 97-87 victory over the Orlando Magic. George's shooting stroke was sweet as he hit three shots from beyond the arc and after turning the ball over three times in the first half, George improved his handles keeping the ball safe for the entire second half.

$140

Nike LeBron 11 PE
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Shoe: Nike LeBron 11 PE
Player: LeBron James
Game: Miami Heat vs. Chicago Bulls

Does LeBron do anything that surprises us anymore? He practically does everything on the court except for performing in Slam Dunk contests. Bron Bron had 16 points, 6 rebounds, and 8 assists in the Heat's opening night 107-95 victory over the Chicago Bulls. The Heat jumped out to a 54-33 lead at Halftime and LeBron was making spectacular plays like this no-look pass to Chris "Birdman" Andersen. Some of us will think that LeBron performed way below expectations last night, but we think he did really well in getting his teammates involved.

$200

Rafael Canton is a freelance writer from Queens, NY and contributor to Sneaker Report. Anytime there is a conversation about the NBA, music, or nutella, he can be found in the thick of the discussion. He can be found on Twitter @RafelitoC7.

RELATED: The Shoes That Won Last Night: Boston Red Sox Take 3-2 Series Lead, Seattle Seahawks Win Third Game in A Row
RELATED: 
The Shoes That Won Last Night: Calvin Johnson Puts Up Historic Numbers, Boston Red Sox Take World Series Game Four