NEW YORK -- Oklahoma City centre Hasheem Thabeet has been suspended one game without pay by the NBA for head-butting the Pelicans Greg Stiemsma. Thabeet banged his head into Stiemsmas after the pair exchanged shoves during the Thunders 105-102 loss on Thursday. The NBA says Monday that Thabeet will miss the first game that he is eligible and physically able to play in during the regular season. Adidas NMD R1 Rea . I kept my eyes focused up on the camera during each approach. I just tried to stay focused on my form, as I didnt know what the ball reaction was. I was quite emotional at the end. I did not actually see any of the shots in the game until I got home and watched the video. Adidas Superstar Rea .com) - The Los Angeles Kings peppered Ryan Miller with shot after shot. http://www.nmdsverige.com/. After a first half in which he thought "the lid was on the basket," the Toronto Raptors coach watched his squad mount a second half surge to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers 98-91. Adidas Falcon Rea .Boston beat the Nashville Predators 5-3 on Tuesday night and celebrated consecutive wins for the first time in more than a month. Adidas Superstar Dam Rea . -- Ben Bishop had a milestone game against one of the NHLs greatest goalies.DURHAM, N.C. -- Rodney Hood connected from all over the court while freshman Jabari Parker was busy swatting shots and scoring in transition. And sixth-ranked Duke needed every bit of that production to hold off East Carolina. Hood scored a career-high 30 points Tuesday night to help the Blue Devils beat the Pirates 83-74 in the NIT Season Tipoff. Parker had 21 points, nine rebounds and six blocks for the Blue Devils (4-1), who survived a tougher-than-expected fight from the underdog Pirates to improve to 24-2 all-time in the early season tournament. It was also the second game in as many nights for both teams, who were playing in a four-team pod at Dukes Cameron Indoor Stadium. "The last two nights, weve played our butts off," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "This is not about Duke not playing (well). ... Dont undersell what they did. We were ready and we played hard. I thought we brought great energy but so did they. This was a really good basketball game." Duke led by a point with about 7 minutes left but stayed in front and did enough in the final 2 1/2 minutes to turn away East Carolina (4-1), earning a trip to next weeks NIT semifinals for a matchup with Alabama in New Yorks Madison Square Garden. Hood, a 6-foot-8 sophomore transfer from Mississippi State, finished 8 for 10 from the field and hit all 12 of his free throws while playing nearly the entire 40 minutes. Parker made his biggest impact with a couple of key second-half plays, from taking a rebound all the way for a team-rousing dunk to blocking consecutive shots with his team protecting a 75-70 lead. "We couldnt scout them like we normally do and we tried not to stay in the gym last night and watch them play because we had a quick turnaround," Hood said. "But theyre a great team. Theyve got a lot of talent, especially for a mid-major. They played hard. They wasnt scared of us." The Blue Devils, who beat UNC Asheville 91-55 on Monday night, cooled off significantly after a hot start and shot 47 per cent, failing to reach at least 50 per cent for the first time this year. The Pirates had a much tougher time in their Tipofff opener, needing to rally from 17 down after halftime to beat Norfolk State 76-74.dddddddddddd That game at Cameron marked a return to unfriendly surroundings for Pirates coach Jeff Lebo, who played for Dean Smith at hated rival North Carolina in the 1980s. Lebos team turned in a strong fight less than 24 hours later, but couldnt pull off a huge upset. "We can draw a lot from this -- our kids playing in this stage, this environment," Lebo said. "We dont get a chance to do that too often. We draw a lot of positives, and when we watch the tape, I think well get some confidence from that. "And then weve got to be able to build up on it. We cant say, Hey, we played well and were done for the year." Prince Williams scored 15 for the Pirates, who shot 40 per cent and helped themselves by hitting the offensive glass for a 16-3 edge in second-chance points. East Carolina fell to 0-21 all-time against Duke, though the Pirates flirted with earning their first win against a ranked opponent in nearly 11 years. Duke led by 18 points late in the first half after an 11-for-11 shooting start, but the Pirates didnt let the Blue Devils put together a knockout run. Instead, the Pirates closed the gap to 11 by halftime, and then kept inching closer and closer from there. East Carolina twice got within a point, the last coming on Williams free throws with 6:58 left, but never could push in front. Duke helped itself by playing with composure down the stretch, hitting all eight of its free throws in the final 2:34 to stay in control. Parker also came through with a big defensive sequence after his coast-to-coast dunk, swatting a leaner from Williams out of bounds and then stuffing a driving shot from Antonio Robinson with about 2 minutes left. Hood hit two free throws to make it 77-70, and East Carolina didnt get closer than five again. Duke finished 24 for 31 from the foul line, including 19 for 24 after halftime. The Blue Devils, who beat Florida Atlantic on Friday night, are off until Sunday, when they host Vermont. "Now weve got to rest," Krzyzewski said. "I mean, our guys are dead." ' ' '