The 2012-13 Basketball Season Is Here

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Celtics outlast scrappy Magic 116-110 in OT


ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) The Boston Celtics will be the first to admit that they aren't playing their best defensive basketball right now.

But having two of the league's best closers and one of its top point guards certainly helps with the rough patches.

Kevin Garnett had 24 points and 10 rebounds, Paul Pierce added 23 points and Rajon Rondo was one rebound shy of a triple double with 15 points and 16 assists as the Boston Celtics outlasted the Orlando Magic 116-110 in overtime Sunday night.

The win was their second straight overall and sixth consecutive over the Magic.

Pierce had 14 points after halftime, and said that despite his team's recent struggles defensively, it was a much needed character building kind of victory.

"That's what it's all about,'' he said. "Finding a way to win. Not feeling sorry for ourselves late about giving up a pretty good lead. And just finding a way to grind it out. And that's what we did.''

J.J. Redick scored 21 and Jameer Nelson had 20 for the Magic, whose loss snapped a two-game win streak.

Orlando led by as many as seven in the fourth quarter, but had 19 turnovers that led to 23 Celtics' points. It was the seventh straight game in which the Magic have had at least 15 turnovers. It was also the latest in a string of games in which their own miscues cost them a win.

"We had our chances. We definitely had our chances in overtime,'' Redick said. "We had a couple of bad possessions offensively. We'll learn from that. ...You can talk about experience or execution. They just executed better than us in the end.''

After some early back-and-forth, the Celtics broke the overtime stalemate and took a 113-108 lead on a 3-pointer by Pierce, and layup by Rondo with 1:37 left.

Nelson scored on a driving layup to trim it to three and the Magic got the ball back after Rondo came up with air on a 21-footer as the shot clock wound down.

But Nelson fired up an off balance 3 on Orlando's ensuing touch, and following a foul, Garnett connected 1 of 2 free throws on the other end to make it 114-110 to lock up the victory.

"Overall I thought we didn't play very well. I thought they played great,'' Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. "They played hard. It's like I said before the game, if you don't come in this game and play them and don't think hard basketball, you're not going to win.

"Whether you have more talent or not, I thought that was a good lesson for our guys,'' Rivers said.

It was a disappointing finish for what was a masterful second half by Nelson in which he carried the Magic nearly singlehandedly with 17 points in the final two quarters and overtime.

"Overall we did a good job of playing against their veteran team,'' Nelson said. "We've got such a young team. There's a lot we can learn from this game.''

Nelson scored the Magic's final eight points of the third quarter, including a fade away jumper to end the period to give the Magic a two-point edge entering the fourth.

The lead grew as big as seven on a 3-pointer by Arron Afflalo with just over eight minutes remaining.

The Celtics weren't deterred, though, and immediately went on a 10-2 run to take the lead back at 98-97.

Redick tied it again at 100 with a 3-pointer, but couldn't connect on a lob to Afflalo after chasing down a loose ball.

The Celtics returned the favor with a turnover of their own, leading to a driving layup by Glen Davis. Boston quickly tied it again, and collected a rebound on its next possession after a missed jumper by Nelson with 30.4 left.

After a Celtics' timeout, Garnett missed an open jumper just inside the free throw line, but the ball caromed off a Magic player giving them another chance.

But Pierce missed a leaning jumper at the buzzer to send it to overtime.

Magic coach Jacque Vaughn shared Nelson's take on the positives that can come out of Sunday's setback.

"This is a great experience for us,'' Vaughn said. "We had guys contribute off the bench. Josh (McRoberts) came in and played some great minutes for us in regulation and overtime. And it's a great sign to see guys wanting to play, waiting to play for each other, and contributing. So we'll put it all together.''

The Celtics return home on Wednesday for a pair of home games, beginning with Brooklyn on Wednesday.

Though they still have several kinks to work out on the defensive end during their days off from game action, Garnett said he likes where his team is right now.

The numbers might say otherwise right now, but he said their identity is still rooted in defense.

"We're a defensive team that can score the basketball,'' Garnett said. "We always have been. As long as Doc's going to be here, that's how it's going to be.''

NOTES: Rondo has now had at least 10 assists in 37 consecutive games. ... The Magic lost for the first time this season when they score 100 or more points.

 

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Magic vs Celtics highlights

Celtics win in OT.

 

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Thunder dominate first half, rout Bobcats 114-69


OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Russell Westbrook tipped away a pass, got into the open court all by himself and then braced for a big take-off and a signature throwdown dunk. Instead, he meekly flipped the ball into the basket and grinned sheepishly at the Oklahoma City Thunder bench after the miscue.

"I really thought he was going to do something a little better than what he did, but I'll take up for him and say he slipped a little bit,'' said Kevin Durant, the three-time NBA scoring champion.

"But he made up for it at the end of the half.''

Did he ever.

Westbrook powered home a right-handed slam to put an exclamation point on one of the most dominant first halves in NBA history, putting Oklahoma City up by 40 on its way to a 114-69 blowout of the Charlotte Bobcats on Monday night.

The 64-24 advantage was the fifth-biggest halftime lead in NBA's shot clock era and the largest since Golden State set the record with an 88-41 edge on Sacramento on Nov. 2, 1991, according to STATS.

It ended up as the biggest blowout in Bobcats history.

"We struggled to hit shots, we struggled to get good shots, we got beat on the boards. We got beat in all facets of the game,'' Charlotte center Brendan Haywood said. "In a game like this tonight, you just basically say they beat us in every which way possible and you bounce back and you learn from the film.''

Durant scored 18 points and Westbrook had 12 points and 11 assists. The defending Western Conference champions pulled their starters after Durant's 3-pointer from the right wing made it 79-25 less than 5 minutes into the second half.

"We came out and took care of business, regardless of who the opponent is,'' Westbrook said. "That's a good team. They came in tonight and had won some big games.

"We just took care of business.''

Rookie Jeff Taylor scored 10 points to lead Charlotte, which had shown promise with seven early wins - the same number it had last season while going 7-59 and setting an NBA record for futility.

The franchise's worst blowout previously had been a 112-68 defeat against Portland on Feb. 1.

"There hasn't been any kind of damage control to be done on this game,'' first-year coach Mike Dunlap said. "We kind of know that OKC is a test for us, we failed it miserably but there are other, better days ahead.''

The Bobcats opened with their worst offensive quarter of the season, scoring just 12 points while committing seven turnovers on their 20 possessions, and it only got worse.

Oklahoma City broke it open with a 22-3 run, scoring the final 10 points of the first quarter and then 12 of the first 15 to start the second. Eric Maynor and Kevin Martin hit 3-pointers on consecutive possessions, and Durant followed that by setting up back-to-back two-handed dunks by Hasheem Thabeet and Nick Collison to make it 40-15 with 8:23 left before halftime.

The Thunder shot 60 percent from the field in the first half while limiting Charlotte to 22 percent and forcing 11 turnovers. The Bobcats made only 3 of 20 shots in the second quarter while getting outscored 36-12.

The biggest concern for Dunlap, though, was a 28-15 disadvantage on the boards that he said comes down to "nothing more than raw bone effort.''

"We're obviously better than last year. That shows,'' said ex-Thunder center Byron Mullens. "But tonight, they just got our number. I don't know what else to say. They got us tonight.''

Dunlap said the Bobcats are "too young to throw the tape away'' and just act like the game never happened.

"You have to take it serious. You have to look at it definitely seriously and you have to take it as a learning experience,'' Haywood said.

The last five players on the Thunder bench played the entire fourth quarter but Charlotte still couldn't avoid the most lopsided loss in the franchise's history, despite pulling within 38 twice in the fourth quarter.

It didn't come close to the NBA record for margin of victory - from Cleveland's 148-80 rout of Miami on Dec. 17, 1991.

"You can overreact in these situations, but we need to react and respond to it, no doubt,'' Dunlap said.

It still wasn't a Thunder franchise record for a halftime margin. When the team was based in Seattle, the SuperSonics held a 75-31 lead at Boston on Nov. 23, 1967 - the second-largest margin in the shot clock era, which started in the 1954-55 season.

Westbrook playfully dodged giving an explanation of his open-court flub, simply taking credit for it as "two points.''

About a minute and a half later he atoned for it with the last of the Thunder's 13 straight points to finish the first half.

"They was sleeping. Everybody's head turned, so I decided to go and take off,'' Westbrook said.

Asked whether there was any reason he slammed the ball down so hard, he gave a big grin and said: "It's a tendency. I have a tendency of dunking the ball like that. Just natural, I guess.''

Notes: Oklahoma City's highest-scoring first half this season came at New Orleans on Nov. 15, when the Thunder took a 66-37 lead. ... Charlotte's Bismack Biyombo missed his second straight game with a left leg contusion. Dunlap had called him a game-time decision. Gerald Henderson (sprained left foot) and Tyrus Thomas (left calf strain) also sat out.

 

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Hornets shut down Griffin in win over Clippers


LOS ANGELES (AP) On a night when Blake Griffin had the worst offensive performance of his brief but eventful NBA career with the Los Angeles Clippers, Greivis Vazquez's work at the offensive end combined to give the New Orleans Hornets a positive end to an ugly road trip.

Vasquez had 25 points and 10 assists Monday night, and the Hornets' big men took Griffin completely out of the game en route to a 105-98 victory that ended the Hornets' seven-game losing streak.

"It's been tough for us the whole week, and at the end of the road trip we get this win. It's going to build some confidence, especially with a young team like this,'' Vasquez said. "We came out here with a mission. We didn't care who we were going to play. We just wanted to compete and show who we are.''

Griffin made only one of nine shots in 35 minutes, finishing with a career-low four points and six rebounds before fouling out with 2:36 left in the game. It marked only the fourth time the two-time All-Star failed to reach double digits in scoring in 173 NBA regular season and playoff games.

The Hornets weren't quite as physical with Griffin as they were last season - at least there were no flagrant fouls this time on him. In the previous meeting on April 22 at Los Angeles, Robin Lopez was assessed a flagrant 2 for hooking Griffin around the neck on an attempted breakaway layup. On March 22 at New Orleans, Jason Smith was called for a flagrant 2 for bodyslamming Griffin to the floor on a fast break and was suspended for two games - including the rematch four nights later at Staples Center.

"I thought Ryan did a decent job of frustrating Blake tonight, just by bodying him. But let's be honest, sometimes guys just miss shots. So I won't say it was all our defense,'' Hornets coach Monty Williams said. "Our team concept was to load up on him for just make it hard. You've got to run different guys at him because he's a phenomenal player.''

Griffin, the No.1 overall pick in the 2009 draft, was held to three baskets on four occasions - including Game 7 of the Clippers' victorious first-round series against the Grizzlies, when he was 3 for 11 with just eight points in the 82-72 clincher at Memphis.

"I'm comfortable, but I just missed shots tonight,'' Griffin said. "It's on me. "It's not because of our offense. It's not anybody else's fault. It's my fault. I had open shots, I had post-ups - I mean, I shot the ball nine times. I just missed them.''

Anderson and Jason Smith each scored 17 points for the Hornets and Austin Rivers added 14. Anthony Davis, the top overall pick in the June draft, missed his fifth straight game because of an injured left ankle.

Caron Butler made a career-high nine 3-pointers on 15 attempts and finished with 33 points, becoming the first Clipper this season to score at least 30. The two teams combined for 33 3-pointers on 62 attempts.

Chris Paul had 20 points and eight assists for Los Angeles. Willie Green, who played for the Hornets two seasons ago before spending last season with Atlanta as a free agent, had 10 points.

Anderson led New Orleans to a 51-44 halftime advantage with 11 points. Neither team led by more than five until the Hornets opened up a 39-28 lead with an 8-0 run capped by Anderson's 3-pointer with 5:58 left in the second quarter.

"Our defense was terrible. It's almost embarrassing,'' Paul said. "Teams feel like they can come down and score on us every night. Guys can't look in our eyes and feel like they can get by us. We have to take more pride in our play.''

Griffin missed his first seven shots before Green found him above the rim for an alley-oop dunk that cut the Hornets' lead to 68-65 with 4:34 left in the third quarter. Butler tied it 33 seconds later with a 3-pointer, but the Hornets took an 11-point lead into the fourth and stretched it to 94-77 - their biggest of the game - on Vasquez's fifth and final 3-pointer with 6:41 remaining.

The Clippers got as close as 101-95 with two free throws by Griffin, a 3-pointer by Paul and two more foul shots by Jamal Crawford with 1:38 left. But their perimeter shooting went cold after that.

"We lost to a very - let me choose my words - not very talented team, but well-coached,'' Paul said. "I've watched every game that they've played. And one thing about Monty is, he's going to have them playing hard. So waiting for the fourth quarter to turn it on was going to be tough for us. Greivis Vasquez was feeling good tonight. I think he's on his way to his first All-Star game.''

Eric Gordon, who has played in only nine games for the Hornets since they acquired him from the Clippers with Al-Farouq Aminu and Chris Kaman in the Chris Paul deal, has yet to play this season due to soreness in his surgically repaired right knee. Gordon hasn't played for New Orleans since April 22, when he had 17 points, six turnovers and shot 4 for 13 from the field in the Hornets' 107-98 loss the Clippers at Los Angeles.

NOTES: Butler's previous career-high for 3-pointers was five, on three occasions - the last time Nov. 12, 2012 at Minnesota. ... The Hornets are 23-54 and the Clippers are 48-32 since Paul switched teams. He is averaging 23.5 points and 10 assists in the four games he's played against his former team, two of which the Clippers have won. ... Lopez, who blocked four shots in each of his previous three games, had one against the Clippers to extend his streak to 16 games.

 

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Nets take 1st Brooklyn matchup with Knicks in OT


NEW YORK (AP) Playing the Knicks never looked or sounded so sweet for the Nets in New Jersey.

The first matchup in Brooklyn was everything they could have hoped for.

"It was just a total 180 from what we saw last year, where it was mostly Knicks fans and all the chants and all the cheers were for them. It's great to feel that we have a home-court advantage finally,'' point guard Deron Williams said.

"This is what they talked about. I think this is what they visualized, was games like this. This was a playoff-type atmosphere. You could definitely feel it on the court and it was a great game to be a part of.''

The Nets won the crowd - and the game - pulling out a 96-89 overtime victory on Monday night to tie the Knicks atop the Atlantic Division on a breakthrough night for their franchise.

With their fans outnumbering and at times outchanting the Knicks' counterparts for a change, the Nets improved to 7-1 in their new home before a sellout crowd of 17,732 that was more black than blue, just the way the Nets hoped.

"Every time some sort of Knicks contingency started to cheer, our fans got louder,'' Nets coach Avery Johnson said.

Jerry Stackhouse, wearing the No. 42 Jackie Robinson made famous in Brooklyn, hit the tiebreaking 3-pointer with 3:31 left in overtime as the Nets controlled the extra period of a playoff-like game that neither team led by more than seven.

"It was absolutely fantastic. It was a great game for the fans,'' Nets center Brook Lopez said. "Having two great teams in New York, the fans are in the best position of all.''

Lopez had 22 points and 11 rebounds, and Williams added 16 points and 14 assists as the Nets joined the Knicks at 9-4 amid a loud chant of "Brook-lyn! Brook-lyn!'' at the finish. Stackhouse scored 14 points.

Carmelo Anthony had 35 points and 13 rebounds, but was only 10 of 16 at the free throw line and missed the potential go-ahead jumper with about 5 seconds left in regulation. Tyson Chandler finished with 28 points and 10 boards, but no other Knicks player was in double figures.

"They're across the bridge. They're here in Brooklyn. We're in the city. They're in the same division, the same sports town. I guess you can say this started something,'' Anthony said.

Raymond Felton was just 3 of 19 from the field, but the Knicks had to stick with him with fellow point guard and former Nets star Jason Kidd out with back spasms. Another starter, Ronnie Brewer, was lost for the overtime with a dislocated left ring finger.

"I'm upset at myself. I had a bad shooting night,'' Felton said. "I'm probably just as mad as any fan, any player, anybody you could think about.''

The first matchup of Brooklyn and New York pro franchises since the Dodgers played the New York Giants on Sept. 8, 1957, at the Polo Grounds was loud, energetic, and close throughout. Both teams played as if this meant more than the usual regular-season game.

It's the latest the Nets have had at least a share of first place since Jan. 30, 2007, when they and Toronto were both 22-23. It's the latest the Knicks and Nets have been tied atop the division since Nov. 30, 1997.

The game was originally scheduled as the Nov. 1 season opener for both teams but was postponed after Superstorm Sandy, when much of the mass transit around the city was knocked out. Barclays Center sits above a major transportation hub, and without subways running many fans wouldn't have been able to get here.

The Knicks have always been the clear No. 1 franchise in the area, even when the Nets had Kidd and were better, and the Nets have long believed the move to Brooklyn and the $1 billion Barclays Center would help them even things. Nationally televised and with more than 100 media members, this was easily their most anticipated game in years, though Johnson denied that it meant more to the Nets than the Knicks.

"I think it's just as important for them, because if we're so much the new kid on the block and we're trying to come in and gain some territorial rights, I think they're going to try to do everything they can to push back, so I think it's great,'' Johnson said before the game. "I don't think it's so much of a Duke-North Carolina rivalry yet, but hopefully one day it'll get there.''

Johnson estimated that games in New Jersey since he'd been with the Nets were an 80-20 fan split for the Knicks, and he hoped that would turn around Monday. It didn't flip completely, but it seemed the home team's fans made up about 60-65 percent of the crowd, the orange and blue that was long so ubiquitous harder to spot this time.

But Johnson made it clear the Nets needed to win the game, not just the crowd, for this to be a successful night, and his team was in great position up five with 4 minutes to play in regulation. The Knicks ran off eight straight to take an 84-81 lead with 1:40 left, but they wouldn't score again. Lopez tied it with a free throw with 24 seconds remaining, and after Anthony missed a jumper, Williams was off on a long attempt before the buzzer.

Chandler dunked to open overtime, but the Nets answered with eight straight points, taking the lead for good at 89-86 on Stackhouse's 3-pointer with 3:31 remaining before three straight points from Gerald Wallace, who finished with 16.

Both sides downplayed the idea of a rivalry - yet - leading into the game, but change was noticeable right from the start.

The Knicks were loudly booed during the announcement of starting lineups, with Anthony, a Brooklyn native whom the Nets tried to acquire before the Knicks did, receiving the type of loud, mixed response that usually goes to LeBron James.

There were dueling chants on one early possession, Knicks fans hollering "Defense! Defense!'' while Nets supporters tried to drown them out with "Brook-lyn! Brook-lyn!''

The only time crowd support seemed unanimous was when local sports stars or celebrities, such as Jay-Z and Beyonce sitting near the Nets bench, were shown on the overhead scoreboard.

Reggie Evans finished with 14 rebounds for the Nets.

NOTES: The Nets have won six straight at home for the first time since December 2003. They started 18-1 at home in 2002-03. ... The teams meet three times in the next 3 1/2 weeks. The Knicks return to Brooklyn on Dec. 11 and host the Nets on Dec. 19. ... With Kidd out, the Knicks started Kurt Thomas - and actually got older. Kidd will turn 40 in March. Thomas, the league's oldest player, turned 40 in October. ... Anthony (10.9 ppg) and Lopez (7.9) entered as the NBA's top two first-quarter scorers. Anthony had only four points, while Lopez scored eight.

 

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Nets vs Knicks highlights

Nets defeat Knicks in OT. In Brooklyn.

 

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Hill's clutch shot pushes Pacers past Lakers 79-77


LOS ANGELES (AP) Kobe Bryant is often at his most dangerous when he's fighting the flu, and the ailing superstar carried the Los Angeles Lakers to the brink of yet another under-the-weather win.

One dramatic shot by George Hill left the Indiana Pacers feeling a whole lot healthier.

Hill's high-arching shot banked in over Dwight Howard with 0.1 seconds left, and the Pacers withstood Bryant's 40-point performance and the Lakers' last-minute rally for a 79-77 victory over Los Angeles on Tuesday night.

Hill scored 19 points for the Pacers, who benefited enormously from the Lakers' 23-for-43 performance at the free throw line. Indiana led for most of the night, but couldn't put it away until Hill took charge on a pick-and-roll play with David West, dribbling past Pau Gasol and delicately lofting the ball over the shot-blocking Howard.

"It's something you always dream about, to hit game-winners,'' Hill said. "So to do that and help this team win a game just makes it that much better.''

Coughing and wheezing on the court and in the locker room, Bryant still hit a tying 3-pointer with 24.5 seconds left and produced the 114th 40-point game of his career.

"It was just a tough game for us, because we didn't make shots,'' Bryant said. "On top of that, we didn't make free throws. I've got to minimize my mistakes. Ten turnovers is way too many for me, so I have to work on perfecting that and bringing that down. I just felt like I played to the crowd too much.''

The Lakers dropped to 2-3 under new coach Mike D'Antoni. They mostly played the way Bryant felt, flirting with the lowest-scoring game and worst shooting percentage in franchise history before finishing with 31.6 percent shooting and surpassing the club low of 70 points in a game with eight consecutive points in the waning minutes.

Los Angeles tied it at 74 on Howard's dunk with 1:56 to play. After West made one free throw, Howard and Metta World Peace combined to miss four straight free throws. After Hill made a running shot, Bryant hit a 3-pointer in front of the Lakers' bench to tie it - but Hill dribbled down the clock and won it for Indiana.

"I'm a little bit proud of the guys, the way they fought and had a chance to win, which defies statistical logic,'' D'Antoni said. "That was not nice. That was tough.''

The Pacers' sturdy defense stifled the Lakers' up-tempo offense for most of the night, turning the game into an ugly grind before the thrilling finish. Indiana won its third straight road game over the Lakers after losing its first 11 regular-season meetings after Staples Center opened in 1999.

West scored 16 points and Paul George had 12 in the opener of a four-game road trip for the Pacers, who had lost six of eight away from home to start the season.

"We need road wins to build our togetherness, our belief in ourselves and our new identity, and to build confidence,'' Indiana coach Frank Vogel said. "This is a big one, and one that we were looking for.''

Before outscoring the rest of his team combined, Bryant missed the Lakers' morning shootaround when he fell ill. He spent the day in bed, drinking fluids and listening to Bob Marley, before giving another high-scoring performance, albeit with 10 turnovers and 12-for-28 shooting.

Howard blocked four shots and scored 17 points despite 3-of-12 shooting at the free throw line.

"It shouldn't have got to that point,'' Howard said. "It's been a tough stretch for us early in the season. We can't lose our faith. We'll find a rhythm and we'll get in a groove, but we can't let what we're going through get us down right now.''

The Lakers returned from a three-game trip for a three-game homestand, their final multigame stretch at home before Christmas. After playing six games in a nine-day stretch earlier this month, the Lakers are clearly running near empty - and they had little to give in the first half against Indiana.

The Pacers jumped to an early lead and hung onto it despite falling into a 1-for-23 shooting slump in the first half, playing more than 12 minutes with just one field goal. The Lakers couldn't take advantage, missing 14 of their 18 shots in the second quarter and repeatedly failing to move the ball at D'Antoni's preferred pace.

Bryant made five of his first six shots, but fell into a 1-for-10 slump before getting rolling again late in the third quarter while Los Angeles made a 13-2 run. Bryant had nine turnovers
in the first three quarters, but also had 29 points - more than his teammates' combined 28.

NOTES: The Pacers stay in California to face Sacramento and Golden State before stopping in Chicago on the way home from their trip. ... The Lakers handed out bobblehead dolls in the likeness of the late Chick Hearn, their beloved broadcaster who would have turned 96 on Tuesday. ... Ashton Kutcher, David Beckham, Landon Donovan, Kaley Cuoco, Gene Simmons, Shannon Tweed and Tenacious D band members Jack Black and Kyle Gass watched from courtside.

 

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Turner, Young lead 76ers past Mavericks 100-98


PHILADELPHIA (AP) The 76ers won again with Elton Brand having another strong game and earning a hefty paycheck from the organization.

Brand just couldn't celebrate because his effort was wasted with Dallas.

Evan Turner scored 22 points and Thaddeus Young had 20 to lead Philadelphia to a 100-98 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night.

Brand scored a season-high 17 points for the Mavericks in his first game against the Sixers since they used their one-time amnesty provision over the summer in the new labor deal to let him go. The move meant the $18.1 million Brand was owed in the final season of his $80 million, five-year contract did not count against the salary cap for Philadelphia, though it still owed him about $16 million.

The two-time All-Star forward didn't stay unemployed for long, and the Mavericks won the bidding at $2.1 million to land him off waivers.

With Andrew Bynum out with a bone bruise, Brand was the most expensive player the Sixers were paying to play in this game. He saw some familiar play in the fourth quarter when the Sixers started running, forced some turnovers, and worked their way inside for easy buckets.

"I was a part of it last year. We used to do it time and time again,'' Brand said. "It was just hustle plays and being in the right spot at the right time.''

Jrue Holiday had 18 points and seven assists for the Sixers, who snapped a six-game losing streak to Dallas. Philadelphia shot 6 of 14 on 3-pointers and won its second straight game.

Chris Kaman scored 20 points and Shawn Marion also had 17 for the Mavericks. Vince Carter added 15 and was clutch in the fourth quarter in trying to bring Dallas back from a 10-point hole.

The 76ers finally created some space in a back-and-forth game when they snapped a tie with a 10-0 run midway through the fourth.

The highlight came when Holiday stole the ball, took off running and dished to a driving Young down the lane for a three-point play and a 90-81 lead.

Carter, long a nuisance against Philadelphia, ended the Sixers' streak with a 3-pointer for a Dallas team trying to stay afloat with Dirk Nowitzki (knee) out about another month, at least.

The Mavericks whittled it to five until Young hit a mid-range jumper for a seven-point lead and the Sixers forced a turnover on the next possession with 90 seconds left. But they failed to score and Carter delivered again, sinking his third 3 to make it a four-point game. Carter made a left-handed layup to bring the Mavericks to 100-98 with 37 seconds left.

O.J. Mayo was fouled on a wild drive with 2.7 seconds to go but missed the first free throw attempt. Mayo also missed the second, but the Mavs recovered. Jae Crowder's last-gasp jumper was off the mark, leaving Dallas with a 2-5 record on the road.

The Mavericks had turnovers on five straight possessions during one miserable stretch in the fourth. They finished with eight overall in the quarter.

"They were untimely and completely out of character to how we played to that point,'' Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said. "We have to eliminate those turnovers right now. In games like this, it's how you manage mistakes.''

Brand chipped in eight rebounds for the Mavericks and played with an edge against his former team.

Brand was a two-time All-Star when he spurned better offers and signed the free-agent contract with Philadelphia. While he was the locker-room leader and heart of the Sixers, his production never merited the deal he signed as one of the hottest free agents available.

"We gave the fans some excitement,'' Brand said. "It definitely wasn't a full success.''

He played only 29 games in an injury-filled first season with Philadelphia and never meshed with former coach Eddie Jordan in his second. Under Doug Collins, Brand found his niche and led the Sixers in scoring with 15 points a game in 2010-11.

"I wish I could have coached Elton one year in his prime. Just one,'' Collins said. "We miss him. We miss that soul.''

Brand, averaging only 5.5 points this season, is far removed from his days as a regular double-double threat and was coming off a scoreless effort in a loss to the Lakers. He looked ready to stick it to his former team and had 12 points and five rebounds in the first half.

Brand powered his way past Lavoy Allen for a basket and a free throw for the final points of the first half and a 56-53 Dallas lead.

Turner, Holiday and even Kwame Brown started rolling in the second half to hold off the slumping Mavericks. With Holiday blossoming into one of the top point guards in the East, the Sixers can't be counted out, even without Bynum.

"Jrue has been big for us. He's been huge,'' Young said. "He's shown growth each and every year.''

NOTES: Brand's family still lives in the Philadelphia area. His daughter, Mahala, was born on Nov. 7. ... The Sixers have played 10 of 15 games at home. ... The Sixers are 5-1 against Western Conference teams this season. ... The 76ers have scored 100-plus points in each of the last three games after doing it twice in the first 12 games of the season. ... The Sixers made 24 free throws on a season-high 32 attempts.

 

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Dragic, Beasley leads Suns past Cavaliers 91-78


CLEVELAND (AP) Alvin Gentry and Byron Scott watched the same game Tuesday night, but the two coaches had vastly different reactions to what they saw.

Goran Dragic scored 19 points, Michael Beasley added 15 and the Phoenix Suns took control late in the third quarter to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 91-78 Tuesday night.

Gentry was all smiles after his team scored the final 14 points of the third en route to winning for just the second time in seven road games this season.

"We wanted to push the tempo a little bit,'' he said. "Once we finally got our energy up in the third quarter, we did that, and I thought we did a great job of finding the mismatches.''

It's not surprising that Scott, whose team has lost 10 of its last 11 games, had a different point of view.

"I'll make just a real quick statement - Andy Varejao was fantastic,'' he said. "Everybody else stunk tonight. Anything else you need to know?''

Phoenix's big run resulted in a 71-59 lead it would not relinquish. The Suns' spurt reached 34-11 at one point and a 91-70 lead late in the game.

Cleveland went ahead 59-57 with 3:28 left in the third quarter on Waiters' layup, but the Suns, playing their second game on a six-city trip, took over. Four points each by Beasley, Jared Dudley and Luis Scola, and a basket by Jermaine O'Neal accounted for the run.

Scola scored 14 points, while Dudley added 11 for Phoenix.

"We're not Oklahoma City,'' Dudley said. "We're not the best team in the West, but we can play better and we can come home above .500.''

Varejao had 20 points and 18 rebounds for his sixth straight double-double. He's averaging 14.7 points and 17.7 rebounds during the stretch. Varejao leads the NBA in rebounding with a 14.9 average.

"To me right now he's the best center in the NBA,'' Scott said. "By far the best in the Eastern Conference. Coaches and players are starting to recognize how well he's playing.''

"The way Anderson is rebounding the ball right now, the only comparison you can make is to Dennis Rodman,'' Gentry said.

Cleveland played its fifth straight game without star point guard Kyrie Irving, who is out until mid-December with a broken left index finger, but Cleveland's injury situation may be taking another hit. Guard Dion Waiters, selected with the No. 4 pick in the draft, bruised his left hand in the second quarter and left the game, but X-rays were negative. He eventually returned and had 16 points and seven assists.

Backup shooting guard Daniel Gibson missed his third game in the last six with a sore right elbow. Both will have MRIs on Wednesday.

Cleveland played its fourth game in five nights. The Cavaliers went 0-3 on a trip through Orlando, Miami and Memphis - with the losses coming by a combined 12 points.

Asked if the grueling schedule was a factor in the latest loss, Scott said, "Nope. I didn't think our energy level was up to start the game. Andy's energy's level was up and Alonzo Gee got after it defensively, but after that, nothing.''

The Cavaliers scored 13 points in the first quarter after putting up nine in the fourth of Monday's loss to the Grizzlies.

Phoenix avoided its worst road start in a decade. The Suns opened their 2002-03 road schedule 1-7.

The Suns are giving up a league-worst 103.3 points per game, but Cleveland struggled offensively. The Cavaliers scored 32 points and made 12 of 44 shots in the first half, finishing at 36 percent (30 of 84) for the game.

The Suns overcame a 26-point third-quarter deficit in a 107-105 victory over the Cavaliers on Nov. 9 in Phoenix.

NOTES: O'Neal had nine points, snapping his streak of double-figure games at five. ... Technical fouls were issued to Suns G Shannon Brown and Waiters in the third quarter. ... Phoenix is at Detroit on Wednesday. The Suns complete their road trip against Toronto, New York and Memphis. ... Irving went through a shooting drill before the game with his finger in a splint and heavily wrapped in blue tape. ... The Cavaliers went into Tuesday having played a league-low four home games. ... Cleveland is off until Friday when it plays at Atlanta.

 

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Love grabs 24 rebs, Timberwolves beat Kings 97-89


SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) Disgusted with his performance since coming back from a broken right hand, Kevin Love decided to play without his protective glove Tuesday night against Sacramento.

Despite no extra padding for his healing shooting hand, the All-Star forward played a bruising inside game and rediscovered his outside shot as well.

Love had 23 points and an NBA season-high 24 rebounds to help the Minnesota Timberwolves stop a five-game losing streak by beating the Kings 97-89.

After missing the first nine games this season, Love returned last week. Bothered by the awkwardness of that fingerless padded glove, he shot 35 percent from the field in his first three games. He hit only 19 percent of his 3-point attempts and was just under 65 percent from the free throw line.

Love was unstoppable on the boards Tuesday, but it was the shooting that pleased him most. He went 8 of 17 from the floor and 5 of 6 at the foul line. Although he shot 2 for 8 from 3-point range, Love said most of those attempts were on target and felt good coming out of his hand.

"The glove was pretty restricting for me,'' Love said. "Every day my hand is getting stronger. The ball still doesn't feel quite right in my hand, but it's getting better.''

And for one night, the struggling Timberwolves (6-7) were better as well. They took the lead late in the first quarter and never trailed again.

It helped that Love grabbed an amazing 21 defensive rebounds and helped Minnesota to a 51-36 overall edge on the boards. Love had six points in the fourth quarter and played nearly 44 minutes overall.

"I knew he got a lot of rebounds, but I didn't know how many,'' Minnesota coach Rick Adelman said. "It was one of the most complete games I've seen him play. He wasn't forcing anything. He passed the ball. He set screens. He did whatever we needed.''

Love even benefited from a little luck, tossing in an off-balance 15-footer that went in as the shot clock was winding down to give the Timberwolves a four-point lead with 27 seconds left.

"I went to the bench when they called a timeout and looked at Coach, and he said, "Just like I drew it up.' We both kind of laughed,'' Love said.

Tyreke Evans and DeMarcus Cousins each scored 20 points for the Kings, who had won two of their previous three games. Isaiah Thomas and Marcus Thornton both had 12.

"He (Love) was everywhere and just going for the ball,'' Evans said. "Everywhere the ball went it seemed like he was there. He does a good job of that. That's why they had a chance to win, because of the way he was crashing the boards.''

Love was clearly a major force, but he had plenty of help as well. Luke Ridnour scored 18 and Nikola Pekovic had 16 points and eight rebounds for the Timberwolves, who had fallen into a tailspin after starting the season 5-2. Andrei Kirilenko had 14 points and Malcolm Lee added 10.

Two free throws by Cousins pulled Sacramento to 91-89 with just under 3 minutes left. But Pekovic got free for a layup off a pass from Kirilenko, and Love followed with his unorthodox shot, giving the Timberwolves a 95-89 lead.

"We were in a tough situation; we needed a win,'' said Kirilenko, who added six rebounds, five assists and three blocks in 41 minutes. "We were finally able to finish a game with our execution.''

A tip-in by Love with 3:12 left was his 24th rebound. Anderson Varejao of Cleveland had the previous high this season with 23 rebounds.

Despite the play of Love, the Kings remained close and pulled to 90-87 when Thomas made a breakaway layup. Fouled on the play, Thomas converted the free throw with just under 3 minutes to play.

Alexey Shved made a pair of 3-pointers early in the fourth quarter and a fast-break dunk by Kirilenko gave Minnesota an 85-76 lead at the 7:03 mark.

Five turnovers in the fourth quarter, several of them at crucial times, hindered the Kings' comeback effort.

"We make plays throughout the whole game and then it's either a turnover or a couple of stops we didn't get,'' Thomas said. "We've just got to learn from it and we've got to fix it or, like I said, we're not going to win these close games.''

After struggling with his shot in the first half, Love got going in the third quarter. He made several perimeter shots and finished with nine points and 10 rebounds. Ridnour also shot well, scoring eight points to help Minnesota take a 75-67 lead into the fourth.

Cousins, ejected from his previous game after arguing a foul call, picked up two quick fouls in the third quarter and went to the bench with four fouls at the 8:55 mark.

Pekovic had 12 points and Love had eight points and 11 rebounds in the opening half as the Timberwolves built a 48-45 advantage. Cousins scored 10 points for the Kings.

NOTES: The Kings didn't attempt a free throw until the 7:52 mark of the third quarter. ... Cousins scored eight straight Kings points in a 2-minute stretch of the first quarter. Three of his baskets were long perimeter shots. ... Minnesota shot 63 percent in the first quarter when it scored the final seven points for a 27-26 lead. ... Former Kings big man Brad Miller, who retired last season, sat in a courtside seat by the Minnesota bench. ... A starting forward the first nine games this season, Derrick Williams didn't play for the third time in four games for the Timberwolves.

 

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Harden, Patterson help Rockets top Raptors 117-101


HOUSTON (AP) The Houston Rockets took care of Toronto, then looked ahead to a long, emotional Wednesday.

James Harden scored 24 points and matched a career high with 12 assists to lead Houston over the Raptors 117-101 on Tuesday night. Patrick Patterson added 22 points for the Rockets, who have won four in a row. Omer Asik had 13 points and 18 rebounds, his seventh double-double of the season.

Now comes the hard part.

The Rockets planned to fly to Minneapolis immediately after the game to attend Wednesday's memorial service for Sasha McHale, the 23-year-old daughter of coach Kevin McHale. Sasha McHale died on Saturday from complications of lupus.

The team will then fly from Minneapolis to Oklahoma City to face the Thunder on Wednesday night.

"I think we're strong enough to get through it,'' Harden said. "We've got to be there for Coach. He's going through a lot right now. Our biggest thing is just supporting him, and making sure we comfort him.''

It was going to be an emotional day for Harden anyway. The reigning Sixth Man of the Year will return to Oklahoma City for the first time since he was traded to Houston on Oct. 27.

"It'll be good to see some faces, some old teammates and coaches,'' Harden said. "I look forward to every game I play. It's another game.''

Andrea Bargnani scored 21 points and Terrence Ross added a career-high 19 for the Raptors, who have lost five straight. The Rockets scored 27 points off 16 Toronto turnovers.

"Houston outran us down the floor and our turnovers killed us,'' Raptors coach Dwane Casey said. "Houston shot the heck out of the ball, but we caused some of that by our turnovers.''

Jeremy Lin had 16 points and 10 assists for Houston. Lin went 7 for 9 from the field, his best shooting game of the season. He was 6 for 12 from the field in Friday night's win over New York, and interim coach Kelvin Sampson thinks Lin may have finally found his touch after struggling early this season.

"This is the best game Jeremy has played, no question,'' Sampson said. "I thought he got his swagger back against New York. He's been working hard with his shooting.''

Lin swished a 3-pointer and finished a fast break with a jumper from the wing in the opening 6 minutes.

Bargnani kept Toronto close for a while, starting 7 for 9 from the field and hitting three 3-pointers in the first half. The Rockets shot 51 percent (26 of 51) in the half and led 61-51 at the break, even though their minds were on McHale's tragedy.

"Right now, it's an emotional time for the whole team,'' Lin said. "We're missing our leader. Right now, we're just focused on coming out and playing the way we're supposed to play. Hopefully, when he is watching, he can be proud of us.''

Chandler Parsons, who scored 18 points, got a text message from McHale after Tuesday's game that said, "Thank you.''

"So you can tell he is down,'' Parsons said. "But just watching us get these wins is helping him and I think that should give us more incentive to keep playing together, keep playing hard and being a product of him.''

The Raptors started a modest 5 for 12 from the field in the second half, but still couldn't keep up. Patterson converted a three-point play after a dunk, then sank another 3-pointer for an 89-64 Rockets lead and a new individual season-high point total.

Houston hit a season-high 14 3-pointers in Friday's 131-103 win over New York and had 12 through three quarters on Tuesday night. The Rockets shot 53 percent (44 of 83) and finished 13 for 26 from 3-point range against Toronto. Houston's 30 assists matched a season high.

"We're finding each other better, we're making the extra pass better,'' Sampson said. "We're playing as a team, guys are taking good shots.''

But Sampson was at a loss trying to explain how he can prepare Houston for Wednesday's game against the defending Western Conference champions. The Rockets are cutting it close, scheduled to arrive only 3 1/2 hours before tipoff.

"I don't pretend to know what to do there,'' Sampson said. "As long as we get there by 7, we'll be OK.''

NOTES: Toronto point guard Kyle Lowry, who played for Houston from 2009-12, got supportive applause when he was introduced before the game. He finished with seven points on 3-for-10 shooting. ... The Raptors have lost six straight games in Houston. ... Houston's 38 third-quarter points were a season high. ... The Rockets recognized Sasha McHale's death with a moment of silence before the announcement of the starting lineups.

 

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Kings vs Timberwolves highlights

Kevin Love has 23 points and a NBA season high 24 rebounds to lead the Timberwolves past the Kings.

 

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Rockets vs Raptors highlights

James Harden has 24 points and 12 assists to lead the Rockets past the Raptors.

 

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Billups returns, Clippers beat Wolves 101-95


LOS ANGELES (AP) Chauncey Billups had no intention of calling it quits last February when his season ended because of a torn left Achilles' tendon. He didn't need to come back, but didn't want his stellar NBA career to end that way.

Nine excruciating months later, the five-time All-Star made it back on the court with the Los Angeles Clippers and gave them the spark they needed to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 101-95 on Wednesday night.

"I still have a burning desire to win,'' said Billups, the 2004 NBA Finals MVP with Detroit. "The night I went down, before I even left the locker room, everybody was saying I was retiring. But those were people who didn't know me and my fabric and where I'm from.

"I could understand why they would say that,'' he added. "I mean, I'm 35, I've pretty much done it all, made a good living for myself and my family, and did everything I wanted to do. So why would I come back? But that's just not how I'm cut, man. I wasn't going to go out like that - not to prove everybody wrong, but for my own self.''

Billups, beginning his 16th season, had seven points and three assists in 19 minutes as the Clippers ended a four-game losing streak. The Clippers outscored Minnesota 49-44 while he was on the floor.

"I knew this day was going to come, but I didn't know it was going to happen before the year ended,'' said backcourt mate Chris Paul, who had 23 points and 11 assists. "I talked to him that night after he got injured, and a lot of people in this league thought it was over for him. But not him. We're too much alike. He wasn't going out like that, so it was great to see him back out there. I'm just glad he isn't in a suit anymore.''

Billups, who was replaced in the starting lineup at shooting guard by Willie Green for the Clippers' first 14 games, got their first basket on a 3-pointer from the top of the key 42 seconds after the opening tip. It was his only basket of the game in five attempts. All of his points came during his first stint on the court, which ended with 6:06 left in the opening quarter.

"I was just so excited to be back after such a long time,'' Billups said. "I've only played full court like three times since the injury, so knowing that, I'm trying to be patient with myself. It's going to take a little while. I got back pretty far ahead of schedule. To be honest, I was going to be back before this, but there were a couple of small setbacks, which was expected, because I had to recalibrate my body for playing an intense level of basketball.''

He averaged 15.0 points and 4.0 assists in 20 games last season with the Clippers after the Clippers claimed him when the New York Knicks waived him through the amnesty clause.

"There's nothing like a real live game,'' he added. "I'm sure I'll be sore in the morning, and I'm pretty sure it'll be like that for the first week or two. It's kind of like the way guys are the first few days of training camp.''

Blake Griffin, who had career lows in points (four) and field goals made (one) during Monday night's 105-98 home loss to New Orleans, had 18 points and six rebounds. Caron Butler, who scored 33 points in that game and set a franchise record with a career-high nine 3-point baskets, missed his first five shots and finished 1 for 8 with two points in 24 minutes.

Kevin Love had 19 points and 12 rebounds for Minnesota and is averaging 23.0 points and 15.6 boards in five games since returning from a broken right hand he sustained in the preseason. Last January at Staples Center, he hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to send the Clippers to a 101-98 loss.

Alexey Shved had 17 points off the bench for the Wolves, who outrebounded the Clippers 52-35 - including 21 off the offensive glass. Josh Howard, who signed with Minnesota as a free agent on Nov. 16, made his first start of the season at small forward in Andrei Kirilenko's place and had seven points on 3-for-9 shooting.

The injury-depleted Timberwolves, already missing point guard Ricky Rubio, Brandon Roy and Chase Budinger, didn't have small forward Kirilenko at their disposal either because of back spasms. But they learned several hours before the game that Rubio, recovering from torn ligaments in his left knee, was cleared by doctors for full-contact practices.

The lead changed hands four times in the fourth quarter before Paul's 15-footer put the Clippers ahead to stay at 86-85 with 4:33 to play. DeAndre Jordan swatted Howard's attempted layup out of bounds on Minnesota's next possession, bringing Billups back into the game.

Griffin hit a 21-footer, then made it 90-85 with a slam dunk off a bounce pass from Jordan, who rebounded Billups' missed 3-point shot. Jordan missed two free throws with 2:01 remaining, but made up for it with a three-point play off a fast-break dunk to give the Clippers a 93-88 advantage with 59 seconds left.

"I'm happy with how the team's been fighting,'' Love said. "We've just been losing some tough ones in the second half, and tonight was no different.''

The Wolves cut it to 95-93 on a 3-pointer by Shved, who faked Matt Barnes into the first row of seats before putting up the shot. But Jordan responded with an alley-oop gunk on a lob from Billups with 16 seconds to go, and the Clippers locked it up with four free throws by Paul.

Paul navigated the Clippers to a 57-55 halftime lead with 11 points and six assists, one of them coming on Jordan's dunk in the final second.

Los Angeles trailed by as many as nine points early in the second quarter before pulling ahead 38-36 with an 11-0 run. Lamar Odom, still struggling to get untracked since rejoining the Clippers as a free agent, capped the rally with an offensive rebound of Eric Bledsoe's missed jumper and a put-back dunk with 6:47 left in the half. In Monday night's loss, Odom played more than 19 minutes without attempting a field goal for the first time in his 14-year NBA career.

NOTES: Among the sellout crowd was Los Angeles Dodgers manager Don Mattingly and former Clipper Ron Harper. ... Clippers reserve G Jamal Crawford has converted a career-high 44 consecutive free throws since his last miss on Nov. 3. His previous best streak was 37 last April while playing for Portland. ... Love's 117 career double-doubles are the most among active players, one more than the Lakers' Dwight Howard and six more than Griffin, who is third on that list. ... Green, who averaged 18

 

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Spurs get 20 from Ginobili, run past Magic, 110-89


ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) In a preseason tuneup against Orlando, San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich limited his veterans' minutes and paved the way for the Magic to pull out a close victory.

It was a feel-good moment for first-year Orlando coach Jacque Vaughn, a former Spurs assistant, to best his former mentor in their first meeting.

That was the preseason. This time the teacher showed his pupil no mercy.

Manu Ginobili had 20 points, Gary Neal scored 19 and the Spurs earned their fifth straight win, racing past the Magic 110-89 on Wednesday night.

Tim Duncan added 15 points in 27 minutes, and Tony Parker chipped in 14 points and eight assists.

"We're just playing basketball the way we've been playing it,'' Duncan said. "Whoever is put in front of us, that's how we're playing. We've been playing well for a couple of games here and we hope to continue it.''

The Spurs posted their eighth consecutive victory on the road and have now beaten the Magic in five of their last six meetings.

Arron Afflalo led the Magic with 16 points, followed by Jameer Nelson with 14. The Magic struggled from the field, connecting on just two of their 15 3-point attempts.

Orlando has lost two straight and concludes its season-high, five-game homestand Friday against Brooklyn. San Antonio ends its six-game road trip Thursday in Miami.

Using a barrage of outside shooting and easy transition baskets, San Antonio opened up a 20-point lead minutes into the fourth quarter and was able to coast down the stretch as its field goal shooting hovered near 50 percent.

"I don't know if it takes a perfect effort,'' Nelson said. "We've got to put forth more of an effort as a team and eliminate some of the mistakes we had out there and some of that uncertainty, and be more decisive offensively.''

Popovich said he wanted to try to limit Duncan's minutes as they wound down the long road trip. As it turned out, the veteran didn't have to push himself against the Magic.

When he was in the game, Orlando's frontcourt players had difficulty containing him or any of San Antonio's other big men in the half court. That included Tiago Splitter, who had nine points off the bench.

For the game the Spurs connected on 44 of 88 field goal attempts, or 52 percent.

"It's early. We'll lose our share, but right now we're playing pretty well, I guess,'' Popovich said. "It's our second road trip this month. Six days and then 10 days, and this one, so I think they do deserve credit for keeping their focus all that time.''

In contrast, Wednesday marked the second time this season the Magic starters failed to attempt a single free throw. No Orlando player attempted a free throw until there were less than five minutes to play in the game.

For the night, Orlando was just 41 of 95 from the field.

"We can't let shots dictate the rest of the game,'' Vaughn said. "A shot can't dictate transition defense, a missed shot can't dictate our ability to box out and not give up second-chance points ... shots have nothing to do with that.''

The tone was set early with the Spurs controlling most of the first half, getting easy looks from both the inside and outside as they built a 14-point halftime lead.

The Spurs' "Big Three'' were all beneficiaries, led by Duncan's 13 points, followed by Ginobili and Parker with 12 apiece.

Ginobili got hot from beyond the arc early, and was responsible for four of San Antonio's six 3-pointers in the half. That opened up the paint for Duncan, who had several makes inside of 5 feet.

Parker was equally adept at getting to the rim and also had a pair of three-point plays.

Meanwhile, Orlando couldn't find the touch from deep, going 1 for 8 from the 3-point line.

The Magic's starters struggled overall from the field, going 11 for 26 collectively.

Parker said in a way, being away from home so much early this season has been the best medicine for a team that didn't find the cohesion it was seeking in the preseason.

"We've been sharing the ball. Our offense has been clicking,'' Parker said. "At home we were a little bit out of sync. We've been using this road trip to jell and try to get the groove we had last year.''

Popovich said he did leave the court feeling a little sympathy for the challenge Vaughn has going forward.

"Of course I do,'' he said. "No coach steps in anywhere, and puts in a system with new players and new faces and gets everything right, very quickly. It's going to take time...But he has the discipline, the work ethic, and the respect that he engenders with people that those qualities will get it done.''

Notes: The 3-pointer Duncan hit at the end first half was just his second make beyond the arc in three seasons. ...The Magic have now had at least 15 turnovers in each of their last eight games.

 

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Thunder beat Rockets 120-98 in Harden's return


OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) James Harden's return to Oklahoma City was only a small part of an emotional day for the Houston Rockets.

Kevin Durant matched his season high with 37 points and the Thunder beat Houston 120-98 on Wednesday night, after the Rockets made a stop in Minnesota earlier in the day to attend the funeral of coach Kevin McHale's daughter.

Harden scored 17 points, but was limited to 3-for-16 shooting. He had six shots blocked by the Thunder.

After a draining 24 hours, he was ready to put it behind him.

"It felt good just to be competing against those guys and finally get this over with, to play here and get it over with,'' Harden said. "Now, I can continue on with the season.''

Harden missed his first nine shots, and by the time he made one, the Rockets were down by double digits in the second half. They never got closer than 10 after that.

Harden, the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year as Oklahoma City made it to the finals last season, was unable to agree on a contract extension with the Thunder and was traded just before the season started.

Harden said before the game that he thought there was a "very slight chance'' that he'd be traded. He has complained that general manager Sam Presti gave him only one hour to mull over Oklahoma City's final offer before the trade.

"One minute, I was at dinner with my family. The next minute, I'm headed to Houston,'' Harden said. "It happened pretty quick.''

Harden then agreed to a maximum contract worth $80 million with Houston - something Oklahoma City wasn't willing to offer; there would have been severe salary cap ramifications if it had.

Harden said he felt "relaxed'' and not pressured by the circumstances, although it didn't show in his game. Only a meaningless 3-pointer in the final 3 minutes prevented him from his worst shooting percentage yet with Houston.

"I just couldn't finish the ball around the basket,'' Harden said. "I had a couple of good looks. I think the other guys feel the same way.''

Harden was at the center of a heated first-half incident that got Thunder backup center Hasheem Thabeet temporarily ejected. Thabeet and Harden exchanged words after Thabeet blocked two consecutive shots by Harden. Thabeet then bumped into referee Marc Davis and pushed him away, resulting in an ejection. But Davis went to instant replay and downgraded the punishment to a single technical foul.

Fans gave Thabeet a standing ovation when he returned to the court, and booed lustily as Harden made his free throw. It was Harden's first point of the game and one of only two in the first half. Harden missed all eight of his shots from the field as Houston fell behind 57-45, never really threatening after that.

"It's crazy,'' said Durant, who admitted he couldn't sleep overnight or when he tried to take a nap Wednesday. "Seeing him before the game and in chapel just in a different uniform is a little different. We've moved on past it, man. We're happy to see him, glad he's doing well out there in Houston but we wanted this win bad.

"For all those days in practice where him, Daequan (Cook) and Eric Maynor beat the first group, I wanted this win real bad,'' Durant added.

The Rockets had flown to Minnesota after blowing out Toronto on Tuesday night, arriving at the team hotel between 1:30 and 2 a.m. They were back up by 8 for a team brunch and a scouting report in suits and ties before they went to the funeral.

Acting coach Kelvin Sampson said McHale and his wife, Lynn, were arranging candles near some photos of Sasha and didn't immediately see the team walk in.

"We didn't know what to do or say, so we just waited for them to get finished, then they turn around and at the same time they looked at us,'' Sampson said. "Really, really, really emotional.''

McHale hugged everyone in Houston's traveling party and shared a few words with each person. He took a leave of absence from the team on Nov. 10. Sasha died Saturday at age 23 of complications from lupus.

"Just to see our faces, I think, kind of gave him some kind of joy. Just to show him that we were there, our whole entire organization was there just to support him,'' Harden said. "No matter if it was for 5 minutes or 30 minutes, he just wanted to see our faces. I'm glad we got that opportunity to go out there and share that moment with him.''

The team then flew to Oklahoma City, arriving at the arena less than 5 hours before game time. Sampson said about half of his players were in the locker room with towels over their heads, trying to squeeze in a nap during the afternoon.

Patrick Patterson scored 27 points and Omer Asik had 17 points and 12 rebounds to lead the way for the Rockets. Daequan Cook, also involved in the Harden trade, scored 18 points while starting in place of injured Rockets forward Chandler Parsons (shoulder).

Serge Ibaka scored 23 points and blocked six shots. Kevin Martin, the centerpiece of the trade from Oklahoma City's standpoint, had 17 points.

Before the game, the Thunder flashed a welcome back message to the players who were traded away and Harden got a warm ovation during starting lineups. Harden and Cook both greeted coach Scott Brooks and others on the Thunder bench just before tipoff.

Harden missed his first four shots - getting a jumper swatted from behind and out of bounds by Westbrook, and a fast-break layup blocked as Ibaka followed him to the basket - and committed two early turnovers. Cook also missed his first three shots, but then hit a jumper and a 3-pointer for a 19-14 Houston lead.

Oklahoma City took the lead for good with an 18-4 run, including the first nine points of the second quarter, and went up 36-25 before Thabeet and Harden had their run-in.

The lead grew to 49-33 after Harden's foul allowed Durant to convert a four-point play.

"Every day at practice, we had a war. I knew what each and every one of those guys do well and what they don't do well and vice-versa,'' Harden said. "I couldn't guard all five of them.''

NOTES: Sampson formerly coached at Oklahoma for 12 seasons. "The circumstances that I took over this position with, I just don't feel comfortable talking about me. I talk to Kevin every day. I talked to him the day his daughter died. I'm really, really close to Kevin and I'm holding the fort down until he comes back.'' ... Parsons hurt his right shoulder late in Houston's win against Toronto on Tuesday night. "I don't think it's a joint. I think it's more soft tissue, but he can't get his elbow past 45 degrees,'' Sampson said

 

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Thunder vs Rockets highlights

Kevin Durant has 37 points to lead Thunder past Rockets.

 

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Popovich angers Stern by resting Spurs' stars, but it's the right call

Michael Rosenberg>INSIDE THE NBA


I love a good ethical dilemma, and Gregg Popovich gave us a great one Thursday night. He benched four of his top players -- Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker and Danny Green -- for a national TV game against the Miami Heat.

Popovich has benched Duncan numerous times before, because while they may build a statue of Duncan one day, they don't want him to play like one in May. But Parker is 30. Green is 25. What kind of a world is this when a 25-year-old professional basketball player needs rest? Go tell the guys on the 5 a.m. shift at the nearest assembly line that Green needed to rest.

Before the opening tip, this looked like an unofficial forfeit -- giving up one game to improve your chances of winning the next.

It seemed to go against the one fundamental principle we hold for all our sports: Everybody must try.

But did it?

Or was Popovich not only within his rights, but simply right?

NBA commissioner David Stern promised "substantial sanctions" for the Spurs, and that is just the kind of phrase I associate with the commissioner of a major sport, because it sounds angry but is really just wussy. You can almost hear Stern's voice as he dictated his announcement: "THERE WILL BE SUBSTANTIAL ... (dramatic pause) SANCTIONS!"

You wouldn't use this phrase in any other aspect of your life. Try telling your toddler that if he poops in his underwear again there will be substantial sanctions. Or tell your girlfriend that if she makes out with your best friend she will face substantial sanctions. It's just not that harsh, is it? Stern basically said he is mad as hell and he'll, uh, think of something.

I don't know what that might be. How do you respond to a team benching its stars? You can't suspend them, can you? Do you make them play pickup ball on their off-days at the local Y? Do you force Duncan to say something interesting? Even Stern's power has its limits.

When I first heard the news, I completely agreed with Stern's reaction. After all, without paying customers, the NBA is just an incredibly loaded rec league. When you sell tickets for the Heat and the Spurs, fans expect to see the best that the Heat and Spurs can offer on that night.

Of course players can get injured, traded or suspended after you buy your tickets. That's the risk you take. But you expect the teams, as constructed, to give their best effort that night.

This will sound overly dramatic and cheesy and clichéd, but it is still true: Somewhere in that crowd in Miami was a kid who has never been to an NBA game before, who was looking forward to Duncan and LeBron for MONTHS, and was disappointed when he got to the arena and Duncan was not on the floor. That bothers me. If it were your kid, it would bother you, too.

And yet ... well, Popovich is paid a lot of money to achieve one goal: Win an NBA championship. He takes this one goal very seriously. He has never, for a day of his coaching life, put entertainment ahead of this one goal. He does not put personal relationships ahead of this one goal. He does not put ego ahead of this one goal.

This helps explain why he has lasted so long with the Spurs. He doesn't wear out his players, or suck up to them, or hold grudges against them because he wants to look tough. He does not act like he knows how every business in the world should be run. He just tries to win championships. Players respect that.

I believe, completely, that Popovich made this decision because of that one goal. Yes, he knew the Spurs hurt their chances of winning the game. But the reality of the NBA is that nobody tries as hard as possible in every game. Teams coast. They land in a city at 3 a.m. and play lethargically that night. They take opponents lightly. They get bored.

And coaches do not play all of their starters for 45 minutes a night, even though that would give them the best chance of winning that particular game. Right now in Oklahoma City, there are worries that Kevin Durant is playing too much. He is averaging 39.3 minutes a game. Of course he can play 39 minutes per game, but why try to squeeze every win out of the regular season when the playoffs matter more?

See, Stern can scream about SUBSTANTIAL ... SANCTIONS! But the lines are blurry.

Sometimes teams don't try as hard as they can so they can improve their chances in the lottery. They are trying to lose so they can really win. Should they face substantial sanctions?

Sometimes teams rest their starters late in the season so they are fresh for the playoffs. Stern has gotten ticked about this in the past. But those teams are also trying to win championships. Should they face substantial sanctions?

What about teams that trade their best players for draft picks? Like Popovich's Spurs, they were trying to improve their long-term prospects at a possible short-term price. Should they face substantial sanctions?

What about hockey teams that give their star goalies a night off -- which is every hockey team? Should they all face substantial sanctions?

And what about last year, when Duncan did not play for this official reason: DNP -- OLD? Popovich was doing the same thing he did Thursday night.

In the end, the Spurs made Popovich look like a genius. They took the Heat to the final seconds before losing, and you can say that the Spurs would have been better off with their stars -- especially Parker, the Spur best suited to playing Miami -- but you can't say the Spurs didn't try. Very few teams this year will play the Heat as close in Miami as the Spurs did.

And the Spurs will indeed be fresher for their home game against Memphis Saturday. In a very small way, Popovich improved his team's chances of achieving their one big goal. So I don't think the Spurs should face substantial sanctions. I do feel bad for that kid, though.

 

[fastbreak]

Nets topple Magic 98-86


ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) Joe Johnson helped the surging Brooklyn Nets handle the absence of Brook Lopez.

With Lopez sidelined for the first time this season, Johnson helped fill the void with 22 points and the Nets earned their fifth straight victory, holding off the Orlando Magic 98-86 on Friday night.

Gerald Wallace added 20 points, including five 3-pointers, as all five Brooklyn starters reached double figures.

"I think we just got a little more focused,'' said Deron Williams, who finished with 11 points. "We came in and talked as a team. Our team wasn't where we were supposed to be defensively in the first half. I think we decided we were going to lock up and get serious because we got stops and it made us get out and run and get some easy baskets.''

Lopez sat with a mild right foot sprain and is day to day.

But it turned out that the Nets' hot shooting and defensive speed was more than enough to make up for what he normally provides in the middle.

"We did a much better job of coming out and really being focused and taking care of the ball,'' Nets coach Avery Johnson said. "We didn't really didn't really have our normal Brooklyn Nets' focus, but we came out focused in the third (quarter) ... which enabled us to get our defense in.''

The victory was the Nets' third this season over the Magic and Brooklyn wraps up its three-game road trip in Miami on Saturday.

Glen Davis had 16 points to lead the Magic, who lost their third straight game.

Avery Johnson said before the game that he wasn't worried about his team being flustered offensively because of his confidence in backup Andray Blatche.

Brooklyn was a little timid in the early going, but was able to relax in the front court as its shooters began to stretch the Magic out defensively.

The Nets connected on 11 of 20 3-pointers to make up for Lopez's normal inside production.

While Wallace carried most of the load from beyond the arc, Johnson picked apart the Magic defense with midrange jumpers.

Meanwhile Johnson's counterparts- Arron Afflalo and J.J. Redick - were a combined 2 for 14 from the field. As a team, the Magic were also 1 for 11 from the 3-point line. That came after Orlando went just 2 for 15 from beyond the arc in Wednesday's blowout loss to the Spurs.

"That's a big discrepancy,'' Magic coach Jacque Vaughn said. "I think we had good looks tonight from 3 that just didn't go in and that's part of basketball.''

Orlando begins a five-game road trip Sunday in Los Angeles. It will be the Magic's first meeting against Dwight Howard since trading the All-Star center this past summer.

The Magic were short-handed as well Friday, as point guard Jameer Nelson sat with a sore left Achilles tendon.

It was the latest health issue to confront Nelson, who missed his seventh game this season, after having previously been sidelined with hamstring and groin issues.

E'Twaun Moore started in his place and managed to hold his own opposite Williams, at times pushing the tempo for a Magic offense that had been stagnant in the half court in recent games.

But it wasn't enough as Orlando tired down the stretch and wilted as Brooklyn pushed the pace in the second half.

The big run came just after halftime as the Nets grabbed some momentum in the third quarter and used a 15-4 spurt to take 69-56 lead.

Wallace made two 3-pointers during the run and had four makes from long distance in the quarter.

The Nets led 76-65 at the start of the fourth quarter, with Blatche becoming more active inside after a slow start.

Johnson also began to heat up, scoring six points in the period as the Nets' lead grew to 20.

Brooklyn led 45-44 at halftime, as an energized Magic team attacked the basket and took advantage of Lopez's absence underneath, outscoring the Nets 28-18 in the paint.

Orlando also limited the Nets' second-chance opportunities and managed to hold a 19-17 rebounding edge.

Notes: Johnson, who played for San Antonio's 1999 championship team, said his former coach Gregg Popovich has always looked out for his players' well-being first. That includes resting them as he sees fit. "I think Pop knows his team. He knows what's best for his team,'' Johnson said. "My main thing is I can't tell him how to run his team. I think he does a great job historically. And whatever he's done over his coaching career, it's worked. He knows his team better than anybody and I'm sure he makes decisions to give his team the best chance to win in the short term and the long term.''... Brooklyn F Tomike Shengelia was inactive for the fourth straight game with a sprained left thumb.

 

[fastbreak]

Shved, Love lead Timberwolves over Bucks 95-85


MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Kevin Love was sick. Ricky Rubio, Chase Budinger and Brandon Roy were all out with injuries and the rest of the Minnesota Timberwolves couldn't buy a bucket for most of the game.

So coach Rick Adelman turned to Alexey Shved, the unflappable Russian rookie who is quickly emerging as the team's closer. Just as he did for Russia in the Olympics, the versatile guard came through to save the Timberwolves.

Shved scored 10 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter and Love overcame a nasty stomach bug to collect 15 points and 14 rebounds in Minnesota's 95-85 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night.

"That guy has no filter out there, he just plays,'' Love said of Shved. "He seems like such a shy guy, but when he gets out there, it's a whole different person.''

Shved hit three of his four shots in the final quarter, grabbed two steals and had two key assists to help the Timberwolves to a much-needed victory heading into a three-day break.

Nikola Pekovic had 14 points and tied a career high with 16 rebounds, and J.J. Barea added 15 points and five assists for the Wolves, who are getting star guard Ricky Rubio back at practice this weekend for the first time since he tore an ACL last March.

Larry Sanders had a career-high 10 blocks for the Bucks - tying a franchise record set by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1973 - to go with 10 points and 12 rebounds.

"I only had two fouls tonight. I think that's what I'm most impressed with,'' Sanders quipped. "I was able to stay in the game and help my team.''

Brandon Jennings had 18 points and six boards for the Bucks, who lost backup point guard Beno Udrih to an injured right ankle in the fourth quarter. X-rays were negative and the team said he will be re-evaluated on Saturday.

"We had some issues on the defensive end,'' coach Scott Skiles said. "But overall we had a bunch of good looks. Had some layups, some shots in the paint and they just didn't go down for us. Then we just slowly fell behind.''

The Bucks shot 36.6 percent, including 5 for 18 on 3-pointers, in losing for the fifth time in six games.

Love was a game-time decision, but was almost forced to gut it out given the Wolves' long list of injuries. He missed 13 of his first 17 shots and was clearly laboring throughout the game. He was able to dig deep enough for a key putback during an 11-0 run in the fourth quarter that put Minnesota in control for good, and Shved really did the rest.

After the Wolves managed just 11 points in a dreadful third quarter, Shved scored the team's first seven points of the fourth. He also hit Luke Ridnour with a beautiful cross-court feed for a jumper and drilled a deep 3 with the shot clock winding down that put the game out of reach with 1:15 to play.

"He was really terrific,'' Adelman said.

That's high praise from a coach who has a reputation for being tough on young players, but Shved has earned Adelman's trust. He has been every bit the playmaker he was in leading the Russians to the bronze medal in London, and Adelman is leaning on him more and more to get the Wolves through this onslaught of injuries, a string that continued on Friday night.

"I'm a rookie, but my partners help me,'' Shved said. "Coach believes in me and that's very important to me.''

Andrei Kirilenko missed his second straight game with back spasms while guard Malcolm Lee was out with a sore left groin. Lee was thrust into the starting rotation the past eight games due to injuries to Roy and Budinger.

J.J. Barea started in Lee's place, but the Wolves were able to stack up a little better against the smaller Bucks backcourt of Monta Ellis and Jennings. The super-quick duo has struggled in the efficiency department for much of the season, and that again was the case in Minnesota. Ellis was 8 for 22 while Jennings went 6 for 19.

Ellis had 18 points and John Henson had 10 points and seven boards.

"I think as a unit it doesn't matter who takes the shots, we just have to keep playing through whatever,'' Jennings said. "You see a lot of heads go down when guys are missing shots, but it's still 48 minutes so you still have to play through the whole game no matter what's going on.''

NOTES: Udrih had to be helped off the court after getting tangled with Love on a drive to the basket with 8 minutes left. Joel Przybilla had to shoot the free throws for him and went 0 for 2, much to the delight of a home crowd that has booed him ever since he left the University of Minnesota early 13 years ago. ... Ridnour scored 16 points for Minnesota. ... The Timberwolves held a moment of silence for Sasha McHale, the 23-year-old daughter of former Wolves coach and executive and current Rockets coach Kevin McHale. A funeral for Sasha was held this week after she died of complications from Lupus.