The 2012-13 Basketball Season Is Here

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Celts cruise without Rondo, top Blazers 96-78


BOSTON (AP) Two young fans held up a sign that said, "We Miss RONDO.''

The Celtics looked just fine without him.

While star point guard Rajon Rondo began a two-game suspension, Boston got 19 points from Jeff Green and 17 from Jason Terry while cruising to a 96-78 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night.

Rondo's "our leader, so it's tough when he's not here,'' Green said. "So everybody as a group has to pull together as a team and try and take his place.''

Rondo was suspended for his role in a scuffle during a 95-83 loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday night. Afterward, Celtics coach Doc Rivers called his team "soft.''

That motivated Courtney Lee, who started in Rondo's place and finished with 10 points, seven rebounds, five assists and three steals.

"Nobody wants to be called soft,'' Lee said. "I took that personal because I know that I'm far from being soft and I think our team took it personal, too.''

The Celtics never trailed. They carried a 56-33 advantage into the break and took their biggest lead on a 22-foot jumper by Kevin Garnett that made it 65-38 with 8:26 left in the third quarter.

The Trail Blazers lost their fourth straight game and had just three scorers in double figures - LaMarcus Aldridge with 23 points and J.J. Hickson and Meyers Leonard with 11 each.

"We came out passive and they came out really aggressive,'' Aldridge said. "After the last game (with) everything they had going on, they had to set the tone early and they did.''

The Celtics led 25-18 after one quarter and pulled away in the second when they held the Trail Blazers to just two field goals, both by Aldridge, and outscored them 31-15.

"We went into the third quarter, we played a little better, made some adjustments,'' Portland coach Terry Stotts said, "but we were on our heels from the beginning.''

Aldridge provided more than half of the Trail Blazers' points in the first half, scoring 17 while collecting five of their seven field goals. Hickson and Damian Lillard scored the others.

"When we come out and set the tone defensively, like we did tonight, that's the type of team we are,'' said Paul Pierce, who had 12 points, eight rebounds and five assists. "That's the Celtics that I know.''

The Trail Blazers cut the lead to 58-38 before the Celtics scored the next seven on two free throws by Lee, a 3-pointer by Terry and Garnett's jumper.

Boston led 75-59 heading into the fourth quarter and was never threatened in the final period.

"We just basically played through'' the big men, Boston coach Doc Rivers said. "We took all the pressure off the guards. All they had to do is bring (the ball) up and then throw it to Kevin at the elbow or Jared (Sullinger) at the elbow and then cut and move. That way there's no dribbling.''

Rondo leads the NBA with 12.9 assists per game but was suspended after shoving Brooklyn's Kris Humphries. He'll also miss Saturday night's game at the Milwaukee Bucks.

"We all know Rondo's capabilities,'' Lee said. "He's a great playmaker. He's going to rack up assists. Today we just came out there and played together.''

Without Rondo, the Celtics scored seven of the first eight points and led by seven after one quarter, making 57.1 percent of their shots to 31.3 percent for the Trail Blazers.

It got worse for Portland in the second quarter when Boston scored the first nine points, the first two on free throws by Leandro Barbosa and the last seven by fellow reserve Green.

"Of course, we're frustrated,'' said Portland's Nicholas Batum, who missed nine of 11 shots. "The start of the season we played great, so we have to show some pride and (not) play ridiculous like we did tonight.''

The loss came two days after the Trail Blazers became the first team to fall to Washington, which had lost its first 12 games. The Wizards won 84-82.

Before the game, Rivers provided a glimpse of his strategy with Rondo being suspended.

"Everyone's going to be the point guard,'' he said. "I told our guys the entire team has to be ready for ballhandling duties. It left us in a pretty tough spot, but we should be able to play through this and win games still.''

NOTES: The Trail Blazers had just 12 assists. ... Boston's reserves outscored Portland's 41-22. ... Kris Joseph, recalled from Maine of the NBA Development League, played four minutes, 55 seconds and scored two points for Boston. ... Portland has three more games left in a season-high, seven-game road trip: Cleveland, Charlotte and Indiana.

 

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Celtics vs Trail Blazers highlights

No Rondo through suspension but Celtics win

 

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Parsons, Patterson lead Rockets past Jazz


HOUSTON (AP) There's a lot more to the Houston Rockets' offense than just James Harden.

Patrick Patterson scored 20 points, Chandler Parsons and Jeremy Lin had 19 apiece and the Rockets beat the Utah Jazz 124-116 on Saturday night.

Harden finished with 18 points and seven assists for the Rockets, who shot a season-best 55 percent (46 of 83) and hit half of their 3-point shots at 11 of 22. Greg Smith and Carlos Delfino each scored 13.

Houston scored a season-high 39 points in the fourth quarter, and it's averaging 113 points during a five-game home winning streak.

"There's a lot more balance, and I think the ball is moving,'' said Lin, who led Houston with eight assists. "We're getting our bigs in a spot that they need to be to keep the floor spread. It's starting to look more and more dangerous.''

The Rockets finished with 26 assists, just shy of the season-high 30 they had in a 117-101 home win over Toronto on Tuesday. Houston had seven players score in double figures for the first time this year.

"We're very unselfish,'' Parsons said. "We're moving the ball great right now. If you look at the stat sheet, it was so balanced. That's how we've got to go, because every different night, a different player can beat you.''

Omer Asik had 14 points and 12 rebounds for Houston. He briefly left the game after taking an elbow from Hayward, but returned for the final minutes.

Gordon Hayward had 13 of his 21 points in the second half and Al Jefferson and Randy Foye each scored 20 for Utah. The Jazz lost despite shooting 51 percent (48 of 94) overall and going 11 for 20 from 3-point range.

"We wait or give teams the opportunity to get runs against us and we get runs back,'' Utah coach Tyrone Corbin said. "That happens in games, but we have to understand (that) from the beginning of the game, as if we are down.''

Patterson has added the 3-point shot to his game in recent weeks, forcing defenses to shed their double teams on Harden and Lin. He's hit six 3-pointers in the last three games and he's topped 20 points in each of them.

"Just working on it, every single day in practice,'' the 6-foot-9 Patterson said. "My teammates keep looking for me, and if I can knock it down, I'm going to keep shooting it.''

Houston led 58-49 at the break after hitting 23 of 39 shots (59 percent) in the first half, its best percentage for a half this season.

Hayward sank a 3-pointer and scored seven points in the first six minutes of the third quarter, and the Jazz rallied to tie it. He was whistled for an offensive foul when he elbowed Asik on a drive. Asik came out of the game and walked to the locker room, pressing a towel to his face.

Hayward sank another 3 with 3:26 left in the third to put the Jazz up 75-74. He scored 11 points in the quarter and made all four of his shots, then dunked an alley-oop pass from Earl Watson early in the fourth.

Delfino, back after missing seven games with a groin injury, hit a 3-pointer to tie it at 88 and Parsons converted a three-point play after finishing a fast break to put Houston back on top.

The Rockets hit three 3-pointers early in the fourth quarter to stretch the lead to 10, but the Jazz answered with a quick 9-0 spurt to cut the deficit to 105-104. Both teams had their starters on the floor for the last six minutes, including Asik for Houston.

Patterson sank a corner 3 for a 112-109 lead with just over four minutes left. The Jazz missed their next four shots, running out of energy on the heels of a loss in Oklahoma City on Friday night.

"We came back and had opportunities in the game, on the road,'' Corbin said. "We just didn't finish it off.''

NOTES: Jazz F Marvin Williams sat out for the second straight game with concussion symptoms, and Corbin said he has to pass more tests before he'll be cleared to return. Williams took a hard fall in Utah's 96-84 win in New Orleans on Wednesday. ... Jazz F/C Derrick Favors has an MRI exam scheduled for Sunday after straining his right arch in Friday night's loss to Oklahoma City. "Any time you hear about an injury you've got to have an MRI for, the MRI could reveal something,'' Corbin said. "Hopefully, it's just a short-term thing.'' . ... The Rockets have won 23 of their last 25 December home games. ... All five Houston starters scored in double figures for the third time in four games.

 

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Wade's 34 lifts Heat past Nets, 102-89


MIAMI (AP) More than four hours before game time, Dwyane Wade was alone on the Miami Heat practice court, just getting some shots up by himself. No coaches around, no teammates, no trainers, just him, a ball and his thoughts.

It sparked his best scoring effort of the season.

Wade scored 34 points, LeBron James added 21 and the Heat rallied from a 14-point deficit to beat the Brooklyn Nets 102-89 on Saturday night to remain atop the Eastern Conference.

"I knew this was a big game for us, to come in versus a team that's been playing very well,'' Wade said. "And I wanted to sure I came out ready. So I wanted to get in early and made sure I did everything possible.''

Ray Allen scored 13 and Norris Cole finished with 12 for the Heat, who won their sixth straight. Miami trailed by 14 points in the second quarter and was down by nine at halftime, before outscoring Brooklyn 52-30 in the second half.

Andray Blatche scored 20 points for Brooklyn, which had won five in a row. Gerald Wallace had 13 points, Joe Johnson added 12 and Deron Williams finished with 10 points and 12 assists.

The Nets were 10 for 31 from the field in the second half and lost to Miami for the 12th straight time.

"Just a tale of two halves,'' Nets coach Avery Johnson said. "We just seemed to have worn down a little bit. We made some mistakes there that's not our team. It's uncharacteristic of us. We're a team that takes care of the ball.''

Wade added seven assists and shot 14 for 20 for Miami. He reached the 30-point mark for the first time this season when he took an alley-oop pass from Allen and slammed the ball for a 90-81 edge with 5:14 left.

He added a 10-footer on Miami's next possession for the Heat's first double-digit edge of the game, helping the reigning NBA champions move to 8-0 at home this season.

"This was a step-forward game for us,'' Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "It was good to see our guys connected again. We didn't necessarily play our best basketball in the first half, but in some ways, it was our best win.''

Miami has made a living off fourth-quarter comebacks this season, already winning six games where it trailed at some point in the final 12 minutes.

The latest Heat rally came a quarter earlier than usual.

Down 73-65 with 4:41 left in the third after trailing all night long, Miami ran off 10 straight points, and needed just 93 seconds to make it all happen.

Wade scored to get the Heat within two, then had a steal and dunk that tied the game. James had another steal-and-slam to give the Heat their first edge, 75-73 with 3:08 left in the period. James set up Mike Miller for a 3-pointer from the left corner with 1:51 left for an 80-75 edge, capping a 15-2 Miami burst.

And then Miami slammed the door with defense.

Brooklyn had just one field goal in the first 9:06 of the final quarter, missing 10 of 11 shots in that stretch as Miami - despite shooting 5 for 16 over the same stretch - pulled away.

"We're a veteran ballclub and we understand that in order for us to win ballgames, in order for us to compete and defend our title, we have to defend,'' James said. "It was good to see we took care of that tonight.''

The Heat won by 30 the first time these teams met this season. It took the Nets only a few minutes to show this matchup would be much different.

Midway through the first quarter, Brooklyn was already holding a 15-4 lead. James had two fouls by the end of the quarter - the second coming on the offensive end in the final seconds - and the Nets were up 24-16 after the opening 12 minutes, holding Miami 10 points below its first-quarter average for the season.

Brooklyn continued to control the game in the second, going up 35-21 early in the quarter and still leading by 13 after Spoelstra got whistled for a technical foul, apparently upset with a no-call where Wade was knocked to the floor on a drive.

The Heat seemed sparked by Spoelstra's technical, getting within five, but the Nets survived a brief Miami flurry and took a 59-50 lead into halftime, helped in large part by Johnson connecting on three jumpers in the span of about a minute.

"I think we are just as good as them,'' Wallace said. "We know what we've got to do offensively. You all watched the game. I think we were in the game until we pretty much until we started with unforced turnovers and started giving them easy baskets, but other than that I think we controlled this game, we had an opportunity to win and we should have won.''

NOTES: James spent part of his day tracking his alma mater, St. Vincent-St. Mary High School, winning a state football championship - and yes, the reigning NBA MVP, who got a Heat championship ring, was given a Kentucky NCAA title ring and helped the U.S. win Olympic gold in London this year, wants a ring for the football title as well. "I'm making a call,'' James said. ... Players from both teams wore red-and-white shooting shirts in recognition of World AIDS Day, and coaches wore red ribbons to commemorate the day as well. ... The Nets have not won in Miami since Feb. 1, 2008. ... James has scored at least 20 points in all 15 Miami games this season. ... The Nets are now 7-3 against last season's playoff teams.

 

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'Disappointed' Spurs shrug off fine, beat Memphis


SAN ANTONIO (AP) So that's what $250,000 worth of rest looks like.

Tony Parker scored 30 points and Tim Duncan had 27 points and 15 rebounds, giving the San Antonio Spurs their money's worth for the unprecedented fine from the NBA they absorbed for putting rest over the league's business interests in a 99-95 overtime victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday night.

Coach Gregg Popovich said before the victory he was "disappointed'' by the $250,000 fine levied by Commissioner David Stern after the Spurs sent Parker, Duncan and Manu Ginobili - three of the NBA's biggest names - home from a road trip early instead of playing them against LeBron James and the Miami Heat on Thursday in a nationally televised game.

This might ease his frustration. Because chances are Popovich wasn't second-guessing his decision while watching the 36-year-old Duncan put up his best game this season, Parker eclipsing 30 points for the third time in five games and Ginobili sinking the tying 3-pointer with under a minute left to force overtime.

Parker mentioned afterward - perhaps not coincidentally - that the two days off made him feel like he had "a lot of energy'' in the extra period.

"We definitely always have Pop's back. Me, personally I really appreciate what he's done for my career,'' Parker said. "Because of him, I've been playing all those years and all those summers with the national team because he's always protecting me. Timmy's the same way and Manu is the same way.''

He then added how he wanted to win this one for his coach.

"I definitely felt like it was for Pop,'' Parker said. "I wanted to be super aggressive and win the game.''

Marc Gasol led Memphis with 20 points. Zach Randolph had 17 points and 15 rebounds and was one of three Memphis players with double-doubles.

Mike Conley had 18 points and 12 assists, and Rudy Gay had 15 points and 10 rebounds.

While the Spurs' Big Three was refreshed from two days off, Memphis was playing the second half of a back-to-back.

"We don't use any excuses here,'' Conley said. "We felt like we had a chance to win the game regardless of back-to-back or resting. We felt like we had a chance to win.''

The unprecedented fine announced Friday overshadowed the first meeting this season between two of the West's winningest teams. Even Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban - who knows a thing or two about running afoul of Stern and getting hit in the checkbook - chimed in before his team's own game Saturday night.

Cuban believes the NBA was right to sanction his top rivals for messing with the league's "money train'' - meaning lucrative national television contracts. Yet he also called scheduling that marquee TNT game at the end of the Spurs' six-game road swing a "dumb'' move on the NBA's part.

Popovich said he doesn't know if the Spurs will appeal. He also didn't rule out sitting out players again in the future.

Succinctly addressing the fine before the game, he said the decision shows the NBA thinking about its bottom line and didn't elaborate on conversations with the league before the penalty came down Friday.

"What I do from my perspective is from a coaching perspective,'' Popovich said. "And I think the league operates from a business perspective. And I think that's reflective in the action that they took.''

San Antonio fans welcomed Popovich back with a thunderous ovation before the game. One fan behind the Grizzlies' bench held up a sign reading "Pop knows best.'' Others wore shirts with more colorful language directed toward Stern.

The Grizzlies played without Tony Allen for a second straight game because of an injured groin. It's unclear when their starting shooting guard may return.

On Thursday, Popovich put his Big Three and starter Danny Green on a plane and sent them home. It came at the end of a six-game road trip and after the Spurs had played five times in seven days, and Popovich justified his decision by saying he didn't want to subject them to so much wear-and-tear this early in the season.

Stern apologized to NBA fans before the Miami game and vowed his office would hand down "substantial sanctions,'' which he delivered on the next day. He said he "concluded that the Spurs did a disservice to the league and our fans.''

Teams are required to report as soon as they know a player will not travel because of injury. The league's statement said the Spurs were in violation of league policy reviewed with the board of governors in April 2010 against resting players in a manner "contrary to the best interests of the NBA.''

The rest didn't benefit everyone. Green was scoreless in 19 minutes before leaving with tightness in his left hamstring.

Notes: Popovich said it's unlikely that starting F Kawhi Leonard (knee) will return on this weeklong homestand. Leonard has missed nine games. The Spurs hit the road again Dec. 8. ... San Antonio beat the Grizzlies for the fifth straight time after sweeping them last season. Memphis hasn't won against the Spurs since knocking them out of the playoffs in stunning fashion as the No. 8 seed in 2011.

 

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Spurs vs Grizzlies highlights

Spurs win after resting stars in previous game and getting a fine from the NBA.

 

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Knicks beat Suns, stay unbeaten at home


NEW YORK (AP) Rasheed Wallace delivered a hard whack to Luis Scola, then some hard words to the referees.

These New York Knicks won't let anybody have it easy at Madison Square Garden, not even the officials.

Carmelo Anthony scored 34 points and the Knicks ran their best home start in 20 years to 7-0, withstanding Wallace's ejection after a mere 1:25 of playing time to beat the Phoenix Suns 106-99 on Sunday.

Phoenix had won its last two at MSG but the Knicks have finally figured out under coach Mike Woodson that home-court games are not to be wasted. They are 18-1 in the regular season here since he took over last March, jumping on their last few opponents from the start.

"His whole thing when he came in is we're going to protect our home floor. We're going to win every game at home, or we're going to try to win every game at home, and we're going to go out on the road and compete,'' center Tyson Chandler said. "So his whole thing is we've got to protect our house. Teams coming in got to feel like they've got to go somewhere else to get a win.''

Raymond Felton had 23 points, seven assists and no turnovers for the Knicks, who last won seven straight at Madison Square Garden to open a season when they started 9-0 in 1992-93. The point guard was hurting after the game. He went for an MRI exam that revealed a bone bruise in his swollen left hand.

"I got jammed in between another player,'' he said. "Just a lot of pain in my thumb.''

Chandler finished with 15 points and 13 rebounds as the Knicks improved to 12-4 overall, a half-game behind Miami for the best record in the Eastern Conference. They got off to a good start in December after winning 11 in November for the first time since a 12-victory November in 1972 on the way to their last NBA championship.

"I think they're a hell of basketball team. I really do,'' Phoenix coach Alvin Gentry said. "When you add Iman Shumpert and Amar'e Stoudemire back to the mix, shoot, they're as good as anybody.''

The Knicks shook off the first ejection of Wallace's comeback that left them short-handed. Jason Kidd missed a fourth straight game with lower back spasms but hopes to return during their three-game road trip that includes a game in Miami on Thursday.

Marcin Gortat had 18 points and 10 rebounds for the Suns, who dropped their third straight and fell to 1-4 on their season-high, six-game road trip that ends Tuesday in Memphis. Shannon Brown scored 17 points.

The Suns have trailed by double digits in 14 of their 18 games and were already down 10 just 4:18 into the game. The Knicks seemed well on their way to eclipsing their NBA-best average of 27.5 points per first quarter when they jumped ahead 21-6 with 5:15 left in the period.

But they got bogged down committing fouls, including one on Wallace against Scola that was followed by a technical foul when he hit Scola across the arm after the whistle. After Goran Dragic missed the free throw, Wallace yelled "Ball don't lie!'' - his way of saying the call was proven wrong - and whistled for another to pick up his 31st career ejection, most in the league since 1991-92, according to STATS, LLC.

Wallace apologized to the Knicks before leaving without speaking to the media. The Knicks felt the foul wasn't out of line because Scola continued to play through the whistle in trying to get a shot up, so Wallace had the right to as well.

"In this league, it's something called continuation. Sheed stopped him, they gave a tech. It is what it is,'' Anthony said.

Wallace has been called for more than 300 technical fouls in his career and led the league seven times, but said he was too old to be clashing with officials at age 38 when he ended a two-year retirement. But he's up to four for the season now, one off the league lead.

Anthony said he thought the temperamental forward's reputation was held against him Sunday.

"I think so. I mean he's the only guy in the league that gets technicals for saying "Ball don't lie,''' Anthony said, adding that Wallace should trademark the term. "So, I mean, that should tell you right there.''

The Suns pulled within 24-20 after one before the Knicks broke it open again late in the second with an 11-2 spurt that gave them a 59-39 lead with 24 seconds left in the half.

But the game got close a few times in the second half.

Phoenix had the ball with a chance to get within 10 in the final minute of the third but Gortat was whistled for an offensive foul. The Knicks then scored the next five
points, taking an 89-72 lead to the fourth after Anthony made a 3-pointer with 2.8 seconds left.

The Suns made a charge to open the fourth, pulling within 93-85 on Jared Dudley's 3-pointer midway through the period. A follow dunk by Chandler before baskets by Felton and Anthony pushed the lead to 97-85 with 5:16 to go, yet still the Knicks couldn't put it away. Phoenix got it down to 103-99 on Brown's layup with 26 seconds left, but JR Smith - who was 1 of 11 from the field - made two free throws and Chandler added one.

"We've just got to stop digging ourselves in a hole,'' Suns forward Michael Beasley said. "When you get down 15, 20 points, you kind of need a perfect storm to come back and I feel like we're relying on that perfect storm in too many of our games.''

Notes: Backup center Marcus Camby, unable to crack the Knicks' rotation after he was sidelined most of the preseason, was out with a sore left foot. ... Suns veteran Jermaine O'Neal sat out with a strained right quadriceps. ... The Knicks regained the series lead at 58-57. Phoenix has only led once, after winning the first meeting on Oct. 24, 1968. ... The national anthem was performed by Abigail Shapiro, who plays Cindy Lou in the upcoming "How the Grinch Stole Christmas'' at Madison Square Garden's theater. The Grinch was on the court posing for photos before the game.

 

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Orlando beats Dwight Howard's Lakers in reunion


LOS ANGELES (AP) Dwight Howard wasn't his usually playful self in the Los Angeles Lakers' locker room. He refused to answer certain questions and shared few personal thoughts about his ugly reunion with the Orlando Magic.

"It wasn't emotional,'' Howard said.

Maybe that was part of the problem - and one reason the Magic left the reunion with their biggest win of the season.

Arron Afflalo scored 30 points, Glen Davis added 23 points and 12 rebounds, and the Magic beat Howard's Lakers in their first game against their longtime center, 113-103 on Sunday night.

Howard had 21 points and 15 rebounds against his former team, but the rebuilding Magic rallied impressively with a 40-point fourth quarter for just their fourth win in 14 games, snapping a three-game skid. Orlando pulled the upset partly by intentionally fouling Howard, who went 9 for 21 at the line - including 7 for 14 in the fourth quarter.

The Magic made their decisive 12-2 run while Howard wasn't helping the Lakers at the line in the final minutes, with Nelson and J.J. Redick hitting 3-pointers along the way.

Howard's first few months with the Lakers haven't gone the way he might have expected after the four-team, 12-player trade in August: a sub-.500 record, a shocking coaching change, an injured point guard and an unsightly amplification of Howard's career-long woes at the free-throw line, where he has dropped to 46.5 percent (87 for 187) for the season.

"As a team, our effort wasn't there,'' Howard said. "We have to start the game with energy and play the whole game the same way. We didn't do that tonight, and they capitalized on it and they got a win.''

Howard left the court after the game without shaking hands with the Magic - not that he has many close friends left in blue pinstripes anyway. Orlando has new coach Jacque Vaughn, a new front-office staff and just five players who played with Howard.

"Let Dwight be Dwight. If he wants to walk off the court, it's cool,'' said Davis, who overlapped with Howard only last season in Orlando. "No hard feelings. He lost. I'd feel bad, too. I wouldn't want to shake nobody's hand. We weren't even really thinking about him. We just wanted to get this win. I didn't talk to him. I'm here to play basketball. I'm not here to be buddies.''

Kobe Bryant scored 34 points for the Lakers, who dropped to 3-4 under new coach Mike D'Antoni with another inconsistent performance featuring deficient defense. Metta World Peace scored 15 points and Pau Gasol added 11 for the Lakers, who went back to poor form just two nights after a 122-point effort in a blowout win over Denver.

"Seems like we can't get out of our own way,'' D'Antoni said. "I think our problem is just not coming out with the intensity and the purpose that we need to have. ... We're slow right now. Just athletically, we're struggling with young teams that run up and down.''

Jameer Nelson had 19 points and 13 assists after nearly sitting out with tendinitis during the Magic's most impressive win under Vaughn. Orlando also started a stretch of five road games in eight days with just its second road win all season.

Afflalo, the former UCLA star who moved from Denver to Orlando in the trade that sent Howard to the Lakers, had his highest-scoring game in a Magic uniform.

"The way we lost the past three games, I'm sure our fans just wanted to see us win in general,'' Afflalo said. "But for us to kick-start this road trip by playing well, against the Lakers in particular, they should be proud of that. It's a huge confidence boost for us.''

Vaughn said before the game that the Magic wouldn't hesitate to force Howard to beat them at the free-throw line in a close game. Howard missed seven of his first nine free throws against the Magic before finishing with more free-throw attempts than the entire Orlando roster, which went 19 for 20.

"That kind of got us out of our rhythm a little bit,'' said Antawn Jamison, who scored 10 points for Los Angeles. "But it's unexplainable ... to play the way we did tonight after playing so well the other night.''

Howard spent the past eight years as the face of the Orlando franchise since the Magic plucked him out of his Atlanta high school with the first pick in the 2004 draft. He made six All-Star teams and won the NBA's defensive player of the year award three times, leading the Magic to the 2009 NBA finals during five straight playoff appearances.

It all fell apart over the previous two seasons when Howard criticized the organization, flirted with numerous trades and eventually bumped heads with coach Stan Van Gundy. Howard missed the end of last season with a herniated disc in his back, and the Magic missed the playoffs for the first time since 2006.

NOTES: The Lakers don't visit Orlando until March 12. ... World Peace hit the 1,000th 3-pointer of his career in the third quarter. ... Lakers G Steve Nash did shooting and dribbling work on the court before the game. The two-time MVP has missed 15 straight games with a small fracture in his right leg, and the Lakers aren't sure when he'll return.

 

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Blazers storm back to beat Bobcats 118-112 in OT


CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) After playing six games in eight days on the East coast, you might think the travel weary Portland Trail Blazers might be ready to run out of steam.

Hardly.

LaMarcus Aldridge had 25 points and 13 rebounds, Luke Babbitt hit a pair of clutch 3-pointers and Portland overcame an 18-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Charlotte Bobcats 118-112 in overtime Monday night.

The Blazers trailed 97-79 with 5:17 left in regulation, but stormed back to tie the score and sent it into overtime on Babbitt's 3 with 22 seconds left.

"We showed a lot of heart and determination,'' Aldridge said.

To win their second straight game the Blazers had to find a way to stop Ben Gordon, who set a Bobcats' franchise record with eight 3-pointers and finished with 29 points to eclipse 10,000 for his career.

Damian Lillard scored 24 points and Nicolas Batum added 17 points and 13 rebounds for the Blazers, who finish their seven-game road trip at Indiana on Wednesday.

"We are showing that anything is possible if we crack down and we play defense,'' Aldridge said. "Down the stretch we were aggressive, hit the board and started trapping off the pick and roll. We had to make Ben Gordon and (Kemba) Walker pass the ball.''

Batum opened overtime with a big 3-pointer and the Blazers never trailed again.

Babbitt later added a clutch 3-ball to push the lead to four and Wesley Matthews finished off the Bobcats by hitting 4 of 4 free throws in the final 53 seconds.

Charlotte had a chance to win at the end of regulation but Kemba Walker's drive and fallaway jumper from the baseline didn't fall. The Bobcats wanted to get the ball to Gordon for the last shot, but he was well covered.

Walker penetrated, pump-faked and got a good shot off that didn't go down.

Walker finished with 22 points and seven assists for the Bobcats. Byron Mullens added 12 points and 12 rebounds.

Gordon, who is shooting 49 percent from 3-point range this season, began to heat up late in the third quarter and gave the Bobcats a five-point lead to open the fourth.

Charlotte carried the momentum into the final period opening with a flurry, scoring the first 12 points with Michael Kidd-Gilchrist adding six during the stretch and Gordon hitting two more 3s to push the lead to 18.

That's when Blazers coach Terry Slots told his players during a timeout that "a lot can happen.''

"I've been on the other end of this before,'' Stotts said. "It doesn't happen often. But it does happen. And you have to believe that it's going to happen for you.''

The Blazers began chipping away as Lillard scored 16 points after halftime and Babbitt provided a huge lift off the bench.

"Luke was big,'' Aldridge said. "He played solid on defense and he was big for us. They were doubling the block so coach wanted to put a shooter out there. You can't leave Luke out there open. He opened up the floor for us.''

The Bobcats (7-9) have now lost four straight since tying last year's season win total.

Gordon said the game was a learning experience for a Bobcats team that starts two rookies and is one of the league's most inexperienced teams.

"NBA games are long,'' Gordon said. "I've seen a lot of crazy things happen and it's never really over until it's over. So, when you have that type of advantage on a team, you just have to keep your foot on their neck and try and put them away.''

The Bobcats have won seven games this season but most of those have been close.

Coach Mike Dunlap said it looked like his team wasn't sure what to do when it opened a big lead. The loss also left the Bobcats' first-year coach second-guessing himself.

"It is unfamiliar territory,'' Dunlap said. "I thought I could have done a better job helping them, for example with substitutions or maybe a couple of post-up plays for Byron. So I sort of point the finger at me on that.''

Mullens came up with one of the most impressive plays of the season in the first half with the 7-foot center driving down the lane and dunking one-handed over Aldridge.

"I kind of surprised myself with that one,'' Mullens said. "I didn't know he was there until Brendan (Haywood) moved out of the way. It was a great screen. He really sealed him. I thought it was going to be a charge.''

NOTES: Charlotte's Gerald Henderson returned after missing 13 games with a foot injury, but did not start. Henderson played only 15 minutes and scored five points. ... Batum had his first double-double of the season. He also had a season-high seven assists.

 

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Magic outlast Warriors 102-94 for 2nd straight win


OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) If this season for the Orlando Magic is about learning how to do things without Dwight Howard, finding motivation is no longer one of them.

Glen Davis and Arron Afflalo scored 24 points apiece, and the Magic outlasted the Golden State Warriors 102-94 on Monday night for their second straight victory.

A night after an emotional win against the former franchise center and his Los Angeles Lakers, Orlando outscored Golden State 33-25 in the fourth quarter to pull away. J.J. Redick had 10 of his 22 points in the final period and Nikola Vucevic finished with 14 points and 15 rebounds to help the Magic begin their five-game West Coast trip 2-0.

"It was a great win for us. For the most part, I think we played as hard and with as much energy as we did (Sunday) night, which is saying a lot,'' Redick said. "(Sunday) night was an emotional night, (tonight's) a back-to-back, there was a natural tendency to let down, so it really says a lot about our group.''

Stephen Curry had 25 points and 11 assists and David Lee added 22 points and nine rebounds for the Warriors, who were going for their first four-game winning streak under coach Mark Jackson. Instead, they had their five-game home winning streak snapped as they head on the road for a season-long seven-game trip.

"We looked like we were the team that played on a back-to-back,'' Lee said. "And they came out with more energy and beat us at all five positions.''

The laboring Magic managed to outhustle and outmuscle the well-rested Warriors when - and where - it mattered most.

Orlando outscored Golden State 48-36 in the paint. The Magic grabbed 11 offensive rebounds and had 18 second-chance points.

During the final surge, Redick made a short jumper and a 3-pointer to cap a 10-2 run that put the Magic ahead 82-74 early in the fourth. After Curry connected from beyond the arc, Davis' layup over Lee started a three-point play and an avalanche of Orlando offense.

Vucevic's dunk highlighted the spurt and lifted the Magic to a 98-84 lead that put the game out of reach. Golden State has not won four straight since January 2011, when Keith Smart was still the coach.

"Very impressed,'' new Magic coach Jacque Vaughn said. "That was the challenge that we had in front of us tonight, of not hanging our heads on (Sunday's) win but coming out focused and approaching this game as the next game on our road trip. Guys did an incredible job with the focus and aggression at the beginning of the game.''

The Magic made up for a sluggish start in a little more than a second.

Vucevic converted a driving layup over Jarrett Jack to start a three-point play. With 1.8 seconds left in the first quarter, Afflalo deflected Carl Landry's inbounds pass to Davis, who made a 22-footer at the buzzer to put Orlando ahead 28-27.

"They were coming off a big win last night, and they didn't sit on it,'' Jackson said. "They came here and won a ballgame. They didn't steal it. They won it. Now how are we going to respond?''

The Warriors always seemed to be playing from behind - and it even worked sometimes.

Harrison Barnes blocked Afflalo's layup from behind against the backboard. Klay Thompson dribbled upcourt and finished with a pull-up jumper to give Golden State a 56-55 lead about halfway through the third quarter. Redick scored seven points during an 8-0 run for the Magic before Thompson made a 3-pointer and Landry converted a three-point play to send the game to the fourth quarter tied 69-all.

The Warriors went with a smaller lineup in the fourth, and the Magic shredded them.

"The problem with staying small is then you start getting into junk defense and switches and maybe you lose your man,'' Redick said. "I think that actually helped us. They were always having to put someone small on Glen and that created a lot of problems, where we were able to get into some drive and kicks, guys hit some 3s. It opened things up for us.''

NOTES: The Warriors are 6-3 at home and 4-4 on the road. ... The Magic play at Utah on Wednesday night. Utah drafted Vaughn 27th overall out of Kansas in 1997. ... The Warriors recalled F/C Jeremy Tyler from the Santa Cruz Warriors of the NBA Development League. Tyler had five points, six rebounds, one assist and one steal in 29 minutes of Santa Cruz's 95-79 victory at Reno on Sunday.

 

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Griffin scores 30, Clippers beat Jazz 105-104


SALT LAKE CITY (AP) Randy Foye knew what was coming. He had seen Chris Paul do it many times as a teammate in Los Angeles last year.

This time, going against the Clippers, Foye raced backcourt to steal the inbounds pass and put up a 3-pointer that would have won the game for the Utah Jazz.

Unlike his 3-pointer that pulled Utah within one point with 1.2 seconds remaining, this one missed its mark and was too late, allowing the Clippers to hang on for the 105-104 victory in Salt Lake City.

"I wish there were 3 seconds left because I would have been able to get to the basket or line it up and knock it down,'' said Foye, who came to the Jazz as a free-agent this offseason.

"But it wasn't meant to be.''

Blake Griffin led Los Angeles with a season-high 30 points and Jamal Crawford added 20 off the bench, including a pair of late free throws for the Clippers.

Early on, Monday's game looked like it might be a Jazz blowout.

"In the first half, it was almost a waste of time because no one showed up,'' Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro said of his team, which was still down 14 late in the third. "Our defense was weak, we were soft and we had no toughness. ... But I was very pleased with the way we responded ... and made plays down the stretch.''

One of the biggest came from 6-foot-11 center DeAndre Jordan. He blocked Al Jefferson's short floater that would have tied the score at 101 with 26 seconds remaining.

"That block was the play of the game,'' Paul said. "DJ had to cover a lot of ground to get there and block that shot.''

From there, the teams would trade free throws, with Matt Barnes and Crawford sinking a pair each for L.A. and Mo Williams making two for the Jazz until Foye nearly became the Jazz hero.

The loss was the first at home this season for the Jazz and first at home for Utah since a 107-105 setback against Phoenix on April 4.

Early on, a pair of ex-Clippers did much of the damage.

Williams led the Jazz (9-10) against his former team with 20 points and 12 assists, and Foye added 19 points. Al Jefferson had 16 points and 10 rebounds for Utah.

Paul added 14 points for Los Angeles, but scored six in the fourth on 3-of-4 shooting after the Clippers entered the quarter trailing by 10.

"He's a gamer,'' Williams said of Paul. "He's going to show up in the fourth quarter. I've seen it enough. But I thought we did our job tonight. Unfortunately things just didn't go our way.''

There was the foul on Chauncey Billups by Williams on an errant 3-point attempt. The Jazz thought it was a flop but Billups got the call and sank 2 of 3 free throws to tie the score at 99.

"Big call,'' Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin said. "The referees saw it a different way but I thought we did everything we could to challenge the shot.''

There also was the loose-ball foul called on DeMarre Carroll during a near scrum with 3:36 left and the Jazz clinging to a 3-point lead.

Crawford hit a 22-foot jumper to pull the Clippers within 94-93 a few seconds later.

And there was Jordan's block.

"DJ can affect the game in so many ways,'' said Griffin. "That play was as big of a play as we had all night.''

It helped the Clippers (11-6) win their third straight, and third with Billups back in the lineup.

Jordan said the defensive effort against Jefferson made the difference in the second half.

"I think just being physical with Al, making his catches difficult, pushing him out on the block, just kind of denying the post pass a little bit,'' Jordan said. "Our guards did a great job of pressuring the passer, which made it a difficult pass to get in.''

The Jazz were playing without small forward Marvin Williams because of concussion-like symptoms and power forward Derrick Favors, who missed his second straight with plantar fasciitis.

Mo Williams, who played behind Paul and Billups last year in L.A. and alongside Foye, did his best to make up the difference.

One of his 12 assists came on a behind-the-back gem to Jefferson that the Jazz big man slammed for a 94-91 Utah advantage with 3:56 remaining.

He also had a pinpoint pass down the middle of the lane to Foye for a layup that gave Utah a 31-19 lead after one quarter.

Williams downplayed that he was revved up because it was the Clippers.

He gave quick bear hugs to his former teammates before the game, and even extended a hand to help Paul up when he had the ball stolen away in the second quarter. While there were tense moments late after a questionable foul and players from both sides jawed and pointed fingers in front of the Jazz bench, Williams went over and shook his ex-teammates hands after the game had ended.

"I knew we were playing a really good team that has a really good point guard, one of the best in the league and just had to step up to the challenge,'' Williams said. "That's every night, but obviously when you're playing guys like that, you've got to get extra motivated to play against them because they're so good.''

He and Foye just didn't have enough in the end.

NOTES: The Jazz honored former University of Utah basketball coach Rick Majerus with a moment of silence before the game. Majerus died Saturday in Los Angeles while awaiting a heart transplant. He was 64. ... Former Jazz shot-blocking great Mark Eaton sat next to former coach Jerry Sloan in the stands. ... The Jazz made 10 of their first 15 shots and were shooting 66 percent at halftime.

 

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Douglas leads Rockets over Lakers 107-105


HOUSTON (AP) Interim Houston coach Kelvin Sampson is always reminding his reserves that there will be some nights when the team's stars will struggle and the Rockets will need them to pick up the slack.

Tuesday was one of those nights.

Toney Douglas had a season-high 22 points and Greg Smith added a career-best 21 to help the Rockets overcome a tough outing by James Harden and rally for a 107-105 win over the Los Angeles Lakers.

Douglas believes the development of Houston's bench players will be important as the season progresses. Houston's reserves had a season-high 59 points on Tuesday, compared to just 20 by the Lakers' bench.

"That's going to be key, and that's only going to make us more dangerous,'' he said.

The Lakers had a 13-point lead with less than 10 minutes to go. But Houston used two big runs, including a 9-2 spurt capped by a 3-pointer from Douglas to take its first lead of the game - 100-99 - with about 2 1/2 minutes left.

Dwight Howard made three free throws after that, but a bucket by Smith and four free throws by Houston put the Rockets back on top 106-102. Kobe Bryant hit a 3-pointer with 13.3 seconds left to cut the lead to one.

Bryant fouled Douglas and he made one of two free throws with 8.8 seconds left. The Lakers had a last chance, but Bryant missed a 3-point attempt before Metta World Peace missed a layup to give Houston the win.

Harden finished with 15 points and a career-high 10 rebounds, but entered the fourth quarter with just eight points after shooting 2 of 18 through the first three quarters. Jeremy Lin also struggled offensively, going 2 of 8 for four points.

"We had a lot of guys struggle, but our bench was good,'' Sampson said. "There is a lot to be said about ... having guys on the bench that you trust that can come through. Toney Douglas, Greg (Smith) and Carlos (Delfino), those three guys are special. They were tough for us tonight.''

The win is Houston's fifth in the last six games and drops the Lakers to 3-5 under new coach Mike D'Antoni.

Bryant led the Lakers with 39 points and Howard had 16 points and 12 rebounds. The Rockets fouled Howard repeatedly in the last 3 1/2 minutes, gambling that sending him to the line would be better than allowing the Lakers to get the ball in Bryant's hands.

Howard went 5 for 10 from the line in that stretch and was eight of 16 overall.

D'Antoni balked at the notion that he should have taken Howard out so the Rockets couldn't use that strategy.

"If you take him out now, then you'll be taking out a guy that's going to be your franchise player all the time,'' he said. "We've got other problems to worry about. We shouldn't be talking about him. He's doing a (heck) of a job and he'll work through it and knock them down.''

Howard also didn't like being questioned about his free throw shooting.

"People are going to say whatever they want to say, but at the end of the day, go back and look at the game,'' he said. "The reason we lost was not my free throws. That didn't lose us the game. Our defense was not there in the fourth quarter.''

Los Angeles led by 13 before Houston used a 14-4 spurt to close the gap to 94-91 with five minutes left. The Lakers had six turnovers and missed five shots in that span. Bryant finally got Los Angeles going again with a free throw and a bucket to make it 97-91.

The Lakers were playing without forward Pau Gasol, who sat out because of tendinitis in both knees. Antawn Jamison started in his place and had 15 points and nine rebounds.

"You miss him a lot,'' Bryant said of Gasol. "He's a dominant player. He's an excellent passer, an excellent post player and an excellent shooter. We're missing a lot.''

A 9-0 run by the Rockets, which included five points from Delfino, got them within 75-68 with about four minutes left in the third quarter.

The Lakers led 83-73 entering the fourth quarter after Bryant hit a fadeaway jumper as the quarter ended.

The Rockets scored six straight points to get within seven points with 10 minutes left in the third quarter. The Lakers answered with a 7-2 run to push the lead to 67-55 with about eight minutes left in the quarter.

Houston cut the lead to six points with a 3-pointer by Delfino early in the second quarter before the Lakers used a 10-3 run to extend their lead to 46-33 about five minutes before halftime. That run was capped by a dunk by Howard followed by a 3-pointer from Jamison.

The Lakers led 58-45 at halftime.

NOTES: The Rockets are paying tribute to coach Kevin McHale's daughter Alexandra "Sasha'' McHale, who died on Nov. 24 at age 23 of complications from Lupus by wearing a green and purple band on their jerseys and a patch of the same color with her initials on their warm-up shirts. Green was her favorite color, and purple is the color that represents the fight against Lupus. McHale remains on leave indefinitely. ... Houston's Chandler Parsons scored 13 points for his 10th straight double-digit game. ... Jamison had a season-high three blocks.

 

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Thunder hold off Nets 117-111 for 6th straight win


NEW YORK (AP) Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder looked spectacular most of the night even when the ball didn't go in.

The blowout didn't last, but their winning streak did.

Durant had 32 points and just missed what could have been the dunk of his career, Russell Westbrook added 25 points and nine assists, and the Thunder held off the Brooklyn Nets 117-111 on Tuesday night for their sixth straight victory.

Serge Ibaka scored 18 points and Thabo Sefolosha 14 for the Thunder, who revved up the NBA's No. 1 offense to surpass 100 points in a 10th straight game for the first time in 15 years. They beat the Nets for the seventh consecutive time, but had to work much harder for this win than they have lately.

"It's a good win, good test for us. We were up, we should have did a better job of playing with the lead, but they're a good team,'' Westbrook said.

Oklahoma City, which had won its last four by an average of 25 points, leads the NBA in victory margin, beating teams by 9.6 points per game. But their 16-point lead was sliced to two down the stretch, even as they shot 60.6 percent for the game.

Deron Williams scored a season-high 33 points for the Nets, who had their six-game home winning streak snapped. They played without starting center Brook Lopez (sprained right foot) and reserve forward Reggie Evans (flu), leaving them without their leading scorer and top rebounder.

They still almost pulled it out after the Thunder threatened to run them off the floor in the first half, but lost their second straight following a five-game winning streak. After falling in Miami on Saturday, they have dropped consecutive contests against last season's NBA finalists.

"I thought we played them tough today,'' Williams said. "We played tough at the beginning of the first half of the Miami game. So those are two teams that have been together for a couple of years. They've won at the highest level and they know how to play together. We're still trying to figure things out.''

The Thunder hit 21 of their first 30 shots in an offensive clinic by a team that came in averaging an NBA-best 105.1 points - and were feeling so confident that Durant even tried a dunk that left the Barclays Center crowd gasping.

"We made shots,'' Thunder coach Scott Brooks said. "Some nights you're going to make shots. You don't anticipate shooting 60 percent in this league, there's too many good defensive teams and they are a good defensive team. We both are and we both had trouble guarding each other tonight.''

Andray Blatche had 19 points and 11 rebounds in Lopez's place, Joe Johnson scored 17 points, and Kris Humphries had 12 points and 12 boards for the Nets.

The Nets were on their longest home winning streak since late in 2005-06, but weren't quite sharp in their $1 billion arena, where even the overhead video board had some technical difficulties, resulting in some garbled names in the first half.

The Thunder hit 12 of 18 shots in the first quarter, getting 10 points apiece from Westbrook and Sefolosha, but the Nets stayed right with them behind 12 from Williams and trailed only 31-28 after one.

But the Thunder were just too sharp in the second quarter, even looking good when they missed. Durant launched himself for a dunk from at least 6 feet away, his feet way up near the 6-foot-11 Blatche's head for an attempt that would have rivaled anything Blake Griffin or Vince Carter has ever thrown down. He missed, throwing the ball hard off the rim, but Blatche was called for a foul and Durant made the free throws.

"I wanted to finish it so bad. I know Dray from him playing in D.C. and that's where I'm from, so I'll talk a little trash to him after that one,'' Durant said.

Durant said it probably would have been his best dunk in the NBA had it gone down, laughing that he didn't jump higher because he "didn't have no more left in the tank.''

"I think that ignited my team just a tiny bit and I wish I could have made that one, but hopefully I get the next one,'' Durant added.

Durant hit all five shots in the period, and the Thunder pulled away with a 16-4 run before taking a 61-48 lead to the half.

They were running away with it when they scored six straight points to make it 73-57 with 8:26 remaining in the third, but then completely forgot to guard the 3-point line. The Nets made five in the final 3:49 of a 38-point period, getting within two before Durant's basket made it 90-86 heading to the fourth.

"I challenged them a little bit at halftime,'' Nets coach Avery Johnson said. "I was disappointed with our effort in the first half. We were playing them like we were giving them a little too much respect and I didn't see the Brooklyn Nets, all right. So they came out and we got it going in the third quarter.''

The Thunder quickly got it back to double digits but the Nets rallied again as Joe Johnson finally got untracked so Williams didn't have to carry the entire scoring load. His short jumper cut it to two with 2:14 left, but Durant was credited with a basket on a goaltend call against Humphries that stood up after video review. After Williams missed, Sefolosha swooped in to put back a miss to make it 112-106, and Oklahoma City was safe again.

Notes: Oklahoma City wore its alternate third uniforms, which are navy blue with "Thunder'' written vertically along the right side of the chest. ... Avery Johnson was the Eastern Conference coach of the month for November. ... If the Thunder ended the season with their current scoring margin, it would be the NBA's largest since Boston won by 10.3 points per game during its 2007-08 championship season.

 

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Wizards stun Heat 105-101 for 2nd win of season


WASHINGTON (AP) Before his NBA-worst, one-win Washington Wizards took on LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and the reigning NBA champion Miami Heat, coach Randy Wittman gathered his team for a heart-to-heart.

"I told the guys ... "The only people that think you have a chance tonight are the people here in this room,''' Wittman recounted.

The prevailing wisdom, Wittman told his players, was that they "ain't got a chance to win this game, and that's what people were saying. We all listen. Could hear it on the street and all that. These guys, it bothers them.''

Well, to pretty much everyone's surprise, the Wizards doubled their season victory total, beating the Heat 105-101 on Tuesday night behind Jordan Crawford's 22 points - and despite James' triple-double of 26 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists.

"I'm so happy for those guys,'' said Wittman, who called this perhaps the most satisfying victory of his coaching career.

The Wizards improved to 2-13, earning their second win in the past three games after starting a franchise-worst 0-12.

"It's a big momentum win for us, obviously. We've been struggling to put together four quarters,'' Washington point guard Shaun Livingston said.

The Heat, meanwhile, began the day with a six-game winning streak and a 12-3 record, tied for the league's best winning percentage at .800.

Afterward, with his feet soaking in a tub of ice, and his eyes scanning a box score, James chuckled a bit at the notion that Miami might learn something from the surprising setback.

"Nah, man, there's not no lesson. This ain't a lesson for us. We just lost,'' James explained. "We've seen and been through everything, so we don't need a loss to be like, "Oh, let's catch ourselves.' It happens.''

He missed a 3-pointer with 18 seconds left that could have given the Heat a lead, and another from beyond the arc that would have tied the score with 3.9 to go.

Yes, the Heat were the ones rushing shots on occasion and they made only 8 of 28 attempts on 3-pointers. The Wizards, surprisingly, were the ones being patient, making the extra pass, finding the teammate with an open look - and finishing with 31 assists on 38 baskets.

"You move on,'' said Wade, who scored 24. "You learn from it, but you don't become a good team by holding onto certain losses - or certain wins.''

With a crowd of 17,761 - not, incidentally, a sellout - standing and screaming down the stretch, relishing that rare chance to witness a compelling game, Kevin Seraphin contributed 16 points and 10 rebounds for the hosts, while Crawford made three free throws in the final 11 seconds.

"It basically just shows how good of a team we are. How good we can be,'' Crawford said. "That's the main thing.''

Actually, the Wizards are world-beaters when it comes to facing the Heat: This made it three consecutive regular-season victories for Washington over Miami, including two last season in April.

"We have to own it right now, not just brush it off that it's a game we let go,'' Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "Because we didn't put ourselves in the best position to give ourselves an opportunity to win.''

Unlike the James-Wade-Bosh Heat, the Wizards are mostly a collection of castoffs and high draft picks who never lived up to their billing - or have yet to, anyway. Their best player, 2010 No. 1 overall pick John Wall, has yet to participate in a practice, let alone play, this season because of a left knee cap injury.

Before the game, Wittman said he can't give an idea of when Wall will be available.

Afterward, Wittman was in a far better mood.

"That was a complete game for us, start to finish,'' he said. "I'll be able to sleep tonight.''

NOTES: Heat G Mario Chalmers sat out the fourth quarter with a jammed finger. ... Wizards F Trevor Ariza left in the third quarter with a strained left calf and was limping in the locker room afterward. He was fitted with a walking boot. ... Washington Redskins rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III, who helped his team beat the reigning Super Bowl champion New York Giants 17-16 a night earlier, drew raucous cheers when he arrived at his courtside seat Tuesday. James was asked whether RG3's vow to transform the basketball star into a Redskins fan could succeed. "No. But I'm a fan of his, though. He's an unbelievable talent. I like to watch him play,'' James said. ... Wittman went with his fifth different starting lineup this season. ... The Heat were without Shane Battier (right knee) and Norris Cole (strained groin).

 

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Wizards vs Heat highlights

LeBron has a triple double but Heat lose to Wizards.

 

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Garnett and Celtics beat T-Wolves again, 104-94


BOSTON (AP) Kevin Garnett sure looked as though he wanted to remind the Minnesota Timberwolves what they've been missing these last five years.

Garnett scored 18 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and remained unbeaten against his former team as the Boston Celtics beat the Timberwolves 104-94 on Wednesday night in Rajon Rondo's return from a two-game suspension.

The Celtics improved to 10-0 against Minnesota since they acquired Garnett from the Timberwolves during the summer of 2007. They also won for the 11th straight time against Minnesota.

Asked if Garnett still liked to play against his old team, Boston coach Doc Rivers didn't hesitate.

"What do you think?'' he said.

When the reporter answered "yes,'' Rivers smiled and replied: "That's a good answer.''

Celtics teammate Paul Pierce, who scored 18 points, downplayed all that, saying Garnett just likes to face good young players such as Timberwolves forward Kevin Love.

"I think he just accepts the challenges of playing against some of the top players in the game,'' Pierce said.

Minnesota is the only other team Garnett has played for in his 17-year career. Garnett looked motivated from start to finish, even coming out and swiping the ball out of Love's hands in front of Boston's bench early in the final quarter.

"We established the post, I thought, early on. I thought defensively we played with a lot of energy,'' Garnett said. "We made them go to their second and third options, which is something they don't like to do.''

Love could see Garnett's energy sparked Boston's other players.

"He's intense,'' Love said. "He's K.G. He's a guy that defensively, he'll clamp down on you. He didn't leave me out there more than once tonight, really clamped in.''

Boston went 1-1 without Rondo, suspended for his role in a scuffle during a game against the Brooklyn Nets last Wednesday.

Rondo had 17 points and 11 assists. Jason Terry scored 17 and Brandon Bass 12.

Love led the Timberwolves with 19 points and 13 rebounds. Nikola Pekovic had 14 with nine boards.

Minnesota went just 6 for 19 from 3-point range one night after hitting a season-high 13 3s in a win over Philadelphia. The Timberwolves also went 14 for 30 from the free throw line.

"We're not going to win if we miss 16 free throws or whatever it was. That's terrible,'' Minnesota guard Jose Barea said.

Boston, which led by seven entering the final quarter, scored 11 of the initial 14 points in the fourth and opened a 90-75 lead on Terry's 3 from the left wing with 7:50 to play. The Timberwolves went nearly 5 minutes without a basket.

The Celtics maintained between a 14 and 12-point lead over the next 3 minutes, keeping the Timberwolves from making a run by nailing a handful of free throws before a spinning, crowd-pleasing basket by Rondo made it 100-85 with 3 1/2 minutes left.

The Celtics used a 9-0 run over 2 minutes to open a 67-61 lead on Terry's 3-pointer midway into the third.

Minnesota, coming off a 17-point win in Philadelphia on Tuesday, scored the last five points of the half to grab a 51-47 edge at the break.

The Celtics opened the game 10 for 13, but cooled off late in the first quarter, missing six of their last nine shots and trailed 30-27 after one.

Love headed to the bench early when he picked up his second foul - both on offense - with 2:27 left in the first quarter.

NOTES: Minnesota held its opponents under 90 points in three of the previous four games - all wins. It's a commitment to defense that coach Rick Adelman saw at the beginning of the season. "We've had a great work ethic,'' he said. "The guys are working hard on it.'' The Timberwolves entered having allowed the fourth-fewest points in the NBA. ... Boston G Avery Bradley, sidelined since shoulder operations at the end of last season, said he expects to be able to practice in "one to two weeks.'' ... Rivers compared Love's ability to rebound to that of Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman. "I played with, I think, one of the greatest rebounders all-time - Dennis Rodman,'' he said. "I watched him at the (London) Olympics and said, "He seems to know where the ball is going when it's in the air.''' Love then went out and grabbed an offensive rebound on Minnesota's first shot of the game. ... Rondo got a loud ovation when he was introduced in the starting lineups. ... Garnett played his 1,273rd game, one behind Minnesota assistant Terry Porter for 17th all-time.

 

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Clippers beat Mavs 112-90 for 4th straight win


LOS ANGELES (AP) The starters got off to a strong start, then had a front-row seat for the show near the end of the Clippers' fourth consecutive victory.

Blake Griffin had 19 points and 13 rebounds, and Chris Paul added 14 points and 13 assists in Los Angeles' 112-90 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night.

Jamal Crawford had 20 points, Caron Butler scored 16 and DeAndre Jordan 12 for the Clippers, who shot 50 percent and dominated the entire game, keeping excitable Dallas owner Mark Cuban glued to his seat with his chin cupped in his left hand.

It was the opposite of Monday night's win in Utah, when the Los Angeles starters fell behind by 13 points in the first quarter and 14 points in the third before rallying for a late win.

"Our biggest thing is that we need to get off to good starts and a lot of that has to do with me,'' Paul said. "A lot of the guys have been telling me that I need to be more aggressive, that I'm letting guys off the hook.''

Vince Carter scored 16 points off the bench. Derek Fisher added 15 points, and Shawn Marion and Chris Kaman had 14 points apiece for the Mavericks, who fell to 2-7 on the road.

"It's a tough loss, to come in here and be embarrassed like that, especially at the end of the game when they were playing around throwing lobs back and forth,'' Marion said. "We've got to take this and learn from it.''

The game brought together past and present for the Clippers. Lamar Odom had four points and 11 rebounds in his first game against Dallas since he spent a lost season there that ended with Cuban cutting him loose in March. He was traded to the Clippers in June.

"Just another game,'' Odom said. " Just focus, whatever it takes to win I'm going to do.''

The Clippers' former front line of Elton Brand and Chris Kaman, who helped them get within a game of the 2006 Western Conference finals, combined for 28 points for the Mavs.

Los Angeles' second unit came on in the fourth, with Crawford and Matt Barnes combining to score 21 of their 28 points in the period.

"We always talk about the starters being able to sit in the fourth quarter,'' Griffin said, "to be up enough and not have to play.''

The reserves showed they could put on a show, too, with Crawford setting up a reverse dunk for Eric Bledsoe, who then dunked on the Clippers' next possession, drawing cheers from the fans who bothered to stick around for garbage time.

"I don't think it was rubbing it in,'' Carter said. ""It wasn't anything that was done maliciously. The plays were there for them.''

The Mavs never managed a late run against a team they had won nine of their previous 12 against in Los Angeles.

"We tried to make a run there, but we weren't able to get stops when we needed to,'' Marion said.

The Clippers built their second-largest lead of 22 points early in the third. Fisher, who signed with the Mavs last week, keyed a 15-5 run with three 3-pointers, reminiscent of his big shots while helping the Lakers win multiple NBA titles.

"I'm just looking forward to be as helpful as possible with this team,'' Fisher said. "There's a lot of young guys, but we do have some potential.''

But the Mavs couldn't muster another sustained run the rest of the period and trailed 83-68 going into the fourth.

Dallas opened the second quarter on a 9-0 run, including seven by Carter that drew them within two points. But the Clippers responded with an offensive flurry, going on a 26-8 run to stretch their lead to 18 points. The spurt was punctuated by a variety of dunks from Jordan and Griffin, and three consecutive 3-pointers, two by Crawford.

Crawford made one more 3-pointer off Griffin's pass to keep Los Angeles ahead 60-42 at halftime.

The Clippers led by 11 points in the opening quarter, when they shot 50 percent and held the Mavs to 36 percent shooting.

Notes: F Dirk Nowitzki is on the Mavs' trip to LA, Phoenix and Houston, but still not close to playing games. He's been out all season after arthroscopic right knee surgery and watched the game from the bench. ... Crawford made three free throws, extending his streak to 51 straight since Nov. 3. ... Clippers G Chauncey Billups missed the game because of tendinitis in his left foot. ... The Clippers' run of 10 turnovers or less in their last three games ended when they committed 18 miscues. ... Singer Tamia, wife of Clippers F Grant Hill, scored a Grammy nomination for best R&B album. "If she wins, she'll go straight to diva,'' he joked.

 

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Bryant eclipses 30,000, Lakers beat Hornets 103-87


NEW ORLEANS (AP) Before Kobe Bryant had even turned in his latest dominant performance, NBA Commissioner David Stern sought him out to offer a congratulatory hand shake for the extraordinary scoring milestone the Lakers star was about to surpass.

Stern assumed Bryant would score the 13 points he needed to become only the fifth player in NBA history to reach 30,000, and who wouldn't?

Bryant had 17 points by halftime, finished with 29, and Los Angeles snapped a two-game skid with a 103-87 victory over the New Orleans Hornets on Wednesday night.

"He just congratulated me and told me I was one of the best competitors that he's seen in this game and I really appreciated that,'' Bryant said of his pregame exchange with Stern.

Now Bryant in is elite company. The only other players to score more than 30,000 are Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain.

"It's pretty awesome,'' Bryant said. "These are players I respect tremendously and obviously grew up idolizing and watching and learned a great deal from.''

When Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni was asked before tipoff about Bryant's impending milestone, the coach joked, "That just means he is old.''

In fact, at 34, Bryant is younger than the other four were when they hit the mark, but Bryant also turned pro at 18, and is in his 17th season.

"Honestly, I don't know why I'm still working as hard as I am after 17 years,'' Bryant said. "I enjoy what I do. I think that's the thing that I'm most proud of: every year, every day working hard at it. It's a lot of years, a lot of work.''

Bryant eclipsed the scoring milestone with a short jumper late in the first half that was perhaps the least spectacular of his baskets, which included the usual array of soaring dunks, demoralizing transition 3-pointers and turnaround, off-balance jumpers.

Dwight Howard added 18 points and five blocked shots for the Lakers, who trailed 48-47 at halftime but seized control with a 13-0 run to open the third quarter, and the lead grew as large as 20 in the fourth.

Ryan Anderson scored 31, hitting 5 of 8 3-pointers for the Hornets, who were playing their ninth straight game without top overall draft choice Anthony Davis. Greivis Vasquez added 16 points, while Robin Lopez scored 15 points and blocked five shots.

Anderson said Bryant "deserves all the recognition that he gets.''

"He's a special guy to play against. Unfortunately, we didn't get the win,'' Anderson added. "I would have liked him to get the 30,000, but for us to get the win.''

Antawn Jamison scored 15 and Metta World Peace 11, and Chris Duhon had 10 assists for Los Angeles, which is playing without Steve Nash and Pau Gasol and won for only the second time on the road this season. The Hornets fell to 3-7 at home and lost for the 10th time in 12 games overall.

The Hornets led from early in the first quarter until halftime, going up by as many as eight points when Al-Farouq Aminu slammed down an alley-oop lob from Vasquez, energizing the largest crowd of the season at the New Orleans Arena.

Bryant helped the Lakers trim their deficit after that, hitting five free throws and his milestone on 3-foot jumper in the last 2:15 of the second quarter.

Jamison opened the third-quarter onslaught with 3, Howard followed with a fast-break layup and Bryant had two straight fast-break dunks, one of which he created himself with a steal. Howard finished the surge with a layup.

"I just didn't think our defense was there, especially that first five or six minutes of the third quarter,'' Hornets coach Monty Williams said. "Our defense was really poor, and we can't afford those lapses.''

Anderson's shooting helped the Hornets pull to 70-62 late in the third period, but Bryant hit an 18-footer and Jodie Meeks added one of his three 3-pointers to give Los Angeles a 13-point lead heading into the final period. Meeks and Darius Morris then added 3s early in the period and New Orleans could not recover.

Afterward, Bryant sat in his locker, reflecting on the elite company he now keeps in NBA history, and the things he sees in younger prolific scoring stars like Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant, who the Lakers will see next on Friday night, and who could very well join the 30,000-point club at the rate he's going.

One common characteristic, he said, is an apparent immunity to both pressure and criticism.

"Scorers kind of have a fighter-pilot mentality. We're a different breed,'' Bryant said. "But there are different positions. We scored in a myriad of ways. We all went about it differently in different situations. It's fun to see.''

Notes: Stern said the scheduling that allowed him to see Bryant reach 30,000 was pure coincidence. Stern was making a regularly scheduled visit with first-year Hornets owner Tom Benson, who is also the owner of the NFL's Saints, to see how Benson's plans for the NBA franchise were taking shape. Stern visited Saints headquarters, where new construction has begun on additions that will also accommodate Hornets offices and practice courts. Stern said he was looking forward to congratulating Bryant. "As a talent, a competitor, I think that he is up there on the pedestal with Michael Jordan. He is one of the greatest,'' Stern said. ... Stern also discussed the possibility of a team name change, something Benson has said he wants since buying the club last spring. Stern says the club has not yet applied for a name change but that the league would likely accept whatever name the Hornets want and expedite the transition.

 

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Hornets vs Lakers highlights

Kobe scores 29 points, making him the fifth player in NBA history to score 30,000 points, as Lakers defeat Hornets.

 

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Mayo's 23 lead Mavericks past skidding Suns 97-94


PHOENIX (AP) Fans were guaranteed a good time or their money back at the Phoenix Suns' game against Dallas.

They were not guaranteed a victory, and they didn't get one - just another failed Phoenix comeback.

A tough, fall-away 21-footer by O.J. Mayo proved to be the difference as the Mavericks handed the Suns their fifth loss in a row, 97-94 on Thursday night.

It was a nice bounce-back for a Dallas team beaten by 22 by the Clippers in Los Angeles 24 hours earlier, the Mavericks' fourth loss in five games.

"After playing a game last night we could have made a lot of excuses for ourselves as far as we had a tough game last night and didn't play well, but we flushed it and we came today with a lot of energy,'' Mayo said.

Mayo scored 23 points, including that go-ahead jumper with 35 seconds to go. Brandan Wright and Darren Collison scored 16 apiece for Dallas. Wright's total was a season high. Chris Kaman added 15 points.

"We played one of our strongest-willed games,'' Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said. "Difficult situation, losing time coming off the back-to-back and a rough one last night. Everybody played with a lot of heart, a lot of guts. It was really a war of attrition out there with the injuries and all the stuff going on. Everybody hung in and we found a way and it's a huge win for us.''

Markieff Morris had 15 points and a career-best 17 rebounds for the Suns, who rallied from 15 down in the third quarter to tie it in the final minute.

Kaman (sprained ankle) and Shawn Marion (strained right groin) left the game with injuries for Dallas, as did P.J. Tucker (sprained knee) and Jermaine O'Neal (eye) for Phoenix.

The game was played on "money-back guarantee night,'' when those who bought a ticket could get their money back if they didn't have a good time. The Suns said it was the first promotion of its kind in the NBA.

It was the first game back for Phoenix after a 1-5 road trip that included a strong game at Memphis, where the Suns led by 16 before losing in overtime. One of those losses was a 40-point blowout in Detroit. The others all went down to the wire.

"It's always the same story,'' the Suns' Goran Dragic said. "We came up short. ... When you're down so many points and you're battling, your energy is going away because you're trying to get back in the game.''

Morris' 3-pointer cut Dallas' lead to 87-85 with a minute to go, then Shannon Brown stole Collison's pass and was fouled. Brown made two free throws with 48.5 seconds left to tie it at 87.

But with Sebastian Telfair guarding him closely, Mayo knocked down the tough shot to put the Mavericks back ahead for good.

Dragic, who scored 15 points but shot only 5 of 14, missed an open driving layup that would have tied it.

"He (Mayo) made that tough shot and we missed an easy layup,'' Dragic said, "and there goes the game.''

Dallas sealed it with eight free throws in the final 19.3 seconds - four by Collison and four by Vince Carter.

Trailing 44-40 at halftime, the Mavericks ran past Phoenix 23-4 to start the third quarter, opening a 63-48 lead with 3:50 to go in the period. Mayo sank his third 3-pointer of the night - in four tries - and Wright, who had not played in three of the previous four games, made consecutive baskets, on a dunk and a layup, to cap the outburst.

Phoenix missed 13 of its first 14 shots in the quarter and went 7 minutes without a field goal.

Dragic and Tucker hit 3s to bring the Suns out of their funk enough to cut the lead to 69-62 after three.

Jared Dudley opened the fourth quarter with a 3-pointer, then Telfair's layup cut it to 71-67. Consecutive baskets by Wright boosted the lead to 81-71 with 5:40 to play.

NOTES: Fans with single-game tickets who decide they didn't have a good time can fill out a form to get a rebate. ... Telfair was back after missing one game following the death of his father. ... Morris had nine rebounds in 9 minutes during the first quarter. ... Phoenix is 5-4 at home, Dallas 3-7 on the road. ... The last road win for both teams had been at Cleveland. ... Morris' previous career best was 11 rebounds against Dallas in his rookie season a year ago. ... The Suns' Michael Beasley was 3-of-12 shooting for nine points and didn't play in the fourth quarter.