The 2012-13 Basketball Season Is Here

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Lillard scores 29, Blazers defeat Spurs 98-90


PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) Trail Blazers rookie Damian Lillard says he saw Portland's victory over San Antonio coming, and not just during the course of the game.

"I think this whole week we've been locked in as a team. It had that feel,'' Lillard said. "Guys were excited to play.''

Lillard scored a career-high 29 points in Portland's 98-90 win over the Spurs on Thursday night. It was the second consecutive loss for San Antonio, which has dropped just six games this season.

Lillard, the sixth pick in last June's NBA draft, added seven rebounds and six assists. He has scored at least 20 points in 13 games this season.

"I think I've had a few better games even though this is the most points I've scored,'' he said. "I think this was the best I've done in a game we really needed.''

And that needed win came in a nationally televised game against the Spurs, who are second only to Oklahoma City in the Western Conference.

San Antonio trailed by as many as 12 points in the second half but Manu Ginobili's layup cut the deficit to 89-85. J.J. Hickson answered for the Blazers with a running hook that made it 91-85 with 2:36 left.

Danny Green hit a 3-pointer to pull the Spurs closer again, but Portland clung to the lead and Nicolas Batum - who has been bothered by a sore back - made a 3 that gave Portland a 96-90 advantage with 1:08 left. Batum hit two free throws with 8 seconds to go for the final margin.

LaMarcus Aldridge added 22 points and Hickson finished with 12 points and 12 rebounds for the Blazers, who won their second straight and improved to 10-12.

Tony Parker had 21 points for the Spurs, who were coming off a 99-96 loss at Utah on Wednesday night that snapped a five-game winning streak.

"I don't know if it was fatigue,'' said Tim Duncan, who finished with 16 points and six rebounds. "We just couldn't really ever find our rhythm.''

The Blazers were coming off a 92-74 victory over Toronto on Monday during which Portland set an NBA record by going 0 for 20 from 3-point range.

The Blazers were without starter Wesley Matthews for the second straight game. Matthews strained his left hip in the fourth quarter of a loss last Saturday to the Kings. The injury put him on the bench in street clothes for the first time in his four-year NBA career. He had played in 250 straight games, second-most among active players behind Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook.

Batum also missed the victory over the Raptors, but he started on Thursday night. He said afterward he played in pain the whole game.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said Batum's 3-pointer decided it.

"We hung in there but Nicolas killed us with that 3 at the very end,'' Popovich said. "It could have been anybody's game but for that 3.''

Luke Babbitt made a 3-pointer to put Portland in front 32-25 early on. But former Trail Blazer Patty Mills hit a 23-foot jumper to tie it 32-all, and Green added a fast-break layup to give San Antonio the lead. It didn't last long, however, and Portland reclaimed the lead with Will Barton's dunk and another 3 by Babbitt.

Lillard made a long jumper to end the first half with the Blazers up 49-45.

His pull-up jumper made it 61-57 midway through a tight third quarter. Already-hurting Portland got a scare a short time later when Aldridge fell hard to the court and took a few moments to get up.

Lillard and Babbitt each hit long jumpers and Sasha Pavlovic added a 3-pointer to extend the lead to 72-61. Lillard had 12 points in the third quarter alone.

"I think he's a wonderful player,'' Popovich said. "His skills are obvious, but I like his demeanor as much as I like his skills. He really plays within himself, he's not afraid of contact and he really understands how to take advantage of situations.''

San Antonio is 4-2 on the back end of back-to-back games. The other loss came against the Miami Heat on Nov. 29, notable because Popovich did not play starters Duncan, Parker, Ginobili and Green. The Spurs were subsequently fined by the NBA.

NOTES: The Blazers held a moment of silence before the game for the victims of the shooting Tuesday night at Clackamas Town Center in suburban Portland. Two people were killed and another was wounded by a masked gunman who fatally shot himself. ... The Spurs beat the Blazers 112-109 on Nov. 10 to snap a seven-game losing streak at the Rose Garden. San Antonio rallied for the win after trailing by 14 points in the fourth quarter. ... San Antonio scored fewer than 90 points for the fifth time this season.

 

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Anthony scores 30, Knicks beat slumping Lakers


NEW YORK (AP) Sensing a fellow shooter had become gun shy, Kobe Bryant had a message for Carmelo Anthony last summer.

Ignore the critics, he said. Stop worrying about fitting in and get back to a scorer's mentality.

"You have to do what you do best,'' Bryant told him.

That's what Anthony did in a spectacular first quarter Thursday night, and by the time he was done Bryant and the struggling Los Angeles Lakers had no hope of ending their slump.

Anthony scored 22 of his 30 points in the period, and the New York Knicks held on after he departed with a sprained left ankle to beat the Lakers 116-107 in coach Mike D'Antoni's return to Madison Square Garden.

"I was zoned in. I was locked in,'' Anthony said. "Tonight was one of those games where I had that feeling. I wanted to get it going and I had that feeling going early in the game. My teammates were feeding off of that.''

Firing in 3-pointers and moving the ball to open shooters, things they often struggled to do under D'Antoni, the Knicks won for the eighth time in nine games and improved to 9-0 at home for the first time since the 1992-93 season.

"I wanted to beat them. I wanted to beat the Lakers, especially protecting our home court,'' Anthony said. "It had nothing to do with Mike. I wanted to protect our home court and win the basketball game.''

Meanwhile, things are starting as poorly for D'Antoni in Los Angeles as they ended in New York. The Lakers, still without Steve Nash and Pau Gasol, were never really in the game while losing their fourth straight and falling to 9-14.

Nash has started running and the Lakers know things will get better once he's back, but that doesn't help right now.

"At this point I wish we had the Washington Generals on our schedule,'' Bryant said.

They're playing Washington on Friday, but it's the Wizards.

Raymond Felton scored 19 points, and Tyson Chandler and J.R. Smith added 18 apiece for the Knicks.

Bryant had 31 points and 10 rebounds for the Lakers. Metta World Peace finished with 23 points and Dwight Howard had 20.

The Lakers did cut what was a 26-point deficit to 113-107 when World Peace converted a three-point play with 1:27 remaining, but the Knicks took more than a minute off the clock while twice grabbing offensive rebounds on the next possession before Chandler made a free throw with 18 seconds to play.

Anthony, playing at an MVP level after he struggled last season under D'Antoni, made his first three 3-pointers, nearly reaching his NBA-leading average of 9.7 points per first quarter before 2 1/2 minutes were even gone. Bryant tried to keep pace but the Knicks couldn't be stopped, making 17 of 23 shots (74 percent) and building a 41-27 advantage.

"He's fun to watch when he's playing like that,'' Chandler said. "He's pretty much unstoppable when he's playing that way.''

Anthony finished two shy of the franchise record for points in a quarter, held by Willis Reed and Allan Houston. And he was easily on pace to pass Bryant's building record of 61 points, though he didn't even get halfway there after playing just 5 minutes in the second half.

Anthony said his ankle felt sore and he didn't know if he would be available Saturday against Cleveland.

When it was over, D'Antoni shook hands with Mike Woodson, who replaced him on the New York bench, and a couple of Knicks players before walking off after another rocky night with the Lakers.

He's often been considered an offensive genius whose teams are poor defensively, but right now the Lakers don't really look good on either end.

The Knicks made 22 of their first 30 shots overall and started 8 of 10 behind the arc. Even when the Lakers tried to defend, it didn't work. Howard batted the ball away from Rasheed Wallace in the post, so Wallace simply retrieved it in the corner, buried a 3-pointer, and the lead ballooned to 58-32.

"We are having a re-occurring theme that the first quarter is just not good, and then the first half is not great and in the second half we seem to turn it on, and we need to solve that problem real quick,'' D'Antoni said.

It was 68-49 at the break, but the Knicks lost some of their flow when Anthony went to the locker room with 6:41 left in the third quarter and a 17-point lead. He had landed awkwardly after being fouled by Howard on a drive to the basket, and though he was able to stay in to shoot the free throws, Anthony was removed at the next whistle.

D'Antoni was booed loudly during pregame introductions, Knicks fans who appreciated the rugged defensive teams of the 1990s never truly embracing his offense-first style. D'Antoni said he enjoyed his time in New York and said earlier Thursday the Knicks, who lead the NBA in 3-pointers per game and fewest turnovers, were playing the way he'd like his team to play.

Sure enough, they made 12 3-pointers, right at their average, and turned it over just six times.

D'Antoni couldn't get the Knicks' offense going last season and tensions between he and Anthony seemed strained, though both denied it, when he resigned in March with the team threatening to fall out of the playoff race. The Knicks went 18-6 down the stretch under Woodson, who said he has kept aspects of D'Antoni's system while adding in some wrinkles of his own.

The result is a team that has shot to the top of the Eastern Conference with a 17-5 record.

NOTES: The Knicks opened a six-game homestand. They don't play on the road again until they visit the Lakers on Christmas. ... New York has won the last two meetings after dropping nine in a row. ... D'Antoni said he spent his off day in town visiting with his wife and son, who remained in New York after he took the Lakers job last month.

 

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Parker leads Spurs past Celtics


SAN ANTONIO (AP) Tony Parker rose to his feet, pumping his fist in celebration and screaming "Come on!'' as he sprinted to the sideline.

The All-Star point guard wanted to encourage his teammates, but his off-balance layup capping a dominant fourth quarter was inspiration enough.

Parker had 22 points and eight assists to help the San Antonio Spurs beat the Boston Celtics 103-88 on Saturday night.

Gary Neal added 20 points and Tiago Splitter finished with 16 points and eight rebounds for San Antonio (19-6), which overcame the loss of Manu Ginobili to improve to 8-2 at home. Danny Green scored 12.

Ginobili departed with a bruised left quad after he ran into Chris Wilcox's knee on a screen with 2:42 left in the first quarter. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said he didn't have an update on the reserve guard after the game.

Spurs star Tim Duncan had a season-low five points, making Parker's effort even more important. Duncan had nine rebounds, but was 2 for 13 from the field.

Parker's layup with 3:35 remaining gave San Antonio a 96-82 lead, leading to his animated celebration and prompting a timeout by Celtics coach Doc Rivers. Both teams pulled their starters a minute later.

"That was an amazing shot,'' Neal said. "It looked like he lost his balance and he was able to still put the spin on it to get it to go in on that. Tony's a phenomenal player. Through the years I've been here, he's done some phenomenal things.''

Paul Pierce and Jason Terry each scored 18 points for Boston (12-11). Kevin Garnett added 13 points and Courtney Lee had 11.

"(Parker) has been in those situations many times,'' Pierce said. "He understands when to take on the trap. He knows when to get rid of the ball. He has a great in-between game. That is what makes him one of the premiere point guards in the league.''

San Antonio went on a 17-8 run after Boston closed to 79-74 on a three-point play by Lee with 9 minutes remaining.

Parker had nine points, one assist, one rebound and a steal during the run.

"Obviously, Tony was unbelievable down the stretch, but a lot of guys like Gary, Danny and Tiago played very solid basketball,'' Popovich said.

Splitter scored 10 points in the first half, going 4 for 5 from the field. With Duncan struggling, the Spurs needed Splitter's production.

"Tiago came in and played great,'' said Parker, who had one turnover in 36 minutes. "It's going to be big for us because we can't play Timmy 40 minutes every game. We have to rest him for the playoffs, so if Tiago can give us quality minutes like that, it's definitely going to be helpful.''

The Spurs went on an 11-0 run after Jeff Green's layup tied it at 55 in the third. Danny Green hit a pair of 3s and Neal had a 3 and a teardrop jumper during the spurt.

The Spurs were 15 for 20 on free throws compared to just 6 for 8 for the Celtics. The discrepancy didn't go unnoticed.

"They went into the fourth quarter with six fouls total,'' Rivers said. "That means they are one heck of a defensive basketball team. It is what it is. They shot more free throws and two of our free throws were just technical. It's hard to win games on the road when a team goes to the line like that and we don't go to the line.''

NOTES: Boston, which lost 101-89 at Houston on Friday night, will play 21 back-to-back games this season, but none consecutively at home. The Celtics had split their first six back-to-backs this season prior to Saturday's loss against the Spurs. ... San Antonio swingman Stephen Jackson (broken right pinkie) and F Kawhi Leonard (left knee) have both been out a month with injuries. ... San Antonio leads the NBA with 25.3 assists per game, its highest total since averaging 24.9 assists in 1995.

 

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Noah, Bulls hold off Nets 83-82


CHICAGO (AP) The Chicago Bulls have relied on their defense while star guard Derrick Rose rehabs his serious knee injury.

It worked again Saturday night.

Joakim Noah helped force a key turnover and rookie point guard Marquis Teague played tough defense on Deron Williams in the final seconds, helping Chicago rally for an 83-82 win over the Brooklyn Nets.

Noah also had 12 points and 10 rebounds as Chicago (13-9) won for the fifth time in six games.

Brooklyn had a chance to tie it in the final seconds, but Williams missed a jumper with Teague defending him.

"Marquis stayed ready to play,'' Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. "Marquis has made some significant strides defensively.''

The 19-year-old Teague has played a career-high 20 minutes in each of the last two games with Kirk Hinrich battling a knee injury. He finished with eight points and four fouls, spending much of his time chasing Williams around the court.

"I was just trying to contain him, just keep him in front of me,'' Teague said. "It's hard to keep a player like that from scoring.''

Noah and Luol Deng trapped Joe Johnson late in the game, resulting in one of Brooklyn's 18 turnovers. Deng turned the mistake into a basket that tied it at 79.

"They surprised us with a couple of double teams,'' Nets coach Avery Johnson said. "Had we done a better job of taking care of the ball, especially down the stretch, we could have come out on the winning end.''

Brook Lopez had 18 points and 10 rebounds for Brooklyn, which played for the fourth time in five days. The Nets won at home Friday night, beating Detroit 107-105 in double overtime.

Marco Belinelli led Chicago with 19 points. He made a layup and two free throws to cap an 8-0 run in the closing minutes.

Belinelli also hit the Bulls' only 3-pointers of the game. Chicago shot 2 of 10 from long range overall, but still managed to eke out another close win. All but two of Chicago's wins have come by 10 points or fewer.

"We played great defense the last three or four minutes,'' Belinelli said. "That's why we won the game.''

Deng scored 17 points and Carlos Boozer added 15 for Chicago.

Williams, who played 43 minutes the night before, was on the court for 35 minutes against Chicago and created plenty of problems for the short-handed Bulls.

He made it to the free throw line 13 times and kept both Teague and Nate Robinson in foul trouble throughout the game.

"You are never going to be able to stop a guy like Deron Williams,'' Thibodeau said. "You just have to make him work.''

Johnson scored 16 points in 38 minutes. On Friday night, he played 52 minutes and hit a buzzer-beater for the win.

Lopez played 25 minutes in his second game back since an injured right foot cost him seven games. He seemed to be the least sluggish of the Nets on the floor at the start, hitting his first five shots and scoring Brooklyn's first six points. He finished 8 of 17 from the floor.

"Physically I felt good,'' Lopez said. "But I missed a lot tonight. I have to keep working on getting my touch back.''

Williams hit two free throws to cap a 13-point first quarter and give the Nets a one-point advantage.

Robinson ignited the crowd with a hustle play in the first, running back after making a layup to block MarShon Brooks' bid to catch the Bulls off guard.

Robinson scored eight points and committed only one turnover starting in place of Hinrich.

NOTES: Thibodeau said Hinrich is "'getting better, but not quite there yet.'' He was reluctant to specify anything beyond Hinrich's day-to-day status. ... Nets F Gerald Wallace, who scored a season-high 25 points in 50 minutes Friday night, scored six points in 38 minutes against the Bulls.

 

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Rubio's return sparks Wolves to win over Mavericks


MINNEAPOLIS (AP) The white sleeve on Ricky Rubio's left knee served as a reminder of what he went through to get back on the court.

While it served to protect his surgically repaired joint, it clearly does nothing to constrict the creativity and unbridled joy that made him one of the most exciting players in the league before he went down last season.

Nine long months later, it's as if Rubio never left.

Zipping passes between his legs to his Timberwolves teammates in a dazzling season debut, Rubio had nine assists and eight points in 18 minutes of Minnesota's 114-106 overtime victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday night.

Andrei Kirilenko scored five of his 14 points in overtime while Rubio watched from the bench because of a minutes restriction.

"I didn't feel nothing in the knee,'' Rubio said. "I feel great. ... I feel 100 percent. I have some issues in other parts now but it's just like a normal thing.''

Nikola Pekovic scored 21 points for the Timberwolves, who won their fourth straight game despite playing without All-Star Kevin Love because of an illness.

O.J. Mayo had 20 points, six assists and five rebounds and Shawn Marion had 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Mavericks, who led by 13 early before Rubio came off the bench for the first time since he tore the ACL and LCL in his left knee in March.

"He brings us all energy, man. No words can really describe it,'' forward Derrick Williams said. "You've just got to feel it out there on the court.''

Alexey Shved had 18 points and six assists and the Wolves scored the first 10 points in overtime to send an amped crowd home happy.

Derek Fisher scored 20 points for the Mavericks, who turned the ball over 20 times. They led 98-96 after Fisher's four-point play with 2:50 to go.

Rubio fed Kirilenko for two free throws, then dived on the floor for a loose ball and later knocked down two free throws to tie the game at 100.

But he missed an open 3-pointer with a few seconds remaining that would have won the game in regulation.

No matter. Kirilenko hit two free throws, scored a three-point play and Pekovic finished off the Mavs with a three-point play of his own.

"It's amazing. They give me a great gift, that "W' in overtime,'' Rubio said. "I think we're going to do big things with this team this year. Just showing how we played in the overtime ... It was amazing.''

Could it have gone any better?

"Yeah,'' he said. "If I make that shot.''

More than 18,000 packed into Target Center in anticipation of Rubio's return and erupted at the mere sight of his face on the video board during pregame festivities. He received a standing ovation when he got off the bench to enter the game for the first time with 1:47 to go in the first quarter.

The Wolves were down 28-18 at that point and badly in need of a boost.

With chants of "Ole! Ole ole ole!'' serving as the backdrop, the flash that had been absent for nine months came quickly.

In his fourth minute of game time, Rubio put his back to the basket on the left wing, then bounced a pass between his legs that zipped right past Mavericks forward Elton Brand's legs as well to an open Greg Stiemsma for a layup that sent the Target Center crowd into a frenzy.

"It's great. I can't say with words how it feels,'' Rubio said. "It gives you an extra motivation to play here. I love it. I'm so proud to be playing for this team and in front of this crowd.''

This is what they've been waiting for. Sure, they've been impressed with how the Wolves have navigated injuries to Rubio, Love, Brandon Roy and four others to win 11 of their first 20 games. But the team was 18th in the league in attendance coming into the night, with many saving their money for Rubio's return.

They got their money's worth on Saturday night. Rubio had four points, four assists and a steal in his first eight-minute shift, and the Wolves shifted into overdrive with Rubio's foot never letting off the gas. Even when he went to the bench, the Wolves closed the period on a 12-3 run.

"He's a terrific player and he played well,'' Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said. "You couldn't tell he's been out for a year. So give him credit.''

The Mavericks can only hope that the return of their star has the same effect. Dirk Nowitzki hasn't played this season after having surgery on his right knee. There is still no timetable for his return.

NOTES: A bit of a skirmish broke out in the second quarter after Stiemsma leveled Fisher with a screen in the backcourt. Fisher took exception, feeling that Stiemsma put too much oomph into it and had to be held back by teammates. ... Williams had 16 points and six rebounds for Minnesota. ... Fisher scored 20 in a regular season game for the first time since Dec. 20, 2008 when he scored 27 for the Lakers against Orlando.

 

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Timberwolves vs Mavericks highlights

Ricky Rubio returns and helps the Timberwolves to an OT win over the Mavericks.

 

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Bryant helps Lakers top 76ers 111-98


PHILADELPHIA (AP) Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers are winning again. It's just a two-game streak, but it's still a turnaround from their abysmal play of late.

Bryant scored 34 points, Metta World Peace added 19 points and a career-high 16 rebounds and the Lakers won consecutive games for the first time in nearly a month with a 111-98 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday.

Dwight Howard had 17 points and 11 rebounds for the Lakers, who led 60-50 at halftime. Darius Morris had a career-high 15 points, all in the first half, and Chris Duhon scored 14. It was World Peace's first double-double since Jan. 13, 2010, at Dallas.

The Lakers (11-14), who beat Washington 102-96 on Friday night, won two in a row for the first time since a three-game streak from Nov. 16-20.

"It's guys playing with confidence and guys trusting each other,'' said Bryant, who was 12 for 21 from the field and 8 for 9 from the free-throw line. "We played well, communicated well, kept attacking and good things happened. I know the questions have been coming because we hadn't been winning, but our time will come.''

Even without injured stars Steve Nash and Pau Gasol, the Lakers hardly resembled the team which entered the night four games below .500. Bryant has scored at least 30 points in six consecutive games.

"We did a great job of attacking early and then we stayed with it,'' he said. "Our bench did a great job and stepped up and our whole team stepped up and just played with confidence.''

Nick Young paced the reeling Sixers (12-12) with 30 points while Spencer Hawes and Evan Turner added 16 apiece. Thaddeus Young had 14 for Philadelphia, which dropped its third straight game for the first time this season.

"We just have to keep working, keep going to practice and go back to the drawing board,'' Thaddeus Young said.

Like the Lakers, the Sixers also have been playing short-handed. Point guard Jrue Holiday, who averages a team-best 18.4 points, missed his second consecutive game with a sprained left foot.

Los Angeles led 87-73 after three, but the Sixers closed to 91-82 with 8:27 remaining.

The Lakers responded with a 9-3 surge to go back up by 15 at 100-85 with 5:15 left. Suddenly, all those boos careening down from the rafters toward Bryant and his teammates turned into fans heading up the aisles to leave the building.

"They knocked down a lot of 3s and they kind of spread the floor,'' Nick Young said. "You have to give them credit.''

Los Angeles was 14 for 34 from 3-point range. Duhon was 4 for 10 from beyond the arc, and World Peace and Morris each made three 3s.

"Guys are playing well, we had open looks and guys were able to knock them down,'' Duhon said. "I think you have to take what the defense gives you.''

The Lakers' 10 3s in the first half broke the record for most in a half at the Wells Fargo Center, which opened in 1996.

NOTES: Jordan Hill, a forward-center with Los Angeles, was a late scratch with back spasms. ... Sixers C Kwame Brown started for the eighth time. He also has seven DNP-Coach's Decision this season. Brown received a technical foul with 10:39 left in the third quarter. . Including this game, the Sixers are playing 10 of the next 12 against teams from the Western Conference. . Eagles running back LeSean McCoy attended the game. ... The Lakers went 19 for 24 at the line, compared to 6 for 11 for the 76ers.

 

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Calderon's triple-double helps Raptors top Rockets


TORONTO (AP) Add tight defense to a triple-double, and it was quite a game for Jose Calderon.

Calderon had 18 points, 14 assists, and 10 rebounds to lead short-handed Toronto over the Houston Rockets 103-96 Sunday, giving the Raptors consecutive wins for the first time in eight long months.

Calderon started for the third straight game in place of the injured Kyle Lowry, who has a tear in his right triceps.

The 31-year-old Spanish guard, who's the longest serving Raptor, has been a perennial backup in Toronto.

"I made up my mind, I want to be the most professional player in the NBA. I don't know if I'm going to be on the court or not but I want this team to win,'' he said.

"This is my team, this is what I've been doing for eight years now, and that's what I do. I know my teammates know that, there's the trust behind it, it's really comfortable to play with these guys,'' he said.

Calderon also held Rockets guard Jeremy Lin to just seven points and two assists.

"Huge,'' Raptors coach Dwane Casey said of Calderon's game. "He's a solid pro. I love him, he's going to win a lot of basketball games for you. Defensively, he did a solid job on Lin. I just can't say enough about Jose.''

The Rockets have now lost seven straight on the road, a stretch that goes back to Nov. 2. It's their worst road losing streak since they dropped eight straight in 2001.

"It was a disappointing one,'' Lin said. "We obviously didn't get the win and I don't think we played particularly well. Not the best feeling.''

Lin had plenty of fans in the Air Canada Centre crowd cheering him on. He was in the midst of "Linsanity'' on a previous trip to Toronto last February, draining a 3 at the buzzer to lead the New York Knicks to a victory over the Raptors.

The Raptors played their third consecutive game without second- and third-leading scorers Andrea Bargnani and Lowry. Bargnani is out indefinitely with a torn ligament in his right elbow and a strained right wrist, while Lowry has a tear in his right triceps.

Alan Anderson had 24 points, while DeMar DeRozan added 19 points for the Raptors, who hadn't won consecutive games since April 13 and 15 of last season.

Ed Davis added 13 points for Toronto.

James Harden scored 28 points for the Rockets, while Marcus Morris added 19.

The Raptors took a 77-71 lead into the fourth quarter, and stretched their advantage to nine points. But Houston made for some tense moments late in the game, cutting Toronto's lead to four points with a couple of minutes to go.

Carlos Delfino made two baskets in the final 1:04 against his former team to pull the Rockets to within two points, but Calderon sunk two free throws to put Toronto back up by four.

The teams traded free throws for most of the final minute. Harden, last season's Sixth Man award winner for Oklahoma City, drained a pair, Anderson went to the line to sink two, and then Chandler Parsons missed one of two with 13 seconds left.

Anderson scored on a driving reverse layup with 11 seconds to go to seal the victory for Toronto.

NOTES: The Rockets beat Toronto 117-101 last month. . . The Rockets wore a green stripe on their jerseys in memory of coach Kevin McHale's daughter Sasha, who died last month of lupus at the age of 23. Green was her favorite color. . . Raptors rookie Jonas Valanciunas was presented with the Lithuanian player of the year award from Lithuanian legend Arvydas Sabonis before tipoff. . . The Raptors are in Cleveland to face the Cavaliers on Tuesday. They return home to host Detroit on Wednesday and Orlando on Friday.

 

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McGee scores 19, Nuggets beat Kings 122-97


SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) Although it's been a challenging first two months of the season with a long stretch of road games, the Denver Nuggets appeared pretty fresh Sunday against the Sacramento Kings.

Reserve JaVale McGee scored 19 points, Danilo Gallinari had 18 and the Nuggets built a big lead in the first half to cruise past the Kings 122-97.

It was a lopsided victory for the road-tested Nuggets, who have opened the season with 18 of their first 25 games coming away from home. Already ahead by 18 at the half, Denver outscored the Kings 33-21 in the third quarter to take a 97-67 lead heading into the fourth.

"It's the worst stretch of travel I've been associated with,'' said Nuggets coach George Karl, who is in his 26th season as a head coach. "All we do is travel, play a game, and get in at 3 in the morning. Then we do it all over again.''

Being on the road for their NBA-leading 18th road game didn't seem to bother the Nuggets, who produced a season-high point total. They shot 54 percent, had 27 assists, outrebounded the Kings 52-42 and committed only 11 turnovers.

"I'm enjoying what we are going through,'' said Andre Iguodala, who had 11 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. "We have a tough schedule and it's a chance for us to build something. We're trying to play at a high level and be mentally tough.''

The Nuggets played well right from the start, scoring 16 straight points to snap a tie in the first quarter, and led by a comfortable margin the rest of the way.

"The game was decided very early in this basketball game,'' Kings coach Keith Smart said. "We knew this team would run and we had to play real solid and not turn the basketball over. But that happened a lot early and we allowed them to get out and run. This is a bad loss for us.''

Denver has won seven in a row against the Kings. Sacramento has lost four in a row overall.

Sacramento's Aaron Brooks committed a hard foul against Andre Miller late in the first quarter and a mild altercation ensued involving DeMarcus Cousins of the Kings and Kenneth Faried of the Nuggets. All four players were given technical fouls.

Reserve Jordan Hamilton had a season-high 15 points and Kosta Koufos had 12 points for the Nuggets, who improved to 7-11 on the road this season. Ty Lawson added 11 points and seven assists. Denver's reserves had 64 points.

"Give credit to everyone that came off our bench,'' Koufos said. "It was a good win for us. We started strong and finished the game strong. We ran the floor very well. Everybody played well.''

McGee made seven field goals, four of them on vicious dunks. Denver had 14 dunks in the game.

"McGee and Andre have a great connection on getting lobs in the game and easy baskets,'' Karl said. "He's (McGee) very active on the offensive glass and we got our favorite shot, which is the dunk and the layup. We also had a lot of easy baskets.''

Isaiah Thomas had 20 points and Cousins had 19 points and 11 rebounds for the Kings. Jason Thompson added 16 points and 10 rebounds.

Starting Kings guard Tyreke Evans played the first 10 minutes then left the game for good with a sore left knee. He missed five of the previous eight games because of his injured knee. Against the Nuggets, he missed all four shots and scored two points.

"You want to have all your pieces you practice with. We know Tyreke is going through some issues with his knees and we hope to get him back,'' Kings guard Aaron Brooks said. "But we have to play a little harder. Right now I think we are slow on everything.''

The Kings were without Marcus Thornton for a third straight game. Their leading scorer off the bench, Thornton left the team to be with his sick mother in Louisiana.

NOTES: The technical against Cousins was his seventh of the season. He was suspended by the NBA for one game last week for striking O.J. Mayo of Dallas in the groin. ... Smart was given a technical early in the third quarter. ... Koufos shot an airball on a free throw in the second quarter and was jeered by the crowd. He missed his second attempt as well when the shot barely hit the rim.

 

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Lillard's last-second 3 lifts Blazers over Hornets


PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) There was a split-second as his shot arced over a defender's hands that Trail Blazers rookie Damian Lillard realized his game-winning 3-pointer was going to fall.

"I looked. And it looked good,'' he said.

Lillard's 3-pointer with 0.3 seconds left helped Portland hand New Orleans its sixth straight loss with a 95-94 victory over the Hornets on Sunday night.

After trailing by as many as 16, the Hornets tied it at 92 on Austin Rivers' 3-pointer with 50.9 seconds left. The Blazers then absorbed a blow when LaMarcus Aldridge suddenly came up limping and headed to the locker room with what appeared to be a left ankle injury, but Lillard came through to give Portland the win.

The winning shot appeared to come at the buzzer but a review put the 0.3 fraction back on the clock. Lance Thomas made an alley-oop layup from Ryan Anderson as time ran out for the final margin.

"You need .04 to get the shot off, so we just ran a play for execution. There was not time for us to get a shot off, with them grabbing and holding Ryan it was going to be tough for him to get a shot off, so we were working on execution,'' Hornets coach Monty Williams said. "According to the rules you need .04 to get a shot off. It was a situation where we worked on something we would need in the future.''

However, the NBA's so-called Trent Tucker rule says there has to be at least 0.3 on the clock for a player to gain control of a rebound or inbound pass and shoot a field goal. The only type of field goal which may be scored if the clock is at 0.2 or less is a tip-in or high lob.

J.J. Hickson had a season-high 24 points and added 16 rebounds for the Blazers, who have won three straight. Hickson has five straight double-doubles and 13 overall this season.

Anderson had 26 points, including seven 3-pointers, for New Orleans - so why he didn't take the final shot was perplexing.

"There was not a lot of time on the clock,'' Anderson said. "It would have been tough, I don't even know if we could have got a shot off in time. Coach was saying you need .04 to get set and get a shot off.''

Aldridge had 20 points before leaving the game and the team later said that X-rays were negative. Lillard finished with 16 points.

"I was excited to win the game. We had a big lead, we let them fight back and tie the game up and we were looking at overtime, so I was kind of relieved and excited at the same time,'' Lillard said.

Wesley Matthews, who hit a 3-pointer to open the night for the Blazers, was making his return to the starting lineup after missing two games because of a strained left hip. The injury put him on the bench in street clothes for the first time in his four-year NBA career. He had played in 250 straight games, second-most among active players behind Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook.

Matthews was replaced by Victor Claver less than five minutes into the game and did not return. The Blazers said there was no specific injury, he just "didn't feel right.''

Lillard stole the show in the battle of the rookies with Anthony Davis.

Davis, the top pick in last June's draft, is still getting his legs back after missing 11 games with a left ankle injury. In the first three games off the bench since his return, he averaged 11.7 points and 6.3 rebounds for the Hornets.

Against the Blazers he had 15 points. Before the stress reaction in his ankle, Davis was averaging 16 points and 8.3 rebounds.

Lillard, the sixth overall pick in the draft, has been the Western Conference's rookie of the month for both October and November, and was leading all rookies with an average of 18.9 points going into Sunday night's game.

Hickson pushed Portland's first-half lead to 51-38 with a layup and the Blazers went into the break ahead 54-43.

Aldridge's dunk made it 67-53 midway through the third quarter. But it was Hickson's 11 points that helped put the Blazers up by as many as 16 in the period.

Anderson's putback layup closed the Hornets to 82-75 with 7:55 left, but Luke Babbitt answered for the Blazers with a 3-pointer.

Anderson made a pair of free throws to close New Orleans to within 85-80. His 3-pointer pulled the Hornets to 90-87 with 3:21 left. Lance Thomas got them closer with a putback but Aldridge had a step-back jumper with 1:04 to make it 92-89.

Notes: Earlier Sunday, the Hornets signed forward Dominic McGuire to shore up their frontcourt in the absence of Jason Smith, who is out with a right shoulder injury. Smith was injured in the Hornets' loss at Oklahoma City earlier this week and is expected to be out about two weeks. McGuire averaged 2.1 points and 3.2 rebounds in just over 15 minutes per game for the Toronto Raptors earlier this season, appearing in 15 games before he was waived on Nov. 30. ... The Blazers held a moment of silence before the game for the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting before the game. It is the second straight game with a moment of silence: On Thursday the team remembered the victims of the Clackamas Town Center mall shooting in suburban Portland.

 

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Thunder stay atop West, thump Spurs 107-93


OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Serge Ibaka ripped away an offensive rebound, got hacked in the process and found his way toward midcourt to flex his muscles in celebration.

Ibaka is a force to be reckoned with, and what better way to show it than by delivering his best game of the season against a rival who had a player take a jab at him on Twitter?

Ibaka tied his career best with 25 points and grabbed a season-high 17 rebounds, and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the San Antonio Spurs 107-93 Monday night for their 11th straight win.

The victory kept San Antonio from creating a virtual tie with the Thunder for the NBA's best record.

It was the first meeting for the teams since San Antonio's Stephen Jackson made a threatening post about Ibaka on Twitter, drawing a $25,000 fine from the NBA.

"I don't want to talk about it,'' said Ibaka, who set the tone for Oklahoma City by making his first seven shots. "A great win for us. We need that. It's about a team win.''

Jackson just happened to make his return after missing the previous 14 games with a broken right pinkie finger.

The two had a chance for a confrontation in the first half when Jackson stood in the way as Ibaka went up to catch an alley-oop from Durant. Jackson stood his ground to prevent Ibaka from dunking, and Ibaka fell to the floor. But Jackson simply raised his hand to claim credit for the foul and peace prevailed.

"I'm leaving that alone,'' Jackson said. "It's all basketball. Whatever was said on the court is going to stay on the court and I'm going to leave it alone.

"I wish Serge the best.''

The Spurs never found an answer for Ibaka, who had just four points while fighting foul trouble in Oklahoma City's season-opening loss at San Antonio. He finished 10 for 16 from the field, led the Thunder to a 49-37 rebounding advantage and also blocked three shots.

"He hurt us bad. ... He was hitting everything,'' said Jackson, who apologized to Ibaka on Twitter after the initial post.

"That's the same way we lost last year in the playoffs, by him hitting those same shots. I take my hat off. He played a great game tonight.''

The teams hadn't faced each other at Chesapeake Energy Arena since the Thunder overcame a 2-0 deficit in last season's Western Conference finals by winning the next four games. The Spurs drew a measure of revenge in the season opener by beating Oklahoma City on Tony Parker's jumper as time expired.

There were no such dramatics in this one, with Parker and Tim Duncan remaining out of the game even after James Anderson stole an ill-advised Ibaka pass and ran out for a two-handed dunk to get the deficit down to 93-84 with 5:29 remaining.

The Spurs came up empty on two possessions with chances to make it closer before Kevin Martin sank a 3-pointer. Ibaka - who else? - and Durant each had two-handed slams in the final minutes to ice it.

"It was just another game on the list for us,'' said Kevin Durant, who scored 19. "We really respect this team, we really knew it was going to be a tough game. It was good for us to get a win, but we've got to keep moving on.''

Parker and Nando De Colo had 14 points apiece to lead the Spurs. Manu Ginobili did not play because he bruised his left quadriceps in Saturday's win at Boston.

Russell Westbrook chipped in 22 points and nine assists and Kevin Martin scored 20 for the Thunder, who had no interest in fanning the flames on the Ibaka-Jackson feud.

"I think he's just a great player and it showed again tonight,'' teammate Thabo Sefolosha said.

Westbrook didn't even want to admit knowing about the bad blood.

"I don't know what you're talking about,'' he said

Ibaka had five baskets in the first 6 minutes, including three in a row to wipe away an early 16-10 deficit. He and Martin combined to go 10 for 10 and score 23 points as Oklahoma City then opened a 33-26 lead after Martin's three-point play to start the second quarter.

"I think he got us all going and throughout the whole game, really he made some big plays, made some big shots,'' Sefolosha said.

San Antonio rallied behind its reserves and went up 41-39 on Tiago Splitter's basket underneath before the Thunder pushed ahead for good with a 12-2 response.

Oklahoma City stretched its lead with 11 straight points during the third quarter, punctuated by Nick Collison's putback that made it 71-56 with 4:27 remaining in the period.

The Spurs tried going to their cornerstones to break up the spurt but Duncan had the ball stolen by Westbrook and then a shot blocked by Ibaka on consecutive possessions and Parker followed by missing a corner 3-pointer off the side of the backboard and then getting a fast-break layup swatted by Durant.

Collison then scored off of Sefolosha's missed 3-pointer, and it was on the next possession that Ibaka flexed his muscles after grabbing three straight offensive rebounds.

"He's growing every single day,'' Durant said. "He's shooting the jumper well, he's taking guys off the dribble. Of course, you know he blocks shots and rebounds but his offensive game is expanding and that's what we need.''

NOTES: After playing 16 of their first 24 games at home, Oklahoma City plays 15 of its next 21 games on the road. The roughest stretch is another three weeks away, when the Thunder play 11 of 13 games away. ... Referee Bennett Salvatore called a technical foul from across the court against Spurs coach Gregg Popovich as he complained to official Scott Twardowski after calling a timeout during Oklahoma City's 11-0 third-quarter run. ... Oklahoma City's last 11-game win streak was in 1996 as the Seattle SuperSonics.

 

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Crawford leads Clippers to 10th straight win


AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) The Los Angeles Clippers are learning to adapt.

Playing their fourth road game in seven nights, they could have easily been overrun by the often overlooked Detroit Pistons.

Not this club.

Jamal Crawford scored 15 points and Chris Paul added 14 to lead the weary Clippers to their 10th straight win, 88-76 over the Detroit Pistons on Monday night.

"We didn't shoot very well, and we didn't do a lot of things we wanted to do,'' said Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro. "We just had a lot of guys make plays down the stretch and we get to go home with another win. Early in the season, we probably lose that game, but now we've gotten to the point where we can win ugly.''

No Clippers player scored more than 15 points, but they had five players score in double figures.

"This was a tough one, because we've been playing every other night and we're ready to go home,'' said Detroit native Willie Green. "This was a great test for us, and we passed it.''

Blake Griffin also had 15 points for Los Angeles and Paul had seven assists. Griffin had two breakaway dunks in the last 30 seconds, one on a pass banked off the backboard by Matt Barnes.

"When I saw that it was just the two of us, I told him to keep coming,'' Barnes joked. "I figured a lot more people wanted to see Blake dunk than wanted to see me lay one in.''

Brandon Knight led the Pistons with 16 and Tayshaun Prince added 15. Detroit, which committed 17 turnovers, lost its fifth straight.

"We did enough defensive things to win the game, but when you are going against a team that strips and steals the ball and is very aggressive, everything has to be sharp,'' said Pistons coach Lawrence Frank. "We have to be more precise, and in the last six minutes, you know it is going to be harder against a team like that, but we have to be able to do it.''

Both teams struggled in the first half, with the Clippers taking a 42-40 lead into the intermission despite shooting just 39 percent. Detroit hit 42.5 percent of its shots, but managed only one free throw and two offensive rebounds. The Clippers tried for the last shot of the half, but Prince stole the ball and two quick passes gave Greg Monroe a wide-open layup at the buzzer.

Los Angeles got things in gear in the third quarter, quickly taking a 12-point advantage, but Griffin went to the bench with four fouls and Detroit was able to work its way back into the game.

The Pistons were within 63-60 at quarter's end behind 13 points from Prince, but couldn't keep up the pressure.

"We played a good first half, but once we turned it over a couple times in the third, we let them get out and do their thing,'' Prince said. "We didn't execute in the second half, and that's when you need it the most.''

Detroit committed three turnovers in a period of four possessions and Jason Maxiell missed a pair of free throws on the fourth, allowing Los Angeles to take an 11-point advantage with 6:45 to play. Brandon Knight also missed a technical-foul free throw in the stretch.

"We weren't hitting a lot of shots, but we trusted our defense to make plays,'' Barnes said. "That was the way we finally won the game.''

The Pistons kept up the pressure, pulling down four offensive rebounds on one possession in the last 90 seconds, but couldn't hit enough shots to make a serious rally.

"They turned on that playoff mentality, stepped up their defense and kind of shut us down,'' said rookie Andre Drummond. "The fourth quarter has been an issue all year. We aren't closing games out.''

NOTES: Former Pistons All-Stars Chauncey Billups (foot) and Grant Hill (knee) were both inactive for the Clippers, while Rodney Stuckey (back spasms) missed the game for Detroit. Billups, the MVP of Detroit's championship win in 2004, received a loud "Chaun-Cey!'' chant from the crowd during a fourth-quarter timeout. ... Several members of the University of Michigan football team attended the game, including team captains Denard Robinson and Jordan Kovacs. Robinson, who hasn't thrown a pass since late October due to an elbow injury, tossed a Nerf football to the Pistons mascot during a timeout.

 

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Blake Griffin Tomahawk Dunk:

 

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Lin leads Rockets' rout in return to New York


NEW YORK (AP) His old fans booed him. His old friend clobbered him.

Otherwise, it was Linsanity all over again at Madison Square Garden.

Jeremy Lin had 22 points and eight assists in his return to New York, leading the Houston Rockets to a 109-96 victory Monday night that ended the Knicks' 10-game home winning streak to open the season.

Cheered then jeered, and later floored by Tyson Chandler's flagrant foul, Lin added another masterpiece to the ones he put together last season during the height of his memorable run. No longer the fan favorite he was when wearing the home uniform, Lin got a mixed reception when he left the game with 2:25 remaining and the Rockets leading by 16.

"It was a lot of fun playing out there and I think our team, we took a step in the right direction,'' Lin said. "And for me, it was great to be back and it was a lot of fun to play on that court again.''

James Harden had 28 points and 10 rebounds for the Rockets, who blew out the Knicks for the second time this season. They have won the last seven meetings, including a 131-103 rout in Houston on Nov. 23.

Rookie Chris Copeland scored a career-high 29 points for the Knicks, who played without leading scorer Carmelo Anthony and had their four-game winning streak snapped. They fell to 18-6, matching the record they finished last season with under Mike Woodson.

Woodson's team decided not to match Houston's contract offer to Lin, and nobody could argue when Raymond Felton, Jason Kidd and Pablo Prigioni led the Knicks to the best record in the Eastern Conference with a team that led the NBA in fewest turnovers.

But Lin was the best point guard on the floor, just as he so often was during his dazzling run last winter, when the NBA's first American-born player of Chinese or Taiwanese descent went from undrafted benchwarmer to the biggest story in basketball.

"He had a good game, without a doubt,'' Felton said. "I never talked junk about Jeremy Lin. Anything I said about Jeremy, I felt like he deserved anything. He deserved everything he got. He had a good game. Plain and simple.''

Felton scored 14 points but shot 7 of 18. Kidd was 2 for 9, and both committed three turnovers.

The Rockets outscored the Knicks 54-29 over the middle two quarters, denying New York its first 11-0 start at home since the 1991-92 season.

The Knicks trailed by just five midway through the third quarter before the Rockets blew it open with a 15-0 run, with Lin either scoring or assisting on five of their six baskets.

His layup opened the run, and he then found Marcus Morris for a layup and a 3-pointer for a 67-55 Houston lead. Lin assisted on the second of Harden's consecutive 3-pointers, then had a steal and layup that gave Houston a 75-55 cushion.

Lin saw some fans wearing his old jersey, but said he didn't let his mind drift back to last season during the game.

"I've moved on, they've moved on,'' he said. "We have good memories, but at the same time we're all in a different place now.''

Lin doubled his scoring average in what he called an up-and-down season so far.

"I hope this is the start of a nice run for him, because he works really hard,'' Rockets coach Kevin McHale said. "He's a great kid. He deserves it.''

Anthony decided Monday to give his sprained left ankle a second straight game to recover. The Knicks did get good injury news when Amare Stoudemire, out all season after left knee surgery, was cleared to practice. He will work out with Erie, the Knicks' NBA Development League affiliate, when it works out at the Knicks' training facility on Tuesday.

The Rockets snapped a seven-game road losing streak, their longest since an eight-game skid in 2001-02.

A sellout crowd that included swimsuit model Kate Upton - who was on one fewer Sports Illustrated covers than Lin last February - gave the Harvard graduate a loud ovation during the introduction of starting lineups. The cheers quickly turned to jeers once the game started, particularly when he made a basket. There were boos when Chandler knocked him to the ground with a shot to the head that resulted in a flagrant foul.

Chandler felt it was a clean, hard foul that didn't warrant a flagrant. He and Lin hugged after the game.

"He had a good game,'' Chandler said. "He had a good game the other night. He's a good player. He's going to have some nights, but I thought we could have took away a lot of his easy baskets, him and James Harden.''

J.R. Smith came off the bench to make all five shots and give the Knicks a 31-29 after one. The Rockets scored the first 10 of the second quarter, opening a 39-31 lead on Lin's 3-pointer with 9:26 left in the half. Houston scored the final six of the half, turning an eight-point lead into a 56-42 cushion.

NOTES: Stoudemire is working out with the D-League team because the Knicks are not expected to do much running at practice Tuesday. They haven't held a formal practice since Dec. 4. "It seems strange but we have a stretch right now where we're playing every other day and it's hard to play a game and then think you can come in and drill these guys,'' Woodson said. "I like to practice, that's where I feel like you learn a lot and stay sharp in terms of your defensive rotations, but I can't run them in practice and expect them to come back and play the next day and then practice again. There's just too many games coming at us right now.''

 

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Knicks vs Rockets highlights

Jeremy Lin returns to New York and helps the Rockets defeat the Knicks.

 

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Deng, Boozer score 21 as Bulls beat Celtics 100-89


CHICAGO (AP) After enjoying one of the most complete games of his career, Joakim Noah may have invented a new position for himself.

Luol Deng and Carlos Boozer scored 21 points apiece, Noah had a triple-double and the Chicago Bulls beat the Boston Celtics 100-89 on Tuesday night.

Noah had 11 points, 13 rebounds and a career high-tying 10 assists for his second career triple-double.

"I always tell people I'm a point-center anyway,'' Noah joked after the game. "I always feel like I can pass the ball. I feel more comfortable with the offense and we have a lot of people who can score the ball in different ways.''

Nate Robinson scored 18 points for Chicago and keyed a fourth-quarter surge that put the game out of reach, as the Bulls evened a 101-95 home loss to Boston on Nov. 12.

"(Noah) plays the game for the love of it,'' Robinson said. "If you watch him, he plays with his heart on his sleeve. Me and him, we are kind of similar with our energy.''

Rajon Rondo led the Celtics with 26 points and eight assists. Paul Pierce added 16 points.

The Celtics have lost a season-high three straight games, all on the road.

"We're going to keep searching,'' Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. "This team is not a good team right now.

"This is who we are right now. A .500 team. And we played like that (tonight).''

The Bulls improved to 4-2 in the second of back-to-back games this season. Chicago bounced back from an 80-71 loss in Memphis on Monday, putting up their lowest point total in five seasons.

"I thought we showed a lot of toughness,'' Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. "I thought we played hard last night too. We moved the ball a lot better tonight.''

The Bulls blew the game open with a 16-5 run to start the fourth quarter. Robinson hit three of his five 3-pointers during the run and scored 15 of his 18 points from behind the arc.

"I had to go back to my whole Peter Pan theory man,'' Robinson said. "You can't fight without happy thoughts.''

Noah fed Taj Gibson for his 10th assist with 8:07 to go in the fourth, increasing Chicago' advantage to 15. His previous triple-double came against Milwaukee on Feb. 22.

"It feels good to win and play well,'' Noah said. "I think we moved the ball great, and when we move the ball like that, we're a tough team to beat.''

Gibson scored a season-high 13 points off the bench, seven in the fourth quarter.

Robinson and Jimmy Butler scored six points each as the Bulls extended their lead to 13 points in the second quarter. Robinson hit two 3-pointers, and the Bulls shot 54 percent in the first half.

"(The bench) was great, and we needed everybody tonight,'' Thibodeau said.

Boston closed the half with a 7-2 run, with Rondo banking in a 3-pointer and scoring a layup to pull the Celtics within 55-48 at the break. Rondo had 13 points and five assists in the opening half, while Kevin Garnett added 10 points and seven boards while hitting all five of his shots from the floor.

Rondo had 13 points and three assists in the third quarter and brought the Celtics within three on a layup with 3:40 to go in the period. Chicago scored the next nine points and led 79-70 entering the final period.

One bright spot for Boston was that Rondo turned the ball over just three times after totaling 14 in his previous two outings. Rondo turned the ball over 33 times in Boston's six games coming in.

Boston was outscored 30-12 after narrowing the lead to three in the third. Garnett was 0 for 5 and went scoreless after halftime.

"I thought they were clearly the tougher team tonight,'' Rivers said. "The more physical team. It was not even close.''

Deng scored 14 points in the first quarter, going 8 for 8 from the line as the Bulls took a 28-23 lead. Noah assisted on Chicago's first four field goals and finished with six rebounds and five assists in the period.

"(Noah) is amazing man, great passer,'' Boozer said. "Probably the best passing big man in the league. Underrated, plays hard, has great court vision.''

NOTES: The Bulls held their previous two opponents under 40 percent shooting, but Boston was at 44 percent. ... Chicago has held 13 of its last 14 opponents under 100 points. ... Fan favorite Brian Scalabrine made his return to the United Center as a Celtics broadcaster. Scalabrine was a reserve on the Bulls the last two seasons before retiring during the summer. Towards the end of Bulls victories, fans would usually chant his name in an effort to entice Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau to insert him into the game. A few fans chanted "Scal-a-brine'' towards the end of Tuesday's game.

 

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Lakers hand Bobcats 12th straight loss, 101-100


LOS ANGELES (AP) Beating the Charlotte Bobcats by one point isn't a true barometer of where the slow-starting Los Angeles Lakers are at the moment.

Neither were the wins they recorded in their previous two games against the short-handed Philadelphia 76ers and NBA-worst Washington Wizards, following a four-game skid that tested new coach Mike D'Antoni's patience - and his up-tempo offense.

All it means is that they can beat the worst of the worst. The real test comes in their next two games against a couple of vastly improved clubs, the Golden State Warriors on Saturday and New York Knicks on Christmas Day.

Kobe Bryant scored four of his 30 points in the final 1:26 and the Lakers had to overcome an 18-point third-quarter deficit to beat Charlotte 101-100 on Tuesday night, handing the Bobcats their 12th straight loss.

"We just tried to grind it out. I think it was a big lesson for us,'' Bryant said. "We managed to stick together. We could have folded, but we didn't. We stayed together and played hard.''

Jodie Meeks and Metta World Peace each had 17 points for the Lakers, who won their third straight to match their longest winning streak of the season. Pau Gasol, back after missing eight games with tendinitis in both knees, had 10 points and nine rebounds in 30 minutes and shot 3 for 10.

"My stamina was good,'' Gasol said. "I think I kept up with them pretty well and I pushed through those times when I got a little fatigued. I was pretty active and my knees are feeling much better than they were. I just have to be more confident out there.''

World Peace, who had a career-high 16 rebounds in the Lakers' 111-98 victory at Philadelphia on Sunday, was not in the starting lineup for the first time after starting the first 25 games.

"I want him to play the 4, and we have to be able to change our team,'' D'Antoni explained. "I hate it for Jordan Hill right now because he is the odd man out, and he doesn't deserve it. He's played well and he is a good player. But for us to have a different team - a different look - Metta has to play the 4. ... As soon as Metta gets more comfortable with that role, he will be very productive as a 4.''

Bryant has scored at least 30 points in seven straight games, equaling his longest such streak since the final nine of the 2005-06 campaign. His longest streak of 30-plus games was 16, in 2002-03. He has 236 points during his current streak. The most he ever had during a seven-game stretch was 344 in 2006-07, including five games with 50 or more.

Kemba Walker led Charlotte with 28 points, reserve Ramon Sessions added 20 and Gerald Henderson had 19. Byron Mullens finished with 17 rebounds and 13 points.

The Bobcats, winless since beating the league-worst Wizards in double overtime on Nov. 24 at Washington, are 14-76 since the start of last season and haven't won back-to-back games since the final two in 2010-11. Their seven wins already have matched their total from last season's lockout-shortened 66-game campaign, when they lost their final 23.

The Lakers, who came in 0-12 when trailing after three quarters, fell behind 80-62 after Walker capped a 14-5 run on a driving layup with 5:38 left in the third. Charlotte took a seven-point margin into the fourth, but that quickly evaporated as Los Angeles opened the quarter with a 13-0 run to grab a 90-84 lead.

"The important thing is that we got six stops, finally got our act together and started playing some defense,'' Bryant said. "We're just moving the ball. I'm being aggressive and looking for opportunities to get a few guys involved.''

Meeks tied it on a 3-pointer from the left corner in front of the Charlotte bench. Bryant's three-point play 25 seconds later gave the Lakers an 87-84 edge with 9:53 remaining, and Darius Morris capped the rally about a minute later with a 3.

The Bobcats got the deficit down to one on a 16-footer by Walker with 6:55 to play. Bryant beat the shot clock with another 3 at the other end before Bismack Biyombo's tip-in tied it at 95 with 3:22 left. Bryant responded with a three-point play to put the Lakers ahead for good with 1:26 on the clock.

The Bobcats had one more chance to pull it out after getting the rebound of Bryant's missed 21-footer and calling timeout. But Howard blocked Walker's 3-foot layup, Henderson failed to convert on his offensive rebound, and Ben Gordon misfired badly on a desperation 3 at the buzzer.

The Bobcats, who haven't shot 50 percent or better from the field in any game this season, finished at 40 percent in the opener of a four-game western road trip. They led 58-53 at intermission after a 21-7 run over the final 5:23 of the half.

Sessions shot 7 for 13 in his return to Staples Center. He played 23 games for the Lakers last season after he was acquired in a trade on March 15 - the same day the Lakers acquired Hill from Houston.

"It was just another game,'' Sessions said. "I had a short period of time here, and it was great. But it came and went, and I'm looking forward to what I've got going on now in Charlotte.''

Sessions had 11 points in the second, including a three-point play, a 3-pointer and two free throws in the final 2:52 of the quarter. The Bobcats signed him as a free agent in July, two days after Los Angeles acquired two-time MVP Steve Nash in a trade from Phoenix.

Nash has missed the last 24 games with a non-displaced fracture in his left leg, but is hoping to return to the lineup against the Knicks in the nationally televised game.

NOTES: Bryant's next 30-point game will make him the fifth player in NBA history with at least 400 of them. ... The Lakers are 7-9 since D'Antoni took over as head coach. He was 5-11 in his first 16 games with Denver, 4-12 with Phoenix and 8-8 with the Knicks. ... Bryant recorded his 600th career block when he rejected Biyombo's shot with 4:55 left in the second quarter. ... The Lakers have beaten Charlotte three straight times - all at home - after losing eight of the previous 10 meetings. ... Bryant was 11 for 24 from the field. The Lakers are 4-10 when he has missed 10 or more shots.

 

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Gallinari's 28 points lifts Nuggets past Spurs


DENVER (AP) Danilo Gallinari's clutch shooting overshadowed another big night from Tim Duncan.

Gallinari scored a season-high 28 points, outlasting Duncan down the stretch and leading the Denver Nuggets over the San Antonio Spurs 112-106 on Tuesday night.

Duncan had 31 points - also a season best - to go along with 18 rebounds, six assists and five blocks for the Spurs, who closed a 15-point lead to three with 3:38 left before the Nuggets closed it out for their third straight win.

"We lost control of the tempo of the game but thank God we didn't lose the game,'' Nuggets coach George Karl said.

Lost in the setback was a milestone night for Duncan. The forward from Wake Forest eclipsed the 23,000-point mark for his career with two free throws with 9 minutes left in the third quarter.

He joined Michael Jordan as the only players in NBA history who went to colleges that were in the Atlantic Coast Conference to score at least 23,000 points.

Manu Ginobili scored 16 points for the Spurs, who have lost four of their last five. All four losses have come in both games of back-to-backs including a loss Monday to the Western Conference-leading Oklahoma City Thunder.

"I couldn't be more proud of the effort,'' Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "It's been a tough month-and-a-half. We asked them to dig down deep and they did.''

It took a while but the Spurs did find some rhythm. San Antonio trailed 98-83 before charging back. Patty Mills, who had 15 points, hit two 3-pointers, Duncan scored eight points and Tony Parker hit a 3 to pull the Spurs to 105-102.

Gallinari responded with a 3-pointer from the wing - his second in a span of 1:37 - and Andre Miller hit a floater to stretch the lead to 110-102 a minute later.

"Gallinari just ripped our hearts out with those two 3s,'' Popovich said. "On the one, Boris (Diaw) contested him better than anybody could possibly contest him and he just drilled that sucker. Making shots at the end of the game often wins games and Gallinari did it.''

Two free throws by Duncan and a basket by Ginobili made it 110-106 with 53 seconds left. A turnover by Denver gave the Spurs a chance to get closer but they missed three straight 3-pointers in the final 24 seconds.

Kenneth Faried had 19 points and 11 rebounds for Denver despite being sick.

"A grind, yes,'' he said. "Top to bottom grind. I kept fighting, but it was so hard to produce like I could have. Looking at the numbers, everybody would say I did pretty good. Personally, I believe I can do even better if I was healthy.''

The Spurs trailed 82-69 late in the third quarter when they started fouling JaVale McGee to put him on the line. The strategy appeared to pay off when McGee made just 2 of 8 free throws but San Antonio missed five shots and Denver was able to take a 90-75 lead into the fourth.

"We were playing so well at that time I think it was a momentum thing rather than an advantage thing,'' Karl said. "We stopped running and stopped getting into the open court.''

McGee wasn't bothered by strategy.

"I didn't feel anything about it I just felt I should have hit my free throws,'' he said. "If I would have made my free throws we probably would have had to close the game.''

Faried opened the second half with a three-point play, Gallinari drained a long 3-pointer and Lawson hit a 16-footer to put Denver up 63-50. The lead grew to 17 on a steal and layup by Ty Lawson midway through the third.

The Nuggets used an 11-4 run to close out the first half and take a 55-48 lead at the break. Gallinari had 11 points and Faried and Corey Brewer had 10 each to pace Denver in the first half.

The Nuggets could have enjoyed a bigger lead but 10 turnovers led to 10 points for San Antonio. The Spurs were also 6 for 12 from 3-point range in the first half.

Duncan led the Spurs with 13 points and was a rebound shy of having a double-double in the first half.

NOTES: Kosta Koufas tied a career high with 14 rebounds. ... The Spurs and Nuggets have played a combined 35 road games and 18 home games so far this season. ... Duncan's double-double was his 14th of the season. ... Nuggets F Anthony Randolph was inactive with a sinus infection.

 

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Melo returns, scores 31 as Knicks rout Nets 100-86


NEW YORK (AP) Carmelo Anthony and the Knicks know they can't entirely dismiss the rivalry talk, not with the Nets just a few miles away.

On the court and in the standings, the distance keeps growing.

Anthony scored 31 points in his return to the lineup, and New York beat Brooklyn 100-86 on Wednesday night in the third meeting this season between the city rivals.

After two tight games in Brooklyn, the Knicks turned the first one at Madison Square Garden into a rout by dominating the second half. Anthony, who missed two games with a sprained left ankle, moved fine and shot well, though his scoring average against the Nets this season actually dropped to 37 points per game.

"At the end of the day, these are statement games, these are big games, divisional games,'' Anthony said. "They're right across the bridge, so these games definitely mean a lot.''

J.R. Smith added 19 points and Tyson Chandler had 16 points and 12 rebounds for the Knicks, who bounced back from their first home loss Monday against Jeremy Lin and Houston, improving to 11-1 at MSG.

Chandler scored 12 on 6-of-8 shooting in the second half.

"I just wanted to close the game. I wanted to make a statement,'' Chandler said. "Tonight was a big game for us, a game in our division, an opportunity to gain a full game as far as the lead goes, and we have to make statements like that.''

Joe Johnson scored 17 points for the Nets, who have lost three straight and eight of 10. What once was a deadlock for the Atlantic Division lead after the first meeting is now a six-game advantage for the Knicks.

"We have a lot of season left. We'll get it turned around,'' Nets coach Avery Johnson said. "We're going to get back in the lab on Friday and work on some parts of our game and get this bad taste out.''

Deron Williams and Brook Lopez each had 16 points for Brooklyn.

The Nets won 96-89 in overtime on Nov. 26 in the rescheduled season opener that was postponed after Superstorm Sandy, and the Knicks pulled out a 100-97 victory Dec. 11 behind Anthony's 45 points and Jason Kidd's tiebreaking 3-pointer with 24 seconds left.

This one was only close for a half with the Knicks outscoring the Nets 48-38 in the final 24 minutes.

"Once they started hitting the way they did, it's kind of deflating,'' Williams said. "It takes you away from your game. You try to get it all back at once instead of being patient and executing like we did in the first half.''

The game lacked the energy and nonstop crowd noise of the two matchups in Brooklyn. Perhaps this crowd just wasn't balanced enough, Brooklyn black hard to spot amid the rows of orange, thanks to a hat giveaway by the Knicks.

Or perhaps Knicks fans were just fatigued from recent visits from the Lakers and Lin, and didn't view a game against the Nets the same way the up-and-coming fan base in Brooklyn does when facing the more established franchise. Though they began to concede it was a rivalry after the two tense games at Barclays Center, Knicks players had previously said there wasn't really any, and wouldn't be until they had some meaningful postseason meetings.

The Knicks are still getting used to sharing their city, the Garden public address announcer accidentally saying Williams was checking in for New Jersey at one point.

But Anthony clearly gets up for the games against the team from his birthplace. He had his highest-scoring game of the season in the last meeting, Avery Johnson saying before the game that "he kind of got away from us a little it in Game 2, is what I'll call it.''

The Nets didn't do much better against him in Game 3.

The Knicks weren't even sure Anthony would play until he worked out before the game. He said he realized once the game got going, he was able to do things he wasn't sure his ankle would allow.

"He looked good to me. If he's not 100 percent, I'll take whatever percent he was tonight, because that was awesome,'' Knicks coach Mike Woodson said.

Anthony had 17 points at halftime, leading the Knicks to a 52-48 lead. Chandler took over in the third, getting four dunks among his 10 points, hooking up with Pablo Prigioni on an alley-oop that made it 75-65 with 11.2 seconds remaining in the quarter.

New York scored seven straight points early in the fourth to open a 14-point cushion, and the benches on both sides emptied after a 3-pointer by Smith and four straight points by Anthony extended it to 98-80.

NOTES: The Knicks played without reserve forwards Steve Novak (ill) and Rasheed Wallace (sore left foot). ... Johnson said the status of Jerry Stackhouse (sore right knee) for Sunday's game against Philadelphia would be determined by how he gets through practice Friday and Saturday. ... The Nets said this was the first meeting of Brooklyn and New York City-based pro sports franchises in Manhattan since Sept. 8, 1957, when the Dodgers visited the New York Giants at the Polo Grounds.

 

[fastbreak]

Harden scores 33 as Rockets beat 76ers 125-103


HOUSTON (AP) Philadelphia 76ers coach Doug Collins knew what was coming before James Harden even stepped on the court.

"To me, when he's coming down the floor, he's very similar to LeBron James,'' Collins said before Wednesday night's game in Houston. "He combines size, strength and shooting, and he loves to make contact.''

Harden played up to Collins' description, finishing with 33 points and seven assists to lead the Rockets to a 125-103 victory over Philadelphia.

Collins mentored Harden when he played at Arizona State and said he frequently told the young player that he had "no motor.''

"(Collins) taught me a lot,'' Harden said. "I was too nonchalant and just chill. That's how I still am, but I have a little motor in me now. That's the difference.''

Harden topped 20 points for the seventh straight game to send the 76ers to their fifth straight loss. He made a career-high 17 of 18 free throws, including six in the fourth quarter, as Houston improved to 9-2 in its last 11 home games.

"James is kind of the head of the spear,'' Rockets coach Kevin McHale said. "He's the guy that takes us out and gets us going.''

Toney Douglas heated up in the fourth quarter for the Rockets, hitting five 3-pointers and scoring all 17 of his points.

Reserve Nick Young scored 21 points to lead Philadelphia, which matched its most lopsided loss of the season. The 76ers also lost by 22 points against the New York Knicks on Nov. 5.

"We just couldn't get any stops, and Harden controlled the game,'' Collins said. "We are just so undermanned.''

Young hit a 3-pointer with less than three minutes left in the third quarter to cut Houston's lead to three, but the Rockets finished the quarter on an 8-1 run and led by 10 at the start of the fourth. Houston forward Greg Smith keyed the rally, scoring eight of his 13 points in the final two minutes of the third quarter.

"James (Harden) came up to me during a timeout and told me we needed to finish the quarter with energy,'' Smith said.

Chandler Parsons got the rebound on his own 3-point attempt and followed with a powerful dunk that kept Houston's lead in double digits midway through the fourth quarter. Parsons finished with nine points and was the only Rockets starter not in double-figures.

Jeremy Lin had 18 points and six assists, and Omer Asik added 17 points and 15 rebounds for Houston, which led by as many as 14 in the first half and was ahead 56-51 at the break.

Dorell Wright scored 20 points in a reserve role for Philadelphia, and Thaddeus Young added 17 - his 16th straight game in double-figures.

Philadelphia guard Evan Turner left the game with nine minutes left in the third quarter after suffering a left ankle injury. Turner limped to the locker room and returned with less than five minutes remaining, but he only stayed in the game for 17 seconds before heading back to the locker room.

Collins said the extent of Turner's injury was not immediately clear after the game.

Turner never re-entered the game and finished with six points, three assists and two rebounds, ending a 17-game streak of scoring in double-figures. The 2010 second overall pick has averaged 17.7 points in December and 15.5 this season.

Turner's absence might be the latest setback for the injury-plagued 76ers, who have been without center Andrew Bynum for the entire season.

Philadelphia point guard Jrue Holiday, the team's leading scorer at nearly 19 points per game, missed his fourth straight with a sprained left foot. Collins said he hoped Holiday would be back for Friday's home game against Atlanta but said the team isn't rushing his return.

"When you put a loss behind your name as a coach, they don't ask who played in the game,'' Collins said. "There is no asterisk that says you're undermanned.''

Notes: Texas A&M quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel attended the game and received a brief ovation when his name was announced halfway through the third quarter. Texas A&M University in College Station is roughly 100 miles from Houston's Toyota Center. ... Houston F Patrick Patterson missed his third straight game with a bone bruise in his right foot.