The 2012-13 Basketball Season Is Here

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Pierce scores 40 to lead Celtics over Cavs 103-91


BOSTON (AP) Paul Pierce certainly showed he has a lot more left in his game.

The 35-year old Pierce became the oldest player in Celtics history to score 40 points in a regulation game, carrying Boston to a 103-91 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night.

"Oh yeah? Oh, wow. Another for the records, I guess,'' he said, smiling as he stood along a wall near the exit of the Celtics' locker room. "I've been here long enough. Who knows, maybe I'll go for 50 one day.''

Judging by his night, anything may be possible.

Hall of Famer Larry Bird is the oldest ever to score 40 in a game, putting up 49 in a double-overtime contest when he was 35 years, 99 days old on March 15, 1992. Pierce is 32 days younger than Bird was when he reached the 40-point plateau.

The Celtics captain now has scored 23,101 points in his career and is 48 behind Elgin Baylor for 24th on the NBA's all-time list.

"When I first came into the league I always asked myself, "Do I want to be good or do I want to be great?' Pierce said. "Every time I stepped out and worked on my game, that's what I asked myself. I always got here early and worked on my craft as hard as I could because I wanted to be one of the great players.''

In the first half, he scored 15 on 3-of-5 shooting from the floor, going 6 for 6 from the free-throw line.

Then in the second he showed age didn't matter.

Pierce made 10 of 11 shots from the floor after halftime, hitting his first eight - including his initial three 3-point attempts. He finished 13 of 16 from the field.

"Maybe I can play a little bit longer than anticipated, who knows?'' he said, cracking another smile.

Rajon Rondo added 20 points and eight assists for the Celtics, who snapped a three-game losing streak. Jason Terry had 15 points and Kevin Garnett 12.

But it was Pierce that carried Boston after it nearly blew a 20-point lead he helped build.

"He did it in incredible stretches,'' Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. "Went back in and picked up where he left off.''

Kyrie Irving paced Cleveland with 22 points.

Cavaliers center Anderson Varejao, the league's leading rebounder, missed the game with a bruised right knee after he was hurt in Tuesday's home loss to Toronto. Tyler Zeller got his first career start and had 20 points for Cleveland.

"You know, it was nothing we could do with him tonight,'' Cavaliers coach Byron Scott of Pierce. "Sometimes a guy that's a great player like that, a future Hall of Famer, sometimes they get it going and there's really nothing much you can do - and Paul got it going. He hit some shots tonight that I hadn't seen him hit - or play that way - in a while. Sometimes you just got to pat him on the butt and say, "Great job.'''

The Cavaliers lost their fifth straight and fell to 2-14 on the road.

Boston pushed the lead to 80-60 late in the third quarter, but the Cavaliers went on a 20-2 run spanning the end of the third and start of the fourth, closing to 82-80 on Zeller's three-point play 3 minutes into the final quarter.

Rondo's long jumper then started a game-breaking 14-4 run. Pierce, who nailed two jumpers and two free throws in the spurt, finally missed his first shot of the second half - a 3-point attempt from the top with 6:15 to play - after going 8 for 8 from the floor.

Pierce's fadeaway in the lane made it 96-84 with 3:59 remaining.

He capped his memorable night by making a double move in the lane before hitting a fallaway to make it 98-85 with 3:29 left.

"It's hard to really explain,'' he said. "You feel good, you feel like everything you shoot is going to go in and the rim is bigger than it normally is. You want the ball.''

The Celtics held an eight-point lead at the half and used an offensive outburst by Pierce to open their 20-point advantage. He scored Boston's initial five points, nailing a 3-pointer to make it 59-51 early in the quarter. After the teams traded baskets, Pierce scored all of the points in a 12-2 run over the ensuing 3:37, capping it with consecutive 3s from nearly the same spot on the left wing 63 seconds apart to make it 75-57.

"He got hot,'' Irving said. "They just kept feeding him.''

Following two free throws by Cleveland's Tristan Thompson, Terry nailed a 3 from the right corner, pushing Boston ahead 78-59 with 4:18 left in the quarter. Terry's jumper made it 80-60 with 3:33 left. Pierce, who was replaced with just under 4 minutes left in the quarter and left to a loud ovation, went 7 for 7 from the floor in the quarter.

After Pierce and Garnett went to the bench, Cleveland scored 12 of the final 14 points in the third, pulling to 82-72 heading into the fourth. Irving scored the final seven points of the quarter.

Boston led 27-25 after one and used an 8-0 run midway in the second en route to its 54-46 edge at halftime. Pierce nailed a 3 and hit two free throws in the run.

In the first half, the Celtics made 10 more free throws in 15 extra chances.

NOTES: Zeller was without a face mask for the first time since breaking his cheekbone in early November. ... Rivers changed his starting lineup and inserted G Terry and F Jason Collins. Rivers said he wanted to get Terry in the starting lineup because "he needs to be on the floor with a point guard that can get him the ball.'' Terry had just two shots in Boston's loss at Chicago on Tuesday night, but hit a 3 on his first attempt early in the game. Rivers wanted Collins in there to limit Garnett from playing center the entire time he was on the floor. ... The Celtics held a moment of silence before the National Anthem and showed all the names on the Jumbotron to remember the victims at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Conn. ... The Celtics didn't get home from Tuesday night's game in Chicago until about 2 P.M. due to mechanical problems with their plane. ... Cleveland's only two road wins came in November, against the Los Angeles Clippers and Atlanta.

 

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Celtics vs Cavaliers highlights

Pierce has 40 points to lead the Celtics to victory.

 

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LeBron over 20 again, Heat beat Mavericks 110-95



LeBron over 20 again, Heat beat Mavericks 110-95
DALLAS (AP) This was too easy for LeBron James and the Miami Heat against a Dallas team already missing Dirk Nowitzki when it was plagued by more injuries.

There was no semblance of their two NBA Finals matchups against each other.

James scored 24 points with some early baskets on nifty passes from Dwyane Wade, and the Heat rolled to a 110-95 victory Thursday night, a game in which Miami led by 36 points before James and Wade sat out entire fourth quarter.

"I'm just playing within the game,'' said Wade, who had 19 points and six assists. "My job is to do a little bit of everything right now.''

Including getting the ball to James, who has scored at least 20 points in all 23 games, the longest streak to start an NBA season since Karl Malone's 24 in a row opening the 1989-90 season.

"I'm just very comfortable and confident in my ability,'' James said. "I put a lot of work into my game. It's always good when you put in the work and implement that into a game situation.''

Nowitzki, the Mavs' 11-time All-Star, hasn't played this season though he practiced for the first time this week since arthroscopic right knee surgery Oct. 19. Dallas is now without starting point guard Derek Fisher (right knee) and post players Elton Brand (right groin) and Brandan Wright (right ankle).

The Heat never trailed after James drove for a short floater 3 minutes into the game. They had their first double-digit lead, 22-11, when James made a 3-pointer with 4 1/2 minutes left in the first quarter.

"We don't want to give a team too much confidence at home. We understand this team was short-handed,'' Wade said. "We wanted to come out here on the road and make a statement.''

Chris Bosh added 17 points as the Heat played only their second road game since Nov. 17. They return home to play Utah on Saturday before an NBA Finals rematch against Oklahoma City on Christmas Day.

Rookie Jae Crowder had 15 points to lead six Dallas players in double figures. Dahntay Jones and Bernard James had 12 points each.

LeBron James' first 3 came in between two impressive passes from Wade, who didn't yet have James or Dallas native Bosh as teammates when the Heat clinched their first NBA title in the same building in June 2006.

Dallas is much changed team since winning the 2011 NBA title over the Heat, in the star trio's first season together. Miami is now defending a championship this season.

"Much better team than we were. We know each other,'' James said. "We can close our eyes and where we're going to be offensively and defensively.''

Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle wholeheartedly agrees with that assessment, and is dealing with the opposite side of that since Nowitzki and Shawn Marion are the only current Dallas players who actually played in the NBA Finals only two seasons ago.

"They're so much better now since they've been together and there's a lot to be said about being together,'' Carlisle said. "Right now one of our struggles, we have a group that hasn't been together too much. ... And it's been challenging.''

Bosh rebounded a missed 3-pointer by the Mavericks and got the ball to Wade, who had a perfect alley-oop pass to James, who caught the ball in midair near the rim and slammed it through with both hands.

After another missed 3 by Dallas later in the first quarter, Wade grabbed the rebound under the basket and then threw a football-like pass the length of the court to James. Even with Darren Collison and Vince Carter fronting him, James leaped and reached over to grab the ball, then finished with a layup to make it 27-13.

Dallas pulled to 36-33 after Dominique Jones had consecutive assists to rookies, a 3-pointer by Crowder and a reverse layup by Bernard James.

But Miami then responded with a 16-4 run.

Miami stretched the lead to 91-55, its largest of the season, when Shane Battier made a 3-pointer with 1:21 left in the third quarter.

Nowtizki practiced for the first time Wednesday, and had an individual workout Thursday. It's still unclear when he will make his season debut, but got a huge cheer when he was shown on the video screen during a timeout.

Collison, who lost the job as the starting point guard when the Mavericks signed Fisher on Nov. 29, was back in the starting lineup and had 11 points.

Fisher was hurt in the first quarter of a win over Philadelphia on Tuesday night. He will skip a two-game trip for games at Memphis on Friday night and San Antonio on Sunday. The team said there is no timetable for the 38-year-old Fisher's return and that he would be re-evaluated next week.

NOTES: Mavs guard O.J. Mayo made only three of 14 shots for eight points before facing his former team on Friday night in Memphis. ... The Heat's largest lead this season before Thursday night had been against Washington last week, when they led by 35 points in the fourth quarter. ... Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel, the freshman quarterback from Texas A&M, was sitting courtside early in the second half. He watched Philadelphia at Houston on Wednesday night. ... When play resumed after a timeout with about 7 minutes left, many fans were watching a fight in the stands instead of the game.

 

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Blazers defeat Nuggets 101-93 for 4th straight win


PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) The Trail Blazers weren't going to try anything out of the ordinary against the Nuggets, especially with injured All-Star forward LaMarcus Aldridge watching from the bench in street clothes.

The idea, explained forward J.J. Hickson, was for everyone to do "just a little bit more.''

Everyone did, and Portland beat the Nuggets 101-93 on Thursday night for the Blazers' first four-game winning streak of the season. Nicolas Batum had 22 points and Hickson had 18 points and 18 rebounds for his sixth-straight double-double.

It was an odd loss for the Nuggets, who missed 22 3-pointers, breaking the NBA record for most attempts without a make - a mark that was set a week ago when the Blazers went 0 for 20 from 3-point range in a victory over Toronto.

Denver scored 74 points from inside the paint, and the rest were free throws except for Ty Lawson's 20-foot pull-up jumper with 38 seconds left in the game.

"The rhythm of the game was not in our favor, and our guys seemed to be worn out a little bit,'' Nuggets coach George Karl said. "If you make two 3s it's a different basketball game - a totally different game. It's not time to panic or anything. We just didn't have enough shooters out there.''

The Blazers led by as many as 18 in the first half and while the Nuggets were able to close the gap, they were never able to pull even.

Andre Miller's fade-away for Denver narrowed Portland's lead to 84-81 with 4:06 left. Batum made a trio of free throws before Miller added a layup to make it 87-83. But Luke Babbitt hit a 3-pointer with 2:31 left to give the Blazers back a 92-83 lead.

Wesley Matthews all but sealed it when his 3-pointer a short time later put the Blazers ahead 97-87 with 1:31 left.

"We were able to get the win,'' Matthews said. "We want to correct how many points we gave up in the paint, but that's for another day. Tonight we're going to enjoy this win.''

Aldridge sprained his left ankle in Portland's 95-94 victory over New Orleans on Sunday. The injury occurred in the final minute of the game, which was won on rookie Damian Lillard's 3-pointer with 0.3 seconds left.

Aldridge, who is averaging 21 points and eight rebounds a game, was off the crutches on Thursday night but he was wearing a boot and walking with a limp.

"We all took it upon ourselves individually to step up and not do anything out of the ordinary, but just do a little bit more and it would make up for him not playing,'' Hickson said. "I think we did a great job with that.''

Aldridge was replaced in the starting lineup by 6-foot-11 Joel Freeland, who was making his first start with the Blazers. Freeland finished with two points and three rebounds in 15 minutes.

Matthews, who missed two games with a sore hip then tried to return against the Hornets but left after four minutes - returned with 20 points against Denver, including 10 in the first quarter.

The injury had put Matthews 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.

Lawson, Andre Iguodala and Corey Brewer had 13 points each for the Nuggets.

"We had a chance even though we shot terrible,'' Brewer said. "It shows that we can still win when we shoot bad, but we have to shoot better.''

Babbitt hit three straight 3-pointers that put the Blazers ahead 36-20 in the second quarter. But after a poor first quarter, the Nuggets mounted a rally late in the second, closing to 38-32 on Danilo Gallinari's dunk, but they couldn't get any closer and trailed 50-40 at the half.

JaVale McGee's dunk pulled the Nuggets to 62-54 but again they struggled to get closer. And they still hadn't hit a shot from outside the paint through three quarters.

Denver closed to 69-65 on Brewer's fast-break layup. While the Blazers went nearly five minutes without a field goal, Ronnie Price's dunk put the crowd on its feet and extended Portland's lead to 67-75.

Brewer made a pair of free throws to make it 78-75, but Lillard answered with a 3-pointer for the Blazers.

NOTES: Freeland played for host Britain in the London Olympics last summer. ... Denver reserve forward Anthony Randolph returned after missing Tuesday night's game against San Antonio because of a sinus infection. ... It was Portland's sixth straight victory over the Nuggets at the Rose Garden. ... Portland hasn't won four straight games since March 2011. ... Babbitt's 14 points were a season high.

 

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Barea, Wolves snap Thunder's 12-game streak


MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder have been blowing the doors off the rest of the Western Conference in these first two months, playing with the swagger born of their run to the NBA Finals last season.

J.J. Barea and the Minnesota Timberwolves tried to send a message on Thursday night that a second straight trip isn't going to come easy.

Playing with the tenacity that made him so important to the Mavericks' run to the title two years ago, Barea scored 14 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter to help the Timberwolves snap Oklahoma City's 12-game winning streak with a 99-93 victory over the Thunder.

Kevin Love had 28 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists and Nikola Pekovic had 24 points and 10 rebounds for Minnesota. But it was Barea who was the key, scoring 12 straight at one point for the Wolves to hold off the team with the best record in the league.

"It's important,'' coach Rick Adelman said of beating the best in the West. "But I would like to see us get to a point where this is not a big deal. It's a big game against the best team, but this is something we can do.''

Kevin Durant had 33 points, seven rebounds and six assists and Russell Westbrook had 30 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists for the Thunder, who had not lost a game since Nov. 23 at Boston.

"It's not the end of the world. A lot of people said the world is going to end today, tomorrow, but it's not the end of the world,'' Durant quipped. "We lost to a good team (Thursday). They came out and played extremely hard and they beat us. We're 21-5 and we've just got to go back and work.''

That it was Barea, and not the Olympian Love or the sensation Ricky Rubio who was chiefly responsible was the biggest surprise of all.

Barea didn't join the Timberwolves until training camp had already started last season, then languished through the first injury plagued year of his career. Finally healthy, he's getting back to the super pest that helped the Dallas Mavericks to the title two years ago.

With the Thunder charging early in the fourth quarter, the smallest guy on the court played the biggest.

After Durant's two free throws cut Minnesota's lead to 80-77, Barea hit two 3s and scored on a putback under the rim amid the tall trees, an 8-0 run by himself that gave the Wolves a little breathing room. His long 3 with 5:26 to play made it 92-81, and the Wolves held on.

"I love it,'' Barea said. "We just needed a little bit more tonight, a little energy and I'm glad I was able to provide that for us tonight.''

Barea was also a nuisance on defense, drawing an offensive foul on Durant with 2:24 to play. The normally super-cool Durant uncharacteristically lost his composure, picking up a technical foul for arguing the call as well.

"Seems like him and Kevin Love don't miss against us,'' Durant said of Barea, who tormented them in the Western Conference finals in 2011 and had a triple-double in a double-overtime loss to the Thunder last season. "Seems like every team has that guy and I think those are the guys against us. Next time we've just got to do a better job.''

Serge Ibaka had 14 points and nine rebounds, but Westbrook missed 19 shots and turned the ball over eight times in an off night.

Alexey Shved had 12 points, 12 assists and seven rebounds for the Wolves, who are trying to claw their way back to respectability after years at the bottom of the Western Conference.

With a nucleus of Love, Rubio and Pekovic, there is optimism here for the first time in a long time.

The Thunder stormed into Target Center riding the longest winning streak since the team moved to Oklahoma City, bullying opponents by an average of 14.2 points per game as they warm up for a run at a second straight finals appearance.

Rubio was playing his third game since being activated from a torn ACL in his left knee that had kept him out since March 9. He had a scintillating debut last Saturday, throwing no-look passes between his legs and looking as if he'd never left. But it's been slower going in the ensuing two games. He was a non-factor in a loss in Orlando on Monday and had trouble getting going again against the Thunder.

His handle wasn't nearly as sticky as usual and he was thwarted every time he tried to penetrate, then could be seen wincing in pain after an awkward landing on a shot in the second quarter. Adelman immediately pulled him, but Rubio returned in the second half.

"We battled, we fought. I'm proud of our guys,'' Thunder coach Scott Brooks said. "We had a great streak, a great month going. But we lost to a very good team. We knew sooner or later they were going to get hot. They got hot tonight.''

NOTES: Kevin Martin did not play for the Thunder because of a right thigh contusion. ... The Timberwolves waived G/F Josh Howard on Thursday after an MRI revealed a torn ACL in his right knee. ... The Thunder lost for the first time in six tries on the second night of a back to back.

 

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Timberwolves vs Thunder highlights

Kevin Love has a double-double as the Timberwolves defeat the Thunder.

 

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Anthony, 3 others tossed as Bulls beat Knicks


NEW YORK (AP) Bottled up by the Bulls and baffled by the officials, Carmelo Anthony expected to spend the final minutes of the Knicks' loss alone in the locker room.

Turns out the early exodus of Knicks was just beginning.

Coach Mike Woodson and center Tyson Chandler were also ejected from the foul-filled game, and Chicago beat New York for the second time this season, 110-106 on Friday night.

Chandler and Bulls counterpart Joakim Noah were tossed after a fourth-quarter altercation, shortly after Woodson had been ejected following his second technical. He drew a loud ovation during his walk to the back from Knicks fans who angrily booed the officiating for much of the second half.

"I was actually in here, and then I just heard the crowd screaming and yelling, and I walked to the hallway, and Woody was walking back. Then I was actually in the shower, came back and Tyson was sitting right next to me,'' Anthony said. "So once I saw that, that's how the night was going.''

Luol Deng had season highs of 29 points and 13 rebounds for the Bulls despite briefly leaving the game with an injured left shoulder. Marco Belinelli added 22 points as Chicago won for the fourth time in five games.

Anthony finished with 29 points on 10-of-25 shooting, ending his streak of four straight 30-point games. The Knicks lost for the second time in three home games after winning their first 10.

Noah finished with 15 points, 12 rebounds and six assists in completely outplaying Chandler, who took only one shot and was limited to five points and eight boards.

Chandler insisted he and Noah didn't fight and shouldn't have been ejected from the game that featured nine technicals.

"It was just an ugly game in general and then things contributed from there,'' Chandler said.

Kirk Hinrich had 16 points, nine rebounds and eight assists for the Bulls, who were totally shutting the Knicks down until allowing 45 mostly meaningless points in the fourth quarter after Chicago had led by 25 in the third.

"You get a 25-point lead on the road against a team like this, you're doing a lot of good things,'' Chicago coach Tom Thibodeau said. "I'm disappointed with our approach and discipline in the fourth quarter, starting with my fourth-quarter technical. So we gave up 45 points and that's not good. That's not the way we want to close a game.''

The Knicks were held to season lows of 85 points and 32.1 percent shooting in an eight-point loss in Chicago on Dec. 8, when Anthony was sidelined by a cut on his finger that required stitches. Woodson said before the game he thought the Knicks got good shots that night and just missed them, expecting his team would deliver a better performance at home with Anthony in the lineup.

Instead, the Knicks were never really in the game on a rare off night from Anthony, the NBA's second-leading scorer. The score got close in the final minutes, but the outcome had long been decided.

Anthony was called for his second technical, earning an automatic ejection, with 6:45 left after he was whistled for a foul on Noah's offensive rebound and apparently said something to referee Olandis Poole.

Once the game got away from the Knicks, so did their emotions, questioning calls that were made or arguing for ones that weren't. Chandler and Noah were battling for a rebound when they got tangled up and began jawing, and may have even made contact with their heads before they were separated.

"(Things) were definitely escalating, but I don't think they're used to being down that much, too,'' Noah said. "If they were up 20 points, I don't think they would have been that frustrated.''

The fans weren't happy, either. Spike Lee stood a couple of feet behind referee Zach Zarba from his courtside seat in the fourth quarter, staring a hole through Zarba after one call went against the Knicks.

The Knicks had much bigger problems than the officiating.

They missed 10 of their first 11 shots as Chicago raced to a 14-2 lead. The advantage grew to 30-17 when Deng made a 3-pointer, and Belinelli followed with a free throw after Anthony was called for a technical foul after arguing a no-call on the other end. New York got it down to 30-23 when J.R. Smith made a 3-pointer at the first-quarter buzzer.

"I think from the jump they were the more physical team from the beginning of the game and it carried out throughout the whole game. It kind of got to us a little bit,'' Anthony said. "We reacted rather than coming out from the jump being the more aggressive team and we found ourselves in a hole, and by the time we tried to be aggressive it was a little bit too late at that point in time.''

The Knicks cut it to 42-37 midway through the second quarter before their offense stalled again. Chicago scored 12 straight points, taking its biggest lead at 54-37 on a free throw by Carlos Boozer with 10.9 seconds remaining, before Anthony stopped the Knicks' 5-minute scoreless drought with a driving layup with 3.2 seconds to go.

Smith had 26 points and 10 rebounds for the Knicks, who fell to 19-7. Their 19 wins through 25 games was bettered only twice in franchise history, when they were 23-2 in 1969-70 and 20-5 in 1972-73. They won the NBA title both times.

Deng appeared to hurt his left shoulder in the third quarter when Jason Kidd reached in on him, but returned to the game after using a heating pad on the bench.

NOTES: With Amare Stoudemire getting close to returning from left knee surgery, Woodson said he will talk to the forward Saturday about how he is feeling. Stoudemire practiced twice this week with the Knicks' NBA Development League team so he could scrimmage, since the Knicks weren't holding full-court practices. Woodson said he wasn't sure if Stoudemire would be able to play Sunday. ... The Bulls are 6-1 against the Atlantic Division. ... Former Rutgers football player Eric LeGrand was at the game and received a long, loud ovation when a segment about his paralysis was shown on the video board.

 

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Clippers win 12th straight to set franchise record


LOS ANGELES (AP) After the Los Angeles Clippers set a record for the longest winning streak in franchise history, Chris Paul was thinking about Ron Harper, Corey Maggette and other former players who endured all that losing.

Paul had 24 points and 13 assists to help the Clippers, for decades synonymous with long losing streaks, break a 38-year-old club mark with their 12th consecutive victory Friday night, 97-85 over the Sacramento Kings.

"Most of those guys have been here through tougher times,'' Paul said. "I know Ron Harper really well. He's a good friend of mine, and he's excited for us. We just played against Corey Maggette, and he was excited to see how it is now. So it's been exciting for me in the short amount of time I've been here, especially knowing some of the people who have been with the team for 25 or 30 years and the season-ticket holders. But we can't be satisfied. We've got to keep it going.''

The previous record was set by the Buffalo Braves during the 1974-75 season, when current Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro was 8 years old. The head coach back then was Jack Ramsay, whose formidable roster included Bob McAdoo, Garfield Heard, Randy Smith, Jim McMillian, Jack Marin and Bob Weiss.

That team won 49 games - still a record for a beleaguered organization that has called three different cities home, wasted first-round draft picks on Benoit Benjamin, Terry Dehere, Michael Olowokandi and Darius Miles, and was labeled "the worst franchise in sports history'' by Sports Illustrated in an April 17, 2000, cover story.

Blake Griffin had 21 points and 13 rebounds for the Clippers, who have had 20 double-digit losing streaks since their 11-game winning streak in Buffalo - including a dozen of 12 or more. They lost their first 16 in 1994-95, their first 17 of the lockout-shortened 1988-89 season, and the final 14 in 1986-87. The club record for consecutive defeats is 19, set in 1981-82 and equaled in 1988-89.

But those days are history thanks to the arrival of Griffin, the blockbuster trade that brought Paul from the New Orleans Hornets last December, and a bench that is arguably the deepest in the NBA. The Clippers, who have the league's longest active winning streak, also own the NBA's second-best record at 20-6 and trail Oklahoma City by just one game.

"You have to have players. You have to have talent. You have to have guys believing in what you're doing, and finding ways to win and being consistent,'' Del Negro said. "I think the guys are learning and understanding what it takes to play at a high level consistently. It's a good thing to have a target on your back, but that also brings a responsibility to play at a high level as often as possible.

This is the earliest the Clippers' franchise has ever reached the 20-win mark, and only the sixth time they did it with a winning record - including a 20-11 start last season. The previous club record in that department also was set in 1974-75, when the Braves started out 20-8. Just four seasons ago the Clips finished 19-63 under Mike Dunleavy.

"I remember the year I got drafted. The season before that they had only 19 wins. So what we've accomplished so far is great,'' Griffin said. "But the best thing about it for me is being a part of something that's much bigger than Chris or I. It takes everybody from top to bottom - the GM, the coaching staff, the players, everybody. And from Day 1 since I've been here, everybody's been serious about changing.''

Los Angeles beat Sacramento for the fifth straight time - including all three meetings last season. The Clippers haven't lost to anyone since Nov. 26 at Staples Center, when New Orleans beat them 105-98 and held Griffin to four points and one field goal - both career lows.

Reserve guard Jimmer Fredette had 16 points for Sacramento, which is 1-11 on the road. DeMarcus Cousins was benched for the entire second half by coach Keith Smart, who ordered him to remain in the locker room after he scored nine points in 20 minutes.

Neither went into detail.

"I won't share that right now, but it's just a conduct issue,'' Smart said. "We're trying to set a standard here, and when guys move below that standard, things are going to take place. We'll just move on to the next game and I'll make some decisions from there.''

Cousins was contrite after the game.

"What happens in the locker room stays in the locker room. But I was wrong. I was wrong,'' Cousins said. "I'm a player that definitely wants to win every night, and I'm an emotional player. That's never going to change. But I shouldn't have responded back. Something was said, and I just should have stayed quiet. Is it a humbling thing? Yeah, I will say that. I mean, I messed up and I apologize to my teammates for responding the way I did and I'll move on from it.''

The Kings, who had their highest-scoring game of the season Wednesday night in a 131-127 home win against Golden State, have dropped six of seven. Tyreke Evans missed his third straight game and eighth in the last 12 because of a sore left knee. He also was sidelined for the Kings' 116-81 loss at Los Angeles on Dec. 1, when the Clippers posted their largest margin of victory since the franchise left Buffalo.

Caron Butler's 3-pointer gave Los Angeles its biggest lead, 58-41, with 10:05 left in the third quarter. The Kings narrowed the gap to 63-57 with a 16-5 run capped by Fredette's 3-pointer with 4:25 left in the quarter, but that was as close as they got.

Paul helped put the game away with a pair of 3-pointers in the final 4 minutes.

NOTES: The teams the Clippers have beaten during this streak have a combined winning percentage of .401 (116-173). The Kings (8-18) are the only team they have faced twice in that stretch. ... The Clippers are at Phoenix on Saturday night, trying to break a franchise-record road winning streak of five - by those same "74-75 Buffalo Braves. ... The Los Angeles Lakers, who share Staples Center with the Clippers, haven't won 12 or more games in a row during one season since 1999-00, when they had streaks of 16 and 19. ... Los Angeles is 17-0 when leading after three quarters and 15-0 when holding an opponent under 43 percent shooting. The Kings shot 41.8 percent. ... Fredette missed a free throw with 3:48 remaining, ending his streak at 33 in a row.

 

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Horford lifts Hawks to 92-75 win over Bulls


ATLANTA (AP) Larry Drew knew why his Atlanta Hawks blew out the Chicago Bulls on Saturday, he just couldn't explain why they looked so different one night after being beaten handily in Philadelphia.

Al Horford had 20 points and 10 rebounds, and every Atlanta starter scored in double figures in a 92-75 win on Saturday. The Hawks (16-9) and Bulls (15-11) played role reversal from their performances on Friday night.

Atlanta looked nothing like the squad that lost 99-80 in Philadelphia, and Chicago didn't resemble the team that dominated the Knicks in a 110-106 win in New York.

Drew said several times that, "energy,'' enabled the Hawks to break a two-game losing streak. Trying to figure out how his team had so much of it Saturday and so little Friday was perplexing.

"I wish I had the answer to that, to be perfectly honest,'' Drew said after pushing his career record to 100-73. "I don't care what our strategy is, or what the game plan is. If we don't play with good energy we're not going to be successful.

"That's the thing that will have you pulling your hair out ... it was a complete opposite.''

It took a while to see a difference in the teams. The Bulls led 21-17 after one quarter, and neither club scored for the first three-plus minutes.

Chicago led 31-28 before Atlanta took off on a 25-6 run over the final 6:58 of the second quarter to build a 53-37 lead by halftime. The Bulls never recovered.

From the middle of the second quarter, the Bulls looked as though they were emotionally gassed by the game in New York. The Bulls and Knicks combined for nine technical fouls and four ejections in that one.

Luol Deng paced Chicago with 11 points, and Joakim Noah - who was ejected on Friday - had 10, but they were the only Bulls to score in double figures. Atlanta starters outscored Chicago starters 72-39.

The Bulls were outrebounded 45-31.

"Tough loss. The highs and lows of this thing are unbelievable,'' Noah said. "One night you feel great because you won a big game, and then the next night you come out with the wrong mindset and you lose. Our energy was bad.''

In his first start for the Hawks, guard Lou Williams scored 11 of his 16 points in the second quarter, when Horford added 10. Atlanta held Chicago without a fastbreak point in the first half.

Like his coach, Horford is not sure how to predict how much energy his team will play with on a given night, but the Hawks center had a partial theory on why Atlanta was pumped up more on Saturday: The Hawks had lost two straight and three of four.

"What I've learned with this team is that until we're on the floor and we get going, we really won't know how we're feeling,'' Horford said after making 9 of 12 shots. "It's just a matter of us coming out with that energy, and I think our backs were against the wall. We needed to come out strong.''

Williams started at shooting guard, but began the second quarter playing point guard in place of starter Jeff Teague, and scored 11 points in the period. The Hawks outscored the Bulls 25-6 over the final 6:58 of the half.

The third quarter was more of the same as Atlanta built a 72-47 lead.

Bulls coach Tom Thibodeux sat his starters in the final period.

"We got beat in every facet,'' he said after Chicago's two game winning streak was snapped. "Our defense wasn't any good, our rebounding was poor, and you're on the road. You've got to play 48 minutes. You look at Atlanta, they played (Friday), too. They were on the road. It's a will game.''

NOTES: Hawks guard Devin Harris missed his third straight game because of a sore left foot. ... Chicago rookie guard Marquis Teague entered the game in the third quarter, and was at times matched up against his brother Jeff Teague. The younger Teague scored eight points with three assists. Jeff Teague had 11 points and eight assists. ... Atlanta rapper T.I. (Clifford Harris Jr.) performed at halftime. ... Former heavyweight boxing champion Evander Holyfield, and singer-songwriter Ne-Yo (Shaffer Chimere Smith) were in the crowd.

 

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Harden leads Rockets over Grizzlies 121-96


HOUSTON (AP) Houston coach Kevin McHale figured the best way to beat the Memphis Grizzlies was to get down the court before they could get their dominant defense set.

His plan worked perfectly.

James Harden scored 31 points with eight assists, and the Rockets earned their third straight win, 121-96 over the Grizzlies on Saturday night.

Memphis entered the game allowing an NBA-low 89.2 points a game. But the Grizzlies had no answer for Harden. He did all his scoring in the first three quarters and reached at least 20 points for an eighth straight game.

"It's easier getting them early than it is going against the defense and trying to get something in the last five seconds of the shot clock,'' McHale said. "That's where they really get into you.''

Houston used a big run midway through the second quarter to take the lead, and didn't trail after that to break a four-game winning streak by the Grizzlies.

"We know how physical they are,'' Harden said. "They like to pound the ball in the paint and get easy layups. It was our job to push the tempo, get stops, and get in transition.''

Mike Conley had 16 points for the Grizzlies on a night when leading scorer Rudy Gay finished with a season-low six points.

"We tried to play their game, and they are obviously better at it than us playing at that pace,'' Memphis center Marc Gasol said. "They beat us in every aspect of the game.''

Memphis hadn't allowed 100 points since the Clippers scored 101 in the season-opener - an NBA-best streak of 23 games.

The Rockets needed just over three quarters to reach the mark, hitting it with a free throw by Jeremy Lin with 9 1/2 minutes left that made it 100-80.

"I think tonight we showed how explosive we can be offensively because we put 120 points on a team that hasn't allowed over 100 since the first game of the season,'' Lin said. "This is just a testament to people moving and passing the ball.''

It was the Rockets' 13th straight home victory over the Grizzlies. Memphis hasn't won in Houston since April 2006.

Lin added 15 points and a season-high tying 11 assists, and Marcus Morris scored 16 points.

The Rockets took advantage of their speed in this one, outscoring Memphis 33-3 on fast breaks in the Grizzlies' most lopsided loss of the season.

"They were tired,'' Lin said of the Grizzlies, who beat Dallas on Friday night. "So we wanted to make sure ... that we got the ball out and just run as fast as we can.''

Memphis coach Lionel Hollins was disappointed in his team's effort.

"We just had no juice, no energy, and were not mentally tough,'' he said. "We just kind of packed it in early.''

The Rockets led by 15 points late in the third quarter when Harden found Greg Smith in the lane for a dunk. Quincy Pondexter made a layup on the other end before Carlos Delfino knocked down a 3-pointer from 2 feet behind the line to extend the lead to 94-76.

Zach Randolph made a layup for Memphis to end the quarter with Houston up 94-78.

The Rockets had a six-point lead before Harden scored seven straight points to push Houston's lead to 77-64 with seven minutes left in the third quarter. He started the run with a three-point play before jumping in front of a pass and taking it the distance for a layup.

The Grizzlies led by three points with about nine minutes left in the second quarter before Houston used a 13-3 run powered by six points from Omer Asik to take a 48-41 lead.

Memphis cut its deficit to four later in the quarter. This time, the Rockets used a 12-6 spurt to extend their lead to 64-54 at halftime.

NOTES: The Rockets recalled G Scott Machado from the D-League Rio Grande Valley Vipers before the game. ... Asik had 14 points and 12 rebounds for his 12th double-double of the season. ... Houston is 7-1 when Harden scores at least 30 points. ... Randolph finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds for his 21st double-double this season, which leads the league. ... Houston's 32 assists were a season-high.

 

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Lakers rally past Warriors in OT in Nash's return


OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) Steve Nash sliced through the lane, broke down the defense, and created shots for Kobe Bryant time and again, just the way he has for teammates throughout his brilliant 17-year NBA career.

So much for an adjustment period.

Bryant had 34 points and 10 rebounds, Nash finished with 12 points and nine assists in his first game in almost two months, and the Los Angeles Lakers rallied from 14 points down in the fourth quarter to beat the Golden State Warriors 118-115 in overtime on Saturday night.

"It's easy. It's very easy. It's beyond easy,'' Bryant said about playing with Nash, who had missed 24 straight games while recovering from a small fracture in his lower left leg. "You put two guys together who can do opposite things and it fits extremely well. When I get a rebound, I look to get the ball in his hands because I know I will be getting an easy shot.''

While defense remains an issue for the Lakers, the offense had no problems in Nash's return.

Metta World Peace and Nash each made a go-ahead 3-pointer in the final minutes of regulation before the Warriors came back. World Peace scored 20 points, and Nash converted a step-back shot for the final basket in overtime to lift Los Angeles to its fourth straight victory.

This one had 20 lead changes, eight ties, and a sellout crowd of 19,596 cheering every possession as if it was the last one.

"To play 40 minutes after seven weeks was more than I could ask for,'' Nash said. "I felt in a decent rhythm. I feel positive about it. We'll see (Sunday). I'll have to keep working on it. I know it will be sore and painful but I'm used to that.''

As well as the Lakers looked at times, the Warriors seemingly had the game in their hands.

Jarrett Jack scored 29 points and David Lee had 20 points and 11 rebounds in a disappointing collapse for Golden State, which had won 11 of 14 to get off to its best start in 20 years. As so often has happened in this one-sided California rivalry, though, the Lakers took over when it mattered most.

"This will not put a damper on our Christmas spirits,'' Warriors coach Mark Jackson said. "We're excited about where we're at, and we're excited about where we're headed.''

For the first time in a long time, the Lakers and Warriors share that sentiment.

The 38-year-old Nash was injured in the second game of the season, the former Phoenix star's first with the Lakers, who have struggled for most of this season without their point guard. Nash showed no signs of rust throughout the game, and not in the crucial moments, either.

Nash's 3-pointer gave the Lakers a 103-102 lead with a little less than 2 minutes left in regulation. Festus Ezeli answered with an alley-oop from Jack to put the Warriors back ahead, only to watch Bryant swish a pull-up jumper from 20 feet on the other end.

After Lee's jumper gave Golden State the lead again, World Peace made a corner 3 to put Los Angeles ahead 108-106 with 24.1 seconds remaining. Jack followed with a tying, step-back shot, and the Lakers took over with 14.9 seconds left before Bryant missed a jumper over two defenders at the buzzer.

Bryant made three quick jumpers in overtime, including a fadeaway that left him pumping his fist near the Warriors bench, to put Los Angeles ahead by four. He sank 16 of 41 shots and has scored at least 30 points in eight straight games.

After Stephen Curry's 3-pointer trimmed the Lakers' lead to one, Nash's step-back shot in the paint over Curry extended Los Angeles' cushion again. Curry missed a potential tying 3-pointer before Los Angeles grabbed the rebound - and the game.

"The guy is a winner,'' Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni said of Nash, who he also coached with the Suns. "There was a difference before the game. He changes everything. He changes the whole perspective.''

The Lakers handed Golden State its most lopsided-loss of the season on Nov. 9, a 101-77 rout in Los Angeles. In the past two months, the Lakers had continued to slide while the Warriors had become surprising winners.

The matchup Saturday marked the first time the Warriors faced the Lakers with a better record through at least 25 games since April 23, 1994.

D'Antoni said before the game that Nash's return could be a fresh start for the franchise, especially with more difficult matchups looming, including one against the New York Knicks (19-7) on Christmas. He said the lineup with Nash is what he envisioned when the Lakers called him in November to replace Mike Brown, who was fired after a 1-4 start to his second season.

With Nash anchoring D'Antoni's fast-paced system, the Lakers had no problem settling in offensively.

They scored 15 points off 10 turnovers in the opening quarter to take a 31-27 lead. Dwight Howard was in foul trouble throughout, and the center's absence hurt Los Angeles on the other end, with the Warriors moving in and around the paint almost unchallenged.

At one point, Jack juked Nash and every other defender Los Angeles threw his way. He scored 15 points in the second quarter, sparking a 14-0 run that helped put Golden State ahead 61-53 at halftime.

The up-and-down pace had everybody winded. Curry had to ask Jackson to come out for a moment in the third quarter as Golden State played its fourth game in five nights. After a brief rest, Curry keyed another surge to give the Warriors an 88-74 lead early in the fourth quarter.

Bryant practically willed the Lakers back by himself - with Nash's help, this time - as he has done so often in his illustrious career. He finished an alley-oop from Nash on the next play with two hands, sliced Golden State's lead to 90-88 when he dunked after a give-and-go bounce pass from Howard midway through the fourth, and tied the game at 95 with a 3-pointer in the face of Harrison Barnes minutes later to set up the frantic finish.

"It was the collective energy we're playing with, and that's the most important thing,'' Bryant said, "the fact we're fighting together as a group through adversity.''

NOTES: Darius Morris started at shooting guard for the Lakers ahead of World Peace, who had 20 points and seven rebounds in 37 minutes. D'Antoni said he likes World Peace's energy off the bench, but he will still make some starts depending on the matchup. ... The Lakers have swept the Warriors in three of the last four seasons, including all four during the 2011-12 campaign. They have two more games against each other this season. ... Carl Landry's put-back layup at the halftime buzzer was waved off after officials reviewed television replays.

 

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Warriors vs Lakers hghlights

Lakers defeat Warriors in OT.

 

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Clippers beat Suns to run win streak to 13 games



PHOENIX (AP) The Los Angeles Clippers are starting to make easy victories look routine.

Blake Griffin scored 23 points, Chris Paul had 17 points and 13 assists and the Clippers extended a franchise record with their 13th consecutive victory, 103-77 over the Phoenix Suns on Sunday night.

Reserve Jamal Crawford added 22 points for the Clippers, who won in Phoenix for the first time since April 17, 2007. Los Angeles' overall win streak is an NBA season best and its six straight road victories are also a franchise best.

"We're just taking care of business right now,'' Griffin said. "To be honest, we're not really concerned with "You haven't won here since then' or "You haven't won this many games in a row.'

"We hear it all but we're about just getting these wins and if they come within a streak or when we haven't won somewhere, that's fine.''

The Clippers have won by an average of 13 points and boast four victories of 20 or more points during their streak.

"I thought our starters did a good job in the first quarter and then our second quarter, we jumped on them,'' said Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro.

Jared Dudley scored 19 points, Luis Scola had 11 and Markieff Morris added 10 for the Suns, who have dropped two straight after winning four in a row.

Phoenix shot 52.2 percent in the first quarter but only 29.8 percent the rest of the way and tied a season low for points.

"Chris Paul was a one-man wrecking crew on defense,'' Dudley said. "He took us completely out of our offense. Our turnovers and bad offense led to points. They're a team you really can't afford to do that to.''

Suns coach Alvin Gentry was ejected with 2:33 left in the first half when he received a pair of technical fouls seconds apart. The teams combined for six technical in the game's first three quarters.

"I've got to do a better job of keeping my cool in that situation,'' Gentry said. "He (Rodney Mott) thought I deserved two technical fouls so that's the way it is.''

Phoenix kept it close for the first quarter and the first half of the second. Shannon Brown sank an 11-foot pull-up jumper on a fast break as the Suns trimmed an eight-point deficit to 43-40 with 5:36 left in the first half.

That would be the Suns' next-to-last field goal of the half.

Crawford, meanwhile, hit a long 3-pointer and a pair of free throws to key a 15-3 run that helped give the Clippers a 58-43 lead at halftime.

"It was our defense right there towards the end of the half,'' Paul said. "I think we were up like six and then you look and we're up 15. We got some very timely steals.''

Los Angeles continued to extend its lead in the third, aided by five Phoenix turnovers in the first three minutes of the period, and used a 16-3 run to end the quarter for a 91-60 lead.

The Suns had 16 turnovers against the Clippers, who lead the NBA by forcing an average of 17.5 per game. Los Angeles was a bit sloppy with the ball, too, turning it over 16 times.

"They're playing show basketball with the alley-oops and the fancy passes,'' said Suns center Marcin Gortat, who had eight points and 12 rebounds but also four turnovers. "They can afford to turn the ball over a few times. Our team can't fall for that. We have to run what the coach is telling us to run and to execute.''

NOTES: Paul either scored or assisted on all but one basket over the final five minutes of the first quarter. ... The Clippers matched a franchise record by holding their eighth straight opponent below 43 percent shooting. ... The Clippers' prior best road winning streak was set in 1974-75 by the then-Buffalo Braves. ... Suns C Jermaine O'Neal and Clippers C Ronny Turiaf also received technical for an altercation in the second. Gortat and DeAndre Jordan also were handed technicals. ... Suns F Michael Beasley was inactive with the flu.

 

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Spurs rout Mavs in Nowitzki's return from surgery



SAN ANTONIO (AP) Dirk Nowitzki wasn't expecting to play much during his season debut Sunday night against the San Antonio Spurs.

Still, after missing the Dallas Mavericks' first 27 regular-season games, he didn't expect to take a seat on the bench after 20 minutes with the game completely out of hand.

"In the middle of the third we were down by 80, so I didn't really have to go back in,'' Nowitzki said, exaggerating the Mavs' largest deficit just a bit.

Danny Green scored a career-high 25 points and the Spurs spoiled Nowitzki's season debut with a 129-91 rout of the Mavericks.

San Antonio's largest lead was actually 46, but the deficit seemed larger to Dallas.

"We got a (butt-kicking), that's it,'' Shawn Marion said. "No need to explain it ... it was an old-fashioned (butt-kicking).''

The Spurs set a franchise record with 20 3-pointers, besting the record of 19 they set Dec. 8 in Charlotte. San Antonio also set a season high for largest margin of victory.

Tony Parker had 18 points, Kawhi Leonard added 17, Tim Duncan 15 and Stephen Jackson 14 for the Spurs (21-8).

Darren Collison scored 15 points to lead Dallas (12-16), which lost its third straight. Vince Carter added 13 points and Chris Kaman had 10.

San Antonio also had 33 assists, a season-high 17 steals and forced 20 turnovers.

"We don't create that many turnovers normally,'' Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "So that's a heck of a night for us as far as steals are concerned. That's not going to happen very often. We were fortunate it was one of those nights when your opponent has a bad night and you have a great night and it ends up like tonight.''

It came on the night Nowitzki returned following surgery on his right knee Oct. 19 after battling soreness the previous season.

He entered with 6:28 left in the first quarter to a hearty mix of cheers and boos. The former MVP quickly picked up a rebound for Dallas and finished with eight points - going 3 for 4 from the field - and six rebounds in 20 minutes.

Nowitzki decided to play less than an hour before tipoff after testing the knee during practice last week.

"Before the game I felt decent, so I said I'm going to give it a go,'' Nowitzki said. "I felt actually good out there. I thought the wind was OK, but my legs were a little heavy there after a couple of trips up and down but I thought I fought through it OK.''

Nowitzki's presence did little to stifle San Antonio's outside shooting. The Spurs were 20 from 30 from 3-point range and shot 56 percent from the field overall.

"Luckily it felt good tonight,'' Green said. "Some nights you have it and some nights you don't. Good thing we had it tonight. Not just myself, but everybody else on the team.

Manu Ginobili and Boris Diaw hit consecutive 3s to push San Antonio's lead to 55-45 with 3:42 left in the first half.

Green's seventh 3-pointer gave the Spurs a 77-57 lead with 7 minutes left in the third quarter.

The Spurs led by as many as 46, while the Mavs' lone lead came at 4-3 on Kaman's jumper with 10:30 left in the first quarter.

Tiago Splitter's dunk gave San Antonio a 100-66 lead at the close of the third. Splitter ran to the sideline after the dunk with a huge a smile, where he was immediately greeted with a low five by an equally happy Duncan.

Dallas was outscored 36-14 in the third quarter. San Antonio closed the quarter on a 31-9 run.

"We need to keep on working,'' Nowitzki said. "We've got a lot of areas to improve. We might not be as talented as some teams on the top, but if we're not, you have to make it up with how you play and compete and it's just not there.''

Every active Spurs player scored and played at least eight minutes.

NOTES: Spurs G Gary Neal left the game early in the fourth quarter with a strained right calf. His status is unknown. ...San Antonio has dominated Dallas at home, holding a 51-26 advantage against their intrastate rivals. ... Seven players have led the Spurs in individual scoring this season. ... San Antonio has had 12 players start this season, the most in the NBA. ... The Spurs lead the league in assists at 25.4 per game and the team's bench leads all reserves at 11.3. ... Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle let official Karl Lane know he was not happy with the officiating. "Does counting fouls lose you the game? It's so lopsided, it's ridiculous.'' The fouls were 8-4 in favor of the Spurs at that point. The Spurs closed the game with 22 fouls compared to 18 for the Mavericks.

 

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Anthony's big finish rallies Knicks past Wolves



NEW YORK (AP) Carmelo Anthony scored 19 of his 33 points in the fourth quarter, rallying the New York Knicks to a 94-91 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday night.

New York trailed from the opening minutes until Anthony scored eight straight points down the stretch. He had scored just nine points on 3-of-11 shooting in the first half, but had the final 12 for the Knicks to give them a 4-2 finish on their six-game homestand.

J.R. Smith added 19 points and Tyson Chandler had 16 points and nine rebounds for the Knicks, who will fly to Los Angeles later Sunday for their Christmas Day game against the Lakers.

Nikola Pekovic had 21 points and 17 rebounds for the Timberwolves, who played without star forward Kevin Love because of an eye injury. Alexey Shved added 18 points for Minnesota.

Love was poked in the eye late in the Wolves' 99-93 victory over Oklahoma City on Thursday and didn't travel with the team to New York. They nearly pulled it out without him, leading almost the entire night before falling for the third time in four games.

Anthony made a 3-pointer with 1:53 left to get New York within one, then fought off the tough defense of Andrei Kirilenko, scoring while being fouled and converting the three-point play with 1:13 to play that made it 88-86, the Knicks' first lead since it was 5-4.

Anthony followed with two free throws for a four-point lead, and after Shved's 3-pointer cut it to one, Anthony sank two free throws with 16.5 seconds remaining. The Wolves got it to one again on J.J. Barea's drive, but Anthony again knocked down two free throws with 6.7 seconds left, and Shved was well short on a tying 3-point attempt.

Even with Love out and Ricky Rubio still on a minutes restriction in his return from major knee surgery, Minnesota led 29-22 after one and never gave up the lead in the half, even when the Knicks seemed to be putting together some momentum.

Smith threw down a dunk in Greg Stiemsma's face as one of the Knicks' three straight baskets right at the rim, but Minnesota shook off that surge and scored the final seven points of the half, taking a 55-46 lead on Luke Ridnour's 3-pointer.

The Wolves had the lead up to 11 a couple of times in the third quarter and were still ahead 73-71 heading to the fourth.

Notes: Knicks coach Mike Woodson seemed to rule Amare Stoudemire out of the road trip, saying he thought it would be best to have the forward practice against his teammates when they get back before he plays. But Marcus Camby, who has been sidelined by a sore left foot and has barely played this season, said he will be ready to play Tuesday. ... The crowd included Yankees star Derek Jeter and former Knicks guard Richie Guerin, who had an opportunity to see a highlight of his on the "Garden 366'' display along the concourse, which marks an event that took place at MSG for each day of the calendar. Guerin's was Dec. 11. On that date in 1959, he had the first 50-point game in franchise history at the old Garden.

 

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Nets tinker with offense after criticism from disappointing Williams

CNNSI.com

By Rob Mahoney

It’s been said that the best villain a narrative can ask for is one who, beneath his devious methods, tells truths. He serves as a vocalized extension of public doubt and calls to the forefront an accurate portrayal of a real problem, albeit one typically manipulated in its terms and presentation to engender some kind of extremism. In that, the best bad guys often aren’t bad guys at all — merely those fixed on a particular issue and a bit confused as to how to best solve it.

In light of his recent comments regarding the Nets’ offense, I see Brooklyn’s Deron Williams as just such a villain. Howard Beck put the comments and situation in the proper context in a recent piece for The New York Times.

Here’s the abridged version:

“That system was a great system for my style of play,” Williams said of the “flex” offense run by Utah Coach Jerry Sloan. “I’m a system player. I love Coach Sloan’s system. I loved the offense there.”

The comments were provocative on multiple levels.

Williams was widely blamed for Sloan’s sudden retirement in February 2011, just before the Jazz traded Williams to the Nets. And his openly pining for Sloan’s system could be viewed as subtle criticism of Coach Avery Johnson’s offense.

Williams did nothing to discourage that interpretation when he was asked to compare the offense used by the Nets with the one he ran in Utah. “Is it as good as there? No,” he said. “There’s just more one-on-one and isos” in Johnson’s offense.

The Nets rely much more on isolation plays, usually featuring Williams or guard Joe Johnson, than the Jazz ever did. It is a staple of Avery Johnson’s offense. However, Johnson has also installed a number of “U.C.L.A.” sets, to emulate some of Sloan’s offense.


As a star player taking a knowing, public shot at his coach, Williams is by default a villain. He’s been criticized. He’s been ridiculed. And, to an extent, the opposition is justified. There is a process to be respected when it comes to such grievances, one conducted away from the public eye and exempt from added scrutiny that comes with making a pointed comment to a prominent, widely read beat writer. Williams spoke up so that he might be heard, and though his status on the team does make his an important voice, I think most fans, executives, players and coaches would take issue with using The Times as a megaphone to put one’s own coach on notice.

As a result, Williams has been criticized for saying only what many who watch the Nets have been thinking for weeks. Some initial success (and an early 11-4 record) helped disguise the stagnation of Avery Johnson’s offense, but so far Brooklyn has lived and died by the limits of isolation basketball. Whether enabling center Brook Lopez in the post or guard Joe Johnson on the wing, the Nets’ sets have been rudimentary and clear in their intention: Players like Williams get the ball to a specific place with few programmed alternatives, and a shot attempt is manufactured from that player leveraging some perceived advantage in a one-on-one matchup. That approach has helped Lopez post a career high in field-goal percentage and points per minute, but also worn on the patience of a point guard accustomed to the continuity in movement of the flex offense.

But couched in Williams’ quote-slinging is another complicating factor: The max-contract point guard tabbed to usher in a new era of Nets basketball is having essentially the worst season of his eight-year career. His assist and turnover numbers are weak by his standards, watered down by individual struggles and an iso-driven offense. Williams’ scoring, both per game and per minute, is the lowest since his second season. He is single-handedly dragging down the Nets’ shooting percentages, with his 29.5 percent mark on 5.6 three-point attempts per game the most burdensome of all. Eliminate Williams’ three-point makes and attempts from the team’s total shooting numbers, and Brooklyn’s 18th-ranked three-point percentage (34.5) soars to eighth (36.8).

All of which is to say that Williams — who, it should be noted, is playing through wrist and ankle injuries — probably shouldn’t be lobbing stones at Avery Johnson from the living room of his custom-built glass house. The Nets’ assumed All-Star (and what a lofty assumption that has turned out to be) has yet to live up to the level of play implied by both his billing and contract, a point that Williams himself has readily acknowledged. But there’s a lot to consider here beyond the broad depictions of Williams’ struggles. Some of the problems can be pegged to Williams and some to Johnson, but there’s plenty to ponder aside from the two-dimensional conflict of point guard vs. system:

Points left on the floor

Most striking among Williams’ struggles are the number of wide-open shots missed. He may be guilty of the occasional pull-up jumper in transition or premature three-point attempt at the beginning of a pick-and-roll sequence, but for the most part Williams is doing his part by spotting up away from the primary play action, shooting when looks become available from the outside or redirecting the ball as necessary. It’s a task that Williams is ultimately overqualified for, but one would at least think that a fairly average (or above-average, if we judge Williams on the strength of his best shooting seasons) long-range shooter would be able to convert a far better rate of uncontested looks. Depending on how you choose to parse those incidences, Williams’ shooting struggles could be either physical or mental — but not as explicitly linked to shot selection or offensive system as one might initially think.

Ethan Sherwood Strauss took a good look at Williams’ shot charts in both this season and Williams’ most efficient campaign and found a significant discrepancy in attempts at the rim (which accounted for 43.3 percent of his attempts back in 2007-08) and three-pointers (which, at the time of Strauss’ writing, accounted for 38.7 percent of his attempts this season, all while his shots at the rim have taken a sharp decline). It’s rarely a good thing for a player to get to the rim less, but given the quality of Williams’ three-point looks, I have a hard time diagnosing his shooting discretion as some glaring flaw in his performance this season. He’s not as great a shooter as his reputation might suggest, but Williams is accurate enough for his numbers on spot-up attempts (which account for 37 percent of his tries from long range) to eventually come back around and to better serve the Nets’ offense regardless of its systemic mandates.

Filling out the lineup without filling up the lane

Independent of Avery Johnson’s system, the Nets have a habit of making offense more difficult than it has to be through cluttered spacing. This is inevitable when Lopez and forward Gerald Wallace are so often sharing the floor with players such as forwards Kris Humphries or Reggie Evans — a compromise in court spacing that makes dribble penetration that much more difficult. Even if there were still ample room for Williams to drive into the paint out of an isolation or off a high screen, defenders cheating off Wallace, Humphries and Evans turn the lane into an obstacle course. Sometimes Williams is still able to dash around his man, weave through the help and crawl just outside of reach of a rotating big man in order to hoist up an attempt, but his agility doesn’t in itself guarantee a made bucket.

Johnson has looked to remedy this issue directly, and in Sunday’s game against the 76ers he replaced Humphries/Evans in the starting lineup with floor-spacing guard Keith Bogans. The addition of another perimeter shooter isn’t a cure-all, but it does open up driving lanes for Williams to create more dependable offense, all while widening the skill sets of the players on the floor as Johnson looks to expand his playbook (which he has since Williams’ critique). Those “UCLA” sets have already managed to give the Nets’ offense some life, seemingly in the very ways that Williams craved. He achieved the goals of his public shot at Johnson, and the Nets — who are inching away from their iso-heavy offense with every flex set run — will be better off with more variety in their play progressions.

I’ll leave it to the masses to decide if Williams’ working of press channels is justified by the end result, but for now we know that Brooklyn’s offense has taken an interesting evolutionary direction thanks in part to comments from a disgruntled star. Williams will still need to live up to his end of the bargain, but it’s hard to dispute the impact of his criticism.

 

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Rockets surge past Bulls 120-97



CHICAGO (AP) Omer Asik enjoyed his trip back to Chicago. And he got help from James Harden and Jeremy Lin.

Asik returned to the United Center and had a double-double with 20 points and 18 rebounds to lead the Houston Rockets to a 120-97 win over the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday night.

It was his first trip to Chicago since signing with the Rockets in the offseason.

"Omer is a big-time player in the middle,'' Rockets coach Kevin McHale said. "Tonight he was blocking shots, getting rebounds, and outletting the ball for us. He's got a big body and sets wide picks for us. This was a very good game for him.''

Harden scored 26 points and Lin added 20 points and 11 assists for Houston, which had all five starters score in double figures.

Chandler Parsons scored 23 points and Marcus Morris had 10.

Houston has won six of seven.

The Rockets had been just 3-7 on the road entering Tuesday, but a strong second quarter turned the holiday matchup into a blowout. The Rockets outscored the Bulls 31-19 in the period to break the game open.

Lin capped a 14-2 run midway through the quarter with a drive and a layup to make it 55-34. He scored 12 in the second quarter and Harden had 13.

Houston led 58-41 at halftime.

"We are a very young team, but are continuing to learn and believe in our system,'' McHale said.

Nate Robinson led the Bulls with 27 points, and Marco Belinelli scored 15.

Houston entered the game tops in the league in scoring at 105.4 points per game, while Chicago allowed the third-fewest in the league at 91.

Houston, though, was not slowed at all.

The Rockets pushed the pace and shot well against Chicago's defense. The Rockets outscored the Bulls 66-32 in the paint and 31-8 in transition. Their largest lead was 35 points.

The 120 points allowed and 23-point loss were season-worsts for the Bulls.

The Turkish-born Asik spent his first two years in the NBA with Chicago. He signed a three-year, $25 million offer sheet with the Rockets this summer that the Bulls did not match.

He entered the game averaging 10.6 points and 11.4 rebounds, and put together perhaps his best game of the season.

Asik received a round of applause when he was introduced at the beginning of the game, but the hospitality didn't last. He quickly heard jeers when he stepped to the free throw line early in the first quarter.

"I'm just happy we won the game,'' Asik said.

He added he did not think much about his return to Chicago.

"He was great just rolling to the basket,'' Bulls center Joakim Noah said. "They played four out and one in and he was able to get a lot of easy things around the rim.''

Harden, fourth in the league in scoring, followed up two strong performances - 37 points against Detroit and 45 against Atlanta - with another strong game. He was 7 for 13 from the field and 11 for 13 from the free throw line.

Houston improved to 11-2 against the Eastern Conference.

The Bulls had won nine of 13 to climb into first place in the Eastern Conference's Central Division, but were flat for the second consecutive game. Chicago lost 92-75 Saturday in Atlanta.

Boos came down from the United Center crowd when Asik scored to make it 82-51 in the third quarter.

"If you are not right and don't have an edge, you are not going to win without the right amount of intensity,'' Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. "They completely outplayed us from the start.''

Chicago cut the Houston lead to 100-85 with just under eight minutes to play in the fourth quarter, but a 6-0 Rockets' run ended the rally.

NOTE: Both teams have quick turnarounds for Wednesday games. The Bulls travel to Indianapolis to play the Pacers and the Rockets visit the Minnesota Timberwolves.

 

[fastbreak]

Lakers beat Knicks 100-94 to get to .500



LOS ANGELES (AP) The pieces of the puzzle that have been the Lakers' confounding season so far are starting to fall into place.

Kobe Bryant engineered a second-half comeback, the defense stepped up, and Los Angeles beat the New York Knicks 100-94 on Tuesday, extending its winning streak to five games.

"We're .500,'' a smiling Dwight Howard said. "We did it on Christmas, too. I knew this day would come.''

Bryant scored 34 points in his NBA-record 15th Christmas Day game and Metta World Peace added 20 points and seven rebounds while defending Carmelo Anthony, whose 34 points led the Knicks. Anthony said he hyperextended his left knee, but expects to play on Wednesday in Phoenix.

Bryant, the league's leading scorer, has topped 30 or more points in nine straight games.

"If you're going to play on Christmas, it's always better to win. Makes it all worthwhile,'' said Bryant, who would soon hop a flight to Denver, getting there ahead of the Nuggets, who played the Clippers in the other half of the holiday doubleheader at Staples Center.

The Lakers improved to 14-14 - 9-9 under new coach Mike D'Antoni - and upped their holiday record to 21-18, including 13-9 at home. They returned to .500 for the first time since they were 8-8 on Nov. 30.

"It's so early in the season to have turned a corner,'' Bryant said. "We have everybody in the lineup and we're starting to see how we want to play.''

The Knicks controlled most of the game behind Anthony and J.R. Smith, who had 24 points. But they struggled offensively in the fourth, when Anthony was limited to seven points and Smith had five as the Lakers' defense clamped down. World Peace fouled out with 1:58 to play and the Lakers ahead by four.

World Peace credited his defense on Anthony to "old-school basketball.''

"I'm back in shape and it's a little tough to guard me,'' he said.

Steve Nash said: "This is what he's been doing all year. He gets his hands on a lot of balls, pounds on the other team's best guy. You can't win without that type of effort.''

Smith's 3-pointer pulled New York to 96-94. After Pau Gasol made one of two free throws, Smith missed another 3 that would have tied the game at 97 with 32 seconds left.

"We missed a lot of easy shots, a lot of little chippers around the basket, shots that we normally make,'' Anthony said. "There were some plays that we thought should have went our way down the stretch, but for the most part, we fought. I'll take this effort any night. If we continue to play with this effort, we'll win a lot of games.''

With Bryant double-teamed, Nash passed to Gasol, who dunked with 12 seconds to go, punctuating a win that sent Lakers fans, frustrated by the team's struggles and coaching change, home happy. The Lakers avenged a 116-107 loss in New York on Dec. 13.

A smiling Howard called Gasol's driving slam "a submarine dunk because he was very low to the ground.''

Gasol responded, "I don't dunk as often as I used to so it felt good. I took it right down the lane and finished strong.''

Nash had 16 points, 11 assists and six rebounds in his second game in nearly two months. He missed 24 straight games while recovering from a small fracture in his lower left leg. Howard had 14 points and 12 rebounds, and Gasol had 13 points and eight rebounds.

"It was an important win for us as we were a little bit desperate,'' Nash said. "We've gone through a lot since Mike Brown - new coach, new offense. It's been a difficult transition.''

Bryant had eight of the Lakers' first 10 points to open the fourth during a run that provided their first lead since the opening quarter in a game matching the two teams that have played the most on Christmas Day.

They took the lead for good on Bryant's basket with 7:38 remaining. Anthony and Tyson Chandler were in foul trouble in the fourth, with Chandler fouling out late.

"They just were a little bit more aggressive,'' Anthony said. "Kobe got it going and Steve Nash hit some big shots down the stretch. When you have a guy like Nash doing that, it's kind of tough. Those guys know how to play. They've been waiting for Steve Nash to get back, so it's just a matter of then sticking it out until he did.''

The Knicks opened the third on a 15-5 run, with Anthony setting up on the perimeter and hitting two 3-pointers as part of his 10 points that stretched their lead to 61-53. His jumper provided the Knicks' largest lead of the game, 69-60.

Bryant and Nash ignited the quiet atmosphere by leading a 17-9 run that drew the Lakers to 78-77 going into the fourth. They combined to score 15 points, although Bryant missed two free throws to end the third that would have given the Lakers their first lead since early in the game.

The Knicks' earlier roll dissolved in missed shots and a technical on Chandler for arguing a call.

"We were more determined, fought for everything,'' Nash said about the second half.

World Peace scored 16 points in the second quarter, including eight in a row, when the Lakers played catch-up most of the way. His 3-pointer gave the Lakers their first lead of the period with 1:10 remaining. Smith tied it up with a free throw before Nash's jumper sent the Lakers into halftime leading 51-49.

"We're playing really well together,'' World Peace said. "Kobe is really playing excellent now. He's still being aggressive on the offensive end, but he's giving everybody a chance to be aggressive. Pau is making strong, aggressive moves.''

Bryant scored the Lakers' final nine points of the first quarter to give them a 25-23 lead. D'Antoni's plan of having Darius Morris guard Anthony didn't last long after he scored five of the Knicks' first seven points.

"I thought he'd get warmed up before he started firing,'' World Peace said.


NOTES: Bryant surpassed Oscar Robertson as the league's all-time Christmas Day scorer with 383 points. Robertson had 377. ... Knicks F/C Amare Stoudemire shot some before the game. He's been out all season after left knee surgery. "I'm not quite there yet, but I'm making progress,'' he said. "I've just got to stay patient and stay ready. We've been doing extremely intense work, as far as cardio.'' ... Knicks C Marcus Camby had four points and four rebounds in 8 minutes. He's been sidelined by a sore left foot and barely played this season. ... Asked about Bryant as an MVP candidate, D'Antoni said, "You can't put anybody MVP if you're below .500.'' ... In their only other Christmas Day meeting in 1963, the Lakers beat the Knicks 134-126 behind 47 points by Jerry West and 27 from Elgin Baylor. ... Nash said the gift bags in their lockers with the tag, "From Kobe Merry Xmas 2012'' contained headphones. "Can't ever have enough,'' he said. ... The Lakers were all in white, while the Knicks were all in orange down to their socks in a color similar to Syracuse. ... Among the celebs holidaying at Staples Center were Rihanna and Chris Brown, Adam Levine, Samuel L. Jackson, George Lopez and Richard Lewis. Vanessa Bryant and her two young daughters sat courtside opposite the Lakers bench.

 

[fastbreak]

Clippers beat Nuggets 112-100 for 14th win in row



LOS ANGELES (AP) The Los Angeles Clippers didn't finish their 14th consecutive victory well. They were good enough through the first three quarters that it didn't matter.

Jamal Crawford led a dominant performance by the Los Angeles reserves with 22 points in a 112-100 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday night, extending the team's franchise-record winning streak while claiming the best record in the NBA at 22-6.

"It's about getting better and better,'' Crawford said. "We're trying to stay locked in and focused.''

Matt Barnes added 20 points - one off his season high - as the bench outscored the Clippers' starters 64-48 in moving one win ahead of second-best Oklahoma City (21-6), which lost to Miami earlier Tuesday.

"This is fool's gold,'' cautioned Chris Paul, who led the starters with 14 points. "You don't play for the regular season. Obviously, you want to build something.''

Kosta Koufos and Jordan Hamilton scored 16 points each for Denver in the finale of a Christmas doubleheader at Staples Center. The Lakers, who will play the Nuggets on Wednesday night in Denver, beat the Knicks 100-94 in the first game.

"They're a very good running team and they're very athletic, so we wanted to just play within ourselves and play smart throughout the game,'' Koufos said. "I thought we established ourselves early on. We were getting some good looks, but at the same time, shots weren't going in.''

Ty Lawson added 15 points for the Nuggets, who fell to 7-13 on the road, where 22 of their first 32 games are being played.

"They've got the respect of the league and they've got the attention of the league,'' said former Clipper Andre Miller, who had 12 points. "It's tough to come in here and get a win when the team is playing that well.''

Crawford's 3-pointer to open the fourth quarter pushed the Clippers' lead to 20 points and kept the starters on the bench for the final 12 minutes. Coming into the game, their average margin of victory during the streak had been 13 points and they exceeded that when the Nuggets failed to make it close in the fourth.

Crawford scored eight points in the quarter. He leads NBA reserves in scoring and topped 20 points for the 12th time this season.

But none of the Clippers were happy about the sloppy final period, when they were outscored 24-19 and the Nuggets shot 61 percent.

"It looked like a layup drill for them,'' Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro said about Denver scoring 10 straight points. "I'm big into making sure we play the right way. It's always about the big picture and us getting better.''

Blake Griffin added 13 points and Willie Green had 11 among the other leading Los Angeles starters.

Denver rallied after halftime, using a 15-6 spurt to close to 73-63, capped by Andre Iguodala's free throw after Paul received a technical foul.

The Clippers answered with three consecutive 3-pointers, including two by Green from opposite corners, for an 84-67 lead. The Nuggets ran off seven in a row to get within 10 before the Clippers regrouped with a 9-2 run, capped by Paul's 3-pointer, that kept them ahead 93-76 heading into the fourth.

"They have a confidence right now that's pretty powerful,'' Nuggets coach George Karl said.

The Clippers stretched their lead to 67-48 at halftime with 42 points in the second, their highest-scoring quarter this season. The bench got things going with a 14-10 run before Paul replaced a wild Eric Bledsoe. His presence settled down the second unit until Griffin and DeAndre Jordan eventually came back in during a 28-10 run the rest of the period that produced the Clippers' first double-digit lead. Driving dunks by Barnes and Griffin, alley-oop dunks by Griffin and Jordan, and consecutive 3-pointers by Barnes and Paul highlighted the scoring binge.

"When we are at our best our starters have a great first quarter and our bench elevates that,'' Griffin said.

Hamilton banked in a jumper at the buzzer to give the Nuggets a 26-25 lead after a back-and-forth opening quarter. There were nine lead changes and eight ties, with neither team leading by more than three points.


NOTES: The Clippers improved to 13-3 at home, where they haven't lost there since Nov. 26 against New Orleans. ... Denver fell to 3-3 in the first game of a back-to-back set. ... Los Angeles wore all-red uniforms, while the Nuggets were in navy. ... Paul flew in 30 family members from North Carolina to enjoy the holiday. ... It was Paul's idea to have his teammates wear ugly Christmas sweaters to the arena, and his mother procured them. "It shows we're a tight-knit group,'' Crawford said. Some of the Clippers declared F Matt Barnes the unofficial winner. His green-and-cream cardigan had tinsel, bows and ornaments hanging from it. ... Kanye West was part of a contingent of Kardashians in the house, including Kim and Khloe.

 

[fastbreak]

James leads Heat over Thunder in Finals rematch



MIAMI (AP) Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook combined to score 54 points, more than any set of teammates had managed in a game against Miami all season.

Oklahoma City needed them to score at least three more.

That didn't happen, and an NBA Finals rematch went just as last year's title series did - to the Heat.

LeBron James had 29 points, nine assists and eight rebounds, Dwyane Wade scored 21, and the Heat survived a frantic finish to beat the Thunder 103-97 on Tuesday night, a game where Durant and Westbrook both missed potential tying 3-pointers in the final seconds.

"A great game to play,'' Thunder coach Scott Brooks said, "and a great game to coach.''

For the Heat, it was just a little greater.

Mario Chalmers scored a season-high 20 for the Heat, who were 19 for 19 from the foul line, the second-best effort in franchise history behind only a 30-for-30 game in Boston on March 24, 1993. Chris Bosh added 16 points for Miami, which has beaten the Thunder five straight times dating to last June's title series.

"Felt a little bit like a different month,'' Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "Regardless of what your script is coming into the game, when you play this team, it's not going to go according to script. They're too good.''

It's the first losing streak of the season for the Thunder, who had been 4-0 after losses. Serge Ibaka and Kevin Martin each scored 15 for Oklahoma City.

The game had a little of everything - a fast start by the reigning champions, a one-handed dunk by James on an offensive rebound that will be added to his copious highlight reel, a scrum after a hard foul that led to double-technicals on Wade and Ibaka early in the fourth, an easy rally by the Thunder from an early double-digit deficit, and even workout partners in Durant and James barking back and forth in the final minutes.

Such was the intensity that James slumped over the scorer's table with 1:08 left, exhausted.

"I'm tired as hell right now,'' James said - and that was more than an hour after the game ended.

With good reason. On an emotional day, there was a wild finish.

Wade lost the ball on an ill-advised, behind-the-back dribble, and the turnover set up Durant for a two-handed dunk that got the Thunder within 96-95 with 44.1 seconds remaining.

Needing a stop on the next trip, the Thunder instead forgot to play defense. Kendrick Perkins and Ibaka both were confused on the ensuing Miami possession, and Bosh was left alone to take a pass from James and throw down a dunk that restored Miami's three-point edge.

"We went over and helped,'' Durant said. "We just needed to help on the backside. There was miscommunication but we still had a chance to go into overtime.''

Two chances, actually.

Oklahoma City got within one when Durant made a jumper over James, but no closer. Ray Allen's two free throws with 15.6 seconds left made it 100-97, and Miami's last three points came from the line. Durant missed a 3-pointer that James contested, Westbrook wound up with a second chance that Wade defended, and the Thunder guard smacked a nearby table arguing that he was fouled.

"Part of the game,'' Westbrook said.

While the stars were stars, the Heat got help from one unexpected source. Chalmers was making everything, even unintended plays. Allen lost possession on what looked to be a pass to no one, but Chalmers picked up the bouncing ball on the right wing, whirled and made a 3-pointer - putting Miami up 86-79 with 8:14 left.

In the end, that cushion was necessary.

"I got going early,'' Chalmers said, "and I stuck with it.''

The Heat came out flying, opening a quick 13-2 lead after making six of their first seven shots. About all that didn't go right for the Heat early on was James committing a foul, the first time he was called for a personal since Dec. 8.

It happened 4:03 into the game - 254 minutes and 7 seconds of on-court time since his last one - when James fouled Ibaka on a dunk attempt.

Chalmers had 12 points, matching his season high, in the opening quarter alone, and that was also Miami's lead after his layup for a 15-3 edge. When Durant headed to the bench after being called for his second personal, plus a technical, with 2:08 left in the first, the Heat led 27-16.

But even with Durant out, Oklahoma City scored the last eight points of the quarter, six coming from the line. The Thunder shot 17 of the game's first 18 free throws and finished with a 38-19 edge in tries from the stripe.

The Heat were held to two points in the first 5:05 of the third, and the Thunder grabbed the lead for the first time. Durant connected on a baseline jumper while falling out of bounds and getting fouled by James. The resulting free throw gave Oklahoma City a 58-56 edge.

With that, the back-and-forth began, and Miami found a way.

"Both teams really played up to the billing,'' Wade said. "An excellent basketball game.''

NOTES: James scored at least 20 points for the 30th straight regular-season game and 46th overall. ... Wade is 7-1 on Christmas, and James has won six straight on the holiday. ... Miami's Mike Miller became the 48th active player to reach 10,000 points. ... The Thunder have used the same starting lineup for all 27 games. ... James passed Bernard King for 39th on the NBA career scoring list. ... Attendance was 20,300, the largest crowd for a Heat home game since they moved into AmericanAirlines Arena.