The 2012-13 Basketball Season Is Here

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Rondo leads Celtics past Nets 93-76



NEW YORK (AP) Rajon Rondo lost his cool, and any chance at history, in the second quarter when Boston last met Brooklyn.

This time, the second period featured some of the best basketball the Celtics have played this season.

Rondo scored 19 points in his first full game against the Nets this season, and the Celtics won 93-76 on Tuesday in another game with some heated moments between the division rivals.

Rondo, sidelined in the first meeting and thrown out of the second after shoving Nets forward Kris Humphries into the courtside seats, outplayed counterpart Deron Williams and helped the Celtics take control early.

"We moved the ball; we rebounded the ball,'' Rondo said. "They beat us pretty bad on the glass, so tonight we did an exceptional job on the glass, taking care of the defensive rebounds, and we got stops.''

A month after the teams scuffled in Boston, there was another skirmish in the fourth quarter that resulted in four technical fouls. But that was the most fight the Nets put up in a disappointing performance on the national stage of the Christmas opener. They were never in the game after the first 20 minutes, and their fans headed to the exits with under 2 minutes left as a "Let's go Celtics!'' chant broke out.

"It was a big game for us. It was a division rival. We were ready for a big game. It just didn't happen,'' Williams said.

Rookie Jared Sullinger tied a career high with 16 points and Jeff Green had 15 for the Celtics (14-13), who avoided falling under .500 with just their second victory in six games.

The Celtics took control with a 23-5 run in the second quarter of the opener of their four-game road trip. They had 11 assists on 13 baskets and outscored the Nets 34-18 in the period after dropping the previous two meetings.

"It was good to get off to this start. It was good to finally play from start to finish, especially with the way we've been playing against Brooklyn,'' said Paul Pierce, who had just eight points on 3-of-10 shooting. "So it was a well-balanced game, but I'm happy with the start of the trip.''

Gerald Wallace and Brook Lopez each scored 15 for the Nets, who have lost four of five. Struggling to find anything that worked, they played Lopez and fellow center Andray Blatche together with three guards at one point, but Brooklyn shot just 41 percent and committed 20 turnovers that led to 25 points.

Williams had only 10 points on 3-of-7 shooting and Joe Johnson, his partner in a high-priced backcourt, shot 4 of 14 for his 12 points.

"This one hurts. We didn't play our game. They beat us from the opening tip,'' Wallace said. "We didn't make shots. We turned the ball over too easy. Our defense just wasn't there tonight. We were not ourselves tonight.''

Boston's Kevin Garnett had eight points and 10 rebounds on the day he tied Charles Oakley for 15th place on the NBA's career list with his 1,282nd game. He was also front and center when things got testy.

Wallace was fouled with 9:31 remaining and appeared to hold onto Garnett's uniform to balance himself and not fall. Garnett was fine with that but then objected to how long Wallace hung on to his shorts, and they said something to each other as they tried to push themselves free. That led to technical fouls on the two, along with Blatche and Courtney Lee.

Garnett said he asked Wallace what he was doing but got no response.

"I don't know where in America you can (yank) somebody's pants off, or shorts off. I don't know what the hell was going on,'' Garnett said.

Sullinger delivered a flagrant foul on Wallace a few minutes later, but there was nothing further.

In the Nets' Nov. 28 victory in Boston, Rondo, Humphries and Wallace were ejected.

It was the second quarter of that game where things got away from the Celtics, and Rondo's frustrations soon followed when he shoved Humphries after the Nets forward fouled Garnett. That ruined the point guard's chance to extend what was then a 37-game streak with double-digit assists, tied for second-longest ever, by finishing with three. He had five assists and six rebounds Tuesday.

This time, the second period belonged to the guys in green.

With the Celtics down three, Green had six points in a 10-0 run that made it 36-29. After Johnson's basket, Boston answered with a 13-3 spurt. Jason Terry made a 3-pointer before Rondo converted a three-point play to push the Celtics' lead to 49-34 with 3:56 to go.

The Celtics opened a 21-point lead early in the third quarter and cruised from there. Terry finished with 11 points.

Notes: As with everyone playing on Christmas, players, coaches and referees wore green ribbons in tribute to the families of Sandy Hook Elementary School. ... Humphries was out with an abdominal strain and will be re-evaluated after the Nets return from Milwaukee. He had mostly been a starter but then didn't play at all Sunday against Philadelphia. ... Feeling Avery Bradley isn't ready yet, Celtics coach Doc Rivers decided not to bring the guard on the road trip so he can continue working his way back from shoulder surgery in Boston. Rivers said the shoulder is strong but that Bradley has had only 2 1/2 practices.

 

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Nets vs Celtics highlights

Rondo has 19 points, 5 assists and 6 rebounds in Celtics win.

 

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Harden lifts Rockets to 87-84 win over Wolves



MINNEAPOLIS (AP) When the shots weren't falling and the energy was low, James Harden put his head down, went hard to the basket, and carried the young Houston Rockets to another win.

Harden scored 17 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter, and the Rockets rallied to win their fifth straight, 87-84 over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night.

Harden's drive to the basket gave Houston (16-12) an 85-84 lead with 39 seconds left. He drove again to push the lead to three with 11.7 seconds to go and scored 15 of the Rockets' final 17 points.

"When he's playing downhill on you, he's just a monster at that. He's coming at you,'' Houston coach Kevin McHale said. "It's just so hard to defend. He's got the side-step, Euro-step, driving into you. He's so doggone strong. He's really got strong hands. He mauls the ball through your armpit and finds a way to finish.''

Omer Asik added nine points and 17 rebounds for the Rockets, who edged the Wolves after beating their previous three opponents by at least 22 points.

The win might not have been as pretty as other recent Rockets' victories, but they will take it.

"We were kind of sluggish throughout the game. We stuck with it for four quarters,'' Harden said. "Every game we're not going to score the ball, we're not going to make shots every single game. In different games you have to grind it out and try to force a win.''

Alexey Shved shot an airball on a 3-point attempt at the buzzer that could have tied it for the Timberwolves.

J.J. Barea scored 18 for Minnesota (13-13), and Shved added 16. Kevin Love had 12 rebounds, but scored just seven points - all in the first quarter - on 3 of 14 shooting. He missed all seven of his 3-point attempts.

It's been a grind for Love since he returned from a broken hand in late November.

"People are meant to get out of slumps,'' he said.

Minnesota has lost four of five, and has been beaten six times after starting the fourth quarter with a lead.

It was McHale's first game back in his home state since his 23-year-old daughter, Sasha, died on Nov. 24 of complications from lupus.

The former Timberwolves executive, coach and television analyst dabbed his eyes with a towel as the Target Center crowd cheered after his name was called during pregame introductions.

The Wolves led 60-46 after going on a 25-6 run to close the first half and start the second.

Most of that spurt took place without Nikola Pekovic, who left early in the second quarter because of an illness and didn't return until late in the third.

The Rockets cut the deficit to 64-61 after three quarters before Harden re-entered the game and calmly led the Rockets all the way back.

"We went cold. Any time you go cold like that, seven, eight minutes, the other team is going to get confidence going,'' Barea said. "We did a bad job of stopping them at the end, we did a bad job executing, and we missed open shots. That's the game.''

Asik pumped his fist and confidently nodded his head as he trotted back down the court after Harden dropped in his final basket.

It was the perfect contrast to Harden, who didn't show much emotion behind his trademark beard and stared ahead confidently.

"I just wanted to be aggressive when I got in the game,'' Harden said. "Up to that point, I hadn't really done anything.''

With the Rockets up 85-84, Barea drove the lane, but was stripped by Carlos Delfino.

Harden scored on the ensuing possession.

Chandler Parsons had 12 points, and Delfino had 11.

"To sum everything up, that was not how we wanted to play, but we'll take the win,'' McHale said.

McHale also was close with Michael Stephenson, a 42-year-old man who died of pneumonia last week. Stephenson couldn't walk or talk after being born with cerebral palsy.

Stephenson and McHale became friends in the early 2000s, and Stephenson appeared in the Timberwolves' 2002-03 team photo.

The team held a moment of silence for Stephenson before the game.

NOTES: Rockets forward Chandler Parsons injured his left knee Tuesday in a win over the Bulls, but played more than 35 minutes on Wednesday. ... The announced attendance was 20,340, the third-largest crowd in Target Center history.

 

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Hawks edge Pistons in 2 OTs



ATLANTA (AP) The Atlanta Hawks' penchant for going soft with a big lead nearly cost them another victory.

"We had things under control, but I think we got away from what was working for us,'' center Al Horford said. "They made plays. (Will) Bynum was great, and I think he was the one who that propelled them to tie the game. I'm just happy we won.''

Josh Smith scored 31 points, Horford added 22 and the Hawks beat the Detroit Pistons 126-119 in double overtime on Wednesday night.

The Hawks blew a 22-point, fourth-quarter lead as Bynum and fellow reserve Charlie Villanueva scored a combined 26 of Detroit's 39 points in the final period of regulation.

Atlanta has won two straight and eight of 12. Detroit has lost seven of nine.

Bynum finished with 31 points, one less than his career high, and assisted on the last two baskets of regulation, when Andre Drummond's dunk cut the lead to two and Austin Daye's 3-pointer gave the Pistons a 101-100 lead with 4 seconds remaining.

Horford followed by making just one of two free throws for the Hawks to force the first overtime. His second attempt bounced off the rim and into Daye's hands.

"It was tough because I had the opportunity to put the game away,'' Horford said. "It was important for me to move on to the next phase of the game and play in overtime. That's what I did, and we responded well.''

After Jeff Teague's two free throws tied it at 108-all for Atlanta at the 1:05 mark of the first overtime, neither team scored again until Lou Williams hit a pair of free throws to give the Hawks a 110-108 lead early in the second overtime.

Bynum gave Detroit its last lead at 112-110 at the 3:03 mark. Atlanta never trailed after Teague's 3 made it 113-112 with 2:46 remaining.

Reserves Rodney Stuckey and Drummond each finished with 16 points, and Tayshaun Prince and Villaneuva added 14 for the Pistons.

"Look, we had opportunities to win the game,'' Pistons coach Lawrence Frank said. "It just didn't fall for us.''

Williams, starting for the second straight game, finished with 18. Teague had 17 and Anthony Morrow 16 for Atlanta, which outscored the Pistons 36-9 on fast-break points.

The Hawks were up by 22 early in the fourth quarter when DeShawn Stevenson's 3 from the left corner made it 84-62.

But as Bynum kept driving the lane and beating the Hawks to the rim, Smith went cold for the Hawks, missing his last seven shots in the fourth and both overtime periods. Smith was 13 for 18 through the first three quarters.

Both Bynum and Smith missed potential game winners at the end of the first overtime. Smith defended Bynum on a layup, but Villanueva played a role in successfully defending Smith's left-handed hook at the buzzer.

"Even though they were making some difficult plays, I think we were scrambling out on defense,'' Smith said. "We switched the pick-and-roll a little bit and we were trying to make it a little difficult for them to be able to shoot over a taller defender. That's what we were able to do - limit them to one shot and get the rebound.''

For the Pistons, who were trying to earn a rare three-game winning streak, the loss dropped them to 3-14 on the road, 9-22 overall.

There was little consolation for Bynum.

"I got hot, and other guys picked it up, and piece by piece things started to work,'' Bynum said. "We got back in the game, but I missed a key layup at the end. That was unbelievable. The missed shots haunt me now, and they were still haunting me while we were out there. We put forth a great effort, but it just wasn't enough.''

The Hawks improved to 10-5 at home, 17-9 overall.

"A couple of times I thought we were dead in the water,'' Atlanta coach Larry Drew said. "It was a really hard fought win.''

Notes: According to the Hawks' postgame notes, Detroit's 85 points off the bench were an NBA single-game high this season. ... Hawks G Devin Harris missed his fourth straight game with a sore left foot. ... Atlanta G Kyle Korver was 2-for-11 from the field. ... Smith's point total was his best since March 31 at Philadelphia, when he had 34. His high of 38 was on Nov. 17, 2007, at Milwaukee. ... Bynum's career high is 32 points, scored against Charlotte on April 5, 2009. ... Detroit's last three-game winning streak was last March 31-April 5 in a homestand against Charlotte, Orlando and Washington.

 

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Brewer's 27 points lead Nuggets past Lakers



DENVER (AP) Kobe Bryant went on another scoring tear for the Los Angeles Lakers. This time, it wasn't enough.

Corey Brewer matched his career high with 27 points and the Denver Nuggets overcame Bryant's 40-point effort to beat the Lakers 126-114 Wednesday night for their seventh straight win at home.

"He's Kobe Bryant, so he made some tough shots, but other guys didn't get involved so we were able to get a win,'' Brewer said.

Brewer hit four of his six 3-pointers in the final 12-plus minutes, helping the Nuggets hold off the Lakers, whose five-game winning streak was snapped.

Bryant, who hit 40 points for the 116th time in his career, has scored 30 or more points in 10 straight games. But Bryant said it felt as if the Nuggets, who finished with the highest point total by a Lakers opponent this season, kept beating Los Angeles to the punch.

"Tonight it seemed like we were just a step slow, seemed like we were stuck in m&d,'' Bryant said. "We played old. They played with a lot of energy, a lot of youth, got up and down. It just seemed we were in a lower gear.''

Kenneth Faried had 21 points and 15 rebounds, and Danilo Gallinari added 19 points for Denver. Ty Lawson had 17 points to go with 14 assists, and Andre Iguodala also scored 17 points.

"It was just good to see us shoot the ball and beat a good team with some confidence,'' Nuggets coach George Karl said. "I just think the last couple of games, we have been playing with a little more confidence and more awareness of how to win close games.''

Karl added of Brewer, "His defensive plays and his energy, he energizes us on the perimeter. Kenneth energizes us in the middle. We were smart tonight. We did a good job of getting everyone in a good place on almost every possession.''

The Lakers lost Dwight Howard to an ejection with 5:02 left in the third quarter. He was called for a flagrant foul 2 when he jammed his hand in Faried's face as the Nuggets forward drove the lane. Faried tumbled to the floor, but shook off the fall to stay in the game.

Howard acknowledged it was a hard foul and that it looked bad when seeing it on replay, but he didn't think it merited ejection.

"I was surprised it was a flagrant 2,'' he said. "My intention was never to hurt Faried. I like the young fellow and my intention was just to foul. I come down the lane, somebody is going to foul me hard, put me on the free throw line and make me shoot free throws. It was the same kind of thing.''

Faried said he thought Howard may have been frustrated and also sensed his determined drive to the basket.

"He saw my eyes, I wasn't going to back down, I wasn't going to try to float it,'' Faried said. "I was going to try to dunk on him. He saw it. That's why he put his hand directly in my face.''

Pau Gasol added 19 points for the Lakers and Steve Nash had 15 points in his third game back from a leg injury that sidelined him for 24 games.

Leading by three points at the half, the Nuggets went on a 10-0 run capped by a 3-pointer by Gallinari for a 73-60 lead midway through the third quarter.

The Nuggets scored five consecutive points after Howard's ejection, including one of two free throws by Faried for an 84-72 advantage. But the Lakers fought back, pulling within 91-87 with a 9-3 burst near the end of the third quarter that Bryant started with a 3-pointer.

Taking advantage of a Lakers turnover, the Nuggets stunned the Lakers with five points in the final 12.7 seconds of the third, with Brewer hitting a running 3-pointer at the buzzer from 26 feet away to allow Denver to take a 96-87 lead into the fourth quarter.

"It was one of those nights when the shots start going down the basket gets big,'' Brewer said.

Brewer and Iguodala each hit 3-pointers in the opening minutes of the final period as Denver gained a 15-point advantage.

The Lakers cut it to 113-106 on layup by Jodie Meeks with 4:34 remaining, but Gallinari answered with his third 3-pointer of the night and Faried followed with a driving layup to rebuild Denver's lead to 118-106. Brewer hit two more 3-pointers in the final 1:19 to ice the victory.


NOTES: Faried has 12 double-doubles this season. ... Nuggets forward Jordan Hamilton was fined $25,000 by the NBA because of a vulgar exchange with a fan during the team's 112-100 Christmas Day loss to the Los Angeles Clippers at the Staples Center. ...Despite the loss, the Lakers remain the only NBA team to have a winning record against the Nuggets in Denver, (43-34) all-time. ... Gasol, who was 3 for 11 from 3-point range coming into the game, hit two of his three 3-point tries against the Nuggets. ... Denver scored a season high in points against the Lakers. The previous high was 122 points at Sacramento on Dec. 16. ... Bryant matched an opponent season-high in points against the Nuggets. Chris Bosh of Miami also scored 40 points against Denver on Nov. 13. ... Brewer also scored 27 points against Detroit on April 4, 2010.

 

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Clippers beat Jazz 116-114 for 16th straight win



SALT LAKE CITY (AP) Chris Paul could hardly be heard over Jay-Z's pounding music as his Los Angeles Clippers teammates sang along in the visitors' locker room.

And why not?

The Clippers had just pulled off a 19-point comeback for their 16th straight victory - in a venue where they had often struggled.

Paul did most of the damage, leading the Clippers (24-6) with 29 points, including the final seven, as Los Angeles squeaked out a 116-114 win Friday night over the Utah Jazz.

The Clippers' winning streak is the longest in the NBA since Boston won 19 games in a row from Nov. 15 to Dec. 23, 2008.

The last time the franchise won three straight in Salt Lake City was 1979-81 when they were the San Diego Clippers.

"This one is a great win for us because we kind of needed a challenge,'' said Blake Griffin, who added 22 points and 13 rebounds for the Clippers. "(We had) to prove not only to everybody else but to ourselves that we can still win close games like this and win a game down 19 in the third quarter.''

In the opposing locker room, the Jazz were lamenting another one that got away - the second loss at home to the Clippers during their franchise-record streak. Utah dropped the first by one on Dec. 3 after leading by 14.

On Friday, ex-Clipper Randy Foye put up a 3-pointer at the buzzer that was contested by Matt Barnes, but no foul was called. Foye finished with a season-high 28 points for Utah.

Foye did his best not to say anything about the officiating.

"I felt as though I pump-faked,'' Foye said. "He knew that I wanted to shoot the 3 and I felt the contact. He made me go straight up and shoot the ball straight down. It was just a tough play.''

Paul was tough down the stretch, hitting the clinching free throws after getting fouled by Al Jefferson with 3.4 seconds left.

"When (DeAndre Jordan) came to give me the ball screen, I wasn't worried about (Gordon) Hayward, I was just worried about Al Jefferson,'' Paul said. "I could tell (Jefferson) was going to try and blitz me. Anytime two guys try and trap me, I'm always going to attack the slower guy. If they wouldn't have called the foul, I was right around Al anyway.''

Paul sank both free throws this time, after missing one with 18 seconds left that allowed Jefferson to grab the rebound, draw a foul and sink two free throws at the other end to tie it at 114.

Paul made sure he hit both the next time.

"Man, I couldn't wait to get to the line. I couldn't wait to get to the line,'' Paul said. "I was mad at myself for missing that last one. I couldn't wait to get to the line to redeem myself.''

Just like the first game this season against the Clippers, Utah had the upper hand early.

The Jazz used a 36-point second quarter to turn a seven-point deficit into a 58-48 halftime lead. Utah reserves did most of the damage.

Alec Burks and Earl Watson pushed the pace, big men Enes Kanter and Derrick Favors provided a presence inside and Hayward found ways to score.

Kanter's block of Ronny Turiaf ignited the crowd.

Hayward's 3-pointer tied it at 34 with 7:04 left in the second and he scored 10 straight for the Jazz, who forced eight turnovers in the quarter and held the Clippers to 37.5 percent shooting.

Foye, who kept Utah close in the first with a 13-point quarter on 4-of-5 shooting, gave the Jazz their biggest lead of the half, 54-41, with two more free throws.

The Jazz led 74-55 with 8:08 left in the third on a pair of free throws by Paul Millsap. But the Clippers outscored Utah 29-14 the rest of the quarter to pull to 88-84 going into the fourth.

Paul provided the offense in the third with 13 points on 4-of-6 shooting.

"At the beginning of the third quarter, they made another run at us but then we got a little bit of a rhythm and then started guarding. We started getting some stops and getting out in the open court,'' Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro said.

"Give Utah credit but our guys battled back tonight. They found a way to win and that's what it's all about. We stayed together, we weathered the storm when we had to and gave ourselves a chance and we were fortunate to make enough plays.''

The loss dropped Utah below .500 at 15-16. The Jazz have lost six of their last eight.

Jefferson added 22 points for Utah. Hayward had 17 off the bench.

The Clippers had six players in double figures. DeAndre Jordan had 16 points and 10 rebounds.

"It's all tough,'' Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin said. "On our home court, we had a lead, we gave up the lead but we continued to fight. We made some mistakes but fought our way through it and had a chance to win the ballgame at the end. Unfortunately they got a lot of free throws.''

The teams combined for 81 free throw attempts, with Utah making 37 of 40 and the Clippers 33 of 41.

Points in the paint were identical and rebounds were close (36-35 Jazz), but the Clippers had a four-point edge on second-chance points.

That was enough.

NOTES: An unidentified Jazz employee was disciplined and had his access to the team Twitter account discontinued after what team officials deemed an inappropriate tweet regarding the firing of Nets coach Avery Johnson and Brooklyn's interest in Phil Jackson. The tweet said Jackson only wants "great players,'' an apparent reference to ex-Jazz point guard Deron Williams, who had criticized Johnson's offense. ... Jazz point guard Mo Williams still has swelling in his sprained right thumb and remains out indefinitely. ... The Clippers got a scare late in the first quarter when Lamar Odom came up limping. He returned in the second and finished with 12 points. ... The Clippers failed to register a blocked shot despite coming into the game averaging 6.52.

 

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Duncan, Parker, Ginobili carry Spurs past Rockets



SAN ANTONIO (AP) Gregg Popovich angrily called timeout after his San Antonio Spurs offered little resistance when Houston guard James Harden dunked on a 3-on-1 break.

Tiago Splitter was the first to hear Popovich's scorn, but the reigning coach of the year saved most of his wrath for Tim Duncan and Tony Parker. MVP, All-Star, reserve or sideline reporter, no one is protected from Popovich's ire.

His tirade led to the Spurs' fourth straight win.

Duncan, Parker and Manu Ginobili combined to score 84 points, and San Antonio snapped the Rockets' five-game winning streak with a 122-116 victory on Friday night.

Parker had 31 points and 10 assists, Duncan had 30 points and five rebounds, and Ginobili had a season-high 23 points for San Antonio (23-8).

"They were unbelievable,'' Ginobili said of Duncan and Parker. "I had a nice stretch early in the third quarter, but those guys have been great all season. I kind of joined in on the scoring. The main thing is that we beat another great team that has been rolling.''

The Spurs beat Toronto on Wednesday to snap the Raptors' five-game winning streak.

It was the first time the Spurs had two players score 30 points in a game since Feb. 2, 2009, when Duncan and Ginobili both had 32.

Those points were needed against the high-scoring Rockets, who lead the NBA in scoring at 105.3 points per game.

Harden scored 33 points, Chandler Parsons added 24, and Jeremy Lin had 21 for Houston (16-13).

While the Spurs' "Big Three'' were able to match the Rockets' production, it was the team's defense that was key.

After allowing Houston to shoot 55 percent through three quarters, the Spurs clamped down in the fourth. San Antonio had seven steals in the period, and Houston shot 10 for 23 from the field.

Ginobili and Patty Mills made back-to-back 3s to push the Spurs' lead to 104-97. Mills also forced offensive fouls on Lin and Aldrich to help San Antonio go on a 7-0 run.

"We got a group out there that did an excellent job of both sprinting back in transition, showing a crowd in full-court shell and getting guys off the 3-point line,'' Popovich said. "But, other than that period, we were pretty poor in that respect, and that's Houston's game. That's why they're kicking everybody's butt and scoring all these points.''

The Spurs turned up their defensive intensity late in the third, with Splitter earning applause from Popovich after teaming with Stephen Jackson to trap Harden and force a jump ball.

Harden was whistled for his fifth foul on the ensuing jump ball, forcing Houston coach Kevin McHale to sit his leading scorer.

"It changed the entire game,'' Harden said of the call. "It gave me five fouls. I had to come out, and then I had to play hesitant. It changed the entire game.''

The Spurs stretched their lead to 19 points in the fourth quarter before the Rockets rallied, but were unable to get closer than the final score.

"I think it was the start of the game,'' McHale said. "We had to fight back. I was proud of the guys and how they battled back.''

San Antonio set season highs with 41 points in the first quarter and 69 in the first half but Houston kept pace with 63 before halftime - the most by a Spurs opponent this season.

The Spurs shot 67 percent in building a 21-8 lead in the opening 6 minutes.

Cole Aldrich's running hook gave the Rockets their first lead at 65-64 with 1:05 remaining in the half. Ginobili made a 3 and a layup to stake the Spurs to a 69-65 lead at halftime.

Danny Green was 5 for 7 on 3-pointers and finished with 17 points for San Antonio.

NOTES: Rockets P Patrick Patterson (bruised right foot) missed his seventh straight game. ... Parker is the only player in the NBA averaging at least 18 points, 7 assists, and 3 rebounds while shooting over 50 percent from the field, 40 percent on 3s, and 80 percent on free throws. ... San Antonio has five winning streaks of at least 3 games this season. ... While the Spurs rank first in total assists at 25.8 per game, Parker is the only player who has more than 10 in a game. He has done it six times.

 

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Bynum, Pistons top short-handed Heat 109-99



AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) LeBron James and the short-handed Heat were no match for Detroit's brilliant bench.

Will Bynum had 25 points and 10 assists, leading another spirited performance by the Pistons' reserves, and Detroit beat Miami 109-99 on Friday night despite 35 points by James.

Miami was without Dwyane Wade, suspended for a game by the NBA for flailing his leg and making contact with a Charlotte player Wednesday.

The Detroit reserves, who scored 85 points in a loss to Atlanta on Wednesday, contributed 64 this time. Charlie Villanueva had 18 points and Austin Daye added 11, helping the Pistons snap Miami's six-game winning streak.

"Their bench came in and turned it up about 17 notches. We let them get into a comfort zone in the second quarter, and after that, they were making all kinds of contested shots,'' James said. "It's hard to make any kind of run when a team keeps doing that to you.''

The Heat scored the game's first 10 points and led by 15 after one quarter, but the momentum shifted for good when the Pistons outscored Miami 41-20 in the second.

Chris Bosh had 28 points for the Heat.

Miami had cut a 17-point deficit to four early in the fourth, but Detroit's reserves steadied themselves. Rookie big man Andre Drummond scored inside, Villanueva scored after a turnover by James, and a 3-pointer by Bynum pushed the lead back to double digits at 88-77.

"That little split of doubt that you can have - it's a turnover, it's a missed shot, it's a bad play,'' Bynum said. "You just have to be aggressive and confident.''

That's rarely a problem for Bynum, who looks out of control at times but can lift his team with his energy. He's played in only 22 of Detroit's 32 games this season, but he scored 31 points Wednesday and followed it up with another remarkable performance against the Heat.

"Will kind of got squeezed in the rotation,'' Pistons coach Lawrence Frank said. "Had several DNPs, stayed the course, and he deserves all the credit.''

Detroit led 95-84 after Villanueva corralled a wild pass from Bynum and made a 3-pointer. Daye added a dunk in transition off a slick drop pass from Bynum for a 101-90 lead.

Bynum scored 13 points in the fourth quarter.

"He was amazing,'' James said. "He controlled the game with his motor and his offense. He was hitting everything and he was getting everyone else involved. We couldn't do anything with him.''

The Pistons shot 58 percent from the field to Miami's 51. The Heat had been 31-0 since the beginning of last season when shooting at least 50 percent.

The Heat said before the game they didn't agree with Wade's suspension for making contact with Charlotte's Ramon Sessions earlier in the week.

"That's no excuse. We still had enough,'' Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "Obviously, we're a different team with Dwyane, but we have enough depth that we should be able to overcome missing one guy for a night.''

Miami breezed through the first quarter, taking a 10-0 lead and eventually making 11 of its first 14 shots. It was 32-17 after one, but the game turned almost immediately.

Detroit's bench was again outstanding. The Pistons scored the first 14 points of the second and finally took a 41-39 lead on Villanueva's 3-pointer.

The bench - specifically Villanueva, Bynum, Drummond and Daye - scored 36 of Detroit's 41 points in the quarter, and the Pistons went into halftime with a 58-52 lead.

And that was only the beginning. Miami didn't start the third quarter any better than the second, allowing nine straight points. Greg Monroe's basket made it 76-59, and although the Heat increased the pressure defensively, they didn't always get the results they wanted.

After Shane Battier and James made consecutive 3-pointers to pull Miami within nine, James thought he'd knocked the ball away from Jason Maxiell cleanly near midcourt. But a foul was called and Maxiell made one of two free throws to make it 79-69.

It was 81-71 after three.

NOTES: Udonis Haslem is now Miami's career leader with 620 games played, snapping a tie with Wade because of the suspension. Haslem appeared to hurt his right shoulder early on when landing hard after an acrobatic block on Kyle Singler, but he was able to play on. ... Drummond had 10 points and 10 rebounds. ... James and Bosh were the only Miami players to score in double figures.

 

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Pistons vs Heat highlights

Pistons defeat short handed Heat with Will Bynum having 25 points and 10 assists.

 

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Even with Wade back, Bucks too much for Heat


MILWAUKEE (AP) Dwyane Wade's return to the lineup wasn't nearly enough for Miami.

Brandon Jennings scored 25 points and Mike Dunleavy had 13 of his 18 in the fourth quarter as the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Heat 104-85 on Saturday night.

Wade was back after serving a one-game suspension for flailing his leg and making contact with guard Ramon Sessions' groin during the Heat's 105-92 victory over Charlotte on Wednesday. Wade sat out Miami's 109-99 loss to Detroit on Friday night, which snapped the Heat's six-game winning streak.

"Obviously, the last 48 hours has not gone the way we wanted it to,'' Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said. "We don't want to make any excuses about it. Milwaukee kicked our butt. They were the better team tonight. We will gather ourselves, get to Orlando and start to work on it.''

Wade had 24 points on 10-of-19 shooting, four assists, six rebounds and three turnovers. LeBron James scored 26 as Miami failed to reach 100 points for just the third time in 28 games.

"It's going to take time,'' Wade said. "We go through this every year. It's a part of the journey. You have to have these moments throughout the season. To win later in the year, you have something to pull from.''

The Bucks improved to 16-12, their best 28-game start since opening the 2005-06 season 17-11. Miami (20-8) fell to 6-6 on the road.

Wade said the Heat would love to be undefeated on the road, but that isn't going to happen.

"In the bigger picture, you have to go through these tough moments and have to figure it out as a team,'' he said. "That's what we're doing right now.''

Luc Richard Mbah a Moute scored 19 points for the Bucks, and Larry Sanders had 16 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks. Monta Ellis added 14 points as Milwaukee avenged a 113-106 overtime loss to the Heat in Miami on Nov. 21.

Dunleavy also had nine rebounds, six assists and three steals for the Bucks, who outscored Miami 35-14 in the fourth.

After Jennings hit a 3-pointer, Miami called a timeout and removed Wade, James and Chris Bosh with the Bucks ahead 100-79 with 3:13 to play. That was Milwaukee's biggest lead and it didn't slip below 17 the rest of the way.

Bosh had 12 points and 16 rebounds for the Heat, who came in averaging 103.4 points a game while the Bucks were at 95.6.

It got chippy late in the game with Milwaukee pulling away.

After Wade turned the ball over, Jennings picked it up and raced down the court. Mario Chalmers, trailing the play, caught up with Jennings and then slowed him down by wrapping his right arm around Jennings' neck. As momentum carried Chalmers toward the baseline, Jennings followed after him, glaring all the way.

Chalmers was called for a flagrant foul. Jennings made both free throws and Milwaukee retained the ball. Moments later, Mbah a Moute scored and the Bucks led 92-76.

The Bucks regained their shooting touch and the lead with a 16-0 spurt that bridged the end of the third quarter and the beginning of the fourth. Mbah a Moute capped the surge with a 3 that gave Milwaukee an 84-75 lead. When Sanders dunked and then spun around James on the baseline for a layup, Milwaukee led 88-76 with 6:03 left.

Miami's defense limited the Bucks' shooting percentage, but turnovers were too much to overcome.

"They shot 40 percent from the floor, but we turned the ball over 20-plus times and they got over 20-plus points off those turnovers,'' James said. "That's not going to be winning basketball.''

James had a team-high six turnovers out of the 21 that led to 25 points for Milwaukee. The Heat shot 43.3 percent (33 of 76).

"I had six turnovers and I can't stand when I turn the ball over,'' James said. "When you're on the road against a team that is sound defensively, you can't give them extra possessions because they're going to make you pay.''

James led the way as Miami erased a 15-point deficit, outscoring the Bucks 27-13 in the third to take a 71-69 lead into the fourth. James scored 14 points in that quarter while Milwaukee missed 17 of its first 19 shots.

"The second half we came out a little stagnant,'' Dunleavy said. "We stopped pushing the ball and getting out in transition.''

Fortunately for the Bucks, they got going late in the third and kept it up all through the fourth.

"A few minutes to go in the third, we were moving the ball up and down, getting some stops,'' Dunleavy said. "Just kept going, building on the lead.''

After leading 56-44 at halftime, Milwaukee missed its first 12 shots in the second half, six of them by Ellis, while the Heat pulled to 56-55. Jennings hit a 14-foot jumper to snap the streak, but James hit a 3 to tie the game and a jumper that gave Miami its first lead, 60-58.

"Then we came out to start the third and missed a couple layups and some shots, but also just kind of started walking up and down the floor,'' Bucks coach Scott Skiles said. "That's really not our game.''

Jennings had 16 points on 5-of-7 shooting, six assists and three steals in the first half.

NOTES: Miami F Udonis Haslem missed the game. He hurt his right shoulder early in the Detroit game when he landed hard after an acrobatic block on Kyle Singler. Haslem stayed in the game and finished with seven points and two rebounds in 20:29. Shane Battier started in his place. ... Wade tied Haslem for the Heat record with 620 games played. ... Milwaukee came in having alternated between wins and losses over the last seven games. ... It was the Bucks' first sellout of the season.

 

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Warriors whip short-handed Celtics 101-83



OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) What a December to remember for the Golden State Warriors.

Stephen Curry had 22 points and nine assists, David Lee scored 20 points and the Warriors whipped the short-handed Boston Celtics 101-83 on Saturday night to close out a memorable month.

Golden State (21-10) finished December with a 12-4 record and has at least 20 wins before New Year's Day for the first time since 1980.

"What more is there to say?'' Lee said. "Happy New Year.''

First-round pick Harrison Barnes added 15 points and eight rebounds to help Golden State build a 20-point lead in the second quarter and cruise most of the way. The Warriors tied the 1961-62 team - when the franchise was still in Philadelphia - with 12 wins in December.

"The bottom line is it's been a great year for us,'' Warriors coach Mark Jackson said. "2012 has been real good to us. We will put it behind us and now look forward to doing great things in 2013.''

The Celtics, meanwhile, are hardly ringing in the new year in style.

Courtney Lee had 18 points and five rebounds starting in place of Rajon Rondo, who was a late scratch for Boston because of a bruised right thigh and hip. Celtics coach Doc Rivers said Rondo will be a game-time decision at the Sacramento Kings on Sunday night, but he was far more concerned about the team's horrendous shooting and offensive flow.

Paul Pierce finished with 13 points on 4-for-20 shooting, Jason Terry scored 13 points on 6-for-19 shooting and both were taken out with 4:19 remaining and the game well out of reach.

The Celtics (14-15) have lost six of eight to fall below .500 for the first time in almost two months. Combined with Thursday night's 106-77 loss at the Los Angeles Clippers, Boston has been outscored by 47 points the last two games.

"We got to figure out who we want to be,'' Pierce said. "Do we want to be a defense-first team? If we're not going to be a defensive team, we got to be a better offensive team. It's got to be something. We still got to find our way.''

After beating the Philadelphia 76ers at home Friday night, the Warriors continued to pound Eastern Conference competition. Golden State outshot Boston 51 to 36 percent from the floor, the lowest an opponent has shot against them all season.

The Warriors also had a season-high with 10 blocked shots - five by rookie Festus Ezeli - and improved to 13-2 against the East this season.

And this one wasn't even close.

Curry shook off the double teams the Celtics threw his way on most pick-and-rolls and found Lee and others for easy dunks. At one point, the Warriors scored 11 straight and later took a 19-9 lead that got Rivers ranting and raving at his players to pick up the intensity.

After the Celtics started to close the gap, Jackson switched to the three-guard lineup of Curry, Klay Thompson and Jarrett Jack. The trio shredded Boston's depleted backcourt, with Curry and Thompson each connecting from beyond the arc to cap a 21-7 run that gave Golden State a 50-30 lead late in the second quarter.

"This was huge,'' Curry said. "You're just trying to keep the momentum going.''

The Celtics simply had no rhythm offensively and no pressure defensively without Rondo, the three-time All-Star point guard who had started the first 24 games this season. Rivers said Rondo was hurt at the Clippers but doesn't think the injury is anything serious.

Pierce's 3-pointer early in the fourth quarter highlighted a brief burst that brought Boston to 78-70. The highlights for the Celtics ended there, with the Warriors' swarming Boston defensively to build back a 22-point lead.

"We got to keep working at this,'' said Celtics forward Kevin Garnett, who had 6 points and three rebounds in 23 minutes. "This is where you start to see who's with you. This is when you see who really wants it, who really wants to get down and work and grind for it. We're about to find it out.''

NOTES: SG Leandro Barbosa is expected to rejoin the Celtics at Sacramento after missing four straight games for personal reasons. ... Boston fell to 5-10 on the road. ... Raiders WR Jacoby Ford was among those in attendance.

 

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Thunder roll to 124-94 win over Rockets



HOUSTON (AP) Kevin Durant made one of his first eight shots, and the Oklahoma City Thunder were clinging to a two-point lead in the second quarter on Saturday against the Houston Rockets.

Then, Durant and the Thunder got going and finished the night with their best offensive performance on the road since 2009.

Russell Westbrook scored 28 points and Durant added 26 as the Thunder built a big lead in the second quarter and rolled to a 124-94 win over Houston. It was their largest road win since beating the Clippers 126-85 on April 15, 2009.

"I started off terrible and I just wanted to get going,'' Durant said. "I just wanted to come out and shoot a good shot, and I was able to get started.''

Durant scored 11 points during a 16-0 run by the Thunder to end the first half and extend the lead to 18. Oklahoma City had another big run early in the third quarter to put the game further out of reach.

"The end of the second quarter is what pushed us over the top, and that third quarter was really good as well,'' Durant said. "We started off so well, got some steals, got some fast-break points. So it was a good one.''

Former Thunder sixth man James Harden scored 25 for the Rockets, who went cold on offense for long stretches.

"(We were) careless with the ball,'' Harden said. "I don't know how to explain everything, but at least get a shot up and not turn the ball over.''

It was Oklahoma City's second win this season over Houston, after taking the first meeting 120-98.

Kevin Martin, who came to Oklahoma City in the trade for Harden, finished with 19 points and five 3-pointers. Westbrook had eight rebounds and eight assists.

Oklahoma City improved to 12-3 when Durant and Westbrook each score more than 20 points.

"I felt comfortable,'' Westbrook said. "It's probably the first night all year I shot the ball well. I've got to put two games together.''

Marcus Morris scored a career-high 24 points for Houston in its most lopsided loss of the season.

Oklahoma City was up by six before the Rockets used an 8-4 spurt to close the gap to 52-50 with 4 minutes remaining in the second quarter.

The Thunder took control after that, scoring the last 16 points of the half to extend their lead to 68-50 at the break. Durant got it going, scoring the first eight points in that span. He also finished it off, sinking a 3-pointer with 1.9 seconds left in the quarter.

All but five of Durant's 16 first-half points came in that stretch.

The Rockets couldn't do anything right during that time, committing four turnovers and missing six shots.

"I told the guys there's a flow in the game and you've got to recognize that flow sometimes and you've got to know when it's time to make the extra pass, when it's time to be extra careful with the ball,'' Houston coach Kevin McHale said.

Houston had cut its 18-point halftime deficit to 13 early in the third quarter before it hit another scoring drought, going more than 5 minutes without a field goal.

Harden made one free throw during that span as the Thunder added 17 points to pad the lead to 87-58.

The Thunder had a season-high 16 steals to help in the win.

Houston had five shots blocked in that stretch. The problems started when Kendrick Perkins blocked two layups by Chandler Parsons 3 seconds apart. Durant blocked a jump shot by Harden the next time down the court and Thabo Sefolosha blocked a layup by Jeremy Lin about a minute later. The last one was also by Perkins, on a jump shot by Omer Asik.

Martin made two 3-pointers in less than a minute near the end of the first quarter to give the Thunder a 31-26 lead entering the second.

The Thunder were up by three points in the second quarter before using a 9-3 run, capped by a 3-pointer from Martin, to extend the lead to 44-35 about 7 minutes before halftime.

NOTES: Royce White, the 16th overall pick in the June draft, was assigned to Houston's D-League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. White has spent most of the season on Houston's inactive list while he and the team figure out how to handle his anxiety disorder and overall mental health. The move looks to be a positive step in White's return to the court. ... Harden has scored 20 or more points in a career-high 12 straight games. ... Houston's Patrick Patterson returned after missing the last seven games with a bone bruise in his right foot. He had two points and two rebounds in just more than 10 minutes. ... Houston G Toney Douglas tied a career high with five steals.

 

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Big 3 help Spurs send Mavs to sixth straight loss



DALLAS (AP) Dirk Nowitzki grabbed a loose ball in the backcourt and started the fast break himself, pulling up for a 3-pointer just like the days before his first knee surgery.

The difference this time: The Dallas Mavericks star threw up an airball.

Nowitzki will need more time to work his way back from a surgery that cost him the first 27 games of the season. Even then, it may not be enough to keep up with the San Antonio Spurs and their Big Three.

Tony Parker had 21 points and nine assists, Manu Ginobili had several key baskets among his 20 points and the Spurs handed the Mavericks their sixth straight loss, 111-86 on Sunday night.

Two nights after his second 30-point game of the season, Tim Duncan had 10 in the second quarter before settling in for a more typical outing: 18 points and 10 rebounds for his 16th double-double to go with three blocks.

The Spurs, who snapped a four-game road losing streak, never trailed a week after beating the Mavericks by 38 in San Antonio when Nowitzki made a surprise debut earlier than expected.

"I liked the focus of the team,'' Parker said. "It's never easy to play a team that we beat pretty bad last week. From the get-go, we moved the ball, took good shots and played great defense.''

Nowitzki followed his first-half airball by missing three more in the second half before finally getting a basket on a driving layup. He finished with eight points on 3-of-9 shooting - and didn't come close to trying another 3-pointer. He did have five rebounds and three blocked shots.

"He's not Dirk Nowitzki, basically, one of the greatest players that's ever played, so it's going to take time for him,'' Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "It's very, very difficult when you have a guy like that out, and then he comes back.''

Darren Collison scored 18 points to lead the Mavericks, whose losing streak is their longest since January of their championship season in 2010-11.

Dallas was within five in the third quarter when Ginobili hit a 3-pointer with the shot clock winding down, and he made an even longer 3 with the shot clock inside a second to put San Antonio ahead 80-70. He finished the third quarter the same way he did the second - with a last-second shot that put the Spurs up by 12.

Ginobili scored 10 points in the third quarter and added five rebounds and five assists for the game with just one turnover.

"We were very solid, and at not one point did we let them have a great run, and have one of those streaks where they make a lot of 3s,'' Ginobili said.

Ginobili keyed a late spurt in the first half that turned a five-point lead into a 12-point halftime edge. He assisted on a 3-pointer by Kawhi Leonard and scored the final two baskets of the half, the last a pull-up jumper with less than a second left for a 57-45 lead.

The Spurs ran out to a 20-6 lead on midrange jumpers from Parker, who scored 10 in the first quarter, and a couple of 3-pointers from Danny Green, who had a career-high seven from long range against Dallas a week ago. Green finished with eight points and was 2 of 3 from beyond the arc.

The Mavericks closed the gap late in the first behind Elton Brand, who scored six in the first quarter after going scoreless for the second time this season two nights earlier against Denver. Brand had 14 points and 10 rebounds.

O.J. Mayo, Dallas' leading scorer, was held under 10 points for the third time in four games. He came in averaging 9 points on 33-percent shooting the previous four games and finished with eight on 4 of 14 shooting. Green blocked two of his 3-point attempts in the second half, including one after Mayo tried a pump fake that instead just gave Green enough time to get there before Mayo shot it.


NOTES: Mavericks F Vince Carter made his first start after coming off the bench the first 30 games. ... Spurs G Gary Neal missed his third straight game with a strained right calf. ... Mayo had a career-high five steals in Friday's loss to Denver. But he also had six turnovers for the third straight game. ... Green was 14 of 19 from 3-point range the previous three games. He was 7 of 8 when the Spurs set a franchise record with 20 3-pointers a week ago against Dallas. ... Oklahoma football players drew some boos when they were shown on the big board. The Sooners play Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl at Cowboys Stadium on Jan. 4. Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel of Texas A&M attended a Mavs game a few days after winning the award.

 

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Prince's late FTs lift Pistons over Bucks 96-94



AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) Tayshaun Prince made the game-winning shots from the free throw line. His work in the low post set it up.

Prince made two free throws with 10.9 seconds left to give Detroit a 96-94 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday night after the Pistons blew a 14-point lead.

Prince, who led Detroit with 20 points, did much of his damage down low and that's where he was when Luc Mbah a Moute fouled the veteran small forward to send him to the free throw line with the opportunity to win the game.

"I just had a real good rhythm down there tonight,'' Prince said. "And they kept looking for me.''

Greg Monroe added 14 points and 10 rebounds for Detroit, which had five players in double figures. Charlie Villanueva and Brandon Knight scored 11 apiece, while Jason Maxiell had 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Prince's impact, however, went beyond the numbers.

"Just his presence out there helps us,'' Knight said. "He's a big-time player and he's been in those situations so many times.''

Monta Ellis had 30 points and nine assists, and Erson Ilyasova scored 24 for the Bucks.

"It seemed like they were getting whatever they wanted,'' Milwaukee's Mike Dunleavy said. "And I just thought our offensive rhythm was terrible to start the game. Finally we got some stuff going, but we didn't start well.''

Both teams were coming off wins over the defending NBA champions. Detroit beat Miami 109-99 in Auburn Hills on Friday night, and the Bucks beat the Heat 104-85 in Milwaukee one night later.

Ellis hit a fallaway baseline jumper with 1:06 left, after almost losing the ball out of bounds, to give the Bucks their first lead, 94-92. But Prince's hook shot tied the score with 50.5 seconds remaining. Ellis missed a jumper with 31.9 seconds to go and Maxiell got the rebound. Following a timeout, Mbah a Moute fouled Prince, who stepped to the line and produced the game-winning points.

Ilyasova's 3-pointer with 1:43 left tied it at 92 to complete the comeback from a 14-point deficit.

Detroit led 78-71 going into the fourth quarter after leading 72-58 on Monroe's jumper with 4:14 left in the third.

The Pistons jumped out to an early 13-0 lead, holding the Bucks scoreless until 8:07 remained in the first quarter when Ellis made a driving layup. Milwaukee battled back to 19-17 on Ellis' two free throws with 4:03 left in the first and 21-19 with 3:02 remaining on a driving layup by Ellis.

Detroit then outscored Milwaukee 9-4 over the remainder of the quarter for a 30-23 lead after one. The Pistons led 55-45 at halftime after leading by as many as 14 twice during the second quarter.

Detroit made 57 percent of its shots and had 36 points in the paint in the first half.

"It was more than a bad start, it was a bad 3 1/2 quarters,'' Milwaukee coach Scott Skiles said. "They outplayed us except for maybe six to eight minutes the whole game.''

NOTES: Sunday was the 22nd anniversary of Skiles setting the NBA record of 30 assists in a game for the Orlando Magic. "The game is different now. It would be hard for someone to do it,'' he said. "Our team at that time wasn't that good, so it was an individual thing.'' ... Detroit G Rodney Stuckey didn't play because of a left ankle sprain. ... Sheila E. performed at halftime. ... Mbah a Moute left early in the first quarter with a cut on his lip. He received three stitches and returned late in the period.

 

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Thomas leads Kings past Celtics 118-96



SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) With the rest of the Kings' backcourt banged up, Isaiah Thomas is making the most of his opportunity to start.

Thomas scored 27 points in his second start in the past six weeks and made one of Sacramento's two four-point plays in the second half as the Kings handed the Boston Celtics their third straight lopsided loss on a California road swing, 118-96 on Sunday night.

"That guy has an infectious personality,'' Kings coach Keith Smart said. "He has that magnetism that brings players and people around to him. He brought that energy to start the game off right with him in the starting lineup. All our guards do a great job, but what he's been able to do is kind of give us a little injection of the steam that we need. He's done that, plus he's making his shots.''

Thomas got the chance to start in part because Aaron Brooks (left ankle) and Tyreke Evans (left knee) are sidelined. The Kings also lost Marcus Thornton to a sprained left ankle during the game but it didn't hurt them as they had their second-highest scoring game of the season and had at least 28 assists for the fourth straight game.

DeMarcus Cousins, in his second game back from a team suspension, made Boston pay for its double teams by posting 12 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for his first career triple-double.

John Salmons added 23 points off the bench and Jason Thompson scored 20 as Sacramento won its fourth straight home game.

"We played a great game as a team,'' Thomas said. "We were very unselfish. That usually happens when you're unselfish and you're playing aggressive - things start to open up.''

The Celtics are going in the other direction after handily beating Brooklyn on Christmas Day. They followed that win with a trip to California to face the Los Angeles Clippers, Golden State and Sacramento and got outscored by 69 points in losing all three to fall two games under .500.

"The reason why guys came back is because of what we built here and that we are known to defend,'' Boston forward Kevin Garnett said. "For some reason, we've gotten away from that. So we're going to have to go back to our origins to figure it out.''

The Kings were in control for most of this game and then pulled away with their long-range shooting in the fourth quarter. James Johnson and Jimmer Fredette made 3-pointers early in the fourth and then Salmons' 3-pointer midway through the quarter off a pass from Cousins gave the Kings a 100-84 lead.

Cousins found Thomas for a long-range shot on Sacramento's next trip while being fouled by Paul Pierce. Thomas added the free throw for the four-point play that made it 104-86 with 5 minutes to play.

Cousins had six of his assists in the fourth quarter to get the triple-double.

"It felt good, first one of my career,'' he said. "I'm just glad my teammates gave me the opportunity to do it.''

Even the return to the lineup of star point guard Rajon Rondo couldn't help the Celtics. Rondo, who missed Saturday's loss at Golden State with a bruised right thigh and hip, missed his first five shots and finished with two points and 10 assists.

Pierce scored 20 points to give him 23,189 in his career, passing Adrian Dantley for 23rd place all-time. Jason Terry also had 20 for Boston.

"Winning is hard. I don't know if all our guys get that,'' coach Doc Rivers said. "You have to play hard to win an NBA game. One game. It's difficult and we're not doing it.''

The Kings took a six-point lead midway through the third quarter when Thornton was fouled by Terry on a 3-pointer. Thornton sprained his left ankle on the play when he landed on Terry's foot and left the game.

"When it happened I thought it was worse because it felt so bad at that point in time,'' Thornton said. "I'm just happy it was a sprain.''

Johnson made the free throw to complete the four-point play and make it 63-57.

A 3-pointer by Thomas extended Sacramento's lead to 13 points in the final minute of the third. The Celtics trailed 84-73 after three - the 11th straight quarter they had trailed after on this road trip.

The Kings got off to a fast start with the Celtics playing the back end of a back-to-back and led by 10 early. The Celtics trailed 54-49 at halftime after Garnett beat the buzzer with a layup when the Kings got caught celebrating Cousins' basket with 1.5 seconds remaining.

NOTES: Sacramento's previous triple-double was by Beno Udrih at Cleveland on March 28, 2010. ... Evans will get a second opinion this week on his sore left knee that sidelined him for the 12th time this season. ... Celtics G Leandro Barbosa rejoined the team after going home to his native Brazil to deal with family issues. He entered late and scored two points in 4 minutes.

 

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Clippers win 17th in row, finish December at 16-0



LOS ANGELES (AP) After their 17th consecutive victory gave them a perfect month, the Los Angeles Clippers finally paused to admire their achievement.

"We got something extremely magical going on,'' said Caron Butler after the Clippers beat the Utah Jazz 107-96 on Sunday night to become the third team in NBA history to record a perfect month.

"When we win we usually jump up and down once or twice,'' coach Vinny Del Negro said. "Tonight we let them jump and down three or four times, so everyone had their fill.''

The Clippers went 16-0 in December to join the 1995-96 San Antonio Spurs, which included Del Negro, and 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers as the only teams to go undefeated in a month. Their franchise-record winning streak is the longest since Boston won 19 in a row four years ago.

"I am amazed because I haven't done it since I've been in the league,'' said seven-year veteran Chris Paul, whose 19 points and nine assists helped his team maintain the league's best record at 25-6.

Butler led the Clippers with 29 points despite not playing in the fourth quarter and made all six of his 3-pointers, including five in the opening period. Jamal Crawford scored 11 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter. Blake Griffin piled up five fouls and was held to seven points after getting double-teamed.

"That shows our depth,'' Paul said. "Our bench stepped up amazing. On any given night it can be another guy.''

The streak isn't talked about among the players and coaches. But it's a popular topic among everyone else.

"That's an incredible record to have,'' Utah's Derrick Favors said. "They've got 17 straight wins and they're playing hard. I know there's a lot of pressure on them to try to keep it up, and they're going to keep coming out and keep playing the same way.''

Actually, it's just the opposite, according to Griffin, who said the last month "is the most fun I've ever had playing basketball.''

"You don't really think about it that much. We're having a blast,'' he said about the streak. "It's not like it's one of these things where it's so much pressure.''

Al Jefferson scored 30 points - one off his season high - to lead Utah, which fell victim for the third time during the Clippers' streak. The Jazz lost 116-114 on Friday when the Clippers rallied from 19 points down, and they were beaten 105-104 on Dec. 3, both times at home.

"It's frustrating,'' said Gordon Hayward, who had 16 points. "Knowing that they're a good team and knowing that we're always right there with them, knowing that we need to keep on playing good for 48 minutes.''

The Jazz lost their third in a row and seventh in the last nine games.

"We can't make any mistakes against them, especially on their home floor because they make you pay for it,'' Jefferson said.

Crawford keyed a 10-5 run to open the fourth, highlighted by a 3-pointer and a fast break pull-up jumper that helped the Clippers extend their lead to 89-81. Paul and Griffin didn't join the second unit until 5:55 remained and Utah had closed within four on a basket by Favors.

That was as close as the Jazz got. The Clippers made 9 of 10 free throws down the stretch and their defense held Utah to one field goal in the final 3:38.

"It was a grind-it-out game, nothing pretty about it,'' Crawford said. "We got us a nice thing going and we got to keep it going.''

Los Angeles stretched its lead to 71-59 in the third quarter, when Butler scored 10 of their first 17 points.

From there, the Jazz closed on a 17-8 run to pull to 79-76 going into the fourth. Utah briefly took its first lead since early in the game when Jefferson scored over Lamar Odom, but the Jazz committed two costly turnovers in the final 49 seconds.

Paul got fouled and made both free throws, and then Matt Barnes stole the ball from Jamaal Tinsley and fed Paul on the break. He missed but Crawford was there to tip it in and restore the Clippers' lead.

"We haven't been playing our best basketball the last few games,'' Utah coach Tyrone Corbin said. "We're playing hard, but we've got to be a little smarter and not make the kind of mistakes we made down the stretch.''

The Clippers shot 62 percent en route to a 54-45 halftime lead, with Butler scoring 17 points in the first quarter. Utah led briefly to start the game when Jefferson scored eight of their first 13 points.

NOTES: Los Angeles improved to 11-3 at home. ... The Jazz fell to 6-13 on the road. ... Clippers F Ronny Turiaf says his right elbow is "messed up.'' He said he hurt it a couple games ago when he felt discomfort while boxing out. ... Odom's ankle is bothering him. ... The Clippers haven't lost since Nov. 26at home against New Orleans.

 

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Bobcats end 18-game skid with 91-81 win over Bulls



CHICAGO (AP) Squandering a healthy lead is nothing new to the Charlotte Bobcats - hanging onto one is.

Kemba Walker had 18 points and eight rebounds, and the Bobcats ended an 18-game losing streak with a 91-81 win over the Chicago Bulls on Monday.

Gerald Henderson added 16 points and reserve Ben Gordon had 15 to help Charlotte snap the second-longest skid in team history. It was the Bobcats' first win in their last 10 road games.

"We're a desperate team right now,'' Henderson said. "This losing streak has been very tough on us.''

Luol Deng scored 20 points and grabbed 12 rebounds for Chicago. Carlos Boozer also had a double-double with 19 points and 14 boards.

Charlotte fended off several rallies by the Bulls, who never held a lead, to win for the first time since Nov. 24.

Tied at 65 heading into the fourth quarter, Bobcats coach Mike Dunlap decided to try something different.

"I put the playbook in the freezer and just let our guys go at them,'' he said.

Charlotte went on a 10-0 run to pad its lead as boos began raining down from the irritated Bulls faithful, who have endured inconsistency as they await the return of former MVP Derrick Rose, who is recovering from knee surgery.

The Bulls had chipped away at a 12-point deficit in the third quarter, eventually tying the game on Richard Hamilton's second-chance jumper with 39 seconds left, but Chicago went ice-cold from the field in the fourth, shooting 23.1 percent.

Chicago (16-13) shot 35.1 percent overall and hit just four of 16 3-point attempts.

"You can deal with the shots. Some nights you're going to shoot better than others,'' Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. "But the defense and rebounding is not where it needs to be.''

Charlotte led by as many as 21 in the first half Saturday against New Orleans, eventually losing 98-95.

It looked to be the same old story for the Bobcats heading into the fourth, but the 10-0 run to start the quarter gave the Bobcats enough momentum to stop a seemingly never-ending losing streak.

The new year couldn't come quick enough for Charlotte (8-23), which narrowly avoided posting a 0-16 calendar month for the second time in 2012. The Bobcats went 0-16 in April to end last season on a franchise-worst 23-game losing streak.

The eight wins already surpasses Charlotte's seven wins all of last season.

"When you go through an entire month without a win, it really eats at you,'' Dunlap said. "It's especially hard for our young guys who need to build confidence.''

Ramon Sessions scored 11 first-half points to give Charlotte a five-point advantage at the break. He finished with 15.

The Bobcats shot over 50 percent from the field in the first half, but struggled from the free throw line, hitting just six of 15 attempts to keep Chicago in the game.

The Bulls began intentionally putting Charlotte on the line in hopes of mounting a comeback, to no avail.

"They weren't shooting free throws well,'' Thibodeau said. "You're just searching for anything that can get you going.''

The Bobcats finished 21 of 38 from the stripe - worse than mediocre, but enough to get the job done.

Chicago has lost three of its last four.

"We're in a funk right now, we've been up and down this season,'' said Taj Gibson, who had eight points and nine rebounds. "Tonight, we let down a lot on defense and we just have to find our way out of it.''

Notes: Bulls G Kirk Hinrich was ruled out before the game due to "'a compilation of things,'' according to coach Tom Thibodeau. He is considered day-to-day. ... Thibodeau said he was "'sad'' to hear about the firing of Chicago Bears head coach Lovie Smith. "'You hate to see anyone lose their job, but that's the nature of the beast,'' he said. ... Bobcats F Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (scratched right cornea) did not play after being poked in the eye during a 98-95 loss to New Orleans on Saturday.

 

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Durant and Westbrook lift Thunder over Suns



OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Receiving eight stitches above his right eye might have been painful, but it wasn't enough to keep Russell Westbrook from practicing his whirling dervish ways Monday night for the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Westbrook returned from the wound to finish with 24 points, nine assists and seven rebounds, Kevin Durant scored 30 points and the Thunder pulled away in the fourth quarter for a 114-96 win over the Phoenix Suns.

"When you see blood, you don't know what to do,'' Durant said of Westbrook. "I was glad he came back here and got stitched up and was able to play again. He came out there with a lot of anger and it showed on both ends of the floor. He pushed us over the top.''

Oklahoma City extended its home-court winning streak to 12 games -- longest in the NBA -- and won on New Year's Eve for the fifth straight year since the franchise moved from Seattle. The Thunder closed 2012 by winning 15 of its last 17 games.

Luis Scola scored 24 points to lead Phoenix, which dropped its sixth straight game and fell to the Thunder for the seventh straight time. The Suns haven't beaten Oklahoma City since December 19, 2010.

Westbrook left the game late in the first half with a cut over his right eye that required stitches. In his absence, the Thunder started the second half with Reggie Jackson at point guard and went on a 12-0 run to seize control. Oklahoma City never trailed again, although Phoenix pulled within two points twice in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter.

"It was just energy,'' Durant said. "We just upped our energy level. We were moving the basketball so well. Everybody was touching it. We got good shots.''

After missing about seven minutes of game time, Westbrook came straight from the locker room with tape above his eye, checked in with 6:24 left in the third quarter and went to work. He drew a foul and made both free throws, and after a two-handed dunk by Durant, Westbrook drilled a 17-foot jumper, then hit three free throws after being fouled behind the arc.

Westbrook then assisted on a basket by Serge Ibaka and followed with a 3-pointer to put Oklahoma City ahead 82-68, its biggest lead of the game, at the 3:44 mark.

"Russ is tough,'' Oklahoma City coach Scott Brooks said. "He competes. He does a lot of good things. Russell plays with a lot of emotion, a lot of toughness. He just plays hard. I'm so proud of the way he plays every night. He doesn't miss games. He doesn't miss practice. He just competes every time down the court.

"Like a lot of our guys, he's not always perfect, but his effort most nights is always good. Russell came back and gave us good effort and energy and toughness.''

Scola had seven points in a 9-2 run by the Suns that pulled them within 84-78 by quarter's end, and Phoenix closed within 87-85 with 9:05 left on a basket by Jermaine O'Neal. But Nick Collison answered with a 16-foot jumper for the Thunder, and after a couple of empty possessions by both teams, Thabo Sefolosha's 3-pointer with 7:32 left put Oklahoma City up 92-85.

The Thunder put the game away with a 12-2 run, capped by a eight-foot floating jumper by Westbrook in the lane with 3:08 left to make it 104-89.

"I thought we played well up until the last five or six minutes of the game,'' Phoenix coach Alvin Gentry said. "I thought P.J. (Tucker) did about as good of a job as you can on Kevin (Durant). It's really difficult to think you're going to be able to stop the Thunder every single time with (Westbrook and Durant) on the court.''

Durant recorded his 13th outing this season of 30 points or more, but had a poor shooting night, finishing 11-of-24 from the field. Westbrook, who has struggled with his shot in recent games, finished 7 of 16. Ibaka scored 16 points, Sefolosha added 14 points and Collison had 10 points and nine rebounds for the Thunder.

Goran Dragic added 16 points for Phoenix, while Marcin Gortat had 12 points and 10 rebounds and O'Neal had 12 points.

"We have a problem of closing out the games,'' Gortat said. "We just don't know how to execute in the last few minutes and we have to work on it. That's it.''

The Thunder led 54-53 at halftime, but lost Westbrook temporarily after he was inadvertently elbowed while attempting a layup with 1:32 left in the half. Westbrook went down, bleeding from around his right eye, as no foul was called and play continued.

"It's just part of the game,'' Westbrook said of the injury. "Stuff like that happens and you've just got to be prepared for it.''

The Suns stayed in the game in the half by shooting 51.2 percent from the field and 42.9 percent (6 of 14) from 3-point range. Sebastian Telfair hit three 3-pointers in four attempts in the first half but didn't score again.

Notes: The Thunder recalled first-round draft choice Perry Jones III and a pair of former Kentucky players, center Daniel Orton and guard DeAndre Liggins, from the Tulsa 66ers of the NBA Development League. ... The Suns have recorded 1,998 wins in franchise history and are all but assured of being the fourth-fastest franchise to reach the 2,000-win mark, trailing Boston, the Los Angeles Lakers and Philadelphia. Phoenix's next two games are Jan. 2 against Philadelphia and Jan. 4 against Utah, both at home ... Longtime Oklahoma Christian University professor, coach and administrator Max Dobson received the Devon Community Hero Award from the Thunder for his 37 years of teaching a class in which students work with special-needs children from Edmond Public Schools. Among those celebrating Dobson in a video shown during the ceremony was Oklahoma women's basketball coach Sherri Coale, whom Dobson recruited to OC in the early 1980s ... The Thunder recorded their 32nd straight sellout at Chesapeake Energy Arena, including 15 this season.

 

[fastbreak]

James, Bosh lead Heat over Magic 112-110 in OT



ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) The Miami Heat got another glimpse at how difficult it is every night when you're the defending NBA champion. The Heat needed clutch performances from each of their stars to slip past the injury-depleted Orlando Magic.

LeBron James scored eight of his 36 points in overtime and also finished with 11 assists and eight rebounds to help Miami beat the Magic 112-110 on Monday.

The Heat, beaten decisively by Detroit and Milwaukee before arriving in Orlando, got a decisive dunk from Dwayne Wade with 6.2 seconds left in the extra period to avoid what could have been their first three-game losing streak this season.

"The biggest thing was that we didn't want to lose,'' Wade said. "We dug in against a team that played very well. They had some guys on the court that half the NBA never heard of, but those guys did an unbelievable job. They pushed us to the limit.''

Miami also needed a pair of baskets from Chris Bosh in the final minute of regulation just to get them to overtime. Bosh had 22 points and Wade added 21.

"The one thing I liked is that I saw an absolute competitive desperation in our guys in the fourth quarter and overtime,'' Miami Coach Erik Spoelstra said. "In a perfect world, I would like to see where we didn't have to get pushed that far, but our guys did not want to lose that game. You saw a competitive spirit that our team is known for.''

Orlando rookie coach Jacque Vaughn had plenty of praise for his team despite a sixth straight loss. The Magic got a franchise-record 29 rebounds and a career-high 20 points from Nikola Vucevic, 28 points from Arron Afflalo and 23 points from J.J. Redick. They led by four with 1:07 left in regulation and were down only two in the final minute of overtime, but couldn't execute in the clutch.

"We really showed a lot of resolve tonight, a lot of fight and I hope our fans appreciated that,'' Vaughn said. "We talk about character and how you will be challenged with a little adversity and how you respond. I'm proud of how we responded.''

Orlando, in the midst of a rebuilding program, played without injured point guard Jameer Nelson, his backup, E'Twaun Moore, and starting power forward Glen Davis. The lack of ballhandlers and depth never showed until the final minute of overtime, when the Magic committed three turnovers and couldn't get off a shot to either extend a lead or tie the game.

"We almost beat the Miami Heat without some of our really important players,'' Vucevic said. "We were right there. If we play hard like we did tonight, we have a chance against anybody in this league.''

Miami, by contrast, had only one turnover in the second half and none in overtime. The Heat got plays when they needed them from James, Bosh and Wade.

"This is a winning league,'' James said. "It's not about how close you came to losing or how close you came to winning. We won. I'm not discrediting what they did; they played a great game. We just made one more play than they did.''

James scored on a driving layup with 1:07 left in the extra period to give Miami a 108-106 lead. He missed a shot from the top of the key, giving Orlando a chance to tie, but Shane Battier stole a cross-court pass from Redick and fed Wade for his late slam.

Josh McRoberts cut it to two with two seconds to play, but James sealed it at the line.

The first half was a series of momentum swing by both teams, with Miami breaking off a 10-0 run early and Orlando responding with a 12-0 burst in the second quarter. The Magic finished the half on a 21-8 run to take a 54-48 halftime lead.

The back-and-forth play continued in the second half. Miami scored the first seven points to go ahead 55-54 on an 18-foot jumper by James, but the Magic responded with a 13-2 run, punctuated by a 20-foot jumper from the corner by DeQuan Jones to go back in front 67-57.

The Heat scored the last four points of the third quarter and the first nine of the fourth, eventually taking a 79-77 lead on a vicious slam by James with 9:38 left in regulation. Miami forced three turnovers and three missed shots in the 13-0 run.

Redick stopped the rally with back-to-back 3-pointers, which set up a mad dash for the finish line. A 3-pointer by James gave Miami a 91-89 lead, but the Magic went back in front on a three-point play by Afflalo that made it 94-91 with 2:45 left.

Orlando led 99-95 after Vucevic hit a 15-footer with 1:07 to go, but Bosh tied it with back-to-back baskets. The Heat forward had a chance to win it in regulation, but his runner from eight feet hit the side of the basket, sending the game into overtime.

Notes: James has scored 20 or more points in all 29 of Miami's games this season. . Nelson sat out his second straight game with a hip injury. The Magic are 1-8 when he is out of the lineup. . Miami F Udonis Haslem returned after missing one game with a shoulder injury. Haslem had 2 points and 6 rebounds. . Wade, a 78 percent free throw shooter, missed his first four attempts. Wade was just 3 of 10 from the line for the game.

 

[fastbreak]

Blazers overcome Anthony's 45, spoil Amare's debut



NEW YORK (AP) Amare Stoudemire stood up from the bench and the fans rose with him, a booming ovation filling Madison Square Garden as Stoudemire walked to the scorer's table to enter a game for the first time this season.

The cheers turned to boos just a few minutes later when the Knicks couldn't stop the Portland Trail Blazers.

The Trail Blazers overcame Carmelo Anthony's season high-tying 45 points and spoiled Stoudemire's season debut, beating New York 105-100 on Tuesday night.

Stoudemire finished with six points on 3-of-8 shooting and one rebound in 17 minutes off the bench in his return from knee surgery. He said he nearly shed a tear with the loud appreciation the fans showed him when he checked in, but he couldn't give them anything to keep the cheers going in the first half.

"I felt good,'' Stoudemire said. "The game felt like it was going 100 mph that first half. Had a couple of easy-looking shots, open shots, just a little bit rusty, wasn't able to knock those down. But the second half was better than my first half. Hopefully my second game will be better than my first game.''

Nicolas Batum scored 26 points, rookie Damian Lillard had 21 points, six assists and five rebounds, and LaMarcus Aldridge had 19 points and 14 rebounds for Portland, which avenged a 121-79 loss here last March 14.

"When we came last year, that was the biggest loss of my career. Down 42, that was real embarrassing,'' Batum said. "The only thing on my mind when I came in was just put (down) the stat sheet from last year. That was my motivation for tonight.''

Anthony shot 14 of 24 and nearly led the Knicks back from 19 points down after missing two games with a knee injury, but the Trail Blazers had too many options.

J.J. Hickson scored all of his 18 points in the first half as Portland won for the third time in four games.

"This was big time for us. I think we're gaining confidence every day,'' Lillard said. "Every day that we see ourselves on film, we see the improvements that we've been making and we're getting better. We're starting to trust each other more and we're jelling a lot better than we were and it's showing.''

Anthony had missed the previous two games with a hyperextended left knee. The Knicks are still without point guard Raymond Felton because of a broken pinky finger and struggled to get their offense going until too late, losing for the third time in four games.

J.R. Smith had 28 points and 11 rebounds for the Knicks, but Jason Kidd was scoreless and missed all five shots in 33 minutes.

Stoudemire had surgery on Oct. 31 to clean up tissue in his left knee and decided to play after going through a couple of practices this week, though adding he wasn't yet 100 percent. The former All-Star who has battled injuries in recent years was clearly rusty but showed he can still finish at the rim when set up properly.

Coach Mike Woodson wouldn't say how long Stoudemire would remain a reserve. Stoudemire and Anthony have struggled to play together and the Knicks have a losing record when both play, but Woodson has said the Knicks need both of them on the floor to have a shot at a championship.

"We got him some easy shots tonight. A little rusty but that was expected, he expected that tonight,'' Anthony said. "Then once he settled down, we got him in the right situations, got him in the right positions, he made some shots. That's going to take some time for him just rebuilding that confidence being back out there on the basketball court, but for the most part the ball's going to find him.''

Stoudemire was already done for the night when the Knicks made a late run, cutting an 11-point deficit with 3:16 remaining to 100-97 on Anthony's 3-pointer with 57 seconds left. Lillard answered with a 3-pointer, but the Knicks got it right back down to three again when Anthony converted a three-point play with 29 seconds to go.

The Knicks forced a jump ball and Smith won it, but Anthony missed a 3-pointer. Wesley Matthews, back after missing four straight games with an injured left hip, made two free throws with 13 seconds left to close the scoring.

Stoudemire checked in with 3:31 remaining in the first quarter to the ovation he said was unlike he'd ever experienced in his career. The Knicks went right to him in the post, but he stepped on the baseline while making his move.

The cheers turned to boos, not heard often this season during the Knicks' 12-2 start at home, just a few minutes later.

Portland used an 11-0 run in the second quarter to extend a seven-point lead to 43-25 on Mathews' basket with 7:20 remaining. The lead was 19 when Stoudemire returned with 5:36 left and the Knicks scored seven straight points, but the Blazers regrouped and got it back to 18 after consecutive baskets by Hickson before Stoudemire sat down again.

It was 58-47 at halftime after Anthony banked in a 3-pointer on a broken play with 0.1 seconds left.

The Knicks looked better offensively when Stoudemire returned with 5:06 left in the third quarter and Portland leading by six. He got his first basket when Anthony found him inside with 3:11 left, and he showed his old explosive finishing ability with a dunk later in the period, but the Knicks couldn't close much of the gap because of their poor defense on Batum. The Frenchman scored 13 points and made three 3-pointers in the quarter, giving the Blazers a 78-71 advantage.

Notes: The Knicks fell to 16-7 overall and 13-3 at home on New Year's Day. The record by an opponent for points against the Knicks on Jan. 1 is held by Woodson, who scored 36 for the Clippers in 1988. ... The Blazers' blowout loss here last March came hours after Mike D'Antoni resigned and Woodson became the interim coach. Blazers coach Nate McMillan was fired the next day.