The 2012-13 Basketball Season Is Here

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Clippers stop Bucks' streak with 117-101 victory



LOS ANGELES (AP) Jamal Crawford didn't make it to the All-Star game. If he had, the Clippers' sixth man had something planned similar to the move he pulled off in setting up Blake Griffin for one of the season's most buzz-worthy dunks.

Crawford and Griffin combined for their memorable moment in the fourth quarter of a 117-101 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night, the Clippers' 10th victory in 13 games.

Griffin's windmill dunk off Crawford's alley-oop pass came after the guard went streaking to the basket on a fast break, threw the ball up, caught it, passed it between his legs, and then threw it over his shoulder to Griffin.

"I got the best jumper in the world, so might as well get creative,'' said Crawford, who led the Clippers with 25 points despite tweaking his left ankle early in the game. "Blake just took it to a whole other level. We can push that for an ESPY (award).''

As the trailer, Griffin wasn't sure what Crawford had in mind, but figured he would throw it off the glass for Griffin to finish.

"He didn't even look back,'' Griffin said. "He threw it a little low and it was close to the rim. It was a spur of the moment thing. Sometimes he does some things that are unbelievable. Besides all the flash, he's been efficient for us.''

Griffin finished with 23 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists for his third career triple-double. Matt Barnes added 20 points, while Chris Paul had 14 points and nine assists to help the Pacific Division leaders improve to 24-7 at home.

"It's exciting, but at the same time, without my teammates hitting these shots it doesn't happen,'' Griffin said.

Monta Ellis scored 18 of his 22 points in the first half and Ersan Ilyasova added 20 points for the Bucks, whose four-game winning streak ended as they fell to 1-12 in Los Angeles against the Clippers since the 2000-01 season. Brandon Jennings hit five 3-pointers for 18 points and 12 assists.

"They made shots,'' Ellis said. "We couldn't make shots, they got rebounds, got out and ran and executed their offense.''

The Clippers opened the fourth quarter with a seven-point lead and quickly extended it to 108-91. Barnes sandwiched 3s around consecutive baskets by Eric Bledsoe, who also hit a 3.

Griffin and Crawford's play got the sellout crowd on its feet roaring heading into a timeout.

"They would rather see Blake dunk than me any time of the day so I just have to figure out the best way to get it to him,'' Crawford said.

Griffin's assists were a career high and helped him record his first triple-double since he had two late in the 2010-11 season. He secured the triple-double by grabbing a miss by J.J. Redick with about six minutes left in the game, and checked out to a standing ovation with 3:55 remaining.

"He's doing everything. He's finding people, he's making plays,'' Crawford said of Griffin. "He demands a lot of attention down there, so he's getting double-teamed and kicking out to our shooters. He's making the right play all of the time.''

Barnes made six 3s in helping the Clippers go 12 of 29 from long-range and complete a season sweep of the Bucks.

"We've been a team that's been able to hang around with other teams and then suddenly find something in the fourth quarter, but not tonight,'' Bucks coach Jim Boylan said.

The Clippers led by 15 points in the second quarter, thanks to a 16-2 run that included two 3s by Barnes and one by Chauncey Billups. Both teams shot better than 50 percent in the half, and the Clippers finished at 54 percent for the game.

NOTES: Bucks C Larry Sanders didn't record a block, ending a streak of 40 consecutive games in which he had at least one, the longest active run in the NBA. ... Green Bay QB Aaron Rodgers sat courtside next to Clippers owner Donald Sterling. ... The Bucks' streak began with wins at Dallas and Houston, and their previous two came in overtime.

 

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Bucks vs Clippers highlights

Blake Griffin has a triple double in Clippers win.

 

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Nuggets win seventh straight, rout Clippers 107-92



DENVER (AP) The Los Angeles Clippers managed to slow down the Denver Nuggets.

For a half.

"We still had momentum on our side, even though it wasn't with the fast tempo and the fast pace that we normally play at,'' Nuggets coach George Karl said after Denver raced to a 107-92 win over the surging Clippers on Thursday night.

The Nuggets rode 21 points from Ty Lawson and 20 from Danilo Gallinari to their 12th straight home win.

Seven Nuggets scored in double figures as Denver won its seventh straight overall and improved to 27-3 at home, tied with the Miami Heat for best in the NBA.

This win wasn't like all the others, though.

The Clippers kept them in check, heading into the locker room knotted at 49 at halftime, and the Nuggets were getting their points on mid-range jumpers and unlikely 3-pointers instead of the alley-oop dunks and fast-break layups they normally get.

In the end, their youth and fresh legs won out as they ran away with another win and snapped the Clippers' five-game road winning streak.

"They're a veteran deep team and we're a young deep team,'' Karl said. "At halftime I said, "Don't get crazy. This is the first team in a while that's kind of slowed us down and confused us. You're not as bad as you think.'

"And fortunately, the 3-ball bailed us out. I know the film will show us some things that we're probably going to have to work on, but in the same sense, we still get 107 points and I think by creating a lot of our offense off good defensive plays.''

The Clippers got 19 points from Matt Barnes and 17 from Blake Griffin, but L.A. was outscored by 10 in the third quarter and five more in the fourth.

"We just ran out of gas tonight,'' Barnes said.

The Nuggets won the season series 2-1, a tiebreaker that could come into play if Denver can catch the Clippers for the third seed in the Western Conference playoffs. Right now, the Nuggets are in fifth, behind Memphis.

"We're extremely dangerous, especially if we get home-court advantage,'' JaVale McGee said. "We're a great team. We work hard, we play hard. And the way we're playing right now, when we get to the playoffs, it's going to be amazing.''

Before tip-off, Karl was asked about facing one of his favorite players, Chauncey Billups, his former point guard who was dragged into the Carmelo Anthony trade a couple years ago.

"I hope he has a good game,'' Karl said, "and I hope we win.''

The Nuggets, who last won a dozen straight at home in 2005, got the best of Billups in his latest homecoming. He scored eight points.

Karl also said his goal was three-fold: to get fewer turnovers, keep Paul from going off and match the Clippers' 3-pointers.

Both teams had 11 turnovers, Denver outscored Los Angeles by a dozen points from long range and Paul had 16 points and 10 assists, one fewer than Lawson had.

"They made some shots. Obviously their penetration at times hurt but their 3-point shooting was the difference,'' Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro said of Denver's uncharacteristic 11 3-pointers.

"Yeah, our 3-point defense has been terrible and part of it tonight, we know how many points they score in transition and in the paint. But tonight, they were in transition some but all their 3s were wide open,'' Paul said. "It's not a great 3-point shooting team but tonight they were lights out and they were making free throws. They just beat us.''

Paul scored 10 straight points as the Clippers pulled to 88-80 early in the fourth quarter, but he was shut out over the final 9:44.

"Chris Paul had the stretch at the end of the third quarter, he was scaring me a little bit,'' Karl said. "And I thought he was going to try to take over the game, but fortunately, he never got back into rhythm.''

A bucket by Griffin, who was coming off his third career triple-double, gave the Clippers a 60-59 lead before the Nuggets scored 20 of the next 24 points.

The Clippers pulled to 85-75 heading into the fourth quarter but never got closer than eight as the Nuggets turned up the heat, outscoring them 13-2 on the fast break in the second half and stretching their lead to 18.

The Clippers sorely missed Jamal Crawford, who sat out with a sore left ankle that he injured in Wednesday night's 117-101 win over Milwaukee in which he scored 25 points.

Without him, they couldn't match the suddenly sharp-shooting Nuggets from long range.

"This team is traditionally known for scoring a lot of points in the paint but tonight they shot the ball well from the outside, as well,'' Barnes said. "We've got to pick our poison. It's tough they play to their crowd here and they bring a lot of energy and when you're down they step on your throat.''

NOTES: Lawson didn't have a single turnover. ... Griffin was held to just two rebounds, tying the low for his career set March 20, 2011, against Phoenix. This was also the first time in his career that he'd been held to two boards and zero blocks. ... With their 41st win, the Nuggets guaranteed Karl his 21st straight non-losing season, tied with Phil Jackson for the longest streak in NBA history.

 

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Thunder hold off Smith, Knicks as Anthony sits



NEW YORK (AP) The Kevin Durant-Carmelo Anthony duel was postponed, though J.R. Smith filled in nicely - for three quarters.

The Oklahoma City Thunder finally silenced the Knicks' streaky shooter in the fourth, hanging on to beat New York 95-94 on Thursday night when Smith missed a turnaround jumper just before the buzzer.

"We've been hurt on those game-winners a couple of times this year and we didn't want that to happen again,'' Durant said. "So we just had to lock in and get a stop.''

Durant scored 34 points, including two free throws with 1:38 left that put Oklahoma City in front for good. He also had eight rebounds and six assists.

Russell Westbrook struggled over the final three quarters but finished with 21 points, six rebounds and five assists, plus provided tough defense on Smith's last shot in the Thunder's first trip to New York since Dec. 22, 2010.

Kevin Martin had 16 points as Oklahoma City posted its third straight win, fighting off a spirited effort by a Knicks team missing Anthony. The All-Star forward missed his second straight game with what the Knicks said is a stiff and sore right knee.

"It was a great fight. I mean we put up a heck of a fight out there tonight,'' Knicks forward Amare Stoudemire said. "We played great defensively, offensively we were playing well, the ball was moving, so we can be happy with the way we played but still a little upset that we lost down the stretch.''

Smith scored a season-high 36 points but was just 2 of 9 from the field in the final period, 1 of 5 on 3-pointers. He said afterward he probably should've tried to drive on the last possession.

"My jumper was pretty much good all night except for the fourth quarter and just didn't go in,'' Smith said.

Neither team led by more than two points over the final 10 1/2 minutes. Durant scored 12 in the final period while Westbrook was shut out.

Smith missed a 3-pointer with 33 seconds left but the Knicks had a final chance after Durant was off on a jumper with about 9 seconds to go. Smith got the ball in about the same spot where he hit a winning jumper against Phoenix earlier this season, but his shot was long as the Knicks had their two game-winning streak snapped.

Anthony was hurt Monday in Cleveland, falling to the court without contact as he tried to catch a pass. Coach Mike Woodson said he is day to day and doesn't believe the injury is serious, but the Knicks said the same about Jeremy Lin last season and others in recent years, so their fans won't relax until they see Anthony back on the floor.

He surely would like that to be sometime before the Knicks visit Denver next Wednesday for his long-awaited first trip back since the Nuggets traded him in February 2011.

In the meantime, the Knicks showed again they've got enough guys to compete without him - but not enough to beat a top team like the Thunder.

Raymond Felton and Stoudemire each had 16 points for the Knicks, who were playing their fourth game in five nights against the rested and more athletic Thunder.

The Knicks were only 4 of 18 in the fourth quarter, making just 1 of 9 3-pointers.

"In the fourth quarter we just tried to come out and play lockdown defense, and I think that's what we did,'' Durant said.

Anthony's injury prevented a matchup between the NBA's top two scorers, his 28.2 points per game slightly behind the 28.6 Durant came in averaging as he tries to lead the league for the fourth straight season.

But it was still a loud crowd for the Thunder's first game here in more than two years, since they weren't scheduled for a game at Madison Square Garden in the lockout-shortened 2011-12 season.

"You missed it last year with the shortened season,'' said Oklahoma City coach Scott Brooks, who played for the Knicks in the 1996-97 season. "It's one of those things, especially for myself because I like coming here and seeing all the excitement, and that was one of the disappointing things of looking at least season's schedule. We didn't have a stop here in New York City.''

He said it would be exciting and he was right, mostly because of Smith's big night.

The reserve guard shoots often even when he's not doing it accurately, and just Sunday he threw up 14 3-point shots against Miami while making just three. But the Knicks needed him to keep shooting without Anthony, and he was locked in during the middle two quarters.

"He was making some tough shots. He's one of the guys in this league that you can guard well and he can make a tough shot. He was in a zone,'' Brooks said.

The Thunder scored 16 straight points, going ahead by 10 en route to a 35-26 lead behind 15 first-quarter points from Westbrook. The Knicks fought back to tie it at 48 on a basket by Kenyon Martin, on his second 10-day contract and getting his first extended playing time since signing late last month. Smith scored 18 in the second period, but the Thunder regrouped to take a 59-56 lead to the locker room.

The Knicks surged into the lead with nine straight points, highlighted by Stoudemire's dunk over Serge Ibaka, and went ahead 75-69 with 2:07 left in the third. Smith made sure they kept that margin going to the fourth, hitting two 3-pointers in the final 34 seconds to make it 81-75.

NOTES: Oklahoma City G Ronnie Brewer didn't play. Brewer was a starter for the Knicks to begin the season, but eventually lost his place in the rotation entirely after a lengthy slump and was dealt to the Thunder for a second-round pick at the trade deadline. ... The Knicks wore jerseys saying "Nueva York'' as part of the NBA's Latin Nights series.

 

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Jazz stop slide with 103-90 victory over Pistons



SALT LAKE CITY (AP) Mo Williams is working his way back into playing shape after missing much of the season with a thumb injury.

He was feeling pretty good on Monday night.

Williams scored 20 points, Al Jefferson had 16 and the Utah Jazz snapped a four-game losing streak with a 103-90 victory over the Detroit Pistons.

Williams had surgery on his right thumb on Jan. 3 and missed 32 games before he returned Wednesday against Cleveland. He went 9 for 14 from the field and had six assists against the Pistons in by far his best game since the operation.

"I don't know how long it will be before I get fully back,'' Williams said. "But this is a good game for me confidence-wise. You miss a lot of games like that and you want to get your confidence back. You want to be able to be aggressive but you don't want to be aggressive and hurt the team.''

Reserves Marvin Williams and Enes Kanter added 14 points apiece for the Jazz (33-31), who moved into a tie with the idle Los Angeles Lakers for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. Utah had dropped seven of eight overall.

Rodney Stuckey, Greg Monroe and Jonas Jerebko each had 15 points for the Pistons (23-43), who lost their sixth straight game.

The Jazz returned home after a winless four-game trip and got back on the right track by controlling the area around the basket. Utah outrebounded Detroit 47-30, and Derrick Favors had three of the Jazz's nine blocked shots.

"They really hurt us on the offensive glass,'' Monroe said. "That might have been the key to the game tonight.''

The Pistons closed to 84-79 on Will Bynum's two free throws with 7:01 left, but Mo Williams helped Utah hold on for the sorely needed victory.

Williams made a 3-pointer and a jumper to spark a decisive 12-3 run. He capped the surge with a driving layup that gave the Jazz a 100-85 lead with 2:00 left.

Detroit point guard Brandon Knight sprained his left ankle in the first quarter and did not return. His leg buckled after he was fouled by Jazz guard Randy Foye on a drive to the basket.

X-rays revealed no broken bones, but it sounds as if the Pistons could be without their floor leader for a while.

"The only thing I know is that it is not broke,'' coach Brian Hill said. "We will have to get more diagnosis than that, but it appears to be a very severe sprain right now.''

It's been a rough couple of days for Knight, who was on receiving end of a monster dunk by DeAndre Jordan in Detroit's 129-97 loss at the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday night.

Utah opened the second quarter with a 16-2 run to take a 36-21 lead. Kanter finished off the run by with an underhanded layup.

"We have good players and I never had the thought that they were about to come back on us,'' Kanter said. "Whenever the bench came in, we just did a really good job.''

Detroit rallied in the second half. Jose Calderon made a 3-pointer and a jumper as the Pistons put together a 9-2 surge that trimmed Utah's lead to 55-46 with 8:57 left.

Stuckey fed Monroe for a layup that got the Pistons within six heading to the final period, but the rally fizzled down the stretch.

The Pistons have now lost 14 times in their last 15 games against Utah.

"I thought our guys were really focused,'' Utah coach Tyrone Corbin said. "They understood the sense of urgency. Regardless of who we're playing, we have to get better as a team and we have to perform.''

NOTES: Utah forward Paul Millsap sat out with a bruised quad and patella. Favors replaced him in the starting lineup. ... Utah forward Jeremy Evans had a career-high five assists. ... Detroit is 0-12 on the road against Western Conference opponents. ... Monroe recorded his 30th double-double of the season.

 

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Warriors whip Knicks 92-63 behind Curry, Lee



OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) By the time Mark Jackson walked off the floor and into the Golden State Warriors' locker room late Monday night, the coach already had a text message from his mother, Marie, who watched her son's win against the Knicks on national television from the family's New York home.

"Way to get them back,'' she wrote.

From the Bay Area to the Big Apple, Jackson's new team sure sent a message.

Stephen Curry scored 26 points, David Lee had 21 and the Warriors routed the Knicks 92-63 on Monday night for their most lopsided win of the season.

It was the best defensive performance for the franchise since the Philadelphia Warriors beat the Milwaukee Hawks 69-63 on Dec. 28, 1953.

"That's a heck of a defensive night,'' Jackson said. "It takes a combination of great defense and, at times, bad offense. I wish we could take all the credit.''

Almost two weeks after his 54-point masterpiece at Madison Square Garden, Curry shared the spotlight with his co-captain in front of a sellout crowd announced at 19,596. He was 4 for 7 from 3-point range, while Lee finished with 10 rebounds and eight assists after helping the Warriors go ahead by 27 points in the third quarter.

"It didn't matter how we won. We just needed a win,'' Curry said after Golden State snapped a two-game skid. "This was an important win for us. I'm glad we got the win, especially with the way it ended last time in New York.''

Carmelo Anthony had 14 points and 10 rebounds after missing New York's previous three games because of a nagging right knee, and J.R. Smith scored nine points before he was ejected in the third quarter for a flagrant foul. Anthony was 4 for 15 from the floor as the Knicks shot 27 percent in the opener of a five-game West Coast trip.

It was the lowest scoring output for the Knicks this season. It also was the lowest shooting percentage of the season for any NBA team, according to the Warriors.

"This is definitely not the way you want to start a road trip,'' said Knicks center Tyson Chandler, who had four points and eight rebounds.

New York withstood Curry's career high in points in that memorable 109-105 win over the Warriors on Feb. 27. Curry received some help for the rematch - from a familiar Knicks face.

Lee served a one-game suspension during that game in New York for his role in a scrum against Indiana and also missed Saturday's loss against Milwaukee because of a bruised right knee. He wore a white wrap around the knee against his former team but showed no major limitations.

Curry made his first three 3-pointers and had 11 points in the first 6:14 of the game. He helped the Warriors take a 23-14 lead that incensed Knicks coach Mike Woodson.

"Our pace was way out in left field somewhere,'' Woodson said.

After scoring only four points in the first quarter of his 54-point performance, Curry appeared on his way to another big night. New York briefly began trapping Curry off pick-and-rolls, and everybody from Anthony to Chandler chased the diminutive guard all over the perimeter.

Curry still confused the Knicks more often than not, getting them to switch or go underneath screens for no apparent reason. He missed his last two shots in the quarter before coming on strong again in the second, hitting a pull-up 3 over Raymond Felton and finding Klay Thompson for another 3 during a 23-7 run that put the Warriors ahead 49-32.

Curry, Thompson (23 points) and Lee outscored New York by themselves. And Curry and Thompson had almost as many made field goals (nine apiece) as the Knicks had as a team (20).

"We just needed a win, period,'' Lee said. "Not because we'd lost two in a row, just because at this point, every game becomes really important.''

New York struggled in large part because its leading scorer did, too.

Anthony opened the game 2 of 10 from the floor and showed little of his usual burst or bruising style. He also took several contested or difficult jumpers, especially once the Warriors took control.

Anthony said his knee is not causing pain, just "irritation.''

"I didn't really know how it was going to respond,'' he said. "It was just nagging, just agitating at this point. The stiffness is still back there so it's just a matter of time and seeing what happens over time.''

With Curry commanding so much of the attention, Lee led the way in the third quarter. He had a putback layup and a fast-break dunk during a 17-3 spurt that put the game away.

Smith, who started the second half, capped Golden State's run with a flagrant-2 foul for coming down hard with two hands on Harrison Barnes' layup attempt, swiping the rookie's head. Barnes made 1 of 2 free throws, and Thompson hit another jumper that gave Golden State a 67-40 lead.

Smith protested the video review by lead official Joe Crawford, then jogged off the court as Warriors fans peppered him with jeers. A few minutes later, Woodson pulled Anthony out, though he returned for a few minutes midway through the fourth with New York down 20.

NOTES: Golden State's most lopsided win of the season was a 115-93 victory at Atlanta on Dec. 15. ... The Knicks announced that Amare Stoudemire had surgery on his right knee. He's expected to miss six weeks. ... Knicks reserve F Rasheed Wallace traveled with the team and will do his rehabilitation on the road. Wallace walked around the arena on crutches. Woodson said Wallace is still trying to return in the playoffs.

 

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Splitter helps Spurs beat Thunder 105-93



SAN ANTONIO (AP) The San Antonio Spurs rebounded from their worst loss of the season with a balanced performance against one of the NBA's best teams.

This was one satisfying victory.

Tiago Splitter had 21 points and 10 rebounds, and San Antonio snapped Oklahoma City's five-game winning streak with a 105-93 victory on Monday night.

"I think everybody played well,'' Splitter said. "I was one of them. You play well and you feel better. You want to play well against these kinds of teams, these playoff teams. Of course, we've got to stay humble. It's one more game.''

Kawhi Leonard scored 17 points, Danny Green had 16 and Tim Duncan finished with 13 as San Antonio (49-15) maintained the Western Conference's top record. Manu Ginobili had 12 points and Boris Diaw added 11 as the Spurs' reserves outscored their counterparts 34-16.

"We had a lot of great play from the bench,'' Duncan said. "That second squad came in there and kind of changed the tempo and took control of the game.''

Kevin Durant had 26 points and Russell Westbrook added 25 for the Thunder (47-17), who have lost six straight in San Antonio. Serge Ibaka was the only other player in double figures, adding 13 points and 16 rebounds.

San Antonio's defense was the difference, turning an evenly matched battle into its third victory in four games without Tony Parker. The All-Star point guard is going to miss another three weeks with a sprained left ankle.

"Normally teams don't push us out so we can't run our offense,'' Oklahoma City coach Scott Brooks said. "They did a good job of being physical with us. We're usually in attack mode and we're able to get better catches and better execution. That's something we can get better from. We've always done a great job of watching film and throwing it on the practice floor to improve on.''

The Spurs lost 136-106 to Portland on Friday night, with the Trail Blazers setting a record for most points by an opponent at the AT&T Center and handing the Spurs their second-worst home loss ever.

A couple days later, it was a much different story for San Antonio.

Oklahoma City had only two baskets in the opening 10 minutes of the fourth, but was 11 for 12 on free throws. The Thunder went 4 for 20 from the field in the final period.

"We just stuck with it,'' Duncan said. "It was great to see the tide turn and us turn up our aggressiveness on defense.''

Durant was 7 for 13 from the field, compared to 11 for 27 by Westbrook. Durant said the shot differential was a product of the flow of the game.

"I can do whatever I want on offense,'' he said. "I can come down and take 30 shots, but that is not the right brand of basketball for me. I was trying to make the right basketball play. The Spurs do such a great job of making me pass the ball. I was picking and choosing my shots. I trust my teammates.''

Asked about San Antonio's defense and the Spurs' run in the second half, Westbrook offered the same terse reply.

"They made some shots,'' he said.

San Antonio scored the first nine points of the fourth to take a 92-74 lead with 9 minutes left.

Oklahoma City played Sunday afternoon in a 91-79 home victory over the Boston Celtics, but still managed to outrebound the Spurs 15-4 in the opening quarter, including a 5-0 advantage on offensive rebounds.

"No team ends up being a really good team without playing good "D,' " Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "We played very poor defense in the first quarter. It looked like a continuation of the Portland game. But in the second quarter, we held them to 18 and we played a little more individual "D,' took a look more pride in it. And the team "D' was better. It's always about defense. If you don't play good defense, you're nothing in this league.''

San Antonio made its first five shots, with Duncan hitting a pair of jumpers over Kendrick Perkins to help the Spurs to a 10-4 lead with 9 minutes left in the first. The Spurs then proceeded to go 2 for 10, enabling the Thunder to rally.

Ibaka drove to the hole and threw in a floater off Oklahoma City's fifth offensive rebound for a 24-14 lead.

After missing their first four 3 pointers, Green hit back-to-back attempts and Leonard hit another to pull San Antonio to 42-40 and force an Oklahoma City timeout. The 3s were part of a 23-4 run that gave San Antonio a 57-46 lead with 41.4 seconds left in the first half.

The run included Leonard stripping Westbrook at the basket, driving the length of the court and throwing down a left-handed dunk as Ibaka began to close in on the right. The basket made it 53-46.

Leonard guarded Durant primarily, and the All-Star attempted only one 3-pointer.

"Just coming out, having confidence in myself to guard him,'' Leonard said. "You know he's going to score points, but just trying to contest him. Not make it easy for him out there; he knocked down a couple of tough shots in the first quarter, so I just kept trying to move on from there.''

NOTES: Splitter has eight double-doubles this season after collecting only three in his first two seasons. . Over the past four seasons, only the Spurs (210) have more victories than the Thunder (199). ... The Thunder, Spurs, Memphis Grizzlies and Los Angeles Clippers are the only Western Conference teams with a winning road record.

 

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Henderson lifts Bobcats over Celtics 100-74



CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) Paul Pierce rested while Gerald Henderson went to work.

Henderson scored a career-high 35 points and Charlotte Bobcats snapped a 10-game losing streak by pounding the lackluster Boston Celtics 100-74 on Tuesday night.

It was Charlotte's biggest margin of victory since beating the Miami Heat 104-65 on Jan. 20, 2010.

"I was just trying to be aggressive from the start and just attack,'' said Henderson, who was 11 of 19 from the field and knocked down all 12 of his foul shots.

Ben Gordon scored 17 points and new starting forward Josh McRoberts had his first double-double for Charlotte with 13 points and 10 rebounds.

When asked if the Bobcats took Doc Rivers' decision to rest Pierce as a slap in the face, Gordon simply shrugged his shoulders.

"Hopefully he rests when we play them again on Saturday'' in Boston, Gordon said. "Tell him to go get more rest.''

The Bobcats (14-50) doubled last season's win total.

The Celtics looked every bit like a team that has played nine of its last 11 games on the road.

Kevin Garnett needed nine points to pass Jerry West and move into 15th place on the NBA's career scoring list, but was held to just five on 2-of-10 shooting. Jeff Green and Jordan Crawford each had 14 points for the Celtics, who were outrebounded 48-29 by a Bobcats team not known for its prowess on the glass.

Henderson got off to a fast start, scoring 21 points to help Charlotte to a 49-46 halftime lead.

The fourth-year guard stayed with his biggest strength while playing against Courtney Lee and Jason Terry, driving to the hole and drawing contact. He was 8 of 13 from the field in the first half and made all five of his free-throw attempts.

Henderson also was able to create shots from the low post.

"We got into a groove in the first quarter and just kept it going,'' he said.

He continued his solid play in the third, knocking down a 3-pointer from the wing and then coming up with a huge effort play to give the Bobcats a double-digit lead. He drove the lane and got blocked, but corralled the rebound after put it back in while drawing a foul.

The Bobcats poured it on in the fourth quarter. Gordon threw an alley-oop pass to McRoberts, who slammed it home with his right hand to give Charlotte a 24-point lead with six minutes remaining.

"Gerald Henderson, I just thought he looked at whoever was guarding him and said, "I am better than you tonight,''' Rivers said. "And he proved that.''

Bobcats coach Mike Dunlap was simply happy to put another long losing streak behind him.

"Our guys can sleep soundly tonight,'' Dunlap said.

The Celtics probably should have been expecting more of a game from the Bobcats after losing in Charlotte earlier in the season.

But Rivers decided to sit the 35-year-old Pierce with Boston in the midst of a difficult part of the schedule. He pondered sitting Pierce, Garnett or Terry while on the flight to Charlotte from Oklahoma City.

He chose Pierce.

Rivers thought the loss was more about his team approaching the game with the wrong mentality than the absence of Pierce.

"They were so much more competitive than us the entire night and I thought it felt like we had a Band-Aid on a dam the first half and then it came off and blew us open,'' Rivers said.

Despite the loss, Rivers said giving Pierce the night off was the right thing to do.

"Yeah, definitely, otherwise he would have been a part of that,'' Rivers said. "What I was thinking was that I wish I would have given Kevin a night off too, in the middle of the game. That would have been terrific. Then we would have had two guys that had gotten some rest.''

NOTES: The Celtics and Bobcats play again Saturday night in Boston. ... Bobcats center Byron Mullens, who has been benched for McRoberts, played only 11 minutes before leaving with a strained back.

 

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Howard scores 39, leads Lakers past Magic 106-97



ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) Dwight Howard scored a season-high 39 points, had 16 rebounds and was sent to the free throw line 39 times by his former team as the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Orlando Magic, 106-97 on Tuesday night.

The victory came in Howard's first return to Orlando since his drama-filled offseason trade to the Lakers. He endured a chorus of boos throughout, and tied his own NBA record for free throw attempts.

The majority of them came as the Magic tried to employ an intentional foul strategy. It backfired, though, as the All-Star center hit on 16 of 20 attempts in the second half.

The victory was the Lakers' fourth straight.

Jameer Nelson led Orlando with 21 points. The Magic have lost three of their last four and haven't won back-to-back games since December.

After a week of back-and-forth in the media following some perceived negative comments made about his former team during a television interview, Howard and Nelson spoke briefly just after the final buzzer and shook hands.

It was a light moment in what was mostly a hostile atmosphere.

Homemade signs jeering Howard with sentiments that said everything from "Coward'' to "Kobe's Kid'' were sprinkled throughout the Amway Center stands.

Boos rained down on the All-Star center almost every time he touched the basketball. They were followed by louder cheers when he missed a free throw.

The intensity was also ramped up at times, too.

Howard got tangled up in a verbal back-and-forth with the Magic bench at one point during the first half, and Kobe Bryant left briefly in the first quarter, bleeding from his right eye after a collision.

The Lakers led 76-68 entering the final period and scored the first eight points of the quarter to push it out to a 16-point lead.

The Magic battled back and closed to 91-82 on a 3-pointer by E'Twaun Moore with 6 minutes to play in the game.

Howard made four straight at one point and the Lakers got their lead back up to 102-88 on a 3-pointer by Jodie Meeks with 2:25 left.

The Magic kept up the strategy, but Howard - who was shooting 47.8 percent before the game - hit his final eight attempts to help close out the victory.

Howard embraced the negative environment from the outset and was the main reason the Lakers had a 50-46 halftime lead.

He had 19 points and 10 rebounds in the opening 24 minutes, and would have had more if not for his 9-for-19 effort at the line.

Howard started just 2 for 9 from the foul line, prompting the Magic to try fouling him intentionally three times late in the second quarter. He had found his touch by then, though, hitting five of six on those occasions.

With the exception of Tobias Harris' 15-point first half, Orlando struggled offensively. The Magic had decent looks at the basket, but shot a paltry 37 percent (17 for 46) from the field.

They were also thin in the frontcourt for most of the half with center Nik Vucevic playing only 13 minutes because of two quick fouls. He went scoreless, with just two three rebounds.

Notes: Los Angeles now leads its all-time series with Orlando, 32-15....Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni said that injured F Pau Gasol (torn plantar fascia, right foot) is starting to run again and "feels pretty good.'' He said he will continue to be monitored to make sure there aren't setbacks, but that "it's close.''

 

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Rubio's triple-double lifts Wolves over Spurs



MINNEAPOLIS (AP) There hasn't been much to cheer about at Target Center while the Minnesota Timberwolves endure another long, painful march toward another draft lottery.

Wolves fans do have Ricky Rubio, though. And that was enough on Tuesday night.

Rubio had his first career triple-double with 21 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists, leading the Timberwolves to a 107-83 victory over the San Antonio Spurs.

"That's the first one of many to come,'' Wolves guard J.J. Barea said.

Rubio made 9 of 17 shots and grabbed his 10th board with 9:14 to play in the game, earning a standing ovation from the long-suffering Wolves fans. Alexey Shved broke out of a big slump to score 16 points and Barea had 17 for the Wolves, who hit 12 3-pointers.

"I just try to be aggressive all the time,'' Rubio said. "Stats are the last thing I try to watch. The victory is the most important thing.''

Stephen Jackson had 14 points and Danny Green 10 for the Spurs, who left Tim Duncan and Kawhi Leonard at home to rest after they throttled Oklahoma City on Monday night. San Antonio turned the ball over 17 times, leading to 30 points for Minnesota, and shot just 35.4 percent.

The team with the best record in the West lost to Portland by 30 on Friday and then was drilled by one of the worst teams in the conference on Tuesday night.

"We've got to get things together and go back to who we were,'' said Manu Ginobili, who had seven points on 2-for-10 shooting. "Because it's happening too often now.''

A season that started with high expectations quickly unraveled for the Wolves thanks to a bevy of injuries. They are 7-25 since Kevin Love broke his right hand for the second time on Jan. 8. One of the few bright spots during this awful stretch has been Rubio's gradual return from a torn knee ligament last March.

He's really turned it on over the last month, and he put an exclamation point on his return against the Spurs.

"He's playing with such a resolve just trying to get us over the hump,'' coach Rick Adelman said. "You see it. He's had that effort, but we had so many people step up tonight and it really made a big difference.''

Somehow, Minnesota managed to shirk several slumps that set in while the team was worn down from playing short-handed. They have been the worst shooting team in the league for most of the season, including just 29.3 percent from 3-point range entering the game. But they hit five of their first six shots from long distance and got a boost from the best game for Shved in weeks.

Shved shot better than 28 percent in just two of his previous 10 games, but was 5 for 6 in the first half to help the Wolves take a 15-point lead.

Rubio punctuated the night with a behind-the-back dribble and layup in the fourth, bringing Wolves fans to their feet.

"He alright,'' Jackson huffed. "You know, I mean, I'm into winning championships. I'm not into guys playing alright, averaging 30 and 20 on sorry teams. I'm into winning championships. He got some upside, I'll say that. But it's all about winning to me. It's not about what you do on your personal stats.''

The game was as notable for who wasn't playing as who was.

Duncan and Leonard stayed back in San Antonio for the second half of a back-to-back with what the team called sore left knees. But coach Gregg Popovich has been known to rest players, especially older veterans like Duncan on back-to-backs. Point guard Tony Parker is also out for another few weeks with a sprained left ankle, so the Spurs started Jackson, Matt Bonner and Cory Joseph in their places.

They'll get no sympathy from the Timberwolves, who have been playing with nine healthy players for the last two weeks. Love, Chase Budinger (knee), Andrei Kirilenko (calf), Nikola Pekovic (abdomen) and Brandon Roy (knees) all were unavailable.

"They played better than we did in a lot of ways,'' Popovich said. "Both defensively and offensively they played a very good game and kicked our butt.''

NOTES: The Wolves made just 7 of 18 free throws (38.9 percent). ... Nando De Colo was the only other Spur in double figures with 13 points. ... Luke Ridnour scored 14 points for Minnesota and Shved had seven assists.

 

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Heat win 27th straight, run away from Magic 108-94



ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) Late in the third quarter, the game was tied and the Miami Heat winning streak seemed to be in jeopardy.

Then LeBron James got mad.

And then the Orlando Magic had no chance.

James finished with 24 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds, throwing down a dunk to start a huge, swift run that decided everything and the Heat won their 27th straight game by topping the Magic 108-94 on Monday night.

"We are not taking this team for granted,'' James said. "I continue to always say that in professional sports, wins are hard to come by and teams like this are really rare. To be part of a team like this, we do not take it for granted.''

That dunk - which came one possession after James badly missed a layup and got frustrated - started what became a 20-2 run over merely a 4 1/2-minute portion of the third and fourth quarters, and it put the Heat in control for good.

He left one rebound shy of a triple-double, feigning disappointment. That's about all the Heat could complain about afterward.

Mario Chalmers scored 17, and Chris Bosh and Ray Allen each added 12 for Miami, giving Heat coach Erik Spoelstra his 250th win and bringing the reigning NBA champions within six games of matching the Lakers for the longest winning streak in league history, a 33-game run.

"We did enough late in the third quarter and in the fourth quarter to come away with this win,'' Spoelstra said. "That was some of our best in that fourth quarter on both ends of the court. ... Before that, it was a little bit of a sleepwalk.''

Jameer Nelson had 27 points and 12 assists for the Magic, who got 20 points from Tobias Harris. And Magic coach Jacque Vaughn didn't exactly seem to think after the game that Miami's winning streak will end anytime soon.

"I'm far from the expert on that. ... That's a very good ballclub led by a very good player,'' Vaughn said. "It's impressive what they're doing.''

The four-game road trip for Miami continues in Chicago on Wednesday, followed by a Friday matchup in New Orleans - which snapped Denver's 15-game winning streak on Monday night. Miami's trip ends Sunday in San Antonio.

It's now the second-longest winning streak in American major sports, behind only the Lakers' run. Baseball's New York Giants won 26 straight games in 1916, the New England Patriots took 21 consecutive NFL games in 2003 and 2004, and the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins won 17 consecutive times in 1993.

"When they got rolling, we had to try to stop them,'' said Orlando's Kyle O'Quinn. "But they got rolling too quick.''

Both teams were missing key components, Dwyane Wade for Miami and Nik Vucevic for Orlando.

Wade missed his second straight contest with a sore right knee, one that he said before the game had been bothering him periodically since March 9 and then flared up after a collision against Boston last week. He had an MRI exam over the weekend to rule out any major problems and plans to play at Chicago on Wednesday.

Vucevic sat his third straight game while dealing with a mild concussion. Vucevic averaged a staggering 22.5 points and 25 rebounds in two games against Miami earlier this season. Compounding the injury issues for Orlando was losing power forward Andrew Nicholson, the team's first player off the bench Monday, to a sprained left ankle just 1:52 after he checked in for what was the only time.

A 9-2 run early in the third gave Miami what was then its biggest lead, 64-53. Instead of deflating the Magic, it seemed to almost inspire the hosts, who answered with probably their best 5-minute stretch of the game, capped by a 3-pointer by Nelson with 3 minutes left that tied the game at 68-all.

And when James missed a layup at the other end, then got called for a foul after the rebound, Orlando may very well have been thinking that the streak could soon be snapped.

Nope.

"They're a great team,'' Magic rookie Maurice Harkless said. "They got a lot of different weapons out there. Obviously there's a reason why they've won so many games in a row. They just took it to another level at that point in the game. We couldn't punch back. They hit us and we couldn't find a way to hit back.''

Miami needed only 2 minutes to close the quarter with 10 unanswered points, with James doing either the orchestrating or performing. He got loose on a curl for a dunk to start the run, and the Heat took off.

Chris Andersen - the Heat are now 29-1 when he plays - got Miami the ball with a spectacular block against Harkless. James then cleared everyone out to drive on Harkless, score and get fouled for a three-point play.

That was part of a rough few moments for the rookie out of St. John's.

Harkless threw the ball into the sideline seats on Orlando's next possession, and James found Allen for a 3-pointer. Harkless had another turnover with 19.5 seconds left and then fouled James with 4.2 ticks remaining. James missed both shots, but got his own rebound, was fouled by Harris and made those two ensuing free throws for a 78-68 Miami lead.

"Any time LeBron gets a dunk, that excites everybody,'' Chalmers said. "Makes us play a little bit harder.''

The run didn't stop there. Allen started the fourth quarter with a 3-pointer, pushing Miami's edge to 81-68 as Orlando's Beno Udrih - who was 0 for 8 from the field at that point - lay writhing in pain under the basket after apparently being hit in the face.

It was injury to insult, at that point.

Norris Cole lobbed one off the glass to James for a dunk and an 83-70 lead, Allen made another 3-pointer on the next possession, James set up Andersen for an alley-oop dunk as half the arena roared in delight as the reigning champions pushed the margin to 18.

Game, over.

Streak, not over.

NOTES: There was practically a baseball All-Star team in attendance, with Ken Griffey Jr., Detroit slugger Prince Fielder and Yankees left-hander CC Sabathia all near one another opposite the Miami bench. Tigers stars Justin Verlander and Miguel Cabrera were also in the crowd, as was Masters champion Bubba Watson. ... Orlando comes to Miami on April 17 in the regular-season finale for both teams.

 

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Hornets snap Nuggets' 15-game win streak



NEW ORLEANS (AP) Even Brian Roberts couldn't believe the performance he delivered to help end Denver's 15-game winning streak.

Starting for only the second time, the rookie doubled his season high with 18 assists, Ryan Anderson scored 23 points and the short-handed New Orleans Hornets beat the Nuggets 110-86 on Monday night.

"It's crazy to fathom, having 18 assists,'' Roberts said. "Guys play years and don't have that many assists. Somebody pointed out I had more assists than they had as a team. For me to come out in my second start and do that is just a testament to my teammates making shots.''

And to Roberts' work ethic, too. He never had 10 assists in four years at the University of Dayton, where he was more of a scorer than a facilitator. Then he spent five years trying to make an NBA roster before hooking on with the Hornets last summer, re-working his game to become a pass-first player.

Eleven of those passes turned into assists in the first half alone against the Nuggets, who finished with four fewer assists than Roberts. He became the 20th rookie to have 18 assists or more and the first since Darren Collison did it for New Orleans in 2010.

"I've had to grind and just fight to be on the team just to make an opportunity for myself,'' Roberts said. "It's something I know I don't take for granted. But without my teammates making shots, it's not even a discussion.''

Anderson was 5 of 11 on 3-pointers, and the Hornets sank 14-of-25 3s overall. Darius Miller, starting in place of injured shooting guard Eric Gordon, was 4 of 5 behind the arc and had 16 points as seven Hornets scored in double figures.

New Orleans won its third in a row and was in control all the way. The Hornets led by nine at the end of the first quarter, by 21 at the half and by 18 entering the fourth.

Danilo Gallinari had 24 points for the Nuggets, who were without starting point guard Ty Lawson (right heel injury) for the third consecutive game. Denver lost for the first time since Feb. 22 against Washington after matching its 1969-70 ABA team's record of 15 straight victories.

"We played a bad game and they played a great game,'' said Nuggets point guard Andre Miller, who had nine points and six assists. "We were constantly taking the ball out of the basket and getting frustrated. Our game plan was to trap the ball, and their point guard found the open man. They outplayed us and outworked us at both ends.''

The Hornets answered every Nuggets run, the last of which closed the gap to 96-84 when Kenneth Faried hit a tough bank shot and was fouled with 6:07 left. New Orleans' Anthony Davis followed with two free throws, Darius Miller drained a face-up 3-pointer and Davis leaped high to jam in a rebound follow, extending the lead to 103-84.

The closest Denver came in the second half was 67-58 after a 16-4 spurt midway through the third quarter. But the Hornets' Roger Mason Jr. immediately hit back-to-back 3-pointers, and New Orleans was up by double digits the rest of the way.

This one was never close.

The Hornets went ahead 25-11 in the first quarter, getting back-to-back, wide-open 3-pointers from Anderson to cap the early run against the sluggish Nuggets. No one picked up Anderson, who led the NBA in 3-point baskets last season, when he shot from straightaway on the first one. Denver left him unguarded again as he made another 3 the next time down the court.

The Nuggets' winning streak was well on its way to ending.

"We didn't really talk about that too much,'' Roberts said. "We had a lot of stuff going on in here in this locker room, so we didn't want to worry about streak busting or anything like that. We just wanted to come out and play together.''

Denver missed Lawson, who had averaged 21.8 points in his last 18 games, much more than New Orleans missed starting point guard Greivis Vasquez or Gordon.

"He's important to us because he makes everyone else fit,'' Nuggets coach George Karl said. "These last three games we were thinking we are better than we are. It's human nature.''

Wilson Chandler returned for the Nuggets after missing two games with a left shoulder injury and finished with 11 points. Faried added 13 points.

Gordon, who is tied for the team lead with 16.5 points per game, sat out with a sore left ankle. Vasquez sat out with a sprained left ankle after starting the first 70 games.

Roberts, who added 13 points for his first double-double, and Miller, who was 6 of 7 from the floor, excelled in their absence.

"A lot of times this year we've let teams come back after we got ahead of them,'' Darius Miller said. "We didn't want to do that tonight. They went on a great run and had us on our heels a little bit, but we bounced back.''

Most of Miller's baskets came off of passes from Roberts.

"It doesn't happen if he (Roberts) doesn't work hard,'' Hornets coach Monty Williams said. "He works his tail off.''

NOTES: Nuggets reserve guard Julyan Stone left with a hyperextended right knee injury in the first half and did not return. . The Hornets started a big week of home games. They face the Los Angeles Clippers and former New Orleans point guard Chris Paul on Wednesday, and the Miami Heat on Friday. The Heat extended their winning streak to 27, beating Orlando on Monday. . A sign of the Nuggets' lack of aggressiveness: They picked up their first foul in the second quarter at the 3:49 mark and their first foul of the third quarter with 3:08 left.

 

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Curry returns, leads Warriors past Lakers, 109-103



OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) Stephen Curry shifted the focus from his troublesome right ankle by putting the Golden State Warriors on firm footing in the Western Conference playoff chase.

Curry had 25 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds on the sprained ankle, and the Warriors held off the Los Angeles Lakers 109-103 on Monday night.

"I've been through a lot with the ankle,'' Curry said. "This year has been a new feeling.''

Both in the Bay Area and in Southern California.

David Lee added 23 points and 12 rebounds, and Klay Thompson scored 22 points to propel the Warriors to a 25-point lead early in the third quarter in a matchup with huge playoff implications. Golden State (41-31) improved to a game ahead of idle Houston (39-31) and 4 1/2 games in front of the Lakers (36-35) for sixth place in the West.

"We are the better basketball team,'' Warriors coach Mark Jackson said. "They are in the rear view mirror and I have not checked it and I will not.''

Los Angeles' lead over Utah (35-36) for the final playoff spot is down to one game. The Jazz beat Philadelphia 107-91 in Salt Lake City earlier Monday night.

Kobe Bryant scored 36 points and Steve Nash had 21 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in an otherwise lackluster Lakers effort. Los Angeles has lost three straight games, and the latest was never even close.

"We just got to maintain our poise and just think about execution and what we're going to do,'' Bryant said. "You got to look at what teams are doing against us in terms of spreading us out and rolling the big, and now we collapse and we're releasing the shooters. This is about the third game in a row that that's happened to us. Not get overly emotional. Just look at what's going on and just make adjustments.''

Hasn't happened yet.

Questionable to play since spraining his twice surgically repaired ankle in Saturday's victory over Washington, Curry sat out the morning shootaround and often grimaced during a pregame workout at the arena. Jackson called Curry a "game-time decision,'' though Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni never doubted Curry would play - or play well.

Curry said his ankle would've been too sore to play on in the morning. He said it loosened up by the afternoon, and he felt no limitations on the court.

With the dynamic point guard leading the way, the Warriors received contributions from all over.

Thompson hit three of his six 3-pointers in the first quarter, and Curry made another one. Festus Ezeli added an alley-oop from Jarrett Jack and put back a miss to give Golden State a 28-14 lead.

The reserves kept the momentum going, with Jack outrunning everybody for a coast-to-coast layup and tossing in a floater to start the second quarter. He had 19 points.

The usual sprinkling of Lakers fans shouted chants of "M-V-P!'' when Bryant shot free throws. But they were drowned out by the Warriors fans who sold out Oracle Arena for the 25th straight game and screamed "Beat L.A.!'' at every chance.

The frustration for the Lakers finally started to show. First, Metta World Peace jawed at Lee, then awkwardly patted the All-Star forward's head once officials intervened. A few minutes later, Dwight Howard picked up a technical foul while exchanging words with Lee and an official after he was called for a foul on Lee's layup.

Both Lakers big men struggled on both ends. Howard had 11 points and 15 rebounds, and Pau Gasol was held to seven points and eight rebounds as he works his way back from a right foot injury.

"We're trying to get into the playoffs right now. That's more of a disappointment,'' D'Antoni said. "But we still have time to figure it out. Still have time to get into the playoffs, still have time to make an impact. But time is running out.''

The half ended when Lee dunked the ball with 1.9 seconds left, World Peace threw away an inbounds pass and Curry lobbed to Andrew Bogut for an alley-oop over Bryant, who just walked through the tunnel behind the basket and into the locker room as his team inbounded the ball. But not before taking one quick glance at the scoreboard: Warriors 63, Lakers 40.

"We made a statement in that first half,'' Jackson said.

World Peace stayed in the locker room in the second half because he "felt fluid'' in his left knee. The rest of his teammates had to endure a blowout loss, though not before Bryant added a few highlights, including spinning past Thompson along the baseline and finishing a reverse dunk over Lee that drew roars from each ban base.

Steve Blake's 3-pointer sliced Golden State's lead to 105-96 with 2:51 remaining in the fourth quarter. Bryant followed with a spinning jumper in the lane before Bogut cut down the middle past Howard for an uncontested layup that ended the little drama this game had.

Golden State clinched a non-losing season for the first time since finishing 48-34 in 2007-08, the year after making the playoffs for the last time. The Warriors hadn't had a better record than the Lakers this late in a season since 1993-94.

Now they'll likely be in front for good.

NOTES: Lakers reserve F Antawn Jamison played through pain in his sprained right wrist. He had five points in 14 minutes off the bench. .. The Lakers had won six straight against the Warriors, including the two previous games this season. ... The teams meet for the final time this season in Los Angeles on April 12.

 

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Smith, Anthony lead Knicks over Celtics, 100-85



BOSTON (AP) The New York Knicks are winning no matter who they play. Somehow, beating Boston feels special.

"Let's just be quite frank about them,'' Carmelo Anthony said after the Knicks cruised to a 100-85 win over the Celtics on Tuesday night. "We always want to beat Boston. New York in anything wants to beat Boston and when we do it's a great feeling.''

J.R. Smith came off the bench to score 32 points, Anthony added 29 and the Knicks extended their winning streak to five games while handing the Celtics their fifth straight loss.

The win moved the Knicks into second place in the Eastern Conference, percentage points ahead of the Indiana Pacers. The Celtics, who could face the Knicks in the first round of the playoffs, remained in seventh and dropped to 0-2 at home against New York despite being 24-9 there against the rest of the NBA.

"It's tough for a lot of teams to come here and win (but) we're playing for something,'' Knicks coach Mike Woodson said. "They're playing for something, too, and they're a little beat up, like we are. And I just thought tonight our defense set the tone early and it was a nice flow for 48 minutes.''

Neither team led by more than four points in the early going and the score was tied 35-35 early in the second quarter. The Knicks then scored the next 14, led 58-44 at halftime and stayed comfortably ahead the rest of the way, leading by as many as 17 points.

The Celtics, playing their second straight game without Kevin Garnett, were led by Jeff Green with 19 points and Paul Pierce with 16. But they committed 20 turnovers, while the Knicks, who average the fewest turnovers in the NBA, had just eight.

"We've got to get back to playing with more energy, forcing a lot of turnovers like we were three or four weeks ago,'' Pierce said, "turning the ball over less if we're going to give ourselves a chance.''

Garnett is expected to miss about two weeks with inflammation in his left ankle. Starting guard Courtney Lee also sat out his second game in a row with a sprained left ankle. Starters Rajon Rondo and Jared Sullinger already are sidelined for the season.

"Kevin's not playing. I don't worry about it,'' Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. "Overall, we were pretty bad tonight. Kevin had nothing to do with that.''

Smith disagrees, especially after driving to the hoop for several baskets.

"It feels like they didn't have any shot blockers,'' he said. "So (I) take it to the basket, draw fouls, find some teammates that get open and play from there.''

The Knicks were without two key big men. Tyson Chandler has a bulging disk and missed his seventh consecutive game, while Amare Stoudemire was sidelined for the 10th game following knee surgery that is expected to keep him out four more weeks.

Steve Novak began New York's 14-0 surge with a 3-pointer, Anthony hit a 19-foot jumper and Smith followed with a tip-in. Anthony then converted an alley-oop from Pablo Prigioni before Prigioni made a reverse layup and Novak ended the run with another 3.

Brandon Bass' layup with 7:47 left in the second quarter had tied it at 35, but the Celtics didn't score again until Jordan Crawford made a pair of free throws with 3:53 left in the half. Boston went without a field goal until Green's layup with 3:27 remaining made it 49-37.

The Celtics cut the lead to 69-62 on a layup by Pierce with 5:21 left in the third quarter, but the Knicks scored the next nine points to open a 78-62 lead.

Anthony began the spurt with two free throws, Jason Kidd scored his first points of the game on a 3-pointer, Kenyon Martin dunked on a follow-up and Anthony hit two more free throws.

"We credit everything we do to our defense,'' Smith said. "When we get out and run, no one can really run with us.''

Neither team shot well, with Boston making 44.9 percent of its attempts and New York hitting 43.3 percent. But the Knicks had 15 offensive rebounds, six by Anthony, compared to seven by the Celtics, and took 21 more shots.

"No one played well,'' Rivers said. "They just had a lot of extra shots to miss and they made a couple of them.''

The Knicks led 84-69 entering the fourth quarter and took their biggest lead, 91-74, on a 3-pointer by Novak.

"We allowed them to get easy layups,'' Green said. "We allowed them to get a good rhythm and that's when they started knocking down threes and it put us on our heels.''

And that led to another win in Boston for New York.

"A great road win for us, especially in this arena,'' Anthony said. "Knowing how hostile it can get here and knowing how well they play here at home in front of their fans, it just says a lot about our team.''

NOTES: Smith and Anthony combined for 34 of the Knicks' first 44 points. ... New York's reserves led Boston's 27-7 in the first half. Jason Terry was the only non-starter to score for Boston in the half. ... With Lee sidelined, Crawford made his first start for the Celtics in 17 games since being traded from the Washington Wizards and finished with 14 points. ... Boston is one away from its longest losing streak of the season. ... The teams meet again on Sunday in New York.

 

[fastbreak]

Nowitzki, Paul get 33, Mavs beat Clippers in OT



DALLAS (AP) The Dallas Mavericks finally have a win over one of the top four teams headed to the Western Conference playoffs - just in time for their own postseason push.

Dirk Nowitzki had a season-high 33 points, including the first eight for Dallas in overtime, and the Mavericks moved within a game of .500 for the first time since mid-December with a 109-102 victory against the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday night.

More importantly for the Mavericks, they're just a game behind the Los Angeles Lakers for the final playoff spot in the West with 11 games remaining. They've won nine of their past 12 and improved to 1-11 against the top four teams in the West.

"We've fought an uphill battle all season long,'' said Nowitzki, who also led Dallas with nine rebounds. "Honestly, we're playing the best basketball we have all season. So we gotta keep this momentum going.''

Chris Paul matched Nowitzki with 33 - also his season high - but the Clippers went more than 4 minutes without a field goal in overtime after Paul put them ahead 42 seconds into the extra period.

The game went to overtime after a wild final 5 seconds in regulation starting with a go-ahead layup by Paul. O.J. Mayo answered when he slipped the ball in from behind the backboard to tie the score at 97-all with 0.6 seconds left.

With coach Vinny Del Negro signaling for a timeout, the Clippers threw it in anyway. Blake Griffin caught the long pass in the lane and flipped the ball in the basket in one motion, but was called for an offensive foul for pushing Nowitzki while the pass was in the air. Dallas got the ball back but was 70 feet from the basket and couldn't get a shot off.

"Those are tough calls,'' said Del Negro, whose team lost the opener of a four-game road trip that makes three stops in Texas. "I have to look at it. That wasn't the difference. They made some tough shots and we weren't able to convert on a couple of plays down the stretch.''

Nowitzki put Dallas ahead for good at 101-100 on a jumper, and the Clippers missed their next seven shots. The only point over a stretch of 4:10 was a free throw by DeAndre Jordan, who had 11 rebounds.

Matt Barnes had a chance to tie it on a wide-open 3-pointer with Dallas leading 103-100 with 22 seconds left, but he shot an air ball.

"It was grit and guts,'' Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said. "It was like Russian roulette out there because when you go chasing Chris Paul around you leave a lot of guys open for shots. So, we gambled and won.''

A game-time decision because of a sore left knee, Paul was strong from start to finish. He had 10 points in the first quarter and scored the last 10 of regulation and the first two of overtime.

In the final minute of regulation, Vince Carter put Dallas ahead with two free throws before Paul answered quickly. After a turnover by Carter, Paul hit a tough layup on the baseline, setting up Mayo's tying bucket.

"I have to play better defense,'' Paul said. "I let (Mayo) get a layup. We have to make them beat us tougher than that.''

Griffin and Caron Butler had 14 apiece for Los Angeles, and DeAndre Jordan had 11 rebounds.

Mayo finished with 11, while Carter had 14, and Darren Collison 13. Dallas had six players in double figures.

The Mavericks led 90-89 when Paul fell after a jumper and Mike James was called for a technical after picking up his fifth foul for getting under Paul, who slightly turned his ankle on James' foot. Paul hit two of the three free throws, then had a jumper after a Dallas miss for a 93-90 lead.

Dallas got even at 93-93 when Mayo converted a three-point play after getting fouled by Paul on a jumper in the lane.

Lamar Odom was booed loudly when he entered and every time he touched the ball in his first trip to Dallas since a disastrous 2011-12 season with the Mavericks. He was so unhappy, they put him on the inactive list late in the year even though they were fighting for playoff survival. He averaged a career-worst 6.6 points for Dallas, but is setting a new low at 4.1 per game in his return to the Clippers, his first team.

Even when he wasn't playing, Odom kept showing up on the big video screens above the court, drawing more boos. He almost matched his season average with four points in the second quarter and finished with six points and six rebounds.

"I've played in really hostile environments all my life,'' Odom said. "You got to expect that. That's what we love about sports.''

NOTES: James led the Mavericks with 19 points in Sunday's win over Utah. It was the highest point total in more than four years for the 11-year veteran. ... Nowitzki passed Patrick Ewing for 17th on the all-time scoring list in the first quarter. Ewing had 24,815 points. ... Griffin got a technical foul during a time out with 7 seconds left in third quarter, and Collison made a free throw to break a 73-all tie entering the fourth. ... Jamal Crawford got a technical after hitting a shot early in the fourth quarter and complaining that no foul was called.

 

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Duncan's 34 leads Spurs past Clippers, 104-102



SAN ANTONIO (AP) San Antonio Spurs All-Star Tim Duncan is a man of little emotion and even fewer words.

The Los Angeles Clippers brought out a demonstrative side rarely seen from the 16-year veteran and it helped lead to their downfall.

Duncan had a season-high 34 points, including a game-winning three-point play with 2.2 seconds left, and San Antonio outlasted Los Angeles 104-102 on Friday night.

Sparked by a pair of hard fouls in the second quarter, Duncan was 12 for 19 from field and also had 11 rebounds in leading San Antonio (55-17) to its seventh straight home victory.

"There was a stretch where they put the whistle away,'' Duncan said. "It gave me a little energy to kind of play a little harder. I got some shots to go early and it just kind of snowballed from there.''

Tony Parker added 24 points and eight assists, and Tiago Splitter had 14 points for San Antonio.

The Spurs extended their lead in the Western Conference to 2 1/2 games over Oklahoma City, which lost 101-93 to Minnesota.

Blake Griffin scored 18 points, Jamal Crawford added 16 and Chris Paul had 14 for the Clippers (49-24), who remain fourth in the West. Caron Butler added 11 points and Willie Green had 10.

With San Antonio trailing 102-101 with 7 seconds remaining, Duncan was fouled by Willie Green on a 16-foot jumper. Duncan yelled after making the jumper, tugging at the front of his jersey and nearly walking to the opposite free throw line in celebration.

Duncan made the ensuing free throw to give San Antonio the final winning margin. He finished 10 for 10 on free throws and had three assists and two blocks.

"Well, you just look at his line and just be amazed that he's doing what he's doing,'' Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "But he's done the work to put himself in the position to have games like this and to have the season that he's had. You couldn't be more proud of the guy tonight on what he did out there.''

Paul missed a seven-foot jumper on the final possession that would have won the game, but Duncan's jumper bothered him more.

"He traveled,'' Paul said. "I can say that, right? He traveled. I just looked at the film. He traveled. He made an unbelievable shot, though. We have to do better. I'm not trying to take anything away from him. It was an unbelievable big-time shot. That's why he's one of the best power forwards to ever play the game. But, he traveled.''

The Clippers set up the tense finale by erasing a seven-point deficit in the final six minutes.

Crawford's 3 tied the game at 99. Griffin blocked a short jumper by Splitter, resulting in a three-foot floater by Paul with 35.2 seconds left for a 101-99 lead.

Duncan's layup tied the game at 101 off an assist from Parker, who was momentarily dazed when he was struck in the neck by DeAndre Jordan's knee as he released the ball.

Parker was then charged with a dead ball foul when he grabbed Paul's jersey prior to the inbound play. Paul made the free throw to give the Clippers a 102-101 lead to set up Duncan's shot.

Los Angeles failed to get a shot off on the ensuing possession when Boris Diaw stripped Paul on a drive and Griffin was forced to toss up a five-foot jumper that failed to draw iron.

"The biggest play of the game was probably when we were up one, I had the ball and I didn't even get a shot attempt up,'' Paul said. "That's terrible. You can't do that. You're up one; you have to at least get a shot up on the rim. If I make that shot, now it's a three-point game.''

Duncan then made the game-winning shot.

"We've got to do a better job as a team making it harder, especially when he's got it going like that,'' Griffin said of Duncan.

The emotion for that game-winner was sparked midway through the second quarter when Duncan received a two-handed push from Ryan Hollins as he drove to the basket for a one-handed dunk. The Spurs' All-Star forward hung on the rim briefly to steady himself, but no flagrant was called as the fans howled in protest.

"It was very physical,'' Duncan said, "especially against them. They're athletic. They're big. They're strong. They're very competitive.''

No foul was called when Duncan tumbled to the floor on San Antonio's ensuing possession after three defenders charged at him. Popovich ran down the sideline grabbing his arm and yelling for a foul as Los Angeles sprinted up the court on the turnover, resulting in a technical. Duncan also protested the non-call, but was not whistled.

"If he did (get a technical), I deserved it,'' Duncan said. "I wasn't going to argue that.''

The action sparked Duncan, who scored San Antonio's next 10 points to tie the game at 57 with 1:35 left in the first half.

"We'll probably see them down the way (in the playoffs),'' Griffin said. "We can learn from this. We'll see what we did well and we'll see what we didn't do well. Hopefully we'll learn from those mistakes. We'll just try to take that and make it something positive.''

NOTES: Spurs G Manu Ginobili left midway through the first quarter with tightness in his right hamstring after tumbling out of bounds on a drive. Ginobili had two points on a pair of free throws in 3 minutes before departing. . Clippers G Chauncey Billups (strained right groin) missed his third straight game. He has missed 52 overall, including 35 with tendinitis in his left foot. Los Angeles is 35-17 without him. . Jordan smiled at Popovich before entering the game with 1 minute left in the first half, apparently knowing what the Spurs' coach had planned. Jordan was fouled as soon as he entered, making 1 of 2 free throws. . Video highlighting Vinny Del Negro's career with the Spurs was booed by the home crowd. The Los Angeles Clippers coach played six seasons in San Antonio beginning in 1992.

 

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Pierce's triple-double lifts Celtics past Hawks



BOSTON (AP) The Boston Celtics, who have already had their share of key injuries, had a quick scare seconds into the second half when Paul Pierce fell to the floor hard and was down for a bit before limping to the bench.

After a timeout, the 35-year old captain shook off the slight injury to his left leg, headed back onto the court and went back to work on his third triple-double of the season.

Pierce had 20 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds, and Jeff Green scored 27 points to carry the Celtics to a 118-107 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night.

Pierce was just glad others stepped up, too.

"Well, we need it,'' he said. "It has to come from everybody. Like I said, due to the injuries, guys are getting opportunities.''

Boston coach Doc Rivers knew Pierce was upset over a seven-turnover night in a victory at Cleveland on Wednesday.

"He's just so smart. He's never in a rush,'' Rivers said. "We just told him to, "Be an aggressive scorer. Your instincts will have you pass.'''

Jason Terry was 5 of 7 on 3-pointers and finished with 24 points for Boston, which won its second straight following a five-game losing streak. Brandon Bass scored 13 and Shavlik Randolph grabbed a career-best 13 rebounds with nine points.

"Paul just gets everybody involved,'' guard Avery Bradley said. "I love playing with him. He just wants to win.''

Josh Smith led the Hawks with 18 points but shot just 7 of 23 from the floor and 0 for 6 in the second half. Mike Scott scored 19 and Jeff Teague added 17 points and seven assists.

"Paul Pierce is going to score on anybody. He's been doing it for a long time,'' Teague said. "Jason Terry and those guys making shots, they're tough to beat.''

The Celtics, who closed to 1 1/2 games behind the Hawks for the Eastern Conference's sixth playoff spot, won the season series 3-1.

The Hawks sliced an 11-point deficit to 100-94, but Bass nailed a baseline jumper and Terry followed with a 3 from the top of the key after a wild scramble for a loose ball that had it slip through the hands of at least four players. Green then nailed a jumper, making it 107-94 with 5:08 left.

The Hawks never threatened the rest of the way.

"That's kind of how the game went,'' Hawks coach Larry Drew said of the loose ball episode. "We had some breakdowns and we kept fighting, which was very encouraging.''

Boston, which led by 10 at halftime, pushed it to 83-68 on Green's 3-pointer from the right corner midway through the third and benefited from a poor shooting quarter by Atlanta's Smith.

The Celtics owned a 92-80 advantage after three. Smith was 0 for 6 from the field, missing five jumpers and came up short on a drive. He also got a technical. Pierce was close to a triple-double after three quarters, collecting 16 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds.

Terry hit consecutive 3s just 32 seconds apart midway into the second, triggering Boston's 25-8 run. He made four in the spree and Pierce added one, helping the Celtics to a 66-56 halftime edge.

Jordan Crawford hit a buzzer-beating 3 from directly in front of the Celtics' bench to give Boston a 32-30 edge after one. The lead flip flopped nine times in the opening quarter.

NOTES: Hawks F/C Al Horford missed the game due to an illness. ... Rivers said before the game that the timetable for F/C Kevin Garnett's return remained the same. "I think it's still two weeks,'' he said. "I don't think it'll be any longer than that. But if it's two and a half, I don't want to you to call me a liar or anything like that.'' Garnett missed his fourth straight with what the team called "left ankle inflammation.'' ... Boston G Courtney Lee returned after missing three games with a sprained left ankle. "I worked out (Thursday) and felt good,'' he said before the game. "Then at shootaround (Friday morning) I felt good and decided to give it a go.'' ... Hawks G John Jenkins left the game with a concussion and the first half and didn't return. ... Boston G Rajon Rondo, out for the season after right knee surgery, was on the bench. "We felt like we had our captain back,'' Bradley said. Rivers said Rondo has been doing most of his rehab work in Florida. "He told us today he was coming in, and it was good to have him back around,'' Rivers said.

 

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Knicks win 12th straight, 125-120 over Thunder



OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Driving to the basket in crunch time, Raymond Felton slipped to the floor and lost the basketball in the process. All he could do was lunge back at it and bat it toward J.R. Smith as the shot clock ticked closer to zero.

For the second straight possession, Smith beat the buzzer - this time with a 3-pointer - and the Knicks closed out a 125-120 victory against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday.

"He makes plays like that. He makes tough shots. Sometimes I think he likes to take the tougher shot than the easier shot. They still go in,'' said teammate Carmelo Anthony, who had 36 points and 12 rebounds while moving ahead of Kevin Durant to become the NBA's top scorer.

"That shot, it was a nail in the coffin.''

Smith finished with 22 points, including the two biggest shots of the game. He connected on a 23-foot jumper from the right wing as the 24-second clock expired to put New York up 117-113 with 1:30 to play, then swished a 3-pointer with 56.8 seconds left that all but sealed New York's 50th win of the season.

"It was just a freak accident, a great play,'' Felton said. "I slipped, knocked the ball to him and he did the rest. He knocked down the big shot.''

The victory was the Knicks' 12th in a row and put them at 50 wins for the first time in 13 years. They also moved 2 1/2 games ahead of Indiana for second place in the Eastern Conference and moved onto the doorstep of clinching the Atlantic Division title.

Russell Westbrook had 37 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists for Oklahoma City, which fell a game behind San Antonio for first place in the West with five games left.

The Thunder had gained control of the race for first by beating the Spurs but were unable to complete a three-game sweep of San Antonio, Indiana and New York in a less than 72-hour span.

"We're good. We've got five more games to go,'' said Durant, who scored 27. "We lost a tough one. This team, they shot the ball well tonight. They hit some tough shots all night. We forced them to shoot some tough ones and they hit them.

"You've got to tip your hat to them, but other than that, what's the need to panic for? We're good.''

Anthony's scoring average improved one-tenth of a point to 28.44, while Durant's stayed about the same at 28.35.

"I try not to think about that,'' Anthony said. "I just go out there and play ball.''

Anthony, playing at Oklahoma City for the first time since April 2010, added to one of the more colorful histories of any visiting player despite failing to extend his run of 40-point games to four. He tied Bernard King's Knicks record with three in a row, going for 50, 40 and 41 in his previous three games.

Anthony hit game-winners in the closing seconds of Denver's only two games at Oklahoma City in 2009, then was knocked unconscious in the third quarter before returning in the fourth as the Nuggets rallied to win the 2010 game.

He had missed his final chance with the Nuggets after his sister's death and then sat out last season's meeting because of wrist and ankle injuries.

This time, he came up with a season-high nine offensive rebounds as the Knicks amassed 23 points off of 19 offensive boards. Anthony's last three baskets came on tip-ins. He twice put back his own misses, then tipped in Smith's missed free throw in the final minute to help close it out.

"This is probably one of the biggest wins we've had in a long time,'' Anthony said. "Just for the simple fact that it's on the road, it's against a great Thunder team. We've been playing well. For us to come out here and keep our composure and win on the road and win here - this is a tough place to win.''

It was just the sixth home loss for the Thunder, who snapped a string of 21 straight games at Chesapeake Energy Arena that had been decided by double digits - 18 wins, three losses.

New York had a season high in scoring and the most points of any Thunder opponent this season, getting 16 from Felton, 15 from Tyson Chandler 14 from Jason Kidd and 13 from Chris Copeland.

"They're hot,'' Durant said. "Carmelo was hitting shots over Serge (Ibaka) with a hand in his face, he was meeting him at the rim. He was missing, but he was getting those tips, and they were hitting 3s. ... We were down two and J.R. Smith hit two tough jump shots in a row. I think our defense was good, as far as putting a hand up.''

Oklahoma City trailed by 12 early in the second half and 98-89 after Chandler's two-handed slam to start the fourth quarter before rallying back. Durant's jumper in the lane with 6:57 remaining put the Thunder up 105-104, but he did not score again.

Anthony's relentlessness on the boards paid off. He twice stretched one-point leads with tip-ins of his own misses before Smith finally provided a bigger cushion. On one of the offensive rebounds, Anthony chipped one of Chandler's teeth.

He attributed his strong play to being healthy again, after missing time this season with finger, ankle and knee injuries, and being motivated by the approaching playoffs.

"It's the end of the season, the last month. Everybody's fighting for spots. The playoffs are right around the corner,'' Anthony said. "This is the best basketball.''

NOTES: The Knicks' Kenyon Martin missed his second straight game with a sore left knee. ... New York's 65 points matched the most given up by the Thunder in the first half this season. Denver had 65 in a 114-104 win at Oklahoma City on March 19. Houston's 122 points were the previous high allowed by the Thunder. ... Chandler was called for a technical foul in the fourth quarter when Nick Collison knocked the ball into his face in the process of fouling him and Chandler followed through to knock Collison to the floor. Collison left about 6 minutes later with a bloody nose from another play, after Anthony's first tip-in.

 

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Clippers beat Lakers 109-95 to win division title



LOS ANGELES (AP) Chris Paul held up the red T-shirt reading "Can't Stop Los Angeles' for a quick postgame photo. He didn't put it on, and neither did his Clippers teammates.

There was no celebrating on court or in the locker room after they beat the Lakers 109-95 on Sunday to clinch the Clippers' first Pacific Division title in franchise history against a team that has long overshadowed them.

"It just feels like something we were supposed to do,'' said Paul, who had 24 points and 12 assists. "It means we're headed in the right direction. We're not satisfied. We understand this is something small compared to the big picture.''

Blake Griffin had 24 points and 12 rebounds as the playoff-bound Clippers swept the Lakers 4-0 for the first time since Donald Sterling bought the team in 1981.

The 1974-75 team, known as the Buffalo Braves, had the franchise's only other sweep of the Lakers.

Fans chanted, "Sweep! Sweep!'' in the closing seconds.

Sterling accepted a congratulatory handshake from a fan after the game.

"It's always good to sweep a team in your division, in the West,'' said Griffin, savoring the first division title of his young career. "I'm proud of how we won the game a little bit differently. We kept up a nice tempo the whole game.''

Jamal Crawford had 20 points off the bench, DeAndre Jordan had 13 rebounds and Caron Butler scored 14 points for the Clippers, who knew that even if they lost, they could have clinched later Sunday if Utah won at Golden State. Utah defeated the Warriors 97-90

"We didn't want to do it that way,'' Paul said. "We wanted to clinch on our own terms.''

Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro said, "You have to earn it and today we did.''

As the division winner, the Clippers are guaranteed a top-four seed but will only open the playoffs with home-court advantage if they finish the season with a better record than the team in fifth, which currently is Memphis.

"Hopefully, we're playing well at the right time going to the playoffs,'' Crawford said.

He chalked up winning the division title at home against the Lakers to "the basketball gods set it up that way.''

Dwight Howard scored 25 points, including 9 of 13 free throws, for the Lakers, who played without injured starters Steve Nash and Metta World Peace. Kobe Bryant added 25 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds, and Pau Gasol had 12 points and 13 rebounds as the Lakers' three-game winning streak ended.

Playing as the home team, the Clippers dealt their Staples Center co-tenant's playoff hopes a serious blow.

With the Jazz's win, they moved a half-game ahead of the ninth-place Lakers, who have five regular-season games left. The Jazz own the tiebreaker with the Lakers.

"We've got a bigger challenge than worrying about beating the Clippers in one game,'' Bryant said. "They obviously performed extremely well against us all four times. Our concern is playing well in order to get into the playoffs, get guys healthy, and go in there and see what we can do.''

The Lakers led by seven points to start the game before the Clippers took the lead for good. The Lakers owned a two-point edge in the paint, but Clippers had more second-chance and fast-break points. They also controlled the boards, 50-36.

"They made some pretty tough shots, and they had players come in and make some big baskets under duress,'' Bryant said. "They kind of kept us at bay and they would get some turnovers and get out in transition.''

The game featured three of the NBA's top-five dunkers in Griffin, Howard and Jordan. They all got some alley-oops in, although the Clippers' usual Lob City show didn't emerge in force until the fourth.

That's when Paul fed Griffin on a fast break late in the game and Griffin raced in for a one-handed jam. Paul stole the ball from Howard and sped up court before flipping it to Jordan for a monster slam. Griffin got the fans on their feet with under 2 minutes to go on a put-back slam that he followed with a 3-pointer to beat the shot clock.

"That's how we're supposed to play,'' Jordan said. "As long as we bring that type of energy from jump ball to the end of the game, we'll be OK.''

The Lakers closed within single digits once in the fourth on a three-point play by Earl Clark. Bryant had 12 points in the fourth, including six free throws.

The Clippers stretched a seven-point halftime lead to 14 points in the third on a 3-pointer by Butler after leading 56-49 at halftime.

NOTES: The Clippers need one more win for the most at home in franchise history. They also had 30 in 1974-75. ... The Clippers have won the season series against the Lakers twice in franchise history, including this season. ... Clippers G Chauncey Billups missed his fifth straight game with a strained right groin. ... Nash missed his third in a row with a strained right hamstring. ... World Peace is ahead of schedule in recovering from left knee surgery and could return sooner than the six weeks he was expected to be out. ... Rihanna, Billy Crystal and Regina King attended the game.

 

[Funds Transfer]

LA Lakers may miss the play-off spot?