The 2012-13 Basketball Season Is Here

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Portland gets 95-85 OT win over Rockets


HOUSTON (AP) -- The way LaMarcus Aldridge was playing on Saturday night, Damian Lillard knew the Rockets would focus on the Trail Blazers' star in overtime.

When the rookie started getting more open looks, he delivered.

Lillard scored 20 points, including eight in overtime, and the Trail Blazers slowed down James Harden in a 95-85 win over Houston.

"(Aldridge) had it rolling, he was dominating the game offensively, and I just wanted to make sure I was in the position to knock the shots down," Lillard said. "(Aldridge) got going and I was able to get easier shots."

Aldridge finished with 27 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and two blocks for the Trail Blazers. All but four of Lillard's points came in the second half. He also had nine assists and six rebounds.

Lillard and Nicolas Batum each made a 3 to help Portland open an 87-81 lead in the extra session. Harden then made a pair of free throws before Lillard converted a reverse layup. His second 3 of overtime pushed Portland's lead to 93-85 with 1:25 remaining.

"He made big shots for us, and that's what we need from him," Aldridge said of the first-round pick.

Harden led the Rockets with 24 points in his home debut, but he wasn't as dominant as he was in the first two games. He scored 37 and a career-high 45 points after he was acquired in a deal with Oklahoma City last week. The NBA's Sixth Man of the Year signed a five-year, $80 contract extension on Wednesday.

Batum had 17 points, Wesley Matthews scored 16 and J.J. Hickson added nine points and 12 rebounds for Portland.

Jeremy Lin had 13 points and seven assists in his home debut for the Rockets, who lost for the first time this season.

"It wasn't the prettiest game today and I think both sides struggled to hit shots," Lin said. "That's the way it goes sometimes."

The game was tied with 1:17 to go before Lin made a layup while being fouled by Hickson. He sunk the free throw to give Houston an 81-78 lead.

Matthews tied it again with a 3 with just under a minute left. He also guarded Harden most of the night.

"When you put up 45 the night before, it kind of wears you out," Matthews said. "We are friends, but when it's tipoff time there are no friends."

Houston had a chance to win it in regulation, but Portland knocked the ball out of Harden's hands seconds before the buzzer.

"It was good defense," he said. "I just lost the ball."

Portland led by five early in the fourth quarter before Marcus Morris hit consecutive 3-pointers to give Houston a 69-68 lead.

"We didn't get quality shots," Houston coach Kevin McHale said. "We got to get better at that."

Dozens of fake beards made to resemble Harden's trademark look dotted the sellout crowd of 18,140. The Rockets were selling them at the team store on Saturday night to take advantage of the excitement created by their newest acquisition. Houston's mascot Clutch even got in on the fun during a break in the third quarter and donned a fake beard, too.

Harden said he tweaked an ankle in the game and it slowed him a bit.

"But I don't like to make excuses," he said. "I had opportunities to make plays and to make shots and I just didn't."

Portland used a 12-4 run at the beginning of the second half to tie it at 49 as the Rockets struggled to find a rhythm in the third quarter.

Harden didn't score after halftime until he converted a three-point play with just over four minutes remaining in the third, giving Houston a 58-57 lead.

The Trail Blazers answered with seven straight points.

An alley-oop dunk by Morris got Houston rolling again and it trailed 64-63 entering the fourth quarter.

Harden grabbed a microphone and welcomed fans to the game before the national anthem, and got the team going by scoring Houston's first six points. He had 10 at the end of the first quarter to help the Rockets lead 19-17.

Houston opened the second quarter with a 10-0 run. The Trail Blazers' first points in the second came on a 3 by Matthews less than eight minutes before halftime.

That was the first of seven straight points for Portland before Lin got Houston going again by hitting a nifty one-handed layup and the foul shot.

The Rockets led 45-37 at halftime.

NOTES: Omer Asik, who had a career-high 19 rebounds on Friday, had 15 rebounds for Houston and Morris finished with 13 points. ... Chandler Parsons had 12 rebounds for the Rockets. ... Aldridge has scored at least 20 points in each of his last nine regular-season games against Houston.

 

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Nets beat Raptors 107-100 in Brooklyn debut


NEW YORK (AP) -- The chant was 55 years in the making, delayed a couple days by disaster, and delivered by a sold-out crowd that wasn't missing this party no matter what it took to get there.

"Brook-lyn! Brook-lyn!"

Those were the lyrics of a rocking return to major pro sports.

"That gave me jitters, man. Chills," guard Joe Johnson said. "I know that these fans want the best for this team. All they want from us is to work hard and give them a show."

Brook Lopez scored 27 points, Deron Williams added 19 points and nine assists, and the Nets beat the Toronto Raptors 107-100 on Saturday night in the first game at Barclays Center.

A crowd of 17,732 that included entertainers Jay-Z, a part-owner, and wife Beyonce chanted the borough's name a few times during the game and loudly at the end, celebrating the name on the front of the shirt much more than the back.

And with good reason. Brooklyn hasn't had a team to cheer since the Dodgers left for Los Angeles in 1957.

Nets coach Avery Johnson said there was so much that was special about the game, which came two nights after their scheduled opener that was postponed because travel around the city was wrecked by Superstorm Sandy.

"Let's just start with the fact that we're in Brooklyn now and it's a big difference," Johnson said. "You saw the crowd tonight, even under the circumstances. Not only did we have a sellout, they were into the game."

C.J. Watson finished with 15 points and Joe Johnson had 14 for the Nets, who needed a home as badly as Brooklyn needs a team, and Avery Johnson said it's close to a perfect match.

Kyle Lowry had 28 points, eight rebounds and eight assists for the Raptors, who fell to 0-2. DeMar DeRozan added 25 points.

"We've had two games in which we've been in the same situation, playing really well at times and then we fall behind. But we've fought hard against Indiana and the Brooklyn Nets , which are going to be two of the best teams in the Eastern Conference. That gives us a lot of confidence," guard Jose Calderon said.

The Nets pulled it out after Toronto got within two with 1:17 left, an uplifting end to a difficult week for the city and the franchise.

They were scheduled to open Thursday against the Knicks, but that was postponed at the request of Mayor Michael Bloomberg because travel to Barclays Center would have been difficult and perhaps dangerous with so much of the city's mass-transit system not operating.

The Nets, still practicing in East Rutherford, N.J. this season, were forced to move their midweek workouts to Barclays Center after their practice center was flooded and lost power. Some team members were forced into hotels, and Williams said his power was only restored Friday.

"It was good to finally be out here with the guys because we've been waiting since the last game of last season for this and just to have it pushed back, it was a little rough for us," Lopez said. "Like I said, there are some more important things, but we were definitely anxious these last few days."

The Manhattan hotel where the Raptors planned to stay lost power, so the team stayed in Brooklyn, instead.

The Nets lined up buses to run from Manhattan on Saturday, and fans got a boost when some subways began running from Manhattan. The storm's effects were evident at the Atlantic Avenue-Barclays Center transit complex - water damage on the floor, escalators shut off - but there was a huge crowd in the plaza outside the arena before the game and the building appeared mostly full long before a lively pregame ceremony.

Commissioner David Stern turned boos into cheers when he announced it was honor "welcome Brooklyn, USA to the NBA." Former Brooklyn Dodgers Ralph Branca, and Joe Pignatano, along with Gil Hodges, Jr., whose father was a star with the beloved Dodgers before they moved to Los Angeles, exchanged jerseys with some Nets players.

The Nets are completely rebranded after 35 years in New Jersey, with a new logo, black-and-white color scheme, and a new mascot called "BrooklyKnight" who was introduced.

Most importantly, they think they'll have a fan base. Never truly loved during while bouncing around multiple homes in Jersey after leaving Long Island, Branca said the Nets will find the same loyal fans in Brooklyn that backed the Dodgers.

The Nets believe they've built a playoff team after re-signing Williams, trading for Johnson and re-signing starters Lopez, Gerald Wallace and Kris Humphries. Russian owner Mikhail Prokhorov said the Nets have the "best arena in the NBA and a competitive team."

He said when he bought the team his goal was to win a title in five years. The billionaire bachelor joked that since he's two years into his ownership and said he'd get married if he didn't meet his deadline that he was "maybe the most devoted guy for the championship."

Williams made a jumper for the first Barclays basket, but Toronto shot 62.5 percent in the first quarter and led 35-27. The Nets outscored the Raptors 33-17 in the second, forcing eight turnovers, and led 60-52 at halftime.

"That was a big quarter, a stretch of mistakes there. One stretch that got us in the second quarter," Raptors coach Dwane Casey said. "Again, we fought our way back into position even with that bad quarter. We put ourselves in position to win. We got to close it out."

Williams put it away with four free throws in the final 20 seconds.

Reggie Evans had 13 rebounds in just 16 minutes off the Nets' bench.

Notes: Wallace hurt his left ankle trying to block a shot in the final minutes. X-rays were negative and the Nets said he was day to day. ... Nets reserve Josh Childress sat out with a sore left ankle and Avery Johnson said he doubted Childress would play Monday against Minnesota, either. ... The Nets evened the all-times series at 33-33.

 

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Heat vs Nuggets highlights:

Ray Allen with the 4 point play!!!

 

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Celtics vs Wizards highlights:

Celtics get their first win of the season.

 

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Lakers speak to Phil Jackson about return

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The Los Angeles Lakers spoke to 11-time NBA champion coach Phil Jackson on Saturday about returning for a third stint on their bench.

The Lakers confirmed on their website that Jackson discussed the job with owner Jim Buss and general manager Mitch Kupchak. They'll meet again early next week.

Los Angeles fired coach Mike Brown on Friday after a 1-4 start to a season of enormous expectations. Interim coach Bernie Bickerstaff led the Lakers to a blowout win over Golden State later that night, and the Lakers said Bickerstaff will coach the club in a home game against Sacramento on Sunday night.

Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard have voiced their interest in playing for Jackson, and the legendary coach's return to the 16-time champion franchise seems probable as long as Jackson decides he's up to another stint in the prestigious job with a team that won five titles and reached seven NBA finals in his 11 seasons on its bench.

"Knowing him the way I do, I think it's really just a matter of health, if he feels physically up to doing it," Bryant said Friday night. "He's a perfectionist. We all know he's a perfectionist. If he feels like he can come in here and give what he demands from himself, then I think he would be interested."

After several chants of "We want Phil!" broke out in the Staples Center crowd on Friday night, the Lakers had the day off Saturday.

Jackson walked away from the Lakers in 2011, eager to improve his health by avoiding the constant grind of NBA travel. The former Knicks forward spent nine seasons on the Chicago Bulls' bench, winning six titles with Michael Jordan before moving to the Lakers in 1999.

Jackson left the Lakers in 2004 after the club lost to Detroit in the NBA finals, but he returned for a second stint after Rudy Tomjanovich and Frank Hamblen led Los Angeles to a 34-48 record in his one-year absence. After a rough start to his second stint, the Lakers reached three NBA finals and won two titles after acquiring Pau Gasol.

They fell short of Jackson's fourth three-peat when they lost to eventual champion Dallas in the second round of the 2011 playoffs. Jackson followed through on his promise to leave the club, which didn't acknowledge his departure with a news conference or any ceremony.

"The one thing that's kind of always bothered me is that his last year, I wasn't able to give him my normal self because I was playing on one leg," said Bryant, who had knee problems throughout the season. "That's always kind of eaten away at me, that the last year of his career, I wasn't able to give him everything I had."

If Jackson isn't looking forward to travel, he could return at a good time. Los Angeles began a six-game homestand Friday night, and will host San Antonio on Tuesday night.

Bryant vocally backed Brown's work over the past two seasons, including his decision to install a new offense that didn't click immediately with Howard or Steve Nash. After reacting to Brown's firing with shock, the fifth-leading scorer in NBA history said he would welcome a reunion with the coach who created a nearly impossible act to follow in both Chicago and Los Angeles.

Bryant has stayed in contact with Jackson during the coach's retirement, even getting a couple of Jackson's famed book recommendations.

"A lot of it is Phil's fault," Bryant said of the struggles of the coach's successors. "He teaches guys to be thinkers. He teaches us the little nuances, the details and the intricacies of the game that just a lot of people don't know. It's no fault of their own. When it comes to basketball, he's genius-level. It's tough for anybody to step in those shoes afterward from players that were raised underneath that tutelage."

Mike D'Antoni and Nate McMillan also are thought to be candidates for the job if Jackson declines. Kupchak said the Lakers are likely to hire a veteran coach who isn't currently employed.

 

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Jefferson's 27 points lift Jazz over Suns 94-81


SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Al Jefferson was still feeling a bit queasy from a stomach ailment. He just didn't let it show on the court Saturday night.

A day after shooting 1 of 9, Jefferson looked like a new man, scoring a season-high 27 points and adding 14 rebounds in the Utah Jazz 's 94-81 victory over the Phoenix Suns .

Paul Millsap added 18 points and 13 rebounds for Utah, which built a 22-point lead, then went to its veterans after the Suns pulled within five late.

"We knew we had to close it out at the end," said Jefferson, who along with Millsap had six points, four rebounds and a steal in the fourth. "We're two of the three leaders on this team and one of our leaders (Mo Williams) was out. We just had to step up, and finish the game off. It was a big game before we hit the road, and the way we played last night, we had to have a special night."

The Jazz lost by 20 to Denver on Friday night. Phoenix, meanwhile, overcame a 26-point deficit to beat Cleveland.

The Suns looked as if they might pull off another huge comeback when Michael Beasley's follow dunk after a Jazz turnover cut Utah's lead to 79-74 with about five minutes remaining.

But Millsap ended a scoreless streak of nearly 6 minutes with a 19-footer to start a 7-0 run, capped by Marvin Williams' 3 pointer.

The Suns pulled within seven again, only to have Jefferson hit a 10-foot turnaround jump shot, then block Luis Scola at the other end.

Scola led the Suns with 21 points and Jared Dudley scored 16. Goran Dragic added 13 points and six assists.

"When you're down 22, it is very difficult," said Scola, who scored eight of his 21 points in the fourth. "We have had a bad quarter in pretty much every game we play. Sometimes we come back, sometimes we don't. It is very difficult. We need to fix it."

The Suns trailed 29-19 after one and by 16 in the second quarter, then were outscored 27-18 in the third when they shot just 27.3 percent.

Again Millsap and Jefferson did much of the damage.

Millsap scored on a driving layup, then sank a free throw on the next possession to give Utah a 20-point lead with 3:44 left in the third quarter.

Derrick Favors' dunk made it 77-55, and the Jazz took a 77-61 lead into the fourth.

The Jazz won despite missing starting point guard Mo Williams because of a strained adductor.

Jamaal Tinsley went scoreless starting in his place but handed out 14 assists for the Jazz, who are 3-0 at home.

"I thought he was great," Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin said of Tinsley, who had 10 assists in the first half. "I thought he got a little tired at the end and made some errant plays but for the most part he got us into the stuff we needed to get into. I just respect his professionalism."

Suns coach Alvin Gentry was more worried about Utah's bigs before the game, and with good reason.

Utah held a 52-37 edge in rebounds, 52-36 advantage on points in the paint and held the Suns to 36.8 percent shooting.

While Utah made eight of its first 13 shots, the Suns started 3 of 10.

"I don't think we were flat," Gentry said. "You have to get the ball in the basket ... Our defense was pretty good. During one stretch (we made) eight out of 10 stops and we didn't make up any ground because we didn't get the ball in the basket on the other end."

The Suns were down 22 points with 2:45 remaining in the third, but opened the fourth on a 9-2 run to pull within 79-70 on Sebastian Telfair's driving layup with 9:24 left. Dudley then stole the ball from Tinsley and dunked at the other end with 6:18 left to pull Phoenix within 79-72, and Beasley's follow made it a five-point game.

But Utah's size was too much to overcome. Jefferson and Millsap shot a combined 6 of 9 in the fourth quarter.

Gordon Hayward added 18 points for the Jazz but was just 6 of 17 shooting and committed four turnovers.

Jefferson was determined to put Friday night's disappointing effort behind him.

The Jazz got off to a fast start behind Jefferson, who opened 4 of 5. Jefferson had more points in the first four minutes Saturday (six) than he did in the loss to Denver on Friday (four). He finished 12 of 20, with a pair of blocks and assists.

He also got help from Utah's other bigs.

Favors' score after a behind-the-back dribble in the lane bumped Utah's lead to 22-11 with 4:20 left, and Enes Kanter's jam off an alley-oop pass from Tinsley gave Utah a 14-point lead.

Favors hit back-to-back shots to open the second quarter and Kanter's impressive move on Markieff Morris in the paint bumped Utah's lead to 35-19.

But after shooting 52 percent in the first, the Jazz went cold, hitting just 1 of 6 from 3-point range in the second and shooting 38 percent overall. Favors' aggressive shot-blocking also got him in foul trouble, as he picked up his third with 8:12 left before half after opening 3 of 4 with three blocks.

As they did Friday, the Suns chipped away.

"We were down 26 last night and ended up winning, but how many times can you do that?" Scola said. "We need to be more solid and play 48 minutes. If we play 48 minutes, we'll be OK."

Notes: Marcin Gortat was 0 of 6 for the Suns and finished with one point . ... Shannon Brown started 0 of 6 and finished 1 of 9 for 4 points after averaging 21.3 points and shooting 54 percent the previous three games. ... The last time Tinsley had 10 assists in a half was Nov. 21, 2007, when he was with Indiana. ... Scola recorded his first double-double of the season as he added 11 rebounds.

 

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Spurs hold off Blazers 112-109


PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- Gary Neal had 27 points, Manu Ginobili hit two big free throws in the final seconds and the San Antonio Spurs edged the Portland Trail Blazers 112-109 on Saturday night.

The Blazers hit four straight 3-pointers to tie it at 109 with 40.5 seconds left, but Portland stumbled from there and was saddled with its third consecutive loss. Nicolas Batum had a career-high 33 points.

Tim Duncan added 22 points and nine rebounds for the Spurs, who snapped a seven-game losing streak at the Rose Garden.

San Antonio played without Tony Parker because of a flu bug that has been making its way around the team. Patty Mills started in his place.

The Spurs trailed by as many as 14 points in the third quarter but opened the final period with a 14-0 run to go up 87-79.

Rookie Damian Lillard and Batum each hit a 3-pointer to trim Portland's deficit to 105-103 with 1:57 to go. Duncan dunked before Wesley Matthews made a 3-pointer to get the Blazers within one with 1:28 left.

Duncan made a layup, but Batum answered with another 3. Ginobili made a pair of foul shots with 12.9 seconds left to get the lead back to the Spurs, and Stephen Jackson went 1 for 2 at the line with 4.4 seconds to go.

Portland star LaMarcus Aldridge missed a desperation 3-pointer at the buzzer.

Parker and Duncan weren't feeling well but both played in San Antonio's 97-86 victory over Sacramento on Friday night. Jackson missed that game because of the virus, but returned to face the Blazers.

After playing only sparingly in San Antonio's first five games, Mills had 18 points in just over 21 minutes against the Kings. Mills spent two seasons in Portland, which selected him with the 55th overall pick of the 2009 draft.

The Blazers went up 17-10 midway through the opening quarter after Batum's 3-pointer.

Rookie Meyers Leonard's tip-in extended the lead to 26-16, but the Spurs answered with consecutive 3-pointers by Jackson, Ginobili and Neal. Ginobili then made a free throw to tie it at 26.

Lillard, the sixth overall pick in the June draft, took over at the start of the second quarter, scoring eight points in a 10-4 run that put Portland up 42-32. Lillard had a fast-break dunk off a steal and two 3-pointers.

Lillard finished the half with a pull-up jumper to give the Blazers a 52-43 lead at the break.

The Blazers got a scare in the second half when Matthews fell awkwardly under the basket. He was face down on the floor for a while before heading to the locker room. A short time later he returned to the bench, apparently unhurt.

The Spurs kept pressure on the Blazers, closing to 67-64 on Neal's pull-up jumper. Part of the problem for Portland was its reserves, who managed just four points.

Matthews' putback made it 79-71, but Ginobili answered with a quick 10-foot jumper and the Blazers carried a 79-73 lead into the final quarter.

NOTES: Some of the players, including Aldridge and San Antonio's Boris Diaw, sported special red, white and blue headbands to honor armed forces veterans.

 

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Robinson sparks Bulls to win over Timberwolves


CHICAGO (AP) -- With the Chicago Bulls missing star Derrick Rose and two starters going without a basket, the team's revamped bench came through just like the old version did so many times over the last couple of years.

Nate Robinson scored 18 points off the bench, and the Bulls beat Minnesota 87-80 on Saturday night, ending the Timberwolves' three-game winning streak.

Robinson played 31 minutes after starting point guard Kirk Hinrich left the game with a right hip strain in the second quarter. Robinson sparked an 11-point run, helping Chicago beat Minnesota for the sixth straight time.

"I just try to get my teammates involved and bring energy," Robinson said. "Hopefully I did that."

Joakim Noah added 17 points and seven rebounds, and Luol Deng chipped in with 16 points and seven rebounds, as the Bulls (4-2) bounced back from their second home loss in three outings.

"We've got to just keep fighting for as many wins as possible," Noah said. "It's always been like that."

Nikola Pekovic led the short-handed Timberwolves (4-2) with 18 points and eight rebounds. Andrei Kirilenko added 11 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists. Minnesota's three-game streak matched its season high from last season.

"We played good tonight," Pekovic said. "Right to the end. But we had some bad moments."

Hinrich went scoreless in 11 minutes before departing, and forward Carlos Boozer was limited to two points and failed to score a field goal in a game for the first time since Nov. 18, 2003.

"Right now, the ball is just not going in for (Boozer)," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. "He's gotten some good looks. It'll come around."

Yet, Chicago had plenty to win with, as coach Tom Thibodeau likes to say, getting 11 points from Marco Belinelli, nine during a spree of three 3-pointers early in the fourth quarter.

"That's part of my game," Belinelli said. "I think it was important tonight, for me and for the team."

Reserve Taj Gibson added eight points, eight rebounds and three blocks.

"I thought our bench was terrific," Thibodeau said. "I thought Marco was terrific. Taj was good. Nazr (Muhammed) was good."

Belinelli's 3-point burst helped the Bulls establish a nine-point lead early fourth, breaking open a tight game. Chicago hit 6 for 13 from behind the arc, its season high for makes. The Bulls entered the game last in the NBA in 3-point makes and attempts.

"We've got some guys who have shown throughout their career that they are good 3-point shooters," Thibodeau said. "We still have to get our timing down and get a flow to what we're doing."

The Bulls led by as many as 10 points down the stretch, going up by that margin when Deng hit a jumper from the corner with 3:53 remaining.

The Timberwolves closed within five points on Dante Cunningham's layup with 42.6 seconds to play, but the Bulls held on down the stretch.

Halfway through the fourth quarter, Minnesota's Chase Budinger left the floor with a twisted left knee and didn't return. After the game, the Timberwolves didn't seem too pleased with the Bulls' physical style of play.

"They were fouling (Budinger) and just pushed him," Minnesota guard Luke Ridnour said. "Gave him a little extra shove.

"That's how they play. Lot of pushing. Lot of fouling. You've just got to play through it. We did and we had a chance to win the game in the fourth quarter."

The severity of Budinger's injury was unknown, but his left leg was wrapped in ice after the game. The team said X-rays of Budinger's knee were negative and he will be re-evaluated on Sunday.

"They've got big people who are very active and they challenge you," Minnesota coach Rick Adelman said. "You've got to respond to it."

Robinson's seven points helped Chicago grab a six-point lead with an 11-point run midway through the second quarter. The run was capped by Noah's feed to Taj Gibson on the baseline for a two-handed dunk.

"I think our bench did a great job," Robinson said. "We come to practice ready to play and we've got our starting five's back."

The Bulls edged back in front with a 23-18 third quarter advantage, capped when rookie Marquis Teague drove the lane and scored with his left hand for his first career points. Teague, Chicago's first-round pick in June, hadn't appeared in a game since Nov. 2.

"It felt good, get a bucket in, just to help my team," Teague said. "I wasn't really overwhelmed. I felt like I was comfortable, ready to play."

It's unknown if Hinrich will miss time because of his injury as he will be re-evaluated on Sunday. However, Thibodeau said he's confident that Teague will be ready to pick up the slack.

"If he's in that locker room, he can play," Thibodeau said. "I've been very pleased with what he's done in practice."

NOTES: The Timberwolves had just 11 players available even before Budinger's injury. Ricky Rubio (left knee surgery) and Kevin Love (fractured right hand) have been out all season. Jose Barea missed his second straight game with a sprained left foot, while Brandon Roy missed his first game of the campaign with a sore right knee. ... Chicago held its opponent under 100 points for the 15th straight games. ... Saturday marked the 23rd anniversary of the first win in Minnesota history, a 125-118 overtime win over Philadelphia. Thibodeau was a Timberwolves assistant at the time in his first NBA season.

 

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Pierce, Garnett help Celtics rally past Bucks


MILWAUKEE (AP) -- Struggling from the field and in danger of losing for the second straight night, the Boston Celtics turned to their two veteran leaders to save them.

Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett each scored eight points in the fourth quarter to help the Celtics rally to beat the Milwaukee Bucks 96-92 on Saturday night.

Pierce led the Celtics with 25 points and Garnett added 18. Boston got even with the Bucks after Milwaukee knocked off the Celtics 99-88 in Boston on Nov. 2.

"It's a big win for us," Pierce said. "We haven't been playing well, but tonight we grinded it out. We were down double figures. Sometimes an early road trip can bring you together and maybe this is just what the doctor ordered."

The Celtics lost 106-100 at home to Philadelphia on Friday.

"We just have to keep getting better," Boston coach Doc Rivers said. "I believe in this team. We just have to play hard every night. It'll give us a chance to win games when we're not playing great."

The Celtics held Brandon Jennings to just four points on 1 of 10 shooting and Mike Dunleavy to two points on 1 of 4 shooting. Jennings scored 21 points and had 13 assists in the team's first meeting this season.

"Coach has talked the last three days about grinding it out," Celtics guard Jason Terry said. "Whatever it takes to get the job done. It's not going to be pretty. We know what we hang our hat on, and that's the defensive end."

Rajon Rondo had 10 points and 10 assists for the Celtics, giving him 30 straight games with 10 or more assists, the third-longest streak in NBA history. Magic Johnson has the longest streak at 46 games from April 1983 to February 1984.

Monta Ellis led the Bucks with 32 points, while Samuel Dalembert added 14 points and eight rebounds.

"They hit the shots when it mattered," Ellis said. "We fought hard the whole game, but in the end, they hit the shots they had to and we didn't."

Bucks forward Larry Sanders said he knew Boston would come out and play hard after losing Friday night. Sanders continued his strong early season play with 10 points and 12 rebounds, his fifth straight game with more than 10 points. He scored more than 10 points in three games all of last season.

"They are a tough team," he said. "We knew they struggled last night and were going to come out hungry tonight. They did and put ourselves in a position to win the game, but unfortunately it didn't go our way."

Boston, which struggled shooting the first three quarters, outscored the Bucks 10-4 to start the fourth and grab a 74-72 lead when Jeff Green scored on a driving layup with 6:10 remaining.

Pierce and Ellis then traded baskets, with Ellis drilling a 3-pointer from the top of the arc with 3:52 remaining to give Milwaukee an 82-81 lead.

Milwaukee cut the score to 91-90 when Marquis Daniels hit a short jumper with 25 seconds remaining. Jason Terry was fouled and hit one of two free throws with 22 seconds remaining to make the score 92-90.

Ersan Ilyasova lost the ball near the basket for the Bucks and it was grabbed by the Celtics. Pierce then hit one of two free throws with 4.9 seconds remaining to make the score 93-90.

Rondo fouled Jennings as soon as he got the inbound pass, but Jennings hit just one of two free throws to make the score 94-92 with 4.5 seconds remaining.

Rondo was fouled and hit one of two free throws to make the score 94-91. Ellis was then fouled and hit the first free throw. The Bucks were called for a lane violation as Ellis tried to miss the second free throw on purpose.

Notes: Jennings was in the lineup after being ejected with under a minute left in the Bucks' win over Washington on Friday. Jennings shoved Wizards guard Bradley Beal after a hard foul Beal made on Ellis ... Rivers changed his starting lineup, opening the game with Terry and Brandon Bass. It was Terry's first start of the season. The game was the first of four straight for Boston on the road. The Celtics next play Chicago on Monday.

 

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Harden leads Rockets to 96-82 win over Pistons


HOUSTON (AP) -- The Houston Rockets knew they needed to get back on track Saturday night after three straight losses.

When they learned they'd be without coach Kevin McHale against Detroit, they were even more determined to break the losing streak.

Harden scored 20 points, Omer Asik had 14 and the Rockets beat the winless Pistons 96-82 in their first game without McHale.

The team announced earlier Saturday that McHale was taking an immediate leave of absence to deal with a family matter.

Assistant coach Kelvin Sampson took over, and said before the game that he hoped the team would come together to win for McHale.

The Rockets did just that, using a third-quarter run to build a big lead and go on to their first victory at home. The Pistons fell to 0-7.

"It was good for us to come out here and get a win, especially for coach McHale and what he's going through," Harden said.

Jeremy Lin said it was a bit strange to play without McHale in charge of the team.

"It was definitely different," Lin said. "He's our leader. He's our voice. But coach Sampson did a good job coming in, and we played hard. Obviously we can't wait for coach McHale to come back. Everybody around here loves him to death."

Brandon Knight scored 16 points for Detroit and Greg Monroe added 12 points and 11 rebounds.

Detroit scored five quick points to get within four midway through the third quarter. The Rockets responded with an 11-2 spurt highlighted by six points from Harden to make it 69-56 with less than four minutes left in the period.

Harden was fouled on a layup he made after a nifty assist from Lin during that run. Harden slapped the padded part of the goal after the shot, and promptly knocked down the free throw for the three-point play.

Sampson, who was a longtime college coach before moving to the NBA, acknowledged that it felt odd to be working as a head coach again for the first time since 2008.

"I was nervous at first," he said. "I kept tonight in perspective. I kept thinking of Kevin and his family and what he's going through. That's something far more important than me coaching a game for the first time in (almost) five years."

Houston padded its lead by scoring the first eight points of the fourth quarter. Detroit couldn't do anything offensively in the fourth quarter and missed its first 10 shots.

The Pistons didn't score in the quarter until Knight's jump shot with six minutes remaining made it 80-59.

"There was no offensive energy out there at all," Detroit coach Lawrence Frank said. "We didn't even give ourselves a chance during that run. I don't make excuses why because I know we're capable of doing more."

Detroit's Tayshaun Prince, who scored 13 points, was unhappy with the team's performance.

"The way we are playing right now is unacceptable," he said. "Guys should be upset right now."

Houston came in averaging almost 20 turnovers a game but had a season-low 14 against Detroit.

This was the second meeting between these teams this season. Harden scored 37 points and had 12 assists in a 105-96 victory in his debut with the Rockets on Oct. 31 after a trade from Oklahoma City days earlier.

Marcus Morris added 12 points for Houston and Toney Douglas had 11. Lin helped out with seven points, eight assists and four rebounds.

Houston was up 72-57 entering the fourth quarter.

The Rockets were up by five at the end of the first quarter, and used a 14-7 run capped by a 3-pointer from Douglas to open the second quarter and extend the lead to 34-22.

Houston's lead was 15 points late in the second quarter before Detroit scored nine straight points to end the period and cut the Rockets' lead to 47-41 at halftime.

NOTES: Houston rookies Terrence Jones and Donatas Motiejunas made their NBA debuts on Saturday night. Jones had five points and two blocks and Motiejunas had three points . ... Houston's Chandler Parsons has made at least one 3-pointer in each game this season. ... There is no timetable for McHale's return.

 

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76ers win third straight, beat Raptors 93-83


TORONTO (AP) -- After leaning heavily on his starters in Friday's win at Boston, 76ers coach Doug Collins knew he would need a big effort from his bench to beat Toronto on Saturday night.

In a spectacular second quarter, the Sixers' reserves gave Collins all he asked for, and more.

Thaddeus Young, Jrue Holiday and Nick Young scored 16 points apiece and Philadelphia beat Toronto 93-83, its fifth victory in six meetings with the Raptors.

Holiday, Evan Turner and Thaddeus Young were all worn down after playing more than 40 minutes Friday. When they flagged, Nick Young, Spencer Hawes and Royal Ivey stepped in and delivered a much-needed dose of energy.

"Our first unit just didn't have any juice at all," Collins said. "Our second unit was fantastic and that was the difference in the game.

"That's what we're going to have to do, because we have 22 back-to-backs this year," he added.

Hawes had 12 points and 11 rebounds, Dorell Wright added 15 points and Philadelphia won its third straight, with all three victories coming on the road. It's the first time the 76ers have done that since February 2003.

"I'm thrilled, 3-0 road trip," Collins said.

After beating the Celtics 106-100 Friday, the Sixers knocked off another Atlantic Division opponent thanks to a huge second quarter that saw them turn a six-point deficit into a 19-point lead.

"We knew we had to come in and give (the starters) a little boost for that stretch from the end of the first through second quarter," Hawes said. "I think we did just that."

Andrea Bargnani led Toronto with 23 points, while DeMar DeRozan had 19. Jose Calderon had 14 points and 11 assists, but the Raptors lost their third straight.

Rookie Jonas Valanciunas had eight points and eight rebounds as Toronto was held to a season-low point total.

The Raptors used a 9-0 run in the first to take a 26-20 lead but the Sixers turned the tables in the second, getting 11 points from Nick Young and using a 12-0 run to outscore Toronto 32-7. Philadelphia led 52-33 at the half.

"We were just knocking down shots and playing hard defense," Nick Young said. "We brought all the energy we could and we just fed off it."

Toronto made just two of 20 field goal attempts in the second, while Philadelphia connected on 13 of 18.

"We lost our focus on both ends," DeRozan said. "We couldn't score, couldn't get stops."

The second-quarter meltdown was a new wrinkle for the 1-5 Raptors, who've been working to clean up slow starts.

"We play three quarters and kind of lose it in one, everything we've worked for," Calderon said. "We have to try and do better. We have to play for a full 48 (minutes) or we are not going to be able to beat good teams."

Bargnani scored eight points in the third as the Raptors closed the gap, and Amir Johnson's alley-oop at the buzzer cut it to 69-62 heading into the fourth.

DeRozan cut it to six with a free throw to start the final quarter, but back-to-back 3-pointers from Wright restored Philadelphia's double-digit lead, and ensured the Sixers' third straight victory in Toronto.

Calderon started at point guard for the Raptors in place of Kyle Lowry (right ankle), while Alan Anderson started for Landry Fields (right wrist). Anderson, however, sprained his left foot late in the third and had to be carried off. He did not return.

The 76ers played without center Kwame Brown (left calf) and guard Jason Richardson (left ankle).

NOTES: Evan Turner led the 76ers with 12 rebounds. ... Lowry, Toronto's leading scorer, left in the first half of Tuesday's loss at Oklahoma City and has not played since. Fields, who has been sore for several weeks, saw a hand specialist Friday and is scheduled to see another doctor next week. ... Linas Kleiza returned to Toronto's lineup after missing the past four games for personal reasons. ... The Raptors wore camouflage jerseys in honor of Sunday's Remembrance Day holiday. ... The 76ers are 4-0 when leading after three quarters. ... Philadelphia has won three straight in Toronto.

 

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George helps Pacers top lowly Wizards 89-85


INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Paul George altered his pregame routine Saturday to try to get back on track after a slow start. It didn't take very long to notice a difference.

George scored a season-high 20 points and the Pacers snapped a three-game losing streak with an 89-85 victory over the winless Washington Wizards .

"Guys seemed a little tired, but really gutted it out," Pacers coach Frank Vogel said. "We made some adjustments to our rotation to put our bench in a better position to succeed.

"We're in a figure things out kind of mode."

Roy Hibbert added seven points, 12 rebounds and two blocks for the Pacers (3-4), who enjoyed a 48-40 rebounding edge. Gerald Green had 15 points and Lance Stephenson scored 12 in his first start of the season.

George was 8 for 12 from the field and had seven rebounds and three assists. He said he changed his pregame routine after talking to the coaching staff, hitting the gym early for some additional weightlifting and extra shots.

"Been frustrated all season long," George said. "Shots not going down. . I had to switch something up.

"That's something that sticks out, when someone tells you you need to be more efficient."

Washington carried a 72-70 lead into the fourth quarter, and Jordan Crawford promptly made a 3-pointer to extend the lead to five. But the Pacers then grabbed control with a 10-0 run.

Emeka Okafor and Bradley Beal had 17 points apiece for the Wizards (0-5), and A.J. Price finished with 12 points and 14 assists.

"We're right there again," Wizards coach Randy Wittman said. "Just kind of the little things in games like this. . We didn't close out the second quarter. I think it was 47-40 and we have to come with a lead. We give them the last shot when we should have taken the last shot. We shoot too soon and they come down and hit a 3. There's three more points that they shouldn't have.

"We, from a stats standpoint, (didn't) take care of the ball. Twelve turnovers, six of them were in the fourth quarter. To win close games you can't have six turnovers in the fourth quarter."

Washington made one last run late in the game. Beal made a 3-pointer and Okafor had a jumper to trim the Pacers lead to 87-85 with 36.4 seconds left. Trevor Booker had a look at a tying jumper, but missed and George hit two free throws to close it out.

"One of our problems is that we turn the ball over too much," Beal said. "We're hesitant in our movement and our passes and a lot of other things.

"We have the parts we need, it's just putting it all together and having better overall execution."

Indiana shot just 58 percent (14 for 24) at the free-throw line, but Washington only attempted seven foul shots, making five.

The Wizards used a 9-0 run to grab a 47-40 lead with 3:32 left in the first half. Price made a 3-pointer and a jumper during the surge.

The Pacers rallied to leave it tied at 49 at halftime. George closed out the half with a 3.

NOTES: The Pacers are off Sunday and host the Raptors on Tuesday. ... Washington is at Charlotte on Tuesday. ... Washington's 85 points were a season-low for a Pacers opponent. ... Price set a career high for assists.

 

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Suns vs Jazz highlights:

Al Jefferson leads Jazz to victory.

 

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Bulls vs Timberwolves highlights:

Nate Robinson has 18 points to lead Bulls to victory.

 

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Lakers hire D'Antoni as new coach after discussions with Jackson


LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The Los Angeles Lakers hired Mike D'Antoni late Sunday night, signing the former coach of the Suns and Knicks to replace Mike Brown.

The Lakers and D'Antoni's agent, Warren LeGarie, confirmed the deal two days after the Lakers fired Brown five games into the season.

D'Antoni agreed to a three-year deal worth $12 million, with a team option for a fourth season.

D'Antoni got the high-profile job running the 16-time NBA champions only after the club's top brass extensively discussed the job with former Lakers coach Phil Jackson.

The 11-time NBA champion coach met with Lakers owners Jerry and Jim Buss and general manager Mitch Kupchak on Saturday to weigh a return for a third stint on Los Angeles' bench.

The Lakers instead went with D'Antoni, a respected offensive strategist who coached Lakers point guard Steve Nash in Phoenix during the best years of their respective careers. D'Antoni was less successful during four seasons in New York, but at least restored the once-moribund Knicks to competence before resigning last March.

"Dr. (Jerry) Buss, Jim Buss and Mitch Kupchak unanimously agreed that Mike was the best coach for this roster at this time," Lakers spokesman John Black said.

The 61-year-old D'Antoni underwent knee replacement surgery earlier this month, and could be physically limited early his tenure. Black said the Lakers aren't certain when D'Antoni will travel to Los Angeles to begin work.

Interim coach Bernie Bickerstaff will continue running the Lakers until D'Antoni arrives. Los Angeles beat Sacramento 103-90 on Sunday night, improving to 2-0 under Bickerstaff after a 1-4 start under Brown.

The Lakers' next game is Tuesday night against San Antonio at Staples Center.

After Brown's dismissal, Nash and Kobe Bryant both expressed enthusiasm about the prospect of playing for D'Antoni, although Bryant also campaigned eagerly for Jackson.

Bryant idolized D'Antoni while growing up in Italy, where D'Antoni was a star player for Olimpia Milano in the Italian pro league. D'Antoni also has been an assistant coach on various U.S. national teams featuring Bryant, including the gold medal-winning squad at the London Olympics.

Nash won two MVP awards while running D'Antoni's signature up-tempo offense for the final four seasons of the coach's five-year tenure with the Suns.

Nash and D'Antoni won at least 54 games each season and reached two Western Conference finals - and they eliminated Bryant's Lakers from the first round of the playoffs in 2006 and 2007, still the only first-round exits of Kobe's 17-year career.

D'Antoni then coached New York to just one playoff appearance and no postseason victories. He also coached the Denver Nuggets during the lockout-shortened 1998-99 season.

But his NBA accomplishments can't measure up to Jackson, who won five titles and reached seven NBA finals during two stints totaling 11 seasons with Los Angeles.

Jackson walked away from the club 18 months ago after a second-round playoff sweep by Dallas, and Brown led Los Angeles to a 41-25 mark followed by another second-round playoff defeat last summer.

The Lakers then traded for Nash and Dwight Howard, setting up a season of enormous expectations for Brown - but the Lakers struggled to learn his new, Princeton-influenced offense while playing mediocre defense.

After the Lakers stumbled out of the gate while Howard and Bryant missed preseason games to preserve their health, Nash incurred a small fracture in his leg during the Lakers' second regular-season game, keeping him out of the lineup for their past five games and for at least another week.

The Lakers have improved to 3-4 under Bickerstaff after following up their winless preseason with four losses in their first five regular-season games, the club's worst start since 1993.

Despite his reputation for offensive acumen, D'Antoni's NBA teams typically have played fairly solid defense, statistically speaking - and they never had the imposing Howard or defensive stopper Metta World Peace in their lineups.

Nash had his best NBA seasons as the versatile quarterback of the Suns' offense under D'Antoni, and point guard Jeremy Lin became a star on the Knicks last season while filling much the same role.

D'Antoni resigned late last season following a six-game losing streak, surprising many observers, and former assistant coach Mike Woodson led the Knicks to the playoffs.

Phoenix visits Staples Center on Friday.

 

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Westbrook's spree spurs Thunder past Cavs 106-91


OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- When Russell Westbrook banked in a buzzer-beater from just short of half-court, Kevin Durant called the shot 80 percent luck and only 20 percent skill.

Whatever the case, it was just what the Oklahoma City Thunder needed.

Westbrook banked in the circus shot during a rough-and-tumble 27-point outing, Durant added a season-high 26 points and the Thunder beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 106-91 on Sunday night for their fourth straight victory.

"He busted the game open for us," Durant said. "They had hit some shots and we had missed a lot going into the fourth, and that kind of broke their back a little bit."

Westbrook, a career 29-percent shooter from 3-point range, had made just 6 of 24 behind the arc to start the season and coach Scott Brooks suggested before the game that he needed to start making more if he was going to keep taking so many.

Westbrook may have temporarily extinguished that talk with a few well-timed connections, the first one coming as he ran along the sideline and banked in a desperation shot at the end of the third quarter.

The Cavs had closed a 13-point deficit down to three before he hit the buzzer-beater and then started the fourth quarter with two much more routine 3-pointers.

"The one at the end of the quarter kind of was a heave, but the other two were good passes from Eric (Maynor) and I just knocked them down," Westbrook said.

Cleveland coach Byron Scott said he had instructed his players to use the team's foul to give after Daniel Gibson's three free throws cut the deficit to 76-73 with 2.7 seconds left. They didn't, and Westbrook made the pivotal play of the game.

"We wanted to take the foul once they caught it and started dribbling up the court. (Gibson) said he just thought he was going to throw up a bad shot," Scott said. "I told him, `That's why we wanted you to foul him before he got to half court."'

Kyrie Irving led the Cavs with 20 points, Alonzo Gee chipped in 18 points and Gibson scored 16 off the bench.

Scott mixed up his bench rotation, going with Jon Leuer and Omri Casspi while holding out C.J. Miles. He wasn't terribly pleased with the results, although Cleveland held a 29-22 edge in bench scoring.

The Cavaliers were without first-round draft pick Tyler Zeller for a third straight game after he sustained a concussion and a broken cheekbone, but Scott said that's no reason for Gibson to be the only reserve performing well.

"We've just got to get somebody else on that second unit to step up. The opportunity's there," Scott said. "The opportunity's there. I'm just hoping one of these guys will just step up and take a chance and take hold of it.

"If not, we'll just keep trying to find different pieces to the puzzle."

Irving hit back-to-back 3-pointers after Oklahoma City had taken a 63-50 lead midway through the third quarter. His driving layups on consecutive possessions got Cleveland within 67-65 with 3:42 to go in the period.

The Thunder's Kendrick Perkins protected the lead by scoring inside on a basket interference call before Westbrook set up Durant's two-handed slam.

Even though Westbrook hadn't scored in the first 9 minutes after halftime, Brooks didn't take him out for his usual break at the end of the third quarter.

"My gut was telling me to keep him in there," Brooks said. "He didn't play a lot of minutes in the first half, so I knew that I had some extra minutes in him. I just felt that we needed his toughness in tonight's game."

Westbrook rewarded him with a jumper in the lane and a 3-pointer to help fend off Irving's onslaught, and it only got better from there. Including the desperation shot, Westbrook made four straight 3-pointers when it counted the most.

"He's worked on it. He's going to continue to work on it," Brooks said. "That one was probably a lucky shot but other than that, they were shots he can make."

Kevin Martin led Oklahoma City's reserves with 16 points and Serge Ibaka had 14 points and seven blocks. Westbrook had 10 assists but also eight turnovers.

The Cavaliers hit eight of their first 10 shots and raced out to a quick 17-7 lead, but then fell just as cold as they had been hot as soon as Waiters checked out with his second foul. Eight of Cleveland's next nine shots were off-target, giving the Thunder the opening they needed to pull ahead for good.

Westbrook converted a finger roll and a jumper and set up Thabo Sefolosha's 3-pointer during a 15-2 comeback, and Oklahoma City kept rolling against Cleveland's reserves. Martin had a three-point play and a fast-break layup early in the second to make it 34-23.

NOTES: The Cavs were Oklahoma City's second straight opponent that was playing the fifth game of a six-game road trip. ... Daniel Orton made his first appearance with the Thunder with the game out of hand in the final 2 minutes. He blocked a Gibson 3-pointer and got his first points by running out for a layup at the other end. ... Orton was active because backup center Hasheem Thabeet missed his second straight game with a sprained left ankle.

 

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Clippers storm past Hawks in 4th quarter


LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Blake Griffin and Chris Paul can rest a little easier when they get a breather these days. The Los Angeles Clippers have a strong group of reserves ready to pick up the slack.

Jamal Crawford, Eric Bledsoe and Matt Barnes engineered a big fourth-quarter run to help the Clippers beat the Atlanta Hawks 89-76 on Sunday.

Griffin scored 16 points and Paul had 15 points and eight assists. But it was the backups who played a key role in the pivotal 15-1 surge in the final period.

"It's fun to watch, and it's exciting for our team," Paul said. "We really feed off their energy, and it's a huge advantage for us. Guys like Matt Barnes, Ryan Hollins and Ronny Turiaf, they know who they are in this league. And that's the key to everything. They're not going to try to do anything outside of themselves or be something they're not. And that's why we have confidence in them."

The Clippers' reserves outscored their counterparts 35-32, marking the first time in five games this season the Hawks were outscored in the battle of the benches. Atlanta had a 47-28 advantage against Houston, a 47-32 margin over Oklahoma City, and entered this game with a 41.8 scoring average by the reserves.

"We come in and change the pace and bring energy," Bledsoe said. "For the most part, we have the same defensive instincts as the starters. Everybody knows what everyone else is capable of and what we have to do. Ronny and Ryan know how to play great defense as big men. They talk and let us know when the screens are coming and when they're not. That's a good feeling, when you know your teammates have your back."

Crawford, who won the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year award in 2010 while playing for Atlanta, had 11 points after coming in with a team-high 21.8 average - tops among the league's reserves. Fifth-year center DeAndre Jordan, coming off the first back-to-back 20-point games of his NBA career, finished with eight points.

Josh Smith had 13 points for the Hawks, who shot 41.7 percent from the field in the opener of a four-game road trip. They also committed 22 turnovers that were converted into 24 Clippers points.

"Defense is more important than anything," Crawford said. "Offense comes and goes, and it can muck up the game sometimes. But today we were able to get out and really get after it defensively. That was the difference in the game. That's something we know we can do every single game, because we practice against the starters - who aren't too shabby. So whenever you practice against a group like that, you get more confidence and it makes you better."

Coming off consecutive victories over San Antonio and Portland, the Clippers took a 65-60 lead into the fourth. Neither team led by more than six until Barnes stole the ball from Ivan Johnson and raced down the floor for a breakaway dunk that gave Los Angeles a 70-62 lead with 10:10 remaining.

"I think we got a little careless with the basketball," said Smith, who had a team-high five turnovers. "Whenever you give a home team momentum plays like that, it's kind of hard to give yourself the opportunity to win in the fourth quarter."

After Lou Williams' short jumper at the other end, the Clippers broke it open and built an 85-65 cushion with 3:49 to play after scoring 13 straight points. During the run, Barnes converted a dunk and a layup on fast breaks after turnovers by Smith.

"It was our defense that did it for us down the stretch," Griffin said. "I don't remember how many stops in a row we had, but I think we had something like eight or nine. That's the kind of defense you have to have to close out a game like that - and that was with our `second team.' A lot of these guys could be starting on a good number of NBA teams. So it's not much of a drop-off."

The Hawks coughed up the ball 10 times in the final quarter while going almost 6 minutes without a field goal. To make matters worse, they missed nine of 16 free-throw attempts in the game.

"The turnovers and free-throw shooting were bad," coach Larry Drew said. "We couldn't make a free throw and we had 22 turnovers. I thought our guys followed our game plan for 2 1/2 quarters. But midway into the third, it was like we totally forgot what had put us in the position we were in and we abandoned it. We got sped up with the pressure, and we let the officiating bother us. We let some calls get us out of character and lost our focus and composure. We can't play like that on the road."

NOTES: Shaquille O'Neal watched the game from a front-row seat at midcourt with his daughter Amira, but he said he wasn't sticking around for the Lakers-Sacramento game that followed. During Thursday night's TNT coverage of the Clippers' game at Portland, O'Neal said he thought Jordan was the best center in the Western Conference - Dwight Howard notwithstanding. ... The Clippers have two days off before hosting Miami on Wednesday night. Since moving to Los Angeles for the 1984-85 campaign, they are 18-68 against teams that won an NBA title the previous season.

 

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Grizzlies beat Heat 104-86 for 5th straight win



MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) -- The Miami Heat focused on shutting down Memphis' inside scoring duo of Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol. Grizzlies reserve guard Wayne Ellington made them pay dearly for it.

Ellington had career bests with seven 3-pointers and 25 points, leading the Grizzlies over the Heat 104-86 on Sunday for their fifth straight win and the best start in franchise history.

"I don't think Ellington will be able to sneak in the back door anymore," Miami center Chris Bosh said. "I didn't know he could shoot the ball like that. We know now."

The Grizzlies (5-1) snapped Miami's four-game winning streak while topping the 4-1 start in 2000-01 in this franchise's last season in Vancouver. They also extended their own team-record home winning streak to 14 dating to last season.

Rudy Gay added 21 points and Zach Randolph had his sixth double-double with 18 points and 12 rebounds for Memphis. Mike Conley had 18 points and nine assists, while Marc Gasol added 10 rebounds and six assists.

"We played outstanding basketball," Memphis coach Lionel Hollins said.

Bosh scored 22 points and LeBron James had 20 for Miami. Dwyane Wade came in averaging 20.4 points but was held to eight in his first game back after missing Friday night's win at Atlanta with a cold. Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said they expected teams to be coming after the Heat on this six-game road trip.

"There were critical places in where the game turned like sloppy turnovers, missed shots or big baskets that couldn't get us over that hump," Spoelstra said. "They played very well. They played physical, and they did what they needed to do to bring it home."

Memphis never trailed and the Heat managed to tie it only twice, the last at 14-all.

The Grizzlies had the biggest edge in this game beyond the arc, where they went 14 of 24 (58.3 percent), and at one point were shooting a better percentage from outside the arc than the Heat shot at the free throw line. Miami came in as the league's second-best team at the line, averaging 82.9 percent, but finished 22 of 36 (61.1 percent).

James said their game plan was protecting the paint.

"They are close to last in 3-pointers made and 3-pointers attempted per game," James said. "We paid for it today. They shot the ball extremely well."

The Grizzlies led 22-21 after the first quarter then Ellington scored 16 in the second to help Memphis outscore Miami 34-20 in the period. When Miami pulled to 42-40, Hollins took a timeout with 2:36 left. The Grizzlies responded with a 14-1 run for a 56-41 halftime lead.

This was a game Ellington thought he could have in the right situation after helping North Carolina win the 2009 NCAA national title. The Grizzlies traded Dante Cunningham to Minnesota on July 24, wanting to add Ellington's outside shooting to their bench.

"I think right here is a great situation for me where I got ... those guys down low, and they need a guy that can really knock down shots," said Ellington, who finished 8 of 13 from the floor and 7 of 11 beyond the arc.

Randolph called this "a statement game" for the Grizzlies. They visit Oklahoma City, the defending Western Conference champs, on Wednesday night before hosting the undefeated New York Knicks on Friday. When asked about the Grizzlies having the Thunder and Knicks, Gay had a quick answer.

"They have us," he said.

Miami had a 25-20 edge in the third quarter but never got closer than when Bosh hit a pull-up jumper with 6:45 left to pull the Heat to 63-58.

The Grizzlies had their chances to wilt against Miami in the fourth. Jerryd Bayless threw up a ball that never came close to the rim - if it was even a shot attempt - but Gay got a hand on it and tipped it to Randolph, who scored and converted on the three-point play for an 85-75 lead with 8:07 left.

Ray Allen tried to get the Heat going, running down court for a dunk only to be blocked by Bayless. Ellington capped the fast break going the other way with his sixth 3-pointer for an 88-76 lead with 7:20 left, bringing fans to their feet.

There was a time when the Heat came to town with enough fans in the stands to make the visit to Memphis feel almost like a home away from home. Not anymore as even Shane Battier, beloved for his time in Memphis, was booed during introductions with fans cheering as his first 3-point attempt went in and out.

Notes: This marked the seventh time in the Heat's Big Three era that they have allowed at least 14 3s in a game, and they now are 1-6 in those contests. ... It was the most 3s by the Grizzlies in the last 345 games, including playoffs. ... The Heat went 1 of 7 at the line in the first quarter, the NBA's worst free-throw shooting in that period since Golden State was 1 of 9 against Utah on Nov. 4, 2006, with a minimum of seven attempts. ... Ellington's previous career high had been 18 twice, last on Feb. 16, 2011 against the Clippers. ... The Grizzlies now are 4-0 when scoring at least 100 points this season. ... Memphis now has won three of four against Miami since James and Bosh joined the Heat in the summer of 2010.

 

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Nets hold on, finish home-and-home sweep of Magic


NEW YORK (AP) -- The Brooklyn Nets knew it wouldn't stay this easy, even if five quarters of evidence said otherwise.

The game did get close, and unlike last Monday's meltdown, this time the Nets handled it.

Brook Lopez scored 20 points, Kris Humphries added 14 points and 21 rebounds, and the Nets beat the Orlando Magic 82-74 on Sunday to complete a home-and-home sweep.

Deron Williams finished with 17 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and a couple key plays down the stretch after what once appeared to be another blowout got tight. The Nets beat the Magic 107-68 at Orlando on Friday and jumped out to an early 20-point lead in this one.

But after losing a 22-point lead at home against Minnesota on Monday, Brooklyn almost coughed up another huge cushion, letting Orlando get within five in the final 2 minutes.

"We definitely take the win. We're happy about that. We're not happy about how we finished the game and how we almost gave up a 20-point lead again," Williams said. "I don't know if we got lackadaisical or what because we were up 20, but this is something that can't happen time after time."

Glen Davis had 19 points and 10 rebounds for the Magic, who have dropped four in a row after opening with two wins in their first season since trading Dwight Howard.

"The shots that we had tonight were good shots when you look on it. It's just the matter at the beginning of the game having that focus for 48 minutes, not just three quarters or one quarter or one half," Orlando coach Jacque Vaughn said. "Soon as that ball is thrown up at the beginning of the game, that focus needs to be there."

Aaron Afflalo also scored 19 for the Magic, who won their last five games against the Nets in New Jersey but so far don't match up against the rebranded team in Brooklyn.

Playing without Jameer Nelson (right hamstring), Al Harrington (right knee) and Hedo Turkoglu (broken left hand), they simply don't have enough offense, coming into the game ranked 26th in the NBA with 90.6 points per game. They couldn't even get 20 points in the first seven quarters against the Nets, then managed 21 in the final period of this one.

"We fought hard and continue to learn. It's only game six. We'll hopefully figure out what it takes from the beginning of the game until the end of the game," Afflalo said.

Joe Johnson scored 13 for the Nets, who are still without starting forward Gerald Wallace, who hasn't played since spraining his left ankle in the season opener.

That didn't matter Friday, and sure didn't look like it would early Sunday.

"I think you can have a tendency to see the score at times and you're up, 17, 18 points and you may have a tendency to relax on a play or two, which could cause a team to get some momentum," Johnson said after a 3-for-13 performance that dropped his field goal percentage to 36.2 percent.

"Obviously they gained a little bit, but we were able to withstand it in the fourth quarter and make a few shots and put them away."

A 14-2 run gave the Nets a 19-8 lead, and when Orlando got within seven late in the first quarter, Brooklyn scored the final 11 points, highlighted by C.J. Watson's six points in 4 seconds.

He made a 3-pointer, then stole the inbounds pass and drew a foul while making a layup. Reggie Evans' free throws made it 35-17 headed to the second and the rout seemed on, even if the Nets weren't buying it.

"Like we've been talking about, it's tough to beat a team when you play them two games in a row," Humphries said. "You have a big win, they're motivated to come in here and play. So we knew they were going to make a run, but we were able to handle it and finish the game out."

It was hardly a run. Orlando crawled back into it, with some help from the Nets.

Andray Blatche's basket to open the second made it a 20-point game, but Afflalo had a pair of three-point plays in a 12-2 surge that cut the lead in half. Brooklyn recovered and went into the half leading 50-35.

The Magic then outscored the Nets 18-13 in a tough-to-watch third quarter in which the teams combined to shoot 12 for 34, and cut it all the way to 75-70 on Davis' basket with 2:07 remaining in the game.

Williams answered with a jumper, and after another basket by Davis, he found Lopez inside for a 79-72 advantage with 59 seconds to play. He added a free throw to push it to eight and the Nets were safe from there.

Orlando finished 1 of 12 from 3-point range.

NOTES: Williams turned his ankle in the fourth quarter, and Nets coach Avery Johnson said he isn't getting enough room to land on his jump shots. ... Vaughn spent two years with the Nets from 2004-06. ... Jerry Stackhouse, 38, finished with five points after scoring 11 on Friday in his Nets debut after sitting out the first three games. ... Reserve MarShon Brooks (sprained left ankle) also was sidelined for the Nets. Avery Johnson said he wanted to see both Wallace and Brooks go through a practice before they could return. ... The Magic play their third consecutive game against a New York team when they host the Knicks on Tuesday.

 

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Lakers beat Kings, move to 2-0 under Bickerstaff



LOS ANGELES (AP) -- If Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard and the Los Angeles Lakers ' legion of fans get their wish, Bernie Bickerstaff's stint as a lame-duck interim head coach will end undefeated.

Howard had 23 points and 18 rebounds, Bryant scored 20, and the in-transition Lakers continued warming up for a possible return to the bench by Phil Jackson with a 103-89 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Sunday night.

Bickerstaff called the shots for the second straight game following the firing of Mike Brown on Friday with the team off to a 1-4 start - their worst in 19 years. They throttled Golden State 101-77 at Staples Center several hours after the change.

"Basically what we talked about this morning was the profound appreciation of their professionalism and how they have handled things," Bickerstaff said. "I've been around a lot of teams, and this is the consummate professional group. No one's naive. They've been around a long time and we've been around a long time, so they understand."

Lakers executive vice president Jim Buss and general manager Mitch Kupchak remain in negotiations with Jackson, whom they are trying to coax out of retirement for what would be his third coaching stint with the organization.

The 67-year-old Hall of Famer guided the club to five NBA titles and won six others with the Chicago Bulls . He walked away after the Lakers were swept by Dallas in the second round of the 2011 playoffs - denying the Zen Master his fourth three-peat.

"I'd be excited to have him out there," Bryant said. "I'm sure something will happen sooner than later. I mean, this organization moves pretty quickly once they have a direction on where they want to go and they always makes the right decision. For us players, we just go out there and do our jobs. It isn't anything that's been a distraction for us, but it's just been a long week for everybody."

This is the first time the Lakers changed head coaches during a season since 2004-05, when Rudy Tomjanovich left midway through the first year of a five-year contract due to health issues and was replaced by Frank Hamblen. It's the third time Bickerstaff has taken over the reins of an NBA team after a season was underway, including 1994-95 with Denver (20-12) and 1996-97 with Washington (22-13).

The Lakers have now changed head coaches on the fly in six of their 53 years in Los Angeles. On two of those occasions, they went on to win an NBA title. In 1979-80, Paul Westhead relieved Jack McKinney with the team off to a 10-4 start after McKinney was hospitalized due to a serious bicycle accident. Westhead was fired in 1981-82 with a 7-4 record, shortly after Magic Johnson publicly criticized him, and Pat Riley guided the team to the first of four championships under his watch.

"My job is to coach the team until they ring the bell," Bickerstaff said. "But listen. What's the reality here? I mean, we all know what's going on and I understand that. But I consented to do this for the organization, and I'm not worried about the big picture."

The Kings were forced to play short-handed with center DeMarcus Cousins and backup forward Thomas Robinson serving suspensions without pay. Forward Jason Thompson, shifting to center in place of Cousins, had 15 points and 10 assists for Sacramento before fouling out with 9:46 left. Jimmer Fredette scored a team-high 18, most coming after the outcome was long decided.

"It's unfortunate for our team right now to have those missing pieces, because there were a lot of good things we had been doing," coach Keith Smart said. "Tonight we did a lot of good things, even with our depleted team. We still had chances to maintain, but obviously we were playing against an elite group of players tonight."

Cousins began his two-game ban for confronting a Spurs TV analyst in a hostile manner following a 97-86 home loss to San Antonio on Friday night. Robinson completed his two-game absence, following his vicious elbow to the throat of Detroit's Jonas Jerebko during Sacramento's 105-103 home win last Wednesday. Cousins loses about $70,500 in salary and Robinson more than $82,000.

"It was tough," said forward Travis Outlaw, who made his first start of the season and had 11 points in 26 minutes. "I think the most we could have done was to try to get out and run at them a little bit more. But overall, everyone did leave it out there on the court."

The Lakers built a 72-57 lead with an 11-0 run, capped by Bryant's two free throws with 4:26 left in the third quarter. They extended the margin to as many as 22 with 4:23 remaining on a pair of 3-pointers 40 seconds apart by Metta World Peace. He and Paul Gasol each finished with 18 points.

"We were really just going out there and playing pickup basketball, to be honest," Bryant said. "We were out there freelancing, and that forces you to communicate with each other. But we have some form of structure and a little bit of an idea of what we want to do out there."

Howard had 14 points and 10 boards in the first half, including a short hook shot off an offensive rebound in the final seconds of the second quarter to give the Lakers a 57-48 lead at intermission.

"He'll have games like this. I mean, this is what he does," Bryant said of Howard. "I was pretty upset at him, though, because he kind of let a couple of rebounds go at the start of the game. I had an opportunity to get them, but I thought he was. And I told him: `Those are yours. That's what you do. You don't want to have a game where you finish 18 or 19 rebounds and it could have been 20.' It should have been a 23-20 night for him."

Steve Blake, starting at point guard for the fifth straight game because of Steve Nash's knee injury, was limited to 12 minutes in the half because of an abdominal strain that kept him off the court for almost 10 1/2 minutes.

NOTES: Bryant was at the free throw line at the midway mark of the second quarter when the sellout crowd began chanting "We Want Phil!" They must have been misguided. Jackson was a 73.6-percent free throw shooter during his 12 seasons as an NBA player, and Bryant was 83.8 percent lifetime coming in ... Smart got a technical foul early in the second quarter for complaining about a non-call against Antawn Jamison, who made a clean block on a layup by Marcus Thornton and sent him crashing to the floor ... Lakers F Devin Ebanks, who posted $5,000 bail following his arrest early Friday morning on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, was scratched for the second straight game. He is due back in court on Dec. 7 ... The Kings are 0-4 on the road, matching their worst start away from Arco Arena since 2007-08, when they dropped their first nine to tie a franchise record.