The AP reports: Devin Harris had 19 points and 11 assists, and the Nets snapped a five-game skid with a 111-98 victory over the sluggish Pistons on Wednesday night. “I think this says when we play the right way we’re competitive and also that we haven’t mailed it in,” said Nets guard Keyon Dooling, who was inserted into the starting lineup and responded by matching his season high with 23 points… “It’s very surprising. Tonight was a game that we had to get,” said Richard Hamilton, who led the Pistons with 29 points… Brook Lopez added 19 points on his 21st birthday, fellow rookie Ryan Anderson had 14 and Vince Carter 12 for New Jersey… Rodney Stuckey, Tayshaun Prince and Walter Herrmann scored 16 points for Detroit… Allen Iverson scored four points on 1-of-8 shooting and handed out four assists, but at times he looked out of control, particularly in the second quarter.
Day: April 2, 2009
Big Allen 3, Celtics beat Bobcats 111-109 in 2OT
The AP reports: Ray Allen’s last long-range shot, on a pass from Paul Pierce, lifted the Boston Celtics to a 111-109 win over the Charlotte Bobcats on Wednesday night and into second place in the Eastern Conference… Paul Pierce led Boston with 32 points, Allen added 22 and Rajon Rondo had 21 points and nine assists… Gerald Wallace had 20 points and 10 rebounds for the Bobcats, and Boris Diaw scored 17… Boston, with Kevin Garnett sidelined for the third straight game with a sore right knee, won for the seventh time in eight games. Charlotte’s winning streak ended at three.
Bosh’s 24 points helps Raptors beat Magic 99-95
The AP reports: Chris Bosh had 24 points, including a 22-footer over Dwight Howard with 29 seconds left that put the game out of reach, and the Toronto Raptors beat Orlando 99-95 on Wednesday night to bounce the Magic from the Eastern Conference’s second seed… Jose Calderon had 21 points, and Shawn Marion added 17 points and 15 rebounds for the Raptors, who nearly blew an 11-point lead before holding on to extend their season-high winning streak to five games. Rashard Lewis missed a potential tying 3-pointer with 20 seconds left to seal Toronto’s win… Howard had 30 points and nine rebounds for Orlando (55-19), which fell percentage points behind Boston (57-19) for the East’s second seed. The Magic host first-place Cleveland on Friday night in a game that has now lost some of its luster.