December 9, 2012 – Page 2 – NBA Blog

Heat stop 2-game losing streak, beat Hornets

For the Miami Heat, one nearly perfect quarter was more than enough to help stop a two-game slide.

Dwyane Wade scored 26 points, LeBron James finished with 24 points and seven assists, and the Heat shot a season-best 58 percent on the way to topping the New Orleans Hornets 106-90 on Saturday night.

Chris Bosh scored 13, and Ray Allen and Shane Battier each added 11 for Miami, which took control by outscoring the Hornets 33-10 over the final 11 minutes of the second quarter. New Orleans started the game 10 for 12 from the floor, then shot 9 for 31 over the rest of the half.

”We’ve got to defend. It’s that simple,” James said. ”When we defend, the game’s that much easier for us.”

Ryan Anderson scored 24 for New Orleans, which got 20 from Robin Lopez and 12 from Jason Smith. The Hornets turned the ball over 19 times, and Miami converted the miscues into 22 points…

James has scored at least 20 points in all 18 Miami games this season. He tied a Heat record by scoring 20 in 23 straight regular-season games (going back to last season) and 39 consecutive games overall, including playoffs. He made 10 of his first 11 shots on Saturday…

Bosh missed three dunk attempts in the game, including two on one possession in the third quarter, and predictably was teased in the locker room about it postgame.

— Reported by Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press

Brandon Knight shines in Pistons win over Cavs

Brandon Knight steps up in Pistons win over Cavs

Brandon Knight made sure the Detroit Pistons got a needed road win.

Knight scored a career-high 30 points and the Pistons defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers for the second time in six days with a 104-97 win on Saturday night.

The Pistons, who won for just the second time in 12 road games this season, took control with a run that began late in the third quarter and carried into the fourth period…

Tayshaun Prince scored 14 points while Jason Maxiell added 11 for the Pistons, who defeated the Cavaliers 89-79 on Monday in Auburn Hills, Mich.

Jeremy Pargo scored 24 points for Cleveland, which has lost five straight, nine of 10 and 15 of 17…

Cavaliers center Anderson Varejao, who scored 16 points and had 13 rebounds, went to the locker room late in the second quarter with a bruised left elbow. X-rays were negative and he returned to begin the third quarter with the elbow wrapped.

Cleveland again played without leading scorers Kyrie Irving (broken left index finger) and Dion Waiters (sprained left ankle).

— Reported by the Associated Press

Spurs set 3-point mark in 132-102 win over Bobcats

Charlotte Bobcats coach Mike Dunlap decided to pack the paint Saturday night and make the San Antonio Spurs beat them from the outside.

Danny Green and company did just that.

Green scored a season-high 23 points and the Spurs set a franchise record with 19 3-pointers to hand the Bobcats their seventh straight defeat, 132-102. Green was 7 of 9 from 3-point range and the Spurs shot 56 percent from behind the arc.

Tony Parker had 22 points and nine assists as the Spurs won for the ninth time in 10 games to push their record to 17-4.

Green and Parker were a combined 18 of 22 from the field.

”Tony was driving and the defense was collapsing on Timmy (Duncan), so there were a lot of open shots from the perimeter,” Green said. ”We were driving and kicking and moving the ball. It makes the game a lot easier when you’re making shots. We haven’t been shooting the ball as well lately from the outside so I don’t blame them for trying to do that.” …

Kemba Walker led the Bobcats with 23 points and Gerald Henderson chipped in with 13.

It was San Antonio’s first game with Joey Crawford officiating since a Halloween photo emerged earlier this week on the internet showing Duncan and Parker holding fake guns to the head of a bald man dressed up as Crawford.

— Reported by Steve Reed of the Associated Press

Clippers beat Suns 117-99 for 5th straight win

The bench bailed out the Clippers again.

Jamal Crawford led a fourth-quarter rally with 13 of his 21 points, and Los Angeles beat Phoenix 117-99 on Saturday, winning its fifth in a row while sending the Suns to their season-worst sixth straight loss.

”Thank the bench because the starters were struggling,” Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro said. ”They got us off to a bad start again. Our starters get into this energy on the offense and not on the defense. This game easily could have gone the other way.”

Blake Griffin added 24 points and a career-best four steals, and Chris Paul had 16 points and 11 assists, but the Clippers’ reserves carried them. Crawford made all four of his free throws to extend his streak to 55 in a row since Nov. 3…

Michael Beasley scored 21 points off the bench, and Shannon Brown added 19 for Phoenix, which hadn’t lost six in a row since March 3-12, 2009…

Luis Scola scored 10 in a row for the Suns and finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds.

— Reported by Beth Harris of the Associated Press