Author: Inside Hoops

Without Carmelo Anthony, Tyson Chandler and Amare Stoudemire, the New York Knicks are hardly a team that should present many problems for the Los Angeles Clippers.

Although the Clippers caused a few problems for themselves, they solved them in plenty of time to keep moving toward their franchise’s first Pacific Division title.

Chris Paul had 20 points and eight assists, Caron Butler added 14 points, and the Clippers beat the injury-depleted Knicks 93-80 Sunday in a meeting of division leaders.

Blake Griffin had 12 points and 12 rebounds for the Clippers, who shook off a turnover-plagued start and pulled away in the second half of their first home win since February 2009 over New York, silencing the cadre of taunting Knicks fans that invades Staples Center for each visit.

”We want them to be at full throttle with Melo and Tyson just for the competition of it,” said Chauncey Billups, who scored 12 points. ”When they’re not playing, it’s just human nature to have a subconscious letdown, but you have to find a way to just scrap through it.”

— Reported by Greg Beacham of the Associated Press

Bucks coach Jim Boylan was hardly in the mood to celebrate even though his team came back from a 12-point deficit in the fourth quarter.

Monta Ellis scored a season-high 39 points, including 25 in the fourth quarter, and Milwaukee rallied for a 115-109 over the Orlando Magic on Sunday.

Losers of three consecutive games coming into the matchup with the Magic, who own the second-worst record in the NBA, the Bucks trailed most of the way before Ellis took over in the fourth. He connected on all five of his 3-point attempts in the period, and his 25 points were the most by an NBA player in one quarter this season.

”Monta was pretty amazing there in the fourth quarter. I’m happy that we won the game, but I am really concerned with the way we are playing right now,” Boylan said. ”It’s not good enough. We need to play better. Right now we are not a very good team. You can’t rely on scoring 45 points in the fourth quarter in order to pull a game out at home.”

The Bucks, who hold the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, are looking to improve their position heading into the season’s final stretch.

— Reported by Rich Rovito of the Associated Press

Paul Pierce had 14 points, eight assists and six rebounds before sitting out the fourth quarter, and the Boston Celtics won their 11th straight at home, beating the Charlotte Bobcats 105-88 on Saturday night.

Avery Bradley scored 13 and Courtney Lee had 12 points and five assists as the Celtics beat the Bobcats for the first time in three meetings this season. Two of the Bobcats’ NBA-low 14 wins came against the Celtics, including a 100-74 blowout in Charlotte on Tuesday.

Kevin Garnett sat out with a strained left thigh muscle, but the Celtics had more than enough to overwhelm the Bobcats this time.

Jeff Green and Brandon Bass scored 10 apiece as all five starters were in double figures.

Jason Terry led Boston’s reserves with 15 points and Shavlik Randolph, signed earlier in the week to his second 10-day contract, had six points and a team-high eight rebounds.

All 11 players who dressed for Boston scored at least five points.

Jannero Pargo led Charlotte with 18 points. Gerald Henderson had 16 points, Kemba Walker scored 14 and Josh McRoberts pulled down 10 rebounds for the Bobcats, who lost for the 12th time in 13 games. Charlotte’s only win during that stretch was Tuesday against the Celtics, when Pierce rested.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Spencer Hawes had 18 points and career highs with 16 rebounds and seven blocked shots to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a 98-91 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Saturday night.

Jrue Holiday added 27 points and 12 assists to help the Sixers win for only the third time in 15 games. While the Sixers are one of the worst road teams in the league, they are 19-17 at home.

The Sixers led by one at the end of the third quarter, then opened the fourth on a 19-4 run to put away the Pacers. Evan Turner and Thaddeus Young each contributed some lead-stretching buckets in the fourth to put all five starters in double figures.

Roy Hibbert had 25 points and 10 rebounds for the Pacers.

The 76ers had enough this time to finish off one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference. They had a late lead and the Heat on the ropes until they blew it and lost by four Wednesday night.

Just like they did against Miami, the Sixers got into an early groove in the quarter to put the upset alert on notice. Dorell Wright hit a 3-pointer and Lavoy Allen came off the bench to score his first two baskets to get a big run going. They forced turnovers on consecutive possessions at one point during the spurt and built a 10-point lead.

— Reported by Dan Gelston of the Associated Press

Martell Webster scored a career-high 34 points and became the Washington Wizards’ first 30-point scorer this season in a 127-105 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Saturday night.

John Wall added 17 points and 11 assists as Washington won its fourth straight at home and third straight overall while setting its season high in scoring.

Emeka Okafor added 17 points and 10 rebounds as Washington snapped a 10-game losing streak to Phoenix, dating to 2006.

Michael Beasley scored 21 points and Goran Dragic added 12 points and 11 assists as the Suns lost their fourth straight and their sixth of eight in March.

Phoenix now owns the worst record in the Western Conference, a half-game behind idle New Orleans.

Webster matched a career high with seven 3-pointers, his last coming on the left wing just moments into the fourth quarter to make it 105-84. Webster shrugged toward his bench after the basket, then followed with a reverse dunk to push it to 109-86.

— Reported by the Associated Press