Inside Hoops – Page 1489 – NBA Blog

Mavericks end 6-game losing streak, beat Wizards

Vince Carter scored 23 points, O.J. Mayo and Darren Collison each added 15 to help the Dallas Mavericks break their six-game losing streak with a 103-94 win over the Washington Wizards on Tuesday night.

When the Wizards, who are now 4-25, took a 14-point lead early in the second quarter, Dallas, which had arrived in Washington in the midst of its longest skid in nearly 14 years, rallied. They trailed by four at the half, and then outscored the Wizards 35-19 in the third quarter to take an 83-71 lead.

The Mavericks were ahead 99-84 with 3:28 to play, but Washington scored eight straight to cut the lead to seven, but Carter, making just the second start of the season threw down an emphatic dunk with 1:11 to play to make it 101-93.

Six players scored in double figures for Dallas. Chris Kaman scored 12 points and Shawn Marion had 11 points with a season-high 14 rebounds. Dirk Nowitzki played in just his fifth game since returning from right knee surgery and added 11.

Bradley Beal equaled a career high with 22 points for the Wizards. Emeka Okafor had 14 and 11 rebounds. Martel Webster also had 14.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Charlie Villanueva ejected for flagrant foul

Charlie Villanueva has been ejected from Detroit’s game against Sacramento for a flagrant foul in the second quarter.

Isaiah Thomas drove the lane and was knocked hard to the floor by Villanueva. Thomas then got up appeared to swing his right arm quickly at Villanueva.

Officials reviewed the play on video and ejected Villanueva.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Amare Stoudemire returns for Knicks

Amare Stoudemire is making his season debut and Carmelo Anthony is back in the starting lineup for the New York Knicks against Portland.

Stoudemire will come off the bench as he plays his way back into shape following left knee surgery Oct. 31. Both Stoudemire and coach Mike Woodson said the forward’s minutes would be limited in Tuesday night’s game.

”It’s been a long time coming. I’ve been so ready to play, I put in so much hard work this offseason and then to have to sit out for the first half of this season, but now to be back, I’m so ready to go,” Stoudemire said. ”I’m ready to provide whatever my team needs to improve, so that’s what I’m here for.”

Anthony missed two games with a hyperextended left knee, an injury that occurred in the Knicks’ loss to the Lakers on Christmas. The Knicks are still without point guard Raymond Felton because of a broken right pinky, and Rasheed Wallace remains out with a sore left foot.

— Reported by Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press

Durant and Westbrook lift Thunder over Suns

Receiving eight stitches above his right eye might have been painful, but it wasn’t enough to keep Russell Westbrook from practicing his whirling dervish ways Monday night for the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Westbrook returned from the wound to finish with 24 points, nine assists and seven rebounds, Kevin Durant scored 30 points and the Thunder pulled away in the fourth quarter for a 114-96 win over the Phoenix Suns.

”When you see blood, you don’t know what to do,” Durant said of Westbrook. ”I was glad he came back here and got stitched up and was able to play again. He came out there with a lot of anger and it showed on both ends of the floor. He pushed us over the top.” …

Luis Scola scored 24 points to lead Phoenix, which dropped its sixth straight game and fell to the Thunder for the seventh straight time. The Suns haven’t beaten Oklahoma City since December 19, 2010.

Westbrook left the game late in the first half with a cut over his right eye that required stitches. In his absence, the Thunder started the second half with Reggie Jackson at point guard and went on a 12-0 run to seize control. Oklahoma City never trailed again, although Phoenix pulled within two points twice in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter…

Durant recorded his 13th outing this season of 30 points or more, but had a poor shooting night, finishing 11-of-24 from the field. Westbrook, who has struggled with his shot in recent games, finished 7 of 16. Ibaka scored 16 points, Sefolosha added 14 points and Collison had 10 points and nine rebounds for the Thunder.

Goran Dragic added 16 points for Phoenix, while Marcin Gortat had 12 points and 10 rebounds and O’Neal had 12 points.

— Reported by Murray Evans of the Associated Press

Rockets bounce back with 123-104 win over Hawks

The Houston Rockets had allowed 120 points in consecutive tough losses entering Monday night’s game against Atlanta.

This time it was Houston’s turn to put on an offensive show that left the other team at a loss.

James Harden had 28 points and the Rockets rebounded from their worst loss of the season with a 123-104 win over the Hawks.

The Rockets were coming off a 30-point defeat by Oklahoma City that was preceded by a loss to the Spurs…

Lou Williams had 21 points to lead the Hawks, who saw a four game winning streak snapped with the loss…

Smith scored 17 with seven rebounds in his return after missing a game with a hip injury, and Al Horford had 18 points and 13 rebounds.

Delfino returned from a two-game absence with an illness to score a season-high 22 points, with six 3-pointers, and a career-high-tying eight assists. Asik added 11 points and 17 rebounds for the Rockets and Jeremy Lin added 16 points with eight assists.

— Reported by Kristie Rieken of the Associated Press

Spurs beat Nets, who scored just 5 third quarter points

The Brooklyn Nets ended 2012 a few hours earlier than most.

Tony Parker had 20 points and the San Antonio Spurs held the Nets to only five points in the third quarter en route to a 104-73 win Monday night.

MarShon Brooks had a season-high 16 points to lead Brooklyn (16-15), which suffered its first loss under interim head coach P.J. Carlesimo. Joe Johnson added 12 points and Brook Lopez had 11, but Deron Williams was held to eight points and one assist.

San Antonio set a franchise low for fewest points by an opponent in the third quarter when it held the Nets to 10-percent shooting (2 for 20).

”I’m actually surprised it wasn’t worse,” Carlesimo said.

Tim Duncan added 15 points and Nando DeColo had 11, while Kawhi Leonard, Tiago Splitter and Matt Bonner chipped in 10 apiece for San Antonio (25-8), which won its sixth straight…

Spurs G Gary Neal (strained right calf) missed his fourth straight game and sixth this season. . Brooklyn F Gerald Wallace (bruised left knee) missed his eighth game of the season. . Johnson, Andray Blatche and C.J. Watson are the only Nets to play in every game this season. Johnson has started each of those games. . The fewest points an opponent has scored in any quarter is three by Denver during the opening period on Nov. 27, 2002.

— Reported by Raul Dominguez of the Associated Press

LeBron leads Heat over Magic in OT

LeBron James had 36 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds, and Chris Bosh scored 22 points to help the Miami Heat slip past the Orlando Magic 112-110 in overtime Monday.

James scored eight points in overtime, including two free throws that clinched it with 1.5 seconds left. Dwayne Wade, who had 21 points, had a steal and dunk with 6.2 seconds to go to give Miami a four-point lead.

Arron Afflalo scored 28 points for the Magic and J.J. Redick added 23, but he committed the turnover that led to Wade’s decisive dunk. Nikola Vucevic had 20 points and 29 rebounds as Orlando lost its sixth straight.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Paul George leads Pacers over Grizzlies

The Indiana Pacers are now finding ways to win on a regular basis with or without veteran players.

”I’m proud of them and the effort to be a really good basketball team,” Pacers coach Frank Vogel said.

Paul George scored 21 points to lead the Pacers to an 88-83 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday.

D.J. Augustin had 17 points and David West added 13 points and nine rebounds for the Pacers, who have won five of six. George also had six rebounds and five assists.

Zach Randolph had 21 points and 15 rebounds and Marc Gasol scored 13 for the Grizzlies, who have lost three of four…

Still without star forward Danny Granger and with the injured Hill on the bench and even without center Roy Hibbert putting up the expected numbers, Indiana remains atop the Central Division and now a game up on the Chicago Bulls…

[Lance] Stephenson was listed as day to day with a left orbital contusion, but started. … Grizzlies F Quincy Pondexter didn’t travel with the team because of a left MCL sprain. … Hibbert’s first offensive rebound of the night was his 800th career.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Bobcats end 18-game losing streak with win over Bulls

Squandering a healthy lead is nothing new to the Charlotte Bobcats – hanging onto one is.

Kemba Walker had 18 points and eight rebounds, and the Bobcats ended an 18-game losing streak with a 91-81 win over the Chicago Bulls on Monday.

Gerald Henderson added 16 points and reserve Ben Gordon had 15 to help Charlotte snap the second-longest skid in team history. It was the Bobcats’ first win in their last 10 road games.

”We’re a desperate team right now,” Henderson said. ”This losing streak has been very tough on us.”

Luol Deng scored 20 points and grabbed 12 rebounds for Chicago. Carlos Boozer also had a double-double with 19 points and 14 boards.

Charlotte fended off several rallies by the Bulls, who never held a lead, to win for the first time since Nov. 24…

The new year couldn’t come quick enough for Charlotte (8-23), which narrowly avoided posting a 0-16 calendar month for the second time in 2012. The Bobcats went 0-16 in April to end last season on a franchise-worst 23-game losing streak.

The eight wins already surpasses Charlotte’s seven wins all of last season…

Bobcats F Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (scratched right cornea) did not play after being poked in the eye during a 98-95 loss to New Orleans on Saturday.

— Reported by Travis Miller of the Associated Press

Paul Harris named D-League Performer of Week

Paul Harris of the Iowa Energy was today named NBA Development League Performer of the Week for games played Dec. 24 – 30.

A 6-4, 230-pound forward out of Syracuse, Harris led the Energy to a three-win week, averaging 26.7 points on 60.8 percent shooting from the floor to go with 13.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 2.3 steals and 40.0 minutes. He record 30-plus point outings on Dec. 25 against the Sioux Falls Skyforce and Los Angeles D-Fenders.

Other top performers considered include Austin’s Tre Kelley, Bakersfield’s Damion James, Canton’s Samardo Samuels, on assignment from the Cleveland Cavaliers, Erie’s Demonte Harper, Fort Wayne’s Luke Harangody, Idaho’s Justin Holiday, Los Angeles’ Darius Johnson-Odom, on assignment from the Los Angeles D-Fenders, Maine’s DaJuan Summers, Rio Grande Valley’s Terrence Jones, Reno’s Darnell Jackson, Santa Cruz’s Jeremy Tyler, Sioux Falls’ Andrew Goudelock, Texas’ Sean Singletary and Tulsa’s Chris Quinn.