The AP reports: Deron Williams knew the Jazz wouldn’t go unbeaten through the end of the regular season. Even so, Utah’s star point guard wished his team had given itself a better chance against the Hawks to extend its winning streak to 13 games… Joe Johnson scored 31 points and Josh Smith had 22 points and 12 rebounds to help the Atlanta Hawks end Utah’s 12-game winning streak with a 100-93 victory Wednesday night… Flip Murray scored 11 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter for the Hawks. Smith ended the scoring with a pair of free throws with 24.3 seconds remaining.
Category: Games
Basketball games blog
Paul’s triple-double leads Hornets past Wiz 109-98
The AP reports: Taking over the game when he wanted to—no matter what defensive schemes he faced—Chris Paul compiled 30 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds Wednesday night, steering the New Orleans Hornets to a 109-98 victory over Washington… Guarded by Wizards reserve Juan Dixon, Paul did pretty much whatever he wanted over the next 3 1/2 minutes, engineering a 12-0 run that tied the score. During that stretch, Paul scored 10 points and assisted on the other basket. He probably should have had two fewer points and an extra assist, but Rasual Butler somehow missed a layup off a perfect pass. So all Paul did was grab the rebound and drive for a layup himself.
Young, Dalembert lead 76ers over Raptors 115-106
The AP reports: Samuel Dalembert heeded the advice of Hall of Fame center Moses Malone earlier this week when the former Philadelphia center told him to get mean. Thaddeus Young scored a career-high 29 points, Dalembert snapped out of his recent slump, and the Philadelphia 76ers handed the Toronto Raptors their sixth straight loss with a 115-106 victory Wednesday night… Dalembert, who entered the night with only three blocks over the last four games, recorded his 11th double-double of the season with a season-high 19 points, 13 rebounds and four blocked shots… Chris Bosh was limited to 17 points for Toronto after consecutive 30-point outings.
Cavaliers rally from 19 down to beat Clippers
The AP reports: A 19-point deficit in the fourth quarter isn’t always insurmountable when LeBron James is on the court. James recorded his second straight triple-double with 32 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists, Mo Williams hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 6.6 seconds to play, and the Cavaliers stormed past the Los Angeles Clippers for a stunning 87-83 victory on Tuesday night. James notched his 22nd career triple-double, scoring his final 10 points in the frenetic fourth quarter and recording his 800th career steal… Zydrunas Ilgauskas had 16 points and eight rebounds for Cleveland. Williams was held to just 14 points on 4-for-17, but capped the comeback with his clutch 3-point shot. He came in averaging 18.0 points… Al Thornton and Zach Randolph each had 20 points for the Clippers. They used their 30th different starting lineup, with center Chris Kaman returning to action after missing 48 games because of plantar fasciitis in his left foot.
Nowitzki’s 34 leads Mavericks past Suns 122-117
The AP reports: Dirk Nowitzki scored 23 of his 34 points in the second half and the Dallas Mavericks beat Phoenix 122-117 on Tuesday night to widen their lead over the Suns to five games for the eighth and final playoff spot in the West. The Suns have lost five straight and have just 18 to play. Phoenix’s Steve Nash said his team came out inexplicably flat in the second half… Jason Terry added 25 points and Jose Barea 16 for Dallas, which snapped a five-game road losing streak… Shaquille O’Neal scored 21 on 9-of-10 shooting for Phoenix to pass Elvin Hayes for sixth on the NBA’s career scoring list. Nash had 23 points and 13 assists for the Suns. Matt Barnes added 21 points.
Thunder beat Kings for 5th win in 6 games
The AP reports: Jeff Green and Russell Westbrook each scored 24 points, and the Thunder made it a nice homecoming for their popular interim coach, holding on for a 99-98 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday night. Oklahoma City, which started the season 2-24, won for the fifth time in six games… Thabo Sefolosha had 17 points for the Thunder and Nenad Krstic added nine points and 15 rebounds. Spencer Hawes tied a career high with 20 points and added 10 rebounds and five assists for the Kings, who had 22 turnovers. Francisco Garcia made four 3-pointers and scored 18, Andres Nocioni had 16 points and seven rebounds, and Rashad McCants added 13 points. Kevin Martin, the Kings’ leading scorer, was on the bench in the game’s final 15 minutes and scored 12 points.
Duncan, Spurs halt Charlotte’s 6-game win streak
The AP reports: The Charlotte Bobcats finally lost, but are still in the playoff hunt. The San Antonio Spurs won again and now await what might be a playoff preview. Tim Duncan had 18 points and 11 rebounds, and the Spurs halted Charlotte’s franchise-record winning streak at six with a 100-86 victory Tuesday night. Roger Mason and Tony Parker added 21 points apiece for the Spurs, who will take a three-game winning streak into Thursday’s home game against the Los Angeles Lakers, a marquee meeting of the Western Conference’s top two teams… Raymond Felton had 15 points and Gerald Wallace 14 for Charlotte.
Knicks beat Bucks 120-112 for rare road win
The AP reports: Nate Robinson scored 10 of his 32 points in the final five minutes and Larry Hughes added a season-high 39 as the Knicks beat the Milwaukee Bucks 120-112 on Tuesday for only their eighth road win of the season… David Lee added 19 points and 18 rebounds for the Knicks, who were becoming frustrated by recent close losses… Charlie Villanueva scored 32 for the Bucks, who came into Tuesday’s game clinging to the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference despite a season filled with significant injuries… Ramon Sessions finished with 22 points.
Streaking Jazz beat Pacers for 12th straight win
The AP reports: The Utah Jazz prefer not to think about their longest winning streak since 1999. Mehmet Okur’s 24 points helped the Jazz beat the Indiana Pacers 112-100 on Tuesday night for their 12th straight victory, moving them one game closer to the franchise record of 15 consecutive set twice during the 1996-97 season. “Don’t jinx us,” Utah forward Carlos Boozer said… Paul Millsap had 22 points and nine rebounds, Ronnie Brewer scored 18 and Deron Williams added 12 assists for the Jazz (41-23), who haven’t lost since falling 116-96 at Golden State on Feb. 8… Jarrett Jack and Ford each had 21 points for Indiana (28-38), which continues to battle for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The Pacers finished with 22 turnovers, resulting in 26 Utah points.
Roy scores 27, Blazers beat Lakers 111-94
The AP reports: Rudy Fernandez was injured when he was fouled hard late in the third quarter of Portland’s 111-94 victory Monday night. He was taken from the court strapped to a stretcher, his neck in a brace. “Just the way it played out—it’s hard to watch your teammate over there laying down and they’re bringing out stretchers. That was a tough moment for all of us,” said Brandon Roy, who led the Blazers with 27 points… Travis Outlaw had 22 points for the Blazers, who have won 12 straight at the Rose Garden. Joel Przybilla added 12 points and 18 rebounds, while LaMarcus Aldridge had 16 points and 13 rebounds. Kobe Bryant had 26 points, while Pau Gasol had 18 for the Lakers, who haven’t won at the Rose Garden in their last seven tries, with their last victory on Feb. 23, 2005.