The AP reports: Paul Pierce scored 31 points and hit a game-winning 17-footer with 20.9 seconds to play—the last of three perfect plays down the stretch—to lead the Celtics to a 115-111 victory over the New Jersey Nets on Wednesday night… Devin Harris, who had 25 points and 11 assists for New Jersey, missed a floater with 45.6 seconds to go and that set the stage for Pierce’s game winner… Rajon Rondo added 20 points as the Celtics shot 61.2 percent from the field in beating the Nets for the third time this season. Perkins had 17 points and 13 rebounds.
Category: Games
Basketball games blog
Hughes, Gallinari lead Knicks over Hawks 109-105
The AP reports: Larry Hughes scored 23 points to continue his turnaround from a rocky start with his new team, and the Knicks snapped a three-game losing streak with a 109-105 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night… Al Harrington had 20 points and 10 rebounds, and Danilo Gallinari scored a career-high 17 points for New York, which got March off to a good start after a 3-10 February that damaged its hopes of making the playoffs in D’Antoni’s first season. Wilson Chandler finished with 18 points, and David Lee had 13 points and 14 rebounds for his 24th straight double-double… Al Horford had 20 points and 13 rebounds for the Hawks, who are trying to hold off Miami and Detroit for fourth place in the East but lost for the fifth time in seven games. Joe Johnson scored 18 points, Marvin Williams 17 and Josh Smith 16 as Atlanta’s lead over the Heat dropped to 1 1/2 games for home-court advantage in the first round.
Unhappy return for Shaq, as Heat top Suns 135-129
The AP reports: Dwyane Wade scored 35 points and tied his career high with 16 assists, Michael Beasley and Daequan Cook both had career highs on the way to a combined 55 points off Miami’s bench. The Heat spoiled Shaquille O’Neal’s first trip back to South Florida since last year’s trade with a 135-129 win over the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night… Beasley scored 28 points—the most by a Heat player besides Wade this season—and nine rebounds. Cook added 27 points and Miami led for all but a portion of the opening minutes on the way to the second-highest point total in franchise history… O’Neal finished with 22 points and eight rebounds before fouling out with 1:08 left. Steve Nash led Phoenix with 29 points and 10 assists, and Jason Richardson added 22 points for the Suns.
Cavaliers clinch playoff spot, beat Bucks 91-73
The AP reports: LeBron James scored 23 points, Delonte West had 13 with a career-high eight steals and the Cavaliers became the first team to clinch a spot in the NBA playoffs by beating the Milwaukee Bucks 91-73 on Wednesday night in a potential first-round series preview… Mo Williams scored 15 against his former team and Zydrunas Ilgauskas added 14 for Cleveland, which lowered its magic for winning the Central Division to six. Richard Jefferson scored 29 for the Bucks, currently clinging to the No. 8 spot in the Eastern Conference. Milwaukee was held to a season-low 73 points and 37 percent shooting by the Cavs, who are holding opponents to 88 points on their home floor.
Bryant scores 31, Lakers beat Grizzlies 99-89
The AP reports: The Lakers halted their mini-slump at two losses in a row with a front-running 99-89 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday night, allowing Los Angeles to avoid its first three-game skid of the season… Lakers center Pau Gasol, matched in the middle against younger brother Marc, had 13 points and eight rebounds. Derek Fisher added 11 points for Los Angeles. Lamar Odom was only 1-of-8 from the floor and scored just two points for Los Angeles, but posted some other impressive numbers: 13 rebounds, eight assists and six blocks… Marc Gasol, four years younger than the 28-year-old Pau, outdid his brother, scoring 17 points and grabbing 14 rebounds for Memphis.
Jack, Murphy lead Pacers past Kings 117-109
The AP reports: The Indiana Pacers picked up a rare road victory and gained ground on the Milwaukee Bucks in the race for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Jarrett Jack scored 26 points and Troy Murphy had 23 points, 10 rebounds and six assists to lead the Pacers to a 117-109 victory Tuesday night against the Sacramento Kings… Marquis Daniels scored 18 points and T.J. Ford had 11 points and nine assists for the Pacers, who meet Portland on Wednesday and finish the three-game road trip Saturday against the Clippers. Kevin Martin scored 21 points for the Kings, who have dropped two straight and five of six. Rashad McCants scored 20 points and Spencer Hawes tied his career-high with 19 points. Jason Thompson scored 13 points and Bobby Jackson had 12.
Landry scores 22, Rockets beat Raptors 107-97
The AP reports: Carl Landry matched a career high with 22 points, Luis Scola added 20 points and 16 rebounds and the Rockets extended their home-court winning streak to 10 games with a 107-97 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday night. Yao Ming added 20 points and 11 rebounds, but struggled at times against Toronto big men Chris Bosh and Andrea Bargnani. That created opportunities for Landry and Scola, two energetic forwards who combined for 22 points and 11 rebounds in the second half to help Houston pull away… Bosh and Bargnani scored 25 points apiece and Jose Calderon matched a career high with 16 assists for the Raptors, who’ve lost seven of their last eight road games.
Brook Lopez shines, Nets beat Bucks 99-95
The AP reports: Vince Carter kept shooting. When it came down to the end, he deferred. Jarvis Hayes hit a tiebreaking 3-pointer off a pass from Carter with 18 seconds left and rookie Brook Lopez scored 24 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to lift the New Jersey Nets to a 99-95 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday night. With the Nets needing wins, the bench provided a bigger-than-expected boost after Carter and Devin Harris struggled, going a combined 8-of-34 from the field. But both provided offense down the stretch… “They caught fire. That’s what great teams do,” said Ramon Sessions, who had 19 points for the Bucks.
Big Jackson game, Warriors beat Wolves 118-94
The AP reports: Stephen Jackson had 23 points, seven rebounds and six assists and Golden State led by 31 points in the first half of a 118-94 victory over the Timberwolves. Kevin Love had 18 points and 14 rebounds for the Timberwolves, who lost for the seventh time in a row and 15th time in their last 17 games… Corey Maggette added 16 points and Andris Biedrins had 10 points and 13 rebounds for the Warriors, who snapped a three-game losing streak… The Timberwolves dropped to 1-9 without star center Al Jefferson, who is out for the season with a torn ACL.
Pistons surge past Billups & Anthony-less Nuggets
The AP reports: It was a win-win night at the Palace. Chauncey Billups got the warm welcome he deserved and the Detroit Pistons won a game they needed. Billups scored a season-high 34 points in his return to suburban Detroit, but the Pistons came away with the 100-95 victory Tuesday night against the Carmelo Anthony-less Denver Nuggets… Tayshaun Prince scored 23 points for the Pistons and four of his teammates scored at least 16, attacking with a balanced offense perhaps not coincidentally because Iverson missed his third straight game with a back injury… Nene scored 20 and J.R. Smith had 16 points for the Nuggets.