The AP reports: There were numerous contributors that helped overwhelm the banged-up Wizards. Rookie D.J. Augustin scored 24 points and newcomer Vladimir Radmanovic added 21 points. They combined to hit nine of 17 3-pointers in starting roles. Emeka Okafor dominated the inside with 16 points and 13 rebounds and Felton came close to his first career triple-double with 15 points, eight rebounds and nine assists… There was less optimism on the Washington side. Caron Butler scored 26 points and Antawn Jamison had 23 points and nine rebounds, but they got little help and the Wizards were woeful on defense in their 10th loss in 12 games.
Category: Games
Basketball games blog
Nuggets clamp down on Magic in 82-73 victory
The AP reports: Carmelo Anthony had 29 points and eight rebounds, and the Nuggets ended a 15-game losing streak in Orlando with an 82-73 win over the Magic on Wednesday night… Kenyon Martin scored 13 points, Nene added 12 and Billups had 11 points for Denver, which hadn’t won in Orlando since March 10, 1992. .. Dwight Howard had 16 points and Rashard Lewis scored 12 for the Magic, who finished with a season low in points, a season-high 24 turnovers and were held to a season-low 30.4 percent shooting from the floor.
Mo Williams 44 points, Cavs beat Suns 109-92
The AP reports: Before packing for Phoenix, Mo Williams padded his All-Star stats. Playing in his first home game since finally being made an All-Star after being skipped over twice, Williams scored a career-high 44 points and LeBron James added 26 as the Cleveland Cavaliers reached the break by winning their 40th game, 109-92 over the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night… The Cavaliers easily outran the speedy Suns, who were without starting point guard Steve Nash. He didn’t dress to get extra rest for numerous sore spots. Amare Stoudemire scored 27 and Grant Hill 14 for Phoenix (28-23), which will host this weekend’s All-Star activities and could undergo a makeover before the Feb. 21 trading deadline.
Ukic huge, no Bosh, Raptors beat Spurs 91-89
The AP reports: Manu Ginobili wasn’t happy to head into the All-Star break after a tough loss to the short-handed Toronto Raptors. Roko Ukic scored a career-high 22 points, Andrea Bargnani had 23 and the Raptors overcame a 32-point effort by Ginobili to beat the San Antonio Spurs 91-89 on Wednesday night… Toronto forward Chris Bosh missed his fourth straight game with a sprained right knee, and point guard Jose Calderon sat out with a sore right hamstring… Tim Duncan had 20 points and 13 rebounds and Tony Parker added 22 points for San Antonio, but missed what would have been a tying jumper at the buzzer.
Andre miller huge, 76ers beat Grizzlies 91-87
The AP reports: Andre Iguodala scored 18 points and made the winning basket with 26 seconds left, lifting the Philadelphia 76ers to their fourth straight win, 91-87 over the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night… Hakim Warrick, who tied a career high with 31 points for the Grizzlies, missed a dunk and Iguodala and Samuel Dalembert sealed the win from the free throw line… Andre Miller had 24 points and Young scored 12 for the Sixers. O.J. Mayo finished with 16 points and Mike Conley had 13 for the Grizzlies. Mayo helped rally the Grizzlies from a 12-point hole and nailed a 3-pointer with 48 seconds left that tied the score at 87.
Bryant reaches 23,000, Lakers beat Thunder 105-98
The AP reports: Kobe Bryant showed no lingering effects from the flu, scoring 34 points and becoming the youngest player in NBA history to reach 23,000 in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 105-98 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night. Pau Gasol had 22 points and 14 rebounds, and Lamar Odom had 12 points and a season-high 18 boards for the Lakers, just back from a 6-0 trip they concluded with wins against Boston and Cleveland… Kevin Durant finished with 31 points, his fifth 30-point game in a row, and 10 rebounds in the loss. Russell Westbrook had 17 points and nine rebounds.
Warriors rout defenseless Knicks 144-127
The AP reports: Stephen Jackson had a season-high 35 points, 10 assists and six rebounds, and Jamal Crawford added 21 points against his former team in the Golden State Warriors’ third straight home victory, 144-127 over the defenseless Newe York Knicks on Tuesday night. Kelenna Azubuike had 22 points and 10 rebounds as the Warriors obliterated their previous season-high for points with almost no defensive opposition from the Knicks, who lost their fifth straight—and lost three players to injuries as well. Al Harrington had 24 points and nine rebounds amid constant boos from the Oakland fans who embraced him just two years ago… David Lee had 27 points and 11 rebounds, and Nate Robinson scored 30 points for the Knicks, whose defensive inadequacies were made even worse by a rash of injuries.
Mavs beat Kings 118-100; Sacramento has losing season
The AP reports: Antoine Wright scored 23 points, his best scoring game in nearly three months, Josh Howard also had 23 points, and the Mavericks won 118-100 over Sacramento on Tuesday night to make the Kings the first NBA team guaranteed to have a losing season… Dirk Nowitzki added 21 points, Jason Kidd had 15 points and 12 rebounds, and Erick Dampier had 16 rebounds. J.J. Barea, the primary fill-in for Terry, had 10 points and four assists without a turnover in 25 1/2 minutes… Kevin Martin had 18 points, though he missed nine consecutive shots at one point for Sacramento. John Salmons had 16 and Shelden Williams 15.
Gordon leads Bulls over Pistons, 107-102
The AP reports: Ben Gordon then buried the free throw to complete the go-ahead four-point play, Derrick Rose and Tyrus Thomas made strong contributions late, and the Chicago Bulls rallied to beat the Detroit Pistons 107-102 on Tuesday night… The Pistons were without Allen Iverson, who had the flu. Even so, they appeared to be in good shape… Richard Hamilton, who scored 30, was at a loss to decipher this one, too… Rose, who finished with 23 points, scored nine in the final 4 minutes and started that 9-0 run with two free throws… Tyrus Thomas, who finished with 22 points and 10 rebounds, added a put-back basket and blocked a layup by Stuckey during that spurt.
Kapono steps up, Raptors beat Wolves 110-102
The AP reports: Jason Kapono is locked and loaded for another 3-point title. The two-time defending 3-point contest champion scored 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting as a reserve to rally the Toronto Raptors to a 110-102 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night. Both teams were missing their big stars. Randy Foye had a career-high 33 points and eight rebounds for the Wolves, who played the first game of the rest of the season without center Al Jefferson. And that future looks grim. Jermaine O’Neal had 22 points and eight rebounds and Joey Graham scored 24 for the Raptors, who rallied from 13 down in the third quarter in their third straight game without All-Star forward Chris Bosh.