The AP reports: Kobe Bryant scored 25 points, Gasol had 24 points and eight rebounds and the Lakers beat Memphis 115-98 on Saturday night, extending the Grizzlies’ losing streak to 12 games. The win was tempered by the uncertain status of Lakers center Andrew Bynum, who left the game in the first quarter with a sprained right knee. X-rays were negative and further tests will be done Sunday in New York where the Lakers face the Knicks the following day… Rudy Gay had 23 points, while O.J. Mayo scored 21 points on 8-for-12 shooting from the field for the Grizzlies, losers of 20 of their last 22. Mike Conley finished with 13 points and seven assists, and Marc Gasol also scored 13 points.
Mavericks shoot past Heat with ease, 111-96
The AP reports: Once again, with no championship at stake, the Miami Heat simply couldn’t beat the Dallas Mavericks. Dirk Nowitzki scored 30 points on 12-for-14 shooting, Jason Terry scored 20 and Jason Kidd finished with 11 assists as the Mavericks beat the Heat for the ninth straight time in the regular season, 111-96 on Saturday night… Dwyane Wade scored 30 points for Miami, which lost for the second straight night. .. Michael Beasley finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds for Miami, which also got 17 points from Mario Chalmers and 10 from Udonis Haslem. Josh Howard finished with 15, while Jose Barea and Brandon Bass each added 11 for the Mavericks.
Lopez leads Nets past fading 76ers
The AP reports: Vince Carter was out, a sprained ankle forcing him to New Jersey’s bench. What he saw was one grim collapse for the 76ers and an improbable win for the resilient Nets. Brook Lopez had 24 points and 17 rebounds and his two-handed dunk with 16.8 seconds left gave New Jersey the lead and helped the Nets take advantage of Philadelphia’s fourth-quarter meltdown to stun the 76ers 85-83 on Saturday night… Devin Harris scored 17 points and the Nets won for only the second time in 10 games… Andre Miller finished with 19 points and Andre Iguodala had 18.
Harrington’s 31 points leads Knicks past Pacers
The AP reports: Al Harrington felt right at home. The former Indiana Pacers forward put up 31 points and eight rebounds against his old team, helping the surging New York Knicks to a 122-113 victory over the Pacers on Saturday night… David Lee finished with 23 points and 17 rebounds, reserve Wilson Chandler had 16 points and eight rebounds, and Quentin Richardson scored 15 for the Knicks, who have won three straight and six of seven. New York (21-25) moved within two games of matching its win total from last season… T.J. Ford had a career-high 36 points, Danny Granger scored 19 and Mike Dunleavy and Stephen Graham each chipped in 14 for the Pacers. Indiana had its seven-game home winning streak snapped.
League denies exception for Mobley
The Bergen Record (Steve Adamek) reports (via blog): The Knicks’ appeal to get a disabled player salary-cap exception for Cuttino Mobley, which would not only have given them a nearly $4.5 million cap slot immediately to use either in a deal or to sign another player, but get his salary (for this season and next) off their cap and enable them to take him off their roster, was denied by the NBA late Friday, team president Donnie Walsh said Saturday morning. The league, Walsh said, essentially determined that Mobley’s heart condition, which forced him to retire shortly after the Knicks acquired him from the Clippers on Nov. 21, but with which he had played before that this season, was a pre-existing condition.
Gordon, Deng help Bulls get past Kings 109-88
The AP reports: Ben Gordon and Luol Deng each scored 20 points for the Bulls, who defeated the Kings 109-88 for the first time since Jordan scored 33 points in that Nov. 23, 1997, game… Tyrus Thomas had 14 points and 10 rebounds, and Kirk Heinrich added 11 points and seven assists for Chicago, which had lost 13 of its previous 19. The Bulls had little time to savor the win because they are facing Phoenix on Saturday with Noah likely matching up against Shaquille O’Neal instead of the Kings’ Brad Miller… Kevin Martin scored 27 points for the Kings, who have lost eight straight, matching their longest losing streak of the season. Sacramento has dropped 20 of 23 and has the worst record in the Western Conference at 10-38. John Salmons had 16 points and Jason Thompson contributed 15 points and 12 rebounds for the Kings, who shot 37 percent and had 22 turnovers.
Warriors upset Hornets, 91-87
The AP reports: Don Nelson saw Peja Stojakovic guarding Corey Maggette in crunch time and figured it was Maggette’s moment to shine. Maggette wasn’t about to disagree. He scored 12 of his 19 points in last six minutes, helping the Golden State Warriors hold on for a 91-87 upset of the New Orleans Hornets on Friday night… Jamal Crawford scored 17 for Golden State, hitting a 19-foot jumper with 15.4 seconds left—a crushing blow after Stojakovic had pulled New Orleans to 85-82 with 37 seconds left. Chris Paul had 31 points for the Hornets, while David West, returning from back spasms that sidelined him for five games, had 12 points and 15 rebounds.
Williams scores 24 to get Jazz over Thunder 110-90
The AP reports: Deron Williams had 24 points and 12 assists and the Utah Jazz snapped a four-game losing streak with a 110-90 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday night… Mehmet Okur scored 20 points and Paul Millsap added 16 points, nine rebounds and tied a career high with seven assists for the Jazz, who capitalized on the Thunder’s 24 turnovers. Kevin Durant had 29 points and 10 rebounds and Russell Westbrook had 20 points but the Thunder couldn’t rally after falling behind in the second quarter.
Anthony returns from broken hand, Nuggets beat Bobcats
The AP reports: Carmelo Anthony scored 19 points in his first game back from a broken bone in his shooting hand, lifting the Denver Nuggets to a 110-99 win over the Charlotte Bobcats on Friday night… Nene had 22 points, hitting 10 of 11 shots, and 12 rebounds for his 14th double-double of the season… Raja Bell led the Bobcats with a season-high 27 points, while Boris Diaw added 16 and former Nuggets player Juwan Howard had 11.
Bynum, Lakers too big for T-wolves in 132-119 win
The AP reports: Andrew Bynum bulled his way inside to 27 points and 15 rebounds, providing the perfect complement to Kobe Bryant and his 30 points, and the Lakers started a six-game road trip with a 132-119 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night… Minnesota’s recent resurgence has been fueled by rebounding and reliable inside play, but L.A. was simply too deep and too tall. Al Jefferson finished with 34 points and 13 rebounds, but Bynum proved to be just a bit stronger inside. The Lakers have another 7-footer, Pau Gasol, who backed up his All-Star selection with 21 points and nine rebounds… Randy Foye scored 27 points for the Wolves, who rallied from a 20-point hole with an 18-7 run in the fourth quarter but couldn’t get any closer.