Final Score: LA Clippers 83, Chicago 78
Los Angeles, CA (Basketball News) - Elton Brand scored 20 points and hauled down 11 rebounds as the Los Angeles Clippers hung on to defeat Chicago, 83-78, from the Staples Center. Corey Maggette added 19 points, while Rick Brunson and Bobby Simmons each netted 11 for the Clippers, who have won two of three following a two-game slide. Simmons pulled down 12 rebounds in the win. Eddy Curry paced the Bulls with 19 points. Kirk Hinrich added 16 points and Ben Gordon chipped in 14 off the bench for the Bulls, who had a three-game winning streak snapped.
Final Score: Houston 111, Sacramento 96
Sacramento, CA (Basketball News) - Tracy McGrady scored 22 points, David Wesley had 21, and the Houston Rockets rolled to a 111-96 victory over Sacramento at ARCO Arena. Mike James added 20 points off the bench and Yao Ming scored 17 for the Rockets, who have won four straight and seven of their last 11 games. Houston has beaten four of the top five teams in the Western Conference during its current win streak, having also knocked off Dallas, Seattle and Phoenix in the last eight days. Peja Stojakovic scored 21 points to lead the Kings, who had a three-game winning streak snapped. Cuttino Mobley added 20 points against his former team.
Final Score: Boston 105, Washington 101
Boston, MA (Basketball News) - Paul Pierce scored 20 points and Raef LaFrentz added 19 to lead Boston to a 105-101 win over Washington at the Banknorth Garden. Ricky Davis, Al Jefferson and Tony Allen all netted 12 points for the Celtics, who have won seven of eight games since acquiring Antoine Walker just prior to the trading deadline. Walker ended with 11 points and 12 boards. Larry Hughes had a game-high 26 points and grabbed nine rebounds for the slumping Wizards, who have dropped three of their last four contests. Gilbert Arenas contributed 25 points and Jared Jeffries added 13 points and 16 boards in the loss.
Final Score: Toronto 128, Philadelphia 110
Toronto, ON (Basketball News) - Donyell Marshall tied an NBA-record with 12 three-pointers, and the Toronto Raptors established a new league mark with 21 as a team in their 128-110 victory over Philadelphia at Air Canada Centre. Marshall scored a career-high 38 points on 12-of-19 shooting from beyond the arc and tied the NBA record set by the Lakers’ Kobe Bryant on January 1, 2003, despite playing just 28 minutes off the bench. Morris Peterson added four three-pointers for 20 points, while Rafer Alston and Jalen Rose made two apiece to push Toronto past the NBA record of 19 established by the Atlanta Hawks on December 17, 1996. The Sixers hit on 10 of their 25 three-point attempts. Allen Iverson scored 32 — including nine on a trio of three-pointers — to lead Philadelphia, which has lost three of four.
Final Score: Seattle 90, New York 80
New York, NY (Basketball News) - Rashard Lewis scored 23 points as Seattle stopped a season-worst three-game slide with a 90-80 victory over the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Ray Allen added 19 points and Reggie Evans grabbed 16 rebounds for the SuperSonics, who outscored the Knicks 15-4 over the game’s final three minutes to earn their first triumph at the Garden since November 24, 1996. Stephon Marbury and Tim Thomas each finished with 20 points for the Knicks, who had won two in a row and five of six coming in. New York also saw a seven- game home win streak come to an end.
Final Score: New Jersey 98, Orlando 82
Orlando, FL (Basketball News) - Vince Carter, Jacque Vaughn and a monster third quarter were all the New Jersey Nets needed to manhandle the slumping Orlando Magic, 98-82, at the TD Waterhouse Centre. Carter went 10-of-19 from the floor en route to a game-high 33 points to go along with seven rebounds for New Jersey, which won for just the second time in six outings. It was the 27th time in his last 29 games Carter has scored at least 20 points. Leading Orlando, which has lost four straight games, were Grant Hill and Hedo Turkoglu with 23 points apiece.
Final Score: Detroit 64, Utah 62
Detroit, MI (Basketball News) - Richard Hamilton scored a team-high 15 points and Ben Wallace recorded a huge blocked shot in the closing seconds to help the Detroit Pistons hold on for a 64-62 home victory over the Utah Jazz. Chauncey Billups ended with 12 points for the Pistons, who picked up their ninth straight home victory, but won for just the second time in six games overall. Rasheed Wallace posted 10 points and 10 rebounds in the triumph. Andrei Kirilenko recorded 27 points, 14 rebounds and five blocked shots for the Jazz, who have dropped five straight contests.
Final Score: Cleveland 98, Indiana 86
Cleveland, OH (Basketball News) - LeBron James poured in a game-high 35 points as Cleveland defeated Indiana, 98-86, at Gund Arena. James made 12-of-23 from the field and hit on 10-of-11 from the foul line for the Cavaliers, who have won two straight following a six-game losing streak. Zydrunas Ilgauskas ended with 16 points and 11 rebounds while Drew Gooden contributed 13 points and 11 boards in the win. Reggie Miller scored 29 points and Anthony Johnson added 17 for the Pacers, who had their two-game winning streak halted.
Final Score: Phoenix 106, Denver 101
Denver, CO (Basketball News) - Steve Nash finished with 25 points, 11 assists and six rebounds and Joe Johnson collected 23 points and 11 boards, as the Phoenix Suns downed the Denver Nuggets, 106-101, at America West Arena. Shawn Marion posted 19 points and 15 rebounds for the Suns, who bounced back from Friday’s 20-point home loss to Houston to win for the fifth time in six games. Kenyon Martin ended with 21 points and nine rebounds and Earl Boykins added 20 points and nine assists for the Nuggets, who had their season-high winning streak halted at eight games. Denver was also trying to make it back- to-back wins over the top two teams in the Western Conference after defeating San Antonio on Saturday.
