Duncan spurs San Antonio to seventh consecutive win

Tim Duncan top-scored 31 points to lead the San Antonio Spurs to their seventh consecutive victory, a 97-94 home win over the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday.

The Spurs All-Star, who broke a 94-94 tie with a pair of free throws with 34 seconds remaining, also had 15 rebounds in the battle of the Texas teams.

Michael Finley added a final free throw at the end of the game to complete a strong rally for the Spurs.

Dallas had held a 10-point lead with 3:44 left in the third quarter before Finley, who finished with 16 points, scored nine points in a 13-1 burst to put the Spurs ahead.

The fourth quarter was close throughout.

Dirk Nowitzki led the Mavericks with 28 points and newly acquired guard Jason Kidd had 10 assists.

Manu Ginobili added 17 for San Antonio, which leads the Southwest Division by a game over New Orleans.

* Devin Harris scored 16 of his 21 points in a first-half spurt to lead the New Jersey Nets to a 120-106 home win over the Milwaukee Bucks. Michael Redd had 33 points for the Bucks.

(Writing by Gene Cherry in Raleigh, North Carolina; Editing by John O'Brien)

Hornets top Suns 120-103 to snap skid

Chris Paul had 25 points, 15 assists and three steals to help the New Orleans Hornets end a three-game losing skid with a 120-103 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night.

David West scored 27 points and reserve guard Jannero Pargo 22 added for New Orleans, which shot 53 percent in avoiding its first four-game losing streak of the season.

The Suns continued to struggle since trading Shawn Marion for Shaquille O'Neal, but they couldn't blame their third loss in five games solely on the veteran 7-foot-1 center, who had 15 points and seven rebounds.

Phoenix fell apart defensively in the second half in the face of the Hornets' combination of up-tempo offense and good perimeter shooting. The Hornets were 8-of-15 from 3-point range while outscoring Phoenix 16-12 on the fastbreak and 40-36 inside.

Hornets center Tyson Chandler, who hadn't notched a double-double in his previous four outings, awoke from that slump with 12 points and 15 rebounds. He muscled inside for follow-up dunks on teammates' missed shots and threw down several alley-oop dunks.

Amare Stoudemire led Phoenix with 32 points and 14 rebounds. Leandro Barbosa scored 17 points, hitting five 3-pointers, Raja Bell had 14 points and Steve Nash 13 assists.

New Orleans shot nearly 70 percent in the third quarter and opened a 20-point lead. West hit a jump hook to start it off, then Paul hit a jumper and a 3 before feeding Chandler on the first of two alley-oop dunks in the period.

Morris Peterson, who finished with 11 points, hit all four of his shots in the quarter, including a 3-pointer. Stojakovic closed out the period with a leaner off the glass as he was fouled, putting New Orleans ahead 97-77 heading into the final period.

Stoudamire hit a pair of straightaway jumpers to open the fourth quarter, but Pargo responded with his third 3-pointer, and New Orleans maintained a comfortable lead the rest of the way.

Superb 3-point shooting helped the Suns take an early lead as Barbosa's first three shots were 3s. Bell, Stoudamire and Linton Johnson all made one, as well, as Phoenix started 6-of-7 from long distance.

The Suns led by as much as eight in the first half before the Hornets began to find their range.

Pargo, who had 16 points in the half, and Stojakovic each hit a pair of 3s in the second quarter, the last by Stojakovic lifting the Hornets into the lead at 53-51.

Paul later fed Chandler for a soaring tomahawk jam that energized the sellout crowd, and the Hornets led 59-55 at halftime.

Notes:@ Bonzi Wells sat out with a bruised Achilles' tendon. He has played twice since the Hornets acquired him in a trade last week. ... The Hornets have won all four of their meetings with the Suns this season. ... Attendance was 17,931, the Hornets' second sellout in four home games since the All-Star break.

Kobe, Lakers beat Blazers 96-83

Kobe Bryant scored 11 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter and the Los Angeles Lakers held the Trail Blazers to 36 percent field goal shooting, beating Portland 96-83 Tuesday night for their ninth straight victory.

Second-year backup point guard Jordan Farmar tied a career high with 21 points for the Lakers, who lead the Western Conference by one game over San Antonio and Phoenix and are 40-17, just two wins behind last season's total with 25 games to play. Bryant added nine rebounds and seven assists, and Pau Gasol had 15 points and 10 rebounds.

LaMarcus Aldridge led Portland with 24 points and Joel Pryzbilla tied a season high with 16 rebounds.

The Trail Blazers converted their first 21 free throws before Martell Webster missed with 1:33 remaining. But the undermanned Blazers shot under 40 percent from the field for the 10th time this season and the sixth time in their last 16 games. Coach Nate McMillan was ejected with 3:05 to play after arguing about a foul.

The Blazers have lost eight of their last nine and 15 of 22, following a 17-1 surge. As a result, they are only one game over .500 (29-28) in the tightly bunched West, where just six games separate the top nine teams. Portland is in 10th place, 4 1/2 games behind Denver and 5 1/2 behind Golden State for the eighth and final seed.

Travis Outlaw, who led the Blazers in scoring in each of their previous four games while averaging 23 points, had 18 against the Lakers in his first start of the season. Jarrett Jack, who tied a career-high with 30 points a year ago against the Lakers in Los Angeles, had four points in 22 minutes off the bench.

All-Star forward Brandon Roy, who aggravated a sprained right ankle in the third quarter of Sunday's 112-102 loss against Boston, was back in Portland getting an MRI exam. James Jones, whose 49.3 percentage from 3-point range is second best in the league, is about a week away from returning from a sore left knee.

The Lakers erased a 15-point first-quarter deficit and took a 67-65 lead into the fourth on Ronny Turiaf's 3-point play. They pulled away with a 14-2 run capped by Farmar, whose 3-pointer and layup gave them an 81-71 lead with 5:54 left.

Portland got as close as 84-79, but the Lakers closed it out with a 12-4 spurt.

Notes: A win Thursday against Miami would give the Lakers their 21st double-digit winning streak in franchise history and their 17th since moving from Minneapolis to Los Angeles — including an NBA-record 33-game run in 1971-72. .. Portland was outscored 23-14 in the third quarter, the seventh time in eight games it had fewer than 20 points in that period. ... McMillan said he hopes Roy will be ready to play the Lakers on Friday in Portland. ... Lakers F Vladimir Radmanovic missed his second game with a right calf strain, forcing coach Phil Jackson to play Luke Walton more minutes than he wants to. "Given his history, he hasn't returned quickly from injuries. But we hope that he's back within five games," Jackson said.

Trio of Pistons too much for Nuggets

Chauncey Billups, Tayshaun Prince and Richard Hamilton had 20 points each to lead the Detroit Pistons over the Denver Nuggets 98-93 on Monday night.

The Nuggets had a chance to tie it when Billups fouled J.R. Smith on a 3-point attempt with 6.5 seconds left and Detroit leading 95-92. Smith made the first free throw, missed the second and intentionally missed the third, but the Nuggets couldn't get the rebound.

Billups hit three foul shots in the final seconds to seal the Pistons' third straight win.

Allen Iverson had a game-high 28 points and Carmelo Anthony had 23 for the Nuggets, who lost their third in a row.

Nuggets assistant coach Adrian Dantley served as the head coach because George Karl missed the game with the flu. Karl became sick on the team's return from Milwaukee late Saturday night. He didn't attend the team's shootaround Monday morning, but the team said he should be back for Wednesday's game in Seattle.

The Nuggets led early in the fourth when Hamilton got hot. He hit three straight shots to give Detroit an 83-78 lead. Smith cut the lead to one with a 3-pointer with 3:43 left, but Billups made a bucket and a 3-pointer with 1:50 left to push the lead to 93-86.

The Pistons led 62-58 when Iverson converted a three-point play and Linas Kleiza hit consecutive buckets to give Denver a 65-62 lead with 3:46 left in the third quarter. The Pistons recovered to tie it at 73 heading into the fourth.

The game was even throughout the second quarter. Detroit led by four early in the period, but after Denver took the lead, the margin was never more than three the rest of the half. Anthony's 17-foot jumper with 38.3 seconds left sent the teams into the break tied at 49.

The Pistons, who came into Monday ranked 15th in the league in scoring, were hot early. They shot 56 percent from the field in the first quarter and took a 30-28 lead when Prince hit a short jumper at the buzzer. Detroit led by as many as seven in the first 12 minutes, but Anthony helped keep the Nuggets close with 11 points in the first period.

Notes:@ Dantley won the only other NBA game in which he served as a head coach, 111-105 at the Los Angeles Lakers on April 3, 2007. ... Dantley played for the Pistons from 1986-89. He was traded to Dallas during the 1988-89 season, the year the Pistons won their first championship. ... Anthony moved into fifth place on Denver's career scoring list. ... Detroit is 9-2 in February and is guaranteed a winning month. The Pistons have not had a losing month since February 2004 when they were 6-8. ... Karl has missed six games since becoming the Nuggets' head coach in 2005. He missed four games because of suspensions two years ago.

Bryant ejected as Lakers crush Sonics

Kobe Bryant made it look too easy scoring, distributing and leading the Los Angeles Lakers back to the top of the Western Conference. Even if he didn't get to see the final 16 minutes.

Bryant scored 21 points in just 26 minutes, handed out 10 assists, and picked up his first ejection of the season in Los Angeles' 111-91 win — its season-high eighth straight — over the Seattle SuperSonics on Sunday night.

The Lakers never trailed while extending their longest streak since rolling off 11 straight late in the 2003-04 season — the last time they reached the NBA finals.

Los Angeles wrapped up a stretch playing 12 of 13 on the road with an astonishing 11-2 mark, including wins in the last seven. At 39-17, the Lakers moved ahead of Phoenix for the best record in the West, the second time this season they've led the conference.

Pau Gasol added 22 points, and Lamar Odom had 19 points and 11 rebounds.

Bryant didn't get to see his teammates finish this one off after picking up a pair of technicals from official Brian Forte with 4 minutes left in the third quarter and the Lakers leading 88-57.

Bryant was furious after not getting a foul while fighting for an offensive rebound. Bryant kept jawing at Forte as Seattle raced the other direction. Seattle's Earl Watson missed a shot, but Mickael Gelabale grabbed the offensive rebound. With a lull in the action, Forte popped Bryant with a technical.

Bryant wasn't content to leave it at that. He followed Forte into the backcourt and moments later was given his second technical and an early exit.

Gelabale led the Sonics with a career-high 21 points, making 10 of 16 shots. He was about the only Sonics player to make anything. Seattle shot just 40 percent, punctuated by rookie Kevin Durant, who missed his first seven shots. A couple of fourth-quarter dunks made Durant's stat line look a little better as he finished with 15 points. Fellow rookie Jeff Green also had 15 for Seattle.

Seattle played without starting forward Chris Wilcox and newly acquired forward Donyell Marshall, both sick. Reserve swingman Damien Wilkins also didn't play after falling hard on his wrist Friday night against Portland.

Bryant's ejection might have made a difference, but the Lakers thoroughly and efficiently blew Seattle out in the first 20 minutes. Bryant, Gasol and Odom combined for 29 of the Lakers' 34 first-quarter points as Los Angeles built a 16-point lead. Seattle briefly trimmed the deficit to 36-27 early in the second quarter, but led by reserves Sasha Vujacic and Jordan Farmar, the Lakers scored 13 straight points, holding Seattle scoreless for nearly four minutes, and taking a 49-27 lead.

The only reason Seattle didn't trail by 30 at halftime was a surprising 14 first-half points from Gelabale, a total that surpassed his previous season-high of 12.

Notes:@ The Lakers' biggest lead came right before Bryant was ejected. ... The Lakers were without F Vladimir Radmanovic, who strained his right calf in Saturday's win over the Clippers. Radmanovic is day-to-day. ... New Seattle F Ira Newble played 12 minutes and scored two points in his debut.

Redd's 42 keys Bucks' rally over Nuggets

Michael Redd scored a season-high 42 points, including five free throws in the final 1:13, and the Milwaukee Bucks rallied from 23 points down to beat the Denver Nuggets 115-109 on Saturday night.

Mo Williams added 26 points, including 20 in the second half, for Milwaukee, which finished the game on a 23-10 run to deny Denver (33-22) its best 55-game start in 20 years.

Allen Iverson scored 26 points, and Carmelo Anthony added 25 for the Nuggets, which led by 23 in the second quarter, 64-50 at halftime and 99-92 with less than seven minutes remaining.

They couldn't hold off the Bucks, who made 13 of 14 free throws in the final 1:35 to seal the comeback and the victory.

The game was tied at 104 with 1:19 remaining when Redd made two free throws on back-to-back possessions to put Milwaukee up four. Williams made it 110-104 with two free throws with 31 seconds left.

Andrew Bogut had 12 points and a season-high 20 rebounds for Milwaukee.

J.R. Smith, coming off a career-best 43-point performance against Chicago on Friday, had 20 points for Denver.

Denver looked on its way to dominating Milwaukee in the first half, but the Bucks opened the third quarter on a 25-13 run behind 12 points by Williams to cut a 14-point halftime deficit to 77-75. Williams had 14 in the period and the Bucks outrebounded the Nuggets 17-3 in the third.

Milwaukee outrebounded the Nuggets 53-40 for the game.

Denver went up 93-84 early in the fourth quarter with a long jumper by Iverson, but the Bucks came back again as Redd made it 96-92 with a 3-pointer with less than 8 minutes left.

Eduardo Najera gave Denver some breathing room at 99-92 with a 3-pointer with 6:30 to play before Milwaukee used a 10-0 run to take a 102-99 lead on a putback by Bogut with 3:01 left.

Charlie Bell had given Milwaukee its first lead since early in the first quarter, 100-99, with a 3-pointer from the left corner with 3:35 remaining.

Denver had won nine of 10 games against the Bucks, including four straight in Milwaukee.

For as good as the Bucks looked in the second half, they looked just as bad in the first.

Milwaukee missed 12 of its first 15 shots as Denver went on a 16-0 first-quarter run.

The Nuggets had 17 fast-break points to Milwaukee's zero in the half and outrebounded the Bucks 30-24 before halftime. The Nuggets even had two first-half layups after rebounding its own missed free throws.

Redd's 26 first-half points kept Milwaukee in the game, even as the crowd booed on several occasions, saving its biggest applause of the first three quarters — and a standing ovation — for a group of senior citizen women dancers who performed "Soulja Boy" before the final period.

Anthony and Marcus Camby picked up separate technical fouls late in the second quarter for arguing with the officials. Smith also had a technical foul in the fourth quarter for arguing.

Notes:@ The Nuggets last started 34-21 in 1987-88. Denver's best 55-game start came in 1976-77, when the Nuggets began the year 36-19 under coach Larry Brown. ... Only three times this season has Anthony or Iverson not led the Nuggets in scoring. ... Smith's 43 points Friday were the most for a Denver non-starter.

Redd's 42 keys Bucks' rally over Nuggets

Michael Redd scored a season-high 42 points, including five free throws in the final 1:13, and the Milwaukee Bucks rallied from 23 points down to beat the Denver Nuggets 115-109 on Saturday night.

Mo Williams added 26 points, including 20 in the second half, for Milwaukee, which finished the game on a 23-10 run to deny Denver (33-22) its best 55-game start in 20 years.

Allen Iverson scored 26 points, and Carmelo Anthony added 25 for the Nuggets, which led by 23 in the second quarter, 64-50 at halftime and 99-92 with less than seven minutes remaining.

They couldn't hold off the Bucks, who made 13 of 14 free throws in the final 1:35 to seal the comeback and the victory.

The game was tied at 104 with 1:19 remaining when Redd made two free throws on back-to-back possessions to put Milwaukee up four. Williams made it 110-104 with two free throws with 31 seconds left.

Andrew Bogut had 12 points and a season-high 20 rebounds for Milwaukee.

J.R. Smith, coming off a career-best 43-point performance against Chicago on Friday, had 20 points for Denver.

Denver looked on its way to dominating Milwaukee in the first half, but the Bucks opened the third quarter on a 25-13 run behind 12 points by Williams to cut a 14-point halftime deficit to 77-75. Williams had 14 in the period and the Bucks outrebounded the Nuggets 17-3 in the third.

Milwaukee outrebounded the Nuggets 53-40 for the game.

Denver went up 93-84 early in the fourth quarter with a long jumper by Iverson, but the Bucks came back again as Redd made it 96-92 with a 3-pointer with less than 8 minutes left.

Eduardo Najera gave Denver some breathing room at 99-92 with a 3-pointer with 6:30 to play before Milwaukee used a 10-0 run to take a 102-99 lead on a putback by Bogut with 3:01 left.

Charlie Bell had given Milwaukee its first lead since early in the first quarter, 100-99, with a 3-pointer from the left corner with 3:35 remaining.

Denver had won nine of 10 games against the Bucks, including four straight in Milwaukee.

For as good as the Bucks looked in the second half, they looked just as bad in the first.

Milwaukee missed 12 of its first 15 shots as Denver went on a 16-0 first-quarter run.

The Nuggets had 17 fast-break points to Milwaukee's zero in the half and outrebounded the Bucks 30-24 before halftime. The Nuggets even had two first-half layups after rebounding its own missed free throws.

Redd's 26 first-half points kept Milwaukee in the game, even as the crowd booed on several occasions, saving its biggest applause of the first three quarters — and a standing ovation — for a group of senior citizen women dancers who performed "Soulja Boy" before the final period.

Anthony and Marcus Camby picked up separate technical fouls late in the second quarter for arguing with the officials. Smith also had a technical foul in the fourth quarter for arguing.

Notes:@ The Nuggets last started 34-21 in 1987-88. Denver's best 55-game start came in 1976-77, when the Nuggets began the year 36-19 under coach Larry Brown. ... Only three times this season has Anthony or Iverson not led the Nuggets in scoring. ... Smith's 43 points Friday were the most for a Denver non-starter.

Suns send Celtics to third straight loss

Amare Stoudemire scored 28 points and the Phoenix Suns gave Boston its first three-game losing streak of the season with a rugged 85-77 victory over the Celtics on Friday night.

The Suns got their first victory with Shaquille O'Neal in the lineup. They lost 130-124 to the Los Angeles Lakers in O'Neal's Phoenix debut on Wednesday night.

Steve Nash added 18 points, including a pair of late 3-pointers, and Grant Hill had 14 points and 13 rebounds to record consecutive double-doubles for the first time since Dec. 2-4, 2002. O'Neal had just four points but 14 rebounds as the Suns dominated the boards 50-32.

Kevin Garnett scored 19 points, Paul Pierce was 2-for-13 shooting for five points and Ray Allen scored 11 points and shot 3-for-12.

The Celtics never led while falling to 0-3 on their five-game trip through the West after going 16-0 against the Western Conference. Phoenix improved to 22-2 against the East.

The Suns played most of the game without Leandro Barbosa, who got a cut above the right eye on a shot from Pierce with 4:36 left in the game. The cut required three stitches and Barbosa did not return.

Phoenix went 12:05 without a field goal in the first half and still had the lead, 27-26. Nash ended the drought with a layup that ignited a 16-2 outburst that gave the Suns a 43-28 lead when Raja Bell made one of two free throws 1:05 before the break. Boston's Rajon Rondo made a layup with 2.1 seconds to go to make it 43-30 at the half.

It was the fewest points in a half by Boston and the fewest by a Suns' opponent this season.

Boston trailed by as many as 16 in the third quarter. The Celtics cut it to nine early in the fourth quarter and seven in the final seconds.

Phoenix led by 13 at the break despite committing 15 turnovers in the game's first 17 minutes.

Garnett and Stoudemire were locked in a heated battle throughout. Garnett, in his third game back after missing eight with a strained abdominal muscle, drew his third foul with an elbow into Stoudemire and had to leave the game with 4:08 left in the half. Later, Stoudemire drew a technical for shoving Garnett.

The Suns committed 11 turnovers in the first quarter but still led 24-13 because the Celtics shot 21 percent (5-for-24). O'Neal was scoreless had four turnovers in the quarter.

Boston started 2-for-14 as Phoenix went on a 15-0 run to build a 19-4 lead on Barbosa's layup with 5:39 to play. The Celtics got back in it with a 10-0 surge to cut it to 27-26 on Garnett's dunk 7:50 before the break.

Notes:@ Boston's 13 in the first were the fewest points allowed by Phoenix in a quarter this season. ... Phoenix outrebounded the Celtics 18-4 in the first quarter. ... The Suns are home against Detroit on Sunday. ... Boston has Portland and the Los Angeles Clippers remaining on its trip.

McGrady leads Rockets to 10th win in a row

The Houston Rockets surged to their 10th consecutive win on Thursday, beating the Miami Heat 112-100 behind Tracy McGrady's 23 points and 10 assists.

Yao Ming added 21 points as all five Houston starters finished in double figures.

"It feels great," Yao told reporters.

"A 10-game winning streak. When I walk out of this building tonight, I think I will feel very fresh."

Dwyane Wade had 33 points and 11 assists but could not keep the Heat from losing their 10th successive game.

A 41-point first quarter gave the Rockets a 15-point lead which Miami could not catch.

McGrady had 14 points in the quarter with Rafer Alston adding 11 as Houston shot a torrid 81 percent from the floor.

Alston finished with 16 points and 11 assists, Luis Scola had 11 points and 10 rebounds and Shane Battier grabbed 12 points for Houston.

Rookie reserve Carl Landry also played a big role, scoring 19 points, 11 of them in the fourth quarter.

"We have confidence in him," McGrady told reporters.

"He's a guy that somehow, some way can read defenses. We know where he's going to be. He's not afraid. He finishes well, has great hands and he plays hard."

Shawn Marion added 18 points and 10 rebounds for the Heat.

* Manu Ginobili's jumper with six seconds left closed out a 44-point performance and helped the San Antonio Spurs beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 100-99.

* Brandon Roy had 19 points and 14 rebounds to lead the Portland Trail Blazers to a 92-88 home win over the Seattle SuperSonics.

(Writing by Gene Cherry in Raleigh, North Carolina, editing by Martin Petty and Peter Rutherford)

Baron Davis leads Warriors past Celtics

Baron Davis hit a 20-foot jumper with 0.3 seconds to play, and the Golden State Warriors beat the Boston Celtics 119-117 on Wednesday night, sending the NBA leaders to their second straight loss since Kevin Garnett's return.

Monta Ellis scored 12 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter, and Davis capped his 29-point performance with his latest incredible late-game heroics. Al Harrington added 22 points and 12 rebounds for the Warriors, who have won 13 of their last 18 games.

Paul Pierce scored seven of his 23 points in the final 1:38 to rally Boston, including two free throws with 6.5 seconds left. The Warriors turned over the game to Davis, who dribbled casually to the right side of the key before draining a fallaway jump shot, inciting the standing-room-only crowd at Oracle Arena.

Ray Allen hit six 3-pointers while scoring 32 points for the Celtics, and Garnett had 17 points and 15 rebounds while playing 31 minutes in his return from a strained abdominal muscle.

Boston has lost on the first two stops of its five-game West Coast road trip after falling at Denver on Tuesday.

Garnett, who had been out since Jan. 25, looked stronger in his second game back. But he scored just six points in the fourth quarter and went without a field goal in the final 8 minutes, while Allen managed just five points in the fourth — none in the final 6:15.

Andris Biedrins had 21 points and 13 rebounds for the Warriors, who played without Stephen Jackson for the first time since his season-opening seven-game suspension. Jackson, their second-leading scorer, sprained his left ankle in Golden State's loss at Utah on Tuesday night.

Golden State had a small lead through most of the final minutes of regulation, but Pierce kept the Celtics close. The Warriors wasted a chance to run down the clock moments earlier when Matt Barnes inexplicably attempted an awkward layup around four Celtics with 14 seconds left — and 10 seconds on the shot clock.

Pierce drew a blocking foul on Harrington and hit two tying free throws, but Davis added another remarkable shot to his lengthy history of late-game theatrics.

Boston held the NBA's highest-scoring team to its lowest output of the season in the clubs' first meeting this season, a 104-82 win for the Celtics in November. Golden State had that many points after three quarters in the rematch, and the Warriors won with a 37-point fourth quarter.

Jackson averages a career-best 20.6 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists, but the swingman got hurt in the third quarter against Utah. Mickael Pietrus had 12 points in Jackson's place in the starting lineup, sharing minutes with Harrington.

Notes:@ The Warriors' standing-room-only crowd of 20,711 was the largest in franchise history and the largest ever to watch a basketball game in the state of California, the team claimed. Golden State has sold out 19 of its 27 home games. ... Celtics F Leon Powe, an Oakland native who played at Cal, had three points and four fouls in 14 minutes. ... Golden State reportedly was among the suitors for Garnett when Minnesota put him on the market last summer, but the Warriors' biggest acquisition at the position is Chris Webber, who had five points and four rebounds.

Kobe, Gasol lead Lakers over Hawks

Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol each scored 23 points before sitting out the fourth quarter, and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Atlanta Hawks 122-93 Tuesday night for their fifth straight victory.

It was Gasol's first home game with Los Angeles, Bryant's first since deciding to forego surgery on his injured shooting hand, and Mike Bibby's debut with Atlanta following Saturday's trade from Sacramento.

Bryant, who dislocated his right pinkie during the Lakers' 7-2 trip, was 8-for-16 from the field with five steals, five rebounds and three assists. He played free and easy and didn't seem at all inhibited by the ailing finger, making a pair of dunks and going 1-for-4 from 3-point range.

The 10-time All-Star and two-time defending NBA scoring champ has averaged 30.4 points over his last five games after scoring 11 on 4-for-16 shooting in a 98-95 loss in Atlanta on Feb. 6. Bryant risked having to sit out this one had he not played in an All-Star game, so he suited up in New Orleans on Sunday and spent only 2 minutes, 52 seconds on the court to rest his sore finger.

Lamar Odom, coming off his 12th career triple-double, also sat out the final quarter after getting 17 points and 15 rebounds. The Lakers finished 51 percent from the field, improving to 18-1 when shooting at least 50 percent.

Joe Johnson had 18 points for the Hawks, who lost their season-worst fifth straight and sixth in a row on the road. Bibby had just five points and three assists in 16-plus minutes, picking up his fourth foul with 9:33 left in the third quarter and going to the bench for good with Atlanta down by 35.

Rookie center Al Horford, who had a career-high 20 rebounds against the Lakers the last time the teams met, picked up two fouls in his first 7 minutes on the floor and finished with five boards.

Atlanta's Josh Childress had 16 points in 30 minutes after missing one game with a hyperextended right knee. He hit a 3-point buzzer-beater from 27 feet to end the first half, but all that did was trim Los Angeles' lead to 73-37.

The Lakers ended the first quarter with a 13-0 run that extended their margin to 18 points, and they never looked back. Bryant helped power a 22-1 blitz that gave them a 68-28 cushion in the final minute of the second quarter. The Hawks got no closer than 23 points.

After making things miserable for Bibby in his first game with the Hawks, the Lakers will be Shaquille O'Neal's first opponent as a member of Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night when he faces the team he helped lead to three straight NBA titles. A win would tie the Lakers with Phoenix for first place in the Pacific Division.

Bibby also will face his ex-teammates on Wednesday when the Hawks travel to Sacramento. The 29-year-old point guard averaged 13.5 points and 5.0 assists in 15 games for the Kings after missing their first 36 games while recovering from surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left thumb.

Notes:@ Bryant needs 16 points to tie David Robinson (20,790) for 27th on the career list. ... Atlanta F Josh Smith, the league's second-leading shot blocker, rejected an attempted slam dunk attempt by Vladimir Radmanovic with 8:08 left in the second quarter and the Hawks trailing by 21. ... Bibby was 0-for-4 from 3-point range and still needs 25 more for 1,000 in his career. ... Bryant, who set a franchise record by converting 62 consecutive free throws in January 2006, has made his last 49 in a row.

Basketball: Allen, LeBron lead West to victory in NBA All-Star Game

LeBron James and Ray Allen took command late after the East squandered a big lead to spark a 134-128 victory over the West in Sunday's 57th National Basketball Association All-Star Game.

Allen, a late All-Star injury substitute, scored 14 of his 28 points in the final 3:14 while NBA scoring leader James had 27 points, nine assists and eight rebounds to win Most Valuable Player honors for the second time in three years.

"We really wanted this win," James said. "To add the MVP trophy with the win means a lot to me. Competitive-wise, it was the best one. You could probably see on all the guys' faces in the fourth quarter how bad we all wanted it."

The West fell behind 95-79 in the third quarter but Chris Paul and Amare Stoudemire ignited a comeback and German forward Dirk Nowitzki gave the West their first lead at 112-110 with 6:52 to play, completing a 17-2 West run.

Then eight-time All-Star Allen caught fire from 3-point range when it mattered most, hitting three 3-pointers to finish 5-of-9 from beyond the arc and adding a layup and three free throws in the last seconds to secure victory.

"It has probably been my best All-Star Game," Allen said. "I was feeling good out there. I knew I was going to get some good shots off. It was just a matter of whether or not I made them."

Allen, the backcourt star of the NBA-leading Boston Celtics, made shot after shot to keep the game tight, setting the stage for the final drama.

"Ray just got hot. I couldn't believe how hot he was," said West star Amare Stoudemire. "We came up with an incredible run in the fourth quarter but Ray kept them in the game."

After Allen's trio of 30-pointers, Cleveland Cavaliers playmaker James put the East ahead for good with a drive to the basket for a slam dunk over two defenders with 55 seconds to play.

"I wanted to try and be aggressive, go to the hole and try to get a foul or a layup," James said. "I saw those bigs and I didn't want to pull up. I wanted to go strong and I was able to dunk it through."

"We did a good job of executing. Ray hit some of the biggest shots of the game and I put the finishing touch on it with the dunk."

That was the moment when West coach Byron Scott missed injured Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, who played only the first 2:52 before going to the bench to stay because of a torn tendon and broken bone in his right pinky.

"Kobe would have loved that play," Scott said. "LeBron is a freight train when he goes to the basket. It's hard to stop him when he is going like that."

The triumph lifted the East's edge in the all-time rivalry to 35-22. The East won for the third time in four years after losing 153-132 last year.

"They lost in a big way last year and I don't care what type of game it is, they remember that," East coach Doc Rivers said.

Dwight Howard added 16 points for the East while Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh had 14 points each and Jason Kidd had 10 assists.

Carmelo Anthony, Amare Stoudemire and Brandon Roy each scored 18 points to lead the West while Chris Paul added 16 points and 14 assists.

"The fourth quarter was crazy," Paul said. "We were down 13. We picked up the intensity. We took the lead a few times but Ray Allen was unbelievable the way he shot the ball.

"And that last dunk by LeBron, we had two people on him but that still wasn't enough."

The East jumped ahead 18-7 on the way to a 74-65 half-time lead with James and Howard each scoring 12 first-half points. They exchanged assists and dunks on three East possessions in a row for the biggest cheers of the first half.

Kidd set for Dallas return in multi-player trade: reports

New Jersey Nets point guard Jason Kidd is set to return to the Dallas Mavericks as part of a multi-player trade, The Dallas Morning News and Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported on Monday.

An NBA executive confirmed before Sunday's All-Star Game in New Orleans the deal had been finalized and would be submitted to the league office on Monday for approval, the newspapers said.

The Mavericks will trade five players, two first-round draft picks and $3 million to the Nets for Kidd, who played in Dallas for three seasons from 1994, the papers said.

Devin Harris, DeSagana Diop, Trenton Hassell, Maurice Ager and Keith Van Horn will go to the Nets for Kidd, Malik Allen and perhaps a third player, Antoine Wright, the Morning News reported.

"It's breathing but not done," Mavericks owner Mark Cuban told the newspapers.

The Mavericks last week attempted to trade for the 34-year-old Kidd in a deal that involved Jerry Stackhouse and Devean George.

George, however, blocked the trade.

(Writing by Gene Cherry in Raleigh, North Carolina; Editing by John O'Brien)

Orlando "Superman" Howard wins NBA Slam Dunk title

Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard used a Superman outfit plus great creativity and leaping skills to win a spectacular National Basketball Association Slam Dunk Contest here on Saturday.

The flamboyant 22-year-old American was a runaway winner with 78 percent of the votes from viewers by internet and text messaging to defeat cupcake-aided 2007 winner Gerald Green of the Minnesota Timberwolves in the finals.

"It means a lot to me. This one was really for the big men," Howard said. "People say big men don't look good dunking. I really wanted to win it for all the big men. I love dunking - 90 percent of my shots are dunks."

Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Vince Carter were among the high-leaping heroes who excited crowds to win the slam dunk throne in past years but few stars have taken part recently. But the sparkle has returned with a vengeance.

"We decided we were going to1 add as much flair and personality to the dunk contest as we could this year. I think the dunk contest is back," Howard said.

It was the first time a high-tech vote system had been used to crown an NBA slam dunk king, although five former NBA greats such as Julius Erving and Magic Johnson who had judged the first round unanimously saw Howard as the winner.

Howard wore a blue Superman tunic and red cape on a first-round alley-oop dunk after having electrified the crowd by slamming in a left-handed dunk after first bouncing the ball off the rear side of the backboard.

"People like to see that. They don't want to see the same old dunk. People want something with some spice," Howard said. "This year all the guys tried to bring some spice to the dunk contest."

Howard, who will start for the Eastern Conference in Sunday's 57th NBA All-Star Game, received perfect scores of 50 for both first-round dunks to advance while Memphis' Rudy Gay and Toronto's Jamario Moon were eliminated.

"The first one I've been working on it for about two years but I could never really get it down. I had my legs under me and got it down," Howard said.

"The Superman dunk, I wanted to get the crowd into it, put some of my personality in it with the Superman cape. To make the dunk after that was unbelievable. The cape and the Superman outfit, I think it really worked."

Green had a cupcake with a single lit candle in the middle placed on the back iron of the rim in the first round and blew out the candle as he jammed the ball through the hoop.

"I figured he had something like that planned. I thought that was very impressive," Howard said. "At first I thought he was going to take the cupcake and try to eat it then make the dunk. If he had done that he would have won."

Green opened the final with a between-the-legs one-handed slam but Howard answered with a between-the-legs pass followed by a left-handed bounce off the backboard and a right-handed grab and jam move to a thunderous ovation.

"I didn't think I was going to do that dunk but I was getting a lot of calls from my friends and they said I've got to let the world see it," Howard said. "I had to do it."

Green took off his shoes and made a between-the-legs pass and dunk in sock feet but Howard finished by attaching a miniature rim to the bottom right corner of the backboard, placing the ball on the little rim, then grabbing it and making a windmill slam dunk into the real hoop.

All-Stars help New Orleans rebound

As the charter bus turned right on to Lizardi Street and descended into this city's crippled Lower Ninth Ward, the lighthearted mood on board turned serious and sobering.

Through the windows on both sides, LeBron James, Steve Nash, Jason Kidd and other NBA All-Stars viewed unimaginable devastation. Suddenly, those horrific TV images and photographs burst to life.

Quaint, two-story homes once submerged in 25 feet of water still sit abandoned or boarded shut. Other houses bear the spray-painted Xs and numbers signifying rescues that were sometimes too late.

This is where Hurricane Katrina first left her mark in 2005, and where she endures 2 1/2 years later.

"I didn't think it was going to be this bad," Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki said moments after stepping outside into a steady rain. "I really had no idea. A lot of work needs to be done."

On Friday, the NBA paused from a weekend of festivities, rolled up its sleeves, threw on some work gloves and did its part to help New Orleans rebound from the worst natural disaster in U.S. history.

Billed as an "NBA Cares All-Star Day of Service," the world's best hoopsters and 2,500 league employees fanned out all over the city to help in rebuilding efforts.

Greeted by volunteers and folks from the hard-hit Holy Cross Neighborhood who stayed to reclaim their shattered lives, James, Nash, Kidd, Nowitzki, Chris Bosh and Deron Williams painted, scraped windows and attempted to raise awareness for a problem that isn't going away anytime soon.

Standing on a ladder, Nash, the Phoenix Suns' point guard whose wondrous game is devoted to the assist, was struck by the work remaining in New Orleans, 80 percent of which was flooded by the storm and when the levees failed.

"It's a great shame," Nash said. "I can't relate to what these people went through. It's devastating. To come here and see what little has been done is disappointing. It feels like the city has been forgotten in a lot of ways.

"This is not what America's about and we should look at why we failed."

In bringing its signature mid-season event here, the NBA is hoping to further New Orleans' comeback. And in the process, maybe improve its own image, too.

A year ago in Las Vegas, All-Star weekend became unruly as five people were shot and hundreds were arrested. Scattered fights broke out along the casino strip as crowds became too large to control.

Those incidents and other reports of misbehavior didn't help the league, which has done much in recent years to clean up a bad-boy reputation. By lending a helping hand to New Orleans, the NBA may be rewarded.

"I feel like we have so many good guys and we're sort of at the bottom of the list as far as how fans view us with community service," Utah's Carlos Boozer said. "Hopefully this does help how people see NBA players."

New Orleans guard Chris Paul feels this weekend can have a more profound affect on a city he has adopted as his own. The Hornets' playmaker, who has taken an active role in post-Katrina recovery efforts, sees the NBA's three-day visit as an opportunity to make an enduring difference.

"A lot of times, the All-Star game is like hit and run," he said. "But building things is going to leave a lasting impression. This should be the most memorable All-Star game of them all."

It's off to a nice start.

As he stood in front of his rebuilt home at 937 Lizardi, Jerome Richardson looked up at a small vent on the second floor.

"See that hole?" he said. "The one they pulled me out of was even smaller than that."

When the water rose more than 20 feet in the hours after Katrina, Richardson was forced to crawl into a small space under his roof. With little time to spare, he was pulled to safety by rescue workers who cut through shingles to get him.

Richardson shows pictures in a book about Katrina as proof.

"That's me, and that's Fats Domino," he says pointing to a shot of the music legend, who had to be rescued from his home.

Richardson hopes to be back in his home by March. Unlike a few others who fled, he was determined to stay on the block where he grew up, so he could one day enjoy big barbecues on Mother's Day or a neighbor's birthday.

"We can bring this back," said Richardson, who has been living in a FEMA trailer while his house is worked on by Rebuilding Together, a volunteer group devoted to bringing back low-income homes. "We can be what we once was."

As Kidd and Nash worked side-by-side painting a front door, Nowitzki and Bosh were inside using rollers to coat the walls and ceiling of a back room. The 7-foot Nowitzki is no stranger to a bucket or a brush having worked for his father's painting company during summers as a kid in Germany.

But as he slapped on paint, Nowitzki couldn't help but wonder why the city's recovery has been so slow.

"This should have been done two years ago," he said. "This city needs a lot more help than us painting the walls. But hopefully this will be educational and us being out here will help get the message out. They need all the help they can get."

About 30 minutes after the All-Stars got started, a dreary, cloudy Friday suddenly gave way to rays of sunshine — a symbolic moment on a day devoted to hope.

Like the waters, New Orleans can rise again.

Hinrich leads Bulls over Heat 99-92

Kirk Hinrich scored 24 points to lead the Chicago Bulls to a 99-92 victory over Miami on Thursday night and send the Heat to their 24th loss in 25 games despite solid outings by Dwyane Wade and Shawn Marion.

Wade scored 30 after pouring in 29 in Tuesday's overtime loss to Denver. Marion had 23 in his third game with Miami since the deal that sent Shaquille O'Neal to Phoenix. But it wasn't enough to prevent the Heat from dropping their ninth straight.

Two years after winning the NBA championship, Miami staggered into the All-Star break with just nine wins, and the latest loss was to a team that has had more than its share of problems.

The Bulls saw a nine-point lead early in the fourth dwindle to 82-81 on a drive by Wade with just under five minutes left, but they hung on.

It was 89-87 after the Heat's Marcus Banks, the other player in the Shaq deal, buried an open 3-pointer. But Hinrich hit a jumper as he crashed to the floor to make it a four-point game with about 2:15 left. Thabo Sefolosha then hit two free throws and poked the ball away from Wade.

The Heat fell on the loose ball and called time. Chicago's Tyrus Thomas deflected the inbounds and then hit 1 of 2 free throws to make it 94-87 with 1:43 remaining.

Hinrich, who came off the bench for the second straight game after missing three with bruised ribs, scored nine points in the fourth quarter.

Joe Smith had 19 points and 11 rebounds for Chicago and Andres Nocioni scored 18. Sefolosho added 17 points and 12 rebounds. The Bulls also got 10 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks from Thomas, who started in Ben Wallace's place. Wallace missed the game because of a death in his family.

Boozer leads Jazz past Sonics 112-93

Carlos Boozer had 22 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists for his first triple-double as the Utah Jazz soared into the All-Star break with a 112-93 victory over the Seattle SuperSonics on Wednesday night.

Boozer got his final assist by feeding Ronnie Price with a long outlet pass for a breakaway layup in the final minute, the only drama in the final 16 minutes of this blowout. Boozer will take 35 double-doubles plus the milestone triple-double in 53 games to the All-Star game in New Orleans this weekend.

Mehmet Okur scored 20 points and Deron Williams added 17 for the Northwest Division-leading Jazz, who won for the 12th time in 13 games.

Rookie Kevin Durant scored 19 points and Earl Watson had seven points with a season-high 14 assists for the Sonics, who lost for the third time in seven games following a team-record 14-game losing streak. It was the 26th time in 51 games Durant, the No. 2 overall draft choice in June, led the Sonics in scoring.

With a new coach, general manager, system and franchise player in Durant, the Sonics are 13-38 at the break. They were 20-32 at the 2007 All-Star break.

Utah outscored Seattle 45-26 during the final 16:11 as the soft Sonics eventually wilted to the relentless pounding inside by the far superior Jazz.

After Utah took an early 10-point lead, Seattle had an 8-0 run and was within 49-47 by halftime. The Sonics then had 12-4 spurt to tie it at 67 with 4:11 left in the third quarter on a dunk by rookie Jeff Green and layup by Nick Collison, off a fastbreak fueled by woefully short jumper by Okur.

But the Jazz quickly got the lead back up to 83-73 one possession into the final quarter on jumpers by reserves Matt Harpring and Price that ended the third period, and two free throws by Price that started the fourth. The lead grew to 91-75 after Okur's jumper with just over nine minutes left. Seattle never got within 10 points after that.

Utah's Ronnie Brewer started and scored 16 points in 25 minutes after missing two games with a severely bruised tailbone. He wore a heating pad across his lower back when he wasn't in the game and was way short on a few early jump shots. But he looked fine lunging for a steal, soaring for two dunks in the first half and while continuously finding open spaces under the basket while freely running the baseline against a Sonics defense that has been making opponents feel well all season.

Seattle was allowing 103.9 points per game entering Wednesday, fourth-worst in the league. The defense got so puzzling as Utah took a 12-point lead in the fourth quarter, the confused public-address announcer told the sparse crowd to "Give it up for Sonics DEE-fense!" — after the Sonics bumbled their way to a shot-clock violation against Utah's defenders.

Notes:@ Though still sore, Brewer said he'll play in Friday's rookie-sophomore game Friday that begins All-Star weekend in New Orleans. "I feel it's a big honor," Brewer said of being selected after barely contributing as a rookie last season, when he averaged 4.6 points and 12.1 minutes per game. "It shows you are improving, going from not playing at all to a starter in the NBA with a team that's playoff bound." ... Durant and Green, who scored eight points, were heading to New Orleans after the game as the Sonics' first representatives in the rookie-sophomore game.

Hornets beat Bulls 100-86

Chris Paul had 25 points and 14 assists in a 100-86 victory over the Bulls on Tuesday night, sending Chicago to its sixth loss in nine games.

David West added 27 points for the Hornets and Tyson Chandler, who played five seasons for the Bulls before being traded before the 2006-07 season, was booed throughout the game and scored four points and had 16 rebounds.

Andres Nocioni led the Bulls with 28 points and Kirk Hinrich finished with 15 points.

After only scoring two points on 1-for-10 shooting in a win against Memphis on Saturday, Paul scored 10 points in the first half for the Hornets on 5-for-10 shooting.

Hornets starter Morris Peterson missed his second straight game with back spasms.

Chicago Bulls center Ben Wallace arrived late to pregame game warmups and was fined an undisclosed amount.

Notes: Chandler was not surprised by the dismissal of former Bulls coach Scott Skiles in December and the struggles of his former team. "I (saw) it coming. I knew it was a matter of a time before they had to make a coaching change just by looking at the players and looking at their eyes out there," Chandler said before the game. "It didn't look fun for them and you can't win games if you're not having fun out there." Chandler was only taken surprise when Bulls general manager John Paxson made the coaching change so early in the season. "Like I said, I knew it was about to come, I knew it was a matter of time, I didn't think it would come as soon. I thought it would be more close to the All-Star Break or something." ... Wallace scored nine points and had 16 rebounds.

Ginobili leads Spurs past Raptors

Manu Ginobili scored 34 points and added a career-high 15 rebounds, leading the San Antonio Spurs to a 93-88 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Monday night.

Tim Duncan added 22 points and 13 rebounds for the Spurs, who led from wire-to-wire and won for the fifth time in six games. San Antonio's only defeat in that time was a 98-90 loss at Boston on Sunday.

Ginobili had 21 points in 19 first-half minutes, scored three more in the third, then helped put the game away with 10 in the fourth.

Ginobili's biggest rebound came in the final 20 seconds when he rebounded his own miss and was fouled with the Spurs clinging to a three-point lead.

Toronto's Jose Calderon scored a career-high 27, and Andrea Bargnani had 12. Chris Bosh and Carlos Delfino each had 11 points and eight rebounds as the Raptors dropped their third straight at home.

San Antonio has won 10 of its past 12 against Toronto.

The Spurs led 68-56 at 2:41 of the third, but didn't score again in the quarter, allowing Toronto to cut the gap to 68-60 at the start of the fourth. San Antonio called a timeout after a jumper by Jason Kapono made it 70-66 with 10:38 remaining.

Duncan and Jacque Vaughn returned for the Spurs, who scored nine of the next 11 points to lead 79-68 at 7:44. But Toronto closed again, with 3-pointers from Calderon and Delfino and a layup by Rasho Nesterovic making it 87-84 with 3:32 left.

Bosh made it 91-88 on a jumper from the top of the key with 1:20 left, but missed an almost identical shot 45 seconds later that would have made it a one-point game.

Toronto, who previous three games were against last-place opponents (Miami, the Los Angeles Clippers and Minnesota), struggled early against the defending NBA champions.

The Raptors missed their first six shots and didn't score until a jumper from Jamario Moon at 8:33. San Antonio led by as many as 12 in the first and pushed their lead to 18, at 53-35, on a second-quarter basket by Ginobili.

Toronto's hopes took a hit when Bosh limped off midway through the first after injuring his right knee in a knee-on-knee collision with Vaughn. Bosh returned three minutes later wearing a black wrap on his knee.

Raptors guard T.J. Ford played eight minutes in the first half but was kept on the bench in the second because of a sore right wrist. Ford returned Feb. 4 after missing 24 games because of neck and arm pain, the result of a Dec. 11 fall at Atlanta.

Spurs point guard Tony Parker (left ankle) missed his seventh straight game, while guard Brent Barry (left calf) missed his ninth straight.

Notes:@ Raptors coach Sam Mitchell left the team Monday and flew home to Atlanta following the death of his father-in-law. He's not expected back until after the All-Star break. Mike Evans served as head coach Monday and Jay Triano will be the head coach Wednesday against New Jersey. ... San Antonio outrebounded Toronto 16-4 in the first quarter. ... The Spurs wrap up a season-high nine-game road trip at Cleveland on Wednesday.

Anthony's 27 leads Nuggets over Cavs

Carmelo Anthony scored 27 points, All-Star sidekick Allen Iverson added 25 and the Denver Nuggets rolled to a 113-83 win Sunday night over the listless and limping Cleveland Cavaliers.

Anthony didn't have to play in the fourth quarter and improved to 8-2 in his pro career against good friend LeBron James, who scored 30 points — in three quarters — but got little help from a Cleveland team missing four key players, including two starters.

Though shorthanded, the Cavs have been able to get by playing good defense but they didn't do nearly enough to slow the Nuggets, who handed Cleveland its worst home loss this season.

Denver led by 11 points after one quarter, 18 at halftime and pushed its advantage to 26 by the end of the third. At the end of the period, James stormed off the court, took a seat at the far end of Cleveland's bench and didn't take part in coach Mike Brown's huddle before the fourth quarter began.

As he sat alone, Cavaliers guard Damon Jones yelled in James' direction. But Cleveland's superstar never acknowledged his teammate and stared straight ahead without saying a word.

James might be wondering when he might get some help like Anthony has or what Kobe Bryant now has with the Los Angeles Lakers or when Cleveland general manager Danny Ferry might pull off a blockbuster trade.

James didn't play in the fourth quarter when the Cavs fell behind by 37 points.

Anthony, coming off a 49-point performance in a win against Washington, went 11-of-19 from the floor and added eight rebounds in 32 minutes. He, too, spent the fourth quarter on the sideline, savoring Denver's fifth straight win over Cleveland.

Iverson added 13 assists and Marcus Camby 17 rebounds for Denver.

The Cavaliers were again shorthanded as injuries continued to plague the Eastern Conference champions.

Drew Gooden missed his third game in a row with a strained right groin and Daniel Gibson, the team's top long-range shooter, sat out his second straight because of a strained hamstring. On top of that, Cleveland didn't have forward Anderson Varejao (sprained ankle) or swingman Sasha Pavlovic (sprained foot).

Also, Jones went to the locker room in the fourth quarter with a sprained ankle and center Zydrunas Ilgauskas was also forced to spend the final 12 minutes getting treatment for back spasms.

The Cavs, however, were hurting long before that.

Denver led 63-45 at halftime and quickly upped its lead to 23 after Iverson opened the third quarter with a 3-pointer and Kenyon Martin scored inside. James helped trim Denver's lead to 15, but Iverson and Anthony never relaxed and the Nuggets pushed their lead to 90-64 entering the fourth.

James and Anthony first met as sophomores in high school when they faced each other during a U.S. Olympic Festival in Colorado Springs, Colo.

"I remember going home and telling my friends you should see this kid from Baltimore," James recalled.

They played against each other twice over the next two years with Anthony leading Oak Hill Academy to wins over James and his St. Vincent-St. Mary's High School team. Anthony has gotten the best of James in the NBA, too, a trend that shows no signs of ending.

The Nuggets shot 63 percent in the first quarter as the Cavaliers did little defensively to prevent Denver from scoring. Iverson and Anthony each knocked down wide-open 3s during a 16-0 spurt that put the Nuggets ahead by 13.

They only cooled off slightly in the second quarter, taking a 63-45 lead into the locker room at halftime.

Notes:@ James was pleased Anthony was named a starter for next weekend's All-Star game, the first time Denver's forward has gotten the nod. "People realize he's one of the best players in our league, definitely one of the best scorers," James said. "It took five years to finally get the opportunity. ... Nuggets big man Steven Hunter missed his second straight game with a sore right knee. ... Gibson's injury could keep him out of next weekend's All-Star activities in New Orleans. He's scheduled to play in the rookie-sophomore challenge and 3-point shootout. ... Pavlovic, who could miss two months, is scheduled to have a cast removed in the next few days. "Finally," he said. "I'm sick of it."

Boozer, Jazz beat Bulls 97-87

Carlos Boozer had 22 points and 12 rebounds, and the Utah Jazz responded one night after their 10-game winning streak ended by beating the Chicago Bulls 97-87 Saturday.

Deron Williams added 15 points and 11 assists, while Ronnie Price scored all of his 10 points in the second half, when the Jazz let a 14-point lead fall to two before pulling away in the fourth quarter.

The Bulls were again without injured starters Ben Gordon, Luol Deng and Kirk Hinrich and were wrapping up a six-game road trip. Despite the long trip and lack of depth, Chicago gave Utah a scare with a strong third quarter.

Thabo Sefolosha scored 22 and Andres Nocioni and Joe Smith added 14 points apiece for the Bulls. Chicago was just 18-for-28 from the foul line and 32-for-78 from the floor.

Kyle Korver and Price added 10 points apiece as the Jazz reserves outscored the Bulls' 31-17.

Utah won its 12th straight at home and is 22-3 in Salt Lake City.

The Jazz lost 117-104 at Sacramento on Friday, ending their winning streak at 10. Williams had nine straight games with a double-double before Friday, when he fell short with only nine assists. But he came back with another on Saturday back at home.

Utah had 25 assists on 35 field goals.

Chicago took a 37-36 lead on Sefolosha's 3-pointer with 7:16 left in the second quarter, but the Bulls didn't score again until Adrian Griffin hit a baseline jumper with 41 seconds left in the period. The Jazz scored 11 points while shutting out the Bulls for almost six minutes and led 49-39 at halftime.

After falling behind by 14, the Bulls rallied to make it close. Nocioni got the Bulls within 67-65 on a jumper late in the third quarter, but Price answered that with a layup, then after a shot clock violation by the Bulls, Price hit a 3-pointer with 1.7 seconds left in the period to give the Jazz a 72-65 lead entering the fourth.

Price opened the fourth quarter with a dunk off a pass from Boozer, then hit a 3-pointer with 9:05 left to put Utah up 81-69. Fans were cheering before Price even let go of his wide-open shot.

Utah led comfortably the rest of the way.

Notes:@ The Bulls were just 4-for-12 from the line in the first half. ... Utah G Ronnie Brewer didn't play because of a bruised tailbone. ... Jazz F Paul Millsap played with a big bandage over his left eye after getting a cut that needed eight stitches on Friday.

Szczerbiak's mistake allows Suns to win

Wally Szczerbiak called a timeout when Seattle had none remaining with 15.1 seconds to play, allowing the Phoenix Suns to pull out a 103-99 victory over the SuperSonics on Friday night.

The Suns went 32-of-32 at the foul line, one shy of the franchise record, including three by Steve Nash at the end.

Seattle trailed 100-99 and had the ball out of bounds beneath its own basket, but Szczerbiak could find no one open and signaled timeout. However, the Sonics didn't have any left, resulting in a technical foul.

Nash made the free throw, then Phoenix retained possession by rule. Nash was fouled and made both from the line to provide the final margin.

Amare Stoudemire scored 33, including 15-of-15 at the line, to lead the Suns, who have yet to be joined by newly acquired Shaquille O'Neal. Grant Hill added 16 points, Leandro Barbosa 15, Raja Bell 14 and Nash 13. Nash also had 10 assists.

Chris Wilcox led the Sonics with 22 points. Szczerbiak added 13.

O'Neal, out the past two weeks with a hip injury, has returned to Miami but is expected to be back Sunday. Coach Mike D'Antoni would not rule out Shaq playing Wednesday at Golden State or Thursday at home against Dallas.

Phoenix struggled throughout but seemed finally in control with a 98-90 lead after Boris Diaw's 16-footer with 2:58 to play. But the Sonics, winners of four of their previous five, scored the next nine to go ahead 99-98 on Wilcox's driving 9-footer with 1:04 left.

Diaw missed a drive to the basket but got his own rebound, then Hill bounced in a 16-footer with 28.7 seconds to play to put Phoenix back ahead, 100-99.

Seattle got two good chances but Wilcox missed from in close, then Johan Petro missed a tip-in. The ball was knocked out of bounds by Phoenix, setting up the mistake that allowed the Suns to escape.

Phoenix just missed the franchise record of free throws made without a miss, 33, set against Detroit on Dec. 23, 1980. Stoudemire was two free throws shy of the individual record, 17-of-17, set by Paul Silas on Jan. 10, 1971.

The Suns won despite shooting 39.5 percent, including 3-of-15 from 3-point range.

The Suns struggled but led 53-49 at the half, thanks largely to going 14-of-14 at the foul line.

Phoenix missed its first seven 3-pointers before Barbosa made one from the corner to make it 53-47 33 seconds before the break. Stoudemire was called for goaltending on Petro's rebound shot to cut the Suns' lead to four at halftime.

The Suns still couldn't shake the Sonics in the third quarter, leading throughout the period but never by more than eight points. Seattle had a chance to tie in the final seconds of the quarter, but Earl Watson missed a layup, then Raja Bell made a 15-foot bank shot and Phoenix led 78-74 entering the fourth.

Notes:@ Nash turned 34 on Thursday. ... Watson required stitches at halftime because of a cut above his left eye. ... The Suns have two weeks to sign a player to fill out their 13-man roster after the two-for-one trade with Miami. ... Phoenix is 13-2 in its last 15 against sub-.500 teams.

Shaq promises the Suns will rise

Shaquille O'Neal had strong words for those who doubt he can fit in with the Phoenix Suns.

"I'm very upset," he said Thursday at a news conference to introduce him as a member of his new team. "You just don't really want to get me upset. When I'm upset, I'm known to do certain things — like win championships."

O'Neal, once the game's dominant big man but now slowed by a hip injury, said he is motivated by the negative talk.

"This team has always been there in the Western Conference," he said. "They just couldn't quite get over the hump. I think with my experience and my on the court-off the court leadership, I can help them get over the hump."

Asked what he felt when he heard he could be going to Phoenix, O'Neal said, "I wanted it to happen because I was going to be coming to a fabulous team with a lot of unselfish players, a lot of great players."

He said people are "going to be very surprised" about his role in a Suns running game orchestrated by Steve Nash.

"The last couple of years I was in a system that we really didn't run, so you automatically think I can't run," he said. "But I love to run, especially if I'm playing with a great guy like Steve Nash. I look forward to making people eat their words, I really do."

O'Neal, who turns 36 next month, has been out for two weeks with a hip injury but cleared his physical Wednesday and hopes to play before the All-Star break.

O'Neal was his charming self throughout the news conference. Asked if he knew he looked good in purple, he smiled and said, "I did. Thank you very much."

On Wednesday night, he was also smiling. He stood from his seat in a suite high above the court at US Airways Center. He pointed to his ring finger and gave a thumbs up.

The crowd went crazy. The message he was sending on the big screen at the Phoenix-New Orleans game was clear: He intends to bring to Phoenix the championship that has eluded the Suns through their 40-year history.

The trade that brought O'Neal to Phoenix on Wednesday is one of the most unexpected in NBA history, a blockbuster that sent Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks to Miami and came together in just a few days under first-year Phoenix general manager Steve Kerr.

The criticism has been widespread from fans to talk radio hosts to newspaper columnists. All claimed that Phoenix had acquired a once-great big man far past his prime, a 7-foot-1, 325-pound Goliath who would stifle the Suns' trademark up-tempo game.

And the Suns were taking on a contract that pays O'Neal $20 million each of the next two seasons.

Yet coach Mike D'Antoni and the Suns players said they were elated, that they believe O'Neal will be reinvigorated by the move and become a crucial component of their title run.

"We feel like our players are giddy with the possibilities," D'Antoni said, "and he's ready and focused. It's up to the coaching staff to do the tweaks without changing everything, and I don't think we have to."

Nash was "shocked" by the trade.

"If you look at what happened the last 24 hours it was incredible," he said. "You go through a whole bunch of emotions. It was very unexpected, but at the same time to get a chance to play with Shaquille O'Neal is pretty exciting."

The Suns believe whatever ails O'Neal can be cured by their doctors and training staff.

"It's a matter of flexibility in the joints and different things," Kerr said. "They're very progressive with their rehabilitation and they felt very strongly that he's going to be more mobile and explosive than what he has been."

Nash is well aware of questions concerning O'Neal's health.

"There's doubts and a risk to everything," Nash said. "I know that's going to be a favorite talking point for all the media, but for us the talking point is we've got an incredible, huge, talented, charismatic player in our locker room now. ... This sounds like it's going to be a lot of fun."

O'Neal's ability to lift spirits is another plus for a Suns team that seemed joyless despite its success.

"I think the Big Aristotle is going to be fun for us," Nash said. "He has a great personality and he is one of the most exciting, charismatic players we have had in this league in a long time. Hopefully he is as excited to be here as he sounds and as we are and gives everybody a big lift."

O'Neal has averaged 25.6 points and 11.5 rebounds in 16 seasons in the NBA. This season, plagued by injuries and going through a divorce, he's averaging 14.2 points. His 14-year streak as an All-Star choice came to an end this year.

He missed much of the 2006-07 season with a knee injury and finished that season with career lows in games (40), scoring (17.3 points), rebounds (7.4), minutes (28.4) and free-throw percentage (.422).

"When Shaq came to the team four years ago, I always felt it was forever," Heat coach Pat Riley said. "We won a championship with him. We wish him nothing but the best. We have to move on with our team. We're rebuilding."

Watson lead Sonics past Kings

Earl Watson had 23 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for his first career triple-double, leading the Seattle SuperSonics to a 105-92 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday night.

Ahead by eight points after three quarters, the Sonics scored the first 13 points of the fourth to take a 21-point lead. Scoreless through three quarters, Johan Petro scored nine straight points in the run that helped Seattle go ahead 94-73 with 8:06 remaining.

Kevin Durant scored 17 points, Chris Wilcox had 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Nick Collison and Kurt Thomas each had 13 points.

Ron Artest scored 20 points for the Kings, who had their season-best four-game winning streak snapped. Francisco Garcia and John Salmons both scored 11 points, while Spencer Hawes, Mike Bibby and Mikki Moore all had 10.

It was a sub-par game for Martin, the Kings' leading scorer. He missed both first-half shots and was scoreless until making two free throws midway through the third quarter. Martin missed his first nine shots before making his only basket, a 3-pointer in the fourth quarter. He finished with five points.

It has been a surprising turnaround of late for Seattle, which snapped a 14-game losing streak Jan. 29 with a victory over defending champion San Antonio. The Sonics continued playing well and have won four of five.

For the injury-plagued Kings, it was another game without a full roster. Starting center Brad Miller missed the game after cutting the index finger of his right hand Sunday. Miller was named Western Conference Player of the Week after averaging 22 points and 18.3 rebounds in three straight victories last week.

Seattle's switch to a zone defense in the second quarter seemed to bother the Kings, who went cold after a strong first quarter. The poor shooting extended into the third quarter when the Sonics went on a 14-4 run and to start the period and led 81-73 going into the fourth.

Watson did much of the damage in the third quarter. The veteran guard made all four shots and scored 10 points for Seattle, which outscored Sacramento 34-24 to assume control of the game for good.

Artest scored 13 of his 17 first-half points in the opening quarter for the Kings, who led 49-48 at intermission.

Notes:@ Rookies Durant and Hawes, who grew up in Seattle, became good friends while playing together for the 2006 USA Basketball Junior National Select team. ... Kings point guard Beno Udrih missed the game due to illness. ... The normally reliable Bibby missed 11 of 15 shots and was 1-for-9 in his previous game. ... The Kings shot 37 percent and made only 13 of 20 free throws.

Gasol shines on debut in Lakers win over Nets

Pau Gasol marked a successful debut for the Los Angeles Lakers by scoring 24 points and grabbing 12 rebounds in a 105-90 road victory over the New Jersey Nets on Tuesday.

Acquired from the Memphis Grizzlies last week, the Spanish forward-center sat out Sunday's contest because of a sore back but enjoyed a stellar first game on a night when Lakers All-Star Kobe Bryant managed just six points.

"I felt pretty comfortable," Gasol told reporters.

"I still don't have a lot of the wrinkles and details. It always makes the game much easier when five guys on the court know what they are doing."

Lakers coach Phil Jackson said he was "not surprised" at Gasol's output.

"He's a skilled player," the coach said of the seven-footer.

The 24 points by Gasol were the most scored by a debuting Lakers player since Magic Johnson had 26 in his first game as a rookie in 1979.

Bryant, playing the last three quarters with a dislocated right little finger, was 3-for-13 from the field and was held to single digits for the first time in over a year.

He also had seven turnovers while contributing eight assists and five rebounds and working well with Gasol, who also had four assists.

Derek Fisher weighed in with a season-high 28 points to help overcome the tough offensive night recorded by Bryant.

Vince Carter scored 27 points and Bostjan Nachbar had 19 points and 10 rebounds for the Nets.

* Cleveland's LeBron James took centre stage with 33 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds in a 114-113 home triumph over Boston as the Cavaliers recorded their second victory of the season over the Celtics, who lost despite shooting 57 percent.

"This is not how we want to win games, by giving up 50 percent shooting to our opponent on our home floor," James told reporters.

"But a win is a win for us and against a good team, a very defensive team. They're number one in every category and we did a good job offensively executing.

Zydruna Ilgauskas had 21 points and 10 rebounds and Larry Hughes 18 points in the win. Ray Allen had 24 points and the flu-ridden Pierce 19 for the Celtics.

The Celtics, who still own the best record in the NBA, were playing their fourth straight game without All-Star Kevin Garnett, who is nursing an abdominal strain.

* Tim Duncan had 19 points and 15 rebounds to lead the San Antonio Spurs to a 116-89 road triumph over the Indians Pacers, who lost their seventh straight game.

* The Philadelphia 76ers hit the visiting Washington Wizards with a 17-0 run in the fourth quarter to pull away for a 101-96 victory.

* Mo Williams had 32 points and seven assists to lead the Milwaukee Bucks to a 102-97 road win over the Memphis Grizzlies.

(Writing by Mike Shalin; Editing by John O'Brien)

Williams lead Jazz to 9th straight win

Chris Paul and Deron Williams will forever be linked after going back-to-back in the 2005 draft.

Paul may be headed to his first All-Star game next week, but Williams got the better of the matchup between the young point guards Monday night.

Williams, who went with the No. 3 pick to Utah in that draft, scored 29 points and had 11 assists in Utah's 110-88 victory over New Orleans on Monday night that extended the Jazz's winning streak to nine games.

"People are going to compare them as long as they're in the league," Utah coach Jerry Sloan said. "There's nothing you can do about that. But we're looking for him to be Deron Williams."

Paul went to the Hornets with fourth pick and the two have been compared ever since.

Williams definitely had the better game Monday. He scored 12 in the third quarter as the Jazz stretched an 11-point lead to as much as 22.

"He came out tonight to send a message and I think that message got sent across," said Carlos Boozer, who had 19 points and 17 rebounds for the Jazz and is going to the All-Star game in New Orleans.

In other NBA games on Monday it was: Dallas 107, Orlando 98; Denver 105, Portland 103 in overtime; Atlanta 96, Philadelphia 91; Toronto 114, Miami 82; the Los Angeles Clippers 103, New York 94; Houston 92, Minnesota 86; Chicago 118, Seattle 108; and Phoenix 118, Charlotte 104.

Williams had his eighth straight double-double and hit three 3-pointers as the Jazz set a team record by making 14 from beyond the arc. He finished 11-for-13 from the floor, but his defense was just as big as the Jazz turned the meeting of division leaders into a rout.

Williams got Paul into early foul trouble and held him to just six points and six assists.

"I look at it the same way I do anybody else," Williams said. "It was definitely a big game for us — just because of their record."

Maverick 107, Magic 98

At Orlando, Josh Howard scored 28 points and the Mavericks overcame Hedo Turkoglu's triple-double.

Dallas led by as many as 19, but Orlando made it 83-80 on Rashard Lewis' 3-pointer with 7:15 left. The Magic didn't score again for almost 5 minutes, and Dallas went on a 10-0 run to put the game away.

Turkoglu had 13 points, a career-high 13 assists and 12 rebounds, and Dwight Howard scored 28. But Howard, the NBA's rebounding leader averaging 15, had only seven, and Orlando was outrebounded 47-34.

Jason Terry scored 12 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter and Dirk Nowitzki had 20 points for Dallas.

Nuggets 105, Trail Blazers 103, OT

At Portland, Ore., Allen Iverson made a 14-foot fadeaway jumper with less than a second left in overtime.

Denver led by 17 in the first half but the Trail Blazers battled back.

Carmelo Anthony led the Nuggets with 28 points and 15 rebounds. Iverson finished with 25 points. Brandon Roy had 26 points for the Blazers.

Hawks 96, 76ers 91

At Atlanta, Josh Smith had 19 points, nine assists and nine blocks to help Atlanta come back from a 20-point, first-quarter deficit.

Josh Childress scored 21 points and Joe Johnson added 18 for the Hawks, who led 91-88 before turning the ball over on an offensive foul by rookie Al Horford with 1:20 left. Philadelphia rookie Thaddeus Young missed on the other end, and a basket by Horford pushed the Hawks' lead to five.

Andre Miller scored 29 points and Andre Iguodala had 22 for the 76ers.

Raptors 114, Heat 82

At Miami, Chris Bosh scored 24 points on 8-for-11 shooting, Andrea Bargnani added 22 and Toronto shot 60 percent.

Anthony Parker scored 18 points for the Raptors, who delivered more indignity to Miami's season of epic struggle by handing the Heat their biggest loss of the year.

Dorell Wright scored 17 points, and Mark Blount and Dwyane Wade each added 12 for Miami, which has lost 19 of its past 20 overall, 10 of its past 11 at home.

Clippers 103, Knicks 94

At New York, Corey Maggette scored 19 points in his return to the lineup, and the Clippers snapped a nine-game road losing streak.

Chris Kaman, who like Maggette had missed the last four games with the flu, added 15 points and nine rebounds as Los Angeles improved to 1-2 on its seven-game road trip. Cuttino Mobley had 14 points as the Clippers handed the Knicks their sixth straight loss.

The Clippers were coached by assistant Kim Hughes, with Mike Dunleavy staying behind at the team hotel because he was sick. Eddy Curry led the Knicks with 19 points.

Rockets 92, Timberwolves 86

At Minneapolis, Tracy McGrady had 26 points, six rebounds and seven assists to help Houston hang on.

Though McGrady had a season-high seven turnovers, he made shots down the stretch, including the clinching 3-pointer with 30 seconds to go after Al Jefferson led the improving Wolves on an impressive rally. Jefferson had 33 points and 16 rebounds.

Since McGrady came back from his knee injury, Houston has won eight of nine.

Bulls 118, SuperSonics 108

At Seattle, Joe Smith scored 25 points in his first game back after missing three with an injury.

Ben Gordon added 20 points for the Bulls, who won for just the second time in six games.

Wally Szczerbiak led the Sonics with 21 points and rookie Kevin Durant added 20.

Suns 118, Bobcats 104

At Phoenix, Leandro Barbosa scored 30 points and Raja Bell added 24, including a season-high seven 3-pointers, to help Phoenix stay unbeaten against Charlotte.

Barbosa hit five 3-pointers as the Suns improved to 8-0 against the Bobcats since the franchise was established in 2004. Amare Stoudemire added 24 points and Shawn Marion 14.

Jason Richardson scored 25 for the Bobcats, who lost the last four on a five-game trip.

Yao's Rockets beat Yi's Bucks

The second edition of Yao vs. Yi didn't quite live up to its billing, as Yao Ming's Houston Rockets beat Yi Jianlian and the Milwaukee Bucks 91-83 on Saturday despite relatively quiet nights by both of China's biggest basketball exports.

Yao scored 12 points and added 12 rebounds for Houston, sitting for much of the first half after getting in early foul trouble and tweaking his ankle just before halftime.

Yi scored six points on miserable 1-for-10 shooting.

"Both of us struggled a little bit, but we got the win," Yao said.

Yi hurt his shoulder early on but said the injury "wasn't any big problem." Despite another high-profile showdown with his home country's biggest basketball star, Yi tried to keep the game in perspective.

"As far as we're concerned, in the grand scope of things, it's another regular-season game," Yi said through a translator.

Tracy McGrady scored 33 to lead Houston, hitting several jumpers to hold off a late Bucks rally.

Australian Andrew Bogut added to the game's international flavor with 21 points to lead Milwaukee, often getting the best of Yao on both ends of the court.

The Bucks kept it close deep into the fourth quarter, as Bogut had a chance for a three-point play after making a hook shot over Yao and getting fouled. The shot cut Houston's lead to 78-74 with 2:54 remaining, but Bogut missed the free throw and McGrady hit a 19-foot jumper on the other end to put Houston ahead by seven.

McGrady then hit another long jumper to put Houston up 83-74 with 1:36 left. Milwaukee's Bobby Simmons hit three 3-pointers in the final 44.5 seconds, but the Bucks' rally fell short.

Milwaukee has lost three straight, including a 43-point loss at Philadelphia on Wednesday. Houston has won three straight.

Yao and Yi's first meeting on an NBA court, Nov. 9 in Houston, was watched by an audience estimated between 100 and 200 million people in China.

A similar audience was expected for Saturday's game, which was being broadcast live by three networks in greater China and on tape delay by a fourth. Bucks coach Larry Krystkowiak dubbed it the "Chinese Super Bowl."

"It is big," Yao said. "To be honest, I was a little bit nervous last night. ... It's like a playoff game or something."

But overseas fans looking for an offensive outburst by either Chinese star might have been fiddling with their remotes by the second half.

Yao got off to a rough start, committing two early turnovers and heading to the bench after picking up his second foul with 5:23 left in the first quarter. He didn't return until the 7:22 mark in the second quarter.

Yao then tweaked his ankle just before halftime, landing awkwardly after being fouled by Yi on a dunk attempt. Yao stayed in the game to hit one of two free throws, then went on to score nine points and add nine rebounds in the second half.

The Bucks decided to make Saturday's game into an early Chinese New Year party, featuring Chinese musical performers in the stadium's atrium area before the game and adding Chinese fare to the concession stands. Signs were posted saying "Happy New Year" in Chinese and English.

Yao and Yi embraced and posed for photographs at midcourt during the pregame shootaround on Saturday and both took questions from a small but eager horde of Chinese reporters before the game.

Yao laughed when asked by a Chinese reporter whether he would prefer the Rockets move to the Eastern Conference because it would be easier to make the playoffs.

"Let's move on to another subject," Yao answered in his native language.

Rockets teammate Rafer Alston said the team enjoyed the media circus the first time around, and didn't mind seeing more of the same.

"For everyone else, other than Yao and Yi, we enjoy being a part of it," Alston said.

But Alston wasn't quite buying the idea that the expected massive Chinese television audience made Saturday's game a bigger deal worldwide than the Super Bowl.

"There'll be more viewers (Saturday)," Alston said, "but the 'care factor' shoots through the roof tomorrow."

Yi held his own against his more-established countryman in the teams' first meeting, as both players put on more of an offensive show. Yi scored 19 points and had nine rebounds in Houston.

But Houston went on to win 104-88, as Yao led the Rockets with 28 points, 10 rebounds and three blocked shots. Yao also went 14-for-14 from the free throw line in that game, tying a team record for most free throws made in a game without a miss.

Kings beat Hornets 112-103

Ron Artest scored 24 points, Kevin Martin added 22 on his 25th birthday and the Sacramento Kings handed the New Orleans Hornets back-to-back losses for the first time in seven weeks, beating the Western Conference's top team 112-103 Friday night.

The Hornets had won nine straight games before falling at home to Golden State on Wednesday. They were unable to bounce back in Sacramento, falling behind by 26 points in the second quarter before a second-half comeback attempt fell short. It was the first time New Orleans lost consecutive games since falling at Denver and Dallas on Dec. 12-14.

Peja Stojakovic led the Hornets with 25 points in his first regular season game at Arco Arena since being traded to Indiana for Artest on Jan. 25, 2006. Stojakovic, who has played more games (518) and scored the second-most points (9,498) in the Sacramento era, got a standing ovation in pregame introductions.

He showed that he hasn't lost the outside touch that delighted Kings fans so much during his 7 1/2 seasons here, making seven 3-pointers. But Stojakovic shot an airball with just over 2 minutes left and New Orleans down by eight.

Chris Paul had 15 points and 19 assists a day after being picked for his first All-Star game. Tyson Chandler added 21 points and Morris Peterson had 15.

The Hornets found their stroke in the third quarter and cut Sacramento's lead to 12 points following back-to-back 3-pointers by Stojakovic. New Orleans made six 3s in all for the quarter. But Artest beat the buzzer off an inbounds pass from John Salmons to give the Kings a 96-82 lead heading into the fourth.

The Kings seemed to have the answer whenever the Hornets tried to get close in the fourth quarter, getting a key 3-pointer by Salmons, an inside basket by Brad Miller and finally a jumper by Martin after New Orleans had cut the lead to eight in the final minutes.

The Hornets scored only once in the final 2:45, getting a meaningless basket in the final seconds by Chandler.

Miller finished with 22 points and 14 rebounds and Mike Bibby scored 15 points for the Kings, who have won six of eight games.

Sacramento got off to a fast start, moving the ball around to create easy baskets. Back-to-back dunks by Miller and Mikki Moore gave Sacramento a 10-point lead early and an 11-0 run late in the first quarter made it 34-17.

Artest scored seven of Sacramento's first nine points of the second quarter, making it 43-21 with a 3-pointer that led Byron Scott to call a timeout. The Kings built the lead to 26 points on a 3-pointer by Martin with 4:12 remaining in the quarter and led 66-44 at the half when Artest put back his own miss just before the buzzer.

Notes:@ Scott will become the sixth person to coach both the East and West in the All-Star game, having led the East side in 2002 when he was in New Jersey. Paul and David West also were named to the team Thursday. "It's fantastic to be able to participate in that weekend and to coach some of these great basketball players. It's much more of an honor when you have a couple of your own and even more when its in your home city. It's going to be a great weekend for all of us," Scott said. ... The other coaches to lead both conferences are Larry Brown, Phil Jackson, Pat Riley, Flip Saunders and Lenny Wilkens.