Warriors beat Mavericks 114-104

Monta Ellis scored 30 points and Kelenna Azubuike hit two clutch shots down the stretch to help the Golden State Warriors beat the Dallas Mavericks 114-104 Sunday night to create a three-way tie for seventh place in the ultracompetitive Western Conference.

With nine games remaining, Dallas, Golden State and Denver are all even at 45-28. If the season ended today, the Warriors would be on the outside looking in at the playoffs because they have lost two of three to both the Nuggets and Mavericks. But if Golden State manages to beat Denver and Dallas in their final meetings, the Mavericks would be the odd team out in a three-way tie.

That's quite a fall for a team that made it to the NBA finals in 2006, won a league-best 67 games in the regular season a year ago before being upset by Golden State in the opening round, and traded for Jason Kidd this season.

But with star forward Dirk Nowitzki sidelined with knee and ankle injuries, the Mavericks could have a tough time making a drive for a playoff spot. Dallas fell to 1-2 without Nowitzki, with the two losses coming to Denver and Golden State.

The Warriors, who fell into ninth place for the first time since Feb. 22 with a loss Saturday at Denver, rebounded against the Mavericks after falling behind by 12 points in the opening minutes. These teams play again Wednesday in Dallas.

Golden State built a 14-point lead in the third quarter but led by only four late in the fourth quarter. That's when Azubuike hit a 3-pointer from straightaway to make it 105-98 with less than 4 minutes left and waved his arms to the cheering crowd. He added a jumper to make it 109-100 with 2:27 to go and Golden State went on to its 17th comeback win from a double-digit deficit.

Baron Davis added 21 points, Stephen Jackson had 16 and Andris Biedrins had 16 points and 14 rebounds. Azubuike scored 15 off the bench a day after Davis and Jackson called for more help from the reserves

Josh Howard scored 36 to lead Dallas in his third straight 30-point game since Nowitzki went down with the injury. Brandon Bass added 21 off the bench, while Kidd had 13 points, 14 assists and nine rebounds.

The Warriors have made a bad habit of falling behind early and this game was no different. The Mavericks made their first six shots, while Golden State opened 0-for-10 and fell behind 12-0 less than 4 minutes into the game. But the Warriors quickly found their stride and erased that entire deficit with a 16-3 run and led 27-26 after one.

Notes:@ Mavericks coach Avery Johnson said he would work out Nowitzki when the team returns home Tuesday to see how close he is to returning from knee and ankle injuries. ... Golden State has reached 100 points in 37 straight games. ... Warriors swingman Mickael Pietrus was reevaluated before the game and doctors said his groin is progressing well but his hamstring is still not healthy enough to begin running. Pietrus, who has missed five straight games, will join the team on an upcoming four-game road trip but is doubtful for the first two games against San Antonio and Dallas.

Thornton leads Clippers over Grizzlies

Rookie Al Thornton scored 20 of his career-high 39 points in the fourth quarter, Corey Maggette added 26, and the Los Angeles Clippers snapped a season-worst 10-game losing streak with a 110-97 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday night.

Chris Kaman had 10 points and 15 rebounds for the Clippers, who won for only the third time in 19 games after consecutive home victories over Memphis and Utah. Among the numerous Clippers sidelined by injuries were Tim Thomas (sore Achilles') and Quinton Ross (sore left foot).

Brevin Knight had 14 points and 11 assists. It was only the second double-digit assist game by the Clippers, who have used seven players at the point guard spot this season because of Shaun Livingston's yearlong rehab from knee surgery. Knight had 12 assists on Feb. 29 in a 110-104 loss at Denver.

Rudy Gay had 23 points and Kyle Lowry added 20 off the bench for the Grizzlies, who are 6-23 since beating the Clippers in overtime at home on Jan. 26.

Through three quarters, Los Angeles was 0-for-13 from 3-point range and the Grizzlies 0-for-10. But Thornton, the 14th overall pick in the draft out of Florida State, connected the Clippers' next two attempts from long-range to pad their lead to 81-71 with 11 minutes to play. Thornton's point total was the highest by a Clipper this season.

Lowry got Memphis as close as seven points on a layup with 6:17 remaining. But the Clippers responded with a 10-2 spurt, which Thornton capped with another 3-pointer to give Los Angeles a 99-84 cushion with 3:47 left.

Coming off a stunning 117-114 upset win in this same building over the Lakers on Friday night, Memphis missed eight of its first nine shots against the Clippers and fell behind by 10 points. The Grizzlies took their first lead, 26-24, on Rudy Gay's dunk with 9:51 left in the second quarter, but Los Angeles went back in front 47-43 by halftime.

Notes:@ All-Star F Elton Brand, trying desperately to savage something out of this dreadful season for himself and the Clippers, said he hopes to play sometime during the team's two-game trip through Seattle and Sacramento. Brand, who tore his left Achilles' tendon Aug. 3 during a daily workout, and underwent surgery four days later, has been cleared to play by the medical staff — but he's only had one full-court practice with the team because of a lack of healthy players. "We'll have a better feel for it Monday," he said of when he'll play his first game. ... Addressing speculation that he will opt out of his contract, Brand said: "I'm planning to be a part of this team next year. I'm not saying I'm not opting out or am opting out. But negotiation-wise, as long as everything is fair, I expect to be back here. My agent, David Falk, will take care of the arrangements, but that's the goal."

Celtics roll past the Hornets 112-92

Paul Pierce scored 27 points, Kevin Garnett added 21, and the Boston Celtics moved closer to wrapping up the top record overall by avenging last weekend's loss in New Orleans with a 112-92 win over the Hornets on Friday night.

Eastern-conference leading Boston (57-15) opened its advantage to six games over the idle Detroit Pistons with 10 games left. The Hornets (49-22) had a five-game winning streak halted.

New Orleans, which leads a strongly contested Western Conference, beat Boston 113-106 last Saturday night.

Rajon Rondo added 17 points and Ray Allen had 12.

Chris Paul paced the Hornets with 22 points and 10 assists. Peja Stojakovic had 17 points and David West 14.

Garnett appeared to want his teammates to pick up the intensity defensively midway into the third quarter, and he showed them when he dropped to his knees setting up to cover David West at the top of the key. West did drive by for a basket after Garnett squared up defensively, cutting it to 72-68, but the Celtics scored 19 of the next 24 points over the ensuing 5:56 to move ahead 88-73.

Rondo keyed the decisive spree with consecutive jumpers that ignited a 12-0 run. Boston shot 68 percent in the third, hitting 13 of 19 attempts.

Eddie House nailed back-to-back 3s to push it to 96-78 early in the final quarter. House's jumper from the left corner pushed Boston's lead to 20 points with 7:31 to play.

New Orleans, which shot 60 percent in the second quarter, led 60-56 at the half.

Neither team had more than a six-point lead in the opening quarter that ended with Boston leading 30-24 before the Hornets' bench outplayed the Celtics' reserves during a 13-4 spree that opened the second quarter.

Notes:@ Rondo started after missing Thursday's practice with a sore right hamstring. "I don't feel it at all," he said before the game. He showed it with some spinning and twisting drives during his 8-point opening quarter. ... Hornets coach Byron Scott has three players on his list that he'd consider as the MVP. "When you talk about MVP, it's three guys," he said, "LeBron (James), Kobe (Bryant) and Chris (Paul)." He was reminded about the night's opponent Garnett and responded, "He'd be in there, but he's got Ray Allen and Paul Pierce — two Hall of Famers." ... Boston coach Doc Rivers wouldn't get dragged into the topic about Scott omitting Garnett. "I think Byron's a smart guy, but I'm not getting into that thing. I'll pass," he said.

Warriors' win bolsters playoff position

Stephen Jackson scored 14 of his 24 points in the third quarter and the Golden State Warriors bolstered their playoff position against the short-handed Portland Trail Blazers in a 111-95 victory Thursday night.

The Warriors caught a lucky break when Portland All-Star guard Brandon Roy stayed home to nurse a sore groin. Golden State maintained a half-game lead over Denver for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference and moved within a half-game of Dallas for seventh place.

Golden State's next two games are against those teams, beginning with a trip to Denver on Saturday, then a home game the following night against Dallas. That made this game against the Blazers just the latest "must win" in Golden State coach Don Nelson's mind.

The Warriors didn't come out of the gates playing that way, falling behind by 14 points in the first quarter before finding their stride. That's nothing new: Golden State has rallied from double-digit deficits in 16 of its 44 wins this season.

Golden State broke open a close game with a dominant third quarter, where its aggressiveness on offense paid off with 20 free throw attempts in the quarter. The Warriors made 18 of them after not going to the line once in the first half. They also shot 9-for-13 from the field, turned the ball over only once and outscored the Blazers 40-20 to take a 91-72 lead into the fourth period.

The Blazers never threatened after that and the Warriors avoided losing back-to-back games for the first time since Jan. 2-4. Golden State has alternated wins and losses for the last nine games, but might need to do better than that over the final 11 games to make the playoffs.

Monta Ellis added 18 points and 10 rebounds for Golden State. Baron Davis scored 12 on 4-for-12 shooting after missing practice Wednesday with an illness.

Steve Blake led Portland with 22 points. Jarrett Jack added 19 and LaMarcus Aldridge had 17. The Blazers (38-35) are seven games behind Golden State in the playoff race and now have their hopes set on posting their first winning season in five years.

Aldridge, a game-time decision because of a sprained right ankle, overmatched the Warriors' inside players early and scored 11 points in the first 9 minutes as Portland ran out to a 26-12 lead. Golden State erased that entire lead before halftime, taking a 41-40 edge with about 4 minutes left in the half when Al Harrington's 3-pointer capped an 11-0 run.

Notes:@ Roy is expected to miss at least four games with the groin injury. ... Warriors swingman Mickael Pietrus missed his third straight game with a strained right groin. He will not make the trip to Denver on Saturday, but could play at home Sunday against Dallas. ... The officials essentially called a do-over when Ellis double-clutched on a free throw attempt and players from both teams went into the lane early for a violation late in the third quarter. Ellis ended up making the free throw. ... The Warriors have won 31 straight games, including the playoffs, when holding their opponent under 100 points.

Celtics' Garnett sparks team to victory over Suns in NBA battle

Kevin Garnett scored 30 points while Paul Pierce added 27 and the Boston Celtics defeated Phoenix 117-97 Wednesday in a National Basketball Association game.

Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen each added 14 points as the Celtics improved to an NBA-best 56-15, including a 13-1 mark at home against Western Conference opponents.

"We knew that they didn't have anybody to stop Kevin in the post along with myself and that's what coach said before the game and we took advantage of that," Pierce said.

The Celtics had squandered double-digit leads to New Orleans and Phladelphia in their most recent games but snapped a losing streak after taking a 33-18 lead.

"I think it was consistent throughout the whole game," Allen said. "They had no answer for them. It's one thing when you're watching what we're doing but they're making shots over the top of them and there was nothing they could do about it."

Shaquille O'Neal ignited a 14-2 Phoenix run and the Suns pulled level 57-57 at half-time.

"We really didn't play that well tonight in the first quarter. We played OK in the second quarter to get ourselves back in it, but we just weren't really good enough," Suns point guard Steve Nash said. "I can't analyze it any better than that, we weren't good enough. We were sloppy and didn't make enough shots."

Rondo took advantage of 21 turnovers that set up 31 Celtics points.

"Rondo has been showing all year that he can stand off with any point guard eye-to-eye he matches up with," Pierce said. "You look at all the guards he had to match up with in the last week and a half, with the Tony Parkers and the Chris Pauls, and to me, he outplayed those guys."

Howard leads Mavs past Clippers

Josh Howard's performance assured the Dallas Mavericks that all is not lost without Dirk Nowitzki.

Howard scored 32 points, Jerry Stackhouse had 20, Erick Dampier had 19 points and 17 rebounds and Jason Kidd neared a triple-double, lifting the Mavericks past the Los Angeles Clippers 103-90 on Tuesday night.

With Nowitzki out indefinitely with a sprained ankle and knee, Howard had a simple game plan to pick up the slack for the Mavericks' leading scorer and rebounder.

"If everyone goes up four or five points, that'll cover it," Howard said.

In the third quarter, Dallas was up only 60-58 and in need of a Nowitzki-like surge. Howard provided it, scoring 20 of the team's next 26 points for a 16-point lead early in the fourth quarter.

The win kept Dallas (45-26) in the seventh spot in the West, two games ahead of Golden State and 2 1/2 ahead of Denver. The Mavericks are headed on the road for games against those two teams, and will play five of their next six against teams in the playoff chase.

"We're up to the challenge," Stackhouse said. "We don't have to win out, but we all have to pick it up a little."

In other NBA games, it was: New Orleans 114, Indiana 106; San Antonio 107, Orlando 97; Chicago 103, Atlanta 94; Utah 128, Charlotte 106; and Portland 102, Washington 82.

At Dallas, Howard struggled early, going 2-of-11 and getting to the line only once in the first half. Dampier stepped in and got 12 points and 12 rebounds over the first two quarters.

"Damp obviously was very inspired," coach Avery Johnson said. "We need him to do what he did tonight, not necessarily the numbers but being aggressive going to the basket."

Howard finished 8-of-22, made all 15 of his free throws, had seven rebounds and four steals, while Kidd had 10 points, eight assists and six rebounds.

Corey Maggette had 21 points for the Clippers, who lost their eighth straight.

"We did a good job as long as we could," coach Mike Dunleavy said. "I thought we played hard. We didn't give up. We didn't bow out."

Hornets 114, Pacers 106

At Indianapolis, David West had 35 points and 16 rebounds, and New Orleans beat the Pacers in their first game since CEO Donnie Walsh announced he was leaving the team at the end of the season.

Chris Paul had 31 points and 14 assists as the Hornets won their fourth straight to maintain the best record (48-21) in the Western Conference.

Danny Granger led Indiana with 26 points and nine rebounds.

Spurs 107, Magic 97

At Orlando, Fla., Manu Ginobili scored 28 points and Michael Finley added 24 as the Spurs won their fourth straight.

Tim Duncan had 19 points and 15 rebounds for San Antonio.

Bulls 103, Hawks 94

At Chicago, Drew Gooden scored a season-high 31 points and matched a season best with 16 rebounds as the Bulls held on in the fourth quarter.

Josh Childress scored 22, including eight in the final quarter, to lead Atlanta.

Jazz 128, Bobcats 106

Carlos Boozer had 28 points and 13 rebounds, and Deron Williams added 14 points and 15 assists to lead host Utah.

Jason Richardson scored 26 points and Gerald Wallace added 21 for the Bobcats, who lost their sixth straight road game.

Trail Blazers 102, Wizards 82

At Portland, Ore., Martell Webster had 23 points, Travis Outlaw added 20 and the Trail Blazers overcame the loss of top scorer Brandon Roy.

Caron Butler had 19 to lead Washington.

Lakers hang on, beat Warriors in OT

Lamar Odom made the go-ahead layup with 9 seconds left in overtime, and the Los Angeles Lakers shook off the Golden State Warriors' frantic regulation rally to hang on for a 123-119 victory Monday night, concluding an immensely entertaining miniseries.

Kobe Bryant scored 23 of his 30 points after halftime, while Odom finished with 23 points and 21 rebounds as the Lakers reclaimed the Western Conference's top spot and avenged Sunday night's 115-111 loss to the Warriors.

Los Angeles couldn't have done it without Sasha Vujacic, who scored 19 points and hit a 3-pointer with 43 seconds left in overtime. The Lakers also got a big break from referee Bob Delaney, who called Monta Ellis for a curious offensive foul before the Warriors could even inbound the ball with 4 seconds left in OT.

Baron Davis had 30 points, nine rebounds and seven assists for the Warriors, who have lost four of seven in a critical stretch for their playoff hopes. Stephen Jackson added 29 points, but Golden State's lead over Denver for the conference's final playoff berth dwindled to a half-game.

Derek Fisher scored 18 points and drew that decisive offensive foul for the Lakers, whose fourth win in five games put them a half-game ahead of New Orleans for the top seed in next month's playoffs. Los Angeles also avoided losing its season series to the Warriors for the first time since the 1994-95 season.

One day after the Warriors blew a 26-point lead before holding on to win, the Lakers followed part of that script. Los Angeles led 110-101 with three minutes left in regulation, but Ellis led the Warriors' 10-1 closing rally with two layups and a steal to set up another score by Kelenna Azubuike, who scored 18 points.

Davis eventually tied it with two free throws with 3.6 seconds left, and Fisher missed a leaning jumper at the regulation buzzer.

After Golden State took a four-point lead midway through overtime, Vujacic's 3-pointer with 43 seconds left put the Lakers ahead by two. Azubuike tied it with a tipped basket, but Odom easily drove the lane for the go-ahead score.

When the Warriors attempted to inbound the ball at midcourt, Delaney called an offensive foul on Ellis while he was tangled up with Fisher. Both players appeared to have their arms around each other, but the call infuriated the Warriors and all but handed the game to the Lakers, who got two clinching free throws from Bryant with 3.3 seconds to play.

Ellis finished with 18 points, nine rebounds and nine assists.

From the screaming, bipartisan sellout crowd to the coaches' no-tomorrow strategies, the game felt an awful lot like a playoff preview for the first-place Lakers and the eighth-place Warriors. Golden State coach Don Nelson kept Davis and Jackson on the floor the entire night, while Phil Jackson never took Odom out and gave Bryant just 65 seconds on the bench.

Notes:@ Warriors F Mickael Pietrus had an MRI exam that revealed a mildly strained right hamstring and groin. The versatile swingman, injured Friday against Houston, missed both games against the Lakers, but shouldn't be out much longer. Azubuike again got most of Pietrus' minutes. ... Both teams wore throwback uniforms, with the Warriors donning their 1970s blues and the Lakers in their vintage yellow home togs. ... Oakland Raiders QB JaMarcus Russell attended the game.

Jamison paces Wizards past Pistons

Antawn Jamison had 24 points and 12 rebounds Sunday night, and the Washington Wizards added another impressive win to their resume with a 95-83 victory over the Detroit Pistons.

The Wizards overcame the distraction of yet another episode of Gilbert Arenas drama to win their third straight game and sixth in their past seven. They shot 53 percent and moved 1 1/2 games ahead of sixth-place Philadelphia in the Eastern Conference.

Although only three games above .500, the Wizards own two victories each over NBA front-runners Boston, Dallas, New Orleans and Cleveland. They are 1-1 vs. Detroit with one more meeting next month.

Arenas took part in the morning shootaround and was expecting to play, but the three-time All-Star guard instead missed his 61st consecutive game with a knee injury after team doctors would not clear him to play. Arenas was unhappy about the news — "I'm not coming back this year," he muttered about an hour before the game — and he left because he didn't have suitable attire to wear on the bench. He reappeared in the first half and took his place on the bench wearing a tan sport coat.

"I was ready," Arenas told ESPN during the game. "But they went out there with a fishing pole and yanked me back."

Caron Butler added 17 points, six assists and five rebounds, and Brendan Haywood had 16 points for the Wizards.

Richard Hamilton scored 19 points to lead the Pistons, who have lost two in a row. Rasheed Wallace scored 11 points on 3-for-12 shooting and was called for a technical for shoving Andray Blatche during the Wizards' key fourth-quarter run.

The Wizards took the lead late in the first quarter and never relinquished it, although the Pistons pulled close several times. Washington led 62-61 late in the third and 73-69 early in the fourth, but an 8-2 run capped by Roger Mason's 3-pointer increased the lead to double digits 81-71 with 7:25 to play.

Haywood scored nine of Washington's first 18 points, and his dunk at the end of the first quarter was part of a 14-2 run that gave the Wizards a 32-20 lead.

The Pistons closed to 47-40 at halftime, and Chauncey Billups' five third-quarter assists got the Pistons within one. Jamison had the highlight play of the quarter: a falling-down, right-handed fling into the basket while being fouled after grabbing an offensive rebound. He made the free throw for a three-point play.

Notes:@ Wizards G Nick Young missed his second straight game with a bruised right thigh. ... Wizards G Antonio Daniels, carrying the load at point guard because of the injury to Arenas, started his career-high 51st game of the season. Daniels started 50 games as a rookie for Vancouver in the 1997-98 season. ... Wizards coach Eddie Jordan on Arenas: "He wants to test his whole body in an NBA game, and the doctors said he's not ready and it's good for all parties to wait and see once another week has gone by to see where he is."

Hornets cool off Celtics with comeback win

The New Orleans Hornets found a way to cool off the red-hot Boston Celtics on Saturday, coming from behind the beat the team with the best record in the NBA 113-106.

The Celtics came into New Orleans having just completed a sweep of three games in Texas that made them the first team to take all three from the San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets and Dallas Mavericks on the same trip in seven years. But they blew an early 15-point lead and fell to the young and talented Hornets, the leaders of the Southwest Division.

"We know they were coming in hot," Hornet David West told reporters after scoring 37 points in his team's ninth straight home victory. "They beat all three Texas teams. We just wanted to play hard tonight."

Boston started its five-game road trip with a win at Milwaukee and swept through Texas before jumping to their big lead on Saturday. But the Celtics turned the ball over 21 times, leading to 32 New Orleans points and Boston's loss dropped their record to 55-14.

"Tonight it was just turnovers," said Celtics coach Doc Rivers. "We were really careless with the ball. They played harder, played with more energy and they deserved to win."

The win moved the Hornets to one-half game behind the idle Los Angeles Lakers for the Western Conference lead.

While a 4-1 road trip is special in the NBA, the Celtics returned home after the game knowing they easily could have won all five games.

"I told the guys, 'good trip,' but we lost a game that we gave away on turnovers," Rivers said. "I don't know why we would feel good about that."

New Orleans Most Valuable Player candidate Chris Paul was limited to 29 minutes because of foul trouble but was there at the end with two big baskets to finish with 19 points. While he was out, his replacement Jannero Pargo became a key to the victory.

Paul Pierce scored 16 of his 28 points in the first quarter, Rajon Rondo contributed 23 and Kevin Garnett 19 points and 12 rebounds for Boston.

The teams meet again on Friday in Boston.

(Writing by Mike Shalin; Editing by Ed Osmond)

Aldridge leads Blazers over Clippers

LaMarcus Aldridge had 22 points, 12 rebounds and a career-high seven assists, Brandon Roy added 21 points and six assists, and the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Los Angeles Clippers 107-102 on Friday night.

Martell Webster had 16 points and Steve Blake had 15 points and 11 assists for Portland, which has slim playoff hopes.

Cuttino Mobley scored 22 of his 24 points in the second half, and Josh Powell added 21 for the Clippers. Los Angeles has lost six straight and 14 of 16 and was missing leading scorer Corey Maggette because of a sore shoulder.

Dan Dickau had 14 points and seven assists, Smush Parker had 14 points and six assists, and Quinton Ross had 12 points for Clippers, who host Portland on Saturday at the Staples Center.

The Clippers outscored Portland 27-20 in the fourth quarter, and got within three points on a 3-pointer from Mobley, but Jarrett Jack hit two free throws for Portland to seal the win. Roy had just two points in the first quarter but bounced back from a 3-for-14 shooting night against Phoenix on Tuesday. He's averaging 22.7 points over his last 10 games.

With center Chris Kaman (back) missing his seventh straight game, the Clippers had difficulties stopping Aldridge, who was 11-of-18 from the field and has scored at least 20 points in each of the past eight games.

Aldridge got the best of rookie Al Thornton, who suffered through an 2-for-10 shooting night for the Clippers and finished with just five points.

The Blazers entered the contest 7 1/2 games behind Golden State for the last playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Aldridge was almost unstoppable from the beginning, hitting his first seven shots and finishing the first quarter with 14 points and five rebounds to give Portland a 32-24 lead.

Parker came in off the bench and energized the Clippers, hitting his first five shots and getting Los Angeles within 41-39. Dickau hit a 3 to put the Clippers ahead 48-46 and converted a three-point play to put them up by four.

Powell, Ross, Dickau and Parker were a combined 18-of-21 and Los Angeles shot 64 percent in the first half to go into the break tied at 57.

The Blazers tightened up their defense in the third and began to pull away, going on a 16-3 run to make it 77-64. Back-to-back 3-pointers by Blake, who had 10 in the quarter, and Webster extended the lead to 83-67.

The Blazers beat the Clippers 82-80 in the teams' first meeting Feb. 27 despite missing Roy.

Notes:@ The Clippers' F Tim Thomas left the game after the first quarter with a stomach virus. ... The first quarter went all Portland's way. The Blazers had 11 assists to just one turnover, and Sergio Rodriguez beat the horn with a 35-footer. ... The Clippers are 9-24 on the road this season.

Allen's return lifts Celtics over Mavs

Ray Allen returned from a three-game injury absence and a long time on the bench in the fourth quarter to nail a go-ahead 3-pointer with 31.7 seconds left, lifting the Boston Celtics past the Dallas Mavericks 94-90 Thursday night.

The Celtics completed an impressive sweep in the Lone Star State, becoming the first team to go 3-0 in San Antonio, Houston and Dallas since the Sacramento Kings in November 2001. Boston gave the Spurs their first home loss in six weeks, ended Houston's 22-game winning streak, then gave the Mavericks just their sixth home loss.

Allen, recovering from a jammed left ankle, scored 21 points in 31 minutes. His clutch jumper came on his only shot of the final period. He spent the first 10:06 on the bench, then went back in after Dallas had just gone ahead 88-87.

Paul Pierce had 22 points and a season-high 13 rebounds and Kevin Garnett added 20 and 13. Boston upped its NBA-best record to 55-13 while winning for the 14th time in 15 games. This was the Celtics' first win in Dallas since 2000, ending a seven-game skid.

Dirk Nowitzki had 22 points and 19 rebounds, and Jason Kidd had nine assists, 11 rebounds and two points, but Dallas fell to 0-7 against teams with winning records since Kidd arrived.

Josh Howard added 24 points and Jerry Stackhouse had 17 for Dallas, which led for most of the second half but couldn't pull it out at the end.

Neither team led by more than seven and the intensity escalated. Things got snippy in the fourth quarter, especially between Nowitzki and Garnett, although nothing ever escalated beyond tough play.

The Mavericks went up 75-68 early in the fourth, but the Celtics wiped that out with a 16-5 burst. Nowitzki put Dallas back in front with a pair of free throws after Boston center Kendrick Perkins' sixth foul with 1:54 left, then both teams struggled to score until Allen swished his jumper from the left side. He finished 7-of-17, but only 3-of-9 behind the arc.

The first half was filled with spurts, from Dallas closing the first quarter on a 12-2 run to Boston opening the second on a 14-4 roll. The Mavericks enjoyed the final push, a 13-5 streak featuring a go-ahead three-point play by Nowitzki and a mad-dash layup by Kidd that sent them into the locker room ahead 48-46.

Notes:@ Boston remained at a one-Allen maximum, as Ray Allen's return coincided with Tony Allen sitting out with a bruised lower back. ... Nowitzki came into this game averaging 27.2 points per game against Boston for his career, his highest against any foe. ... By dropping Dallas to 29-6 at home, Boston takes over the NBA's second-best home record at 29-5. ... The Mavs had a season-high 12 blocks. They had 11 the previous game.

Rockets suffer second straight loss

Former Houston swingman Bonzi Wells helped New Orleans hand the Rockets their second straight loss after a 22-game winning streak, scoring 20 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter in the Hornets' 90-69 victory Wednesday night.

David West, returning from a right ankle sprain that sidelined him for two games, had 23 points and 11 rebounds to help New Orleans (46-21) pull a half-game ahead of the Rockets for the Southwest Division lead and even with the Los Angeles Lakers atop the Western Conference.

Tracy McGrady, who scored only eight points in a 94-74 loss to Boston a night earlier, scored 15 against New Orleans, still well below his nearly 22-point-per-game average.

Chris Paul had 21 points and 10 assists for the Hornets, who extended their home winning streak to eight while ending the Rockets 12-game winning streak on the road.

Houston, which shot 41 percent against Boston, was even worse in New Orleans, finishing at 34 percent.

Luis Scola had 14 points and nine rebounds before fouling out with three minutes left. Shane Battier also scored 14, while Dikembe Mutombo and Rafer Alston each scored 10.

Tyson Chandler grabbed 15 rebounds for New Orleans, which overcame a 14-point first-half deficit.

Trailing 50-47, Houston countered with an 8-0 run, and Mutombo's dunk gave the Rockets a 55-50 lead in the third period. The Hornets suddenly couldn't make a basket, getting only one free throw from West during a six-minute span.

New Orleans did not let up on defense, however, and put together an 8-2 run during the last 2:30 of the third quarter to tie it at 59 heading into the fourth quarter.

That's when Wells, who was traded by Houston at the trading deadline along with Mike James for Bobby Jackson — took over. He scored nine points on a fast-break dunk as he was fouled, a driving layup and a pair of jumpers during a 13-2 run that gave New Orleans a 72-61 lead. Wells was just warming up.

He hit six free throws during the quarter and added a 3-pointer while turning the game into a blowout.

Notes:@ Paul was called for a technical foul at the end of the first half for arguing with referees. ... Alston was called for a technical foul in the fourth quarter. ... Attendance was 17,956, the Hornets' seventh sellout in their last 12 home games. ... The Rockets are 20-12 on the road.

Celtics snap Rockets' 22-game winning streak

The Houston Rockets' 22-game winning streak was snapped in a 94-74 loss to the Boston Celtics on Tuesday in a battle of the NBA's top two teams.

Houston's streak had been the second longest in the NBA. The NBA's longest winning run was 33 games by the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers.

Kevin Garnett scored 22 points to pace the Celtics as the Eastern Conference leaders, who have won 13 of their past 14 games, raised their league-best record to 54-13.

The Rockets, who came into the game in sole possession of first place in the Western Conference, dropped to 46-21 and a tie for first with the Los Angeles Lakers.

(Editing by Martin Petty)

Pierce has 22 in Celtics win

Paul Pierce scored 22 points, Kevin Garnett added 21 and the Boston Celtics rallied to beat the San Antonio Spurs 93-91 on Monday night.

Rajon Rondo added 20 points for the Celtics, who were still without Ray Allen, who missed his second straight game with a jammed left ankle. Sam Cassell had 17 points. He gave Boston its first lead of the fourth quarter with 46 seconds left when he hit a 3-pointer to make it 89-87.

Manu Ginobili had 32 points to lead the Spurs, who lost their season-high fourth straight. Tony Parker added 17 points and Tim Duncan scored 10.

San Antonio trailed 93-89 after Eddie House hit two foul shots for Boston to make it a two-possession game with 9.6 seconds left. Parker then got an easy basket for San Antonio but it appeared too late for the Spurs. But with two seconds left Bruce Bowen stole the ball from Garnett on the inbounds play and passed to Robert Horry, whose 3-point attempt missed. Horry sank to the ground, his head in his hands.

The Spurs have now lost six games at home this season. Their last home loss was Jan. 26 against the New Orleans Hornets.

The Spurs led 70-68 after three quarters and extended the lead to 79-72 on Horry's 3-pointer with 8:04 to play. Duncan soon followed with a pair of highlight blocks against Pierce and House before Pierce led a 9-2 run by the Celtics to bring Boston to 83-81 with 3:11 left.

House's first points of the game — a 3 from the corner — made it 85-84 Spurs with less than two minutes to go.

Cassell then hit another 3 — this time from the top of the arc — to give Boston the lead. Rondo grabbed a key offensive rebound for the Celtics and hit two from the line with 16.6 seconds left to make it a two possession game.

The Spurs missed a chance at a 3-point play when Ginobili was fouled by Pierce but his layup rolled all the way around the rim before going out. Ginobili hit both from the line to bring the Spurs within two with 11 seconds to go.

After being dominated by the Spurs for the opening two quarters and trailing by 10 at the half, 53-43, the Celtics opened the third with a 17-4 run to take their first lead of the game, 56-55, off Pierce's easy fast break dunk with 8:24 on the clock.

Rondo had 12 points in the period — including eight straight — for Boston, but the Celtics couldn't build more than a three-point lead and were down two points with a quarter to play.

Ginobili, the Spurs' leading scorer, returned to the reserve role he's had most of the season after starting all but two games since Jan. 29.

Notes:@ The Celtics take on the Houston Rockets and their 22-game winning streak on Tuesday, but Boston coach Doc Rivers said pregame he wasn't thinking about that just yet. "To me they're (the Spurs) still the team to beat no matter what the streak is, or what anybody's streak is. ... History tells us we should focus on the Spurs." ... Rivers said he doubted Allen would be ready for Houston, saying Thursday's game vs. Dallas is more likely. ... This is the second straight year the Spurs and Celtics have played on St. Patrick's Day. Boston won last year, 91-85, beating the Spurs in San Antonio for the first time since Feb. 14, 1990. ... Spurs G-F Ime Udoka was back after sitting out two games with tarsal tunnel syndrome in his right ankle.

Nuggets roll with NBA season-high 168

Carmelo Anthony scored 26 points, Allen Iverson had 24 and Marcus Camby had a triple-double and the Denver Nuggets set an NBA season high for points in a half and a game with a 168-116 win over the Seattle SuperSonics on Sunday night.

The 168 points are the most Denver has scored in a game since Jan. 11, 1984, against San Antonio. It is also the most the Nuggets have scored in regulation.

The Nuggets, who led by as many as 55 in the fourth quarter, fell 16 points shy of the franchise record, set in a 186-184 triple-overtime loss to Detroit on Dec. 13, 1983.

The Nuggets' 168 points top the 138 they scored against Seattle in a 32-point win on Feb. 27, which was also the league high for the season. Denver scored 84 points in both halves, surpassing the previous high of 80 set by Phoenix on Nov. 21.

Camby had 13 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists to notch his second triple-double of the season and fourth of his 12-year career. Kenyon Martin had 23 points, one of eight Denver players in double figures.

The Nuggets have won three straight, all by blowout. They beat Memphis by 22 Wednesday night and the Raptors by 32 Friday night. They moved within 1 1/2 games of Golden State for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

The Nuggets wasted little time in jumping on the SuperSonics on Sunday. Three players scored in double figures in the first quarter, led by Iverson's 12. Denver shot 69 percent from the field in the first 12 minutes.

Iverson, playing with a fractured ring finger, did his damage in the first 6 minutes of the quarter, when he scored all of his first-quarter points. He also passed to Martin for a dunk during the Nuggets' opening quarter.

Denver didn't let up in the second quarter, hitting five 3-pointers and scoring 36 points. They led 84-58 at the break. Kevin Durant, who led the Sonics with 23 points, scored 15 in the second quarter.

Notes:@ Sonics coach P.J. Carlesimo is one win shy of 200 NBA victories. ... The Nuggets are 40-26, tied for the fourth-best start in franchise history and their best start since 1987-88. ... Coming into Sunday's game, Durant was averaging 21.1 points in eight games in March, up from 19.5 points in his first 64 games.

(This version CORRECTS Nuggets 168, SuperSonics 116. corrects score in lede.)

Magic beat Pacers, clinch playoff spot

Hedo Turkoglu scored 27 points, including nine in the final five minutes to help the Orlando Magic pull away and clinch a playoff berth with a 122-111 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Saturday night.

Rashard Lewis added 22 points for Orlando, which has won seven of eight. Dwight Howard, who was in foul trouble much of the fourth quarter, added 18 points and 12 rebounds before fouling out with 43 seconds to play. Maurice Evans scored a season-high 19 points.

Danny Granger led the Pacers with 27 points and Mike Dunleavy had 16. Six Pacers scored in double figures, but Indiana lost for the fifth time in its last six games.

The Magic led 106-102 when Howard returned to the game with five fouls. Orlando went on an 8-1 run, with Turkoglu making two driving layups, Lewis getting one and Howard scoring on a dunk. Indiana never got closer than six the rest of the game.

The Magic shot 66.7 percent in the first half and led by as many as 18 with just under seven minutes left in the second period, but couldn't build the lead because of poor passing. Orlando committed 12 turnovers in the half, 10 of them among Howard, Turkoglu and Nelson.

Indiana used the mistakes to slowly get back in the game, cutting a 48-30 deficit to 61-53 at halftime. Troy Murphy had 11 points in the quarter and Granger eight for the Pacers, who stayed close by shooting 50 percent for the half.

The Pacers outscored the Magic 11-2 to start the fourth quarter, cutting an 11-point deficit to 93-91 on a 3-pointer by Murphy with 9:08 left in the game. Orlando pushed the lead back to 101-93 after a three-point play by Lewis with 7:01 left, but Howard picked up his fifth foul on the next possession.

Notes:@ The Pacers hit eight 3-pointers, giving them 586 for the season, which breaks the team record of 583. Howard was 0-for-5 at the free throw line. He's (6-21) in last two games. Pacers PG Flip Murray started for the first time this season. He had 11 points and two assists. Magic guard Keith Bogans, 1-for-8 on 3-pointers in his previous three games, was 3-for-3 against the Pacers.

NBA SuperSonics closer to Oklahoma move

Seattle SuperSonics owner Clay Bennett has sent a letter of intent to Oklahoma City's mayor to detail what must happen for the National Basketball Association team to move here.

City officials were expected to meet Tuesday to talk over the terms, which include the team paying 1.6 million dollars in annual arena rental and 100,000 dollars for city-constructed practice facilities, TV station KSBI reported.

The station also said that if the Sonics cannot get out of their lease in Seattle for next season, they would play out the lease and move to Oklahoma after two more seasons in Seattle.

Oklahoma City voters approved a sales tax hike for arena renovations to the same venue that served as a temporary home for the New Orleans Hornets for two seasons following Hurricane Katrina.

An NBA relocation committee is set to visit Oklahoma City and report to league owners in mid-April when a vote on the move is expected to occur.

NBA commissioner David Stern has said that without a new arena in Seattle, the club is likely to leave the city where it was founded in 1967.

Losing is a hard lesson for Joakim Noah

Joakim Noah has had to adjust to many things during a tumultuous NBA rookie season but the most difficult has been losing.

A standout on a successful University of Florida team, the pony-tailed Frenchman had almost forgotten how to lose as the Gators ran up a 68-11 record on their way to back-to-back NCAA titles.

As the victories piled up so did the accolades with Noah earning All-American honors and being voted the outstanding player of the 2006 Final Four tournament, prompting the Chicago Bulls to use their first pick (ninth overall) in last year's draft on the charismatic centre.

This season, though, neither the Bulls nor Noah have lived up to expectations.

A pre-season tip to battle for the Eastern conference title, the Bulls (26-38) have lost more than they have won while Noah, until recently, received more attention for his temper tantrums than for his talent.

In January, the fiery power forward was suspended for two games following a confrontation with assistant coach Ron Adams and a few days later he challenged veteran Ben Wallace after a loss.

While Noah apparently had no shortage of things to say to coaches and team mates, he soon had no comment for the media, briefly boycotting reporters over what he believed was his unfair portrayal as a malcontent.

"It's tough," Noah, 23, told Reuters after a recent loss to the Detroit Pistons. "Talent-wise we have enough in this room to make a run and get to the playoffs but we're just letting it slip away."

CHAMPION PARENTS

Winning is engraved in Noah's family genes.

His father, 1983 French Open champion Yannick Noah, is a sporting icon in France while his mother Cecilia also knows something about winning crowns, having taken the Miss Sweden title in 1978.

Given his champion's pedigree and inherited competitiveness, Noah's frustration is understandable says Milwaukee Bucks former number one pick Andrew Bogut.

"The chemistry they had at Florida was different," explained Bogut, the top selection in the 2005 NBA draft. "At Florida, they were winning championships.

"The college environment is much more family oriented. The team is together 24/7; you're going out with the guys, eating with the guys.

"In the NBA, you're alone most of the time. You have your own hotel room, you don't have a room mate.

"You don't really go out much with guys, unless you want to go party. I think that's probably his biggest adjustment."

A recent promotion to the starting lineup has helped to speed Noah's learning curve and brought some maturity to the free-spirited Frenchman's game.

SEASON'S HIGHLIGHT

As his minutes have increased so have his numbers, the six-foot-11-inch (2.11-metre) centre averaging 8.0 points and 5.7 rebounds in his first six starts after Wallace was traded.

The highlight of his season so far, however, was a 20-rebound, 13-point performance in a win over LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers on March 6.

"He plays with a lot of energy every night, a lot of enthusiasm," said Bulls coach Jim Boylan. "He's getting better, starting to learn the game.

"You never quite know exactly where the guy is going to go but as I watched him during the season I thought if we could get him a lot of consistent minutes he would figure out how to play in this league. He has, but not every night.

"He's struggled some nights but other nights he's played very well so we're happy about the way he's going."

While pleased to have earned the starting assignment, Noah is less concerned about his own performance than his team's as the Bulls continue their fight for a playoff spot.

"There's a lot more coming at me because I'm on the court more but I wouldn't have it any other way," said Noah. "I'd rather be on the court than on the bench.

"It's definitely easier mentally, you know you're starting, but at the same time it's not about who's starting and who's not starting, it's about winning the ball games at the end of the night. Getting back on that bus and being happy.

"We expect a certain level of intensity. It's about taking care of business."

(Additional reporting by Steve Ginsburg, Editing by Clare Fallon)

Nuggets rout Grizzlies 108-86

Kenyon Martin scored 23 points, and Carmelo Anthony had 14 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Denver Nuggets to a 108-86 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night.

Allen Iverson, third in the NBA in scoring, played with a fractured ring finger on his right hand and had just eight points on 2-for-12 shooting and didn't play in the fourth quarter. Linas Kleiza had 19 points for the Nuggets, who ended a two-game skid.

Juan Carlos Navarro had 16 points off the bench for the Grizzlies, who have lost 16 straight road games and 17 of their last 19 overall.

The Nuggets took control of the game in the middle quarters. After falling behind early, they built a 13-point lead in the second quarter and held a 46-36 advantage at halftime.

After Memphis cut the lead to eight, Martin did his part to bury Memphis in the third quarter. He had seven points at halftime, but scored 16 points in the third to help Denver pull away. The Nuggets pushed the lead to 24 on a 3-pointer by J.R. Smith with 2:49 left in the period, and made it a 27-point game when 6-foot-11 center Marcus Camby made his fifth 3-pointer of the season.

The Nuggets didn't let up in the fourth. With the starters on the bench, the reserves pushed the lead to 96-64 with 7:29 left, Denver's biggest advantage of the night.

The Grizzlies, who lost to the Suns in Phoenix on Tuesday night, came out strong in the first quarter. Mike Miller scored eight quick points to help Memphis jump out to a 10-0 lead. The Grizzlies led by 12 before the Nuggets rallied to tie it at 16 with 3:39 left in the first period.

The Nuggets took the lead for the first time — and for good — when Eduardo Najera hit a 3-pointer to put Denver up 23-22 at the end of the first quarter.

Notes:@ Iverson was injured in a win over the San Antonio Spurs last Friday, but hasn't missed any playing time. ... Iverson's eight points marked the first time this season he failed to score in double digits. ... Memphis C Darko Milicic didn't play in the second half due to a sore right foot. He finished with four rebounds and no points in just over nine minutes.

Kobe leads Lakers past Raptors, 117-108

Kobe Bryant scored 10 of his 34 points in the final 8 1/2 minutes, Lamar Odom added 20 points and nine rebounds, and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Toronto Raptors 117-108 on Tuesday night to regain the top spot in the Western Conference.

Now, they'll face a major challenge staying there, playing their next four games on the road against New Orleans, Houston, Dallas and Utah, who have a cumulative record of 168-86 — including 101-26 at home.

Bryant also had seven rebounds and seven assists for the Pacific Division-leading Lakers (45-19), who have won 18 of their last 22 and lead the San Antonio Spurs by a half-game in the Western Conference race.

Derek Fisher scored 18 points, Pau Gasol had 12 points, seven rebounds and five assists and Jordan Farmar added 10 points and five assists for the Lakers, who shot 53.6 percent.

T.J. Ford scored all but four of his 28 points in the second half for the Raptors (34-29), who lost for the fifth time in seven games. Anthony Parker added 21 points, Rasho Nesterovic had 18 points and eight rebounds and Andrea Bargnani scored 15 for Toronto.

Raptors star Chris Bosh, averaging 22.6 points and 8.9 rebounds, missed his sixth straight game with a sore right knee. Toronto has a 4-7 record without Bosh this season.

Sasha Vujacic's 3-pointer with 7:09 remaining gave the Lakers a 97-86 lead — largest of the game for either team to that point. The Raptors weren't closer than six points after that. Fisher's 3-pointer with 41 seconds left made it 113-104 and clinched the victory.

Odom scored 13 of his team's 25 points and Parker had 11 of his team's 25 in the third quarter, which ended with the Lakers leading 83-77.

A basket by Bryant and 3-pointers by Farmar and seldom-used Coby Karl gave the Lakers a 40-35 lead, and they were on top the rest of the way. Los Angeles shot 15-of-22 in the second quarter in outscoring the Raptors 36-27 for a 58-52 halftime lead.

The game was the second between the teams at Staples Center since Bryant scored a whopping 81 points in a 122-104 victory Jan. 22, 2006. It appeared he might be headed toward another huge game when he made three 3-pointers in the first five minutes.

Bryant had 13 points, three steals and four of his team's seven turnovers in the first quarter, which ended with the Raptors on top 25-22.

Notes:@ The Lakers committed only four turnovers in the final three periods, giving them a total of 11. ... The Lakers have scored 100 or more points in 18 of their last 20 games, but have allowed 100 or more in five of their last six. ... The game was the opener of a five-game road trip for the Raptors, who play at Golden State, Denver, Sacramento and Utah in the next six nights. They hope Bosh will be available at some point during the trip. ... The Lakers have won six straight against the Raptors at Staples Center. ... The Raptors have made at least one 3-pointer in a record 756 straight games dating back to February 1999. ... Bryant was called for a flagrant foul against Kris Humphries in the second quarter.

Duncan, Ginobili lead Spurs over Nuggets

Tim Duncan had 23 points and 18 rebounds, and the San Antonio Spurs beat the Denver Nuggets 107-103 on Monday night in the second meeting between the teams in four days. Tony Parker added 16 points and Manu Ginobili scored 13 and had a career-high 14 assists for the Spurs.

Allen Iverson led Denver with 28 points despite a broken finger. J.R. Smith added 22 points and Carmelo Anthony contributed 18.

The Nuggets beat San Antonio in Denver on Friday, ending the Spurs' season-high 11-game winning streak.

San Antonio snapped a two-game skid and tied the Los Angeles Lakers at the top of the Western Conference. The Nuggets have lost two in a row and are just outside playoff contention in ninth place in the West.

Iverson has a non-displaced fracture in the tip of his right ring finger. He hurt the finger on Friday against the Spurs. An X-ray detected the injury on Monday.

The Spurs were up 84-80 going into the fourth quarter, but they wouldn't keep the lead for long — the teams were tied six times during the final period.

Smith, up against Duncan, made a tough reverse layup to break an 88-all tie with 7:25 to play, and Eduardo Najera soon followed with a dunk that would put the Nuggets up 92-89. But neither team could pull away.

Kenyon Martin tied it at 100 with 2:18 to go before the Spurs took the lead for good. Duncan hit his eighth and ninth free throws of the night and new addition Kurt Thomas made a crucial basket to make it 104-100 with a minute to play.

The Nuggets missed two shots on their next possession, and Ginobili hit two free throws after being fouled by Smith with 23 seconds left. Bruce Bowen hit one of two free throws with 16 on the clock to make it 107-100, and Smith's three-point play came too late to matter for Denver.

Martin scored 16 points for Denver and Anthony Carter had 10. Center Marcus Camby grabbed 14 rebounds for the Nuggets.

Thomas had 13 points for the Spurs, Bowen added 11 and Matt Bonner scored 10.

The Nuggets led by as many as seven in the third before the Spurs went on a 16-5 run to close the quarter and take an 84-80 lead with one period to go.

Bonner's long 3 from the top of the arc made it 80-77 with 1:37 to go, giving the Spurs their first lead since early in the quarter.

Smith's dunk with 1:02 left in the quarter quieted the crowd, but only briefly. San Antonio's Michael Finley promptly hit a 3 from the corner with 42.8 seconds to go, giving San Antonio an 83-79 advantage.

Iverson's finger didn't appear to be bothering him much. He hit back-to-back 3s for the Nuggets late in the first half, helping give Denver a 58-55 halftime lead. Iverson led all scorers at the break with 15 points. The Spurs were up 27-23 after one.

Notes:@ The Spurs won the season series 2-1. ... Camby got a technical foul with 6:13 left in the third quarter. ... Anthony got a technical with 2:51 to go in the third after a backcourt turnover during the Spurs' run.

(This version CORRECTS Spurs 107, Nuggets 103. UPDATES with additional scorers; corrects to 1:02 left in graf 13 and 15 points in graf 14.)

Heat's Wade to miss rest of NBA season: report

Dwyane Wade is expected to miss the remainder of the National Basketball Association season to have a second operation on his surgically repaired left knee, coach Pat Riley told the Miami Herald on Monday.

Miami Heat superstar guard Wade will have a follow-up shockwave stimulation treatment on Tuesday, Riley told the newspaper, after playing Saturday for only a few minutes against Atlanta and missing Friday's game against Golden State.

"This treatment will help him," Riley said. "I think it's time. We've been walking around on eggshells with this thing."

Wade will miss the final month on a miserable season for the Heat, who are an NBA-worst 11-50 and have lost nine of 10 games this season without Wade.

Despite the sore knee and his team's woeful record, Wade has shined this season, averaging 24.6 points and 6.9 assists in 51 games. The 26-year-old playmaker missed the Heat's first seven games after knee and shoulder surgery.

Wade, a likely US Olympian at the Beijing Olympics, was the Most Valuable Player of the 2006 NBA Finals in sparking Miami to an NBA crown but the Heat traded star center Shaquille O'Neal to Phoenix and are rebuilding around Wade.

T-Mac's 41 helps Rockets win 18th in row

Tracy McGrady and the Houston Rockets are making it look easy, even against the best teams in the Western Conference. McGrady scored 41 points Saturday night and the Rockets stretched their winning streak to 18 games with a 106-96 victory over the New Orleans Hornets.

The Rockets have won their last nine games by double digits and moved into a tie with the Hornets in the overall conference standings. Houston, 13-15 in mid-December, closed within one game of San Antonio in the Southwest Division.

The Rockets have the NBA's longest winning streak since the Los Angeles Lakers won 19 in a row in the 1999-2000 season. Houston became just the seventh team in history to win 18 or more consecutive games.

McGrady hit 17 of 27 shots, reaching 40 points for the fourth time this season. The Rockets also made a season-high 14 3-pointers, improving to 6-0 since Yao Ming went out with a foot injury.

Chris Paul scored 37 points for the Hornets, who had won five of their last six. Paul also had 11 assists.

Rafer Alston added 20 points for Houston, which has won 12 consecutive games at the Toyota Center, the franchise's longest home-court streak since 1993-94, the Rockets' first championship season.

Both teams were short-handed on the front line.

David West, the Hornets' second-leading scorer and rebounder, missed his third straight game with a sprained left ankle. Rookie Carl Landry, a key reserve during the winning streak, sat out with a bruised left knee.

The Rockets trailed 23-20 after the first quarter, then took command with a 14-0 run midway through the second.

McGrady sank a 3-pointer from the top of the key early in the spurt, then soared for a two-handed, alley-oop dunk off a long feed from Alston. McGrady hit another 3-pointer from the corner to put Houston up 40-28, then nodded and screamed at the cheering fans before running back down the court.

The rest of the half turned into an entertaining 3-point shootout — 11 of the last 12 field goals came from long range.

Peja Stojakovic and Paul ended Houston's run with back-to-back 3s, but Steve Novak answered with a 3 from the corner. Morris Peterson sank a pair of 3s before Shane Battier and Alston each hit one in the final minute to give the Rockets a 59-46 lead at the break.

The teams hit 16 3-pointers in the second quarter and 18 in the first half.

The Hornets closed to 63-57 early in the third quarter, but Alston sank Houston's 10th 3-pointer to finish a 9-3 burst and put the Rockets back up by 12. Tyson Chandler got the ball inside at the other end, Dikembe Mutombo swatted it away — career block No. 3,246 — and followed it with a trademark wag of his finger.

Paul had 11 points and four assists in the third quarter to keep New Orleans close. But McGrady's jumper over Peterson in the final minute of the quarter gave the Rockets an 81-72 lead and gave him at least 30 points for the 11th time this season.

McGrady started the final quarter with consecutive jumpers over the 6-foot-1 Jannero Pargo and 6-8 rookie Julian Wright. Luther Head and Battier tacked on 3-pointers to stretch Houston's lead to 91-74.

Paul converted a three-point play and sank a 3 to cut Houston's lead to nine, at 95-86. Alston responded with a 3 from the corner to extend the lead back to double digits.

The Rockets have won 27 of their last 30 games, the best record in the NBA since the start of 2008.

Notes:@ The Hornets and Rockets were meeting for the first time since the Feb. 21 trade that brought Bobby Jackson to Houston for Mike James and Bonzi Wells. Jackson scored two points with five assists, James had three points and Wells sat out with an injured Achilles' tendon. ... The Rockets have had at least 20 assists in every game during their winning streak. ... The Rockets have made 10 or more 3-pointers in five of their last seven games. ... Paul reached 30 points for the ninth time this season.

Paul helps Hornets top Nets

Chris Paul had 25 points and 16 assists, and the New Orleans Hornets won their third straight game, 107-96 over the New Jersey Nets on Friday night.

In keeping with a growing trend this season, several of Paul's assists came on alley-oop lobs to Tyson Chandler, who finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds as New Orleans won for the fifth time in six games.

Rookie Julian Wright scored a career-high 20 on 8-of-9 shooting and grabbed eight rebounds, also a career best.

Wright, the 13th overall pick in last summer's draft, has seen an uptick in playing time the past two games with starting forward David West (ankle) sitting out. He has responded with career highs in scoring in each game, starting with his 13 points in a victory over Atlanta last Wednesday night.

Richard Jefferson scored 27 and Vince Carter had 19 points and 10 assists for New Jersey, which has lost four straight and five out of six while trying to cling to the eighth and final playoff seed in the Eastern Conference. Devin Harris scored 17 for the Nets and Nenad Krstic 14.

Peja Stojakovic scored 15 points for New Orleans and helped the Hornets, who trailed the entire first half, surge into the lead for good with a 16-2 run to open the third quarter.

He and Paul each converted three-point plays by hitting fades as they were fouled. Morris Peterson added a transition 3-pointer during the run.

The Nets briefly halted the surge when Harris made a driving layup and Jefferson a driving dunk, but the Hornets began to pull away again when Paul found Chandler on two straight alley-oop dunks, with Paul using a mesmerizing behind-the-back dribble on the second before throwing up the lob.

Early in the fourth, Wright made a steal and threw down his second alley-oop while running the break with Jannero Pargo. Wright then hit a jumper, soared in for another alley-oop from Paul, then hit a 3-pointer a few possessions later to make it 89-71.

New Jersey scored the first eight points of the game and shot 83 percent through the first 7 1/2 minutes to take a 20-13 lead. Jefferson had 14 of his points in the first quarter alone. Carter had 13 points in the first half, including a scoop shot on a spinning drive through a crowd and an off-balance 20-foot jumper as the shot clock was about to expire.

The Nets made only three of their first 14 shots to open the second quarter, however, allowing the Hornets to slowly close the gap.

Chandler and Paul each had 10 points in the opening two quarters, helping the Hornets close to 46-43 at halftime.

Notes:@ Hornets head coach Byron Scott said he was uncertain if West would play Saturday night in Houston. Hornets F Bonzi Wells missed his third straight game with a bruised Achilles' tendon and Scott said he was not expected to play until the Hornets returned home play San Antonio on Wednesday. ... Paul's steal in the first quarter gave him at least one steal in all 59 games in which he has played this season, a franchise record and the longest streak in the NBA. ... The Nets have lost 14 of their last 16 on the road. The Nets play their next two games on the road at Dallas and Houston. ... Attendance was 17,225, the Hornets' fifth sellout in eight home games.

Ginobili shines as NBA Spurs win 11th straight game

Argentina's Manu Ginobili led all scorers with 28 points Thursday as the San Antonio Spurs extended their National Basketball winning streak to 11 games with a victory over Indiana.

The Spurs beat the Pacers 108-97, with France's Tony Parker adding 19 points and Spurs superstar Tim Duncan nabbing 12 rebounds to make up for an indifferent shooting night.

San Antonio led by only two after a close-fought first half. But they took a commanding 84-69 lead in the third quarter, in which Bruce Bowen scored six of his eight points on back-to-back 3-pointers.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was ejected 5:39 into the second quarter for storming on the court while the ball was still in play.

He was angered by two non-calls against the Pacers under the Spurs basket. He had to be restrained as he received two quick technicals from official Mark Wunderlich.

Popovich, who has guided San Antonio to four NBA championships in 12 seasons, was escorted to the locker room, and assistant Mike Budenholzer took over coaching duties for the Spurs.

Jazz beat Timberwolves 105-76

Deron Williams had 21 points and 11 assists and the Utah Jazz won their 17th straight home game, beating the Minnesota Timberwolves 105-76 on Wednesday night.

Utah improved to 26-3 at home and is two wins away from tying the team record for consecutive home wins.

Carlos Boozer had 16 points and 14 rebounds, Mehmet Okur added 15 points and nine boards and Ronnie Brewer scored 16 for the Jazz. C.J. Miles, filling in for injured forward Andrei Kirilenko (hip), was the only Utah starter not to score in double figures, finishing with nine points.

Utah lost at Minnesota — one of just 12 wins this season for the Timberwolves — 111-100 on Feb. 26. The Jazz easily avenged the upset and led by at least 20 for most of the second half.

Randy Foye scored 18 points and Al Jefferson had 11 points and 10 assists for the Timberwolves.

The Jazz have won three straight overall and four of five. The last time the Jazz won this many home games in a row was in 1996, when EnergySolutions Arena was still the Delta Center.

About the only area they had problems Wednesday was the foul line, where they were just 19-for-30.

Williams had his fifth straight double-double. He is averaging almost 15 assists over the last five games and only played briefly in the fourth quarter as coach Jerry Sloan rested most of the starters. Miles was the only one still on the floor at the final buzzer.

Utah led by 12 at halftime and quickly pulled away in the third quarter with 15-0 run. The Jazz outscored the Wolves 29-16 in the period and went 12-for-18 from the field in the third quarter, opening with 15 straight points while shutting out Minnesota for the first 4:05. The Timberwolves didn't score until Foye hit a 3-pointer with 7:55 left in the period. Williams missed a free throw that would have converted a three-point play early in the quarter, but the Jazz got the rebound and Miles hit a long jumper to put Utah up 60-39.

Utah led 66-39 before Foye hit his 3.

The Jazz took off again later in the period as the Timberwolves continued to struggle from the floor. Minnesota was 19-for-58 (33 percent) in the first three periods and got within 20 only once in the fourth quarter. Kirk Snyder made a layup to cut the lead to 87-68 with 6:03 left, but Paul Millsap scored for the Jazz and the lead kept increasing from there.

Notes:@ Rashad McCants scored 12 and Craig Smith added 11 points for Minnesota. ... Kirilenko injured his right hip when he was knocked down on a flagrant foul by Dallas' Dirk Nowitzki on Monday. The NBA suspended Nowitzki for one game Wednesday. ... Minnesota hasn't won a road game since beating Golden State on Jan. 21.

Kobe rallies Lakers past Kings

Kobe Bryant scored 17 of his 34 points in an electric fourth-quarter performance, and Pau Gasol added 31 points in the Los Angeles Lakers' 12th victory in 13 games, 117-105 over the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday night.

Bryant scored all of his fourth-quarter points in the final 5:56, including 11 straight as the Lakers took their first lead in a mean-spirited game between longtime rivals. Bryant, newly christened the NBA's player of the month for February, led the way with a series of balletic moves, including a spinning layup and a 360-degree two-handed jam as Los Angeles pulled away.

Lamar Odom added 19 points and 12 rebounds for the Lakers, who remained percentage points behind the San Antonio Spurs for the Western Conference lead by holding the Kings scoreless for 4:07 during the fourth as Bryant rained in jumpers and free throws. Los Angeles scored 14 straight points in the span.

Kevin Martin and Ron Artest scored 23 points apiece for the Kings, who lost for the fifth time in six games despite 3 1/2 solid quarters against their longtime nemeses. Brad Miller added 14 points and 12 rebounds while leading Sacramento's physical defensive plan against Bryant and the Lakers.

Getting tough nearly worked — but Kobe just got tougher.

The longtime Pacific Division rivals curiously hadn't played each other this season, but they'll make up for it during four meetings over the Lakers' final 22 games. Sacramento, which has beaten Detroit, San Antonio, Dallas and New Orleans at home this season, came within a few minutes of another upset before Bryant took charge.

The Kings got physical with the Lakers from the opening tip, with Miller and Mikki Moore trading hard fouls with Gasol and Bryant before most fans had settled in their seats. Gasol then got a technical foul for taking a swipe at Miller in the third quarter after the Kings center used a stiff-arm to block out underneath the basket.

Moments later, Bryant was infuriated when an out-of-bounds call went against him, followed by a cherry-picking layup by Artest. Bryant swatted the ball into the crowd in frustration, and coach Phil Jackson called a timeout to calm down his agitated club.

A few possessions later, Derek Fisher landed an open-handed swipe on Miller's face as the center spun home an acrobatic layup. Miller also got a technical foul late in the quarter for arguing a no-call, but Sacramento built a 13-point lead.

Two nights after scoring 52 points against Dallas, Bryant saved his dramatics for the final minutes. After Sacramento never trailed in the first 43 minutes, the Lakers went ahead 101-100 on two free throws by Bryant with 4:04 to play as part of the decisive run.

Fisher finished with 17 points, while John Salmons had 17 for the Kings.

Notes:@ The Kings travel to Staples Center on Sunday, and the clubs meet two more times in 10 days in April. ... F Vladimir Radmanovic returned to the Lakers' lineup after missing five games with a strained right calf muscle. ... the Kings dropped to 0-8 against Pacific Division opponents.

Williams dishes for 20 assists as NBA Jazz sink Mavs

Point guard Deron Williams tied a season-high with 20 assists as the Utah Jazz beat the Dallas Mavericks 116-110 in a key Western Conference matchup on Monday.

"It was a great game, another game that felt like a playoff atmosphere," said Williams, who added 17 points. "Any time you play a Western Conference opponent, everybody right know is fighting for their lives and fighting for a playoff spot."

After watching the Mavericks erase a 20-point deficit, the Jazz rode a 16-0 fourth-quarter run to rally back for the victory, their 16th straight at home three shy of a team record.

Two nights after dishing out 19 assists in a road win over Memphis, Williams outdid himself, making Dallas' newly acquired star point guard Jason Kidd look old in the process.

Of course, it didn't hurt that Williams' teammates weren't missing. Jazz All-Stars Carlos Boozer and Mehmet Okur were a combined 11-for-12 in the first half alone as Utah exploded for a 25-6 lead over the first six minutes of the game.

However, another former All-Star was taken out of the equation early on. Jazz forward Andrei Kirilenko one of six Jazz players who average in double-figures in scoring left the floor just five minutes into the first quarter with a right hip injury after being taken down on a flagrant foul by Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki.

Kirilenko laid on the ground for several minutes before finally getting up, knocking down a pair of free throws and then getting escorted to the locker room. Initial X-rays were inconclusive, but he was taken to the hospital during the game for further observation.

From then on, Nowitzki, the league's reigning MVP, was loudly booed every time he touched the ball.

Rockets tie team mark with 15th straight

Tracy McGrady scored 22 points, Shane Battier added 20 and the Houston Rockets tied a franchise record with their 15th straight win, a 103-89 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Sunday night.

The winning streak is the longest in the NBA this season and matches the longest one in franchise history, reached twice, with the last one coming in their championship season of 1993-94. It was Houston's third straight win since losing All-star center Yao Ming for the season with a stress fracture in his foot and its 19th win in the last 20 games.

Houston trailed by seven in the first quarter, before taking the lead with about a minute left in the quarter on a dunk by McGrady after a turnover by Allen Iverson. The Rockets didn't trail after that and led by double digits for most of the game.

Iverson had a tough night, going 7-for-22 and finishing with a 17 points after scoring 38 on Friday. He was scoreless in the third quarter and didn't score again until a jump shot with less than 8 minutes left in the game. In the fourth quarter, he drove the lane and missed a layup before falling face-first onto the court. He got up shaking his head in disbelief.

The Rockets have won their last six games by 10 points or more, extending a franchise record.

Carmelo Anthony led the Nuggets with 19 points and Kenyon Martin had 12 points and 10 rebounds.

The Rockets were up by nine entering the fourth quarter and outscored Denver 18-8 in the first eight minutes of the period, thanks to a pair of 3s by Battier, to stretch their lead to 98-79. Nuggets coach George Karl replaced his starters with just under 2 minutes remaining.

Dikembe Mutombo started the third straight game in place of Yao and had five rebounds, three blocks and two points in 24 minutes. Carl Landry also filled in at the position and had 12 points and five rebounds.

Houston stretched a 10-point halftime lead to 76-60 with about 3 minutes left in the third quarter. J.R. Smith then hit two straight 3-pointers to get Denver back within 10 about a minute later. The Nuggets trailed 80-71 entering the fourth quarter.

Houston scored the last six points of the second quarter to lead 50-40 at halftime.

The Rockets, who hadn't trailed in two straight games, got behind 4-0 in this one and Denver led 12-5 midway through the first quarter. Houston scored seven straight points to tie it, before the Nuggets took a 16-12 lead on two quick baskets.

A 9-2 run, fueled by six points by McGrady, gave Houston a 21-18 at the end of the first quarter.

Houston got 18 points from Luis Scola and 16 points and eight assists from Rafer Alston.

Notes:@ Karl said guard Chucky Atkins, who had surgery in January to repair a sports hernia, should return to practice Monday and could play in 10-12 days. ... Roger Clemens watched the game from a courtside seat. His lawyer, Rusty Hardin, who has represented him since he was accused of using steroids and human growth hormone Mitchell Report, sat two seats from him. ... Tennessee Titans quarterback Vince Young, who grew up in Houston, also attended the game.

Spurs escape with victory in Milwaukee

The San Antonio Spurs won their eighth straight game on Saturday, Manu Ginobili scoring 30 points and Tony Parker 26 in a narrow 96-94 road victory over the Milwaukee Bucks.

"We're certainly very fortunate to get the win," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich told reporters.

The NBA champion Spurs are now the top seed in the Western Conference and hold a one-game lead over the New Orleans Hornets in the Southwest Division.

After a late Milwaukee surge, Ginobili hit a shot with 13.2 seconds remaining to give San Antonio a 95-94 lead and it was 96-94 when Milwaukee's Michael Redd was fouled with one second left. He missed the first shot and deliberately failed with the second before Andrew Bogut got the rebound and missed at the final buzzer.

Parker was 11-for-16 from the field in the best of the five games he has played since returning from a foot injury on February 21.

"That was the best game since he came back off the injury," Popovich said. "He looked really confident. He looked more like the Tony that we're used to."

San Antonio's Tim Duncan was held to nine points and seven rebounds.

Redd had 25 points and Bogut added 17 points and 15 rebounds for the Bucks, whose three-game home winning streak was snapped. Milwaukee lost point guard Mo Williams in the third quarter when he was ejected for arguing with officials with his team leading 58-51.

*The Philadelphia 76ers won for the ninth time in 12 games and tasted victory in Phoenix for the first time in six years by posting a 119-114 win over the Suns. Phoenix fell to 2-4 since Shaquille O'Neal became active after being acquired from the Miami Heat. Andre Iguodola scored 32 points and Andre Miller had 25 points and 12 assists for Philadelphia.

*Dwight Howard scored 26 points and grabbed 22 rebounds and Hedu Turkoglu had 25 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds to lead the Orlando Magic to a 118-92 home rout of the New York Knicks.

*The Utah Jazz have struggled on the road but came through with a 113-92 win over the Grizzlies in Memphis led by Deron Williams's 13 points and 19 assists. Memphis has lost eight straight games.

*Tayshaun Prince scored 22 points and dished out 10 assists as the Detroit Pistons surged to a 103-73 road win over the Los Angeles Clippers. It was the 14th win in the last 17 games for the Pistons.

(Writing by Mike Shalin; Editing by Ed Osmond)

Bibby-led Hawks hold off Knicks, 99-93

Mike Bibby set up a go-ahead, alley-oop dunk by Josh Smith with 1:12 left, and the Atlanta Hawks overcame a shaky start to the fourth quarter to beat the New York Knicks 99-93 on Friday night.

Bibby, playing his second home game since his trade to Atlanta, had his second straight double-double with 11 points and 10 assists.

Smith had 25 points and nine rebounds, and rookie Al Horford and Joe Johnson each added 20 points for the Hawks. Horford set a career high.

The Hawks had no defensive answer for Zach Randolph, who had 29 points and 17 rebounds. Jamal Crawford added 21 points for the Knicks.

The Hawks, who committed only four turnovers in the first three periods, had six turnovers in the final period as the Knicks briefly took a late lead.

The Knicks went ahead 91-90 on an inside spin move by Randolph with 2:52 left. The lead held until Bibby's pass set up Smith's go-ahead jam.

Following a missed 3-pointer by Crawford, Bibby's jumper with 35 seconds left gave Atlanta a 94-91 lead. Bibby added two free throws with 11.5 seconds left.

The Hawks, who beat Sacramento on Wednesday in Bibby's first home game, have won back-to-back games for the first time since Feb. 2-6.

Smith committed the Hawks' only two turnovers in the half, but New York led 50-48 at the break as Randolph had 15 points and 12 rebounds.

The Hawks took their biggest lead at 77-69 with 3:26 left in the third quarter before settling for an 81-78 advantage entering the final period.

The Knicks scored the last two baskets of the third quarter and opened the fourth with back-to-back field goals by Fred Jones. Crawford added two free throws to complete a 10-0 run for an 84-81 lead.

The Knicks led 88-83 with 8:01 left before the Hawks answered five straight points, including a 3-pointer by Smith.

Notes:@ There were 26 lead changes and 14 ties. ... Hawks coach Mike Woodson said PG Acie Law has been cleared to return from a sprained right wrist. Law was not in uniform but may play Sunday at Boston, according to Woodson. ... F Marvin Williams returned after missing one game with flu symptoms but scored only nine points.