Leandro Barbosa scored 35 points and Steve Nash dished out a season-high 18 assists as the Phoenix Suns beat the Toronto Raptors, 136-123, at Air Canada Centre. Amare Stoudamire had 25 points and six rebounds for the Suns, who set a season high in points scored. Shawn Marion donated 10 points and 14 rebounds for Phoenix, which has won four straight and 12 of 14. T.J. Ford led Toronto with 27 points in his return to action after missing five of the past seven games with a left arm injury. Anthony Parker added 22, and Jose Calderon and Carlos Delfino had 14 points apiece for the Raptors, who had won four of their previous five. Raptors All- Star forward Chris Bosh sat out his fourth straight game with a strained groin, and forward Andrea Bargnani missed his second game because of a hyperextended left knee.
Final Score: Boston 113, Philadelphia 103
Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - Kevin Garnett scored 22 points and grabbed seven rebounds, as the Boston Celtics downed the Philadelphia 76ers, 113-103. This was the first game for the 76ers since team president and general manager Billy King was fired on Tuesday, and replaced by former Nets GM Ed Stefanski. Paul Pierce scored 19 points and had 12 assists for the Celtics, who came back to win their fourth straight. James Posey, who scored 17 points, and Eddie House, who scored 15, provided sparks off the bench for Boston, which has won 15 of 17 to start the season. Andre Miller scored 26 points and tallied 12 assists for the Sixers, who dropped their third in a row, and their seventh in nine games. Andre Iguodala scored 24 points and Lou Williams scored 18 points off the bench for Philadelphia.
Final Score: Washington 105, Cleveland 86
Washington, DC (Sports Network) - Caron Butler scored 27 points as the Washington Wizards pounded the short-handed Cavaliers, 105-86, at the Verizon Center. Antawn Jamison tallied 17 points and 12 rebounds, and Brendan Haywood chipped in 17 points and 10 boards for the Wizards, who led by as many as 28 before rolling to a second straight victory. The Cavaliers, losers of five straight, played without LeBron James, who missed his fourth consecutive contest with a sprained left index finger. James is averaging 30.7 points, 8.1 assists and 7.6 rebounds per game this season, and his production has been sorely missed. The Cavs are on their longest skid since dropping five in a row February 22 - March 1, 2006. Daniel Gibson had 13 points and eight assists for the Cavaliers, who shot just 43.2 percent from the field, nearly 10 percent less than the Wizards. Drew Gooden and Shannon Brown each added 13 points, and Zydrunas Ilgauskas finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds. This was the first time the teams played since the Cavaliers swept the Wizards in the opening round of last year's playoffs, and Washington took advantage of an absent James to cruise to victory.
Final Score: Chicago 91, Charlotte 82
Charlotte, NC (Sports Network) - Luol Deng dropped a season-high 30 points and the Chicago Bulls dominated the fourth quarter on their way to a 91-82 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats, who were sent to their seventh straight loss. Andres Nocioni had 15 points and 11 rebounds, playing a key role during the final stanza, when Chicago outscored Charlotte 38-22 to take control of the contest. Ben Gordon had 13 points, Joe Smith added 11 and Chris Duhon finished with 12 points and nine assists while playing 35 minutes and picking up for an ineffective Kirk Hinrich, who went scoreless in just 16- plus minutes of floor time. Chicago won for the third time in four games, picking up just its second road win of the season. Gerald Wallace led the reeling Bobcats with 22 points and eight boards, as Charlotte lost to the Bulls for the second time in less than a week. Jason Richardson and Raymond Felton chipped in 17 apiece for the 'Cats, now losers of eight of their last 10 to fall to 6-11 after a promising start to the young season.
Final Score: New York 100, New Jersey 93
East Rutherford, NJ (Sports Network) - Jamal Crawford scored 29 points to lead the New York Knicks to their first road win of the year, 100-93, over the New Jersey Nets. With Eddy Curry out with a sprained ankle, and Stephon Marbury not in the lineup after his father died Sunday, Zach Randolph helped fill the void with a season-high 25 points. David Lee led the Knicks' rebounding effort with seven to go with 13 points, and Fred Jones scored 15 for New York, which has won four of six. The Nets were equally patchwork, as Jason Kidd was out with a migraine and Antoine Wright did not play due to a sore shoulder. But Richard Jefferson scored 31 points, and Vince Carter added 19 for the Nets, who lost the day after winning by 21 points in Cleveland. Malik Allen scored 13 points and had nine rebounds for New Jersey, which has lost three of five.
Final Score: Detroit 91, New Orleans 76
New Orleans, LA (Sports Network) - Richard Hamilton scored 21 points to lead a balanced Pistons attack in Detroit's 91-76 victory over the Hornets at New Orleans Arena. Chauncey Billups had 18 points, seven assists and seven rebounds for the Pistons, winners of five straight and seven of their last eight. Rasheed Wallace added 13 points and 10 rebounds and Antonio McDyess went for 10 and eight as Detroit recovered from a self-dug first-quarter hole to take its fourth game in the last five nights. Peja Stojakovic led New Orleans with 19 points, while Tyson Chandler had a monster night on the glass, pulling down 22 rebounds to go with his 17 points. Chris Paul was held mostly in check, hitting just 4-of-14 shots from the field, though he did hit all six of his free throws on his way to 14 points, and also dished out seven assists.
Final Score: Houston 105, Memphis 92
Houston, TX (Sports Network) - Yao Ming scored 24 points and raked in 13 rebounds, and Bonzi Wells scored 24 points in 30 minutes off the bench as the Houston Rockets routed Memphis, 105-92. Tracy McGrady had a tough night shooting, going 7-of-22 from the field, but finished with 17 points, 12 assists, and 10 rebounds, logging the first triple-double by a Rocket in more than four years. It was McGrady's third career triple-double, and his first as a Rocket. Luis Scola added 16 points off the bench for Houston, which stemmed a quick two-game slide. Pau Gasol scored 23 points and pulled down 12 rebounds to lead Memphis, which has dropped two straight and three of four. Damon Stoudamire scored 19 points, sinking 4-of-5 three-pointers, and Rudy Gay added 17 points and 10 boards.
Final Score: San Antonio 97, Dallas 95
San Antonio, TX (Sports Network) - Manu Ginobili scored a season-high 37 points as the San Antonio Spurs withstood a late Dallas rally to defeat the Mavericks, 97-95, at the AT&T Center. Tony Parker scored 23, and Michael Finley chipped in 14 off the bench for the Spurs, who won their fourth in a row, despite playing without Tim Duncan. Duncan missed his first full game after leaving in the second quarter of the Spurs' game Sunday with a bruised right knee and sprained ankle. In his absence, Finley and Bruce Bowen each grabbed eight rebounds. Fabricio Oberto started at center, and finished with eight points and five boards for San Antonio, which remained undefeated at home with an 11-0 record. Josh Howard led Dallas' scoring attack with 22 points for the Mavericks, who have lost two of three. Jason Terry scored 20 and almost single-handedly led a late-game comeback, but the Mavericks fell short against the Spurs for the first time in five games.
Final Score: Los Angeles Lakers 111, Denver 107
Denver, CO (Sports Network) - Kobe Bryant scored 25 points, including 12 in the fourth quarter, as the Los Angeles Lakers overcame a season-high 51 points from Allen Iverson to beat the Denver Nuggets, 111-107, at the Pepsi Center. Vladimir Radmanovic added 21 points and Derek Fisher 20 for the Los Angeles Lakers, who have won two in a row. Iverson shot 18-of-27 from the field and had eight assists, but was limited to just two points in the fourth quarter for the Nuggets, who have lost four of six. Carmelo Anthony added 26 points and Marcus Camby grabbed 20 rebounds but was held scoreless in the loss. Iverson went scoreless in the fourth until his layup with 3:15 remaining put the Nuggets ahead 102-99. Los Angeles, though, scored the next seven points to go ahead for good.
Final Score: Seattle 95, Los Angeles Clippers 88
Seattle, WA (Sports Network) - Nick Collison scored 18 and hauled in 17 rebounds in his first game back from a broken nose, as the Seattle SuperSonics beat the Los Angeles Clippers, 95-88, at KeyArena. Collison had broken it against the Los Angeles Lakers on November 27, and missed three games. But playing with a facemask, he posted season-highs in points and rebounds off the bench. Kevin Durant also scored 18, as Seattle has won two of three, and moved to 2-2 on its current five-game homestand. Damien Wilkins and Wally Szczerbiak each finished with 17 points. Corey Maggette led the Los Angeles Clippers with 23 points, but the team could not avoid losing its seventh game in a row. Chris Kaman scored 19 and grabbed 14 boards, and Brevin Knight chipped in with 10 points and seven assists.
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