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(By ANTONIO GONZALEZ From the Associated Press) - Howard had 20 rebounds and 13 points, and the Orlando Magic rolled to an easy 102-87 win over the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night. Showing off his strength down low, Howard is starting to make a run toward leading the league in blocks and rebounds for the second straight season...Jameer Nelson added 15 points in his first start since Nov. 16, helping the Magic win for the fifth time in six games ahead of a big Christmas Day matchup against the Boston Celtics. Carl Landry had 20 points and Aaron Brooks finished with 17 for the Rockets, who could do little with Howard roaming the paint...It was only the second time this season the Magic began the game with all their starters in the lineup, and they showed signs they can defend last season’s Eastern Conference championship. They’ll get another major test Friday when they host Boston.
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(By TOM CANAVAN From the Associated Press) - Al Jefferson scored a season-high 27 points and the Timberwolves got a favorable videotape review in the final minute to defeat the Nets 103-99 on Wednesday night in the battle of the NBA’s two worst teams...Minnesota inbounded the ball near halfcourt and the pass went to Corey Brewer. Devin Harris and Courtney Lee double-teammed him and Lee hit the ball out of Brewer’s hands and out of bounds. The officials originally called it out off Brewer and the Nets called time out and went to their bench to set up a play. The officials then went to the scorer’s table and watched videotape replays and it clearly showed the ball went out off Lee, so they overturned the call and awarded the ball to Minnesota...Jonny Flynn added 22 points and Kevin Love had 13 points and 16 rebounds as Minnesota (6-24) swept the two-game season series and sent New Jersey (2-27) to its eighth straight loss. Yi returned to the lineup after missing seven weeks with a sprained knee and had 22, while Lee had 20.
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(By TIM REYNOLDS From the Associated Press) - Wade scored 29 points and the Heat survived the NBA’s slowest first half this season on the way to beating the Jazz 80-70 on Wednesday night, a game where both teams oddly set season marks for fewest points scored and fewest points allowed...Udonis Haslem added 12 points and 11 rebounds for the Heat, who improved to 11-1 against Utah since the start of the 2004-05 season. Quentin Richardson scored 11 for Miami, which managed 81 points in a win over New Jersey last month, and reserve Joel Anthony was vital after starting center Jermaine O’Neal got hurt, finishing with eight points, nine rebounds and five blocks. Deron Williams scored 18 points and Carlos Boozer scored 14—12 in the opening minutes—for the Jazz, who held Miami to 36 percent shooting but had 21 turnovers that the Heat turned into 28 points, plus got outscored 31-19 in the third quarter.
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(By BRETT MARTEL From the Associated Press) - Paul capped a 20-point performance with a turnaround fadeaway with 12.6 seconds left, and the New Orleans Hornets handed undermanned Golden State its seventh straight loss, 108-102 on Wednesday night. Emeka Okafor had 10 points and 14 rebounds for New Orleans, which relied on its height advantage in the front court to outrebound Golden State 52-38, with 18 offensive rebounds leading to 22 second-chance points. David West scored 14 points and Peja Stojakovic had 13 to help the Hornets (13-14) pull within a game of .500 heading into a two-day Christmas break...Corey Maggette had 22 points and 10 rebounds for Golden State, which used only seven players and started three guards including C.J. Watson and Stephen Curry. Curry had 17 points and 10 rebounds, and the Warriors were as close as 104-102 in the final half-minute.
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(By COLIN FLY From the Associated Press) - Boykins scored 12 of his 15 points in the fourth quarter and Antawn Jamison had 25 points and 10 rebounds, lifting Washington to a 109-97 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night. Caron Butler added 23 points and 10 rebounds and Arenas had 18 points before leaving in the fourth quarter with a bruised left thigh...Michael Redd scored a season-high 32 points for the Bucks, who have lost 12 of 16. Redd reached double figures in less than 6 minutes and hit his first five shots from the field to finish the first quarter with 13 points, but he went into a deep slump after that, hitting one of his next 11 shots. Charlie Bell scored 14 points for the Bucks, and Andrew Bogut had 12 points and nine rebounds after a career-best, 31-and-18 effort in a win over the Pacers on Monday night. It was Milwaukee’s third straight home loss.
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(By PAUL J. WEBER From the Associated Press) - Brandon Roy sat out with a bothersome shoulder. Joel Przybilla, one night after following Greg Oden to the mounting list of injured Trail Blazers, was back in Portland. Nonetheless, the depleted Trail Blazers kept on winning. Jerryd Bayless scored a career-high 31 points in his first start for Roy, and the hobbled Trail Blazers, using two new starters, beat the San Antonio Spurs 98-94 on Wednesday night for their third straight win—all on the road...“You talk about resiliency with a group,” Trail Blazers coach Nate McMillan said. “There’s no words. I’m so happy for this group.” Less happy are the Spurs, who continue to wilt against stiff competition. Tim Duncan had 24 points and 11 rebounds but San Antonio still fell to 2-10 against teams with winning records...LaMarcus Aldridge added 22 points for Portland. McMillan said Roy is day to day. Portland’s leading scorer was also hurt against the Mavericks, and McMillan said Roy’s shoulder was “still pretty sore” before the game.
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(From the Associated Press) - Durant showed off his skills, scoring 38 points, including a key jumper from behind the key with 14.4 seconds left, lifting the Thunder to a 117-113 victory over Phoenix, ending their nine-game losing streak to the Suns. “Don’t underestimate this team,” Gentry said, even though the Thunder entered the game at 13-14, and the Suns entered 18-10, having lost only once in their previous 20 home games. “Except for being young, they’re a very strong team. The things you love about them, they’re young and energetic.”...Russell Westbrook added 19 points for the Thunder, while Green had 17, James Harden scored 14 and Serge Ibaka had 12. Amare Stoudemire had a season-high 35 points and 14 rebounds for the Suns. Steve Nash and Channing Frye each scored 24, while Nash added 12 assists. Jason Richardson scored 13.
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(From the Associated Press) - Reserve J.R. Smith scored a season-high 41 points, hitting 10 3-pointers, and the Nuggets beat the Atlanta Hawks 124-104 Wednesday night. It was the first time in six games this season that the Nuggets came out on top while one of their starters was sidelined. Chauncey Billups missed his third consecutive game because of a groin strain and Kenyon Martin missed three games earlier this season with a dislocated finger and a bone bruise in his left leg...Carmelo Anthony added 24 points and rookie Ty Lawson, making only his second career start in place of Billups, had 16, boosting Denver to its sixth win in a row at home, where it is a league-best 13-1 this season...Jamal Crawford scored 24 points and Al Horford scored 18 points and had 11 rebounds for Atlanta, which lost for only the second time in its past nine games. “We just kind of ran out of energy,” said Joe Johnson, who scored 16 for Atlanta. “We didn’t have the intensity that we normally have.”
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(By JOSH DUBOW From the Associated Press) - Zydrunas Ilgauskas hit three 3-pointers in the extra session on the way to a season-high 25 points and James keyed a defensive effort that kept the Kings scoreless in overtime and gave the Cavaliers a 117-104 victory Wednesday night...James had 34 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists for his second triple-double of the season, but it was his defense in the fourth quarter and overtime against rookie Tyreke Evans that proved to be the difference. The Kings shot just 8-for-27 after the third quarter, missing all seven shots in overtime. Evans finished with 28 points, but made only one of eight shots in the fourth and overtime as the Cavaliers put James on him in a sign of respect...Mo Williams returned from a bruised knee to score 21 of his 27 points after halftime for the Cavs, who head into their Christmas showdown with Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers having won seven of eight games.
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(By ANTONIO GONZALEZ From the Associated Press) - Howard had 20 rebounds and 13 points, and the Orlando Magic rolled to an easy 102-87 win over the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night. Showing off his strength down low, Howard is starting to make a run toward leading the league in blocks and rebounds for the second straight season...Jameer Nelson added 15 points in his first start since Nov. 16, helping the Magic win for the fifth time in six games ahead of a big Christmas Day matchup against the Boston Celtics. Carl Landry had 20 points and Aaron Brooks finished with 17 for the Rockets, who could do little with Howard roaming the paint...It was only the second time this season the Magic began the game with all their starters in the lineup, and they showed signs they can defend last season’s Eastern Conference championship. They’ll get another major test Friday when they host Boston.
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(By TOM CANAVAN From the Associated Press) - Al Jefferson scored a season-high 27 points and the Timberwolves got a favorable videotape review in the final minute to defeat the Nets 103-99 on Wednesday night in the battle of the NBA’s two worst teams...Minnesota inbounded the ball near halfcourt and the pass went to Corey Brewer. Devin Harris and Courtney Lee double-teammed him and Lee hit the ball out of Brewer’s hands and out of bounds. The officials originally called it out off Brewer and the Nets called time out and went to their bench to set up a play. The officials then went to the scorer’s table and watched videotape replays and it clearly showed the ball went out off Lee, so they overturned the call and awarded the ball to Minnesota...Jonny Flynn added 22 points and Kevin Love had 13 points and 16 rebounds as Minnesota (6-24) swept the two-game season series and sent New Jersey (2-27) to its eighth straight loss. Yi returned to the lineup after missing seven weeks with a sprained knee and had 22, while Lee had 20.
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(By TIM REYNOLDS From the Associated Press) - Wade scored 29 points and the Heat survived the NBA’s slowest first half this season on the way to beating the Jazz 80-70 on Wednesday night, a game where both teams oddly set season marks for fewest points scored and fewest points allowed...Udonis Haslem added 12 points and 11 rebounds for the Heat, who improved to 11-1 against Utah since the start of the 2004-05 season. Quentin Richardson scored 11 for Miami, which managed 81 points in a win over New Jersey last month, and reserve Joel Anthony was vital after starting center Jermaine O’Neal got hurt, finishing with eight points, nine rebounds and five blocks. Deron Williams scored 18 points and Carlos Boozer scored 14—12 in the opening minutes—for the Jazz, who held Miami to 36 percent shooting but had 21 turnovers that the Heat turned into 28 points, plus got outscored 31-19 in the third quarter.
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(By BRETT MARTEL From the Associated Press) - Paul capped a 20-point performance with a turnaround fadeaway with 12.6 seconds left, and the New Orleans Hornets handed undermanned Golden State its seventh straight loss, 108-102 on Wednesday night. Emeka Okafor had 10 points and 14 rebounds for New Orleans, which relied on its height advantage in the front court to outrebound Golden State 52-38, with 18 offensive rebounds leading to 22 second-chance points. David West scored 14 points and Peja Stojakovic had 13 to help the Hornets (13-14) pull within a game of .500 heading into a two-day Christmas break...Corey Maggette had 22 points and 10 rebounds for Golden State, which used only seven players and started three guards including C.J. Watson and Stephen Curry. Curry had 17 points and 10 rebounds, and the Warriors were as close as 104-102 in the final half-minute.
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(By COLIN FLY From the Associated Press) - Boykins scored 12 of his 15 points in the fourth quarter and Antawn Jamison had 25 points and 10 rebounds, lifting Washington to a 109-97 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night. Caron Butler added 23 points and 10 rebounds and Arenas had 18 points before leaving in the fourth quarter with a bruised left thigh...Michael Redd scored a season-high 32 points for the Bucks, who have lost 12 of 16. Redd reached double figures in less than 6 minutes and hit his first five shots from the field to finish the first quarter with 13 points, but he went into a deep slump after that, hitting one of his next 11 shots. Charlie Bell scored 14 points for the Bucks, and Andrew Bogut had 12 points and nine rebounds after a career-best, 31-and-18 effort in a win over the Pacers on Monday night. It was Milwaukee’s third straight home loss.
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(By PAUL J. WEBER From the Associated Press) - Brandon Roy sat out with a bothersome shoulder. Joel Przybilla, one night after following Greg Oden to the mounting list of injured Trail Blazers, was back in Portland. Nonetheless, the depleted Trail Blazers kept on winning. Jerryd Bayless scored a career-high 31 points in his first start for Roy, and the hobbled Trail Blazers, using two new starters, beat the San Antonio Spurs 98-94 on Wednesday night for their third straight win—all on the road...“You talk about resiliency with a group,” Trail Blazers coach Nate McMillan said. “There’s no words. I’m so happy for this group.” Less happy are the Spurs, who continue to wilt against stiff competition. Tim Duncan had 24 points and 11 rebounds but San Antonio still fell to 2-10 against teams with winning records...LaMarcus Aldridge added 22 points for Portland. McMillan said Roy is day to day. Portland’s leading scorer was also hurt against the Mavericks, and McMillan said Roy’s shoulder was “still pretty sore” before the game.
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(From the Associated Press) - Durant showed off his skills, scoring 38 points, including a key jumper from behind the key with 14.4 seconds left, lifting the Thunder to a 117-113 victory over Phoenix, ending their nine-game losing streak to the Suns. “Don’t underestimate this team,” Gentry said, even though the Thunder entered the game at 13-14, and the Suns entered 18-10, having lost only once in their previous 20 home games. “Except for being young, they’re a very strong team. The things you love about them, they’re young and energetic.”...Russell Westbrook added 19 points for the Thunder, while Green had 17, James Harden scored 14 and Serge Ibaka had 12. Amare Stoudemire had a season-high 35 points and 14 rebounds for the Suns. Steve Nash and Channing Frye each scored 24, while Nash added 12 assists. Jason Richardson scored 13.
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(From the Associated Press) - Reserve J.R. Smith scored a season-high 41 points, hitting 10 3-pointers, and the Nuggets beat the Atlanta Hawks 124-104 Wednesday night. It was the first time in six games this season that the Nuggets came out on top while one of their starters was sidelined. Chauncey Billups missed his third consecutive game because of a groin strain and Kenyon Martin missed three games earlier this season with a dislocated finger and a bone bruise in his left leg...Carmelo Anthony added 24 points and rookie Ty Lawson, making only his second career start in place of Billups, had 16, boosting Denver to its sixth win in a row at home, where it is a league-best 13-1 this season...Jamal Crawford scored 24 points and Al Horford scored 18 points and had 11 rebounds for Atlanta, which lost for only the second time in its past nine games. “We just kind of ran out of energy,” said Joe Johnson, who scored 16 for Atlanta. “We didn’t have the intensity that we normally have.”
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(By JOSH DUBOW From the Associated Press) - Zydrunas Ilgauskas hit three 3-pointers in the extra session on the way to a season-high 25 points and James keyed a defensive effort that kept the Kings scoreless in overtime and gave the Cavaliers a 117-104 victory Wednesday night...James had 34 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists for his second triple-double of the season, but it was his defense in the fourth quarter and overtime against rookie Tyreke Evans that proved to be the difference. The Kings shot just 8-for-27 after the third quarter, missing all seven shots in overtime. Evans finished with 28 points, but made only one of eight shots in the fourth and overtime as the Cavaliers put James on him in a sign of respect...Mo Williams returned from a bruised knee to score 21 of his 27 points after halftime for the Cavs, who head into their Christmas showdown with Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers having won seven of eight games.
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