NBA Daily Results

vs(From the Associated Press) - John Salmons is fitting in perfectly with the Milwaukee Bucks. Salmons scored 20 points, and Brandon Jennings added 18 points and seven assists to help the Bucks win their fifth straight game, 112-110 over Indiana on Thursday night. Milwaukee hasn’t lost since acquiring Salmons from Chicago on Feb. 18. It’s the Bucks’ longest win streak since also winning five straight in November 2007. “He’s brought a scoring punch,” said Bucks center Andrew Bogut, who added 15 points and 10 rebounds. “Obviously, with Michael Redd out, we need someone to come and get some points for us. He’s a proven scorer in the NBA and he’s done a hell of a job.”...Danny Granger had 21 points, and T.J Ford added 17 for Indiana. The Pacers have dropped three straight and seven of eight to fall to 19-39. “I think everybody in this locker room is still positive,” Ford said. “We understand our record and understand it’s been a tough season. But we’re fighting and that’s all you can really ask for.”...“Our guys never seemed to give up on the game,” Pacers coach Jim O’Brien said. “John Salmons was a stake in our heart. He made big plays down the stretch.” The first half featured nine ties and seven lead changes and neither team led by more than seven points. The Bucks took their biggest lead, 61-54, on Jerry Stackhouse’s free throw late in the second quarter. “We are always happy to get a win,” Bucks coach Scott Skiles said. “But we did not play our game. Hopefully, we’ll learn something from this.”

vs(From the Associated Press) - The Celtics were better early, then LeBron James and the Cavaliers blew right by them. Story of this game. Story of the season. James had 36 points, nine assists and seven rebounds, Mo Williams scored 14 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter, and Cleveland dominated the second half in a 108-88 victory Thursday night...Unable to stop Rajon Rondo or the Celtics in the first quarter, the Cavaliers turned up the defense in the fourth, limiting the Celtics to 3-of-21 shooting and snapping a nine-game losing streak in Boston, counting playoffs. “We haven’t had much success here,” James said. “We’ve lost nine times coming into this building. So it gets the monkey off our backs. But don’t read too much into it.”...Ray Allen scored 21 points, and Rondo had 19 points and 11 assists for the Celtics, who badly missed injured All-Star Paul Pierce (right thumb) when their offense went stagnant in the final 1 1/2 quarters. “They were a lot more aggressive in the second half. They made adjustments to stop Rondo’s penetration,” Celtics forward Kevin Garnett said. “We knew it was a real big test. We can’t play one half and relax.” Cleveland improved to 20-10 on the road, tying Boston for the best in the NBA, and avenged a 95-89 home loss on opening night...Cleveland outscored Boston 60-32 in the second half, allowing just five baskets in the final 17 1/2 minutes. “When they were scoring that much, it was deflating. Took our wind away,” Boston coach Doc Rivers said. “We went from being a team with stops and attacking to the team being attacked.”

vs(From the Associated Press) -
Denver’s Chauncey Billups chatted amicably with an antagonizing fan in the crowd, then casually strolled over to the home team’s bench and hugged Golden State trainer Tom Abdenour. That’s how easy and relaxed the Nuggets were in their first game without coach George Karl since he revealed he has neck and throat cancer. Billups had 37 points and nine rebounds, Carmelo Anthony added 27 points and Denver beat Golden State 127-112 on Thursday night...Karl, who disclosed he has cancer Feb. 16, stayed in Denver to receive treatment but is expected back Friday night at home against Detroit. He had to like what he saw his team do against the Warriors. The Nuggets set a season high with 16 3-pointers, completed a four-game sweep of Golden State for the first time since 2000-01 and remained unbeaten in 23 games when scoring 110 points or more...J.R. Smith had 25 points and had seven 3-pointers, while Billups added six 3s. Stephen Curry had 30 points and 13 assists for Golden State, which has lost 13 of its last 16 to drop to 16-41. “I have no problems with this game,” Warriors coach Don Nelson said. “We competed for four quarters, gave them everything that we had and it wasn’t enough.”...Golden State has had injury issues of its own all season and it didn’t get any better against the Nuggets. C.J. Watson was held out of the game with flu-like symptoms and a team spokesman indicated Watson might also be suffering from appendicitis. That left Golden State with only three guards—Ellis, Curry and Anthony Morrow—which made it tough to keep up with the speedy Nuggets.