NBA Daily Scores

vs(From the Associated Press) - With some of his teammates struggling, Josh Smith made sure it didn’t cost the Atlanta Hawks a game. “I felt like my team needed energy,” he said, “so I was trying to score in a lot of different ways.” Smith had a season-high 27 points, Joe Johnson added 21 and the Hawks beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 98-92 on Wednesday night. Al Horford finished with 11 points and 13 rebounds for the Hawks, who have won nine of 11 at home to improve to 22-6 at Philips Arena. Atlanta, however, endured Jamal Crawford’s worst shooting performance in 55 games. The valuable sixth man, whose 17.2 scoring average is the Hawks’ second-best, missed all seven of his field-goal attempts, including four 3-pointers, and finished with one point. Starting forward Marvin Williams, who has a 10.1 average, was 0 for 4 from the field, so Atlanta coach Mike Woodson gave Smith more responsibility...Kevin Love had 19 points and 12 rebounds for Minnesota, stuck at five road wins—tied with Sacramento for third-fewest in the league. Atlanta, which won Monday night in Utah for the first time since 1993, took its biggest lead at 16 on Maurice Evans’ three-point play late in the third. “We did a good job getting back in the game,” Timberwolves forward Al Jefferson said. “That’s all good. We could be happy with that, but we had a chance to win the game. Unfortunately, we fell short. Turnovers killed us.” Ryan Hollins added 18 points for the Timberwolves, who have dropped seven of eight, and Ryan Gomes had 11. Jefferson and Corey Brewer each had 10.

vs(From the Associated Press) - A burst of energy off the bench helped the Portland Trail Blazers run away from the Toronto Raptors. Andre Miller had 18 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds, Brandon Roy scored 20 points, and the Trail Blazers beat the Raptors 101-87 on Wednesday night...Rudy Fernandez scored 17 points, Jerryd Bayless had 11 and Juwan Howard 10 for the Trail Blazers, who won for the second time in two days on a five-game trip that will also take them to Chicago, Minnesota and Memphis...Portland had lost 10 of 17 before heading out on this trip, and coach Nate McMillan likes the way it has started. “We showed that we’re hungry and that we’re not going to let this season slip away,” McMillan said. “I like the fight that we’ve had in these last two games.” Hedo Turkoglu scored 24 points, Jarrett Jack had 18 and Andrea Bargnani added 15 as the Raptors failed to top 100 points, ending a 20-game streak that began Jan. 6 at Orlando. Toronto went 14-6 in that span. “It was important to run them off the 3-point line and take away their easy baskets,” Roy said. “We just wanted to make them score over top of a hand each possession and we did a good job of that.” Amir Johnson had 10 points and eight rebounds for the Raptors.

vs(From the Associated Press) - O.J. Mayo needed some time to get up to speed. Playing for the second time in two nights, the Memphis Grizzlies guard had two points at halftime and no energy in his legs—his early jump shots barely reached the front of the rim. A dive for a loose ball in the second half turned things around. The play gave Mayo a jolt, and his fourth-quarter scoring energized Memphis in a 99-94 win against the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night...Mayo scored 17 points, 10 in the fourth quarter, to help Memphis win its third straight road game. Before Mayo found his legs on offense, the Grizzlies’ big men carried the load. Zach Randolph scored 22 points, and Rudy Gay and Marc Gasol each scored 20...Andray Blatche led the Wizards with 24 points. Al Thornton, making his first start for Washington, had 16 points and a season-high 11 rebounds. It was the Wizards’ first game without forward Josh Howard, who was ruled out for the season because of an ACL tear just four games after joining the team in a trade. Washington’s loss ended a three-game home winning streak in front of a Verizon Center crowd of 11,875—the lowest of the season. “We gave them way too many easy points,” Thornton said. “We didn’t make it tough on them. They got baskets at will.”...The Grizzlies (29-28) avoided falling below the .500 mark and are hoping to get back into the playoff picture. “It starts now,” Gay said. “We can’t sit around and wait. We have to load these wins up because we went through a tough patch.”

vs(From the Associated Press) - Luol Deng realizes tougher tests are coming, that the schedule is about to take a difficult turn. If the Chicago Bulls keep this up, that would be just fine with him. Deng scored a season-high 31 points, and the Bulls pulled away for a wild 120-110 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night after blowing an early 23-point lead. Derrick Rose added 23 points and eight assists while tying a season high with nine rebounds as the Bulls won for the seventh time in nine games. They’ve picked on weaker opponents during this run. That’s about to change, though. They meet Portland on Friday, and after closing out the month at Indiana on Saturday, March opens with this brutal stretch: Atlanta, Memphis, Dallas and Utah all at the United Center, then trips to Orlando, Miami, Memphis and Dallas before hosting Cleveland..The Pacers’ Danny Granger finished with 20 points after missing Monday’s loss at Dallas for personal reasons. Brandon Rush hit 5-of-9 3-pointers and scored a season-high 21, including 12 in the second quarter as Indiana outscored Chicago 36-21 to get back into the game. Then, the Bulls pulled away again and stopped any flashbacks to their epic collapse against Sacramento in December, when they blew a 35-point lead and lost. This time, they got a reverse layup from Brad Miller and jumper from Rose to start the second half. A few minutes later, the Bulls went on a 12-3 run that Deng finished with a 3-pointer, making it 83-67 midway through the third and putting them in control to stay. “You should have seen (Deng) earlier,” Rose said. “He had a lot of Ben Gay and other stuff he was putting on his body. He looked like an old man, but he went out there and played through it.”

vs(From the Associated Press) - Andrew Bogut had no idea when the last time the Bucks were .500 this late. He is quite sure that this is the best the Bucks have played this season. Bogut had 26 points and 13 rebounds to continue his string of dominant performances, leading Milwaukee to a 115-95 victory over the New Orleans Hornets on Wednesday night...The former No. 1 overall pick was a rookie the last time the Bucks (28-28) were in contention late in the season. Milwaukee finished 40-42 in 2005-06 and finished eighth. Bogut says the Bucks blew a better seed by losing focus. “We’ve laid eggs before in similar situations,” he said. Now, Milwaukee is tied for seventh in the Eastern Conference and back at .500 for the first time since Dec. 12 thanks to a 10-3 stretch...Luc Richard Mbah a Moute had 10 points and 10 rebounds, and John Salmons added 18 points for the Bucks. Salmons has reached double figures in all four games since being traded at the deadline from Chicago and in his last eight overall...New Orleans’ rookies led the way again. Marcus Thornton had 25 points, and Darren Collison added 22, but the Hornets (30-28) slipped three games behind eighth-place Portland in the Western Conference. The Bucks outscored the Hornets 72-38 in the paint to snap New Orleans’ eight-game winning streak in this series.




vs(From the Associated Press) - When Dwight Howard was forced to the bench after his second foul just 22 seconds into Orlando’s game Wednesday night against Houston, he worried he had ruined his chance to breal the Magic’s record for consecutive double-doubles. Turns out there was no reason for concern. Howard had 30 points and 16 rebounds on a perfect shooting night to help the Magic cruise to a 110-92 victory over Houston. Howard scored all of his points in the last three quarters after sitting out until the second quarter after the early fouls. The All-Star was 11 of 11 on field goals and set a franchise record with his 19th straight double-double, breaking a tie with Shaquille O’Neal...Houston cut it to 97-88 on Chase Budinger’s 3-pointer with about 3 1/2 minutes remaining. But Vince Carter hit a 3-pointer seconds later to stretch the lead back to double figures and send most of the fans heading to the exits. Carter’s 3 started an 8-0 run that insured Houston’s third straight loss. He finished with 16 points. Jameer Nelson had 17 points and had nine assists for Orlando. New acquisition Kevin Martin had two first points in the first half on free throws after going 0 for 5 on field goals. He was 1 for 9 late in the third quarter before scoring six straight points to start a 17-8 run that cut Orlando’s lead to 11 at 85-74 entering the last quarter. Martin, one of four players acquired in last week’s trade that sent Tracy McGrady to the Knicks, added four free throws at the end of that run and finished with 19 points...Aaron Brooks led Houston with 24 points and Shane Battier had 14 points as the Rockets continue to adjust to their new lineup. “It’s obvious we are a team in search of a new identity and it’s like an exhibition game for us but they count,” Battier said. “We were trying to get guys on the same page. We will get it. I am confident we will get it.”

vs(From the Associated Press) - Manu Ginobili didn’t believe he would actually stuff Kevin Durant when the NBA’s leading scorer elevated for a runaway dunk on a crucial fast break in the final minutes. “I was more expecting to be dunked on, to tell you the truth,” Ginobili said. Think again. Coming almost out of nowhere to block Durant and deny Oklahoma City from retaking the lead, Ginobili made what Thunder coach Scott Brooks called a “superhero” play that propelled the San Antonio Spurs to a 95-87 victory on Wednesday night...“All clean, I can’t take credit away from him,” Durant said. “He made a great block. When I was at the rim, he just met me there, his hand was inside the rim and he got it.” The block had other repercussions: It helped finally end Durant’s streak of scoring 25 points or more at 29 games. He finished with 21 points and 12 rebounds, marking the first time Durant has scored fewer than 25 points since Dec. 19. As if the block wasn’t enough, Ginobili led the Spurs with 26 points. His last field goal was a big 3-pointer a minute after he made the defensive play of the game—and maybe the season—for the Spurs...Tim Duncan had 19 points and 15 rebounds for the Spurs, who finished on a 10-2 run after it was tied at 85 with under four minutes left. Durant missed all four shots he took in the fourth, including a 3-pointer in the final minute that ended any hope of a comeback. Durant’s streak of 25-plus point games is a franchise record and was the longest since Michael Jordan’s 40 in a row in 1986-87. “It was good while it lasted. Teams are too tough in this league for it to go on like that,” Durant said. “It was cool while it lasted. Very fortunate, privileged to do something like that.” Jeff Green had 19 points for the Thunder, and Thabo Sefolosha had 12 points and 13 rebounds. Durant shot 7 of 19 from the field. Russell Westbrook had 17.

vs(From the Associated Press) -
While most of the focus in recent days was on the newest members of the team, it was two of the longest-tenured Dallas Mavericks who carried them in the clutch against the defending champs. Dirk Nowitzki scored 31 points, Jason Terry added 30 and the short-handed Mavericks won their fifth straight game, beating the Los Angeles Lakers 101-96 on Wednesday night. The Mavericks acquired Caron Butler, who did not play because of a negative reaction he had to medication, Brendan Haywood and DeShawn Stevenson in a seven-player deal with Washington on Feb. 13...Bryant scored 20 points and moved into 13th place on the career scoring list. Bryant, who passed Reggie Miller, has 25,298 points. After hitting the game-winning 3-pointer with 4.3 seconds left to beat Memphis on Tuesday night, Bryant missed a 3-pointer that could have tied it with 25 seconds left...Lamar Odom led Los Angeles with 21 points, Ron Artest had 13 and Derek Fisher finished with 12. Kidd had 14 points, 13 assists and seven rebounds for the Mavericks, who improved to 5-1 since the trade with the Wizards. Haywood chipped in 11 points, nine rebounds and five blocks.

vs(From the Associated Press) -
Even when Steve Nash isn’t 100 percent healthy, he still plays at a high level. Nash was at his shooting and creative best Wednesday night, scoring 20 points and handing out 13 assists as the Phoenix Suns beat the Philadelphia 76ers 106-95 for their fourth straight victory...Jason Richardson led the Suns with 24 points, Amare Stoudemire scored 22, Channing Frye had 14 and Robin Lopez had 10 points and 10 rebounds. The Suns (36-23) have won 10 of 12 and are 13 games over .500 for the first time since the end of the 2007-08 season. They are 5-1 since the All-Star break. They also are 18-2 when Richardson scores at least 20 points, which he has done three consecutive games. Andre Iguodala led the 76ers with 20 points, Lou Williams had 19, Thaddeus Young 16 and Marreese Speights 12. After resting at home Tuesday, Nash sure looked rejuvenated Wednesday, hitting his first eight field goal attempts and running the Suns’ offense with the utmost confidence. He was sensational in the first half. Nash hit all five of his shots in the first period, scored 14 points, had five assists and two rebounds as the Suns built a 33-25 lead. He connected on his only shot in the second quarter, an over-the-head layup, and added three assists. “He’s a great player,” Philadelphia coach Eddie Jordan said. “He knows how to manipulate the defense, he’s seen all the coverages against him, he knows how to deliver the play … and he can make shots in the paint and he can make 3s.”

vs(From the Associated Press) - Utah Jazz coach Jerry Sloan’s message to his team after its sluggish first-half performance night was simple: Turn the game inside out. Get the ball to Carlos Boozer. That approach—feeding Boozer in the post instead of settling for outside jump shots—did the trick as Utah rallied for a 102-93 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats on Wednesday night. “Once we adjusted at halftime … we kept going inside, which opened up our 3-point shooting later on,” said Boozer, who scored 20 of his game-high 33 points in the second half. “We got aggressive. I felt like I had an advantage and told Willie (Deron Williams) to keep coming to me.”...“We got stops and got out on the break, we got the crowd into it and just kind of kept it rolling from there,” said Jazz guard Kyle Korver, who had 18 points, including two 3-pointers during the fourth-quarter run. “In the first half, we just weren’t getting any stops and didn’t have any teeth in anything that we were doing.” Gerald Wallace scored 27 points for Charlotte, and Tyrus Thomas had 20—the most in his four games since being acquired in a trade with Chicago. “It seemed like everything went their way,” said Wallace, who had 18 points in the first half. “We kind of laid back and let them do whatever they wanted to do, offensively and defensively.”...Deron William had 20 points and 12 assists for Utah, which pulled to within a half-game of Northwest Division-leading Denver. The Jazz are 23-8 at home...Utah has won 14 of its last 16 games to move within a half-game of Northwest Division-leading Denver. Boozer, who had 16 rebounds, is averaging 17.5 rebounds in the four games since the trade deadline. Charlotte’s Steven Jackson shook off a 1-for-16 shooting effort the previous night to score 16 points.

vs(From the Associated Press) - The NBA’s worst free throw shooting team looked on in amazement and delight as one of the league’s most consistent shooters from the line handed them a victory with an uncharacteristic performance when it counted most. Chris Kaman had 21 points and 15 rebounds, Drew Gooden added 20 points and 13 boards and the Los Angeles Clippers watched Detroit’s Richard Hamilton clang one foul shot after another in the final seconds before they escaped with a 97-91 victory on Wednesday night...Hamilton was just 2 for 8 from the line. He missed on his first attempt with 47 seconds left in the second quarter, ending his streak at 51 consecutive free throws made—11 shy of the franchise record held by Joe Dumars, who is currently the Pistons’ president of basketball operations...Hamilton, whose season has been marred by ankle and hamstring injuries that have limited him to 30 games, had 21 points after averaging 30.5 over his previous four games. He made three 3-pointers in the final 4 1/2 minutes, but missed all three free throws after getting fouled on a 3-point attempt that rimmed the basket and fell out with 7.9 seconds to play. “It shouldn’t have come down to that, but that’s what happened,” said Detroit’s Tayshaun Prince, who had 17 points and 10 rebounds. “That’s why you’ve got to play good for 48 minutes and not let the other team hang around long enough to make big shots and big plays at the end of the game. We stopped our flow, and that was it.”...Rasual Butler hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 25 seconds left for the Clippers, who have won three straight following a six-game losing streak. They completed a two-game season sweep of Detroit after losing the previous 13 meetings.