Brook
Lopez doesn't speak to his twin brother on the court. Hadn't spoken to
him at all since a late-night McDonald's run the night before. His play
did all the talking Monday. He dominated Robin Lopez and the
short-handed Portland frontcourt with 32 points and nine rebounds, and
the Brooklyn Nets beat the Trail Blazers 106-96 in the only game on the
NBA schedule. Robin Lopez joked before the game that his brother was a
''crappy center.'' ''Well, it might have been a fluke,'' Brook Lopez
said. No way. The two-time Eastern Conference player of the week is
doing it regularly now that he's back fully healthy again. ''He's a
stubborn guy,'' Robin Lopez said. ''No matter what people say about
him, no matter what happens, he's just going to stick with what he
knows how to do. That's what he's been doing.'' Read more here.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
March 30, 2015
James scores 20 and Cavaliers slip past 76ers 87-86
The
Cleveland Cavaliers won't get style points for Sunday's 87-86 win over
the Philadelphia 76ers. And that's just fine with LeBron James. Moving
2 1/2 games ahead of Chicago for second place in the Eastern Conference
was all that mattered to James, who led Cleveland with 20 points. ''You
find a way to win,'' he said as the Cavaliers hung on for their 16th
straight home victory despite being held scoreless over the final 4:04.
''This is a winning league. No matter however you gotta do it, you do
it.'' The Cavaliers, coming off a stretch that had them play 14 of 19
games on the road, struggled to put away the team with the third-worst
record in the league. Cleveland, which is 29-7 since Jan. 13, lost to
Brooklyn on Friday and scuffled at times in wins over Indiana and
Milwaukee. Read more here.
Clippers beat Celtics 119-106 for 7th straight win
The
Los Angeles Clippers have responded quite nicely to a pair of
disappointing losses to Western Conference contenders. J.J. Redick
scored 27 points, Chris Paul had 21 points and 10 assists, and the
Clippers beat the Boston Celtics 119-106 on Sunday for their seventh
consecutive win. On March 13, the Clippers - minus Blake Griffin - lost
129-99 in Dallas. Then they dropped a home game against Houston two
days later, 100-98. Since then, it's been nothing but wins, including
four double-digit road victories. ''Our offensive execution is amazing
and our defense has held teams to 16- and 18-point quarters,'' Paul
said. ''With Blake back, he makes us that much more dangerous and you
have to pick your poison.'' Griffin had 21 points and nine rebounds for
Los Angeles, which jumped out to a 68-47 halftime lead. DeAndre Jordan
had 15 points and 14 rebounds, and Matt Barnes scored 18 points. Read
more here.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
February 24, 2015
Harden's triple-double helps Rockets over Wolves, 113-102
James
Harden focused on getting his teammates involved until he got himself
going. Harden had 31 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists for his second
triple-double this season, leading the Houston Rockets to a 113-102
victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night. Harden missed
his first seven shots but got going late in the first quarter. He said
when his shots aren't falling, it helps him to find his teammates open.
''When I get my teammates confident to shoot their shots and be
aggressive and get them in their rhythm, I can get into mine and that
makes everything easy,'' Harden said. Harden had 13 points at halftime
and was a rebound away from wrapping up his fourth career triple-double
entering the fourth. When he juked Ricky Rubio with a crossover that
sent the defender stumbling to the court and stepped back to swish a
3-pointer to end the third, it was clear that it was his night. Read
more here.
Grizzlies beat Clippers 90-87 behind Conley and Green
The
Memphis Grizzlies are on a roll with Jeff Green. The Los Angeles
Clippers aren't the same without Blake Griffin. When the teams got
together, they played a grind-it-out style better suited to the
Grizzlies than the high-flying Clippers, whose four-game winning streak
ended with a 90-87 loss Monday night. Mike Conley scored 18 points,
Jeff Green added 16 and Marc Gasol had 14 to help the Grizzlies improve
to 15-3 since Green joined the team on Jan. 12. ''We just grind, play
hard, play defense and play together,'' said Zach Randolph, who had 10
rebounds. ''There's nothing pretty about it. We don't have any
high-fliers. We always play the same way, so it didn't matter if Blake
was out there or not.'' It did to the Clippers, who still had their
other late-game option in Chris Paul. But he lost the ball with 1.9
seconds left and bent over with his hands in his head. Read more here.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
January 30, 2015
Lakers stop 9-game skid, beat Bulls 123-118 in double OT
When
the Los Angeles Lakers blew a nine-point lead in 70 seconds late in
regulation, they certainly seemed to be careening straight toward
another loss in overtime. That's when the young, patchwork Lakers
discovered a poise they've never had before - just in time to avoid a
historic defeat. Jordan Hill scored 26 points and forced the second
overtime with a clutch jumper, and the Lakers snapped their nine-game
losing streak in thrilling fashion with a 123-118 victory over the
Chicago Bulls on Thursday night. Wayne Ellington scored 23 points and
rookie Jordan Clarkson added 18 for the Lakers, who held off the Bulls
for their first victory since Jan. 9. With big late baskets from
everybody in their unassuming lineup, the Lakers avoided matching the
1994 squad coached by Magic Johnson for the longest skid in the 16-time
champion franchise's history. Read more here.
Bucks end 17-game skid in Orlando, beat Magic 115-100
For
the first time in more than a decade, the Milwaukee Bucks could
celebrate after a game in Orlando. Jerryd Bayless scored 19 points,
Jared Dudley and Khris Middleton had 17 apiece and the Bucks ended a
17-game losing streak in Orlando with a 115-100 victory on Thursday
night. The Bucks never trailed and placed seven players in double
figures, including all five starters. Brandon Knight had 16 points and
eight assists, and O.J. Mayo scored 13 points in Milwaukee's first road
victory in the series since Dec. 29, 2004. Milwaukee had 29 assists on
45 field goals and shot 51.7 percent for the game, including 12 of 25
from behind the 3-point line. ''I think our players take pride in
moving the ball, making the next pass,'' Bucks coach Jason Kidd said.
''I think they really enjoy playing with one another. That is why you
see the ball move. They take pride in being part of the play.'' Read
more here.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
January 25, 2015
Aldridge returns and Blazers beat Wizards 103-96
Each
time that LaMarcus Aldridge went to the free-throw line late in the
game against the Washington Wizards, the Trail Blazers' forward was
showered with a chant of ''MVP, MVP,'' from the hometown fans. Just two
days before, Aldridge had announced he was going to have surgery to
repair a ligament in his left thumb and would miss the next six to
eight weeks. But in a dramatic turn, he announced Saturday that he'd
play through the pain. And hours later, he had 26 points and nine
rebounds in the Blazers' 103-96 victory over the Wizards. Even the
public address announcer at the Moda Center beckoned the crowd to cheer
him for a curtain call as he finally left the court. ''I'm not into the
rah-rah story,'' Aldridge said. ''I just wanted to come back and play.
I wanted to test it out at home, and versus these guys because I felt
they were a physical team, and if I could play against these guys then
that would be good. And I was OK.'' Read more here.
Randolph's double-double leads Grizzlies past Sixers 101-83
The
experience of the Memphis Grizzlies was just too much for the young
Philadelphia 76ers. Zach Randolph had 17 points and 14 rebounds and
Jeff Green scored 18 as the Grizzlies coasted to a 101-83 win on
Saturday night. ''They have a bunch of veterans who know how to play
the game,'' said Sixers guard Michael Carter-Williams, who had 10
points. ''They're a tough team, and we're a young team.'' Vince Carter
added 13 points as the Grizzlies (31-12) won their sixth in the last
seven games. Memphis led by as many as 25 in the second half, allowing
coach Dave Joerger to rest his starters in the fourth quarter. Marc
Gasol, selected as an All-Star starter, finished with nine points, as
did point guard Mike Conley. Jerami Grant from Syracuse, the 39th
overall pick in last summer's draft, led the Sixers with a career-high
16 points. The Sixers shot 38 percent for the game and committed 24
turnovers. Read more here.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
January 14, 2015
Mo Williams scores 52, Wolves top Pacers to end 15-game skid
Mo
Williams scored a career-high 52 points, most in the NBA this season,
and the Minnesota Timberwolves snapped a 15-game losing streak with a
110-101 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday night. Williams made
six 3-pointers, including one that gave Minnesota a 102-96 lead. Andrew
Wiggins added 20 points and Gorgui Dieng had 10 for the Timberwolves
(6-31), who won for the first time since beating Portland 90-82 on Dec.
10. C.J. Miles had 22 points and C.J. Watson added 17 for the Pacers
(15-25), who have lost three of four. Wiggins scored on a put-back dunk
and then converted a 3-pointer to give the Timberwolves a 93-90 lead
with 4:29 remaining. But it was mostly Williams who powered the Wolves
to just their third road victory. After a couple of 3-pointers earlier
in the fourth quarter, he tied the game at 83 on three free throws,
including one for a technical called on Ian Mahinmi with 7:10
remaining. Read more here.
James' 33 in return not enough, Cavs lose sixth straight
LeBron
James rejoined the Cavaliers and brought a lot of excitement with him.
Just not quite enough for a Cleveland victory. James scored 33 points
in his return from a two-week layoff but couldn't prevent the Cavaliers
from going down to their sixth straight loss, 107-100 to the Phoenix
Suns on Tuesday night. James displayed his array of booming dunks,
acrobatic drives and 3-point shots. ''I couldn't make those moves two
weeks ago,'' he said. ''For me to come back and feel like myself again
is pretty cool.'' Markieff Morris scored a career-high 35 points on
15-of-21 shooting for the Suns, who outscored the Cavs 11-3 over the
last 3:31. Morris refused to talk to reporters afterward, walking away
from them in the locker room. The Cavaliers rallied from a 19-point,
third-quarter deficit to go ahead in the fourth, the first of eight
lead changes down the stretch. Read more here.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
January 2, 2014
Cousins, Kings survive close one in Minnesota
The
Sacramento Kings have been in a free fall since the surprising decision
to fire coach Michael Malone almost three weeks ago, and rock bottom
was staring them right in the face on Thursday night. The Minnesota
Timberwolves had wiped away a 13-point deficit and snatched momentum in
the fourth quarter. Somehow, the Kings found a way to squeak one out
and remove a little bit of the tension that has been building since
Malone's ouster. Rudy Gay had 21 points, six rebounds and five assists,
and the Kings handed the Timberwolves their 10th straight loss with a
110-107 victory. DeMarcus Cousins had 19 points and seven rebounds
after being ejected one night earlier, and the Kings shot 54 percent
while each of their starters scored in double figures. Darren Collison
scored 21 points and Derrick Williams had 17, including a big 3-pointer
down the stretch. Read more here.
Rose leads Bulls over Nuggets 106-101
Derrick
Rose made up for all those misses with a bunch of big shots down the
stretch. There was a quite a struggle. Then there was quite a
transformation. Rose scored 13 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter,
and the Chicago Bulls beat the Denver Nuggets 106-101 on Thursday
night. Jimmy Butler scored 26 for Chicago, and Pau Gasol added 17
points, nine rebounds and a career-high nine blocks. The Bulls rejected
a franchise-record 18 shots in all on the way to their 11th win in 13
games, but the difference in the end was their superstar point guard.
Rose found his rhythm just in time after struggling the previous two
games and for most of this one. ''My mentality is not going to
change,'' he said. ''I'm going to shoot the ball. I'm a scoring
guard.'' The 2011 MVP hit 7 of 25 shots after going 7 for 35 over the
previous two games. Read more here.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
December 19, 2014
Warriors beat Thunder 114-109 after Durant injury
Golden
State Warriors coach Steve Kerr could only shake his head and grin
while Kevin Durant put on the best performance of his young season in
the first half. Kerr and the Warriors were a lot happier they didn't
have to deal with Durant in the second half. Stephen Curry had 34
points and nine assists, and the Warriors rallied from an early
17-point deficit to beat Oklahoma City 114-109 on Thursday night after
Durant left with a sprained right ankle. ''I thought we did a
tremendous job on him in the second half. I didn't even notice him in
the second half,'' Kerr joked. ''We completely stopped him.'' It was
the only way the Warriors could. Durant scored a season-high 30 points
on 10-for-13 shooting in a spectacular first half that ended with him
stepping on Marreese Speights' foot. Durant said he had a mild ankle
sprain and X-rays were negative. Read more here.
Butler scores 35, Bulls beat Knicks 103-97
In
a game missing Derrick Rose and Carmelo Anthony, it was Jimmy Butler
who played like a star. Butler scored a career-high 35 points and the
Chicago Bulls beat the New York Knicks 103-97 on Thursday night. ''All
I can say is thank God for Jimmy Butler,'' Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau
said. ''You can't say enough about him.'' Playing without Rose, who sat
out with an illness, the Bulls got another strong game from Butler. He
was 11 of 21 from the floor with four 3-pointers, five rebounds, seven
assists and four steals, further staking a claim to an All-Star spot
this season. ''He's playing extremely well, with a lot of confidence,
with a lot of aggressiveness,'' said Bulls forward Pau Gasol, who had
20 points. ''He's asserting himself every single game at both ends of
the floor.'' Still, the Bulls had trouble shaking a short-handed New
York team that's lost three straight and 13 of 14. Read more here.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
December 15, 2014
Kings fire coach Michael Malone after differences in style
After
a season-plus of an uneasy partnership, the Sacramento Kings fired
coach Michael Malone, league sources told Yahoo Sports. Malone was
informed of the decision on Sunday night, in the wake of losing seven
of nine games without ill star center DeMarcus Cousins. Tyrone Corbin
will take over as the interim coach, likely for the term of the regular
season. Around the NBA, there's a strong belief that general manager
Pete D'Alessandro will pursue ex-Denver Nuggets coach George Karl, but
a high-ranking Kings source insisted Sunday night that it is unlikely a
full-time replacement will be hired during the regular season. There
has been significant tension between management and Malone on several
fronts over the past year, and the firing ultimately turned out to be
another cautionary tale in what happens when ownership doesn't put
together management and coaching staffs that have similar philosophies
and a shared partnership. Read more here.
Bryant passes Jordan for 3rd on scoring list
Kobe
Bryant has reached rarefied air. The Los Angeles Lakers star passed
Michael Jordan for third on the NBA's career scoring list Sunday night
in a 100-94 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves. Bryant entered the
game needing nine points to pass the icon with whom he is often
compared. He got the mark with two free throws with 5:24 to play in the
second quarter. ''I'm just honored to be here, man, to still be
playing,'' Bryant said. ''I appreciate being able to play this long.
Careers normally don't last this long. I really appreciate the
opportunity to still be out there playing and performing and doing what
I do.'' Now only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Karl Malone have scored more
points than Bryant. ''I congratulate Kobe on reaching this milestone,''
Jordan, the owner of the Charlotte Hornets, said in a statement
released to The Associated Press. Read more here.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
December 12, 2014
Harden scores 44 to lead Rockets over Kings in OT
Although
he struggled to hit shots in regulation, James Harden demonstrated in
overtime why he's the NBA's leading scorer. Harden scored a season-high
44 points, including 10 in the extra period, and also had eight assists
to lead the Houston Rockets over the Sacramento Kings 113-109 on
Thursday night. After tying the game with a 3-pointer, Harden opened
the extra period with seven unanswered points. The win was the fifth in
six games for the Rockets, who are 9-3 on the road. Harden missed 17 of
27 shots in regulation, then went 4 of 5 in OT and converted three of
four free throws, leading the way as the Rockets outscored the Kings
18-14 in the extra period. ''He was rolling. In overtime he just took
over,'' Houston coach Kevin McHale said. Read more here.
Westbrook powers Thunder over Cavaliers
Russell
Westbrook finished with 26 points and eight assists to lead the
Oklahoma City Thunder to a 103-94 win over the LeBron James-less
Cleveland Cavaliers. The National Basketball Association contest was
billed as a matchup of the last two NBA MVPs, but Kevin Durant was the
only one to play as James sat out with a left knee problem. Westbrook
and Durant combined to score 45 points with 13 assists. Durant's 19
points helped close out their fourth straight win. Kyrie Irving had to
pick up the slack with James out and he delivered 20 points on
seven-of-21 shooting. Kevin Love netted 18 points with 16 rebounds for
the Cavs, who had their eight-game winning streak snapped. Cleveland
managed just nine points over the final six-plus minutes of the fourth
quarter without their closer James. Read more here.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
December 7, 2014
Mavericks start fast, rout Bucks 125-102
Chandler
Parsons did some extra work on his shooting in the morning, then made
11 of 14 shots on Sunday night. Parsons' 28 points helped the Dallas
Mavericks roll to a 125-102 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks. ''He is
just really working at it,'' Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said. ''We
canceled shootaround, but he came in and wanted to shoot, so we shot
for 20-30 minutes.'' The Mavericks built a 13-point lead with a 12-0
run in the first quarter and didn't trail again in their second victory
in five days over the Bucks. Parsons had seven points in that run and
nine in the opening period. ''I wanted to work with (Carlisle). I
wasn't the only one here, but I just wanted to come in not asleep and
be groggy,'' he said. ''I don't think one extra shooting session's
going to help or hurt you, but it's always good to get extra work in.''
Dallas made 49 of 84 field goal attempts (58 percent). Read more here.
Durant, Thunder hand Pistons 12th straight loss
The
Detroit Pistons hadn't won since beating the Oklahoma City Thunder last
month on the road. For much of Sunday night, it looked like they were
going to do it again. Josh Smith, though, missed a potential winning
3-pointer with 1.1 seconds to play, and the Thunder held on for a 96-94
victory. ''Obviously, I was going for the win, or I wouldn't have shot
a 3,'' Smith said. ''I had a great look, but it just didn't go down.''
The Pistons have lost 12 straight, two short of the franchise record.
Detroit's last win came on Nov. 14, a game that both Kevin Durant and
Russell Westbrook missed due to injury. This time, Westbrook and Durant
were healthy, and combined for 50 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists.
Serge Ibaka added 13 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks for the
Thunder, while Kentavious Caldwell-Pope led Detroit with 19 points.
Read more here.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
December 2, 2014
Bryant helps Lakers beat Pistons 106-96
A
game after posting the 20th triple-double of his career, Kobe Bryant
looked flustered. Passes weren't connecting, shots weren't falling and
his Lakers were locked in a back-and-forth struggle with the lowly
Detroit Pistons. But vintage Bryant showed up, albeit briefly, in the
third quarter to hoist Los Angeles out of its rut for a 106-96 victory
Tuesday night. Bryant scored all 12 of his points in a row. The Pistons
held the NBA's leading scorer without a point in the first half, but
still lost their ninth in a row. ''I was tired,'' Bryant said. ''The
first half, I missed a couple of easy ones. The rhythm of the game
really wasn't there.'' ''Just paced it out a little bit and came out in
the second half and let the game come to me. I made a couple shots and
stepped on the gas,'' he said. Read more here.
Miller sparks Cavs over young Bucks 111-108
As
Mike Miller slung his backpack over his shoulder and headed toward the
locker room door wearing a ''God Loves Cleveland'' T-shirt, a voice
from the far corner stopped the Cavaliers' veteran swingman. Miller
didn't have to turn around to know who it was. ''My hero,'' LeBron
James yelled. Miller came off the bench and provided Cleveland with a
much-needed spark in the second half Tuesday night, helping the
Cavaliers to their fourth straight win, 111-108 over the
young-and-hungry Milwaukee Bucks. Kyrie Irving scored 28 points, Kevin
Love had 27 and James finished with 26 points and 10 assists for the
Cavs, who have quickly turned things around following a four-game
losing streak. The ''Big 3'' combined for 81 points, but it was Miller,
a 15-year veteran best known for his 3-point shooting, who made several
big plays in the second half to help put away the Bucks. Read more here.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
November 9, 2014
Knight rallies Bucks past Grizzlies, 93-92
With
the game on the line, Brandon Knight thought back to his boyhood
dreams. Knight converted a three-point play with 1.1 seconds remaining
Saturday night to rally the Milwaukee Bucks to a 93-92 victory over
Memphis, handing the Grizzlies their first loss of the season in seven
games. ''It's what you dream about as a kid, being able to shoot that
game-winning free throw, and it happened tonight,'' Knight said. ''I
was able to knock it down and get a win for our team.'' Zach Randolph's
layup put Memphis ahead 91-90 with 1:29 remaining. With 15.6 seconds
left, Bucks center Larry Sanders had his shot from underneath the
basket blocked by Marc Gasol, with the ball initially going out of
bounds to Milwaukee. After an officials' review, however, the ball was
awarded to Memphis. Mike Conley was fouled with 8 seconds remaining,
but missed the first free throw and made the second to make it 92-90.
Read more here.
Curry has 34, Warriors beat depleted Rockets 98-87
Golden
State Warriors coach Steve Kerr can't figure out how his team is still
undefeated. After a 98-87 victory over the depleted Houston Rockets on
Saturday night gave the Warriors their first 5-0 start in 20 years,
Kerr laughed about his club's 26 turnovers. ''We were making plays that
would make a sixth-grader blush,'' the first-year rookie coach said.
''It's shocking to me that we have so much talent, and if they would
just make the easier play, then the game would be simpler and we'd be
in great shape.'' When asked how the Warriors were able to overcome an
eight-point halftime deficit and outscore the Rockets 50-31 in the
second half, Kerr simply said, ''We have this guy named Steph Curry.
He's pretty good.'' Curry had 34 points and 10 rebounds in a matchup of
undefeated teams, scoring 23 in a pivotal second half that was
highlighted by a 22-4 run over the opening 7 minutes of the third
quarter. Read more here.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
November 5, 2014
Rose returns, Bulls beat Bucks 95-86
Now
there's a sight to calm the jittery nerves of Chicago Bulls fans:
Derrick Rose on the court instead of on the injury report. Rose
returned from his latest injury and helped the Bulls continue to make
themselves at home in Milwaukee with a 95-86 win over the Bucks on
Wednesday night. ''I was trying to play,'' Rose said. ''Of course I
wasn't 100 percent tonight. But I felt like we needed this win, and
just tried to come out here and do anything it takes to get this win
with my teammates.'' Taj Gibson scored 23 points, Pau Gasol added 22
and Rose had 13 points and seven assists in 32 minutes for the Bulls,
who have beaten the Bucks nine straight times in Milwaukee. Rose, who
missed most of the past two seasons because of serious knee injuries,
sat out the Bulls' previous two games with sprains in both ankles. Read
more here.
Lowry has 35 points, Raptors beat Celtics
The
Toronto Raptors were short a couple of key frontcourt players. It
didn't matter because Kyle Lowry stepped up big. Lowry scored 35 points
and had a key steal in the closing minute to lead the Raptors to a
110-107 win over the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night. With big men
Amir Johnson and Jonas Valanciunas sidelined, Lowry took over for the
Raptors in the second quarter and carried them from there. ''He came
out aggressive,'' forward DeMar DeRozan said. ''We need him to do
that.'' DeRozan had 23 points and Patrick Patterson added 14 for
Toronto, but it was Lowry that Boston coach Brad Stevens praised. ''I
said before the game that he probably should have been an All-Star last
year,'' Stevens said. ''It looks like he took that one seriously
because he looked like one tonight.'' It came after the Raptors fell
behind by 16 points in the first quarter. Read more here.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
November 1, 2014
Butler's free throws lift Bulls over Wolves
Jimmy
Butler's surprise return to the Chicago Bulls' starting lineup should
really come as no surprise at all. Butler is the embodiment of the
Bulls' mind-over-matter mantra, and he returned just in time to teach
No. 1 overall draft pick Andrew Wiggins a hard-to-swallow lesson.
Butler coaxed the over-aggressive Wiggins into a foul with 0.2 seconds
left. Then Butler calmly knocked down two free throws to help the Bulls
weather another absence from Rose in a 106-105 victory over the
Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night. Butler scored 24 points on
6-for-12 shooting in his season debut and Pau Gasol added 29 points and
six rebounds for the Bulls, who missed Rose with a sprained left ankle.
''What a way to kick off the season,'' Butler said. ''I'm happy we got
a dub. Wins are hard to come by, so on to the next one.'' Read more here.
Favors powers Jazz to first win, 118-91 over Suns
Derrick
Favors scored a career-high 32 points and added nine rebounds, Gordon
Hayward had 24 points and 10 boards, and the Utah Jazz beat the Phoenix
Suns 118-91 on Saturday night. Trevor Booker added 14 points and nine
rebounds off the bench to help the Jazz get their victory of the
season. Utah dominated around the basket, outscoring Phoenix 66-42 in
the paint and enjoying a 52-34 edge in rebounds. It paid off for the
Jazz in transition. Utah outscored Phoenix 35-21 in fast-break points
and had a 19-11 edge in second-chance points. Gerald Green had 16
points off the bench for the Suns (2-1), who shot just 14 of 43 (32.6
percent) from the field in the second half. Markieff Morris added 13
points and Marcus Morris chipped in 12. Favors had 23 points on 9-of-15
shooting and six rebounds in the first half alone. The Jazz rallied
from a slow start by scoring on six straight possessions and outscored
Phoenix 31-13 over the final 8:59 of the first quarter. Read more here.
Brook
Lopez doesn't speak to his twin brother on the court. Hadn't spoken to
him at all since a late-night McDonald's run the night before. His play
did all the talking Monday. He dominated Robin Lopez and the
short-handed Portland frontcourt with 32 points and nine rebounds, and
the Brooklyn Nets beat the Trail Blazers 106-96 in the only game on the
NBA schedule. Robin Lopez joked before the game that his brother was a
''crappy center.'' ''Well, it might have been a fluke,'' Brook Lopez
said. No way. The two-time Eastern Conference player of the week is
doing it regularly now that he's back fully healthy again. ''He's a
stubborn guy,'' Robin Lopez said. ''No matter what people say about
him, no matter what happens, he's just going to stick with what he
knows how to do. That's what he's been doing.'' Read more 
The
Cleveland Cavaliers won't get style points for Sunday's 87-86 win over
the Philadelphia 76ers. And that's just fine with LeBron James. Moving
2 1/2 games ahead of Chicago for second place in the Eastern Conference
was all that mattered to James, who led Cleveland with 20 points. ''You
find a way to win,'' he said as the Cavaliers hung on for their 16th
straight home victory despite being held scoreless over the final 4:04.
''This is a winning league. No matter however you gotta do it, you do
it.'' The Cavaliers, coming off a stretch that had them play 14 of 19
games on the road, struggled to put away the team with the third-worst
record in the league. Cleveland, which is 29-7 since Jan. 13, lost to
Brooklyn on Friday and scuffled at times in wins over Indiana and
Milwaukee. Read more 
The
Los Angeles Clippers have responded quite nicely to a pair of
disappointing losses to Western Conference contenders. J.J. Redick
scored 27 points, Chris Paul had 21 points and 10 assists, and the
Clippers beat the Boston Celtics 119-106 on Sunday for their seventh
consecutive win. On March 13, the Clippers - minus Blake Griffin - lost
129-99 in Dallas. Then they dropped a home game against Houston two
days later, 100-98. Since then, it's been nothing but wins, including
four double-digit road victories. ''Our offensive execution is amazing
and our defense has held teams to 16- and 18-point quarters,'' Paul
said. ''With Blake back, he makes us that much more dangerous and you
have to pick your poison.'' Griffin had 21 points and nine rebounds for
Los Angeles, which jumped out to a 68-47 halftime lead. DeAndre Jordan
had 15 points and 14 rebounds, and Matt Barnes scored 18 points. Read
more 
James
Harden focused on getting his teammates involved until he got himself
going. Harden had 31 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists for his second
triple-double this season, leading the Houston Rockets to a 113-102
victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night. Harden missed
his first seven shots but got going late in the first quarter. He said
when his shots aren't falling, it helps him to find his teammates open.
''When I get my teammates confident to shoot their shots and be
aggressive and get them in their rhythm, I can get into mine and that
makes everything easy,'' Harden said. Harden had 13 points at halftime
and was a rebound away from wrapping up his fourth career triple-double
entering the fourth. When he juked Ricky Rubio with a crossover that
sent the defender stumbling to the court and stepped back to swish a
3-pointer to end the third, it was clear that it was his night. Read
more 
The
Memphis Grizzlies are on a roll with Jeff Green. The Los Angeles
Clippers aren't the same without Blake Griffin. When the teams got
together, they played a grind-it-out style better suited to the
Grizzlies than the high-flying Clippers, whose four-game winning streak
ended with a 90-87 loss Monday night. Mike Conley scored 18 points,
Jeff Green added 16 and Marc Gasol had 14 to help the Grizzlies improve
to 15-3 since Green joined the team on Jan. 12. ''We just grind, play
hard, play defense and play together,'' said Zach Randolph, who had 10
rebounds. ''There's nothing pretty about it. We don't have any
high-fliers. We always play the same way, so it didn't matter if Blake
was out there or not.'' It did to the Clippers, who still had their
other late-game option in Chris Paul. But he lost the ball with 1.9
seconds left and bent over with his hands in his head. Read more 
When
the Los Angeles Lakers blew a nine-point lead in 70 seconds late in
regulation, they certainly seemed to be careening straight toward
another loss in overtime. That's when the young, patchwork Lakers
discovered a poise they've never had before - just in time to avoid a
historic defeat. Jordan Hill scored 26 points and forced the second
overtime with a clutch jumper, and the Lakers snapped their nine-game
losing streak in thrilling fashion with a 123-118 victory over the
Chicago Bulls on Thursday night. Wayne Ellington scored 23 points and
rookie Jordan Clarkson added 18 for the Lakers, who held off the Bulls
for their first victory since Jan. 9. With big late baskets from
everybody in their unassuming lineup, the Lakers avoided matching the
1994 squad coached by Magic Johnson for the longest skid in the 16-time
champion franchise's history. Read more 
For
the first time in more than a decade, the Milwaukee Bucks could
celebrate after a game in Orlando. Jerryd Bayless scored 19 points,
Jared Dudley and Khris Middleton had 17 apiece and the Bucks ended a
17-game losing streak in Orlando with a 115-100 victory on Thursday
night. The Bucks never trailed and placed seven players in double
figures, including all five starters. Brandon Knight had 16 points and
eight assists, and O.J. Mayo scored 13 points in Milwaukee's first road
victory in the series since Dec. 29, 2004. Milwaukee had 29 assists on
45 field goals and shot 51.7 percent for the game, including 12 of 25
from behind the 3-point line. ''I think our players take pride in
moving the ball, making the next pass,'' Bucks coach Jason Kidd said.
''I think they really enjoy playing with one another. That is why you
see the ball move. They take pride in being part of the play.'' Read
more 
Each
time that LaMarcus Aldridge went to the free-throw line late in the
game against the Washington Wizards, the Trail Blazers' forward was
showered with a chant of ''MVP, MVP,'' from the hometown fans. Just two
days before, Aldridge had announced he was going to have surgery to
repair a ligament in his left thumb and would miss the next six to
eight weeks. But in a dramatic turn, he announced Saturday that he'd
play through the pain. And hours later, he had 26 points and nine
rebounds in the Blazers' 103-96 victory over the Wizards. Even the
public address announcer at the Moda Center beckoned the crowd to cheer
him for a curtain call as he finally left the court. ''I'm not into the
rah-rah story,'' Aldridge said. ''I just wanted to come back and play.
I wanted to test it out at home, and versus these guys because I felt
they were a physical team, and if I could play against these guys then
that would be good. And I was OK.'' Read more 
The
experience of the Memphis Grizzlies was just too much for the young
Philadelphia 76ers. Zach Randolph had 17 points and 14 rebounds and
Jeff Green scored 18 as the Grizzlies coasted to a 101-83 win on
Saturday night. ''They have a bunch of veterans who know how to play
the game,'' said Sixers guard Michael Carter-Williams, who had 10
points. ''They're a tough team, and we're a young team.'' Vince Carter
added 13 points as the Grizzlies (31-12) won their sixth in the last
seven games. Memphis led by as many as 25 in the second half, allowing
coach Dave Joerger to rest his starters in the fourth quarter. Marc
Gasol, selected as an All-Star starter, finished with nine points, as
did point guard Mike Conley. Jerami Grant from Syracuse, the 39th
overall pick in last summer's draft, led the Sixers with a career-high
16 points. The Sixers shot 38 percent for the game and committed 24
turnovers. Read more 
Mo
Williams scored a career-high 52 points, most in the NBA this season,
and the Minnesota Timberwolves snapped a 15-game losing streak with a
110-101 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday night. Williams made
six 3-pointers, including one that gave Minnesota a 102-96 lead. Andrew
Wiggins added 20 points and Gorgui Dieng had 10 for the Timberwolves
(6-31), who won for the first time since beating Portland 90-82 on Dec.
10. C.J. Miles had 22 points and C.J. Watson added 17 for the Pacers
(15-25), who have lost three of four. Wiggins scored on a put-back dunk
and then converted a 3-pointer to give the Timberwolves a 93-90 lead
with 4:29 remaining. But it was mostly Williams who powered the Wolves
to just their third road victory. After a couple of 3-pointers earlier
in the fourth quarter, he tied the game at 83 on three free throws,
including one for a technical called on Ian Mahinmi with 7:10
remaining. Read more 
LeBron
James rejoined the Cavaliers and brought a lot of excitement with him.
Just not quite enough for a Cleveland victory. James scored 33 points
in his return from a two-week layoff but couldn't prevent the Cavaliers
from going down to their sixth straight loss, 107-100 to the Phoenix
Suns on Tuesday night. James displayed his array of booming dunks,
acrobatic drives and 3-point shots. ''I couldn't make those moves two
weeks ago,'' he said. ''For me to come back and feel like myself again
is pretty cool.'' Markieff Morris scored a career-high 35 points on
15-of-21 shooting for the Suns, who outscored the Cavs 11-3 over the
last 3:31. Morris refused to talk to reporters afterward, walking away
from them in the locker room. The Cavaliers rallied from a 19-point,
third-quarter deficit to go ahead in the fourth, the first of eight
lead changes down the stretch. Read more 
The
Sacramento Kings have been in a free fall since the surprising decision
to fire coach Michael Malone almost three weeks ago, and rock bottom
was staring them right in the face on Thursday night. The Minnesota
Timberwolves had wiped away a 13-point deficit and snatched momentum in
the fourth quarter. Somehow, the Kings found a way to squeak one out
and remove a little bit of the tension that has been building since
Malone's ouster. Rudy Gay had 21 points, six rebounds and five assists,
and the Kings handed the Timberwolves their 10th straight loss with a
110-107 victory. DeMarcus Cousins had 19 points and seven rebounds
after being ejected one night earlier, and the Kings shot 54 percent
while each of their starters scored in double figures. Darren Collison
scored 21 points and Derrick Williams had 17, including a big 3-pointer
down the stretch. Read more 
Derrick
Rose made up for all those misses with a bunch of big shots down the
stretch. There was a quite a struggle. Then there was quite a
transformation. Rose scored 13 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter,
and the Chicago Bulls beat the Denver Nuggets 106-101 on Thursday
night. Jimmy Butler scored 26 for Chicago, and Pau Gasol added 17
points, nine rebounds and a career-high nine blocks. The Bulls rejected
a franchise-record 18 shots in all on the way to their 11th win in 13
games, but the difference in the end was their superstar point guard.
Rose found his rhythm just in time after struggling the previous two
games and for most of this one. ''My mentality is not going to
change,'' he said. ''I'm going to shoot the ball. I'm a scoring
guard.'' The 2011 MVP hit 7 of 25 shots after going 7 for 35 over the
previous two games. Read more 
Golden
State Warriors coach Steve Kerr could only shake his head and grin
while Kevin Durant put on the best performance of his young season in
the first half. Kerr and the Warriors were a lot happier they didn't
have to deal with Durant in the second half. Stephen Curry had 34
points and nine assists, and the Warriors rallied from an early
17-point deficit to beat Oklahoma City 114-109 on Thursday night after
Durant left with a sprained right ankle. ''I thought we did a
tremendous job on him in the second half. I didn't even notice him in
the second half,'' Kerr joked. ''We completely stopped him.'' It was
the only way the Warriors could. Durant scored a season-high 30 points
on 10-for-13 shooting in a spectacular first half that ended with him
stepping on Marreese Speights' foot. Durant said he had a mild ankle
sprain and X-rays were negative. Read more 
In
a game missing Derrick Rose and Carmelo Anthony, it was Jimmy Butler
who played like a star. Butler scored a career-high 35 points and the
Chicago Bulls beat the New York Knicks 103-97 on Thursday night. ''All
I can say is thank God for Jimmy Butler,'' Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau
said. ''You can't say enough about him.'' Playing without Rose, who sat
out with an illness, the Bulls got another strong game from Butler. He
was 11 of 21 from the floor with four 3-pointers, five rebounds, seven
assists and four steals, further staking a claim to an All-Star spot
this season. ''He's playing extremely well, with a lot of confidence,
with a lot of aggressiveness,'' said Bulls forward Pau Gasol, who had
20 points. ''He's asserting himself every single game at both ends of
the floor.'' Still, the Bulls had trouble shaking a short-handed New
York team that's lost three straight and 13 of 14. Read more 
After
a season-plus of an uneasy partnership, the Sacramento Kings fired
coach Michael Malone, league sources told Yahoo Sports. Malone was
informed of the decision on Sunday night, in the wake of losing seven
of nine games without ill star center DeMarcus Cousins. Tyrone Corbin
will take over as the interim coach, likely for the term of the regular
season. Around the NBA, there's a strong belief that general manager
Pete D'Alessandro will pursue ex-Denver Nuggets coach George Karl, but
a high-ranking Kings source insisted Sunday night that it is unlikely a
full-time replacement will be hired during the regular season. There
has been significant tension between management and Malone on several
fronts over the past year, and the firing ultimately turned out to be
another cautionary tale in what happens when ownership doesn't put
together management and coaching staffs that have similar philosophies
and a shared partnership. Read more 
Kobe
Bryant has reached rarefied air. The Los Angeles Lakers star passed
Michael Jordan for third on the NBA's career scoring list Sunday night
in a 100-94 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves. Bryant entered the
game needing nine points to pass the icon with whom he is often
compared. He got the mark with two free throws with 5:24 to play in the
second quarter. ''I'm just honored to be here, man, to still be
playing,'' Bryant said. ''I appreciate being able to play this long.
Careers normally don't last this long. I really appreciate the
opportunity to still be out there playing and performing and doing what
I do.'' Now only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Karl Malone have scored more
points than Bryant. ''I congratulate Kobe on reaching this milestone,''
Jordan, the owner of the Charlotte Hornets, said in a statement
released to The Associated Press. Read more 
Russell
Westbrook finished with 26 points and eight assists to lead the
Oklahoma City Thunder to a 103-94 win over the LeBron James-less
Cleveland Cavaliers. The National Basketball Association contest was
billed as a matchup of the last two NBA MVPs, but Kevin Durant was the
only one to play as James sat out with a left knee problem. Westbrook
and Durant combined to score 45 points with 13 assists. Durant's 19
points helped close out their fourth straight win. Kyrie Irving had to
pick up the slack with James out and he delivered 20 points on
seven-of-21 shooting. Kevin Love netted 18 points with 16 rebounds for
the Cavs, who had their eight-game winning streak snapped. Cleveland
managed just nine points over the final six-plus minutes of the fourth
quarter without their closer James. Read more 
Chandler
Parsons did some extra work on his shooting in the morning, then made
11 of 14 shots on Sunday night. Parsons' 28 points helped the Dallas
Mavericks roll to a 125-102 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks. ''He is
just really working at it,'' Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said. ''We
canceled shootaround, but he came in and wanted to shoot, so we shot
for 20-30 minutes.'' The Mavericks built a 13-point lead with a 12-0
run in the first quarter and didn't trail again in their second victory
in five days over the Bucks. Parsons had seven points in that run and
nine in the opening period. ''I wanted to work with (Carlisle). I
wasn't the only one here, but I just wanted to come in not asleep and
be groggy,'' he said. ''I don't think one extra shooting session's
going to help or hurt you, but it's always good to get extra work in.''
Dallas made 49 of 84 field goal attempts (58 percent). Read more 
The
Detroit Pistons hadn't won since beating the Oklahoma City Thunder last
month on the road. For much of Sunday night, it looked like they were
going to do it again. Josh Smith, though, missed a potential winning
3-pointer with 1.1 seconds to play, and the Thunder held on for a 96-94
victory. ''Obviously, I was going for the win, or I wouldn't have shot
a 3,'' Smith said. ''I had a great look, but it just didn't go down.''
The Pistons have lost 12 straight, two short of the franchise record.
Detroit's last win came on Nov. 14, a game that both Kevin Durant and
Russell Westbrook missed due to injury. This time, Westbrook and Durant
were healthy, and combined for 50 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists.
Serge Ibaka added 13 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks for the
Thunder, while Kentavious Caldwell-Pope led Detroit with 19 points.
Read more 
As
Mike Miller slung his backpack over his shoulder and headed toward the
locker room door wearing a ''God Loves Cleveland'' T-shirt, a voice
from the far corner stopped the Cavaliers' veteran swingman. Miller
didn't have to turn around to know who it was. ''My hero,'' LeBron
James yelled. Miller came off the bench and provided Cleveland with a
much-needed spark in the second half Tuesday night, helping the
Cavaliers to their fourth straight win, 111-108 over the
young-and-hungry Milwaukee Bucks. Kyrie Irving scored 28 points, Kevin
Love had 27 and James finished with 26 points and 10 assists for the
Cavs, who have quickly turned things around following a four-game
losing streak. The ''Big 3'' combined for 81 points, but it was Miller,
a 15-year veteran best known for his 3-point shooting, who made several
big plays in the second half to help put away the Bucks. Read more 
With
the game on the line, Brandon Knight thought back to his boyhood
dreams. Knight converted a three-point play with 1.1 seconds remaining
Saturday night to rally the Milwaukee Bucks to a 93-92 victory over
Memphis, handing the Grizzlies their first loss of the season in seven
games. ''It's what you dream about as a kid, being able to shoot that
game-winning free throw, and it happened tonight,'' Knight said. ''I
was able to knock it down and get a win for our team.'' Zach Randolph's
layup put Memphis ahead 91-90 with 1:29 remaining. With 15.6 seconds
left, Bucks center Larry Sanders had his shot from underneath the
basket blocked by Marc Gasol, with the ball initially going out of
bounds to Milwaukee. After an officials' review, however, the ball was
awarded to Memphis. Mike Conley was fouled with 8 seconds remaining,
but missed the first free throw and made the second to make it 92-90.
Read more 
The
Toronto Raptors were short a couple of key frontcourt players. It
didn't matter because Kyle Lowry stepped up big. Lowry scored 35 points
and had a key steal in the closing minute to lead the Raptors to a
110-107 win over the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night. With big men
Amir Johnson and Jonas Valanciunas sidelined, Lowry took over for the
Raptors in the second quarter and carried them from there. ''He came
out aggressive,'' forward DeMar DeRozan said. ''We need him to do
that.'' DeRozan had 23 points and Patrick Patterson added 14 for
Toronto, but it was Lowry that Boston coach Brad Stevens praised. ''I
said before the game that he probably should have been an All-Star last
year,'' Stevens said. ''It looks like he took that one seriously
because he looked like one tonight.'' It came after the Raptors fell
behind by 16 points in the first quarter. Read more 
Derrick
Favors scored a career-high 32 points and added nine rebounds, Gordon
Hayward had 24 points and 10 boards, and the Utah Jazz beat the Phoenix
Suns 118-91 on Saturday night. Trevor Booker added 14 points and nine
rebounds off the bench to help the Jazz get their victory of the
season. Utah dominated around the basket, outscoring Phoenix 66-42 in
the paint and enjoying a 52-34 edge in rebounds. It paid off for the
Jazz in transition. Utah outscored Phoenix 35-21 in fast-break points
and had a 19-11 edge in second-chance points. Gerald Green had 16
points off the bench for the Suns (2-1), who shot just 14 of 43 (32.6
percent) from the field in the second half. Markieff Morris added 13
points and Marcus Morris chipped in 12. Favors had 23 points on 9-of-15
shooting and six rebounds in the first half alone. The Jazz rallied
from a slow start by scoring on six straight possessions and outscored
Phoenix 31-13 over the final 8:59 of the first quarter. Read more 
