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NBA: Heat’s LeBron James, Thunder’s Kevin Durant headline All-NBA First Team

May 24, 2013 By Admin

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LeBron James (left) and Kevin Durant headlined the 2013 All-NBA First Team. (Issac Baldizon/Getty Images)

(PhatzRadio / AP) — The 2013 All-NBA teams were revealed Thursday, and the league’s MVP headlined the First Team as you would expect.

Heat forward LeBron James was unanimously named to his seventh All-NBA First Team after being named to his fifth All-Defensive First Team earlier this month.

James was joined on the First Team by Thunder forward Kevin Durant, Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, Clippers guard Chris Paul and Spurs center Tim Duncan. Bryant’s First Team selection marked the 11th of his career, tying him with Karl Malone for tops in league history.

James, Durant, Bryant and Paul were all All-NBA First Team selections in 2012. This was Duncan’s 10th First Team selection, and his first since 2006-07.

The All-NBA Second Team featured Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony, the NBA’s leading scorer; Clippers forward Blake Griffin; Grizzlies center and Defensive Player of the Year Marc Gasol; Spurs guard Tony Parker; and Thunder guard Russell Westbrook, who missed the majority of the postseason after knee surgery. Parker and Westbrook were both Second Team selections in 2012 while Anthony was a Third Team selection.

The All-NBA Third Team was headlined by Pacers forward Paul George, the Most Improved Player; Warriors forward David Lee; Lakers center Dwight Howard; Heat guard Dwyane Wade; and Rockets guard James Harden. Howard was a First Team selection in 2012 while Wade returns to the Second Team.

All of the 2013 All-NBA selections, except Gasol, were also selected to the 2013 All-Star Game.

Here’s how the voting totals broke down.

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The following players also received votes.

Brook Lopez, Brooklyn, 132 (7 First Team votes); Stephen Curry, Golden State, 72; LaMarcus Aldridge, Portland, 62; Chris Bosh, Miami, 59 (4); Joakim Noah, Chicago, 56 (3); Zach Randolph, Memphis, 45; Al Horford, Atlanta, 31 (2); Paul Pierce, Boston, 24; Al Jefferson, Utah, 20 (1); Tyson Chandler, New York, 19 (1); Roy Hibbert, Indiana, 9; Luol Deng, Chicago, 8; Kevin Garnett, Boston, 8; Ty Lawson, Denver, 8; Josh Smith, Atlanta, 7; Deron Williams, Brooklyn, 6; Pau Gasol, LA Lakers, 4; Serge Ibaka, Oklahoma City, 4; Omer Asik, Houston, 3; Kenneth Faried, Denver, 3; Raymond Felton, New York, 3; Kyrie Irving, Cleveland, 3; Carlos Boozer, Chicago, 2; Mike Conley, Memphis, 2; David West, Indiana, 2; Rudy Gay, Toronto, 1; J.J. Hickson, Portland, 1; Andre Iguodala, Denver, 1; Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas, 1; Nikola Pekovic, Minnesota, 1; Rajon Rondo, Boston, 1; Nikola Vucevic, Orlando, 1.

A panel of media members selects the All-NBA teams.

NBA: Heat’s LeBron James, Thunder’s Kevin Durant headline All-NBA First Team is a post from: PhatzRadio.com

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NBA: Heat’s LeBron James named Most Valuable Player

May 6, 2013 By Admin

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LeBron James, center, receives the 2013 MVP trophy from Erik Spoelstra and Pat Riley. (Jesse D. Garrabrant/Getty Images)

(PhatzRadio / AP) — The NBA announced Sunday that Heat forward LeBron James has been named the 2013 Most Valuable Player, the fourth time he’s won the award during his career. The selection was not unanimous.

“I just try to be the best player on the court every single night when I step on the floor,” James said at a press conference in Miami. “This really doesn’t mean much to me. I’m humbled. I’m happy about it. I wish there were 15 of these [trophies] up here because this great group of guys allows me to be the MVP each and every night.”

James received 1,207 points and 120 out of a possible 121 first-place votes, with Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony receiving one vote. James beat out, in order: Thunder forward Kevin Durant (765 points), Anthony (475 points), Clippers guard Chris Paul (289 points) and Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (184 points). Full results are below.

“It was probably a writer out of New York who didn’t give me that vote,” James said of Anthony’s first-place vote. “We know the history between the Heat and Knicks so I get it.”

The nine-time All-Star emerged as the landslide favorite for his second consecutive MVP as he led Miami to a league-best 66-16 record that included a 27-game winning streak. James averaged 26.8 points, 8 rebounds, 7.3 assists, 1.7 steals and shot a career-high 56.5 percent from the field and 40.6 percent from deep on the season.

James, 28, led the league in Player Efficiency Rating for the sixth straight season and finished second in the Defensive Player of the Year voting. James was named Eastern Conference Player of the Month in November, December, January, February and March.

Back in April, FoxSportsFlorida.com reported James’ thoughts on possibly becoming one of just five players to win the award at least four times, joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (six), Bill Russell (five), Michael Jordan (five) and Wilt Chamberlain (four).

“Anytime I’m mentioned with the greatest players to play the game or people period, it is a wow factor because I grew up and studied those guys and watched those guys, and a few of those guys were my inspiration growing up,” James said.

Here’s the full voting tally.

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The Point Forward’s Rob Mahoney laid out the case for James as MVP this season and an SI.com panel unanimously selected him for the award in April.

James previously won the award in 2009 and 2010 with the Cavaliers and in 2012 with the Heat. James beat out Durant, Paul, Bryant and Parker for the award last season and was also named 2012 Finals MVP after the Heat beat the Thunder for the first title of his career.

NBA: Heat’s LeBron James named Most Valuable Player is a post from: PhatzRadio.com

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NBA Playoff Roundup: Spurs hammer Lakers 120-89 to grab 3-0 series lead

April 27, 2013 By Admin

1d77d13505658427b4260c64383056ce NBA Playoff Roundup: Spurs hammer Lakers 120 89 to grab 3 0 series lead

(PhatzRadio / AP) — LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Tim Duncan had 26 points and nine rebounds, and the San Antonio Spurs pushed the Los Angeles Lakers to the brink of first-round playoff elimination with a 120-89 victory in Game 3 on Friday night, the worst home playoff loss in franchise history.

Tony Parker had 20 points and seven assists as the Spurs methodically seized control of the series by dominating their third straight meeting with the short-handed Lakers, who played without their top four guards due to injury.

Dwight Howard had 25 points and 11 rebounds, and Pau Gasol added his first career playoff triple-double with 11 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists, but the Spurs were far too much for a team without Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash. Andrew Goudelock scored a career-high 20 points in his first playoff start.

The Spurs can close it out in Game 4 on Sunday night.

The Lakers exceeded their 29-point home loss to Portland on May 22, 2000, the previous worst home defeat for the 16-time NBA champion franchise.

With Bryant and Nash joined by Jodie Meeks and Steve Blake on the injured list, the Lakers started Goudelock and Darius Morris, using a starting five that had never started together for the second time in three games. Morris added 24 points, getting 12 in the fourth quarter of the historic blowout.

KNICKS 90, CELTICS 76

BOSTON (AP) — Carmelo Anthony scored 26 points and New York moved to the brink of its first playoff series victory in 13 years, routing Boston in Game 3.

Quickly taking the crowd out of it in the first NBA game here since the Boston Marathon bombings, the Knicks built a 16-point halftime lead and now are on the verge of taking out the Celtics.

Raymond Felton added 15 points and 10 assists for the Knicks, who haven’t advanced in the playoffs since reaching the 2000 Eastern Conference finals. They will go for the sweep here Sunday afternoon.

They’ll have to hope they have J.R. Smith, who inexplicably threw an elbow right into Jason Terry’s face with 7:06 left and was thrown out of the game with a flagrant foul 2, an automatic ejection. The league office will review the play and can fine or suspend Smith.

Jeff Green scored 21 points for the Celtics, who will try to become the first NBA team to win a series after trailing 3-0.

WARRIORS 110, NUGGETS 108

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Stephen Curry played through a sprained left ankle to score 29 points and Golden State beat Denver Nuggets to take a 2-1 series lead.

Curry also had 11 assists, Jarrett Jack added 23 points and seven assists, and Harrison Barnes and Carl Landry each scored 19 points to help the Warriors rally from 13 points down in the third quarter. Golden State still had to sweat out Andre Iguodala’s missed 3-pointer as the buzzer sounded, setting off a gold-confetti celebration throughout the announced sellout crowd of 19,596.

Ty Lawson had a career playoff-high 35 points to go with 10 assists, and reserve Corey Brewer scored 16 points as Denver dropped its second straight game — and its grip on the best-of-seven series.

Game 4 is Sunday night in Oakland.

NBA Playoff Roundup: Spurs hammer Lakers 120-89 to grab 3-0 series lead is a post from: PhatzRadio.com

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NBA Roundup: Lakers beat Rockets in overtime to clinch seventh seed

April 18, 2013 By Admin

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Steve Blake scored 24 points, Pau Gasol added his seventh career triple-double, and the Los Angeles Lakers secured the seventh playoff seed in the Western Conference with a 99-95 overtime victory over the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night.

Dwight Howard had 16 points and 18 rebounds, and the All-Star centre blocked James Harden’s shot in the final seconds of overtime for the Lakers, who only clinched a playoff berth about 10 minutes before tipoff in their season finale.

After winning once more without Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash, Los Angeles will face second-seeded San Antonio in the first round.

Chandler Parsons hit a tying 3-pointer from three steps behind the line at the regulation buzzer for the Rockets, who will face top-seeded Oklahoma City after losing four of six to end the regular season.

WARRIORS 99, TRAIL BLAZERS 88

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Stephen Curry set a NBA single-season record for 3-pointers with 272 and Golden State defeated Portland in the teams’ season finale.

It was the 13th straight loss for the Blazers, equaling the franchise record set in the 1971-72 season.

Curry surpassed Ray Allen’s single-season 3-point total of 269 set in 2005-06. Needing two for the record, Curry opened the game with two straight misses from beyond the arc, but hit his first midway through the first quarter before making the record-breaker with 6:49 to go in the second.

His backcourt teammate Klay Thompson led the Warriors with 24 points. Golden State earned the Western Conference’s sixth seed and will face Denver in the first round of the playoffs.

LaMarcus Aldridge had 30 points and a season-high 21 rebounds for Portland, which lost its eighth straight at home.

GRIZZLIES 86, JAZZ 70

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Zach Randolph had 25 points and 19 rebounds and Memphis ended Utah’s playoff hopes.

The Grizzlies’ victory meant the Los Angeles Lakers were assured of making the playoffs even before their late game against the Houston Rockets.

Mike Conley finished with 14 points for Memphis, which won its second straight and fifth in the past six. Darrell Arthur finished with 11 points for the Grizzlies, who took the West’s fifth seed and will facec the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round.

Al Jefferson scored 22 points and grabbed 16 rebounds to lead Utah, the only Jazz player in double figures. The Jazz managed only 32 per cent shooting and were outrebounded 57-47.

BULLS 95, WIZARDS 92

CHICAGO (AP) — Carlos Boozer had 19 points and 15 rebounds to help the Bulls clinch the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference with a win over the Wizards in the regular-season finale.

Kirk Hinrich added 18 points and Nazr Mohammed had a season-high 17 for the Bulls, who will face the Brooklyn Nets in the opening round of the playoffs.

It sure wasn’t easy.

A.J. Price scored a career-high 24 points and John Wall overcame a slow start to finish with 23 for the Wizards, who kept coming back every time it looked as though the Bulls were ready to put them away.

HEAT 105, MAGIC 93

MIAMI (AP) — Dwyane Wade scored 21 points and handed out 10 assists, Mike Miller added 21 points and the Miami Heat wrapped up the regular season with a win over the Magic.

The Heat (66-16) became the 14th team in NBA history to finish with a winning percentage over .800, and did so with LeBron James away from the team for the day while tending to a personal matter.

Orlando finished with the NBA’s worst record, 20-62.

Rashard Lewis scored 16 points, Juwan Howard added 12 and Ray Allen scored 10 for Miami. The Heat have home-court advantage throughout the playoffs, and will open against the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday.

Nik Vucevic had 20 points and 13 rebounds for Orlando. Only once have the Magic won fewer games in a season — their inaugural year, going 18-64 in 1989-90.

KNICKS 98, HAWKS 92

NEW YORK (AP) — Carmelo Anthony won the scoring title without playing, and the Atlanta Hawks lost their chance to move up in the East standings.

Chris Copeland scored 33 points on a night that belonged to the benches, and the Knicks wrapped up their winningest season in 16 years by beating the Hawks.

With Anthony and just about every important player on either side sitting, the Knicks finished 54-28, their most victories since going 57-25 in 1996-97.

New York is the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference and will host the No. 7 Boston Celtics on Saturday.

NETS 103, PISTONS 99

NEW YORK (AP) — Brook Lopez scored 20 points and reserve Andray Blatche added 15 as the playoff-bound Nets held off the Pistons.

Kris Humphries had 11 points and Joe Johnson added 10 for Brooklyn, winners of two straight. The Nets wrapped up their first regular season after leaving New Jersey and will open their first playoff series in six years at home against the Chicago Bulls on Saturday.

The Bulls clinched the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference when Atlanta lost to the New York Knicks.

Will Bynum had 23 points for the Pistons, who snapped a four-game winning streak. Andre Drummond scored 13 points and Greg Monroe added 12 points and 12 rebounds. Detroit will miss the playoffs for the fourth straight season, totalling 201 losses in that stretch.

TIMBERWOLVES 108, SPURS 95

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Derrick Williams had 21 points to help the Timberwolves beat the Spurs, ending a 16-game losing streak at San Antonio.

Chase Budinger added 15 points and Greg Stiemsma and Ricky Rubio had 12 points apiece for Minnesota, won on the Spurs’ home court for the first time since Jan. 14, 2004.

Gary Neal had 17 points, Tim Duncan had 17 points and 14 rebounds, Tony Parker had 15 points and eight assists for the Spurs, who had previously clinched the Western Conference’s second seed.

Duncan, Parker and Manu Ginobili did not play in the final quarter of the regular season finale.

San Antonio opens the playoffs by hosting either the the Los Angeles Lakers, who took the seventh seed.

RAPTORS 114, CELTICS 90

TORONTO (AP) — DeMar DeRozan scored 24 points, Rudy Gay had 19 points and nine rebounds, and the Toronto Raptors routed the Boston Celtics, finishing their season with five straight wins.

Jonas Valanciunas scored 18 points, Alan Anderson had 16 and Kyle Lowry had nine points and eight assists as the Raptors matched their longest winning streak of the season.

Jordan Crawford scored 16 points, Terrence Williams had 12 and Avery Bradley 11 for the Celtics, who played for the first time since Monday’s bomb attack near the finish line of the Boston Marathon. Players from both teams gathered at midcourt before tip-off to observe a moment of silence.

BUCKS 95, THUNDER 89

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Rookie John Henson scored a career-high 28 points and grabbed 16 rebounds, Brandon Jennings had 17 points and the Bucks beat the Thunder in a regular-season finale lacking any post-season implications.

Needing to score 70 points to surpass New York’s Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant conceded the NBA scoring title and joined starting centre Kendrick Perkins and key reserves Kevin Martin and Nick Collison in suits on the Thunder bench.

Russell Westbrook extended the NBA’s longest active consecutive games played streak to 394 by playing the first 7 minutes, helping the Thunder score the game’s first seven points and build a 20-9 lead.

The Bucks didn’t pull ahead until Henson’s two-handed slam early in the fourth quarter, during a 27-6 run.

Reggie Jackson led Oklahoma City with a career-best 23 points.

MAVERICKS 99, HORNETS 87

DALLAS (AP) — Darren Collison scored 25 points, Dirk Nowitzki added 16 and the Dallas Mavericks finished their worst season in 13 years on a winning note, beating New Orleans in its final game as the Hornets.

The Mavericks (41-41) avoided their first losing record since going 40-42 in 1999-2000 — also the last time they missed the playoffs.

Al-Farouq Amini had 16 points and a career-high 20 rebounds for New Orleans, which will become the Pelicans next season. Eric Gordon also scored 16 for the Hornets.

Nowitzki, who also had a team-high nine rebounds, scored nine points in the third quarter, including a three-point play on a jumper and his one-legged step-back shot at the buzzer for a 75-64 lead.

The Hornets got within six in the fourth quarter, but Collison scored eight straight points to key an 18-4 run that put the Mavs ahead by 20.

BOBCATS 105, CAVALIERS 98

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Kemba Walker had 24 points and seven assists, and the Charlotte Bobcats defeated the Cavaliers to avoid finishing in the NBA cellar for a second consecutive season.

The Bobcats (21-61) finished one game ahead of the Orlando Magic, who lost their season finale to the Miami Heat.

Josh McRoberts added 20 points and eight rebounds as the Bobcats closed the season with three straight wins, matching a season high.

Gerald Henderson added 15 points.

Kyrie Irving had 24 points and 10 assists for the Cavaliers, who finished with the third-worst record in the league (24-58) after losing 16 of their last 18 games, including their last six.

With the win the Bobcats became the first team in NBA history to triple their win total from the previous season.

Charlotte finished last year’s lockout-shortened season 7-59 and its .106 winning percentage was the worst ever.

76ERS 105, PACERS 95

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Dorell Wright scored 23 points and Evan Turner added 16, leading Philadelphia to a victory over short-handed Indiana in what was likely Doug Collins’ final game as the 76ers coach.

The organization has already scheduled morning news conferences with the managing owner and Collins, who spent almost the entire game glued to his seat and spoke mostly with a hand covering his mouth.

Philadelphia (34-48) finished the season by winning three of its final four games but still out of the playoffs.

The Pacers (49-31) were led by Gerald Green who had a career-high 34 points. Lance Stephenson had 12 points, but the Pacers again failed to win their 50th game and head into the post-season with five losses in their last six games. Indiana rested four starters — Paul George, George Hill, Roy Hibbert and David West.

NUGGETS 118, SUNS 98

DENVER (AP) — The Denver Nuggets secured the third seed in the Western Conference playoffs by routing the Suns behind 21 points from Wilson Chandler and 20 from Andre Iguodala.

They will face sixth-seeded Golden State in the first round, opening at home — where they’ve won a franchise-best 23 straight games to finish with the league’s best home mark at 38-3, eclipsing the old record of 36-5 set in 1976-77, their first year in the NBA.

They also won an NBA franchise record 57 games overall, besting the 54-win seasons of 1987-88 and 2008-09.

Luis Scola’s 17 points and 11 rebounds led the Suns, who wrapped up the second-worst season in franchise history with a mark of 25-57, the worst in the West. The only one that was worse for the Suns was their inaugural NBA season in 1968-69, when they went 16-66.

CLIPPERS 112, KINGS 108

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Jamal Crawford scored 24 points, including several big shots down the stretch, and the Clippers locked up the No. 4 seed in the West and home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

Chris Paul had 25 points and 11 assists for the Pacific Division champion Clippers (56-26), who will open against fifth-seeded Memphis (56-26) in Los Angeles. The Clippers won three of four games against the Grizzlies this season.

DeMarcus Cousins had a season-high 36 points and a career-best 22 rebounds, and Marcus Thornton scored 21 to rally Sacramento from an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter before the Clippers took control.

NBA Roundup: Lakers beat Rockets in overtime to clinch seventh seed is a post from: PhatzRadio.com

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NBA Roundup: Heat set franchise home mark, top Bulls 105-93

April 15, 2013 By Admin

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(PhatzRadio / AP) — MIAMI — LeBron James scored 24 points, Dwyane Wade added 22 and the Miami Heat set a franchise record for home wins in a season, beating the Chicago Bulls 105-93 on Sunday.

Mario Chalmers and Chris Andersen each scored 15 for Miami, which improved to 36-4 at home — topping the 35-6 mark by the 2004-05 Heat.

Miami held Chicago without a 2-point basket for the first 16 minutes of the second half, with the Bulls relying almost exclusively on 3-pointers.

Carlos Boozer had 16 points and 20 rebounds for the Bulls, who snapped Miami’s 27-game winning streak last month. Chicago finished with 29 field goals and 30 fouls, allowing the Heat to shoot a season-high 41 free throws.

The loss keeps Chicago in the No. 6 spot in the Eastern Conference. Miami has wrapped up home-court advantage throughout the playoffs.

LAKERS 91, SPURS 86

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Dwight Howard had 26 points and 17 rebounds, and Los Angeles rallied in the fourth quarter to beat San Antonio in its first game since losing Kobe Bryant for the season.

Steve Blake scored 23 points for the Lakers (44-37), who lead Utah (42-38) by 1½ games for the eighth postseason spot in the West after their seventh win in eight games. Bryant limped off the Staples Center floor with a torn Achilles tendon Friday night.

Tim Duncan had 23 points and 10 rebounds for the Spurs, who have lost six straight road games.

San Antonio (58-22) is likely to finish second in the West behind Oklahoma City (59-21), which holds the tiebreaker.

NUGGETS 118, TRAIL BLAZERS 109

DENVER (AP) — Andre Iguodala scored 28 points and Denver beat short-handed Portland to set an NBA franchise record with its 55th win.

Rookie Evan Fournier added 24 points for the Nuggets, who also extended their franchise-best winning streak at home to 22 straight to move a game ahead of the Los Angeles Clippers and Memphis for the third seed in the West.

The Nuggets went 54-28 in both 1987-88 and 2008-09, when they reached the conference finals. They are 37-3 at home — also a team best since joining the NBA 37 years ago.

Rookie Damian Lillard led Portland with 30 points.

KNICKS 90, PACERS 80

NEW YORK (AP) — Carmelo Anthony scored 25 points and New York clinched the No. 2 seed in the East with a victory over Indiana — the Knicks’ 15th win in the last 16 games.

Chris Copeland added 20 points and J.R. Smith had 15 for the Knicks, who will host seventh-seeded Boston next weekend. New York is guaranteed the home-court advantage for the first two rounds of the playoffs after finishing a distant second to Miami in the conference.

Lance Stephenson scored 22 points and West had 17 points and eight rebounds for the Pacers, who came into the game with a chance to catch the Knicks for second but settled for the No. 3 seed after fourth-place Brooklyn lost at Toronto.

RAPTORS 93, NETS 87

TORONTO (AP) — DeMar DeRozan scored 36 points, Rudy Gay had 26 points and 10 rebounds and Toronto never trailed in beating Brooklyn for its third straight victory.

Amir Johnson had 10 points and nine rebounds for the Raptors, who hadn’t won three straight since a five-game winning streak from Feb. 8 to 19.

DeRozan scored 14 in the fourth quarter and finished 9-for-9 at the free throw line, converting a vital pair in the final 15 seconds.

Deron Williams scored 30 points, Brook Lopez had 16 and Andray Blatche 15 for the Nets, who will be the No. 4 seed in the East.

ROCKETS 121, KINGS 100

HOUSTON (AP) — James Harden had 29 points and nine assists, Omer Asik had 10 points and 12 rebounds and Houston cruised to a win over Sacramento in its regular-season home finale.

Jeremy Lin added 15 points for the Rockets, who’ve won nine of their last 12 home games heading into the playoffs.

The Rockets climbed to sixth place in the Western Conference. They have the same record as Golden State (45-35) but own the tiebreaker after winning the season series with the Warriors 3-1. Houston plays Phoenix on Monday and finishes the regular season against the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday.

John Salmons scored 14 points and Isaiah Thomas had 10 points and 10 assists for the Kings.

MAVERICKS 107, HORNETS 89

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Shawn Marion had 21 points on 10-of-16 shooting and Dirk Nowitzki scored 19 to become the 17th NBA player to surpass 25,000 career points, leading Dallas past New Orleans.

Brandan Wright and Vince Carter added 16 points for Mavericks (40-40), who reached the .500 mark for the first time since they were 11-11 in mid-December. They had lost by double digits in their three previous chances to even their record.

Ryan Anderson led the cold-shooting Hornets with 20 points, but he was only 8-of-20 from the floor. Eric Gordon added 15 points, and Robin Lopez had 10 points and 13 rebounds. New Orleans shot 39.7 percent in its final home game and trailed by as much as 27.

76ERS 91, CAVALIERS 77

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Dorell Wright scored 15 points and Thaddeus Young had 14 points and nine rebounds to lead Philadelphia over Cleveland.

Spencer Hawes and Jrue Holiday each added 14 points for the 76ers, who raced to a 19-point lead in the first half and sent the Cavaliers to their fourth straight loss.

Tristan Thompson had 12 points and 12 rebounds for the Cavaliers. Kevin Jones had 11 points and 10 rebounds, while All-Star guard Kyrie Irving had only four points in 18 minutes.

The Sixers finished 23-18 at home and are 33-47 overall a year after winning 35 games and a round in the playoffs during the lockout-shortened season.

NBA Roundup: Heat set franchise home mark, top Bulls 105-93 is a post from: PhatzRadio.com

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NBA Roundup: Lakers lose Kobe, survive thriller with Warriors

April 13, 2013 By Admin

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(PhatzRadio / AP) — LOS ANGELES — Kobe Bryant scored 34 points while playing much of the second half in obvious pain with an injured left leg, and the Los Angeles Lakers rallied in the final minutes without him to stay in the playoff picture with a 118-116 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Friday night.

Immediately after the game, the Lakers announced Bryant probably had a torn tendon. He will have an MRI exam Saturday, but Bryant knows the injury is likely to end his season.

The fifth-leading scorer in NBA history stayed in the game until 3:06 remained despite obvious mobility limitations and two lengthy breaks to walk off an injury from early in the second half. Bryant apparently hyperextended his knee before tearing his tendon later in the half.

Stephen Curry scored 47 points in a dynamic performance for the Warriors, but Los Angeles played just enough late defense to hang on for a crucial win.

HEAT 109, CELTICS 101

MIAMI (AP) — LeBron James scored 20 points in 29 minutes, Rashard Lewis added 19 on a huge night for the Miami bench and the Heat tied the franchise record for home wins in a season, topping the Boston Celtics 109-101 on Friday night.

Dwyane Wade, back after missing six games with bone bruises around his right kneecap, scored 11 in 34 minutes for Miami, which won its 35th home game to tie the standard set in 2004-05.

The Heat erased an early 13-point deficit with a 41-point second quarter, shooting 16 for 19 in the period. Miami also made 12 3-pointers to push its season total to 686, another team record.

Jeff Green scored 25 for Boston, which played without Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett. The Celtics’ bench was outscored 52-14.

JAZZ 107, TIMBERWOLVES 100

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Al Jefferson tied a career high with 40 points, including a clutch jumper with 39 seconds left, to power Utah past Minnesota.

The victory kept the pressure on the Los Angeles Lakers in the race for the final Western Conference playoff spot.

Jefferson scored 19 points on 9-of-11 shooting in the third to turn a seven-point deficit into an 82-81 lead entering the fourth. His 14-footer as the shock clock expired gave Utah a 101-98 lead with 39 seconds remaining.

J.J. Barea scored a season-high 23 points off the bench for Minnesota (29-50).

NETS 117, PACERS 109

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Deron Williams had 33 points and 14 assists, and Brooklyn secured home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

Brook Lopez and Joe Johnson each had 24 points for the Nets (47-32), who have won four of their last five games.

David West had 26 points and nine rebounds, and Paul George had 21 for the Pacers (49-30), who have lost three of four.

The Nets are guaranteed the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference and pulled within two games of the Pacers for No. 3.

KNICKS 101, CAVALIERS 91

CLEVELAND (AP) — Carmelo Anthony had 31 points and 14 rebounds in just three quarters, and New York bounced back after having its winning streak stopped at 13 games one night earlier.

Anthony’s streak of scoring at least 35 points ended at six games as New York coach Mike Woodson chose to rest the All-Star forward the entire fourth quarter.

J.R. Smith also scored 31 — 13 in the fourth while Anthony watched — for New York, which is trying to hold off Indiana for the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. The Knicks have a three-game lead over the Pacers heading into their matchup Sunday at Madison Square Garden.

Kyrie Irving scored 31 for the Cavs, who are 4-17 since March 1. Irving attempted a career-high 27 shots.

HAWKS 109, BUCKS 104

ATLANTA (AP) — Jeff Teague and Josh Smith each scored 24 points and Atlanta used a 13-0 run in the fourth quarter to take the lead after trailing by 19 early in the second half and beat Milwaukee.

Atlanta moved a half-game ahead of Chicago for fifth place in the Eastern Conference.

Monta Ellis led Milwaukee with 27 points and 17 assists, and Ersan Ilyasova scored 25 points while shooting 6 for 8 on 3-pointers.

Devin Harris scored 19 points for Atlanta.

SPURS 108, KINGS 101

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Tony Parker had 22 points and 10 assists, and San Antonio on a day it lost two key players.

Tim Duncan added 18 points, Kawhi Leonard had 15 points and Tiago Splitter and Danny Green had 12 apiece as seven players scored in double figures for San Antonio (58-21).

DeMarcus Cousins had 19 points and 12 rebounds, Jason Thompson added 18 points, Toney Douglas had 15 and Jimmer Fredette had 14 for Sacramento, which lost its sixth straight to San Antonio.

The Spurs waived forward Stephen Jackson on Friday afternoon, ending his second stint with the team. Hours earlier, the Spurs lost reserve forward Boris Diaw, who will miss three to four weeks after having surgery Friday to have a synovial cyst removed from his lumbar spine.

GRIZZLIES 82, ROCKETS 78

HOUSTON (AP) — Marc Gasol had 15 points and 12 rebounds, and Memphis snapped a 13-game losing streak in Houston.

Zach Randolph scored 15 points and Jerryd Bayless had 13 for the Grizzlies, who won in Houston for the first time since April 2006.

James Harden scored 30 points, but missed a potential game-tying jumper from near the top of the key just before the buzzer.

Memphis has won seven of eight games, while the Rockets lost for the third time in 11 home games.

RAPTORS 97, BULLS 88

TORONTO (AP) — Amir Johnson had 24 points and nine rebounds, Rudy Gay scored 23 points and Toronto earned its second straight win over Chicago.

Kyle Lowry had 13 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds, and DeMar DeRozan scored 19 points for the Raptors, who were coming off a 101-98 win in Chicago on Tuesday night. Quincy Acy had 10 points and nine rebounds as Toronto won for the fourth time in five games.

Chicago’s Carlos Boozer fouled out with 19 points and 12 rebounds in 31 minutes, his 11th double-double in the past 13 games.

Nate Robinson scored 17 points, Nazr Mohammed had 16 points and 13 rebounds, and Luol Deng added 10 points as the Bulls lost for the third time in four games and lost any hope of earning home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

CLIPPERS 96, HORNETS 93

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Blake Griffin scored 20 points, Chris Paul made clutch plays on both ends of the floor in the final minute, and Los Angeles overcame a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat New Orleans.

Matt Barnes scored 16 points, scoring three times during a critical stretch for the Clippers, who would have seen their hopes of remaining a top-four playoff seed in the Western Conference take a hit with a loss. Instead, the Clippers won their fourth straight in large part thanks to Paul, who had 14 assists and finished with 17 points — including eight in the final minute on a pull-up jumper and six free throws.

Eric Gordon scored 25 points for New Orleans, which has lost three straight.

76ERS 97, WIZARDS 86

WASHINGTON (AP) — Jrue Holiday scored 22 points, and Philadelphia found enough motivation to put Washington’s pursuit of ninth place to rest for good.

Thaddeus Young added 18 points and 13 points for the 76ers, who had played a pair of stinkers since being mathematically eliminated from the playoffs but handled the Wizards, who had made catching Philadelphia a very public goal to make up for a 4-28 start.

John Wall scored 24 points for the Wizards, who have lost four straight and trail the 76ers by 3½ games with two to play in the race — if it can really be called that — for top non-playoff team in the Eastern Conference.

PISTONS 113, BOBCATS 93

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) — Jonas Jerebko scored 17 of his 21 points in the first half, and Detroit routed Charlotte behind terrific outside shooting.

Detroit went 12 of 18 from 3-point range, with Brandon Knight making all three of his attempts. Knight scored 19 points. Kemba Walker scored 24 in the first half for the Bobcats but finished with only 28.

Will Bynum had 15 points and 10 assists for Detroit. Rookie Andre Drummond had 15 points and nine rebounds but appeared to hurt his right ankle late in the game.

Detroit has won three in a row for only the second time all season. The Pistons had a four-game winning streak snapped by Charlotte in January.

MAVERICKS 108, NUGGETS, 105, OT

DALLAS (AP) — Dirk Nowitzki scored 22 points, O.J. Mayo hit tiebreaking 3-pointers late in regulation and overtime, and Dallas denied Denver a franchise record in wins.

Mayo’s shot in regulation could have won the game, but his turnover in the final seconds led to a tying layup by Corey Brewer.

Mayo put Dallas ahead 104-101, and the Mavericks held on in a frantic final minute of overtime to deny the Nuggets their 55th win.

Mayo finished with 20, while Vince Carter had 22 points and 12 rebounds.

Wilson Chandler and Andre Iguodala joined Brewer with 18 for the Nuggets, and Kenneth Faried had 11 points and 10 rebounds.

THUNDER 106, TRAIL BLAZERS 90

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Russell Westbrook scored 33 points, including 17 in the third quarter, and Oklahoma City beat short-handed Portland.

Earlier in the evening, the Thunder clinched their third straight Northwest Division title when Dallas defeated Denver 108-105 in overtime. Oklahoma City also remained a half-game up on San Antonio for the top seed in the Western Conference.

Kevin Durant added 16 points for the Thunder, who led by as many as 22 points.

Portland, missing the playoffs for the second straight season, lost its 10th straight, the most since an 11-game skid in the 2005-06 season. The Blazers were led by Will Barton — starting in place of injured shooting guard Wesley Matthews — with 18 points.

NBA Roundup: Lakers lose Kobe, survive thriller with Warriors is a post from: PhatzRadio.com

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NBA Roundup: Kobe Bryant scores a season-high 47; Lakers beat Trail Blazers

April 11, 2013 By Admin

1208ae5ce5c39990ff4ee2c1c3bb6513 NBA Roundup: Kobe Bryant scores a season high 47; Lakers beat Trail Blazers

(PhatzRadio / AP) — PORTLAND, Ore. — Kobe Bryant scored a season-high 47 points and the Los Angeles Lakers pulled closer to a playoff berth with a 113-106 victory over the short-handed Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday night.

The Lakers moved a game up on the Utah Jazz for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Portland, missing the playoffs for the second straight season, has lost nine straight, the most since an 11-game skid in the 2005-06 season. Rookie Damian Lillard led the Blazers with a career-high 38 points.

Pau Gasol had 23 points, seven rebounds and nine assists, while Dwight Howard added 20 points and 10 rebounds for the Lakers. Bryant was 18 of 18 from the free throw line.

HEAT 103, WIZARDS 98

Ray Allen scored 23 points, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade chilled at the end of the bench, and Miami’s B-squad gave the resting A-team the gift of home-court advantage throughout the playoffs, clinching the best record in the NBA.

With James (right hamstring) and Wade (sprained ankle and bruised knee) looking like two guys sitting at a bus stop, and Chris Bosh at home with flu-like symptoms, plus Udonis Haslem getting the night off because of a sore right ankle, the what-was-left-over of the Heat committed 25 turnovers but still managed the win that assured they’ll finish better than the Western Conference-leading San Antonio Spurs.

The Heat, who have won four straight, also set a franchise record for victories with 62, moving one ahead of the 1996-97 team. They also improved to 14-1 on the second night of back-to-backs.

A.J. Price tied a career high with 23 points and John Wall had 17 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds for the Wizards, who had won nine straight at home.

NUGGETS 96, SPURS 86

DENVER — Wilson Chandler scored 29 points and Corey Brewer had 28 as Denver overcame a slow start to post its franchise-record 21st straight home win.

The Nuggets (54-24) also tied their franchise record for victories in an NBA season, with four games remaining, including two at home, where they improved to a league-best 36-3.

Andre Iguodala recorded a triple-double with 12 points, 10 assists and 13 rebounds for the Nuggets, who haven’t lost at home since Jan. 18 against Washington.

They broke the old mark of 20 straight home wins set by Doug Moe’s 1984-85 team.

SUNS 102, MAVERICKS 91

DALLAS — P.J. Tucker scored 17 points, including two key baskets in the closing minutes, and Phoenix helped eliminate Dallas from postseason contention for the first time since 2000.

The Suns blew a 14-point lead in the second quarter and almost did it again in the fourth before hanging on to snap a 10-game losing streak that was their longest in 16 years.

The loss, coupled with the Lakers’ victory at Portland later Wednesday, meant a 12-season streak of playoff trips for the Mavericks (38-40) officially ended.

Goran Dragic led the Suns with 21 points and 13 assists, while Luis Scola had 11 points and a season-high 15 rebounds.

Shawn Marion led the Mavericks with 22 points and nine rebounds. Dirk Nowitzki scored 21 points and Vince Carter had 18.

CLIPPERS 111, TIMBERWOLVES 95

LOS ANGELES — Blake Griffin and Chris Paul led seven players in double figures with 19 points apiece, and Los Angeles beat Minnesota for its franchise-record 31st home win of the season.

Paul added 11 assists, and Willie Green had 15 points in breaking the old mark of 30 wins by the 1974-75 team, when it was known as the Buffalo Braves. The Clippers improved to 31-9 at home, three days after clinching their first Pacific Division title in franchise history.

Nikola Pekovic scored 20 points and Derrick Williams had 13 points and 10 rebounds for the Timberwolves, who got swept 4-0 by the Clippers for the first time since 1992-93.

HAWKS 124, 76ERS 101

PHILADELPHIA — Josh Smith had 28 points and 12 rebounds, John Jenkins added 21 points and Atlanta blitzed Philadelphia.

Mike Scott contributed 17, Al Horford had 16 and Jeff Teague 13 for the Hawks, who snapped a three-game losing streak and improved to 43-36.

The Hawks pulled into a tie with the Chicago Bulls for fifth place in the Eastern Conference playoff chase. The Hawks recently clinched their sixth straight playoff berth but were coming off losses to the Sixers, New York Knicks and San Antonio.

Thaddeus Young led the reeling Sixers with 28 points, while Nick Young had 19 off the bench.

MAGIC 113, BUCKS 103, OT

ORLANDO, Fla. — Nik Vucevic had a career-high 30 points and 20 rebounds, Tobias Harris added 30 points and 19 rebounds, and Orlando rallied for an overtime victory over Milwaukee.

The Magic overcame a five-point deficit in the final minute of regulation, sending it to OT on a 3-pointer by Harris with 1.9 seconds left. Vucevic and Harris combined for nine points in the extra period to help Orlando snap a five-game losing streak.

Monta Ellis led the Bucks with 21 points, and John Henson and Mike Dunleavy each added 17. Henson also had 25 rebounds for Milwaukee, which lost its 14th straight game in Orlando.

PISTONS 111, CAVALIERS 104

CLEVELAND — Andre Drummond scored a career-high 29 points and Detroit won a second straight game for the first time in two months.

Greg Monroe’s basket with 38.8 seconds remaining gave Detroit a 105-103 lead and the Pistons, who hadn’t won consecutive games since Feb. 8-9, swept the four-game season series from the Cavaliers. Detroit has beaten Cleveland six straight times.

Drummond also grabbed 11 rebounds, while Monroe scored 23 points and Rodney Stuckey added 18.

Kyrie Irving scored 27 points, including 21 in the second half, but missed a 3-pointer that would have given the Cavaliers the lead with 21 seconds left. The All-Star guard was playing on the second night of back-to-back games for the first time since returning from a shoulder injury.

KINGS 121, HORNETS 110

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — John Salmons had 22 points, and Jason Thompson and Marcus Thornton each added 20 to help Sacramento snap a four-game losing streak.

The Kings led by 17 at the half and surpassed the 100-point mark early in the fourth quarter when they stretched the lead to 28 points against the struggling Hornets.

The victory halted a season-high five-game home losing streak for the Kings, who have a 20-20 record at Sleep Train Arena. The Kings haven’t had a .500 or better home record since the 2007-08 season, when they went 26-15.

Isaiah Thomas had 15 points and DeMarcus Cousins 11 for the Kings.

Eric Gordon scored 23 points for the Hornets.

NBA Roundup: Kobe Bryant scores a season-high 47; Lakers beat Trail Blazers is a post from: PhatzRadio.com

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NBA Roundup: Knicks win 12th straight

April 8, 2013 By Admin

(PhatzRadio / AP) — OKLAHOMA CITY — Carmelo Anthony had 36 points and 12 rebounds, J.R. Smith hit a pair of shot-clock beaters in the final 2 minutes and the New York Knicks beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 125-120 on Sunday for their 12th straight win.

Smith connected on a 23-foot jumper from the right wing as the 24-second clock expired to put New York up 117-113 with 1:30 to play, then swished a 3-pointer from beyond the 3-point line with 56.8 seconds left that all but sealed New York’s 50th win of the season.

It’s the first time the Knicks have reached the landmark in 13 years.

Russell Westbrook had 37 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists for Oklahoma City, which fell a game behind San Antonio for first place in the West with five games left.

Kevin Durant scored 27, falling behind Anthony in the NBA scoring race.

CLIPPERS 109, LAKERS 95

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Blake Griffin had 24 points and 12 rebounds, and the playoff-bound Clippers beat the Lakers to clinch their first Pacific Division title in franchise history against a team that has long overshadowed them.

Chris Paul added 24 points and 12 assists in helping the Clippers sweep the Lakers 4-0 for the first time since Donald Sterling bought the team in 1981. The 1974-75 team, known as the Buffalo Braves, had the franchise’s only other sweep of the Lakers.

Fans chanted, “Sweep! Sweep!” in the closing seconds.

Jamal Crawford had 20 points off the bench, DeAndre Jordan had 13 rebounds and Caron Butler scored 14 points.

Dwight Howard scored 25 points, including 9 of 13 free throws, for the Lakers, who played without injured starters Steve Nash and Metta World Peace. Kobe Bryant added 25 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds, and Pau Gasol had 12 points and 13 rebounds as the Lakers’ three-game winning streak ended.

JAZZ 97, WARRIORS 90

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Mo Williams scored 25 points, Al Jefferson added 19 points and 12 rebounds, and Utah regained the Western Conference’s final playoff position by holding off Golden State.

Williams made a 3-pointer with 13.4 seconds remaining to put Utah ahead by six and spoil Golden State’s shot to clinch a playoff berth in front of a sellout crowd of 19,596. The Jazz moved a half-game ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers for the eighth seed.

Stephen Curry scored 17 of his 22 points in the first half and Klay Thompson had 20 points for the Warriors, who were trying to clinch a postseason spot for the first time since 2007 and just the second in 19 years.

CELTICS 107, WIZARDS 96

BOSTON (AP) — Brandon Bass scored 20 points and Boston Celtics, helped by the return of Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, beat Washington.

Bass missed his season high by just two points and led the Celtics with eight points in the third quarter, when they hit 75 percent of their shots, outscored Washington 31-19 and stretched a 56-52 halftime lead to 87-71.

They led by at least 10 points the rest of the way to get just their fourth win in 12 games.

Garnett had 12 points and six rebounds in 24 minutes after missing eight games with an inflamed left ankle. Pierce finished with 15 points in 30 minutes after missing Friday night’s 97-91 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers with a sore left ankle.

PISTONS 99, BULLS 85

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) — Brandon Knight scored 20 points to help Detroit snap an 18-game losing streak against Chicago.

Jonas Jerebko added 17 points and a season-high nine rebounds for the Pistons, who ended an eight-game home skid.

The Bulls led by as many as 11 points in the first quarter but Detroit gradually caught up and took the lead in the second after starting the period on a 12-4 run.

Carlos Boozer had 21 points and 10 rebounds for the postseason-bound Bulls, who are fighting to secure the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference.

GRIZZLIES 89, KINGS 87

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Mike Conley scored 25 points, making the go-ahead basket with 30 seconds left and leading Memphis over struggling Sacramento.

Memphis made some big plays in the game’s final minute to get the victory, its fifth in six games. The win gave the Grizzlies a four-game sweep of the Kings for the first time in franchise history.

Quincey Pondexter scored 17 points and Marc Gasol had 15 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks for the Grizzlies. Tony Allen scored 12 points.

DeMarcus Cousins had 22 points and nine rebounds for the Kings, who have dropped four straight. Isaiah Thomas had 18 points, eight assists and six rebounds. Toney Douglas scored 14 points and Jimmer Fredette added 13.

MAVERICKS 96, TRAIL BLAZERS 91

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Chris Kaman scored a season-high 26 points and Dallas boosted its faint playoff hopes by beating slumping Portland.

Kaman added 11 rebounds for the Mavericks, who were 2½ games back of Utah for the eighth and final spot in the Western Conference, and two games behind the Lakers. Dallas (38-39) has just five games left, but four of those are at home.

The Mavs led by as many as 26 points, but the Blazers closed the gap in the fourth quarter — even after sitting most of their starters.

Will Barton came off the bench with 22 points and 13 rebounds for the Blazers, who have lost eight straight for their longest losing streak since the 2005-06 season.

HORNETS 95, SUNS 92

PHOENIX (AP) — Anthony Davis scored 20 points, Eric Gordon and Ryan Anderson added 17 apiece and New Orleans handed Phoenix its franchise-record seventh consecutive home loss.

Luis Scola scored 17 for the Suns, losers of a season-worst nine straight overall and 15 of their last 17. Markieff Morris and Jared Dudley scored 15 apiece for Phoenix.

The Suns, down by 16 with nine minutes to play, cut it to 85-82 on Goran Dragic’s two free throws with 3:03 left. But Anderson’s rebound basket and two free throws by Davis boosted it to 89-82 and the Hornets held on from there.

New Orleans snapped an eight-game road losing streak.

CAVALIERS 91, MAGIC 85

CLEVELAND (AP) — Alonzo Gee scored 19 points and Cleveland rallied in the fourth quarter to beat Orlando.

Tristan Thompson had 15 points and 16 rebounds for the Cavaliers, who have won two in a row for the first time since Feb. 26-27.

Cleveland, which broke a season-high, 10-game losing streak Friday in Boston, trailed by seven points late in the third quarter, but took the lead for good early in the fourth and made clutch plays down the stretch.

Tobias Harris scored 26 points while Nikola Vucevic added 21 points and 21 rebounds for Orlando, which has lost five in a row and 13 of 14. The Magic have dropped 11 straight away from home — the second-longest road losing streak in franchise history.

NBA Roundup: Knicks win 12th straight is a post from: PhatzRadio.com

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NBA Roundup: Knicks win 12th straight

April 8, 2013 By Admin

It’s the first time the Knicks have reached the landmark in 13 years.

Russell Westbrook had 37 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists for Oklahoma City, which fell a game behind San Antonio for first place in the West with five games left.

Kevin Durant scored 27, falling behind Anthony in the NBA scoring race.

CLIPPERS 109, LAKERS 95

Fans chanted, “Sweep! Sweep!” in the closing seconds.

Jamal Crawford had 20 points off the bench, DeAndre Jordan had 13 rebounds and Caron Butler scored 14 points.

JAZZ 97, WARRIORS 90

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Mo Williams scored 25 points, Al Jefferson added 19 points and 12 rebounds, and Utah regained the Western Conference’s final playoff position by holding off Golden State.

BOSTON (AP) — Brandon Bass scored 20 points and Boston Celtics, helped by the return of Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, beat Washington.

They led by at least 10 points the rest of the way to get just their fourth win in 12 games.

PISTONS 99, BULLS 85

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) — Brandon Knight scored 20 points to help Detroit snap an 18-game losing streak against Chicago.

Jonas Jerebko added 17 points and a season-high nine rebounds for the Pistons, who ended an eight-game home skid.

The Bulls led by as many as 11 points in the first quarter but Detroit gradually caught up and took the lead in the second after starting the period on a 12-4 run.

Carlos Boozer had 21 points and 10 rebounds for the postseason-bound Bulls, who are fighting to secure the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference.

GRIZZLIES 89, KINGS 87

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Mike Conley scored 25 points, making the go-ahead basket with 30 seconds left and leading Memphis over struggling Sacramento.

Memphis made some big plays in the game’s final minute to get the victory, its fifth in six games. The win gave the Grizzlies a four-game sweep of the Kings for the first time in franchise history.

Quincey Pondexter scored 17 points and Marc Gasol had 15 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks for the Grizzlies. Tony Allen scored 12 points.

MAVERICKS 96, TRAIL BLAZERS 91

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Chris Kaman scored a season-high 26 points and Dallas boosted its faint playoff hopes by beating slumping Portland.

The Mavs led by as many as 26 points, but the Blazers closed the gap in the fourth quarter — even after sitting most of their starters.

Will Barton came off the bench with 22 points and 13 rebounds for the Blazers, who have lost eight straight for their longest losing streak since the 2005-06 season.

HORNETS 95, SUNS 92

PHOENIX (AP) — Anthony Davis scored 20 points, Eric Gordon and Ryan Anderson added 17 apiece and New Orleans handed Phoenix its franchise-record seventh consecutive home loss.

Luis Scola scored 17 for the Suns, losers of a season-worst nine straight overall and 15 of their last 17. Markieff Morris and Jared Dudley scored 15 apiece for Phoenix.

New Orleans snapped an eight-game road losing streak.

CAVALIERS 91, MAGIC 85

CLEVELAND (AP) — Alonzo Gee scored 19 points and Cleveland rallied in the fourth quarter to beat Orlando.

Tristan Thompson had 15 points and 16 rebounds for the Cavaliers, who have won two in a row for the first time since Feb. 26-27.

NBA Roundup: Knicks win 12th straight is a post from: PhatzRadio.com

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NBA Roundup: Carmelo Anthony has 3rd 40+ point game in Knicks 101-83 win over Bucks

April 6, 2013 By Admin

4ff62b124f9fe6b5e186792f705eb4a0 NBA Roundup: Carmelo Anthony has 3rd 40+ point game in Knicks 101 83 win over Bucks

(PhatzRadio / AP) — NEW YORK — Carmelo Anthony scored 41 points, tying a franchise record with this third straight 40-point game, and the New York Knicks beat the Milwaukee Bucks 101-83 on Friday night for their 11th straight victory.

Anthony, who had 50 points and 40 in his previous two games, equaled Bernard King’s 1984-85 mark. New York matched the third-longest winning streak in franchise history.

J.R. Smith added 30 points for the Knicks, who used a huge third quarter to turn around the game after a lackluster first half on the night they honored their 1972-73 NBA championship team.

Brandon Jennings scored 25 points for the Bucks and JJ Reddick had 18.

After scoring just 36 points in the first half and trailing by nine, the Knicks poured in 42 in the third quarter, with Anthony scoring 18 and Jason Kidd ending the period with a 59-foot heave at the buzzer.

THUNDER 97, PACERS 75

INDIANAPOLIS — Kevin Durant overcame a bruised left calf to score 34 points and Russell Westbrook added 24 points, leading Oklahoma City over Indiana.

Oklahoma City (56-20) has won three straight to move into a tie with San Antonio for the top seed in the Western Conference.

The win capped an impressive back-to-back sweep for the Thunder, who beat the Spurs on Thursday night. They arrived at the team hotel in Indy on Friday at about 4 a.m., then went out and prevented the Pacers from clinching their first Central Division title in nine years.

But the Pacers (48-28) can clinch the title with a win Saturday at Washington.

Indiana, which had its five-game win streak ended, was led by Roy Hibbert with 22 points and David West with 17.

LAKERS 86, GRIZZLIES 84

LOS ANGELES — Kobe Bryant had 24 points and nine assists, Pau Gasol added 19 points, and Los Angeles stayed in the final playoff position in the Western Conference with a victory over Memphis.

Dwight Howard hit a free throw with 4.1 seconds left for the Lakers, who have won three straight in the final weeks of their desperate push for a postseason spot. Los Angeles also avoided getting swept in its season series with the Grizzlies, whose four-game winning streak ended.

Mike Conley scored 21 points before missing a potential go-ahead jumper with 5 seconds left and another layup before the buzzer for playoff-bound Memphis, which fell one game behind Denver for the fourth seed in the West. The Grizzlies couldn’t score in the final 2½ minutes.

Dwight Howard had nine points and 10 rebounds, while Earl Clark and Antawn Jamison contributed 13 points apiece off the bench as the Lakers won without injured starters Steve Nash and Metta World Peace.

Memphis’ Marc Gasol had 11 points, eight rebounds and seven assists while facing his brother. Zach Randolph added 15 points.

HEAT 89, BOBCATS 79

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Mike Miller scored a season-high 26 points on seven 3-pointers, and injury-depleted Miami beat Charlotte.

The Heat won despite playing without stars LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Ray Allen, who were held out while recovering from injuries.

The 33-year-old Miller was 7 of 11 from beyond the 3-point arc.

Chris Bosh chipped in with 18 points and eight rebounds, and Rashard Lewis added 14 points for Miami, which improved to 3-2 since Chicago snapped its 27-game winning streak.

Miami (59-16) is within three victories of setting a new franchise record for wins in a regular season.

Rookie Michael Kidd-Gilchrist had 18 points and 14 rebounds for the Bobcats, who lost for only the second time in their last seven home games.

WARRIORS 111, SUNS 107

PHOENIX — Stephen Curry scored 18 points and matched his career high with 15 assists, sinking two late free throws to seal Golden State’s victory over Phoenix, extending the Suns’ losing streak to a season-worst eight games.

Jarrett Jack’s 3-pointer with 31.6 seconds to play pulled the Warriors out of serious trouble.

Klay Thompson scored 15 of his 25 points in the third quarter, when the Warriors stormed back from an 18-point first-half deficit. David Lee added 22 points and 14 rebounds for Golden State.

Goran Dragic tied his career high with 32 points and Michael Beasley added 25 for the Suns, who shot a season-best 61 percent from the field.

The Warriors have won three straight and five of six.

RAPTORS 95, TIMBERWOLVES 93

MINNEAPOLIS — Rudy Gay had 26 points and five rebounds to lead Toronto to a rare road victory in the Western Conference.

DeMar DeRozan had 25 points and Kyle Lowry added 11 points and seven assists for the Raptors, who beat the Timberwolves for the 16th time in 17 games and prevented Minnesota coach Rick Adelman from recording his 1,000th win.

Nikola Pekovic had 24 points and eight rebounds and Andrei Kirilenko added 20 points and six rebounds for the Timberwolves, who led by as many as 11 in the second half. But they missed 10 free throws, including one from Ricky Rubio with 1.7 seconds to go that would have tied the game.

BULLS 87, MAGIC 86

CHICAGO — Nate Robinson scored 12 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter, Luol Deng finished with 19 after a slow start, and Chicago beat Orlando.

Robinson, who scored the go-ahead basket the previous night in a two-point win at Brooklyn, came up big down the stretch, offsetting a 27-point performance by Orlando’s Beno Udrih.

He scored nine points during a 15-4 run that turned a five-point deficit into an 87-78 lead. Deng hit two 3-pointers during that stretch, and Robinson capped it with a long jumper as he crashed to the floor with 3:51 left.

The Bulls did not score again, but they managed to pull this one out, anyway, sending the Magic to their 12th loss in 13 games.

76ERS 101, HAWKS 90

ATLANTA — Evan Turner had 24 points and 11 rebounds, and Philadelphia opened with its highest-scoring quarter of the season and beat Atlanta.

Spencer Hawes added 19 points and 12 rebounds for the 76ers, who made 16 of 22 shots to lead 40-26 after the first quarter. Thaddeus Young had 14 points and 12 rebounds.

Josh Smith, who led Atlanta with 19 points, scored to cut Philadelphia’s lead to 54-45 late in the first half. A basket by Hawes pushed the lead back to double figures for good.

Al Horford had 18 points and 10 rebounds for Atlanta, which lost its second straight home game. Ivan Johnson had 17 points.

Damien Wilkins had 16 points for the 76ers, who have won four of five.

ROCKETS 116, TRAIL BLAZERS 98

PORTLAND, Ore. — James Harden had 33 points and short-handed Houston edged closer to clinching a playoff spot with a victory over Portland.

Jeremy Lin added 22 points to help the Rockets to their fourth straight victory. Houston (43-33) remained in seventh place in the Western Conference — three games in front of the Los Angeles Lakers — for their first playoff appearance since 2008-09.

LaMarcus Aldridge returned from an ankle injury with 32 points and 13 rebounds for the Blazers (33-43), who matched their season-worst slide with a seventh straight loss.

JAZZ 95, HORNETS 83

SALT LAKE CITY — Gordon Hayward scored 23 points and Utah beat New Orleans.

Utah led by just four entering the fourth but opened the quarter on an 8-0 run, capped by Hayward’s 7-foot jumper. He scored 10 straight as Utah surged ahead 87-73 with 4:47 remaining.

The Hornets got no closer than 10 and scored just 16 in the fourth.

Derrick Favors added 10 points, 10 rebounds and a career-high six blocked shots for the Jazz.

Anthony Davis scored 24 and Greivis Vasquez added 21 for the Hornets.

MAVERICKS 117, KINGS 108

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Shawn Marion had 25 points and 12 rebounds, and Dallas snapped a two-game losing streak with a victory over Sacramento.

The Mavericks (37-39) used a 41-point second quarter to gain control of a game they desperately needed. They came in three games behind the Lakers in the chase for the eighth and final playoff berth in the Western Conference.

Dallas, which scored 99 points over the final three quarters, swept all four games from the Kings this season and has defeated Sacramento in 15 of last 16 meetings.

Isaiah Thomas had 29 points and Tyreke Evans added 26 points and nine rebounds for the Kings, who dropped their third straight game. Jason Thompson had 16 points and 16 rebounds.

NBA Roundup: Carmelo Anthony has 3rd 40+ point game in Knicks 101-83 win over Bucks is a post from: PhatzRadio.com

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