NBA News

[abadani69]

Chris Bosh scored 28 points, including five free throws down the stretch, to lift the Toronto Raptors to a 111-108 win over the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night.

Hedo Turkoglu shook off a recent shooting slump to score a career-high 37 points, but missed a potential game-tying 3-pointer from the wing. Turkoglu had gone a combined 6-for-25 the previous two games.

Anthony Parker added 20 points for the Raptors, Joey Graham scored 19 and T.J. Ford had 16 points and eight assists.

Turkoglu tied the game at 106 on a 3-pointer with 3:18 left, but the Magic didn't score for the next two minutes. Bosh hit three free throws, but was called for goaltending on Turkoglu's layup with 47 seconds left.

Trailing 109-108, Turkoglu missed a jumper. Dwight Howard got the rebound, but Bosh drew an offensive foul on Grant Hill.

With 9.4 seconds let, Bosh drained two foul shots to seal the win.

It was the Magic's second loss in a row, cutting their small cushion on the last two remaining Eastern Conference playoff spots. Toronto has already clinched a place in the postseason.

Both Howard and Bosh scored career highs (32 and 41 points, respectively) when these teams met in February, and both were on track for even better nights after 11-point first quarters.

But Howard didn't score in the second or third quarters, finishing with 18 points and 15 rebounds, and Bosh slowed down in the third.

The Magic didn't miss much in the first quarter, getting season bests in points (37) and field goal percentage (83 percent). From that point until the fourth, they couldn't do much right.

Orlando, which had a 15-point lead in the first quarter, trailed by eight points in the third and nine in the fourth.

Toronto outscored Orlando 8-2 in the last minute of the first half, drawing to 57-52 at the break. Graham scored five of them, including a 3-pointer with 1.5 seconds left.

The Raptors were playing the second of a three-game road trip, coming off a three-point loss to Miami on Tuesday.

Notes

Darko Milicic was thrown out after arguing a holding call on Bosh with 3:39 left in the third quarter. Gesturing adamantly, he had to be held back by teammates. The forward had two rebounds and no points in seven minutes. Magic F Trevor Ariza fouled out with three minutes left in the fourth quarter. The Raptors swept the season series 4-0. ... Toronto was without Andrea Bargnani, who continues to rest after a March 21 appendectomy, and Jorge Garbajosa, out for the season after left ankle surgery.

[abadani69]

Backup forward Bostjan Nachbar scored 26 points and the New Jersey Nets overcame a second-quarter drought that had their fans booing in a 101-86 victory over the injury-ravaged Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night.

Vince Carter added 24 points and eight assists and Jason Kidd had 10 assists as the seemingly playoff-bound Nets won for the fourth time in five games and sent the Hawks to their seventh straight loss.

Mikki Moore added 14 points and nine rebounds for New Jersey, which used a 20-2 run at the end of the first half to take control and calm the crowd, which was annoyed with the effort and the sloppiness against the reeling Hawks.

Coupled with Orlando's loss to Toronto, the Nets hold a 1 1/2 -game lead on the Magic for the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference with eight games to play, one more than Orlando.

Salim Stoudamire had 19 points and Zaza Pachulia 18 to lead Atlanta, which was playing its 14th straight game without All-Star guard Joe Johnson (calf). Josh Smith added 15 points for the Hawks, who also will be without Josh Childress (13.0 points) for the rest of the season with a stress fracture in his foot. Shelden Williams had 14 rebounds.

Nachbar, who scored a career-high 29 points against Houston last month, hit 9 of 14 shots from the field, including a career-best seven 3-pointers.

Nachbar was the difference in the second quarter when the Nets blew an eight-point lead and saw the Hawks score 13 straight points to take a 37-32 lead on two free throws by Pachulia.

With the Continental Airlines Arena relatively empty, a fan screamed at Nets coach Lawrence Frank:

"Embarrassing Larry! Embarrassing."

Nachbar quickly ended a more than five-minute drought by getting a nice roll on the rim with his jumper, and that seemed to spark the New Jersey's big run at the end of the half.

Moore hit two three-point plays off Kidd feeds, Carter scored six points and Nachbar sandwiched two 3-pointers around one by Carter to cap the run.

New Jersey expanded the 52-39 halftime edge to 18 points at the end of the third quarter as Nachbar hit two more 3-pointers and scored eight points.

Notes

The Nets won the season series 2-1. ... Carter is the only Nets to appear in all 74 games this season. ... Carter scored 10 points in the opening five minutes but he struggled after that, even missing a monster one-hand dunk attempt late in the first quarter. ... Pachulia limped off the floor in the fourth quarter and did not return.

[abadani69]

Andre Iguodala scored 18 points and blocked Stephon Marbury's potential winning 3-point try, giving the Philadelphia 76ers a 92-90 victory over the New York Knicks on Wednesday night.

Kyle Korver added 17 points for the 76ers, who overcame Marbury's big second half. Andre Miller scored 14, including a tough jumper with 7.4 seconds to go.

Marbury scored 28 of his 30 points after halftime, helping New York turn a double-digit deficit into a nine-point lead. But the Knicks couldn't hold it and lost their third straight, falling to 2-9 since coach Isiah Thomas was given a contract extension when New York was in eighth place in the Eastern Conference.

Both teams entered with slim playoff hopes. The Knicks were 10th in the East, 2 1/2 games behind Orlando for the final playoff spot. Philadelphia climbed within a game of New York with its victory.

The Knicks had a final chance after Korver, who came in leading the NBA in free throw shooting at 92 percent, missed a pair from the line with 2.1 seconds left. But Iguodala got a piece of Marbury's hurried shot behind the arc and time expired.

Marbury was 0-for-6 for two points in the first half, then scored 18 straight New York points in the third quarter. The Knicks didn't lead until his free throw with 3:27 remaining in the period made it 60-59.

That came a day after Thomas was fined $50,000 by the NBA for criticizing the treatment Marbury gets from referees following a loss to the New Orleans Hornets on Saturday.

New York led by nine in the fourth quarter, but Philadelphia regained the momentum while Marbury was out for a quick break midway through the period. An 11-2 run tied it at 80, and after a free throw by Eddy Curry, Korver got behind the defense twice for layups while combining with Miller for six straight points, giving the Sixers an 86-81 lead with 2:35 to play.

The Sixers were still up seven with under a minute left, but Marbury was credited with a 3 on a goaltending call and Nate Robinson made a layup after Mardy Collins' steal to make it 90-88. But Miller made a tough jumper as time was running down on the shot clock on Philadelphia's next trip.

The Knicks were down 57-49 with about 5 1/2 minutes left in the third before Marbury scored seven straight points to cut it to one. Miller made a jumper for Philadelphia, but Marbury nailed a 3-pointer to tie it at 59 with 3:52 to go.

Marbury's 3-pointer with 27 seconds left in the period gave the Knicks a 67-65 lead heading to the fourth. He was 7-of-7 for 20 points in the period, falling four points shy of the Knicks' record for points in a quarter, held by Willis Reed and Allan Houston.

The Knicks, missing guards Jamal Crawford and Steve Francis because of ankle injuries, made another lineup change and gave rookie Collins his first career start.

Willie Green, bothered recently by a strained right knee, returned to the starting lineup and scored 11 points in the first quarter. The 76ers shot 60 percent in the period, taking a 26-20 lead.

Renaldo Balkman kept the Knicks in the game in the first half with 10 points and 11 rebounds. The 76ers led by as much as 10 in the half and were up 46-39 at the break.

Notes

Philadelphia has won six of the last seven meetings. ... 76ers rookie Louis Amundson was voted Wednesday to the All-NBA Development League's first team. He spent much of the season playing for the Colorado 14ers.

[abadani69]

Earl Boykins scored 32 points to help a skeleton crew from the Milwaukee Bucks beat what was left of the Boston Celtics, 98-89 Wednesday night.

The Bucks snapped a seven-game losing streak, but the game was more significant because of the big names that didn't appear on the score sheet -- and what it might mean to the upcoming NBA draft lottery.

Boston's Paul Pierce and Milwaukee's Michael Redd both sat out because of injuries, leaving each team without its leading scorer. The injury issues didn't stop there, with the teams dressing only nine players each and Celtics guard Delonte West left because of a sprained left ankle midway through the third quarter.

Short-handed, the Bucks turned to the NBA's shortest player -- the 5-foot-5 Boykins.

Boykins shot 13-for-19 from the field, coming within four points of his career high of 36, set Jan. 24 at Sacramento.

Boykins' floating jump shot put Milwaukee ahead 85-77 with 6:34 remaining. The Celtics cut the Bucks' lead to 91-86 on a layup and foul shot by Allen Ray, but Charlie Bell answered with a 3-pointer to put the Bucks up 94-86 with 3:46 remaining.

Bell added 25 points for Milwaukee. Rajon Rondo led Boston with 16.

[abadani69]

The Denver Nuggets coach returned to the team after spending two days with his son, who had surgery to remove cancerous lymph nodes.

"We were all aware of the situation, with his son and everything" Nugget forward Carmelo Anthony said after Denver's 120-115 win over Sacramento on Wednesday night.. "He settled us down by telling us all was well."

Karl missed Tuesday's game against the Lakers to be with his son, who had surgery to remove cancerous lymph nodes.

"He's doing great," the coach said of his son. "I think we can move to another chapter. My big thing is to hopefully make Coby cancer free for the rest of his life."

Anthony produced his fourth straight 30-point game with 31 points, but the Nuggets didn't make life easy for their coach, going through their usual second half meltdown. Sacramento trimmed the lead to five in the fourth quarter.

"Satisfied or happy wasn't something I was feeling in the second half," Karl said. "I was searching for energy, searching for some bodies that wanted to compete a little more intensely."

"They seemed to find some more answers than I did and fortunately we had a big lead and still won," Karl said.

Anthony, who also had eight rebounds and four assists, has scored 30 or more points 31 times this year and in 75 games in his career. Nee added 28 points and 12 rebounds for the Nuggets, winners of three straight.

The win kept Denver in the hunt in the race for sixth place in the Western Conference. The Nuggets (38-36) moved a half-game behind the sixth place Los Angeles Lakers (39-36), who lost to the Clippers.

"We weren't thinking about the Lakers tonight," Anthony said. "We were thinking about the coach and the unfinished business we have the rest of the way."

The Nuggets are 37-13 when scoring at least 100 points and 1-23 when they don't.

Ron Artest led the Kings with 32 points. Kevin Martin added 26 points for Sacramento, which has lost four straight.

"I give our team a lot of credit, effort-wise, in the second half," Sacramento coach Eric Musselman said. "Defensively, in the first half, giving up 71 points and the percentage they shot from the field, was certainly disappointing."

Sacramento (30-44) began the day 6 1/2 games behind the Clippers (36-37) for the eighth and final playoff spot in the West.

"We finished strong," Artest said. "We aren't officially out of the playoffs yet, so we will still play hard."

The Kings trailed by 16 after three quarters, but closed the gap to 99-90 early in the fourth quarter on Martin's 3-pointer. But Nene had two rebound baskets over the next two minutes to put the Nuggets ahead 105-92 and Allen Iverson's jumper made it 109-94 with 4:48 left.

Sacramento went on a 12-2 run to close within 111-106 with 1:42 left, but Nene made six free throws to secure the win.

Notes

: Sacramento and the Nuggets split the four-game season series to the Nuggets. ... The Kings are 5-15 on the second night of back-to-back games. ... John Salmons (2,003) reached 2,000-point plateau for his career with four points. ... Nuggets coach George Karl returned to the bench after missing a game to attend to family matters. ... Camby blocked Martin's shot and sent him to the floor hard early in the first quarter. ... F Eduardo Najera has missed five of the last seven games.

[abadani69]

The Golden State Warriors hit all the items of their checklist and got a little bonus to beat the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night.

Jason Richardson scored 27 points, including seven 3-pointers, and the Warriors took advantage of Tracy McGrady's absence to beat the Rockets 110-99.

The Warriors shut down Yao Ming, forced plenty of turnovers (24) and shot well from 3-point range (16-of-35), all things Coach Don Nelson thought they needed to do to win.

But before all that, the Warriors got a boost when McGrady left the game with a back injury in the first half.

"The basketball gods were with us, because Tracy wasn't able to play," said Stephen Jackson, who scored 17.

Baron Davis had 25 points and 10 assists for the Warriors, who began the night 1 1/2 games behind the Los Angeles Clippers for the final playoff berth in the Western Conference.

Golden State won for the 11th time in 14 games, but for only the ninth time on the road this season.

"We've still got seven more games we need to fight and win," said Richardson, who went 9-for-17 from the field and also grabbed nine rebounds. "We are having fun with it, we're celebrating. But we've got to keep fighting."

Luther Head hit seven 3-pointers and scored 30 points, both career highs, ably filling in for McGrady, who left in the first quarter with a stiff lower back.

But Yao was surrounded and smothered all night by Golden State's big men and had his worst game since he scored two points and broke his right leg against the Los Angeles Clippers in December.

With McGrady sidelined, the Warriors concentrated on swarming Yao and they succeeded in wearing him out.

"We were just trying to be very active on him," said 6-foot-9 Al Harrington. "He was frustrated. He was sucking his teeth the whole time. He knew what we were trying to do. He knew it was going to be a long night."

Golden State forced nine turnovers in the first quarter, most of them failed entry passes to Yao.

"We knew that they were going to front me," Yao said. "We were hesitant in the beginning of the game on the shot, on the drive, on everything."

The All-Star center finally broke free for a layup with 6:12 left in the opening quarter, but Richardson answered with a 3-pointer to put Golden State up 19-12.

McGrady missed his first three shots and went to the bench 7 minutes into the game. The Rockets initially said McGrady wasn't injured, then announced at halftime he was out for the game.

The Rockets started the night 1 1/2 games behind Utah in the race for the No. 4 playoff spot in the West and home-court advantage in the first round.

McGrady said he was "questionable" for Friday's game against Portland. With the higher seed slipping away, McGrady said he may take extra time to make sure his injury heals.

"We're in (the playoffs)," McGrady said. "There's no question we're in. I'm not going to try to rush back at all until I'm ready."

The Warriors built a 10-point lead in the first half, but Rafer Alston and Shane Battier sank 3-pointers late in the half to cut Golden State's lead to 57-52 at the break. Alston scored 18 in the game.

The Warriors opened an eight-point lead in the third quarter, but Battier hit two 3-pointers and Alston scored on a breakaway layup to tie the game at 62.

Golden State ended the third quarter with a 15-4 burst, finished by Richardson's 3-pointer with 6.1 seconds left. Richardson tacked on two more 3-pointers early in the final quarter as the Warriors extended the lead to 90-74.

Head rallied the Rockets to within 10 with two more 3-pointers to match his career high. He swished one more with 3:53 left to cut Golden State's lead to 99-93.

Houston got within four before Jackson calmly sank a 3-pointer near the 2-minute mark to put Golden State up 103-96.

Juwan Howard hit a free throw with 1:48 remaining, but Davis swished a fadeaway 20 seconds left to put the game away.

Yao took only four shots, hitting two of them. He grabbed 11 rebounds, but was never a factor in the game's outcome.

"I was not totally ready and prepared to play against this team," Yao said. There was at least one man on me when I was without the ball, and there were at least two men on me when I did have the ball."

Notes

Golden State's 16 3-pointers were two shy of a season high and one short of the most by a Houston opponent this season. ... Head was back in the lineup after missing the last two games with a bruised right shoulder. ... Houston's turnover total was one shy of a season high.

[abadani69]

All year long, the Los Angeles Clippers have been hearing they're one of the NBA's biggest disappointments.

Not anymore.

Corey Maggette scored 22 points, four teammates reached double figures, and the Clippers beat the Los Angeles Lakers 90-82 Wednesday night for their seventh win in eight games.

The loss was the fourth in five games for the Lakers (39-36), whose lead over seventh-place Denver in the Western Conference was cut to a half-game. The Clippers (37-37) trail their crosstown rivals by 1 1/2 games, and have a 1 1/2 -game lead over Golden State for the eighth and final playoff berth in the West.

"In the fourth quarter, our guys did a great job defensively," Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy said. "They locked down the last two minutes. I thought we were particularly strong, and that's the way we need to play."

Cuttino Mobley scored 18 points; Chris Kaman had 17 points, 14 rebounds and four blocked shots; Jason Hart had 14 points and seven assists, and Elton Brand added 12 points, 10 rebounds and six assists for the Clippers, who reached the .500 mark for the first time since Feb. 9.

"On paper, we're one of the best teams in the league," Kaman said. "We're just starting to jell."

The Clippers raised expectations last season by advancing to the second round of the playoffs for the first time in 30 years before falling one win shy of reaching the conference finals.

This season has been a struggle from the start.

"We're really just trying to find our way," Maggette said. "We've had so many injuries this year, so many problems. We're doing a lot of good things, and we're still getting better."

Kobe Bryant had 29 points and seven rebounds to lead the Lakers, but shot just 13-of-34 including 2-of-10 in the fourth quarter. Lamar Odom scored 21 points and Luke Walton added 13.

The Lakers battled back from a 19-point deficit to draw within two before the Clippers went on a 13-7 run to finish the game.

"We were able to mount a little rally out there," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "We didn't finish it well."

The Lakers played without starting center Kwame Brown, who aggravated his sprained left ankle in the second quarter of Tuesday night's 111-105 loss to Denver, and were outrebounded 45-35 by the Clippers.

Clippers guard Sam Cassell didn't play because of back spasms, and probably won't return during the regular season.

Bryant made consecutive baskets to cut the Clippers' lead to 77-75 with 8:11 remaining. Neither team scored after that until Mobley made a follow shot with 5:25 left, putting the Clippers ahead by four.

Maurice Evans made a 3-pointer for his only points of the game to draw the Lakers within one, but the Clippers scored the next seven points to make it 86-78 with 3:12 to play. The Lakers weren't closer than four points after that.

"We've just got to get going," Bryant said. "We understand the sense of urgency we have to play with."

The Clippers hadn't played since Saturday night, while the Lakers were playing their third game in four nights.

But Bryant said he didn't believe fatigue was a factor.

"If fatigue would be a factor, it would be for me. I'm the oldest guy," he said. "I feel fine. You've just got to let it all hang out this late in the season."

The Lakers fell behind by 61-42 early in the third quarter before outscoring the Clippers 27-12 to draw within four. It was 75-69 entering the final period.

Maggette, returning to action after missing one game because of a deep chest bruise, scored 14 points in the first quarter, which ended with the Clippers on top 28-22. They led the rest of the way. It was 57-42 at halftime.

Notes

The game was played before an announced crowd of 20,161 -- the Clippers' 10th sellout this season. ... The Lakers have a 21-6 record against the Clippers under Jackson including 2-1 this season. ... The Clippers will break ground Thursday on a training center in suburban Playa Vista. "It's very positive for us," Dunleavy said. "It's one of the first things I talked about when I came in." ... The Clippers made their first 15 foul shots before Maggette missed two with 6:47 remaining and another pair with 6:08 left. ... Jackson said he expects F Vladimir Radmanovic, sidelined since separating his right shoulder during the All-Star break, to be cleared for practice next week. ... Brand was selected by a five-member panel of former players as one of five divisional winners for the NBA Sportsmanship Award, which he won last year.

[abadani69]

With two weeks left in the regular season, the Detroit Pistons and the Chicago Bulls are playing for postseason positioning.

Only one team looked like it Wednesday night.

***k Hinrich scored 29 points, Luol Deng added 22 and the Ben Wallace-less Bulls beat the listless Pistons 106-88.

"It is significant because we are trying to move up," Bulls coach Scott Skiles said.

Detroit's magic number is four to clinch home-court advantage in the Eastern Conference playoffs over Cleveland, which plays at Detroit on Sunday, with seven games left for both teams.

But the Cavaliers are ahead of Chicago by just a half-game in the Central Division.

If the Pistons hold onto their lead, the Bulls and Cavs will compete for home-court advantage in what looks like a probable first-round matchup.

Wallace missed the game against his former team after going to the hospital with sinus inflammation, and his absence seemed to deflate a crowd fired up to jeer him again.

It also may have led to the Pistons underestimating the Bulls, whose offensive production made up for the lack Wallace's defense.

"The game wasn't as emotional not playing against him, and not as much fun," Billups said.

Chicago took control of the game with a 16-4 run -- with Hinrich scoring half of its points -- to end the third quarter for a 84-69 lead. Until that burst, it was a tightly contested game with 15 lead changes and eight ties.

The game almost took an ugly turn with 8:12 left.

Detroit's Richard Hamilton and Chicago's Tyrus Thomas were ejected with two technical fouls while play was stopped after exchanging heated words and being separated.

While walking off the court toward their locker rooms, both players had to be separated again.

Thomas said he was hit in the face with what appeared to be a tube of lip balm.

"I don't know what it was, but I'm OK," Thomas said.

Auburn Hills police Lt. James Manning would not identify the fan, who allegedly threw the object, but said he was a 24-year-old male from Southfield.

"He was arrested and issued a citation for throwing an object in the arena," Manning said.

Hamilton -- and many of his teammates -- had a frustrating night.

The 20-point scorer had more fouls (five) and turnovers (four) than points (three).

Hamilton, who has been called for 15 technicals, is aware that he is a technical away from a one-game suspension.

"I've got to watch out," he said. "I have to be careful."

Billups scored 17, Rasheed Wallace had 16 points and Chris Webber added 10 points and eight rebounds for the Pistons, who had won five of six.

The Pistons played their third game in four days, but Billups said that wasn't a legitimate excuse.

"They came out aggressive and had a lot more energy," he said. "They looked like they wanted it more than us."

Chicago, which has clinched a spot in the playoffs, has won six of its last seven games.

Thabo Sefolosha, who entered the starting lineup with Wallace out, had 11 points and 10 rebounds. Chicago's P.J. Brown, who moved to center in Wallace's place, scored 11 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Thomas added 13 points and eight rebounds in just 10 minutes.

Gordon had four fouls early in the second half and finished with just two points after entering the game averaging a team-high 21.5 points.

"With Ben Gordon in foul trouble, a person that we get a lot of offense from every night, other guys had to step up," Hinrich said. "Plus, we did a good job of moving the ball and it kind of solved all the problems offensively."

The Bulls beat Detroit in three of four games this season, winning the season series for the first time since 1998 when Michael Jordan led them to their sixth title in eight years.

Notes

The Bulls hope Wallace, who was to fly home with the team, will not miss another game because of his illness. ... Some Tigers, including pitchers Todd Jones and Mike Maroth, attended the game wearing the AL-championship rings they received earlier in the day. ... The Bulls are hopeful Andres Nocioni (right foot) will play Friday at home against New Jersey. ... If the Pistons (48-27) are playing a Central Division game or it's Wednesday, they seem to be in trouble. They are just 8-7 in division games and 5-10 on Wednesday.

[abadani69]

Washington Wizards point guard Gilbert Arenas was to have surgery Thursday on his left knee and is essentially done for the season.

Arenas was diagnosed with a lateral meniscus tear and was to have arthroscopic surgery later in the day at Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington. The Wizards said the recovery time will be two to three months, meaning he might play again this season only if Washington manages to make the NBA finals without him.

Arenas was injured in the first quarter of Wednesday night's 108-100 loss to the Charlotte Bobcats.

The Wizards have lost both of their All-Stars to injuries in less than a week. Caron Butler broke a bone in his hand in Sunday's loss to the Milwaukee Bucks and is out for six weeks.

Without their two best players, the Wizards are stumbling to the finish of what was a promising season only two months ago. They lost back-to-back games Tuesday and Wednesday to the lottery-bound Bobcats and have fallen behind the Miami Heat in the race for the Southeast Division title.

Arenas averaged 28.4 points and six assists in 74 games this season and made his third consecutive All-Star appearance. He started every game until Wednesday night, when he was benched at the opening tip-off for being late for a shootaround earlier in the day.

Arenas entered the game late in the first quarter and was injured less than two minutes later, when Charlotte's Gerald Wallace inadvertently crashed into Arenas' knee after an off-balance reverse layup. Arenas, who was battling for rebounding position, was unable to avoid Wallace and his knee bent the wrong way, much like that of a quarterback who has been hit low by a rushing lineman.

It is the first significant injury for Arenas since an abdominal strain sidelined him for 27 games during the 2003-04 season. He missed only two games each of the last two seasons.

Arenas finishes the regular season with 2,105 points scored, becoming the franchise's first player since Walt Bellamy to score more than 2,000 points in three consecutive seasons. He also established a single-game franchise scoring record with 60 points against the Los Angeles Lakers on Dec. 17.

[abadani69]

Phoenix 103, New Orl/OKC 95

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Leandro Barbosa scored 26 points, Steve Nash matched his career best with his 49th double-double of the season, and the Phoenix Suns wore down the injury-depleted New Orleans Hornets for a 103-95 win Friday night.

Phoenix built a 14-point advantage after the first quarter, but struggled to put away the Hornets, who were without injured starters Chris Paul (left foot), Tyson Chandler (left big toe) and Desmond Mason (nose).

David West twice got New Orleans within six points in the third quarter, and the deficit was only 10 entering the final period.

Three Suns reserves teamed up for a 9-0 run that iced it midway through the fourth quarter. Kurt Thomas sparked the surge with a layup, and James Jones added consecutive jumpers before Barbosa's 3-pointer from the top of the key stretched the lead to 91-71 with 7:05 to play.

New Orleans got to 95-86 when Jannero Pargo capped a run of eight straight points with a 3-pointer with 2:13 remaining. Nash answered with a driving layup at the other end, and he set up a dunk by Shawn Marion and a 3-pointer by Barbosa to prevent a Hornets comeback.

Marion added 20 points and 11 rebounds, and Nash finished with 15 points and 12 assists to match his double-double total from 2004-05, his first of back-to-back MVP seasons. Nash was two rebounds shy of his first triple-double of the season.

West scored 17 points and Marc Jackson added 16 as the Hornets played in front of their 11th sellout of the season in Oklahoma City. Pargo and Devin Brown each scored 13, Rasual Butler had 12 and Bobby Jackson 11.

Phoenix was 8-for-30 (26.7 percent) from 3-point range, well below its NBA-leading 40.3 percent average. The Suns, who bounced back from a loss at San Antonio a night earlier, moved 2 1/2 games ahead of the Spurs for the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference.

The Hornets fell to three games behind the Los Angeles Clippers for the eighth and final playoff spot in the West with six games left.

Marion had eight points, including a pair of two-handed jams, during a 14-2 run as the Suns pulled away to close the first quarter. He beat the buzzer with a runner in the lane to put Phoenix up 37-23 after one.

The Hornets got to 44-37 on a 3-pointer by rookie Marcus Vinicius, who was called up from the NBDL a day earlier. Boris Diaw and Raja Bell hit back-to-back jumpers to push the Suns' lead to 60-48 at the half.

Notes

Hornets coach Byron Scott said Chandler and Paul are questionable for Saturday night's game at Minnesota. ... The Hornets announced Friday that the fan giveaway for Tuesday night's game against the Los Angeles Clippers would be bobbleheads of Mason, who will miss the rest of the season after breaking his nose in a game Wednesday against Seattle. ... All four of Suns C Amare Stoudemire's fouls were offensive, including two in a 23-second span in the first quarter.

[abadani69]

Phoenix 115, LA Lakers 107

The Phoenix Suns won with their usual balance.

Steve Nash had 25 points and 11 assists for his career-best 50th double-double, and the Suns beat the Los Angeles Lakers 115-107 Sunday to move 2 1/2 games ahead of San Antonio for the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference.

Leandro Barbosa scored 23 points, Raja Bell added 22, Amare Stoudemire had 19 points and nine rebounds and Shawn Marion added 12 for Phoenix (58-19), which won for the fifth time in its last six games. The Suns clinched their third straight Pacific Division championship March 20.

Kobe Bryant had 34 points and seven assists and Smush Parker added 25 points and six assists before fouling out for the Lakers (40-37), who lost for the fifth time in seven games and fell into seventh place in the West -- a half-game behind the Denver Nuggets. The teams meet Monday night in Denver.

Ronny Turiaf added all 19 of his points and 11 of his career-high 15 rebounds in the second half, and Lamar Odom had 10 points and 14 rebounds for the Lakers, who lost despite outrebounding the Suns 51-40.

Lakers center Kwame Brown missed his third game since aggravating a sprained left ankle in a collision with Denver's Marcus Camby.

Two free throws by Kurt Thomas, a 3-pointer by Bell and a layup by Nash gave the Suns a 94-83 lead with 4:15 remaining. The Lakers didn't threaten after that.

The Lakers outscored Phoenix 11-4 to finish the third quarter, trimming the Suns' lead to one point. But that was as close as they would get in the second half.

Barbosa scored seven points during a 14-2 run that gave the Suns a 47-37 lead, and they were on top the rest of the way. It was 54-48 at halftime. Parker had 17 points at that stage -- nine shy of his career high. Bryant didn't score in the second period, missing his only field goal attempt.

Parker, making his 159th consecutive start despite being benched during the fourth quarter of the previous two games, scored 10 of the Lakers' first 16 points before picking up his second foul and coming out of the game.

Bryant also had 10 points in the first quarter, which ended with Phoenix leading 27-26. The Suns shot 8-of-12 from the foul line in the period while the Lakers were 2-of-2. The Suns finished with 29 foul shots in 34 attempts while Los Angeles was 14-of-21.

Notes

Brown didn't sound optimistic regarding a speedy return to action. "There's something different this time. It's just a different pain I'm feeling," he said. Brown missed two months after first spraining his ankle Dec. 31. ... The Suns have beaten the Lakers in nine of the last 11 regular-season games between the teams. ... The Lakers have to win all five remaining games to match last year's 45-37 record -- the worst of any Phil Jackson-coached team. ... Lakers F Vladimir Radmanovic, sidelined since separating his right shoulder during the All-Star break, hopes to return Thursday night against the Clippers. ... Nash was hit with a technical foul by official Pat Fraher late in the third quarter after protesting a non-call.

[abadani69]

Phoenix 109, Seattle 91

PHOENIX (AP) -- Shawn Marion had 24 points and 10 rebounds, and the Phoenix Suns stayed two games ahead of San Antonio in the fight for the No. 2 playoff spot in the Western Conference with a 109-91 victory Wednesday night over the depleted Seattle SuperSonics.

Leandro Barbosa added 20 points as six Suns reached double figures in the team's 59th victory of the season. Amare Stoudemire had 18 points and 11 rebounds. Raja Bell scored 14 points.

Steve Nash had 11 points and nine assists. James Jones, in his third start of the season, had 13 points.

Rashard Lewis scored 30 for the Sonics. Mike Wilks added a career-high 20 points.

Wilks got his first start in four years because Seattle's top two point guards, Luke Ridnour and Earl Watson, are out with season-ending ankle injuries.

Chris Wilcox had 15 points and 12 rebounds for the Sonics.

[abadani69]

Phoenix 93, LA Lakers 85


PHOENIX (AP) -- The Phoenix Suns' 60th victory of the season was almost as ugly as Kobe Bryant's shooting night.

Steve Nash had 26 points and 14 assists, and the sputtering Suns sent a weary Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers to their sixth loss in seven games, 93-85 on Friday night.

Bryant, who played all 48 minutes in Thursday night's loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, was 7-for-26 from the field for 17 points against Phoenix, far short of his NBA-leading 31.5-point point average.

"Kobe was not his normal self," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "He didn't have the energy, it looked like."

Bryant missed three shots in the final 35 seconds, two of them 3-pointers.

"They did a good job defensively of sending two guys over," Bryant said. "You've got to shoot through two guys. A lot of times for us to win as of late, I've got to be on. If that shot's not on, we really struggle to win ball games."

This might have been a preview of a first-round playoff matchup, if the Lakers can stop their free fall.

Los Angeles has lost four in a row and eight of 10 to drop to .500 for the first time this season.

With two to play, the Lakers have an ever-more-tenuous hold on the No. 7 spot in the Western Conference, a half-game ahead of Golden State and the Clippers.

"I think we have to win both of our last two games, personally," Jackson said.

The Suns, meanwhile, won their fourth in a row and seventh in eight games to reach the 60-win mark for the third time in team history. They can set a franchise record for victories by sweeping their last three games.

The Suns shot a season-worst 38.2 percent.

"We shot 38 percent and we won a game," Phoenix coach Mike D'Antoni said. "I think that definitely's the news. Our defense was stellar, and Raja Bell, I don't know how you can play better defense than he did."

Bell, the primary defender on Bryant, was careful not to take much credit, though.

"He played last night, and I'm sure his legs were tired," Bell said. "I'm just going to stick to my guns and say when I play him, I just try to make him work. Sometimes it might work out, and other times he might get 50, but the theme stays the same -- just try to make him work."

Nash sealed it with four free throws in the last 18.8 seconds.

Amare Stoudemire had 15 points and 16 rebounds, including five points in the final 3:47, to help keep the Suns two games ahead of San Antonio with three to play in the fight for the No. 2 playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Bell added 18 points and Shawn Marion 16 points and 11 rebounds for the Suns. Their 93-point effort was their second-lowest total in a victory this season. The only lower one was a 92-83 victory over New Orleans on Nov. 22.

"It wasn't a real smooth or fortuitous night offensively," Nash said, "but you've got to scrap in those situations and we did that. Defensively we really hustled, and that was the difference."

Luke Walton led the Lakers with 19 points. Lamar Odom added 16.

Boris Diaw scored four in a 13-0 Suns' run that was capped by Nash's free throw following a technical foul on Jackson, and Phoenix led 72-56 with 3:59 left in the third quarter.

Walton made a 3-pointer in a 7-0 spurt that cut it to 72-63 after Ronny Turiaf's 16-footer with 2:35 left in the third. But Marion sank a 9-footer and scored on a rebound to put the Suns ahead 76-63 entering the fourth.

Los Angeles rallied in the fourth quarter to cut the lead to five several times, the last at 88-83 on Odom's layup with 1:58 to play. Neither team scored again until Stoudemire, who was just 4-of-16 shooting, made one of two free throws to put Phoenix up 89-83 34 seconds from the finish.

Bryant threw up a 3-point airball on the Lakers' next possession, and Nash's two free throws with 18.8 seconds to play to put the Suns ahead 91-83. Turiaf's stuff cut it to 91-85, then Nash capped it with two more free throws with 12.3 seconds to play.

Bryant was 5-for-15 shooting in the first half and 2-for-11 in the second.

Notes

Jackson has never coached a team that finished with a losing record. ... The Lakers haven't won a regular season game in Phoenix since Feb. 22, 2004. They've lost six since then. ... James Jones got his second start in a row, and fourth of the season, for Phoenix but was 0-for-6 shooting, 0-for-5 on 3s.

[abadani69]

Phoenix 126, Utah 98


SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- It's almost hard to believe the Phoenix Suns are trying to clinch only the second-best record in the NBA.

They're playing much more like No. 1.

The Suns almost scored 100 points before the fourth quarter in a 127-98 rout of the Utah Jazz on Saturday, extending their winning streak to five in a row and putting Phoenix one step closer to locking up the second seed in the Western Conference.

"We have a lot more energy and a lot more consistency," said Steve Nash, who had 18 assists, 13 points and zero turnovers for the Suns. "Everyone feels pretty good about it."

The Suns just need one more win or a loss by San Antonio to clinch the second-best record in the league. Only Dallas (64-14) has a better mark than Phoenix's 61-19. The Suns' 1-5 start to the season isn't coming back to hurt them too much at the end.

Phoenix has won eight of nine and can tie the franchise record for victories with one more.

"I think that's what's most important -- to end on an upswing and build some momentum going into the playoffs," said Raja Bell, the former Utah guard who finished with 18 points Saturday.

Reserve Leandro Barbosa scored 28 points and all five starters scored in double figures as the Suns avoided getting swept by the Jazz for the season. Amare Stoudemire had 14 points and 11 rebounds and, Bell and Shawn Marion scored 18 apiece. The Suns were 10-for-23 from 3-point range and made 30 of 31 foul shots.

"We just shot the ball so well tonight. It was just tough for them to get back in the game," Phoenix coach Mike D'Antoni said. "Basketball is not real complicated. You shoot and miss you lose and you shoot and make you win."

The Jazz lost for the sixth time in seven games and fell two games behind Houston in the race for home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Playing at home -- where Utah has lost three in a row -- hasn't had much value lately.

"It was a very difficult night, a very disappointing night to say the least because that was a big game for us," Utah coach Jerry Sloan said. "They got three layups to start the ballgame off and we never did recover."

Phoenix had lost the first three games against the Jazz this season by a combined 10 points. This one was rarely even that close. Phoenix opened the game with a 13-1 run and led by at least five the rest of the way.

Mehmet Okur led Utah with 20 points and 10 rebounds and Carlos Boozer added 18 points and 10 boards.

"I just think they beat us from the jump to the finish," Boozer said. "End of story. Game's over now."

The Suns used an 8-0 run late in the second quarter to extend their lead to 68-46 at halftime, then pulled away early in the third when Bell hit a 3-pointer, Stoudemire made two free throws and Jones added another 3 to put Phoenix ahead 76-48.

Nash took a steal in for a layup and drew a clear-path foul on Dee Brown. Nash made both free throws and the Suns kept possession because of the intentional foul, which cost the Jazz again when Bell hit a 3-pointer from the corner to make it 81-52.

Bell made two more free throws with 6:51 left in the period to give the Suns an 87-56 lead and the Jazz hardly made a dent in it before Sloan had seen enough and put in his reserves about midway through the fourth quarter.

Matt Harpring scored 13 and Dee Brown added a career-high 12 for the Jazz.

Notes@: The Suns visit Houston on Monday and close the regular season at home Tuesday against the Clippers. ... Utah F Andrei ***ilenko (thumb) missed his fifth straight game and G Gordan Giricek (side) sat out his third in a row. ... Utah's only season sweep of Phoenix was in 1999-2000. ... Brown had never scored more than nine in a game. Paul Millsap had nine rebounds for Utah and the Jazz finished with a 44-42 advantage on the boards.

[abadani69]

Utah's Derek Fisher understands the danger in trying to contain Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady in the hope other Rockets won't score.

The Jazz guard was one of the "others" who stepped up when teams employed that tactic against Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant during the Los Angeles Lakers' run of three straight titles from 2000-2002.

Yao and McGrady carried the load in Houston's 84-75 win over the Jazz in Game 1, but as the teams prepare for Game 2 on Monday, Fisher knows overlooking the Rockets' other weapons could be dangerous.

"I think it's just difficult when you decide that you're going just wipe two guys out and allow everyone else to play," Fisher said. "They're in the NBA also. They may not be as talented as Tracy or Yao, but they're good basketball players."

The Rockets haven't won a playoff series win since 1997, and the Jazz, in the postseason for the first time since 2003, haven't won one since 2000.

Fisher remembers his time in Los Angeles when he averaged 8.4 points and almost three assists in the finals. In the 2002 finals sweep of New Jersey, he connected on 8 of 12 3-point attempts.

"I made a living myself playing around two guys that people thought you could just guard those two and leave everybody else open," he said. "Guys are good enough in this league to make you pay."

The Rockets' only double-digit scoring Saturday came from Yao (2 and McGrady (23). But Rafer Alston (13.3), Shane Battier (10.1) and Luther Head (10.9) all averaged more than 10 points a game during the regular season.

"These guys are not bad players around these two," Fisher said. "That's why they've had the success they've had this season. So it's important that we focus a lot of our attention toward the two best players, but we can't just leave guys open for wide-open shots and expect to win."

Alston, who was 3-of-10 from 3-point range in Game 1, knows he has to score when he's open because of a double team on Yao or McGrady.

"They are going to make a conscious effort to stay on Yao and Tracy and make guys like myself and Luther and Shane beat them," Alston said. "They were leaving me a lot. I was left alone."

He's hoping to see more of that in Game 2.

"I'm capable of knocking down five or six in a game," he said. "They're going to take their chance with me shooting the ball from beyond the arc."

McGrady, who is winless in five career playoff series, said things will be difficult if Houston's role players don't step up when he's being trapped.

"If we're not knocking down shots then they're going to continue to do that and it takes the ball out of my hands," he said. "It's very important that when they trap like that we're knocking down shots so they can go to something else."

The seven-time All-Star struggled en route to a one-point first-half performance Saturday before scoring 16 points in the third quarter to lead Houston to its come-from-behind win. After the game, he blamed his poor start on nerves and admitted his palms were sweaty as he drove to the Toyota Center for the game.

McGrady said the anxiety is behind him and that there will be no similar problems in Game 2.

"It's real big for us to get out to a great start tomorrow," he said. "We got the first-game jitters out of the way, so now it's time to play our basketball for four quarters."

Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy thinks Houston's slow start Saturday may have been a product of being burdened by outside expectations.

"Sometimes you want something so bad it has a negative impact," he said. "Instead of seeing it as a great opportunity, I thought we were very discombobulated. We're going to have to have the right level of intensity and be emotionally solid so that you can play poised, efficient basketball."

Utah coach Jerry Sloan was concerned about the mind-set of his team as well, but for a different reason. He said some of his younger players got too worked up for Game 1 and that there was no way for him to talk them down.

"Some of those guys were ready to play at noon," he said. "I told them and tried to explain to them, but they've got to learn on their own. The game doesn't start until 8:30 and that's the only time you want to get yourself pumped up to play."