NBA News

[abadani69]

Corey Maggette couldn't play, but it didn't matter much for the Los Angeles Clippers because Cuttino Mobley picked up the slack.

Mobley had 25 points, Elton Brand added 21 and the Clippers cruised to a 99-86 win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday night.

Quinton Ross added 17 points for the Clippers, who ran out to a huge lead and held on. They've won six of their past seven.

"Right now is the time to play like that," Mobley said. "You move the ball around. They can't sit on me or (Brand) because they can't double none of us. It's fun right now."

Brandon Roy had 23 points to lead the Blazers, who were missing two starters, and also lost LaMarcus Aldridge early in the game. Raef LaFrentz had a season-high 15 points and Jamaal Magloire and Travis Outlaw each had 13 for Portland.

Maggette, the Clippers' second-leading scorer at 16.1 points per game, was scratched from the lineup before the game with a chest contusion suffered in a 105-101 win over Sacramento on Friday night.

The Clippers shot 58 percent. They are tied with Denver for seventh place in the Western Conference.

"We're playing well, we're in tune, and we're doing what we've got to do to get a playoff spot," Brand said. "Not just eighth, now we're in seventh and we're just going to try to win as many games as we can."

Mobley, who was 8-of-16 from the field Saturday, led the team in scoring against the Kings with 26. He had 18 points in the first half against the Blazers.

"I wanted to set the tone from the beginning," he said. "It's always tough when one of your guys is out."

Portland was without leading scorer and rebounder Zach Randolph, who was shut down for the season after undergoing hand surgery on Friday. Ime Udoka, recovering from a concussion, also missed the game.

The Blazers came out slow on defense and confused on offense. It took nearly three quarters for the team to get going.

"This one really surprised me," Portland coach Nate McMillan said. "The game plan has been the same all season -- to start the game with an intensity level and aggressiveness. But the intensity level just isn't there at the beginning. It's as if we need to get down by 20 points before we start bringing that kind of energy."

Jason Hart had 14 points and Tim Thomas had 13 for Los Angeles. Chris Kaman had nine points and 10 rebounds.

Aldridge played 7:16 before leaving because of dizziness and was taken to a local hospital for observation.

Los Angeles guard Sam Cassell had back spasms in the second quarter and left the game.

The Clippers made 13 of 17 shots in the first quarter, going on a 17-2 run to lead 38-18. Kaman scored the first basket of the second quarter to extend the lead to 22 points.

Los Angeles led by 31 in the first half, shooting 67 percent from the field and making 17 of 18 free throws.

The Clippers cooled off in the third quarter, going scoreless in the final 4:32 and letting the Blazers make a run.

Portland cut the lead to 13, going on a 19-4 run and getting within 85-72 in the fourth quarter.

Notes:

LaFrentz played for just the second time since Jan. 29. He has missed much of the season with a calf injury. ... Randolph was averaging 30.5 points against the Clippers this season. ... Los Angeles has won six of the past seven meetings with the Blazers. ...Portland was 24-of-27 from the foul line.

[abadani69]

After spending much of the game fighting back from behind, the New York Knicks couldn't counter-punch in overtime.

David West scored 20 points and the New Orleans Hornets held New York to one field goal in overtime for a 103-94 win Saturday night in a meeting of teams desperately trying to make up ground in the playoff race.

"Usually the team that lands the first blow in overtime is the team that's going to get the momentum and get the win," West said. "That's usually how it goes. That's what we wanted. We wanted to come out and be the aggressor."

Chris Paul scored seven of his 16 points in the extra period, when the Knicks went 1-for-8 from the field.

Desmond Mason's runner in the lane gave New Orleans the lead at the outset of overtime, and Paul added a 3-pointer from the left wing that put the Hornets ahead 97-92. Paul added a jumper and then set up Mason's right-handed jam before hitting two free throws to provide the final margin.

New York's only basket in overtime was a layup by Eddy Curry. It was the second time this season New Orleans held an opponent to one overtime field goal. Orlando had only a 3-pointer in an 84-78 loss in Oklahoma City on Jan. 16.

"We ran out of steam," said Knicks coach Isiah Thomas, who said officials failed to call fouls on drives to the basket by Stephon Marbury a night after he scored a season-high 43 points in a two-point loss to Dallas, the NBA's top team.

Eddy Curry and Marbury led New York back from an 11-point deficit in the final 4 minutes of regulation, and Nate Robinson hit a 3-pointer from the left wing with 10 seconds remaining to force overtime.

"I think there is a point that seriously needs to be made how Marbury is being treated by the officials now. ... I see a lot of players drive to the basket and get fouled and go to the foul line, and I don't understand what he's done to receive the type of treatment he's getting and the lack of respect he is getting from the officials," Thomas said.

"That's not why we lost the game. We did a lot of things wrong to lose the game."

In overtime, the Knicks couldn't contain Paul, who played with three of his fingers on his left hand taped up. After his wide-open 3-pointer, Thomas called a timeout and put his hands on both of Robinson's shoulders for a talk.

The Knicks lost for the sixth time in seven games, and they fell three games behind New Jersey for the eighth and final Eastern Conference playoff spot. The Nets beat Philadelphia on Saturday.

"We've just got to keep pushing. We can't let this kill us," said Curry, who scored 34 points for his highest output since he had a season-high 36 against Milwaukee on Dec. 9. He also had 13 rebounds.

Marbury scored 16, while Robinson and Mardy Collins each added 14 points. Collins' total was a career high.

The Hornets, who have won the past five meetings with New York, remained three games behind the Los Angeles Clippers for eighth place in the West. The Clippers also won Saturday night at Portland.

"We better grow up quick with nine games left to have a chance to get into the playoffs," Hornets coach Byron Scott said. "It is amazing to me that we make the same mistakes over and over again. I told our coaches that we are going to win the game in spite of ourselves.

"We are the reason it went into overtime, and it never should have gotten there."

Mason finished with 19 points, and Tyson Chandler had 13 points and 13 rebounds for his 33rd double double.

Bobby Jackson, who returned after missing the past five games with a strained right Achilles, fueled an 11-0 run for the Hornets after New York had cut a 15-point deficit to 74-72 in the final period.

The Knicks had one last surge.

Curry and Marbury combined to score nine straight points, and Robinson beat the shot clock buzzer with a 3-pointer from the right wing to put the Knicks up 89-88 and finish a 12-0 run.

Mason hit two free throws to put New Orleans back ahead with 40.9 seconds left, and Paul added two more after Marbury was stripped by Jannero Pargo on the Knicks' next possession.

Robinson responded with another 3 to force overtime.

Notes

Willis Reed, the NBA Finals MVP for the Knicks in their only championships in 1970 and 1973, was presented with an all-terrain vehicle at halftime by New Orleans owner George Shinn. Now the Hornets' vice president of operations, Reed is retiring in June. ... Thomas said Paul compares favorably with a certain Hall of Famer and 12-time All-Star. "I think he's a little better than what I was. He seems to get the basketball, and he's at your foul line and he's standing there bouncing the basketball," Thomas said. "He moves just like a hummingbird." ... Scott said the Hornets hope to re-sign G Devin Brown.

[abadani69]

A foul-plagued Vince Carter found that the best remedy to help a sore right knee and the New Jersey Nets' playoff hopes was playing instead of sitting.

Carter scored 13 of his 19 points in the third quarter and the Nets posted one of their best defensive games of the season with an 86-82 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday night.

"I didn't do too much in the first half," said Carter after being limited to 7:34 by three early fouls. "I wanted to put my mark on the game and stay out of foul trouble to give us a lift."

First Carter had to take care of his knee, which he tweaked on Friday night in a loss to Detroit.

"I was trying to get some blood flowing through there to get rid of some of the stiffness," Carter said. "I felt a step slow. Once the second half started and we were down, I just went out and played. Once I played I felt fine."

Carter made up for lost time, hitting 5-of-9 shots from the field in the quarter and scoring nine straight points in giving New Jersey its first lead since the opening minutes at 51-49.

Without Carter, the Nets did little in the first half, hitting 13 of 33 shots and scoring only 34 points.

"It was extremely ugly in the first half," said Richard Jefferson, who had 14 points for New Jersey. "We were playing good defense but our offense was awful."

The 76ers helped keep the Nets in the game. While they led 39-34, they also missed seven of 10 free throws.

New Jersey took the lead for good on a three-point play by Mikki Moore in the third quarter and led by 14 in the fourth in winning for the third time in four games and moving into a tie with Orlando for the seventh spot in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

"We are playing more consistent basketball right now," Jefferson said. "We still have to get to that level where we can beat good teams like Detroit."

Jason Kidd had 12 points and eight assists as the Nets pushed the 76ers five games behind in the race for the final playoff spot. Philadelphia has nine games left.

Veteran Clifford Robinson scored nine of his 11 points in the fourth quarter as Lawrence Frank won his 150th game, tops among all Nets coaches.

Andre Miller and Joe Smith had 14 points apiece for the 76ers, who finished 11 of 22 from the free-throw line. Andre Iguodala finished with 13 points after spending most of the second half in foul trouble.

"I just couldn't hit any shots and couldn't get anything going," said Iguodala, who was 5-of-12 from the field in 33 minutes. "I was in foul trouble. They just played a good game."

New Jersey took a 61-57 lead into the fourth quarter and the closest the 76ers got was on a layup by Miller in the opening seconds.

Jefferson then hit two straight baskets and Kidd made a 3-pointer in a 9-2 spurt that pushed the Nets' lead to 72-62 with 7:12 to go. New Jersey eventually increased the lead to 77-63 on two free throws by Jefferson with 5:46 to go.

Philadelphia scored the final nine points to make the game close with Kyle Korver hitting a 3-pointer at the buzzer. It capped a 4-for-14 shooting night for the shooting guard and he sarcastically pumped his fist after making the shot.

Notes

Philadelphia center Samuel Dalembert had 12 points and 10 rebounds. ...Antoine Wright had 12 points off the bench for New Jersey. ....The teams split the season series 2-2. ...Korver's 3-pointer at the end was the only 3-pointer the 76ers made on six attempts. ...Kidd also had five steals on a night he was 4-of-13 from the field. ...The fewest points the Nets have allowed in a game this season was 78. In losing to Detroit on Friday night, New Jersey allowed 39 points in the fourth quarter.

[abadani69]

With so much on the line and the game slipping away, LeBron James wasn't going to take a back seat.

James scored 39 points, including seven in overtime, and Larry Hughes added 21 points to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to 112-108 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Saturday.

Trailing 108-104 with a minute left in overtime, James drove toward the basket. He banked in the jumper, was fouled and converted the three-point play to make it 108-107 with 42.3 seconds left. Then Ben Gordon drove to the lane and missed with a wild shot. James got the rebound and put Cleveland ahead for good with a jumper in the lane that made it 109-108 lead with 20.7 seconds left.

"We were down four and I was just wanted to be aggressive," James said. "I didn't want to settle. I got a switch with ***k Hinrich on the first one and got an and-one, and we came up with a good defensive stop and I was able to get into the lane and shoot a floater off the backboard to put us up one with 20 seconds to go."

Cleveland leads Chicago by 1 1/2 games for second place in the Eastern Conference. The three division winners are guaranteed spots in the top four playoff seeds, meaning the Bulls would be seeded fifth despite holding the third-best record in the conference.

"This was a playoff-type game. I said it before the game. We knew it. They knew it. We showed our mental toughness and got the job done," James said. "We want homecourt advantage, see if we can try to get it throughout the playoffs, if not, for the first and second round. We're in that position right now. We just got to continue to do the things we've been doing lately and win basketball games."

After James' short jumper, the Bulls didn't get a shot off on the ensuing possession when Gordon was trapped and threw the ball away.

"They were doing it the whole game," Gordon said. "I tried to string them out as well as I could. I tried to pass it to one of my teammates, but I came up short."

The Bulls fouled Larry Hughes, who hit one of two free throws to make it 110-108. Gordon missed a 3 with 1.9 seconds left. Hughes rebounded and was immediately fouled, making both free throws.

"This is about as big as it gets for the regular season," Hinrich said. "It was definitely disappointing."

Gordon knocked down a 22-footer to put the Bulls up 106-104 with 1:26 left in overtime. Then James missed a 3, and Ben Wallace picked up the loose the ball and was fouled. Wallace hit both free throws, putting Chicago ahead 108-104 with 1:01 left.

Gordon finished with 37 points and Tyrus Thomas had a career-high 27 points with eight rebounds.

Sasha Pavlovic scored 21 points for Cleveland, which won for the third time in its last seven games

James gave Cleveland a 98-91 lead on a pair of free throws with 5:07 left in the fourth quarter. The Bulls came back when Gordon made two free throws and a nice pass to Thomas for an easy dunk to get to 98-95 with 4:03 left. Thomas cut the Cavs' lead to 100-99 on another dunk off Wallace's pass. Then Thomas came up big on the defensive end. James tried to drive to the basket, but Thomas cut off his angle, James lost control of the ball and Thomas stole it.

Gordon tied the game at 100 with 39.7 seconds left. The Bulls had chances to take the lead in the final seconds of regulation, but Gordon missed a jumper and later committed a turnover.

Cleveland got the ball back with 3 seconds in regulation, but Pavlovic missed on a drive to the basket under tight defense by Luol Deng and Ben Wallace.

Hinrich had 22 points and 11 assists and Deng finished with 12.

"I can't fault our overall effort from a physical standpoint," Bulls coach Scott Skiles said. "There are some mental situations out there where our focus is not exactly where it needed to be in a game like this. And we still had chances to win."

Cleveland built a 10-point lead to start the fourth quarter. Zydrunas Ilgauskas' basket and Pavlovic's 3 gave Cleveland a 77-72 lead and James ended the quarter with back-to-back baskets to make it 83-73. ^Notes: Bulls reserve forward Adrian Griffin missed the game with back spasms. ... Official Bennett Salvatore issued Hinrich a technical for arguing a no-call in the third quarter after his missed layup. ... Ilgauskas had 14 points and five rebounds.

[abadani69]

When the Phoenix Suns handed the Dallas Mavericks a rare loss more than two weeks ago, they seemed to be sending their conference rivals a message.

Instead, the Suns have struggled to split eight games since that memorable contest as they get ready to host a rematch with the Mavericks on Sunday afternoon.

The Mavericks (61-11) won the first two meetings of the season with the Suns (54-1, but blew a 15-point lead after three quarters and lost 129-127 in double overtime at home March 14. Amare Stoudemire had 41 points and 10 rebounds while Steve Nash added 32 points and 16 assists, including 10 points in the final minute of regulation.

Phoenix pulled within 2 1/2 games of the Mavericks for the best record in the league with that victory, but has been inconsistent since. The Suns suffered lopsided losses to Detroit and Denver immediately after, were ripped for 77 first-half points in a 124-119 loss at Golden State on Thursday and trailed by as many as 18 before rallying for a 125-108 win over Denver the next night.

Coach Mike D'Antoni is hoping that Friday's victory will be a turning point.

"Hopefully we found ourselves and if not that's how we have to play; we went back to what we do well and you are probably looking at the person who screwed it up," he said. "I'm going to get back to who we are and we think we can win a championship this way."

Nash and former teammate Dirk Nowitzki will meet for the final time in the regular season as they try to bolster their MVP credentials. Both have shined in the first three meetings, with Nash averaging 25.3 points and 12.7 assists, and Nowitzki leading Dallas with 30.7 points.

"It's going to be a really tough game, everybody knows that," Suns guard Leandro Barbosa said. "It will be a fun game to watch. Everybody is waiting for that game and we are waiting too."

Dallas' magic number to clinch the NBA's best record is four. With little chance of catching the Mavs now, the Suns are focused on maintaining their two-game lead over San Antonio for the second-best mark.

The Mavs responded to the loss to the Suns by pulling away from them with nine consecutive victories, and can become the first team to post four winning streaks of at least 10 games in the same season. They have survived tight finishes in each of their last two games, winning 105-103 over Milwaukee on Wednesday and by the same score over New York on Friday.

Dallas had to rally from fourth-quarter deficits in both contests. The Mavs withstood a 34-point performance from the Bucks' Michael Redd and overcame Stephon Marbury's 43 points for the Knicks.

"We hate the thought of losing. When it's a tight game we're going to do the necessary things to win," Dallas point guard Jason Terry said. "But it's not about winning streaks or wins in the regular season. It's about momentum. So when we get to the playoffs we'll be hitting on all cylinders."

Suns forward Shawn Marion has been fairly quiet against the Mavs this season, averaging 16.0 points and 8.0 rebounds. He had 33 points in Friday's win, ending a streak of 12 games in which he scored less than 20.

"It's the first time in a long while that I've touched the ball a lot and gotten into the offensive flow," said Marion, who's averaging 17.5 points, his lowest in six seasons. "You can't score without the ball. Everybody was making a big hoopla over it (his recent lack of scoring). I got some good looks tonight. It's definitely a plus when I can get involved."

[abadani69]

Phoenix 126, Dallas 104

If Phoenix plays the Dallas Mavericks a few weeks from now in the Western Conference finals, confidence should be no problem for the Suns.

Not with the way they handled the Mavericks on Sunday.

With Leandro Barbosa leading a parade of big scorers with 29 points, the Suns beat the Mavericks for the second time in 18 days, 126-104.

Amare Stoudemire added 24 points and Steve Nash had 23 points and 11 assists as the Suns snapped Dallas' nine-game winning streak and finished the season series 2-2. After a scoreless first quarter, Shawn Marion had 20 points on 8-for-10 shooting. He also frustrated Dallas' Dirk Nowitzki most of the afternoon.

"That's about as good as we can play," Phoenix coach Mike D'Antoni said.

The Suns shot 65 percent (46-of-71), the highest in the NBA this season and a record for any team at US Airways Center, formerly America West Arena.

Phoenix shot 86 percent in the fourth quarter (13-for-15), 4-of-4 on 3s.

"We were getting good looks," Marion said. "Everybody was rotating, making the extra pass. When everybody makes the extra pass, you get open looks and you're going to knock down some shots."

Stoudemire, who scored 41 in the Suns' come-from-behind 129-127 double-overtime victory at Dallas on March 14, made 10 of 13 shots Sunday. In the last two games against the Mavericks, Stoudemire was 26-of-32 from the field.

"It's just tough because my jumper is falling now, so it makes it harder for the defense to figure out what I'm going to do," Stoudemire said. "I'm either going to shoot the jumper, drive around them or pass it out for a 3. It's pretty much pick your poison with myself and also for the team."

Even the hard-to-please Nash seemed satisfied for a change.

"Sometimes to a fault we've played to the level of our competition. Fortunately it's good on nights like tonight," he said. "Tonight I give us high marks for energy and consistency. When we play well, no one's going to defend us well."

Josh Howard scored 28 for Dallas, 18 in a tight first half that featured 13 ties and nine lead changes. Jerry Stackhouse added 25 and Jason Terry 20.

Nowitzki scored 21 but was just 6-of-18 shooting.

"They had a good strategy, a good game plan," Dallas coach Avery Johnson said. "They executed, and we never left the hotel."

Boris Diaw had 16 points for Phoenix, and a spectacular behind-the-back bounce pass to Stoudemire for a layup.

"This doesn't mean we're so much better than Dallas, no," D'Antoni said. "Dallas has got the best record, and they're going to be the No. 1 seed, but I think it's going to be very competitive and we'll see what happens."

The game was close until Phoenix took the lead for good in the third quarter, then turned it into a runaway in the fourth. The 126 points were the most Dallas has allowed this season in a game that didn't go into overtime. The only time the Mavericks allowed more in any game was in that double-overtime loss to Phoenix.

The Mavericks were without center Erick Dampier, who strained his right shoulder in Friday night's home victory over New York.

After making their first seven 3-pointers, the Mavericks went 2-for-11. The Suns, meanwhile, made 12 of 21 3s, going 6-of-7 in the second half.

"We need a practice," Johnson said. "We haven't practiced in a while because of our schedule, a really good hard practice. We need a good practice to clean up a few things, and it showed today."

The tight, high-speed first half ended with Phoenix on top 60-56. Dallas never led after that.

Phoenix outscored the Mavs 14-6 over the final 2 1/2 minutes of the first half, then got the first two baskets of the third quarter to go up 64-56 on Stoudemire's layup. Dallas came back to tie it at 69 after Terry's 18-footer, but Phoenix followed with a 10-2 run, with Raja Bell and Barbosa sinking consecutive 3s to put the Suns up 79-71 with 4:02 left in the period.

With Nash out for his usual rest, Phoenix boosted the lead to 85-75 on Barbosa's driving layup with 1:19 left in the third. The Suns led 89-82 entering the fourth.

Phoenix went up 102-89 with a 9-2 spurt midway through the fourth quarter. During that run, Nowitzki limped off the court after missing a 3-pointer, then landing with his left foot on Marion's left foot. Nowitzki returned to the game moments later, but didn't stay long as Phoenix blew it open.

Nowitzki said after the game he was fine.

"I thought he undercut me a little bit, but it doesn't matter at that point," he said. "There was no foul called so we kept on playing."

Phoenix outscored the Mavericks 37-22 in the fourth quarter, 66-48 in the second half.

Notes

The previous high field goal percentage this season was .646 for Charlotte against Atlanta on Jan. 20. Phoenix shot .648. ... With their 55th victory, the Suns topped their total of last season. ... The Mavericks are expected to sign 44-year-old Kevin Willis to a 10-day contract on Monday. ... DeSagana Diop started in place of Dampier and went scoreless with three rebounds in 26 1/2 minutes. ... Dallas is 61-8 since beginning the season 0-4 start. Phoenix is 54-14 since a 1-4 start. ... The Suns are 5-4 since that earlier victory at Dallas, but each of the wins has been by at least 18 points.

[abadani69]

A reporter bent over to pick up a box score in Washington's quiet locker room and Gilbert Arenas tried to stop him.

"I don't think you want to look at that," Arenas said.

The Wizards certainly didn't. In their first game without injured forward Caron Butler, they were dominated in every area.

Gerald Wallace had 34 points and 14 rebounds, and the Charlotte Bobcats beat Washington 122-102 on Tuesday night, a loss that knocked Wizards into second place in the Southeast Division, a half-game behind Miami.

Walter Herrmann added 21 points, Emeka Okafor had 17 points and 13 rebounds, and Raymond Felton had 17 points and 14 assists for the Bobcats, who shot 57 percent and were never threatened in the second half.

"They seemed like they were the team fighting for playoff position and we were the team that was going home in the next nine or 10 days," Wizards forward Antawn Jamison said.

Arenas scored 33 points, but got little help as the Wizards lost for the fifth time in seven games -- their first without Butler.

The All-Star, averaging a career-high 19.1 points and 7.4 rebounds, broke his right hand in Sunday's win over Milwaukee. Barring a deep run in the playoffs, Butler is done for the season.

The way the Wizards looked against the Bobcats, that appears unlikely.

"We miss Caron a lot. He's a guy that can guard guys like Gerald Wallace," Wizards guard DeShawn Stevenson said. "He's an All-Star. But some of the guys on this team will have to step up and become that nasty guy."

None did against the Bobcats. Arenas was Washington's lone option on offense -- he scored 30 or more points for the NBA-high 35th time -- and the Wizards played little defense.

Wallace couldn't be stopped on drives to the basket, Okafor dominated the inside and Herrmann was hitting open jumpers when he wasn't getting easy layups off back cuts.

"All around on the offensive end I think that's as good a game as we've had, as far as sharing the ball, running the pick-and-roll, the bigs running hard and the guys getting open," Wallace said.

Wallace shot 16-for-24 in his ninth game of 30 or more points. Herrmann, who barely played in the first four months of the season, had his third straight game of 20-plus points.

"They took it to us. We never had an answer for Wallace," Washington coach Eddie Jordan said. "Even when we double teamed, guys got open on the perimeter."

Herrmann's 3-pointer completed a 13-2 second-quarter run that gave Charlotte a 57-41 lead. The Bobcats led 63-45 at halftime and the Wizards couldn't make a significant run in the second half because nearly every Bobcats player who took it to the basket met little resistance.

Charlotte committed only nine turnovers and had 64 points in the paint to win for the third time in four games. Charlotte won its 29th game and improved to 19-19 at home.

"Our points were coming on second or third pass. That's basically what we wanted to do," Bobcats coach Bernie Bickerstaff said. "Gerald (Wallace) -- what can you say about that guy? He's amazing."

Jarvis Hayes, starting in place of Butler, didn't get his first basket until less than four minutes remained in the third quarter. Hayes had two points and five rebounds on 1-of-6 shooting.

Jamison also struggled, held to six points and 11 rebounds on 3-of-16 shooting.

Etan Thomas, starting at center for the second straight game ahead of Brendan Haywood, had a season-high 17 points and 14 rebounds. DeShawn Stevenson scored 17 points and Darius Songaila added 16 for the Wizards, who dropped to 9-2 all-time against Charlotte.

Notes

Jordan said he would likely stick with Hayes in the starting lineup when the same teams meet again Wednesday in Washington. ... Haywood was held to one point and two rebounds in 10 minutes in his second game out of the starting lineup. ... Bobcats G Derek Anderson did not play due to continued pain in his right knee, but said he'll return Friday. ... Wallace was credited with a basket in the second quarter when Adam Morrison's lob pass bounced off the backboard, clanged off Songaila's left shoulder, hit the backboard again, and fell in.

[abadani69]

The Detroit Pistons might not see the Indiana Pacers again this season.

The Pistons beat the Pacers 100-85 on Tuesday night to inch closer to clinching the top seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. The Pacers, fighting to sneak in, fell two games behind eighth-place Orlando, making a Detroit-Indiana matchup in the first round less of a possibility.

The Pistons started the day 3 1/2 games in front of Cleveland in the race for the top seed in the East. They also had lost two of three meetings with the Pacers this season.

Tayshaun Prince scored 16 of his 24 points in the second half for Detroit, which overcame a 14-point first-half deficit.

"He carried us pretty much all night," Detroit guard Chauncey Billups said. "Even when he wasn't scoring, he was making the right play, the right pass. It didn't matter what they did, we were going to play off Tay."

The Pacers clinched their first losing season since 1996-97, the last time they missed the playoffs. They have eight games left.

Detroit outrebounded the Pacers 14-3 in the third quarter to turn a 46-43 deficit into a 78-64 lead.

"We expected them to come out and go hard," Billups said. "They did that early, but we stepped up our aggressiveness and intensity and we were able to turn the game back in our favor."

The only negative for the Pistons was forward Rasheed Wallace hyperextended the pointer finger on his left (non-shooting) hand in the first half and played just a few possessions after the break. The Pistons said his status was day-to-day.

Richard Hamilton scored 19 points and Chris Webber added 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Pistons.

"The team with the energy and the intensity is going to outrebound," Prince said. "We came out aggressive in the second half, which allowed us to get on the boards."

Indiana's Jermaine O'Neal had 20 points and seven rebounds after sitting out Sunday's game against San Antonio with a sore left knee. Mike Dunleavy scored 15 points and Jamaal Tinsley added 10 assists. The Pacers upset San Antonio on Sunday, but couldn't pull off back-to-back victories over two of the league's best teams.

The normally talkative O'Neal wouldn't speak to reporters after the game. A few dejected Pacers were willing to discuss the collapse.

"We got off to a good start, played a good, solid first two quarters, then just fell apart in the third," Dunleavy said. "It seemed like we couldn't get loose balls, rebounds, stuff like that. If you give these guys multiple chances, they're going to kill you."

The Pistons quickly erased their three-point halftime deficit and tied the game on a jumper by Hamilton with 7:38 left in the third quarter, but the Pacers regained the lead on a layup by Dunleavy.

Detroit responded with a 20-7 run to take a 74-62 lead. Billups hit a jumper at the buzzer to make it 78-64 at the end of the third quarter.

"We really had a chance to beat them, and we kind of just laid down in the third quarter, and we can't have lapses like that," Indiana forward Danny Granger said.

Prince punctuated the victory with an emphatic dunk over O'Neal with just over 6 minutes left that gave Detroit a 92-74 lead.

"I don't know how many games there were tonight, but that's got to be top five," Wallace said.

The Pistons felt they needed to make a statement against a team they could play in the postseason, and were upset with the way they started the game. They missed six of their first nine free throws before making 20 of their next 23.

"It was embarrassing to come out like that," Billups said. "There is no other way to look at it. But we came out in the third quarter and picked it up pretty well. Bad starts can be like a trickle-down effect. Luckily, we're a team that has played together for a long, long time to be able to turn it around."

Notes

Indiana C Jeff Foster sat out with back spasms. He came out in the first quarter Sunday against San Antonio after grabbing nine rebounds. ... Detroit C Dale Davis, a former Pacer, played one minute and did not score. ... The Pacers made nine of their first 11 shots to take a 20-6 lead. ... The Pistons improved to 25-13 on the road. ... Indiana shot 52 percent from the field. They are 7-4 when they shoot better than 50 percent.

[abadani69]

Until the final seconds, James Posey's night on offense was one to forget. He missed eight of nine shots, not even including a fourth-quarter dunk attempt that went awry and was scored as a turnover.

Yet in those deciding moments, Posey sealed the Miami Heat's most important win of the season.

He was 4-for-4 from the line and grabbed two crucial defensive rebounds in the last 18.9 seconds, ensuring that the Heat would hold off the Toronto Raptors 92-89 on Tuesday night, a victory that pushed Miami past Washington and back into first place in the Southeast Division.

"I felt comfortable despite how I played from the field," said Posey, who had a game-high 13 rebounds and a team-best five assists to go with his six points. "I dream about those situations. For the most part, in my dream, I come through."

This was no dream, but fortunately for the Heat, he delivered. Miami clinched a 2-1 win in the season-series with Toronto, meaning if the teams finish with identical records, the Heat would get the tiebreaker edge that could prove vital when deciding home-court advantage for the opening playoff round.

Shaquille O'Neal had 16 points and 12 rebounds, Udonis Haslem added 16 points, and Eddie Jones and Jason Williams each scored 14 points for Miami, which held Toronto to 38 percent shooting and survived being outscored 46-36 after halftime.

"Second half, did not play well. Played hard, but did not play well," Heat coach Pat Riley said. "Missed a lot of shots in the second half but for the most part, did enough. Dodged a few bullets from them down the stretch. We simply had to gut it out and we did. It's a huge win for us."

Chris Bosh had 24 points and 11 rebounds for the Raptors, who trailed by as many as 15 in the first half and were down 56-43 at intermission. But they chipped away steadily, had a chance when T.J. Ford's long and potentially game-tying 3-pointer rimmed out with 2.9 seconds left, and the clock ran out.

Rasho Nesterovic and Juan Dixon each finished with 11 points for the Raptors, while Luke Jackson had eight of his 10 in the fourth quarter to key Toronto's comeback try.

"We got the ball to the people we want to get the ball to and sometimes you win them and sometimes you come up short," Toronto coach Sam Mitchell said. "We got the things we were looking for, so I have no complaints."

The Heat led by 10 early in the fourth and saw that margin whittled to one in the final moments, and finished with no field goals in the final 3:45. But the Raptors missed seven of their final nine shots, including two misses by Ford, who finished with seven assists but shot 2-for-13.

"It was just a rough night all along," Ford said.

Miami led by 10 after Antoine Walker's 3-pointer with 10:30 left, but the Raptors made a late move. They got within two twice, with the Heat getting baskets by Williams and O'Neal to restore a four-point margin both times, the last coming with 3:46 left to put Miami up 88-84.

It stayed that way for three full minutes, until Bosh's three-point play with 44 seconds left drew the Raptors within one. Williams missed a 3-pointer with 28 seconds remaining and the rebound bounced off the Heat 2.9 seconds later -- giving Toronto a full shot clock and a chance to win.

Instead, Toronto went quickly, giving Ford a chance in the lane. His 12-footer bounced off the rim, Posey got the rebound, was fouled with 17 seconds left, and his two free throws gave Miami a 90-87 edge.

Jackson drove and dunked with 8.3 seconds left, but Posey hit another pair from the line with 7.6 to play to restore the three-point margin, then scrambled for the final rebound after Ford's 3-pointer just missed.

"He made a bunch of hustle plays for us," Riley said.

The Heat got a long-awaited boost when Jason Kapono -- playing in his first game since spraining his ankle four weeks ago -- hit his first three shots, including a 3-pointer, and finished with seven points.

"We just needed to win tonight," Kapono said.

Notes

Toronto outrebounded Miami by a season-most 18 in its home win over the Heat last week; Miami prevailed 48-39 on the backboards Tuesday. ... Toronto's magic number for clinching the Atlantic Division remained at three over idle New Jersey. ... O'Neal was 5-for-5 from the field in the first half, but 0-for-6 from the foul line.

[abadani69]

Tyson Chandler is doing whatever he can to help the New Orleans Hornets hang around in the Western Conference playoff race.

Chandler had 18 points and 20 rebounds Tuesday night to lead the Hornets to a 119-101 victory over Milwaukee, the Bucks' seventh straight loss.

It was Chandler's seventh double-double in the last eight games. Chandler also set the Hornets' single-season rebounding mark Tuesday with 901. The previous record was 898, set by Larry Johnson in the 1991-92 season.

"We have a great opportunity" to make a playoff run, Chandler said. "When we get it going, we can be a pretty good team."

The Hornets (34-40) moved within 2 1/2 games of the idle Los Angeles Clippers for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Hornets have not made the playoffs since the 2003-04 season.

"We're understanding what we have to do and now it's just a matter of going out there and putting our minds to it," Hornets coach Byron Scott said. "I think we can make this thing very interesting."

David West led the Hornets with 24 points and Desmond Mason returned to Milwaukee to add 21. Mason was traded to New Orleans before the 2005-06 season after playing with the Bucks for two seasons. Chris Paul had eight points and 14 assists.

The Hornets dominated the Bucks in the paint, outscoring them 56-34 and outrebounding them 47-25. For the game, the Hornets shot 54.5 percent from the field and made nine of 20 3-pointers.

Milwaukee's 25 rebounds and only four offensive rebounds were season lows.

"Tyson Chandler was a beast tonight," Bucks guard Michael Redd said. "Our frontline is so depleted. That definitely played to their advantage. We're all to blame for it because we have to do a better job of rebounding."

The Bucks are without center Andrew Bogut and forward Charlie Villanueva, who are out for the season with injuries.

Redd said the free throw differential was also key to the Hornets' victory. The Hornets hit 26 of 31 free throws, compared to just 10 of 14 for the Bucks.

"We have to stop settling for jump shots and get to the rim," he said. "We have to be more physical and attack. They did that and that's why they won the game."

The Bucks (25-4 matched their longest losing streak of the season.

Redd, who returned to the lineup after missing a loss Sunday to the Washington Wizards with a sore left knee, led Milwaukee with 27 points. Lynn Greer added a career-high 15 points.

The Bucks, who led only briefly in the first quarter, closed the gap to 89-84 when Dan Gadzuric hit one of two free throws with 9:34 remaining. The Hornets then hit four 3-pointers in a row over the next 2:01, including one by Bobby Jackson, who was fouled and made the free throw to complete the four-point play.

After Gadzuric scored on a dunk, Chandler put away the game with a short hook and then a rebound and dunk to give the Hornets a 106-86 lead with 6:10 remaining.

The Hornets went on a 16-5 run in the final 4 minutes of the first half to grab a 67-56 halftime lead when Mason hit two free throws with 4.7 seconds remaining. The Hornets shot 55 percent in the first half, outrebounded the Bucks 27-9 and hit 21 of 24 free throws. Milwaukee was 2-of-3 at the line in the half.

Chandler had 14 points and 12 rebounds in the first half, while West and Mason each added 14 points. Redd led the Bucks with 16 points.

Notes

The game was a makeup for the contest between the teams originally scheduled to be played Jan. 13. However, that game was postponed after the Hornets could not travel to Milwaukee because of an ice storm in Oklahoma City. ...The Bucks will play the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night at the Bradley Center, the first time the Bucks have played back-to-back nights at home since April 13-14, 1999. ...The Bucks are 2-7 since Larry Krystkowiak took over as coach after Terry Stotts was fired.

[abadani69]

LeBron James soared through the air and glided down the court with ease on Tuesday night, putting on an ahhh-inducing show that has become his specialty.

All at "80-85 percent."

Two nights after an achy right knee kept him out of the lineup, James returned with 31 points, 12 rebounds and six assists in Cleveland's 101-88 victory over Minnesota, putting the rest of the Eastern Conference on notice that he will be ready come playoff time.

"It's still not 100 percent," James said. "I'd say it's about 80-85 percent now. I still felt it a couple times. ... Just have to keep doing treatment and keep getting healthy, but I felt pretty good."

If he gets that extra 15-20 percent back, look out.

James scored 15 points and grabbed five rebounds in the first quarter, and later added three monster dunks for effect.

Kevin Garnett had 22 points and 12 rebounds and was the only starter in double figures for the lifeless Timberwolves, who were overwhelmed by the tag team of James and Drew Gooden, who had 20 points and 13 rebounds.

The other Wolves starters: Ricky Davis had just nine points on 3-for-11 shooting, Marko Jaric had five points, center Mark Blount four points and one rebound, and point guard Mike James was scoreless with one assist.

"These guys are showing who wants to do it and who doesn't," Wolves coach Randy Wittman said. "They're showing who has heart and who doesn't; who can be counted on and who can't."

With the playoffs looming for Cleveland, the wear and tear on James' body has become a hot topic. The Cavs started the night trailing the Pistons by 3 1/2 games for the top seed in the East, making every game down the stretch a crucial one, especially Sunday at Detroit.

But coach Mike Brown also wants to make sure his star is fully rested and ready to go once the postseason starts.

James received treatment for tendinitis the past two days, and some worry that a summer spent playing for the United States at the world championships may be catching up with him.

"I was able to get a lot of rehab in and I didn't take much banging at all. I just chilled out," James said. "That definitely helped. I just have to keep doing as much rehab as possible and try to get back."

Garnett knows what James is going through, having played in the Olympics and the world championships.

"Absolutely, especially when you have the responsibility of carrying a team, taking the bulk of the shots, making other guys better," Garnett said.

That's James in a nutshell. It would be hard to find a team that relies more heavily on one player.

His crown may be heavy, and his knee may be sore, but King James put on a show on Tuesday night.

James shot 5-of-6 and grabbed five rebounds in the first quarter to set the tone, and was hobbled early in the third after knocking knees with Jaric before showing everyone that there is still plenty of juice left in his legs.

James threw down a fast-break dunk late in the third quarter, then soared through the lane to hammer home an alley-oop pass from Larry Hughes to give Cleveland a 20-point lead.

He punctuated the evening with a steal and swooping windmill dunk 90 seconds into the final period, drawing oohs and ahhs from a Minnesota crowd that got what it paid for.

The Timberwolves had no answer and can all but forget about making the playoffs this year. They trail the Clippers by 5 1/2 games for the eighth and final playoff spot in the West with just eight games to play.

Randy Foye had 18 points and six assists for Minnesota, which fell to 11-23 since Wittman took over for the fired Dwane Casey in January and has frustrated Garnett with the lack of consistency.

"If you lead, they will follow," Garnett said. "If they don't, leave them behind."

Notes

Garnett on his acting rivalry with James in television commercials: "I'm a milk man, he plays three, four, seven different guys." Garnett is a supporting actor with Peyton Manning in a Gatorade commercial while James stars as several different "LeBrons" in a Nike ad campaign. ... Garnett and Sasha Pavlovic received double technicals in the third quarter after an extended jawing session.

[abadani69]

Bruce Bowen made six 3-pointers and scored 18 points, and the San Antonio Spurs beat the Seattle SuperSonics 110-91 Tuesday night to sweep the four-game season series.

Tony Parker had 16 points and Tim Duncan added 14 for the Spurs, who had five players in double figures.

Though the game was rarely close, it wasn't as bad as the beating the Sonics took late last month, when the Spurs beat them 120-79 for one of Seattle's worst home losses in franchise history.

Chris Wilcox led Seattle with 20 points, followed by Rashard Lewis with 19 and Johan Petro with 14.

Only four Spurs players didn't hit a 3-pointer in last month's rout, when San Antonio's 16 3s established a franchise record.

The 3s were contained to two players Tuesday -- but there were still plenty of them. And that was even without Brent Barry, a 45 percent 3-point shooter who is third in the league. He was out with back spasms.

Bowen tied his career high for 3-pointers. His last one, which he hit from the corner with 5 minutes left in the third, gave the Spurs a 20-point lead.

Michael Finley hit three 3s to help the Spurs finish 9-of-21 (43 percent) from behind the arc. Seattle was 2-of-8 (25 percent). Finley, who started in place of Barry, had 13 points and has scored in double digits in his last six games.

Fabricio Oberto had 11 points and 10 rebounds for San Antonio.

Down 26 points to open the fourth, two short of their biggest deficit of the game, Seattle went on an 8-0 run to make it 91-73. It was the closest the Sonics got in the fourth.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich had subbed out all of his starters less than halfway through the period. Only starter Damien Wilkins remained in for Seattle until the end.

Notes

Spurs F Robert Horry was out with an abdominal contusion. ... Seattle F Andre Brown was out for nasal reduction surgery. Brown broke his nose in the first quarter of last Wednesday's game against Denver. ... The Spurs have won five straight at home against Seattle. ... San Antonio is 29-4 this season when scoring at least 100 points. ... The Spurs outrebounded the Sonics 41-22.

[abadani69]

Phoenix 116, Memphis 111

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) -- The Suns started their four-game road trip with a victory -- and that's all that mattered.

Amare Stoudemire scored 27 points, including 11 in the fourth quarter to hold off a rally by the Memphis Grizzlies, and Phoenix had to put in a full night's work to come away with a 116-111 victory over the worst team in the league Tuesday night.

"We just wanted to get the first game on this road trip, regardless of how we got it," said Phoenix forward Shawn Marion, who finished with 17 points and 12 rebounds.

Leandro Barbosa scored 24 points, and Steve Nash had 15 points and 17 assists for Phoenix, which has won three straight.

"Oh boy," Phoenix coach Mike D'Antoni said. "That would be o-h b-o-y. They played well. It was a dangerous game."

Pau Gasol led Memphis with 23 points and 11 rebounds, and Hakim Warrick finished with 22 points and 16 boards. Chucky Atkins scored 19 points.

"It's hard to lose when you play hard, but at least you know when you come out next time, that's the effort you're going to get," Memphis interim coach Tony Barone said. "These guys have not quit."

Memphis remained short-handed with guard Mike Miller, its second-leading scorer, and starting point guard Damon Stoudamire both sitting out with achy knees.

Phoenix held a 14-point early in the third period, but behind Gasol the Grizzlies outscored the Suns 29-18 in the quarter to make it close.

Stoudemire continually blunted Memphis' rallies. The Grizzlies were within 102-101 with 7:09 left, but the center, who was saddled with four fouls, scored 11 straight points for Phoenix after re-entering the game.

"I figured we needed some dominance at that point," Stoudemire said. "They were trying to take over. They gained the momentum, and I figured, with me coming back in there, we could get the momentum back and take it from there."

Memphis still was within striking distance in the final minute when Warrick missed a layup with about 25 seconds left and the Grizzlies down 112-109. Memphis players and Barone grumbled that a foul should've been called on Stoudemire, sending Warrick to the line.

"You've got to finish that play down the stretch," Warrick said. "It would have been a big bucket for us, but unfortunately, it just didn't fall for me. ...The refs didn't call it, so it wasn't a foul."

The Suns, who shot 59 percent in the first half, led 71-59 at intermission behind 20 points from Barbosa and 14 from Marion.

Warrick scored 12 points as Memphis shot 51 percent from the field, even though leading-scorer Gasol missed six of his seven shots.

With two of the league's top eight scoring teams shooting above 50 percent, the score mounted quickly. Memphis also is getting a more intensity out of its younger players such as rookie Tarence Kinsey and point guard Junior Harrington.

"I think our young guys are getting more comfortable and confident out there," Gasol said. "And they are producing much more because they're getting a lot of playing time."

Gasol finally got untracked in the third quarter, scoring 13 points and helping the Grizzlies cut the Phoenix lead to 89-88 entering the fourth.

But down the stretch, the Suns showed why they are looking forward to the playoffs, while the Grizzlies are looking forward to the draft lottery.

"We wanted to put them away early, win by 40 or 50 points and get them out of there so we could rest up," Stoudemire said. "But Memphis was like: 'Nah. We're not having it tonight. We're going to come out here and compete.' And that's what they did."

Notes

The Grizzlies were making their first appearance at home since March 22 after a six-game West Coast road trip. Memphis will play four of their final six games at home. ... Miller and Stoudamire have missed the last five games, Miller with patella tendinitis in both knees and Stoudamire with the same ailment in his right knee. ...The Suns' 71 points were five short of their first-half high for the season. They had 76 against the Grizzlies on Jan. 15. ...Phoenix connected on 50 percent of its shots outside the arc (13-of-26). That included Nash hitting all three of his shots from long range. He was 4-for-4 from the field on the night and also hit all four of his foul shots. Nash has a team leading 48 double-doubles.

[abadani69]

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

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.

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 by teammates.

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

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

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

Chauncey 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.

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.

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.

The Bulls beat Detroit in three of four games this season, winning the season series for the first time since Michael Jordan was playing for them a decade ago.

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 and it's Wednesday, they seem to be in trouble. They are just 8-7 in division games and 5-10 on Wednesday.

[abadani69]

Down went Gilbert Arenas. And with him, in all likelihood, went the Washington Wizards' hopes of achieving much of anything in the playoffs this season.

Arenas sprained his left knee in a collision with Gerald Wallace in the first quarter of Wednesday night's 108-100 loss to the Charlotte Bobcats. The three-time All-Star will have an MRI on Thursday to determine the full extent of the damage, but the recovery time from such injuries is usually measured in weeks, not days, and the Wizards have only eight games left in the regular season.

He was just standing there, settling into rebounding position as Wallace drove baseline. When Wallace threw up one of those incredible, off-balance reverse layups, he crashed inadvertently into the left leg of the Washington Wizards' guard.

The Wizards earlier this week lost All-Star forward Caron Butler to a broken his hand earlier this week, and they are 2-9 this season when he doesn't play. Butler is expected to miss at least six weeks, meaning he will play again only if Washington advances deep into the playoffs.

Wallace, who survived several collisions in what became a very physical game, finished with 27 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists to lead the Bobcats. He had also stymied the Wizards the previous night, getting 34 points and 14 rebounds in a 122-102 win at Charlotte on Tuesday.

Raymond Felton added 19 points and seven assists, Emeka Okafor had 17 points and 10 rebounds, and Walter Hermann had 20 points and nine rebounds for the Bobcats, who have won six of nine.

Antawn Jamison had 25 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Wizards, who fell one full game behind the idle Miami Heat in the Southeast Division.

Arenas was injured late in the first quarter, but he had been in the game less than two minutes. He did not start for the first time this season because he was late for the team's shootaround.

The Wizards put up a spirited effort without him, appearing to take out their frustration on the lottery-bound Bobcats in the second meeting between the teams in two nights. Antonio Daniels got his first start of the season, giving Washington a point guard who actually played point guard. Daniels finished with 18 points and a career-high 17 assists.

Etan Thomas was dominant at times in the paint, scoring a season-high 19 points and grabbing 10 rebounds in his third start since he replaced struggling center Brendan Haywood in the starting lineup. All five Wizards starters scored in double figures.

Although Wallace's collision with Arenas wasn't deliberate, the game soon turned rough. In the second quarter, Thomas was whistled for a flagrant foul on Wallace, who landed hard but stayed in the game to make his free throws. Daniels hit the deck several times, including once on a nasty foul by Okafor late in the first half. Washington's DeShawn Stevenson was given a technical for complaining about a no-call after trying to slice through a double-team.

The crowd tried to rally the Wizards in the fourth quarter of a close game, but another collision involving Wallace and Thomas turned into a vital three points for the Bobcats. Thomas clotheslined Wallace under the basket, but the ball fell through the hoop and Wallace made the free throw to give Charlotte a 101-96 lead.

Arenas was averaging 28.8 points entering the game. He has been very durable the last three seasons, playing in 80 of 82 games in both 2004-05 and 2005-06.

Notes

Daniels became the first Wizards player to get 15 or more assists since Rod Strickland got 16 against the Los Angeles Lakers on March 16, 2000. ... Butler, his hand wrapped in a blue cast signed by his teammates, tried to sound optimistic that he could play again this season. "I'm a fast healer," he said. "I drink a lot of milk." ... Charlotte G Derek Anderson sat out again with a sore right knee. ... Charlotte won for the first time in franchise history at Washington. The Bobcats had been 0-5 in the nation's capital.