An NBA daily recap of yesterday's games, all on one page. Bookmark this NBA game roundup page this page. Hit it daily. Also, read NBA game previews and daily stat leaders. And watch highlights on our NBA video page.

Sessions scores 24, Cavs top Clippers 99-92 -- The AP reports: An expected matchup between two of the NBA’s best young point guards never happened. Chris Paul and Kyrie Irving will meet another time. This night belonged to Ramon Sessions. Sessions had a season-high 24 points with 13 assists as a last-minute replacement for Irving, Cleveland’s talented rookie who has a concussion, and Antawn Jamison scored 27 to lead the Cavaliers to a 99-92 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night... Daniel Gibson scored 17 and made a big 3-pointer down the stretch in his return for Cleveland after missing five games with a neck infection. Anderson Varejao added 15 rebounds, survived two nasty spills and spent the night trading elbows underneath with Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan... Paul had 16 points and 12 assists for the Clippers, who played their first game without injured guard Chauncey Billups. He’s out for the season with a torn Achilles tendon and flew back to L.A. before the game. Billups will visit a specialist on Thursday and is expected to undergo surgery in the next few days... Griffin added 15 rebounds and Randy Foye, starting for Billups, scored 15. Kenyon Martin made his debut for Los Angeles and scored six in 21 rugged minutes.

Delfino scores 25 as Bucks beat Raptors -- The AP reports: Feeling comfortable in his former home, Carlos Delfino gave the Milwaukee Bucks a rare road win. Delfino made six of eight 3-pointers and scored a season-high 25 points, Drew Gooden had 20 points and 14 rebounds and the Bucks snapped a three-game losing streak, beating the Toronto Raptors 105-99 on Wednesday night. Mike Dunleavy scored 16 of his 18 points in the second quarter and Stephen Jackson had 17 as the Bucks won for the seventh time in eight games against Toronto... Delfino, who matched season highs with nine rebounds and four steals, acknowledged feeling comfortable in returning to the arena where he played his home games in 2007-08... Delfino’s contribution was especially important given the lack of production from Brandon Jennings, Milwaukee’s leading scorer. One night after finishing with a season-low three points in a 107-105 loss to Phoenix, Jennings was kept quiet again, making just three of 12 field-goal attempts and missing six of seven from beyond the arc. Eight of his 11 points came in the final quarter... DeMar DeRozan scored 25 points and James Johnson had 15 for the Raptors, who have lost three straight and five of six. Linas Kleiza scored 12 points and Leandro Barbosa 11, and Jose Calderon had 15 assists.

Lin, Chandler lead Knicks over Wizards 107-93 -- The AP reports: What a week it has been for Jeremy Lin. With three breakout games, the Harvard graduate has become the NBA’s newest playmaking sensation. He’s a fan favorite—home and away—and has earned more than 60,000 Twitter followers in just five days. Now, he also has his first NBA dunk. Lin had 23 points—two on that slam—and a career-high 10 assists in the New York Knicks’ 107-93 win over the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night... Tyson Chandler had 25 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Knicks, who won for the third straight time. Chandler, a 10-year NBA veteran, finished two points short of his career high, but it was again Lin’s night... Steve Novak added 19 points for New York, which won its eighth straight over Washington and earned its second three-game winning streak this season... Washington dropped to 5-21, and failed again to get its first two-game winning streak of the season. John Wall led the Wizards with 29 points, but he was easily outdone by Lin.

Parker scores 37, leads Spurs over 76ers 100-90 -- The AP reports: Of all the impressive numbers on Tony Parker’s stat sheet, perhaps the most eye-popping was zero fouls. Parker scored 37 points, Gary Neal added 18 off the bench and the San Antonio Spurs beat the Philadelphia 76ers 100-90 in a matchup of division leaders Wednesday night. Tim Duncan had 16 points and 11 rebounds and Tiago Splitter scored 15 for the Southwest Division-leading Spurs. Parker shot 12 for 24, made all 13 of his free throws and handed out eight assists. He played 38 minutes and never got whistled for a foul... Lou Williams led Philadelphia with 22 points. Andre Iguodala had 17 and Thaddeus Young scored 16... Starting center Spencer Hawes didn’t play for the Sixers. Hawes had missed 10 games with an Achilles injury before returning to play the previous two. Elton Brand returned to the lineup after sitting out two games with a sprained thumb, and had 11 points and 13 rebounds.

Magic hit 17 3-pointers in 102-89 win over Heat -- The AP reports: It’s been an open secret for several seasons how much the 3-point shot has become an indispensable part of the Orlando Magic’s offense. They reminded the Miami Heat just how punishing they can be when they get it going from long range. Dwight Howard had 25 points and 24 rebounds, Ryan Anderson scored 27 and the Magic hit 17 3-pointers in a 102-89 victory Wednesday night. Anderson had five 3s—all in the first half—and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead the Magic. Howard posted his 20th double-double of the season... Dwyane Wade led the Heat with 33 points, but had only 11 after halftime. LeBron James added 17 as the Heat had their three-game winning streak snapped... The Heat also held a 40-30 advantage on points in the paint, but Orlando led 23-9 in second-chance points.

Monroe’s double-double leads Pistons over Nets -- The AP reports: The Detroit Pistons aren’t seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. They’re just feeling better about themselves while riding their longest winning streak of the season and getting some key players back on the floor. Greg Monroe had 20 points and 12 rebounds and the Pistons won their season-high third straight game with a 99-92 victory over the New Jersey Nets on Wednesday night... Jonas Jerebko, who is rounding into form after missing last season with an Achilles tendon injury, added 16 points. Tayshaun Prince had 15 and Ben Gordon, playing for the first time in 11 games, added 14 points for Detroit, which almost blew an 18-point second-half lead... Deron Williams scored 17 of his 34 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Nets, who have lost four in a row and nine times in 12 home games. Jordan Farmar added 22 off the bench and Kris Humphries had a game-high 16 rebounds.

Josh Smith scores 28, Hawks beat Pacers 97-87 -- The AP reports: Josh Smith is skeptical about his chances of making the All-Star game for the first time. He sure played like he deserves to go. Smith scored 28 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in his final game before the All-Star reserves are announced, leading the Hawks to a 97-87 victory over the Indiana Pacers that snapped Atlanta’s three-game home losing streak Wednesday night. The Hawks, who had fallen behind by big margins in each game on the homestand, finally got off to a good start. Atlanta built a 21-point lead in the first half and withstood repeated runs by Indiana over the final two quarters... Joe Johnson added 20 points for the Hawks, while Kirk Hinrich (17) and Tracy McGrady (13) contributed valuable minutes off the bench. But this night belonged to Smith, who has stepped up his game with All-Star center Al Horford expected to miss most of the season with an injury. Smith is averaging 15.6 points and 8.9 rebounds a game, numbers that may finally be good enough to land an All-Star nod of his own... Danny Granger scored 21 points to lead the Pacers, who couldn’t overcome the big deficit after winning the night before at home. Indiana has lost nine straight in Atlanta, a streak dating to 2006.

Grizzlies end 3-game skid, beat Timberwolves 85-80 -- The AP reports: Quincy Pondexter had nothing to show in his first opportunity to start for the injured Tony Allen. His second chance resulted in the best scoring night of his career. Pondexter recorded a career-best 17 points and provided an early burst as the Memphis Grizzlies snapped a three-game losing streak with an 85-80 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night... Rudy Gay had 19 points and nine rebounds to lead Memphis. Marc Gasol and Dante Cunningham scored 12 apiece, and O. J. Mayo finished with 10 for Memphis despite connecting on only three of 11 shots as the Grizzlies shot just 37 percent overall. J.J. Barea led the Timberwolves with 17 points and six assists, while Derrick Williams and Michael Beasley had 13 points each. Williams also grabbed a career-high nine rebounds. Nikola Pekovic had 10 points and nine rebounds. Minnesota’s starting backcourt of Ricky Rubio and Luke Ridnour were a combined 2 of 14 from the field as the Timberwolves shot 39 percent. They played their second game without leading scorer Kevin Love, who completed his league-ordered two-game suspension for stepping on Houston’s Luis Scola.

Boozer scores 18 as Bulls rout Hornets 90-67 -- The AP reports: Derrick Rose gutted it out and started against the struggling New Orleans Hornets only two days after leaving Chicago’s previous game with back spasms. In retrospect, the Bulls would have been fine if their star guard had simply taken the night off. Carlos Boozer scored 18 points and the Bulls won their fourth straight game while nearly holding New Orleans to a franchise low in points during a 90-67 rout Wednesday... Joakim Noah had 13 points and 10 rebounds for the Bulls. Taj Gibson scored 14 and Kyle Korver 12. Rose played 22 minutes and finished with six points, six assists and five rebounds. He sat out the entire fourth quarter... Chris Kaman scored 17 for the Hornets, who have lost seven straight and 22 of 24. New Orleans made its last six shots, including Marco Belinelli’s 3-pointer with a second left, to narrowly surpass the club low of 65 points.

Nowitzki scores 25 in Mavs’ 105-95 win vs. Nuggets -- The AP reports: Dirk Nowitzki scored 25 points and the Dallas Mavericks snapped a three-game losing streak by beating the undermanned Denver Nuggets 105-95 on Wednesday night. Vince Carter added 17 points, and Shawn Marion and Rodrigue Beaubois added 13 points each for the Mavericks, who defeated Denver for the first time in five tries. Rudy Fernandez and Al Harrington each had 17 points off the bench to lead the Nuggets, who lost their fourth straight. Nene had 16 points and 10 rebounds and Ty Lawson had 16 points along with 10 assists for Denver. Arron Afflalo (left ankle) and Nene (left heel) returned to the Nuggets’ lineup after sitting out Monday night’s loss to Houston, but Denver was still without leading scorer Danilo Gallinari (left ankle), along with Timofey Mozgov (left ankle). Corey Brewer took a leave of absence to be with his family this week following the death of his father. Dallas was without Jason Kidd, who missed his sixth game because of a strained right calf. He remains day to day.

Bench leads Rockets to 103-96 win over Blazers -- Chase Budinger had 22 points off the bench and the Houston Rockets beat the Portland Trail Blazers 103-96 on Wednesday night. Houston lost starting guard Kyle Lowry to a right arm injury late in the third quarter and he did not return. The extent of the injury was not immediately known. Lowry had 12 points before he left. Courtney Lee finished with 16 as the Rockets’ bench accounted for 66 points. Houston led by as many as 19 for its second straight win on the road. The Rockets were coming off a 99-90 victory at Denver on Monday night. Jamal Crawford came off the bench to score 21 points for the Blazers, who rallied to tie the game at 77 on LaMarcus Aldridge’s dunk in the fourth quarter. But Portland could not pull ahead... Gerald Wallace added 20 points and nine rebounds for Portland while Aldridge, who scored 39 against the Thunder, was held to 13 points by the Rockets.

Now watch NBA video highlights of the above games. And discuss the action with other fans on the InsideHoops basketball message board.


NBA DAILY FOR WEDNESDAY, FEB. 8:
Recaps of NBA games played Tuesday

On Tuesday, Paul Pierce passed Larry Bird on the all-time scoring list, the Pacers stayed hot, LeBron's Heat handled the Cavs, the Thunder won despite 48 points from Monta Ellis, and more. Read on:

Granger leads Pacers past Jazz 104-99 -- The AP reports: Danny Granger sat at his locker, worn out and tired. He was dragging all day after taking medicine to help him get some rest, but it may have been too much for the Indiana Pacers forward. “It just slowed me down basically the whole time,” Granger said. “It was supposed to help me sleep, but it kept me groggy the whole day. I was waiting for it to wear off and I started the game and I still was kind of groggy.” He got energized just in time to score 12 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter to help lead the Pacers to a 104-99 win over the Utah Jazz on Saturday night... Darren Collison shot 10 of 14 from the floor and scored a game-high 25 points and added five assists for the Pacers, who bounced back from an 85-81 loss to the Orlando Magic and have never lost two in a row this season. Paul Millsap had 18 points and 10 rebounds, and Al Jefferson had 16 points and eight rebounds for the Jazz, who lost their second straight game at the end of a back-to-back... The Jazz took a 95-92 lead with 3:47 left and Roy Hibbert, who had 17 points and 10 rebounds, was fouled on a shot next to the post and went to the line to tie the game.

The Indianapolis Star reports: "The Pacers helped the Jazz get back in the game by missing 10 straight field goal attempts. "It was a combination of things," Vogel said. "We had a couple of plays at the rim where we didn't finish layups, we got a couple of bad calls and we lightened up a little bit on the defensive end." The teams exchanged the lead nine times over the next 4 minutes until the Pacers took the lead for good when Granger passed to Collison, who passed to Paul George for a 3-pointer. The Pacers went up 100-95 on a Collison 14-foot jumper with 50.6 seconds left. The Jazz missed three consecutive shots and committed two turnovers after the Pacers broke the 95-95 tie. "Our greatest weapon is what every team wants to have, that's the ability to move the ball, get the ball hopping and find the open man," Vogel said. "We have five guys that can put it in the hole. Tonight's fourth quarter was indicative of that."

Wade’s 26 helps Heat top Cavs, 107-91 -- The AP reports: One stingy defensive stretch was enough to carry the Miami Heat past LeBron James’ former team once again. Might have gotten the Heat prepped for a daunting road stretch as well. Dwyane Wade scored 26 points, James added 24 and the Heat said farewell to their home floor for nearly two weeks by beating the Cleveland Cavaliers 107-91 on Tuesday night. Miami’s lead was only a point late in the third quarter, before the Cavaliers missed 17 of their next 19 shots and the Heat finally pulled away... Chris Bosh finished with 15 points for the Heat, who have won 11 of their last 13 games and stayed within a game of Chicago in the Eastern Conference race, both teams tied in the loss column with six. Mario Chalmers and Udonis Haslem each scored 14 for Miami, which starts a stretch of five road games in seven nights at Orlando on Wednesday, then caps the six-game trip with a visit to Cleveland on Feb. 17... Antawn Jamison scored 25 points and had nine rebounds for Cleveland, which got 17 from Alonzo Gee, and 16 points, six rebounds and six assists from Kyrie Irving. Anderson Varejao had 11 points and 11 rebounds for the Cavaliers, who were outscored 29-19 in the fourth and got a 4 for 23 shooting night from their reserves.

The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports: "By the finish, it was a somewhat typical box score for the Heat, with Dwyane Wade scoring 26, LeBron James 24 and Chris Bosh 15. But Chalmers' 14 points were a needed counterbalance on a night the Heat came out feasting on points in the paint. "He gets a lot of open looks with this team," Spoelstra said. "Often times, he's wide open there from three, and he's making them pay." Chalmers entered eighth in the league in 3-point percentage, with the top 3-point percentage among players to attempt at least 100 3-pointers so far this season, well ahead of New Jersey Nets guard Anthony Morrow in that regard. "That's him putting in the time," Spoelstra said of Chalmers' upgraded accuracy from deep. "It's a residual of priming that pump for three and a half years."

Pierce passes Bird in Celtics’ win over Bobcats -- The AP reports: Paul Pierce knew what was on the line with every shot. The pressure was quite clear to Pierce and anyone else in the arena as he stood on the verge of passing Larry Bird for No. 2 on Boston’s career scoring list. He needed only 10 points to overtake Bird when the Celtics hosted Charlotte on Tuesday night and those final three seemed as if they would never come. They did early in the third quarter, then Pierce and the Celtics celebrated the milestone by increasing their season-best winning streak to five with a 94-84 win over the Bobcats... “It was a relief. So much was hanging over me the last couple of days. Just hearing about it and knowing that you’ve got a game to play,” said Pierce, who finished with 15 points... Pierce now stands alone at No. 2—and it is quite a list—with 21,797 points, six more than Bird’s total of 21,791. Only John Havlicek has scored more in team history with 26,395 points... Rajon Rondo added 14 assists and 10 points, Kevin Garnett scored 22 and Ray Allen finished with 17 points on a night that clearly belonged to the team captain known as “The Truth”—which Mickeal Pietrus had written in big letters on a towel he waved for Pierce... Derrick Brown went 10 for 10 from the field for 20 points for Charlotte, but the biggest shooter Tuesday was Pierce on what normally would have been an off shooting night for him.

The Boston Globe reports: "The Celtics turned in a ragged performance in beating the Charlotte Bobcats, 94-84, at TD Garden. Yet the result paled in comparison to the accomplishment. Pierce has transformed himself from a face of a declining and underachieving franchise to one of the game’s best small forwards, and Boston won a title in 2007-08. While his No. 34 would have risen to the rafters here even if he did not pass Bird, it was a symbolic achievement. Bird was the leader, the driving force behind the Celtics who beat Pierce’s hometown Lakers in 1984 as he grew up in Inglewood, Calif., just minutes from the Forum. Pierce went from Inglewood High to an All-American at the University of Kansas to a first-round pick of the Celtics in 1998. His journey in Boston has been filled with obstacles but his desire to remain with the Celtics never waned. And his face filled with humility as he attempted to address last night’s milestone. “It was a relief, so much was hanging over me the last couple of days just hearing about it,’’ said Pierce, who finished with 15 points (he now has 21,797 total) and added 9 assists and 8 rebounds. “So many people just talked about it. Definitely it’s a great feat knowing you are going to be up there with all the great Celtics. Larry Bird is probably one of the most important players to ever play in this franchise. To have your name up there with him is a great honor.’’

Pekovic, Wolves hold off Jimmer and Kings -- The AP reports: The way that DeMarcus Cousins has been playing lately, the Minnesota Timberwolves were looking like fools for passing on him in favor of Wes Johnson last year. The way Nikola Pekovic is emerging as a force in the middle is definitely softening that blow. Pekovic had 23 points and 10 rebounds, and Michael Beasley added 17 points and 14 boards to lead the Minnesota Timberwolves to an 86-84 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday night in their first game without the suspended Kevin Love. Ricky Rubio had 14 assists and five steals and Derrick Williams scored seven of his 14 points in the final four minutes to give the Timberwolves their third straight win... Pekovic held Cousins, who had 49 points and 39 rebounds in the previous two games, to 10 points on 3-for-13 shooting and 11 rebounds.

The St. Paul Pioneer Press reports: "Earlier this season I compared Pekovic to a tree. And not in a good way. It wasn't that at 6-11 Pekovic was tall like a tree. Or that he projected a certain calmness, a certain serenity like a tree. No, I was suggesting that Pek's mobility was very treelike. So was his nimbleness. I watched a couple of Ricky Rubio passes bounce off his head. I watched him swing to his right like a big ol' rusty gate, only to leave the basketball behind. He was a mighty oak, and just as fluid. I could have sworn he was much better suited to operating heavy machinery than to playing this graceful game. In fact, I envisioned him effortlessly and happily shoveling my driveway in exchange for some tea and biscuits. Who knew? Seriously, who saw this coming? For the past two weeks, Pekovic has been terrific. He's rebounding and scoring and, well, playing like a champion. With Darko Milicic fast becoming a physical wreck - and not that good even when he is fit as a fiddle - the Wolves would be lost without Pekovic. To me, he is the most pleasant surprise in a so-far surprising season."

Nash hits late layup, Suns beat Bucks 107-105 -- The AP reports: What a way for Steve Nash to celebrate his 38th birthday. It wasn’t a bad homecoming for Michael Redd, either. Nash hit a driving layup to give Phoenix the lead with 5 seconds left and Redd scored 14 points in his first game against his former team as the Suns beat the Milwaukee Bucks 107-105 on Tuesday. Nash dribbled near halfcourt for several seconds before making his move, hoping to create a chance to take the last shot—but not wanting to run out of time, either... Nash finished with 18 points and 11 assists. Marcin Gortat scored 21 points and Jared Dudley added 19 for the Suns, who have won three straight. Drew Gooden scored a season-high 25 for the Bucks, who lost their third in a row. Mike Dunleavy and Ersan Ilyasova added 17 points each for the Bucks. Brandon Jennings was held to three points—and only put up four shots in 28-plus minutes.

The Arizona Republic reports: "The Suns (11-14) return home with their first three-game win streak of the season, accomplishing the feat on their fourth game in a five-night span that covered three time zones. They also did it after losing a 21-point second-half lead. "I'm sure Vegas looks at that and says, 'Scheduling loss,' " said Nash, the NBA's fifth-oldest player. "For us to go from up 21 to down four, that was a pretty memorable win." The Suns had their best offensive half of the season with a 67-point first half but were outscored 27-4 during a 10-minute second half stretch to necessitate a late rally. Nash, who had 18 points and 11 assists, followed Channing Frye's block of a Drew Gooden 3-pointer by making a 3 late in the shot clock for a 103-101 lead with 2:05 to play. The Suns did not trail again. Twice, the Bucks (10-14) tied the score, the last giving the Suns possession with 44.7 seconds to go."

Durant’s shot lifts Thunder past Warriors 119-116 -- The AP reports: Kevin Durant came hard off the screen, took the pass and launched a jumper that banked off the glass and through the net. In a season already filled with late-game highlights and game-winning shots, Durant can’t miss even when he’s off the mark. The same might go for the Oklahoma City Thunder. It’s no surprise both are among the NBA’s best. Durant made the go-ahead bank shot with 14.2 seconds remaining and the league-leading Thunder overcame career performances by Monta Ellis and David Lee to beat the Golden State Warriors 119-116 on Tuesday night... Durant finished with 33 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists, and Russell Westbrook added 31 points and seven assists to give Oklahoma City its fourth win in five games. After rallying for a thrilling comeback at Portland a night earlier, the Thunder had to sweat out another frantic finish. Ellis scored a career-high 48 points, and Lee had 25 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists for his second career triple-double. Ellis and Brandon Rush both missed 3-pointers in the closing seconds to tie or take the lead.

The Oklahoman reports: "Westbrook, who did the heavy lifting offensively early on, added 31 points with seven assists. Daequan Cook made five of six 3-pointers for 17 points, and Harden added 19 points and seven assists off the bench. Obviously, with those numbers, offense wasn’t the issue. The Thunder’s defense was as deficient as it’s been all year. And even in victory, performances such as these can be troubling. Oklahoma City allowed the Warriors to break their own opponent high for points in a game, previously 109 in an 11-point loss in this same building on Jan. 27. And Golden State shot 55 percent, narrowly missing the opponent high for field-goal percentage (56.3 percent) set by Clippers inside the Staples Center on Jan. 30. For the fourth time in the past six games, the Thunder gave up at least 30 points in the opening period, yielding 35 to the Warriors."

Now watch NBA video highlights of the above games. And discuss the action with other fans on the InsideHoops basketball message board.



NBA DAILY FOR TUESDAY, FEB. 7:
Recaps of NBA games played Monday

Lin scores 28, carries short-handed Knicks again -- The AP reports: Mike D’Antoni shook his fists in the air as Jeremy Lin’s clutch shot fell through the net. It wasn’t just the basket that had D’Antoni giddy. It’s the feeling that he’s found the point guard who can get his offense running. “It’s fun, you can actually draw a play up and (say), this might work,” D’Antoni said. “So it was good.” Lin scored a career-high 28 points in his first career start, Steve Novak added a season-best 19, and the New York Knicks overcame the absence of Amare Stoudemire and early loss of Carmelo Anthony to beat the Utah Jazz 99-88 on Monday night... Al Jefferson scored 22 points in a disappointing effort for the Jazz, who may have lost their edge when they saw who the Knicks were missing... Jefferson grabbed only four rebounds in 35 minutes. Power forward Paul Millsap was limited to nine points on 3-of-10 shooting before fouling out.

Howard Beck of the New York Times reports: "With Lin running the point, the ball moved and the offense hummed, transforming the Knicks’ shoddy bench into a productive unit. The Knicks’ leaders, after Lin, were the seldom-used Steve Novak with 19 points, the much-maligned Jared Jeffries with 13 points and 8 rebounds, and Bill Walker with 11 points. Chandler, the last Knicks star standing, had 10 points and 7 rebounds in 22 minutes. “What Jeremy is doing is incredible,” Chandler said, “because he’s moving everybody to their natural positions. Nobody’s having to do anything that they’re not accustomed to doing.” The only blemish was in the turnover column, where Lin had eight, all in the second half — forgivable under the circumstances because he played all but 3 minutes 8 seconds of the game. “I’m riding him like freaking Secretariat,” Coach Mike D’Antoni said, laughing. “I was going to take him out, and he looked at me and said, ‘I don’t want to come out.’ ”

Marc Berman of the New York Post reports: "It was Lin’s night again as the Knicks moved to 10-15 and Lin played 45 hell-bent minutes, making coach Mike D’Antoni’s speedball make sense. He has become D’Antoni’s angel. “I’m riding him like freakin’ Secretariat,’’ D’Antoni cracked. Afterward, Lin admitted, “I’m tired. I can’t feel [my legs] right now. They’re in ice packs. Numb. A half-dozen Giants were in the house, but a new Cinderella story is brewing on Broadway. Lin, the first Chinese-American to play in the NBA and whom the Knicks claimed off waivers Dec. 26, was coming off a 25-point, seven-assist domination against the Nets’ Deron Williams Saturday and last night proved it was no fluke."

Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News reports: “Jeremy kind of settles everything and puts everything in perspective and we can build on that,” D’Antoni said. “It’s the second game. I don’t want to get too far ahead, but I am excited, He does give us a semblance of a team that can move the ball and get good shots.” And he has made the game fun for the Knicks, said Chandler, who jumped to his feet and cheered with the crowd when Lin converted a three-point play in the fourth. “I love it, it’s great to see a kid like that succeeding,” Chandler said. “It won’t happen every day. This is the NBA, teams will start to adjust to him. Sometimes he will be the facilitator, sometimes he will score. But it’s great to see a guy get an opportunity and just run with it.”

Paul leads Clippers past Magic in OT, 107-102 -- The AP reports: With all the expectations heaped on the Los Angeles Clippers following their offseason makeover, they hadn’t been faced with a major dose of adversity through the first part of the season. That is about to change. The Clippers overcame a 15-point first-half deficit and got 29 points and eight assists from Chris Paul to outlast the Orlando Magic 107-102 in overtime Monday night. But they may have lost one of the veteran cogs for the foreseeable future after guard Chauncey Billups left in the fourth quarter with a possible left Achilles injury... Griffin also added 18 points and 10 rebounds for the Clippers, who have won six of their last seven and snapped a nine-game losing streak to the Magic... Dwight Howard had 33 points and 14 rebounds, and Jason Richardson 20 points for the Magic. Orlando’s loss ended a three-game win streak. It came as point guard Jameer Nelson returned to the lineup and had 15 points and 12 assists after missing five consecutive games with concussion symptoms.

Wall, Young help Wizards beat Raptors 111-108 -- The AP reports: The Washington Wizards rarely win, and when they do, it’s a big deal—even if they blow an 18-point lead in the process. For the first three quarters, the Wizards dominated the Toronto Raptors, and in the fourth they nearly lost the game. In overtime, Washington held Toronto without a field goal and won 111-108 Monday night... Trevor Booker hit the first of two free throws with 6.7 seconds left. Young rebounded Booker’s miss, was fouled and hit the second of two free throws with 1.5 seconds left to make it 111-108. Linas Kleiza’s 3-point attempt at the buzzer fell short. John Wall led Washington with 31 points and in a 16-second sequence in overtime, he blocked two of Amir Johnson’s shots and Booker blocked another. Young had a season-high 29, Booker a season-high 19. Bayless and Kleiza both had a season-high 30 points for Toronto.

Williams rallies 76ers to 95-90 win over Lakers -- The AP reports: Kobe Bryant had his place in history. With “Beat L.A.!” echoing through a second straight sellout crowd, Lou Williams had his shot to remember. Williams nailed the go-ahead 3-pointer, scored 14 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter, and spoiled Bryant’s record-setting night while leading the Philadelphia 76ers to 95-90 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night... Bryant scored 24 of his 28 points in the first half. He passed former teammate Shaquille O’Neal and moved into fifth place on the NBA’s career scoring list. Bryant got 24 points in a hurry to pass O’Neal, but stumbled down the stretch and missed nine of his 10 shots in the fourth... Andrew Bynum had 20 points and 20 rebounds for the Lakers. Pau Gasol had 16 points and 11 rebounds. The Lakers fell to 3-9 on the road. The Sixers went 3-1 last week against a fierce lineup of Orlando

Nash has 24 points to lead Suns past Hawks 99-90 -- The AP reports: On the eve of his 38th birthday, Steve Nash showed he can still control a game. Nash had 24 points and 11 assists while missing only three shots, and the Phoenix Suns closed the third quarter with a 24-6 run and beat the Atlanta Hawks 99-90 on Monday night. Nash, whose birthday is Tuesday, made nine of 12 shots—including each of his four 3-pointers... Channing Frye, who had 19 points, said Nash doesn’t show his age on the court... After trailing by 16 in the second quarter, the Hawks recovered to trail only 60-58 after back-to-back 3-pointers by Joe Johnson and Josh Smith in the third period. Nash had another 3 before the shot clock expired to help the Suns launch the decisive run to lead 84-64 entering the final period. Smith had 18 points, and Johnson had 17.

Boozer scores 24 points, Bulls beat Nets 108-87 -- The AP reports: Even without Derrick Rose, the Chicago Bulls were too much for the New Jersey Nets. The reigning league MVP played less than 11 minutes in the first half of the Bulls’ easy 108-87 win over the Nets on Monday night. “I feel all right, just back spasms,” Rose said. “It’s nothing to worry about. Tomorrow we have a day off and I’ll get treatment,” Rose said. “I’ll get a massage and hopefully I can play the next game.” Carlos Boozer scored 24 points for the Bulls, Luol Deng scored 19 points and C.J. Watson added 14 points and 10 assists in place of Rose... Deron Williams scored 25 points for the Nets, who only dressed nine players.

Parker, Duncan lead Spurs past Grizzlies 89-84 -- The AP reports: Tony Parker appreciates San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich’s conservation plan. During this condensed NBA season, Parker said Popovich is rarely allowing anyone play more than 40 minutes, a strategy that contributed to the Spurs’ 89-84 victory Monday night over the Memphis Grizzlies. Parker, playing 36 minutes, scored 21 points, and Tim Duncan added 19 points and a season-high 17 rebounds in 32 minutes... Memphis, minus Zach Randolph indefinitely and Tony Allen the past two games, was forced to use starters Rudy Gay, Marc Gasol and Mike Conley for 40-plus minutes. Gasol had 22 points to lead the Grizzlies, while Conley scored 19 and Gay 18... Parker said Duncan has been playing at a high level recently. It was Duncan’s second straight double-double. He had 13 points and 15 rebounds Saturday in a win over Oklahoma City.

Cousins leads Kings back against Hornets, 100-92 -- The AP reports: After digging themselves a hole 18 points deep with poor shooting and porous defense, DeMarcus Cousins and the Sacramento Kings avoided the temptation to bicker with one another. Coach Keith Smart hoped it was a sign of a young team maturing and pulling together... Cousins finished with 28 points and 19 rebounds, and Sacramento stormed back for a 100-92 victory over the slumping New Orleans Hornets on Monday night. Tyreke Evans scored 11 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter, when Sacramento took its first lead on Marcus Thornton’s free throw with 6:24 left. Isaiah Thomas scored 17, including a 31-foot rainbow late in the shot clock that gave the Kings a 94-88 lead with 2:15 to go... Greivis Vasquez tied a season high with 20 points and Marco Belinelli scored 18 points for the Hornets, who have led numerous games in the second half only to fade down the stretch. Emeka Okafor scored a season-high 19 points, while Chris Kaman added 10 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks in his return from a weeklong absence while the Hornets tried to trade him.

Scola leads Rockets past hurting Nuggets 99-90 -- The AP reports: The Denver Nuggets began the night without three starters and a backup. They ended it by watching rising star forward Danilo Gallinari hobble out of the Pepsi Center on crutches in a walking boot after a dispiriting 99-90 loss to the Houston Rockets. “Nervous. Nervous that I’m going to be out for a while,” Gallinari said of his reaction to getting hurt in the third quarter, when he stepped on a defender and badly twisted his left ankle. X-rays revealed a chip fracture of the foot... Luis Scola scored 25 points and Kyle Lowry added 20 for the Rockets, who handed the Nuggets their third straight loss and fifth defeat in six games. Chase Budinger had 16 points on the strength of five 3-pointers, his last one giving Houston a seven-point lead with a minute left that sealed the Rockets’ fourth road win in 12 tries.

NBA-best Thunder beat Blazers 111-107 in OT -- The AP reports: A satisfying victory for Oklahoma City was a head-scratcher for Portland. Kevin Durant had 33 points, including a dunk with 2.9 seconds left in overtime, and the Thunder defeated the Trail Blazers 111-107 on Monday night. But the focus of the game fell on a goaltending call on Blazers forward LaMarcus Aldridge with 6 seconds left in regulation that tied the game at 103 and would send it into overtime... Russell Westbrook added 28 points and 11 rebounds for the Thunder, who upped their NBA-best record to 19-5 (.792). Oklahoma City outscored the deflated Blazers 8-4 in overtime to clinch it... Crawford, who finished with 17 points, hit a 3-pointer that put Portland ahead 26-21 in the first quarter.

Now watch NBA video highlights of the above games. And discuss the action with other fans on the InsideHoops basketball message board.


NBA DAILY FOR MONDAY, FEB. 6:
Recaps of NBA games played Sunday

Garnett carries Celtics to 4th straight win -- The AP reports: Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers could see that Kevin Garnett was looking and feeling spry. Running the floor and looking strong on the glass, the 35-year-old Garnett matched his season-high with 24 points and grabbed nine rebounds to lead the Celtics to their fourth straight win, a 98-80 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday... Garnett was 9 of 12 from the field, including his third 3-pointer of the season on three tries. He hit one in Friday’s win over New York... Paul Pierce scored 21 points, moving nine behind Hall of Famer Larry Bird for second place on the club’s all-time list, and Ray Allen added 12. Rajon Rondo had 14 assists and reserve Chris Wilcox chipped in with 12 points... Rudy Gay paced the Grizzlies with 21 points and seven rebounds, and O.J. Mayo scored 15 points for Memphis, which has lost six of eight... Rivers said F Brandon Bass was out with “swelling of the knee.” Rivers didn’t make it sound like it was serious.

The Memphis Commercial Appeal reports: As the game began to turn lopsided due to Boston’s 21-9 run to start the fourth, it was clear that Memphis — playing without an injured Tony Allen — had met its match defensively. Memphis shot just 36.8 percent and scored fewer than 20 points in each quarter except the third. Their largest deficit was 23. “Ray Allen hit that corner three and we couldn’t really recover. We were fighting back ever since then,” said Conley, the Grizzlies’ point guard. “We just couldn’t get rolling.” Boston, however, dictated pace by controlling the boards. The Celtics enjoyed numerous fast breaks with point guard Rajon Rondo serving up 14 assists. Garnett had 24 points and Paul Pierce chipped in 21 for the Celtics. Rudy Gay’s 21 points led the Griz, who lost for the sixth time in eight games. “We turned them over, but we couldn’t get easy transition buckets,” Griz coach Lionel Hollins said. “They got back on defense and forced us to play half court, and they did a good job half court defensively.”

James, Heat hold back Raptors, 95-89 -- The AP reports: LeBron James took a hard foul and clearly was not happy. So the next time he saw the ball, he made sure no Toronto player could reach him. James’ steal and dunk with just more than two minutes left gave Miami some breathing room, and the Heat held on to defeat the Toronto Raptors 95-89 on Sunday. James finished with 30 points and Dwyane Wade added 25 for the Heat (18-6), who won for the 10th time in its last 12 games and moved within one game of Chicago (20-6) for the best record in the Eastern Conference... Chris Bosh scored 12 points against his former team, which saw a 15-point edge trimmed to three in the final minutes but never surrendered the lead. Mario Chalmers added 11 for Miami. DeMar DeRozan scored 25 for the Raptors, who got 17 apiece from Jerryd Bayless and Linas Kleiza... James—who leads the NBA in first-quarter scoring this season (9.1 points a game)—got off to another big start, making his first five shots and scoring 12 points in the opening quarter. He’s now shooting just under 60 percent in first quarters this season.

The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports: The Heat, despite shooting 68 percent in the first quarter, led just 53-48 at halftime. "We came into this game knowing we wouldn't be able to take any shortcuts and it would be a work game," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "We would have to work the game for 48 minutes. We knew we would face a lot of zone. ? We will take this win and move on." The Heat were able to stay ahead thanks to free throws. They finished 29 of 34 from the foul line while the Raptors attempted just 21. "For whatever reason, they shot 34 free throws, we shot 21," Raptors coach Dwane Casey said. "I told our guys to keep driving in the first quarter. We are getting there. I think everyone is seeing that we are playing hard, competing on every play and aggressive going to the basket. We will get it ? and will get some of those calls." It wasn't until the third quarter before the Heat played like their focus was on the Raptors. It was the second straight year they played on the day of the Super Bowl. The Heat finally were able to break the game open late in the third quarter when guard Mario Chalmers hit consecutive 3-pointers.

The Toronto Star reports: “I liked our disposition. I like the way we approached it. I liked the way we competed,” said coach Dwane Casey. Casey would have liked it a lot better had the Raptors not committed a handful of egregious turnovers in a game-deciding third quarter. That was their downfall, as it turned out — eight turnovers that led to nine Heat points. It allowed Miami to stretch a five-point halftime lead to 13 heading into the final quarter and that was more than enough. “I don’t think it was a lack of disposition in the third quarter. It was our decisions in the third quarter,” said Casey. “A couple of our decisions in the zone gave up a couple of threes that hurt us on the defensive end. “We wanted to make the easy pass, simple plays, and when you make chance passes against this team it really hurts you. I thought that’s what broke our backs.”

Now watch NBA video highlights of the above games. And discuss the action with other fans on the InsideHoops basketball message board.


NBA DAILY FOR SUNDAY, FEB. 5:
Recaps of NBA games played Saturday

Howard scores 27, Magic beat Pacers 85-81 -- The AP reports: Shut out of a hotel by the Super Bowl, the Orlando Magic had to fly in from Cincinnati on Saturday before the game. It didn’t produce much in the way of attractive basketball, though the Magic could have done worse. Their ugly win could have been an ugly loss. Dwight Howard had 27 points and eight rebounds to lead the Orlando Magic to an 85-81 win over the Indiana Pacers on Saturday night... Danny Granger had 19 points and seven rebounds and Tyler Hansbrough had 17 points and seven rebounds for the Pacers, who have lost two of three to the Magic in less than two weeks... Jason Richardson scored 17 points and Ryan Anderson scored 12 for the Magic, who have won three straight... A slight scuffle broke out late in the third quarter. Granger was getting ready to inbound the ball in front of the Magic’s bench when Quentin Richardson, who was in the game at the time, appeared to confront Granger.

The Orlando Sentinel reports: "The Magic beat the Indiana Pacers 85-81 in an intense, physical, entertaining game that featured an avalanche of technical fouls, turnovers and clutch late free throws. It was the kind of gritty road win that maybe, just maybe, will give Orlando some greatly needed momentum. "It was huge," shooting guard Jason Richardson said. "Coming off playing nine games in 13 days and the travel we had today, this is a big game. We just battled. It wasn't pretty, but we fought." The Magic won their third consecutive game and perhaps regained some of the confidence they had ended January with four straight losses. "It's very rewarding," Anderson said. "This is a great team, a great home team, and it was a battle the whole game."

Griffin nearly gets triple-double in Clippers rout -- The AP reports: Blake Griffin fell two assists shy of a triple-double, and he didn’t even play in the fourth quarter. It was that kind of dominating night for the Los Angeles Clippers, who rebounded from a disappointing loss in a big way, jumping on the Washington Wizards early and cruising to a 107-81 win. Griffin had 21 points, 11 rebounds and tied a season-high with eight assists to lead Los Angeles, but he was hardly the only Clippers player to pile up big numbers. DeAndre Jordan shot 9 for 11 from the field for 18 points and had 11 rebounds. Mo Williams had 17 points and eight assists. The Clippers outrebounded Washington 53-32 and had a 32-17 advantage in assists... John Wall and Nick Young each scored 14 points for the Wizards, which were also coming off an even-more-disappointing-than-usual game, a 106-89 loss at Toronto on Friday night.

The Los Angeles Times reports: "It helped that the Clippers had five players score in double figures, led by Blake Griffin, who almost had a triple-double without playing in the fourth quarter. He had 21 points on 10-for-14 shooting, 11 rebounds and eight assists. Chris Paul scored a season-low two points, missing eight of his nine shots, but he handed out seven assists. But Paul and Griffin gave the crowd what they wanted right away, with the point guard throwing a lob to Griffin for a one-handed dunk early in the first quarter. Griffin had a breakaway dunk later in the quarter when Chris Singleton unwisely tried to chase down the Clippers forward, but instead got dunked on while committing a foul."

Irving leads Cavs over Mavericks -- The AP reports: One spectacular late-game layup in a week wasn’t enough for rookie Kyrie Irving. So, the cool-as-ice kid dropped in another. Irving made a driving layup in traffic with 15.8 seconds left—one similar to the shot he made last Sunday in Boston—to give the Cleveland Cavaliers a 91-88 win Saturday night over the Dallas Mavericks, who were unable to stop the 19-year-old sensation when it mattered most... Irving, who has shown a knack for last-second drama in his first season, finished with 20 points, 7 assists and just one turnover in 36 minutes. Anderson Varejao added 17 points and 17 rebounds for the Cavs, who outscored the Mavericks 10-3 over the final 4:13... Dirk Nowitzki scored 24 points for Dallas and passed Elgin Baylor for 22nd place on the NBA’s scoring list. But the Mavericks didn’t score a field goal in the final 4:13, missing five shots and making one turnover. They won’t get a chance to redeem themselves until Wednesday at Denver.

The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports: "The Cavs entered the night as the league’s lowest-scoring team in the second quarter averaging 20.3 points. It was a stat that Scott was painfully aware of. This time, their best players led the way after a brutal first quarter. Irving was 4-of-6 with 10 points after missing his first five shots. Antawn Jamison added nine points after missing his first six shots. Ramon Sessions added three assists. “About time, huh?” Scott said of a good second quarter. The night’s two most underrated buckets came from the Cavs other rookie, Mychel Thompson. He hit a pair of 3-pointers in the first two-plus minutes of the third quarter – one of their best of the season. The Cavaliers outscored the Mavs, 27-13, and took a six-point lead into the final 12 minutes."

Lin’s career night leads Knicks over Nets, 99-92 -- The AP reports: Jeremy Lin cut through the Nets’ defense all night before he was finally surrounded. As teammates hugged him at center court while Pearl Jam’s “Jeremy” blasted through the arena, it was clear the New York Knicks had finally found a spark. And even the Harvard-educated Lin struggled to explain how it ended up being him... Lin scored a career-high 25 points and the Knicks salvaged the finale of a back-to-back-to-back set by the New Jersey Nets 99-92 on Saturday night... Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler each added 17 points for the Knicks, who won for just the third time in 14 games. They fell just short in losses to Chicago and Boston over the last two nights before picking up a much-needed victory Saturday. Williams had 21 points and 11 assists but shot 7 of 19 for the Nets, while Kris Humphries added 20 points and 12 rebounds.

The New York Daily News reports: "Maybe Lin saved Mike D’Antoni’s neck, too. Maybe it was never on the chopping block. It all depends on what Jim Dolan is thinking and nobody knows, despite what they’re cranking out on the rumor mill these days. Rest assured, Dolan isn’t sharing his thoughts with anyone on his coach. Not a soul. However desperately D’Antoni needed a win, he’ll take it. Afterward, he tried to caution everyone who was turning Lin into the NBA’s Tim Tebow. Yes, it’s one game. No, Lin isn’t going to Springfield. But on a night when Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire looked like they were out of gas, playing their third game in three nights, Lin was exactly what the Knicks needed. “Down the stretch I didn’t do a good job of containing Jeremy Lin,’’ Williams said. That’s something we thought we’d never hear. Nor did we ever think we’d see a playmaker for the Knicks run an offense halfway decently. Not after seeing Toney Douglas regress, Iman Shumpert show he’s a rookie and Mike Bibby prove his best days are behind him.

Love leads T-Wolves past Rockets 100-91 -- The AP reports: The Minnesota Timberwolves are mediocre. Considering how bad they have been in recent years, it’s a huge accomplishment. Love scored 25 points and grabbed 18 rebounds to lead the Timberwolves over Kevin McHale’s Houston Rockets 100-91 on Saturday night, pushing Minnesota’s record to 12-12... Aside from the incident, Scola also had a memorable game offensively with 24 points. Kyle Lowry had 24 points and 11 assists, but Kevin Martin scored a season-low two points on 1-for-10 shooting... Rubio had 13 points and 11 assists for Minnesota. Luke Ridnour added 22 points for the Wolves, who won for the fifth time in seven games.

The St. Paul Pioneer Press reports: "Kevin Love used his size-19 left foot to step on the face of Houston forward Luis Scola after Scola had fallen to the floor in a battle during a tense third quarter. In the fourth quarter, after almost blowing an 18-point lead in the third, the Wolves fought off a Rockets rally with two key offensive rebounds from center Nikola Pekovic and three-point baskets from Love and Luke Ridnour. Not only did the Wolves show mental toughness to hold off Kevin McHale and his Rockets, Love led the way in delivering the "first blow" that was missing in Wednesday night's loss to the Pacers. "Indiana, they punched first and we didn't respond," Wolves guard Ricky Rubio said. "We learned from that and we got the victory." The tough-guy response gave the 12-12 Wolves their first .500 record this season and first in February since they were 27-27 on Feb. 17, 2005. The Wolves had failed twice this season to reach the elusive .500 mark and finally got it done with an in-your-face mentality."

Jazz send Lakers to another road loss, 96-87 -- The AP reports: Riding adrenaline and some modern treatment on his sprained ankle, Earl Watson took a close game and broke it open for Utah. He keyed a clinching 14-0 fourth quarter run to help the Jazz beat the Los Angeles Lakers 96-87 Saturday night. “You don’t really notice because you are lost in the game,” Watson said. “The emotion takes over.” Al Jefferson scored 18 points and Paul Millsap had 16... Watson scored eight points and had six assists in the fourth quarter as the Jazz beat the Lakers for the first time in three tries this season... Kobe Bryant scored 26 points and Gasol had 24 points and 16 rebounds but the Lakers dropped to 3-8 on the road.

The Los Angeles Times reports: "Coach Mike Brown appeared to bump a referee in disgust over a no-call early in the fourth quarter and was ejected. His replacement, assistant John Kuester, picked up a technical foul shortly thereafter. The technical difficulties were part of an epic meltdown in which the Lakers surrendered 14 consecutive points to the Utah Jazz on the way to an emotionally charged 96-87 loss Saturday night at EnergySolutions Arena. Brown was miffed after Utah guard Earl Watson mugged Lakers forward Pau Gasol on a steal that led to a dunk by Derrick Favors that gave the Jazz a 74-68 lead with 8 minutes 37 seconds left in the game. The Lakers coach then charged onto the court and appeared to make contact with referee Zach Zarba, earning two technical fouls and his first ejection of the season. "I thought [Watson] ran through him to get to the ball," Brown said after watching a replay in the locker room."

Parker’s 42 powers Spurs past NBA-best Thunder -- The AP reports: Tony Parker wasn’t playing for an All-Star invitation. He made a strong case just the same. Putting together his most dazzling game in three years—and doing it against the NBA’s hottest team, no less—Parker scored 42 points and became the all-time franchise assists leader for the San Antonio Spurs in a 107-96 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday night. His nine assists moved him past Avery Johnson in Spurs history, but this night wasn’t about his passing. Parker joined Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, Anthony Morrow and LeBron James as the only NBA players to eclipse 40 points in a game this season... All-Star Kevin Durant had 22 points and 11 rebounds for Oklahoma City (18-5), which was headed for its first blowout loss of the season before closing a 24-point deficit in the fourth. The convincing win over the NBA’s winningest team was just the springboard San Antonio needed before spending next three weeks on the road—where the Spurs have hardly been as dominant... Parker was 16 of 29 from the floor, made 10 of 12 free throws and upped his scoring average to 18 points.

The San Antonio Express-News reports: "In a compressed season caused by the lockout, Parker has never played better on a consistent basis. He’s averaging 18 points and a career-high 7.6 assists. His minutes played are more than three per game more than any of his teammates. His game Saturday night was his most impressive as the season. Taking advantage of Gregg Popovich’s confidence to shoot more, Parker torched Oklahoma City for 42 points on 29 shots. And for good measure, he contributed nine assists with no turnovers. His pass to Duncan with 4:56 left in the third quarter broke the franchise’s assist record. It prompted a quick 20-second time out from the Spurs that gave Parker a chance to bask in the adulation of San Antonio fans as the AT&T Center’s spotlights shone on him before he returned back to the court. At the end of his career, Parker deserves to have his jersey lifted to the rafters of the facility. And before then, more cheers like Saturday night and maybe even a berth in the All-Star game later this month in Orlando are richly earned."

Batum scores 33 points to help Blazers top Nuggets -- The AP reports: Nicolas Batum woke up hoping his injured knee would allow him to play. As it happened, he set a Trail Blazers record with nine 3-pointers and scored a career-high 33 points to help Portland beat the Denver Nuggets 117-97 Saturday night... LaMarcus Aldridge added 29 points for Portland, which Gerald Wallace had 17 points and Marcus Camby had 20 rebounds for Portland. Batum made a career-high nine 3-pointers, the most in an NBA game this season and a franchise record for the Blazers. Danilo Gallinari had 20 points and Ty Lawson and Kosta Koufos each added 16 to lead the Nuggets, who have lost four of their last five, including 93-89 Friday night to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Deng scores 21 in return from injury -- The AP reports: Derrick Rose knows how important Luol Deng is to the Chicago Bulls. Rose scored 26 points and had 13 assists and Deng added 21 points in his return after missing seven games due to injury, as the Chicago Bulls easily beat the Milwaukee Bucks 113-90 Saturday night... Kyle Korver had 18 points, Joakim Noah had 14 points and C.J. Watson added 13 for Chicago... Drew Gooden scored a season-high 24 points. Rookie Tobias Harris was the only other Bucks player in double figures with 19 points.

Robin Lopez sparks Suns past Bobcats 95-89 -- The AP reports: Phoenix Suns center Robin Lopez has become a forgotten man since scoring 21 points on opening night. Saturday night he reminded everyone what he’s capable of doing. Lopez scored nine consecutive points to spark a 12-2 run starting the fourth quarter and the Suns rallied to beat Charlotte 95-89, the Bobcats’ 11th consecutive loss... Michael Redd scored 17 points in his first start in nearly two years, Lopez finished with 13 and Marcin Gortat added 12 points and 12 rebounds for the Suns, who have won two of three. Kemba Walker had 22 points and Reggie Williams added 11 for the Bobcats, but combined for only four in the fourth quarter... Phoenix was without starting guard Jared Dudley, who was out with a thigh bruise.

Thornton, Evans lead Kings over Warriors in OT -- The AP reports: DeMarcus Cousins pulled his Sacramento Kings teammates together just prior to overtime and passionately let them know what needed to be done. Play together, urged the second-year center. And that’s just what the Kings did, putting aside the somewhat selfish play that has been prevalent much of the season. Marcus Thornton scored 28 points and Tyreke Evans had 26 points and nine assists to help the Sacramento Kings beat the Golden State Warriors 114-106 in overtime Saturday night. Cousins was a huge factor with 21 points and a career-high 20 rebounds in helping the Kings win consecutive games for only the second time all season. His impassioned speech heading into overtime didn’t hurt, either... Dorrell Wright scored 24 points for Golden State, which made a season-high 16 3-pointers. Nate Robinson had 20 points, Monta Ellis scored 18, Klay Thompson had 16, and Stephen Curry finished with 11.

Vucevic leads 76ers past Hawks, 98-87 -- The AP reports: The Sixers are making the NBA’s lockout-induced compressed schedule a vehicle to show off their superior depth and resiliency. Playing without Elton Brand and facing one of the Eastern Conference’s top five teams for the second straight night, Philadelphia had double figures from each of its four bench players to overwhelm the Atlanta Hawks 98-87 Saturday night. Rookie Nikola Vucevic set a career high with 15 points to lead six Philadelphia scorers in double figures. The Sixers dodged back-to-back losses once again one night after Friday night’s disappointing 99-79 home loss to Miami... Brand sprained his right thumb when it was caught in a jersey in the loss to Miami. Rookie Lavoy Allen of Temple made his first career start and had four points and four rebounds as the fill-in for Brand. Vucevic, one of the high-scoring reserves, made 7 of 10 shots from the field. Thaddeus Young and Williams each had 14 points and Evan Turner added 11 off the bench... Jeff Teague had 21 points to lead Atlanta.

Monroe scores 24, Pistons edge Hornets 89-87 -- The AP reports: Greg Monroe and Walker D. Russell Jr. made up for the loss of Brandon Knight. Monroe had 24 points and 16 rebounds and the Detroit Pistons beat the New Orleans Hornets 89-87 Saturday in a matchup of two of the NBA’s worst teams. It was the seventh double-double in eight games for Monroe, whose elbow was partially responsible for Knight’s injury... Rodney Stuckey added 17 for Detroit (6-20), which won consecutive games for the second time this season and had five scorers in double figures... New Orleans (4-20) lost its fifth straight. Trevor Ariza led the Hornets with 26.

Now watch NBA video highlights of the above games. And discuss the action with other fans on the InsideHoops basketball message board.