The 2012-13 Basketball Season Is Here

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Anthony's 9 3s, 42 points lead Knicks over Hawks



NEW YORK (AP) Carmelo Anthony was so locked in, he didn't even realize how far he was shooting from.

Those 3-pointers put him in the record book. A drive to the basket put the Knicks back in the win column.

Anthony tied a franchise record with nine 3-pointers, then converted a go-ahead, three-point play with 12.5 seconds left to cap a 42-point night and lead New York to a 106-104 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday.

The Hawks shot a season-high 60 percent from the field but had their three-game winning streak snapped when Josh Smith, burned on Anthony's basket, missed a 3-pointer on Atlanta's final possession.

Anthony wasn't aware of the record, but he clearly knew his shot was on. So did the Hawks, and Smith may have been expecting a jumper on the last possession and was caught flat-footed when Anthony went right by him.

"It was just a matter of me just taking them shots and making them,'' Anthony said. "I know I'm capable of making them, but when I'm making them from the outside, from the perimeter, it opens up the game that much more, for myself, for my teammates, and that's what happened tonight.''

Amare Stoudemire and J.R. Smith each had 18 points for the Knicks, who were 16 of 27 (59 percent) from 3-point range. Raymond Felton had 12 points and 10 assists in his second game back after a 10-game absence with a broken right pinky.

Jeff Teague scored 27 points for the Hawks. Smith added 20 and Al Horford had 16.

Anthony matched the Knicks' record for 3-pointers held by John Starks, Latrell Sprewell (twice) and Toney Douglas. He also tied Richie Guerin's franchise record with his 29th straight 20-point game. He pulled up for the final one during a streak of three in a row in the first half from the "G' in the wording "Madison Square Garden'' - a good 4 feet behind the line.

"One of them heat check shots at that time,'' he said, claiming he was unaware where he was standing and using the term for a player launching from extremely deep or extremely quickly to test how hot he really is.

Asked if he'd ever made 10 3s in a game, Anthony responded by asking how many he made last summer in the Olympics.

Indeed, he was 10 of 12 in a 37-game point game against Nigeria - not exactly a quality team such as the Hawks.

His biggest basket came nowhere near the arc.

The Knicks came out of a timeout down by one and Anthony found Smith on him after he was played much of the final period by DeShawn Stevenson, a rugged defender who had frustrated him into a potentially costly technical foul.

Anthony blew by Smith to the left, getting fouled as he laid the ball in.

"He took what the defense gave him,'' Felton said. "Josh Smith kind of lifted his leg a little bit and then he attacked the back leg, got to the basket and got the and-one. He's been doing a great job of finishing games for us and closing out and hitting big shots.''

The ensuing free throw made it 106-104 and Anthony nearly came up with a steal on Atlanta's final possession, but the ball deflected out to Smith, who had a good look that was long.

"It was a good look. It just didn't go down,'' Smith said. "It was really a back-and-forth game. For us to be able to have a chance at making a game-winning shot or a tying field goal towards the end of that game (with) how well they shot the 3, lets us know that we had a pretty good basketball game ourselves. We just fell a little short.''

A night after an ugly 97-80 loss, the Knicks had no problems on offense, though could never get much cushion against the speedy Hawks.

Anthony was poked in the eye by Stevenson with 1:51 left, and responded by angrily slamming the ball to the court, leaving the officials with no choice but to call the technical foul. Kyle Korver made the free throw to give Atlanta a 102-101 lead.

Anthony then missed a jumper, but Stoudemire was fouled and made two free throws. Horford scored on an alley-oop eight seconds later, setting the stage for Anthony's final basket.

The All-Star forward finished 15 of 28 from the field and was 9 of 12 behind the arc in his fourth 40-point game this season.

"It's difficult, because he can make the 3-pointer and he's also fast,'' Horford said. "He has a first step, like we say in the league, it's a quick first step and explosive. He's a good player.''

Leading 27-25 after one, the Knicks ran off the first nine points of the second quarter, getting a pair of 3-pointers from Pablo Prigioni to open a 36-25 advantage. The Hawks wiped all of that away in about six minutes, but Anthony steadied the Knicks with three 3-pointers in the final 2:50. It was 52-all at halftime.

Anthony then hit five 3s in a 17-point third quarter, his final one making it 82-74. The Knicks needed all his offense to build a lead, with the Hawks making 9 of 13 shots (69 percent) in the period.

NOTES: Knicks guard Jason Kidd sat out the second half. The Knicks said the 39-year-old was just being rested. ... Because of Rajon Rondo's torn ACL, he will need to be replaced on the Eastern Conference All-Star team, and Hawks coach Larry Drew hopes Commissioner David Stern looks at Smith or Horford. "No doubt about it. I think both of my guys have been overlooked,'' Drew said. "It's unfortunate what happened to Rondo, but certainly my guys should be in consideration. Strong consideration.'' ... The Knicks acknowledged Tyson Chandler's All-Star selection during a first-half timeout. With Anthony voted to start, it's the first time the Knicks have had two players picked since Allan Houston and Sprewell in 2001.

 

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Celts top Heat 100-98 in 2 OT; Rondo out for year



BOSTON (AP) A double-overtime victory against LeBron James and the defending NBA champions was difficult to celebrate for Paul Pierce and the Celtics.

News of Rajon Rondo's season-ending knee injury spoiled the party.

"Everyone was really happy for the win,'' Pierce said after Boston beat the Miami Heat 100-98 Sunday. "It brought a dark cloud in this room when you heard the news.''

When coach Doc Rivers told his players after the game, the joy of ending their six-game losing streak stopped, even if they had just outlasted the team with the best record in the Eastern Conference, which came in with a four-game winning streak.

Now the Celtics must try to keep winning without their leader, who suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee late in Friday night's 123-112 loss, also in double overtime, in Atlanta.

They won Sunday after Pierce's 22-foot jumper with 31 seconds left gave them a 99-98 lead.

But making the playoffs got harder as the Celtics try to hang on to the eighth and final postseason spot in the conference with a 2 1-2-game lead over the Philadelphia 76ers.

"Obviously, the Rondo news is pretty tough. I knew it before the game,'' Rivers said. "I just didn't think it was any time to tell any of our guys.''

This game was the first in Boston for Ray Allen since he left the Celtics after five seasons and signed as a free agent with Miami. He scored 21 points.

Kevin Garnett had 24 points and 11 rebounds, and Pierce added 17 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists for the Celtics.

Rondo's injury "puts this team and the rest of the guys in a position to be ready to step up,'' Pierce said. Sunday's win "was a perfect example. We showed we are capable.''

James had 34 points for the Heat, whose winning streak stopped at four.

"As much as I've been a rival with Boston over the years, I never want to see anyone go down,'' James said. "It's terrible, not only for their team but for the league.''

After Pierce's basket, James had a chance to put the Heat ahead but missed a 12-foot jumper with 6.8 seconds to go from the left with defender Jeff Green jumping out at him. Pierce got the rebound and was fouled by Shane Battier.

He sank the first shot. Then, as a fan shouted "This one's for Rondo,'' he missed the second.

Miami had one last chance, but Battier missed a long jumper at the buzzer.

"They defended that very well,'' Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "There are about three different options to it, four different options to it. They defended each one of them.''

The Heat also could have won in the first overtime, but Dwyane Wade, who had 17 points, also missed a long jumper as the buzzer sounded. They had led 93-89 after consecutive baskets by James, but Garnett hit a layup with 1:45 remaining and a shot from the right baseline with 1:14 to go.

Boston could have avoided the first overtime when Pierce inbounded from behind his backboard with two seconds left to Jason Terry. But Terry's shot from the top of the key was short. The Heat had tied it on a 3-pointer by James with seven seconds remaining in regulation after Allen missed a 3-pointer from the left corner with 15 seconds to go.

Rivers did not mention Rondo's injury in his meeting with reporters about an hour before the game, but Courtney Lee started in his place. Doctors decided to keep Rondo out of the game after he went through his normal pregame routine but complained of pain that he thought was in his hamstring. An MRI was done and team physician Dr. Brian McKeon learned the results during the game.

Allen was part of the Big Three with Pierce and Garnett starting in 2007-08. In their first season together, Boston won its 17th NBA championship. He played against the Celtics once before this season, a 120-107 Heat win in Miami in the opener.

The crowd gave Allen a standing ovation when highlights of his career with the Celtics were shown on the video board above center court during a timeout with 5:33 left in the first quarter. At the Miami bench, he raised his left hand in recognition.

"When I saw it, just all those emotions came streaming back from all the great things we did here,'' Allen said. "I'll always be a Celtic in my mind.''

Allen entered the game about a minute after the tribute and was booed when he touched the ball. The boos came down again when he took two free throws - missing the first, making the second - three minutes into the second quarter.

Allen went back into the game with 30 seconds left in the first half with the score tied at 43 and made a layup with 16 seconds to go. But Pierce sank a driving layup with 4.3 seconds remaining to tie it 45-45 at halftime.

"What happened to Ray is never good for this franchise,'' Pierce said, "but it wasn't about Ray. It was about us playing the defending champs.''

It was Miami's first game in Boston since it won Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals behind James' 45 points.

Early in the second half, James hit a pair of 3-pointers from the same spot on the left, putting the Heat in front 51-48. The Celtics rallied and led 64-61 with 1:49 remaining in the third quarter. But the Heat scored the last seven points of the period on a jumper by Norris Cole, a free throw by Allen and two 15-footers by James and led 68-64 going into the fourth.

Notes: James and Chris Bosh each had 16 rebounds for the Heat. The last time the Celtics played consecutive double-overtime games was on March 11 and 13, 1951.

 

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Celtics vs Heat highlights

Celtics defeat Heat without Rondo, but he's out for the year.

 

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Grizzlies rally from 17 down to beat 76ers 103-100



PHILADELPHIA (AP) Rudy Gay to Toronto. Rudy Gay to Boston. It's easier to count the teams who don't covet Gay.

But as long as he's still with Memphis, Gay is doing what he can to help the Grizzlies win.

Gay scored 26 points and scored the winning basket off his own rebound with 13.3 seconds left to lead Memphis to a 103-100 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday night.

Gay's name is one of the hottest around in NBA trade rumors. The Grizzlies, who rallied from 17 points down to beat the Sixers, are fourth in the Western Conference and listening to offers for their leading scorer.

He showed his value down the stretch, hitting the go-ahead bucket, then sinking two free throws to seal the win.

"Whether I'm here or not, it shouldn't affect this team,'' Gay said. "I'm going to be a professional about it and make sure that it doesn't.''

He added: "Wherever I go, I'm going to be me.''

Marc Gasol scored a season-high 27 points and Jerryd Bayless had a season-high 21 to help the Grizzlies win without point guard Mike Conley. Conley sat out with a sprained left ankle suffered in Sunday's loss to New Orleans.

The Grizzlies rallied from their double-digit deficit to take control late in the fourth. Bayless missed a jumper, Gay grabbed the rebound and put Memphis up 101-100 on a bucket with 13.3 seconds left.

"When the ball's up, you've got to go it,'' Gay said. "I just went to go get it.''

Philadelphia's Thaddeus Young missed a short attempt in front of the basket and the Grizzlies grabbed the rebound. Gay hit both attempts from the free-throw line for the three-point cushion.

Nick Young couldn't get the tying shot off at the buzzer for the Sixers.

Tied at 79-all to start the fourth, neither team could break free the rest of the quarter.

Gasol hit a tiebreaking 3-pointer for a 93-90 lead but Evan Turner came right back with a short jumper and Thaddeus Young gave the Sixers a one-point lead after Memphis was whistled for an offensive foul.

Spencer Hawes hit a jumper and Jrue Holiday followed with basket after a fortuitous bounce popped the ball straight up off the rim and through the net for a 98-95 lead. It wasn't enough. The Sixers still haven't won consecutive games since they had a three-game winning streak from Nov. 25-30.

Turner scored a season-high 27 points, Thaddeus Young had 23, and Holiday had 18 points and 10 assists.

"We're playing great,'' Turner said. "You think bad luck just keeps rolling? Basketball's a game of runs.''

Turner said the Sixers will be better once, "the big fella comes back.''

He's about ready. Andrew Bynum, their 7-foot center, has targeted a post-All-Star break return from bone bruises in his knees that have sidelined him the entire season. The former Lakers All-Star, acquired in the offseason, dunked on Sunday for the first time with Philadelphia, a "baby step,'' in a comeback the Sixers are counting on to lift them into the playoff race.

Bynum sprinted at shootaround for the first time, and could practice by the end of the week.

Coach Doug Collins said Bynum can't wait to play.

"I think the most important thing is he's encouraged, that he's feeling better,'' he said before the game. "You can always tell when guys start feeling better. When you're hurt, you don't feel like you're part of the team.''

He would have helped against Memphis.

"He'll close down the middle,'' Turner said.

Aided by near-flawless shooting, the Sixers had their highest-scoring first quarter of the season. They made 12 of their first 14 shots, including two 3s by Nick Young, and raced to a 17-point lead. A 44-percent shooting team, the Sixers made their first seven shots and led 33-20 at the end of the quarter.

Perhaps inspired by the sharp shooting, the Grizzlies came right back with a 14 of 18 second quarter, to take a 57-54 lead at halftime. Bayless was 7 of 10 for a season-high 19 points in the half. Not his high for a half. A game.

They kept the comeback rolling in the second half and won for the fifth time in the last seven games.

"It looked like the last team that made the run, got the win,'' coach Lionel Hollins said. "We were the last team that made the run.''

NOTES: 76ers G Jason Richardson (knee) missed his fourth straight game. ... Collins said he felt fine after leaving Saturday's game and missing practice the next day because of a sinus infection and blocked nasal passage. ... 76ers C Lavoy Allen needed stitches in his upper lip. ... Grizzlies F Zach Randolph had 12 rebounds.

 

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Lee scores 21 as Warriors beat Raptors 114-102



TORONTO (AP) This was the lineup the Golden State Warriors have been waiting for. All they need now is to keep everyone healthy.

David Lee had 21 points and 12 rebounds, Stephen Curry scored 17 points before leaving with an injury, and the Warriors beat the Toronto Raptors 114-102 on Monday night.

Andrew Bogut returned from a 38-game absence to score 12 points as the Warriors earned their first victory in four games against Eastern Conference opponents this month.

"He was great,'' Warriors coach Mark Jackson said of Bogut. "You can tell we're a different basketball team with him on the floor. He's a weapon on the offensive end with his ability to pass, his ability to defend, rebound, block shots and also make plays. It's great to have him.''

Jackson said Bogut "completes us as a team.''

To Lee, Bogut's biggest contribution was anchoring the defense.

"I felt like I became a better defender tonight because he's constantly talking to me and constantly rotating to get my back,'' Lee said.

Bogut hadn't played since Nov. 7 due to soreness in his surgically repaired left ankle. He finished with eight rebounds and four blocks in 23 minutes.

"It's been a long season for me so far, a frustrating season both mentally and physically,'' he said. "Just to be out there running up and down the court again, and especially getting a win, was very satisfying.''

The top pick in the 2005 draft, Bogut said he had an "explosiveness'' that was lacking in his brief four-game spell earlier this season. He had two dunks, including a running, soaring slam in the second quarter off a pass from Curry.

"That kind of showed my ankle was feeling pretty good,'' Bogut said.

Curry called Bogut's return "a huge bonus.''

"He showed tonight how he can clog the paint, protect the rim and even make plays on the offensive end,'' Curry said.

Less of a bonus was Curry limping off the court in the third quarter after twisting his injured right ankle. Jackson sent assistant coach Pete Myers to watch Curry run in the hallway and debating sending him back out. But with time winding down and the Warriors in control, Jackson wasn't taking any risks.

"He wanted to get back in the game but I've got more interest in his future and our future,'' Jackson said.

Klay Thompson scored 19 points while Carl Landry had six of his 12 points in the fourth as the Warriors broke it open.

Harrison Barnes and Jarrett Jack each scored 14 for Golden State, which wraps up a four-game road trip at Cleveland on Tuesday. Bogut will likely sit out the second game of the back-to-back, but is expected to play again when the Warriors host Dallas on Thursday.

Curry's status for the game against the Cavaliers was unknown.

"As long as I'm not putting myself in jeopardy to go play, I'm trying to get back out there,'' he said.

Aaron Gray had a career-high 22 points and 10 rebounds, DeMar DeRozan scored 21 points and Ed Davis had 12 for the Raptors, who have lost seven of nine. Alan Anderson, Jose Calderon and Terrence Ross each scored 11 for Toronto.

Up by two points to begin the fourth, the Warriors pulled away with a 12-3 run as Toronto missed 10 of its first 11 field goal attempts of the quarter.

"I see fatigue, I see mental and physical fatigue,'' Raptors coach Dwane Casey said. "I thought we had it going right until the fourth quarter.''

Gray, back in the Raptors' starting lineup to defend Bogut, scored a season-high 10 points in the first as the Raptors led 28-25 after one.

Anderson came off the bench to score 11 points for Toronto in the second but Thompson had nine for the Warriors, including a tying 3-pointer with 1:54 left in the half. Another jumper by Thompson briefly gave Golden State the lead, but two free throws by DeRozan made it 52-all at the half.

Golden State led 71-61 with 6:18 left in the third but back-to-back 3s by Calderon sparked a 16-4 run to put Toronto up two less than four minutes later. The Warriors reclaimed the lead thanks to consecutive baskets by Jack, and took a narrow 84-82 edge into the fourth.

NOTES: Lee has an NBA-high 18 games with at least 20 points and 10 rebounds. ... All five Golden State starters reached double figures in scoring, the first time that's happened this season. ... The Warriors finished with 62 points in the paint, a season high. ... Curry came in averaging 30.3 points in four career games against the Raptors, his highest average against any opponent. ... Gray's previous high was 19, set with Chicago against Toronto on Apr. 16, 2008. ... Raptors G Kyle Lowry (back spasms) did not dress. ... Toronto F Landry Fields left at halftime suffering from flulike symptoms.

 

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Blazers come from behind to beat Mavs 106-104



PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) LaMarcus Aldridge's buzzer-beating shot had barely left his hands when teammate Nicolas Batum raised his arms in victory.

Aldridge's turnaround jumper fell as time ran out and the Portland Trail Blazers came back from a 21-point third-quarter deficit to beat the Dallas Mavericks 106-104 on Tuesday night.

"I knew,'' Batum said. "I knew he was going to make it.''

Aldridge finished with 29 points and 13 rebounds for Portland, which trailed 101-94 with 2:18 left. J.J. Hickson had a season-high 26 points and 15 rebounds for his 25th double-double.

After Wesley Matthews made two free throws to pull the Blazers to 101-98 with 52 seconds to go, Batum's 3-pointer tied the score.

Dirk Nowitzki answered with his own 3 before Aldridge also had a 3 - the first one he's made this season - to tie it at 104 with 4.9 seconds left. O.J. Mayo was called for charging with 1.5 seconds to go, and Aldridge hit his jumper after the inbound from Matthews with 0.2 seconds left for the victory.

"He (Batum) has his hand up. He said he had a lot of faith in me,'' said Aldridge, recently named to an All-Star reserve for the second straight year. "I had to watch it go in.''

As the confetti streamed down from the rafters of the Rose Garden, Aldridge was tackled by his teammates.

"He was smiling like a rookie, like his first NBA game,'' Batum said about Aldridge afterward. "We needed those two shots (the 3-pointer and the game-winner). They show people that he really is an All-Star. He is an All Star. He's a go-to guy.''

Dirk Nowitzki finished with 26 points for Dallas, which had won six of its last eight games.

"We cannot let Aldridge get set on the block 10 feet from the basket and let him turn around and shoot a wide-open shot,'' Nowitzki said. "We make those mistakes, especially on the road, and you are going to get bit.''

The Mavericks were without center Chris Kaman, who sustained a concussion in a collision during practice on Monday, according to coach Rick Carlisle. There was no timetable for Kaman's return. He is averaging 12.4 points and 6.2 rebounds this season.

The injury comes as the Mavericks have juggled their centers, starting a different one in each of their last three games. Kaman, Elton Brand and rookie Bernard James have each taken turns. Brandan Wright also plays at center for the Mavs.

James made his second straight start against the Blazers.

"It helps to have depth,'' Carlisle said. "We need all those guys but this (Kaman's injury) is a big hit for us.''

In a first half marked by lackluster defense on both sides, Nowitzki's long jumper put Dallas up 37-28.

Nowitzki, who missed the Mavericks' first 27 games after surgery on his right knee, hit another jumper that extended the lead to 47-36. Darren Collison scored 10 straight points and Dallas closed out the first half with 19-6 run to take a 59-42 lead.

Portland struggled with its 3-point shot, going 2 for 12 in the first half.

Mayo's step back jumper pushed Dallas' lead to 69-48 after the break.

Batum, who had two triple-doubles last week for the Blazers, didn't hit from the field until a 3 with 4:43 left in the third quarter that made it 74-58. Luke Babbitt hit a 3-pointer and Aldridge made a short jumper to narrow it, and Portland pulled closer to 78-72 after Aldridge and rookie Damian Lillard each hit free throws.

Portland finished the third on a 16-4 run to get within 74-80 to start the final period.

Batum's driving layup cut Dallas' lead to 86-83 with 8:20 left. After Vince Carter made two free throws for the Mavs, Ronnie Price hit a 3-pointer and Sasha Pavlovic dunked to tie it up at 88.

"This type of loss is about as tough as it gets in the league,'' Nowitzki said. "We played well enough to win it. Tonight we found a way to lose, instead of finding a way to win. That's the sad thing.''

NOTES: The Mavs beat the Blazers 114-91 on Nov. 5 in Dallas. ... The Mavericks were flagged with a technical for six players on the floor late in the first half. ... Portland had 38 points in the third quarter, a season high. ... Aldridge and Hickson are the first Blazers to have at least 26 points and 13 rebounds in the same game since Clyde Drexler and Jerome Kersey on Dec. 2, 1987, against the Lakers. ... It was the 10th time this season the Blazers had won a game in which they trailed at halftime. ... Before Tuesday night, Aldridge had gone 0 for 9 from 3-point range.

 

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Thompson leads short-handed Warriors past Cavs



CLEVELAND (AP) Tired, short-handed and eager to get home, the Golden State Warriors could have taken the night off.

Instead, they looked like a team that needs to be taken seriously.

Klay Thompson scored a career-high 32 points and the Warriors, playing without three starters and a key reserve, beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 108-95 Tuesday night.

The Warriors were missing guard Stephen Curry (ankle), center Andrew Bogut (ankle) and forward Harrison Barnes (knee). Also, Carl Landry, one of the first players off Golden State's bench, didn't play because of a shoulder injury.

In all, the Warriors were missing an average of 49.1 points and 19.5 rebounds, but that didn't matter. Golden State shot 54 percent, including 11 for 16 on 3-pointers as it hit the first nine from beyond the arc. The Warriors took control in the second quarter and built a 16-point lead in the second half.

"No matter who is out there, we're still going to play Warriors basketball,'' said David Lee, had 20 points and 13 rebounds. "We could have mailed it in on the last game of a road trip, but everybody stepped up with a bunch of guys out.''

The Warriors played the finale of a four-game road trip and were coming off a victory in Toronto on Monday.

"That's a big-time win,'' Golden State coach Mark Jackson said. "That's a statement game for us. I'm extremely proud of my guys. It would've been very easy to chalk one up (a loss) because we were short-handed, but I challenged them - and they stepped up.''

Jarrett Jack, starting at point guard, had 26 points and 12 assists.

"I had to channel my inner Stephen Curry tonight,'' he said.

Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving, who missed the morning shootaround because he was sick, scored 14 points on 5-for-17 shooting in 36 minutes. Irving was coming off the best week of his career when he averaged a league-best 35.7 points in three wins, was selected as a reserve to the Eastern Conference All-Star team, and was named the conference's player of the week on Monday.

"I just wasn't there in terms of my mental focus,'' Irving said. "That's no excuse. I tried to play through it, but my normal energy wasn't there. I'm just feeling like crap.''

"He didn't look like himself,'' Cleveland coach Byron Scott said. "I didn't think, obviously, he was 100 percent.''

Scott warned his players before the game that the Warriors would be ready to play. It would appear they didn't listen.

"We've got to treat it like a wounded animal,'' he said. "It has no choice. It's going to come out fighting.''

"They just kicked our butts, to be honest with you,'' Irving said.

Tristan Thompson had 18 points and 11 rebounds for Cleveland, and Dion Waiters also scored 18 points. The Cavaliers fell short in their bid for their first four-game winning streak since late in the 2009-10 season - LeBron James' final year with the team.

Klay Thompson was 13 of 24 from the field, including 6 for 8 on 3s.

"It wasn't just me,'' he said. "My teammates found me, and we just played great tonight. We didn't have four of our premier players, but it just shows the depth of our team.''

Curry, who leads the Warriors with a 21-point average, didn't play after twisting his right ankle Monday. Jackson said he doesn't know how long Curry, who has had surgery on the ankle in each of the past two offseasons, will be out.

Bogut, who returned Monday after missing 38 games with an injury to his left ankle, likely won't play in back-to-back games until after the All-Star break. Barnes, a rookie, was out with a sore left knee sustained against Toronto while Landry, a forward off the bench, was sidelined with a bruised left shoulder that also occurred Monday.

Golden State raced to a 13-4 lead less than four minutes into the game. The Cavaliers regrouped and led 27-25 in the second quarter, but the Warriors regained control.

Klay Thompson hit three 3-pointers, a jump shot and a dunk to help the Warriors build a 13-point lead twice. Golden State led 55-44 and shot 59 percent, including making all six of their 3-point attempts, in the first half.

The Warriors' continued to pull away in the third quarter when Thompson hit two 3-pointers and scored 12 points. Golden State led 84-68 going into the fourth quarter. The Cavaliers, who rallied from a 20-point deficit to defeat Milwaukee on Friday, cut the lead to 97-89 with about three minutes to play, but Jack hit a 3-pointer and another basket, pushing the lead to 102-89.

NOTES: G Kent Bazemore, an undrafted rookie, scored a career-high nine points for Golden State. ... Jack tied a career high with his 12 assists. ... Cavaliers F Alonzo Gee was scoreless in 28 minutes. ... F Luke Walton (left foot and ankle) missed his second straight game. ... G Daniel Gibson (sprained right big toe) was also out. ... Following Friday's game in Detroit, Cleveland plays seven in a row at home.

 

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Grizzlies shipping Gay to Toronto



Rudy Gay is on his way to Toronto in the latest and most dramatic move in the Memphis Grizzlies' money-motivated makeover.

The Grizzlies agreed to trade their star swingman to the Raptors on Wednesday, parting with the leading scorer on a team that has aspirations of making a run in the powerful Western Conference.

The Raptors gave up point guard Jose Calderon and forward Ed Davis in the deal that also included Grizzlies backup center Hamed Haddadi, and Memphis then shipped Calderon to Detroit for Austin Daye and Tayshaun Prince. Memphis general manager Chris Wallace thanked both Gay and Haddaddi for their time with the Grizzlies.

"We are excited to add three players who bring with them a tremendous amount of value to our team and have achieved incredible success on the pro, college and Olympic levels," Wallace said in a statement Wednesday night. "In these players, we welcome NBA Champion and Olympic gold medalist Tayshaun Prince, as well as up-and-coming athletic forwards Ed Davis, who won an NCAA title at North Carolina, and Austin Daye."

The moves surprised many around the league, including Calderon.

"It's been my home for eight years," Calderon said in Atlanta, shortly before leaving the arena. "I've done everything possible for this team. It's tough. The fans have been with me since Day 1. It's tough."

Prince and Daye have both spent their entire careers with Detroit, and Prince was the last link to the proud championship team of 2003-04.

"Trading a player like Tayshaun Prince, who has meant so much to our organization and contributed to our championship success, is never easy," Pistons president Joe Dumars said in a statement. "We want to thank Tayshaun for his professionalism and contributions over the last 10 years. We also appreciate everything that Austin Daye has done for our team both on and off the court over the past three-plus years."

Gay, averaging 17.2 points and 5.9 rebounds, signed a five-year, $82 million maximum contract in July 2010 with Memphis. The 6-foot-8 small forward is due $16.5 million this season with $37 million more over the next two years. That's a big number for new owner Robert Pera, who took over the franchise last November and has quickly started addressing the team's salary situation.

Just over a week ago, the Grizzlies sent valuable reserve Marreese Speights and two other players to Cleveland in a move that cleared $6.4 million in salary and avoided a $4 million luxury tax hit this season. Team officials said that move put the Grizzlies in position not to have to make a move this season.

Memphis coach Lionel Hollins had been lobbying to keep his five starters together the rest of this season, but he apparently lost that fight. It's a significant move for a team that was fourth in the Western Conference and three games behind the third-place Clippers.

"Wow," Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley tweeted.

Trading away Gay also eases a luxury tax hit due next season, while concentrating the team around center Marc Gasol and All-Star forward Zach Randolph. The Grizzlies had their best playoff run in 2011 when they knocked off then-No. 1 seed San Antonio before losing to Oklahoma City in seven games in the Western semifinals - all with Gay on the bench after needing season-ending shoulder surgery.

"Wow that was 1 crazy trade today," Oklahoma City center Kendrick Perkins tweeted. "Are you serious Rudy Gay is right there under KD, Lebron, Kobe, and Melo. (hashtag)badtrade."

They do run the risk of upsetting the chemistry on a tight-knit group, even if there were some questions of how Gay's scoring fit in with the ball-dominant frontcourt of Gasol and Randolph.

But there may be more deals like this one coming in the new NBA economy.

The collective bargaining agreement negotiated after last year's lockout makes the penalties for exceeding the salary cap far more punitive, and the system begins in earnest next season. Playing in a smaller market, the Grizzlies don't have the extra revenue from lavish television contracts like teams in Los Angeles or New York, which makes it that much more difficult to go over the cap. But even teams such as the Lakers and Bulls will likely have to be more responsible with their spending under the new deal, where repeat offenders are taxed at rates that multiply with each consecutive year they go over the cap.

The first domino fell before the season, when Oklahoma City sent James Harden to Houston instead of signing him to a big-money extension, and more are sure to follow.

All told, the Grizzlies shaved nearly $40 million over the next three years after the two trades.

They'll get a hard-nosed defender in return in Prince, the 32-year-old forward who was drafted by the Pistons in the first round in 2002. He is averaging 11.7 points and 4.6 rebounds per game this season. Bringing in Calderon gives them a veteran mentor for young point guard Brandon Knight.

"We are pleased to welcome Jose Calderon, knowing that he fits our mold as a high character individual who is a great competitor," Dumars said. "Jose is a great facilitator at the guard position and a player that we feel gives us tremendous flexibility on the court when added to the core of guards we have on the roster."

Calderon joined the Raptors from Spain in 2005 and has been a fan favorite and trusted veteran on the team. He is averaging 11.1 points and 7.4 assists this season for the Raptors (16-29), who are desperately trying to scratch their way into the playoff picture. Toronto was in 11th place before the games were played Wednesday, 5 1/2 games behind Boston for the eight seed.

Calderon and Davis had both been starting for the Raptors, but they do have Kyle Lowry waiting in the wings at point guard and likely see Gay's scoring punch as the key to vaulting back into the discussion in a mediocre conference.

Coach Dwane Casey will have to deal with a bit of a log jam with Gay, DeMar DeRozan, Terrence Ross, Landry Fields and Alan Anderson as wing players with similar skill sets. But getting a player with Gay's natural scoring talent, even at the expense of parting with a valued player like Calderon, proved too enticing to pass up.

"Hopefully this team is back to the playoffs as soon as possible," Calderon said.

 

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Suns rally to beat Lakers in Nash's return for LA



PHOENIX (AP) Steve Nash's first trip back to Phoenix to play the Suns was an evening of triumph.

For the Suns, not Nash.

Michael Beasley scored a season-high 27 points and the Suns rallied from 13 down in the fourth quarter to hand Nash's Los Angeles Lakers their eighth straight road loss 92-86 on Wednesday night.

The Lakers, who had won three straight - all at home, lost Dwight Howard when he reinjured his right shoulder with 6:57 to play. Coach Mike D'Antoni said he thinks the injury is something that Howard will have to deal with all season.

"It is my understanding that it is something that will hurt, then it will go away and he will be able to play,'' D'Antoni said.

Beasley, whose previous season best of 25 came two games earlier, scored on a scrambling layup as the shot clock was expiring to put the Suns ahead 88-86 with 43.8 seconds to play.

"I'm just playing aggressive,'' Beasley said. "I'm trying to turn over a new leaf. No more nonchalant Beas. I'm back to the Beast.''

Kobe Bryant had 17 points and nine assists, but missed what would have been the tying layup with 24 seconds to play. Howard had nine points and 14 rebounds before he left after aggravating the shoulder injury that sidelined him for three games earlier this month. Metta World Peace scored 15, Pau Gasol 14 and Antawn Jamison 13 for Los Angeles.

The Lakers played the first of seven straight on the road, where they haven't won since Dec. 22.

The Suns, who improved to 3-2 since Alvin Gentry was fired and replaced by interim coach Lindsey Hunter, outscored the Lakers 29-13 in the fourth quarter.

"I thought we had some open shots and didn't knock them down,'' Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni said. "We missed some foul shots, we had six or seven turnovers in the fourth quarter. Turnovers all night killed us.''

Down 78-65 with 10 minutes left after Jamison scored 10 straight Lakers points, the Suns went on an 8-0 spurt to 78-73. But Bryant's 22-footer with 6:05 left had Los Angeles ahead 80-73.

Phoenix outscored the Lakers 19-6 the rest of way.

"We seemed to be kind of a step behind,'' Bryant said. "We seemed to be a little sloppy, a little lackadaisical.''

After Bryant threw up an airball under P.J. Tucker's tight defense, Jared Dudley sank a 3-pointer to tie it at 82 with 3:39 left. After a turnover by the Lakers, Beasley's 17-footer made it 84-82, then Luis Scola sank a 15-footer to complete a 13-2 run that had Phoenix ahead 86-82 with 1:55 left.

Bryant's driving layup cut it to 86-84 with 1:35 to go, then Nash knocked the ball loose from Scola for a turnover and Bryant's two free throws tied it at 86-86 with 1:07 to play.

That set up Beasley's drive. The Suns reserve, whose play has blossomed since Hunter took over, had the ball knocked away by Peace as the shot clock wound down, but managed to drive to the hoop for a layup that made 88-86.

"Once I picked it up and seen I had 2 seconds to go, the only thing I was trying to do was get it toward the basket,'' Beasley said. "It was just that kind of a night, I guess.''

Bryant's driving miss followed and the Suns wrapped it up from the foul line.

"Michael Beasley was incredible tonight,'' Hunter said. "He's been working really hard to get to this point and I really see promise in his future and just continue to encourage him.''

A video tribute to Nash during a first-quarter timeout drew a rousing standing ovation from the crowd, a mixture of Lakers and Suns fans. Nash responded with a wave as the Lakers came back onto the court.

It was a warm remembrance of the high-flying style that Nash, with D'Antoni his coach, brought to Phoenix. Nash won two MVPs and the team made the Western Conference finals twice in Nash's eight seasons. Nash, who turns 39 on Feb. 7, left the Suns for Los Angeles in a sign-and-trade deal at the end of last season.

"This is a very special place for me and to be recognized by the fans is incredible,'' he said. "I am definitely very grateful for the reception but also for my time here, which are among the best years of my life.''

Nash finished with 11 points and two assists.

Marcin Gortat had 14 points and 12 rebounds as five Suns reached double figures.

Neither team led by more than five points in the first half with the game tied at 41 at the break.

The Lakers outscored Phoenix 23-10 to start the third quarter, taking a 64-51 lead on a layup by Peace with 3:26 left in the period. He also had a pair of 3s in the run.

Jamison finished the quarter with a long 2-pointer, followed by a 3, and the Lakers led 73-63 entering the fourth.

It was a stretch of 10 consecutive points for Jamison, whose layup made it 78-65 with 10 minutes to play.

Notes: The Suns were in black uniforms for the first time since 2000. ... The Lakers don't play at home until Feb. 12, against Phoenix. ... Suns C Jermaine O'Neal missed his fifth straight game because of an irregular heartbeat. ... D'Antoni had lunch Wednesday with good friend Gentry. ... 18-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps was in the crowd.

 

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Clippers outmuscle Wolves in 96-90 victory



MINNEAPOLIS (AP) The Los Angeles Clippers have adopted a big, bad bully mentality to muscle their way toward the top of the Western Conference.

When Greg Stiemsma and the Minnesota Timberwolves tried to stand their ground, the Clippers got mad, and then they got rolling.

Blake Griffin had 26 points and 13 rebounds, and DeAndre Jordan added 16 points and 12 boards to lift the Los Angeles Clippers to a 96-90 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night.

Caron Butler had 19 points and Jamal Crawford scored 17 for the Clippers, who were challenged in the second quarter during two run-ins with Stiemsma. Matt Barnes was ejected after the first one and Grant Hill was floored during the second. But the Clippers got physical and handed the Wolves their fifth straight loss.

"We never want to come in and lay down and have that be how we get beat,'' Griffin said. "We came together after that second little scuffle and really said, "OK, we've got to buckle down and do a better job.' We fought back.''

Nikola Pekovic had 17 points and 12 rebounds for the Timberwolves, who had coach Rick Adelman on the sideline for the first time since Jan. 5. Adelman missed the previous 11 games while his wife sought treatment for seizures.

"Teams are playing aggressive and they want to win,'' said Ricky Rubio, who had nine points and four assists. "We have to come back and don't step back and try to push them.''

The Wolves went 2-9 in Adelman's absence. But the downtrodden team played with much more confidence with their leader back on the bench.

J.J. Barea and Alexey Shved led an 8-2 burst that tied the game and Andrei Kirilenko's transition layup gave Minnesota an 86-84 lead with four minutes to go.

But the Clippers got a big 3-pointer from Butler and knocked the smaller Wolves to the court for several loose balls. Griffin muscled home a three-point play with 30 seconds to go to close the game out.

Barea had 14 points and Shved 12.

The Clippers entered the game having lost four of their last five and looking a little disjointed without star point guard Chris Paul, who is out with a knee injury.

Griffin has elevated his game in Paul's absence, entering the night averaging 23.2 points, 9.0 rebounds and a staggering 6.8 assists in the last five games, picking up some of the playmaking slack left for arguably the game's best point guard.

They will get little sympathy from the injury-ravaged Timberwolves. Minnesota got Pekovic and Shved back from five-game absences, giving them 12 players on the bench for the first time since Dec. 26. They're still missing Kevin Love (broken hand), Chase Budinger (knee) and Brandon Roy (knee).

The Clippers looked a little groggy as they opened an eight-game road trip. They picked up a couple of defensive 3-second violations and a bevy of technical fouls to fall behind by as many 11 points in the second quarter. Barnes got things started in the second quarter when he tried to shove his way through a screen set by Stiemsma, then threw a forearm to Stiemsma's throat.

"He hit me with a couple of dirty picks early on and I told him to watch it, then he laughed and he hit me with another one,'' Barnes said. "I kind of lost my control, which I apologized to the team for. There's no excuse for that, but luckily it sparked the team.''

Officials reviewed the play and gave Barnes a flagrant foul-2, which brings an automatic ejection.

"He kind of ran through me on the first one, so I figured he'd do the same on the second one,'' Stiemsma said. "I didn't know he was going to take it that far. That's what I'm out there to do, set screens and be physical and some guys just take it over the top.''

Moments later, Stiemsma flattened Hill when he went up for a rebound under the basket. Butler and Ronny Turiaf forcefully confronted Stiemsma, drawing technical fouls of their own. J.J. Barea hit both free throws for a 37-28 lead.

Stiemsma said he was hit in the face on the play and didn't know Hill was there when he pushed back.

"I wasn't retaliating,'' Stiemsma said. "I just felt a hit to the face and he just went to the floor.''

The outburst did seem to ignite the Clippers, who went on a 37-15 surge over the next 11 minutes to take control. Griffin flexed his muscle down low, getting Derrick Williams to pick up five fouls in 13 minutes while he attacked the offensive glass.

"We've got a bunch of nice guys, but I think we have to be a little tougher,'' Barea said. "We have to stop being too nice. They turned it up. I think it helped them. That was the game right there.''

NOTES: It was Barnes' second ejection of the season and seventh of his career. He entered the game tied for the league lead in technical fouls with nine. ... The 6-foot-1 Bledsoe blocked the 6-11 Pekovic's layup in transition in the third quarter. ... Shved was named to the BBVA Rising Stars Challenge that will take place during All-Star weekend in Houston. The rookie entered the game averaging 10.7 points and 4.6 assists this season.

 

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Pierce leads Celtics to 99-81 win over Kings



BOSTON (AP) The Celtics lost Rajon Rondo for the season. They haven't lost since.

Boston improved to 2-0 since Rondo's season-ending knee injury with a 99-81 win over the Sacramento Kings as Paul Pierce led a balanced attack with 16 points Wednesday night.

Now the Celtics know they can be successful, in the short term anyway, without the player chosen as the starting point guard for the Eastern Conference in next month's All-Star game.

"It's always nice to get off to a start like this,'' Celtics coach Doc Rivers said.

Rondo was injured late in a 123-112, double-overtime loss to the Atlanta Hawks last Friday night. Boston won another double-overtime game on Sunday, 100-98 over the Miami Heat, breaking a six-game losing streak, their longest in six seasons. An MRI taken that day showed that Rondo had torn the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.

No single player can replace his NBA-leading 11.1 assists per game. But four Celtics had at least three assists on Wednesday as the Celtics totaled 22, just under their average of 23.1 entering the game.

"It has to come from a number of people,'' said Pierce, who had 10 rebounds and four assists. "A lot of people have opportunities to step up. The way we move the ball, the way we spread the court, that's the way we need to play. Nobody had the ball for more than a couple of seconds.''

Playing one of the NBA's worst teams certainly made that easier as six Celtics scored at least 11 points.

The Kings (17-30) began the night allowing a league worst 103.2 points per game and fell to 5-18 on the road. But they did beat the Celtics 118-96 in Sacramento on Dec. 30.

"We were more lackadaisical today,'' Kings rookie forward Thomas Robinson said.

Tyreke Evans had 19 points and 11 rebounds and DeMarcus Cousins scored 13 for the Kings, who were competitive most of the game, except for being outscored 37-14 in the second quarter.

"The (Celtics) bench came in, pushed the game to another level,'' Kings coach Keith Smart said. "You have to make up so much ground from that second quarter.''

The Celtics improved to 22-23 and maintained their three-game lead over the Philadelphia 76ers for the final playoff spot in the East.

They scored the first eight points of the game, but a driving dunk by Evans gave the Kings their only lead, 24-22, with 15.9 seconds remaining in the first quarter. Then the Celtics hit their first 14 shots of the second. By the time Avery Bradley missed, a layup with 2:29 left in the half, the Celtics had built a 54-36 lead.

"I didn't know that,'' Rivers said. "That's how we have to play overall, just simple, good basketball. Pass the ball. Move the ball.''

Boston's dominance was so thorough that its bench made 15 of 21 shots in the first half while Sacramento's entire team went just 14 for 40.

"The responsibilities of Rondo are going to be consolidated through everybody,'' said Kevin Garnett, who had 13 points, nine rebounds and a team-high five assists. "Five guys that were on the floor at any time were aggressive and that's what it's going to take.''

Boston had an impressive 16 assists in the first half, even without Rondo. Garnett scored 11 points and Green had 10 as each hit all five of his shots before intermission.

The Celtics charged to a 59-38 halftime lead as they hit 62.5 percent of their shots. They led by at least 14 points the rest of the way.

Boston won despite losing another starter when forward Jared Sullinger left just over four minutes into the game with back spasms and didn't return. Sullinger was drafted 21st last year by the Celtics, but might have gone higher if he hadn't suffered back problems at Ohio State.

"Hopefully, he doesn't miss games,'' Rivers said.

The Celtics led 80-56 before layups by Robinson and Evans cut that to 80-60 after three quarters. A three-point play by Cousins made it 90-76 with 5:44 remaining, but the Kings came no closer.

Substitutes Brandon Bass, Jeff Green and Jason Terry had 12 points each for Boston. Courtney Lee started in place of Rondo and finished with nine points and three assists.

But the Celtics will have much tougher opponents than the Kings.

"Everyone always says when you lose a star player, you have other guys step up and you have ball movement,'' Smart said. "But, obviously, your superstars win the close, tough games, and that's what you'll miss with Rondo - the guy that can win a ballgame when the game is tight against a heavy-hitting opponent.''

Notes: The Celtics have two games left in their four-game homestand, against the Orlando Magic on Friday night and the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday. ... Garnett played in his 1,300th NBA game. ... The Kings had just 13 assists.

 

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Celtics vs Kings highlights

Pierce has 16 points to lead the Celtics over the Kings.

 

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Lee, Thompson help Warriors beat Mavericks 100-97



OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) Although Klay Thompson won't admit it, without Stephen Curry on the court, Golden State depends on him even more for offensive production. He turned in another big night.

David Lee finished an assist short of a triple-double, Thompson scored 27 points and the Warriors beat the Dallas Mavericks 100-97 Thursday night.

"I have the same mindset going in. I try to score, be a play maker and play some defense,'' Thompson said. "I'm going to take those shots any way.''

Thompson connected on 11 of his first 14 shots two days after scoring a career-high 32 points in the Warriors' 108-95 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

"He's a knockdown shooter, as good as it gets, and he defends his tail off,'' Warriors' coach Mark Jackson said. "He knows without Curry on the floor we need him to score more.''

Lee had 15 points, a season-high 20 rebounds and nine assists, and Jarrett Jack scored 13 points, including two free throws with 2 seconds left to help the Warriors win their third straight. Harrison Barnes had 12 points.

Andrew Bogut, in his second game since returning from injury, was also a big factor for the Warriors. In limited playing time, he had three blocked shots, including one when the Mavericks had a chance to win the game in the final seconds.

"You have to pick and choose your spots,'' he said. "Defense is where I am most valuable to this team.''

O.J. Mayo scored 25 points to lead the Mavericks, who dropped their second straight. Vince Carter added 22 points and Shawn Marion 18 as Dallas failed to reach 100 points for the first time in 10 games.

Dallas lost in Portland two nights ago when Mayo was called for a charge with under 2 seconds to play, giving LeMarcus Aldridge the chance to sink a basket at the buzzer.

"The game came down to the call that wasn't made,'' Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said. "Brandan Wright got hit in the arm. And it's obvious. It's two nights in a row. It's very tough to take, with as hard as our guys are fighting, to not be on the free throw line with a chance to go ahead with 6 seconds left in the game.''

Wright avoided the subject.

"We've been getting some tough calls lately, but I'm going to stay out of that,'' he said. "I'm not in the business of getting fined, so I'm going to leave it at what he said. But you guys have seen the play, so you be the judge.''

The Mavericks played without Dirk Nowitzki, who sat out with a right abductor strain.

Richard Jefferson scored five points as the Warriors scored the first 12 points of the fourth quarter to open a 90-79 advantage.

The Mavericks missed their first five shots of the fourth and went scoreless for the first 3:13 before Carter made a pair of free throws to spark a run that evened the score at 92 when Darren Collison hit a short jumper with 4:17 remaining to play.

Jack hit a 3-pointer in front of the Mavericks bench less than a minute later and glanced at the Dallas bench afterward.

The Warriors, who never trailed, upped their lead when Wright was called for a rough foul on Bogut, who tumbled to the court. After reviewing the play, he was also charged with a technical foul.

"I'm always on the floor,'' Bogut said. "It's the way I play. I was taking a little breather there. Everything is fine.''

Dallas again rallied and had a chance to tie it with 43 seconds left. Mayo made one of his two free throws to make it 98-97.

Jack and Lee each missed a shot on the other end and the Mavericks worked the clock to under 4 seconds. Wright attempted a shot that Bogut blocked to seal the win.

The Warriors led 55-53 at halftime, and Rodrigue Beaubois hit a long 3-pointer at the third-quarter buzzer to pull the Mavericks to 80-79 entering the final period.

Carl Landry, who finished with 10 points, gave the Warriors their biggest lead of the first half when he made two free throws just over 2 minutes into the second quarter.

The Mavericks lost their second straight to Golden State after winning eight of the previous 10.

NOTES: Lee reached the 8,000-point mark for his career, becoming the sixth-youngest active to player to record 8,000 points and 5,000 rebounds. ... Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle is two wins shy of 500. ... Curry (right ankle sprain) sat out his second straight game, though coach Mark Jackson indicated before the game that the injury is of "no concern.'' ... Mayo is the only Maverick to start all 46 games and Thompson is the lone Warrior to start all 46.

 

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Without Gay, Grizzlies lose to Thunder 106-89



OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Running away with a win against a Memphis team in disarray after trading away top scorer Rudy Gay, the Oklahoma City Thunder found a way to come unhinged, too.

An outburst aimed at his own team earned All-Star point guard Russell Westbrook a third-quarter benching and gave the Grizzlies a glimmer of hope before Oklahoma City closed out a 106-89 victory Thursday night.

Just when the Thunder seemed to be firmly in control, Westbrook started sniping with his teammates after a possession when he posted up along the left side of the lane and eventually got called for a turnover when Jerryd Bayless stuck with him on defense for 5 seconds.

Westbrook then spiked the ball twice while gesturing toward Thabo Sefolosha and Durant that they needed to get open. He then hollered toward coach Scott Brooks on the bench.

Memphis followed his outburst with 10 straight points to make it a game again - with Westbrook getting an early hook during the stretch and heading down the tunnel toward the locker room.

He sat out about 8 minutes before Brooks put him back in to start the fourth quarter.

Westbrook described it as "just a little miscommunication.'' Brooks said it was an offensive play that went awry. Sefolosha acted as though nothing happened.

The result was a mini-implosion by the defending Western Conference champions right in the public eye.

"It was a disagreement,'' Durant said. "This is the game of basketball. You have so many different emotions on one team. You're going to have disagreements. It wasn't the first. It's not going to be the last.

"You've just got to know how to respond to each other. I think we always do a great job of that.''

When disputes arise, Durant said the Thunder know how to "talk it out and don't let it simmer for a long time.''

"I decided to take Russell out because we needed to calm down,'' Brooks said. "Russell went in the back. It was nothing. He just had to regroup. ... It was nothing that has not happened before - not just with him, with all of our guys.''

Brooks finally put him back in the game to start the fourth, after Memphis had pulled to 77-67 in the final minute of the third quarter. Westbrook hit a pull-up jumper and set up Kevin Martin for a 3-pointer in transition on consecutive possessions to bump the lead back up to 86-69 with 9:32 remaining.

That all but ended the Grizzlies' bid to come back from a 26-point deficit.

"The first half, we were a little flat, a little shell-shocked,'' coach Lionel Hollins said. "Everybody was trying to do too much. You had guys who just didn't make any shots in the first half. But the second half, we played our game.''

Bayless started in Gay's place and led Memphis with 23 points. Zach Randolph missed his first 10 shots and wound up with nine points and 19 rebounds.

The Grizzlies were playing short-handed while waiting for trade acquisitions Tayshaun Prince, Austin Daye and Ed Davis to arrive and pass physicals. They were already short on numbers after dealing away reserves Marreese Speights, Wayne Ellington and Josh Selby for Jon Leuer about a week earlier and with Quincy Pondexter out with a sprained ligament in his left knee.

That left just nine healthy players for Memphis, and Leuer didn't get into the game until it was out of hand in the final 5 minutes.

"We couldn't make no shots. ... The double-team was packing in on the paint,'' Randolph said.

"We've just got to open it up and I've got to hit shots,'' he added. "We've got to hit shots from the outside, open it up and let us play a little bit.''

Memphis had been one of only three visiting teams to win at the Chesapeake Energy Arena this season, but that was before the two trades aimed at avoiding the luxury tax.

From the start, the depleted Grizzlies were no match for the Thunder at full strength.

Returning home for the first time after a six-game road trip, Oklahoma City connected on its first nine shots to move ahead and then tacked onto the lead after the streak stopped. Martin's 3-pointer from the left wing pushed the advantage into double digits for the first time at 27-16 with 2:41 left in the first quarter.

Nick Collison had a two-handed slam and Durant converted a three-point play after being fouled on a right-handed jam during a string of nine straight Oklahoma City points early in the second quarter, and the lead ballooned to 24 by halftime. Memphis shot just 26 percent while matching its season low with 34 first-half points while the Thunder made 61 percent of their shots and scored 58 points against what has been the league's stingiest defense.

It wasn't long after that that Westbrook had his blow-up.

"We're an emotional group. Our guys are always playing with a competitive spirit. That's what makes us a competitive team for the last three or four years,'' Brooks said.

Westbrook defended the way he handled it.

"I'll control it like a man,'' he said. "Like I did.''

NOTES: Gay was the Grizzlies' franchise leader in games played (479), minutes (17,338) and steals. He was second in points (8,562). ... Durant picked up his eighth technical foul of the season with 7:54 in the third quarter, after getting the ball stripped as he made a move to the basket. ... Oklahoma City's 9-for-9 start from the field was its best since relocating from Seattle in 2008 and the best in the league this season.

 

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Gasol's start sparks Lakers to victory over Wolves



MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Pau Gasol knew he could play like this. Kobe Bryant and Ricky Rubio did, too. The only person in Laker land who seemed to doubt what the gifted post player could do was the man in charge.

Now maybe coach Mike D'Antoni will become a believer as well.

Gasol had 22 points and 12 rebounds in his return to the starting lineup and Bryant nearly had a triple-double in leading the Los Angeles Lakers to a 111-100 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night.

"It was a good feeling out there,'' Gasol said. "Like the good old days.''

Bryant had 17 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists and Steve Nash added 17 points and seven assists for the Lakers, who played without Dwight Howard due to a sore right shoulder. They have won four of their last five games and beat the Wolves for the 20th straight time, the longest active streak in the NBA.

"It's been a rough season so far, no way around it,'' said Gasol, who topped 20 points for just the third time this season. "Just stay with it, keep playing. You never know when things can change direction. Just play your game when you're out there. Tonight I was able to start, play more minutes, get a good flow. It was a good game.''

The mini surge has helped the Lakers (21-26), who started the day 10th in the West, begin to climb out of a big hole. If they are going to get back into the playoff race, Bryant knows Gasol is going to have to be a bigger factor.

"When he's featured, this is what he does,'' Bryant said. "It's nothing out of the ordinary or unexpected. This is the Pau that helped us get back-to-back championships.''

Alexey Shved scored 18 points and Rubio had nine points and seven assists for the Timberwolves, who lost their sixth straight game. They trailed by 29 in the second quarter, but climbed within four in the fourth.

Stumbling into Target Center on an eight-game road losing streak, the Lakers found out at shootaround that they would be without Howard, who flew back to Los Angeles to get platelet-rich plasma therapy on his torn labrum. That put Gasol back in the starting lineup and the disgruntled four-time All-Star responded with 13 points in the first quarter.

"I told him last night to take it easy on us because we needed the win,'' Rubio said of his Spanish buddy. "And he was saying, "We need a win, too.' He's great.''

With only four healthy guards - three of them point guards - Wolves coach Rick Adelman had few options to deal with Bryant. Adelman started out with 6-foot Luke Ridnour on Bryant, and it was a colossal failure. Bryant backed Ridnour down in the post mercilessly, forcing double teams and then finding teammates for wide-open 3s.

The Lakers hit eight of their first 10 3-pointers and shot a staggering 71 percent in the first 15 minutes of the game. And when Bryant and Gasol went to the bench, it only got worse for Minnesota. Steve Blake and Jodie Meeks kept drilling 3s, ripping off a 17-1 run to put the Lakers up 61-32.

"We can't start games like we did today,'' Rubio said. "I take my fault (in it) because we started too slow. We started with no energy.''

These were the Lakers of old. Deep, versatile, talented and relentless.

Then, all of a sudden, they turned into the Old Lakers, and Rubio pounced.

Sensing a letup in intensity, Rubio picked up the pace. Looking like the player he was before tearing the ACL in his left knee - at home against these Lakers on March 9 - Rubio threaded no-look passes to cutting teammates for layups and 3-pointers and crossed over Nash to get to the rim, the kind of move he just hasn't been able to pull off since returning in December. An 11-1 run near the end of the second quarter gave the Wolves a glimmer of hope, and a switch to a zone defense completely befuddled Los Angeles.

After hitting 22 of their first 30 shots, the Lakers missed 19 of their next 24 attempts. A steal and layup by Ridnour made it 72-64 early in the third quarter, and the ghost of blown leads past started to hover over the Lakers.

Two days after the Lakers gave up a 13-point lead with 10 minutes to play to Michael Beasley and the lowly Suns, the Wolves pulled to 94-90 with just under 6 minutes to play on a 3 by Shved. Gasol and Bryant both went without a field goal in the second and third quarters, but Bryant snapped an 0-for-6 skid with a putback, Gasol had a dunk and finished the three-point play, and the Lakers never looked back.

"It's hard,'' Rubio said. "We've been losing a lot. Even if we make the effort, sometimes it's not enough.''

NOTES: Gasol's 3-pointer in the first quarter was his first since Dec. 28. ... The Lakers outrebounded the Wolves 57-40 and grabbed 17 offensive rebounds. ... Antawn Jamison had 18 points and seven rebounds off the bench for the Lakers. ... Derrick Williams finished with 15 points and nine boards for Minnesota. ... The Wolves went 8 for 18 on free throws.

 

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Gay has 20 in debut, Raptors rout Clippers 98-73



TORONTO (AP) The way Blake Griffin saw it, a sloppy effort by the Los Angeles Clippers only made things easier for Rudy Gay and the fired-up Raptors.

Gay wowed a sellout crowd by scoring 20 points in his Toronto debut, leading the Raptors to a 98-73 rout of the short-handed Clippers on Friday night.

"The way we played had a big effect on their flow,'' Griffin said. "Not to take anything away from them - they did a good job - but our defense was terrible.''

The Clippers were pretty terrible on offense, too, setting season lows for points and field goal percentage (34.7). Los Angeles' previous low in points was 76 at Brooklyn on Nov. 23, while its previous low in field goal percentage was 36.6 on Jan. 19 in a home win over Washington.

"We didn't execute very well, we didn't shoot it very well,'' coach Vinny Del Negro said. "We struggled in a lot of areas.''

Amir Johnson had 19 points and matched his career high with 16 rebounds for the Raptors. DeMar DeRozan also scored 19 as Toronto welcomed Gay with a winning effort two days after the high-scoring forward was acquired from the Memphis Grizzlies in a three-team trade that included Detroit.

"It felt great to be accepted like I (was) today,'' said Gay, who got a standing ovation before checking in for the first time. "It just makes you want to play hard.''

John Lucas scored 17 and Aaron Gray had seven points and 12 rebounds for the Raptors, who handed the Clippers their fourth straight loss in Toronto and their largest defeat of the season.

"Our guys came in locked and loaded,'' Raptors coach Dwane Casey said.

Griffin had 17 points and nine rebounds for the Clippers, who were without point guard Chris Paul (bruised right kneecap) for the sixth straight game. Los Angeles forward Matt Barnes served a one-game suspension for striking Minnesota's Greg Stiemsma on Wednesday.

The absences forced the Clippers into some new-look lineups, but the juggling didn't help.

"Nothing worked very well tonight,'' Del Negro said. "I don't think any of the rotations or anything were very efficient.''

Griffin said the Clippers could have benefited from Barnes' defense.

"He's a very big part of our team's success,'' Griffin said. "We definitely missed him, but we can't sit back on that.''

Jamal Crawford scored 14 points, Caron Butler had 12 and Eric Bledsoe 10 for Los Angeles, which has dropped five of eight overall.

"We did a poor job of defending easy looks,'' Griffin said. "They hit some tough shots, but we did a poor job overall of stopping plays in transition or wide-open jump shots. We did a poor job on the defensive glass. Little things like that add up and you can't win a game like that.''

Toronto traded Jose Calderon and Ed Davis for Gay, who came off the bench in his Raptors debut but wasted little time exciting his new fans. He scored seven points in the first quarter, when he was on the receiving end of two alley-oop passes from DeRozan, as the Raptors built a 22-17 advantage after one.

"Great teammates,'' Gay said. "They all helped me, they helped me get in the right spots and make sure I didn't look too bad out there.''

Toronto led 29-28 with 4:20 left in the second before DeRozan scored nine points as the Raptors pulled away, closing the half on a 17-2 run to lead 46-30 at the break. The Clippers hurt themselves by making just three of 15 field goal attempts in the second quarter.

"As poor as we were in the first half offensively, we were right there,'' Clippers forward Grant Hill said. "In the last 4 minutes of the second it kind of got away from us. The next thing you know, we're down 16.''

Gay's only basket in the third was a buzzer-beating 3-pointer that gave the Raptors a 72-45 edge heading into the fourth.

"I love Rudy's game,'' Griffin said. "He's going to be great for the Raptors.''


NOTES: This was the second game of an eight-game road trip for the Clippers, who visit Boston on Sunday. ... Los Angeles had a season-low 25 field goals. ... Raptors C Jonas Valanciunas returned after missing 18 games with a broken right ring finger, but C Andrea Bargnani (right elbow) remains sidelined. Valanciunas went scoreless in 13 minutes. ... Kyle Lowry had eight of Toronto's 30 assists. ... The Raptors have led after the first quarter in eight straight games. They are 3-5 during that span. ... The sellout was Toronto's fifth of the season.

 

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Pierce, Garnett lead Celtics over Magic 97-84



BOSTON (AP) Lose another key player, win once again.

It's not a trend the Boston Celtics want to continue much longer.

The Celtics responded to yet another blow to their lineup with a 97-84 victory Friday night over the reeling Orlando Magic, getting double-doubles from Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett in winning their third straight.

Boston lost All-Star point guard Rajon Rondo at the beginning of the week to a torn knee ligament and learned Friday that promising rookie Jared Sullinger is also out for the season following back surgery.

"With the injuries, a number of guys are stepping up and that's what we are going to need,'' said Pierce, who had 14 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists despite sitting out the fourth quarter.

Garnett finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds, Jeff Green scored 17 and Courtney Lee had 14 points and five assists for the Celtics.

"The production is coming from everybody,'' said Lee, who inherited Rondo's job at point guard. "Rondo, he's our playmaker. He's racked up a lot of assists with his playmaking ability. And now we just have to move the ball and make sure we are in the right spots to execute the offense.''

The Celtics had assists on 30 of their 42 field goals while shooting exactly 50 percent. Jason Terry and Leandro Barbosa scored 12 each for the Celtics, who had six players in double figures.

"We have to be a team by committee,'' coach Doc Rivers said. "I'm asking guys to play different spots. It does create confusion on the other end.''

It helped that the Celtics were facing Orlando, which last won on Jan. 16 and has been dealing with injury problems that rival those of the Celtics. The Magic were without their top two scorers in Aaron Afflalo (calf) and Glen Davis (broken left foot), then lost point guard Jameer Nelson to a bruised left forearm.

"It's part of basketball and we'll continue to deal with it,'' coach Jacque Vaughn said. "It means other guys have to fill in and fill roles and we'll keep at it.''

Nelson, who averages 7.4 assists and is third on the team in scoring at 15.3 points per game, did not play in the second half.

"I took an elbow to the forearm, so we'll see how I feel tomorrow,'' he said.

J.J. Redick had 15 points and five assists and Nikola Vucevic had 14 points and 14 rebounds to lead the Magic, who finished with 95 shots. Only 36 of them went in and hardly any midway through the second half.

"We got some good looks. The ball just didn't go in,'' Vaughn said.

The depleted Magic still managed to push the Celtics through much of the game, taking advantage of 15 turnovers and some shaky free throw shooting as Boston went 9 for 14 from the foul line.

Orlando had been chipping away at the lead in the third quarter, pulling to 57-54 on E'Twaun Moore's three-point play with 5:04 left in the period. Boston slowly rebuilt the lead with a few short runs, then broke open the game in the fourth when the weary Magic wilted defensively.

"They made shots, went on a little run and we couldn't answer back,'' Vaughn said.

Pierce scored the last four points of the third quarter, putting the Celtics up 72-59 and starting a 10-0 run for Boston. The Celtics opened the fourth quarter 7 for 9, including a series of dunks by Lee and Green during an 8-2 spurt that extended the lead to 86-63.

Andrew Nicholson had 14 points and 10 rebounds, and Moore also scored 14 for the Magic.

NOTES: Boston has won seven straight regular-season games against the Magic. ... Boston had 30 assists. ... The Magic were 1 for 13 on 3-pointers in the first half. ... Orlando has not won since beating Indiana on Jan. 16.

 

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Celtics vs Magic highlights

Six Celtics have double digit points to help defeat the Magic, as Sullinger is ruled out for the rest of the season.

 

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Gasol helps Lakers hold on to beat Pistons 98-97



AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) In a season full of turmoil and frustration, this would have been a particularly exasperating loss for the Los Angeles Lakers.

One of the most accurate free throw shooters in NBA history had missed two, giving the Detroit Pistons one more chance at a game-winning shot. Kyle Singler lobbed the ball toward the basket, and rookie Andre Drummond stretched his 6-foot-11 frame and tried a one-handed dunk with Pau Gasol defending.

No good. The Lakers held on for a 98-97 victory.

"Every game is like a playoff game for us right now,'' Los Angeles coach Mike D'Antoni said. "And some crazy things happen in playoff games.''

Gasol had 23 points and 10 rebounds and was the last line of defense on Detroit's final alley-oop attempt Sunday. The Lakers blew an 18-point third-quarter lead but overcame their late free throw struggles to win for the fifth time in six games.

Los Angeles has won two in a row without Dwight Howard. The All-Star center sat out again with a right shoulder problem.

Kobe Bryant's driving three-point play with 1:09 remaining gave the Lakers a 98-95 lead, and they held on despite missing four free throws in the final 16.8 seconds.

Steve Nash - a 90.4 percent foul shooter for his career - missed two free throws with 2.7 seconds left. Down by one, the Pistons inbounded from midcourt with 1.2 seconds to play. They tried a lob to Drummond, but with Gasol contesting the play, Drummond couldn't convert.

Drummond looked surprised that no foul was called on the play.

"I have no comment,'' Drummond said afterward when asked if there was contact.

Detroit was still without guard Jose Calderon, who the Pistons acquired from Toronto on Wednesday. The Spanish-born Calderon has not been available to play because of unresolved visa issues.

The Lakers trail eighth-place Houston by 3 1/2 games in the Western Conference playoff race. Bryant scored 18 points but shot poorly from the perimeter. After an airball with the score tied at 95, he decided to drive to the basket the next time down. Bryant muscled through a foul and scored a basket that was counted on a continuation call.

Detroit's Will Bynum cut the lead to one, and after Gasol missed, Drummond missed a baseline fadeaway that would have given the Pistons the lead. Earl Clark missed two free throws for Los Angeles with 16.8 seconds left, but Bynum's driving shot over Gasol went off the glass and rattled in and out.

That set the stage for Nash, whose two misses dropped him percentage points behind Mark Price for the top free throw percentage in NBA history for players with at least 1,200 attempts.

"I feel bad that it could've cost us the game and that I choked two up there,'' Nash said. "A win is a win, but I take a lot of pride in being a fourth-quarter player and making shots, particularly free throws.''

The Lakers scored 10 straight points early in the third to take a 72-54 lead. Bryant highlighted that run with a one-handed dunk while Detroit's Brandon Knight tried in vain to prevent an easy basket.

"We were moving the ball well in the first half, but we got comfortable in the second half again. That's been a problem,'' Gasol said. "Drummond changed things, but a lot of that was because of Bynum. He's so fast that he gets into the lane and opens a lot of things up for Drummond.''

The Pistons rallied quickly, with Drummond showing off his athleticism around the basket. Drummond's two-handed dunk over Gasol made it 76-70, and the Lakers led 78-72 after three.

"We weren't moving the ball, we were over-dribbling the basketball and we weren't guarding anyone,'' Detroit coach Lawrence Frank said. "Then we started to get some stops, got energy into the game and obviously Dre had a huge impact the second half.''

Bynum had 18 points and 10 assists for the Pistons, and Greg Monroe added 20 points and 12 rebounds.

Clark had 17 points for Los Angeles. Nash had 11 points and 10 assists.

Detroit's Rodney Stuckey was called for his third foul in the first quarter, then picked up a technical to boot. The Pistons turned the ball over nine times in the half, and they finished the second quarter with a terrible defensive breakdown. Bryant was inbounding around midcourt with 0.4 seconds left in the half, and Clark somehow slipped free for an alley-oop dunk at the buzzer that gave Los Angeles a 62-51 lead.

The Lakers did a better job defending that situation on the final play of the game.

NOTES: Knight became tangled with Metta World Peace of the Lakers with 1:43 left in the first half. That got a rise out of the crowd, which no doubt remembered World Peace's role in the infamous "Malice at the Palace'' brawl on the Pistons' court in 2004. World Peace was assessed a flagrant foul this time, but the situation didn't escalate. ... Bryant had five assists, snapping his streak of five straight games with at least eight.

 

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Heat win to put Spoelstra on East All-Star's bench



TORONTO (AP) Both on the court and along the sidelines, the Miami Heat will be well represented at this month's NBA All-Star game.

LeBron James scored 30 points, Chris Bosh had 28 against his former team and the Miami Heat beat Toronto 100-85 Sunday for their 10th straight victory over the Raptors.

The victory guarantees Miami the top spot in the Eastern Conference as of Feb. 3, percentage points ahead of the New York Knicks. That means Heat coach Erik Spoelstra and his staff will be in charge when the All-Stars suit up in Houston in two weeks.

"It's awesome,'' James said. "It's a testament to our coaches' preparedness. As players we go out there and just try to execute their game plan. We're happy for them.''

Spoelstra, the fifth-year coach who led the Heat to the NBA championship last June, called the All-Star nod "a heck of an honor.''

"We're happy to go, we're excited about it,'' Spoelstra said. "You don't spend any time thinking about it as it's happening, you're just trying to prepare your team and make sure you have the best record. Now that it happened, it's cool. We'll make the most of it. Our staff is thrilled about it. Our players gave us congratulations afterward. That's about as rare a thing as you'll ever get in this league.''

Dwyane Wade added 23 points as the Heat bounced back after Friday's 102-89 loss at Indiana, ensuring their team Super Bowl viewing party would be a happy one.

"It's good to get this one to close out this road trip so we can enjoy this evening and enjoy the second game,'' Spoelstra said.

James had indicated his displeasure last Wednesday after realizing he would miss the Super Bowl while flying back to Florida after the game. The Heat's private plane is not equipped with satellite TV or wireless Internet.

To accommodate James, the Heat delayed their return home for Monday's game against Charlotte until after the Super Bowl, which they planned to watch at a bar adjoining the Air Canada Centre. Real Sports Bar and Grill is operated by Raptors team owner Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment.

"You don't want to be thinking about ways you could have helped the team win while you're trying to watch the Super Bowl,'' James said. "We're happy we took care of it.''

James and Wade were voted onto the starting lineup for the East, while Bosh was named a reserve last week.

With injured Boston guard Rajon Rondo set to miss out after tearing a knee ligament, Spoelstra was asked whether he'd consider putting Bosh into the starting lineup.

"I've only given this thought for the last nine minutes,'' Spoelstra said. "But I will tell you this unequivocally: My loyalties are first and foremost always with the Miami Heat.''

Whether he starts or not, Bosh said he was happy to see Spoelstra and his staff earn the trip to Houston.

"They deserve it,'' Bosh said. "They work hard, just like us. To be able to have that honor and that privilege, it's a great thing.''

Rudy Gay led the Raptors with 29 points and DeMar DeRozan had 27. Kyle Lowry scored 10 points and Aaron Gray matched his season high with 12 rebounds for the Raptors, who have lost four of five.

"They're the champs,'' DeRozan said. "We couldn't stop them. We couldn't slow them down when they got it going.''

James finished with team highs of eight rebounds and seven assists and Bosh scored 13 in the fourth quarter for Miami, which improved to 12-11 on the road.

Booed throughout by the sellout Toronto crowd, Bosh said he used the jeers as motivation.

"I was hearing a lot from the fans,'' Bosh said. "I thank them for continuing to stay on me and call me names and stuff because that helped my focus a lot. I was like "I need to get in this to shut them up.'''

Terrence Ross and DeRozan sandwiched 3-pointers around a hook shot by Bosh, bringing Toronto to within three at 84-81 with 5:22 left. Miami's Norris Cole scored a layup but DeRozan answered with a driving dunk, and Miami called timeout up 86-83 with 4:09 left.

Bosh made one of two from the line after the stoppage, then followed with a 3 from the corner as the Heat took a 90-83 lead with 2:34 to go.

"Chris really gave us a presence in the paint,'' Spoelstra said. "He hit the big 3 but he was collapsing the defense with his rolls to the rim, catching it and going up strong in traffic. That makes us a different team when he gives us that presence.''

James extended the lead by stealing the ball on Toronto's next possession and driving for a breakaway slam, then hitting a 3 to put the Heat up 95-83 with 1:28 left.

James scored nine points in the first, including an alley-oop dunk from Mario Chalmers and a breakaway slam off a Raptors turnover. DeRozan had 10 for Toronto but the Raptors trailed 24-21 after one quarter, the first time in nine games they hadn't led after 12 minutes.

Gay scored Toronto's first 10 points of the second to give the Raptors the lead. He finished with 16 in the quarter, putting Toronto up 50-44 at the half. Bosh scored nine points in the third and Wade added seven as the Heat took advantage of six Toronto turnovers to take a 71-67 lead into the fourth.

NOTES: Gay made his first Raptors start in place of Landry Fields (back spasms). ... Miami is 24-2 when scoring 100 points or more. ... This was the last of a four-game road trip for the Heat. Monday's game against the Bobcats is the first of five straight at home. They'll also face Houston, the Clippers, the Lakers and Portland. ... James and several Heat teammates attended Saturday night's NHL game between the Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins. James tweeted a photo from his seat accompanied by the caption "At my first hockey game. Pretty Damn cool.''