Chicago, IL (Best E Casino) - Tyrus Thomas recorded 20 points, 14 rebounds, three blocks and several momentum-changing dunks in Chicago's surprising 100-95 victory over the playoff-bound
Cleveland Cavaliers. Luol Deng dropped a team-high 21 points to help the Bulls erase a three-game losing streak. Joakim Noah added 17 points and 11 rebounds, and Ben Gordon finished with 16 points for Chicago, which was eliminated from playoff contention on Tuesday. LeBron James was sensational in the first quarter, scoring 24 of his game-high 34 points in the opening frame for Cleveland. After the first, however, the MVP candidate shot just 3-of-11 from the floor. Joe Smith tallied 20 points, while Delonte West and Zydrunas Ilgauskas chipped in 16 and 12, respectively. Despite the loss, Cleveland maintained its two-game lead for the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference as Washington fell to Detroit, 102-74.
Final Score: Minnesota 102, Orlando 101
Orlando, FL (Best E Casino) - Ryan Gomes hit the game-winning free throws with 2.9 seconds left and Hedo Turkoglu fired an airball at the buzzer as the Minnesota Timberwolves escaped with a 102-101 victory over Orlando at Amway Arena. Randy Foye had a game-high 25 points for the Timberwolves, who snapped a six-game skid. Rashad McCants ended with 19 points off the bench, while Al Jefferson poured in 18 to go along with 11 rebounds. Gomes also chipped in 14 points, while Corey Brewer added 12. Turkoglu had 23 points and seven assists for Orlando, which was denied its 50th win of the campaign. Dwight Howard ended with 20 points and 14 boards, while Maurice Evans donated 17 points in a losing cause. Howard tied a franchise record for most double-doubles in a season as he notched No. 68. That pulls him even with Shaquille O'Neal for the record, which was set during the 1992-93 campaign.
Final Score: Indiana 85, Philadelphia 76
Philadelphia, PA (Best E Casino) - Danny Granger scored 30 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, helping the Indiana Pacers remain in playoff contention with an 85-76 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wachovia Center. Mike Dunleavy added 15 points for the Pacers (35-44), who remained two games back of Atlanta for the eighth and final spot in Eastern Conference, as the Hawks beat the Knicks. Indiana won its fourth straight and sixth of its last seven. Andre Miller led Philadelphia with 23 points and seven boards, but the Sixers (40-39) shot just 34.7 percent from the floor - including 1-of-14 from beyond the arc - and fell back into a tie with the Toronto Raptors for the East's sixth seed. Toronto breezed past New Jersey on Friday, 113-85. Thaddeus Young scored 21 and grabbed five rebounds for Philly, which managed more than 20 points in just one of the four quarters.
Final Score: Toronto 113, New Jersey 85
Toronto, ON (Best E Casino) - Carlos Delfino scored 24 points, including a 6-of-8 performance from three-point range, as the Toronto Raptors crushed the Nets, 113-85, ending New Jersey's playoff hopes. Chris Bosh added 21 points and nine rebounds for the Raptors, who have won two straight after a three- game losing streak. Andrea Bargnani and T.J. Ford had 14 points apiece, while Jose Calderon contributed 11 points and 10 assists. The win pulled the Raptors into a tie with Philadelphia for the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference after the Sixers dropped an 85-76 decision to Indiana on Friday. Vince Carter scored 21 to lead the Nets, who were eliminated from playoff contention with their sixth loss in seven games. Devin Harris had 19 points, six boards and five assists, while Richard Jefferson scored 14.
Final Score: Boston 102, Milwaukee 86
Boston, MA (Best E Casino) - Rajon Rondo scored 16 points and dished out 10 assists as the Boston Celtics topped the Milwaukee Bucks, 102-86, at TD Banknorth Garden. Paul Pierce chipped in 14 points and James Posey had 13 off the bench for the Celtics, who had seven players in double figures to extend their home winning streak to seven games. Top-seeded Boston is 34-6 as the host this season. Michael Redd had 18 points to lead the Bucks, who have lost five straight, nine of 11 and 15 of their last 18 games overall. Milwaukee is a lowly 7-33 as the visitor. Andrew Bogut chipped in 14 points, while Desmond Mason and Awvee Storey had 12 apiece in a losing cause.
Final Score: Memphis 96, Miami 91
Miami, FL (Best E Casino) - Kyle Lowry and Hakim Warrick each scored 17 points to lead the Memphis Grizzlies in a 96-91 victory over the dismal Miami Heat. Mike Conley and Juan Carlos Navarro both ended with 15 points for the Grizzlies, who have alternated wins and losses for the last six contests. Rudy Gay added 14 points and Casey Jacobsen 10. Earl Barron set a career high with 22 points for the Heat, who have lost eight of nine and clinched the league's worst record. Ricky Davis totaled 17 points, while Chris Quinn had 14 and eight assists. Daequan Cook and Kasib Powell both gave 11 points.
Final Score: Atlanta 116, New York 104
New York, NY (Best E Casino) - Joe Johnson nailed six three-pointers on his way to a 34 point night as the Atlanta Hawks held off a fourth quarter charge from the New York Knicks to pick up a 116-104 win at Madison Square Garden. Josh Smith and Mike Bibby each scored 24 points for the Hawks, winners of seven of their last nine. Al Horford added 19 points and 11 rebounds, and the Hawks shot 55.3 percent from the field and made 9-of-15 from beyond the arc. The win allowed the Hawks to maintain their two-game edge over Indiana for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference after the Pacers posted an 85-76 win at Philadelphia on Friday. Both teams have three games remaining on their schedule. Jamal Crawford poured in 20 points to lead the Knicks, who had a three-game win streak snapped. Wilson Chandler had 18 points and eight rebounds, while Zach Randolph contributed 17 points and nine boards.
Final Score: Detroit 102, Washington 74
Auburn Hills, MI (Best E Casino) - Jason Maxiell erupted for a career-high 28 points and eight rebounds to power the Detroit Pistons to a 102-74 drubbing of the playoff-bound Washington Wizards. The Pistons, who had already locked up the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, received 13 points from Chauncey Billups and 10 from Antonio McDyess. The win snapped a two-game slide. Richard Hamilton, who had missed five straight games with a sore left hip, tallied nine points and a game-high 10 assists. The Wizards had a chance to gain on the fourth-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers, but remained two games behind their conference foe. Antawn Jamison led Washington with 15 points and eight rebounds, while DeShawn Stevenson added 11 points. The loss halted a three-game winning streak.
Final Score: Houston 101, Phoenix 90
Houston, TX (Best E Casino) - Tracy McGrady had 22 points, seven assists and six rebounds, and the Houston Rockets kept pace in the heated Western Conference playoff push with a convincing 101-90 victory over the Phoenix Suns at the Toyota Center. McGrady took over in the second half, hitting for 17 of his 22 after the intermission. Luis Scola contributed 19 points and five boards, while Dikembe Mutombo was instrumental in slowing down Phoenix's vaunted up-tempo attack, accounting for eight points, eight boards and three blocked shots. Houston (54-25) moved to within one game of front-running New Orleans in the Southwest Division as well as the conference, and increased its cushion over the Suns for the West's fifth seed to 1 1/2 games. The Rockets, who won their fifth straight, now hold the tiebreaker over Phoenix, should the two teams finish with identical regular-season records. Amare Stoudemire led Phoenix with 37 points and 11 boards, but scored just two in the final stanza. Shaquille O'Neal went for 16 points and 11 rebounds, but committed five turnovers and appeared bothered by Mutombo, an old nemesis. The Suns (53-27) not only lost valuable ground on Houston, but forfeited any chance at winning the division title, as the Pacific-leading Lakers topped New Orleans Friday, 107-104.
Final Score: San Antonio 95, Seattle 74
San Antonio, TX (Best E Casino) - Tony Parker finished with 20 points and seven assists, and the San Antonio Spurs dominated Seattle, 95-74, to sustain their push for the top spot in the Western Conference. Michael Finley had 14 points, and Fabricio Oberto had 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Spurs, who moved within one game of New Orleans for first in the conference, after the Hornets lost to the Lakers on Friday. LA sits a half-game ahead of San Antonio. Ime Udoka scored 13, and Tim Duncan 12, for San Antonio, which is also tied with Houston in the standings. Kevin Durant had a team-high 20 points for Seattle, which has lost three straight and eight of nine. Earl Watson had 17 points, and Nick Collison hauled in 14 boards and eight points for the SuperSonics.
Final Score: Sacramento 103, Portland 86
Sacramento, CA (Best E Casino) - John Salmons scored all 18 of his points in the second half to push the Sacramento Kings over the Portland Trail Blazers, 103-86 at ARCO Arena. Sacramento, which has now won seven of the last 10 meetings against Portland, had all five starters in double figures. Kevin Martin and Francisco Garcia each tallied 16 points, while Spencer Hawes and Mikki Moore contributed 15 and 10, respectively. Martin left the game in the fourth quarter with a strained right knee and will be evaluated tomorrow. Portland was led by LaMarcus Aldridge's 24 points and 15 rebounds. Channing Frye finished with a double-double of his own with 15 points and 14 rebounds, while Travis Outlaw came off the pine to net 18 points.
Final Score: LA Lakers 107, New Orleans 104
Los Angeles, CA (Best E Casino) - Kobe Bryant scored 29 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and dished out eight assists as the Los Angeles Lakers withstood a number of New Orleans comebacks to lock up the Pacific Division title with a 107-104 victory over the Hornets at the Staples Center. Pau Gasol went for 25 points and six boards, and the Lakers (55-25) moved to within a half-game of the Hornets for the top seed in the Western Conference. By virtue of Phoenix's loss to Houston earlier Friday, they also clinched their first division title since 2003-04. Peja Stojakovic hit six three-pointers en route to 24 points, while Chris Paul dished out a game-high 17 assists to go with 15 points. New Orleans (55-24) dug itself an enormous first-half hole, and simply ran out of gas on the way to having its Southwest Division lead over Houston and San Antonio trimmed to one game.
