Chauncey Billups scored 35 points and helped the Detroit Pistons clinch home-court advantage throughout the National Basketball Association's Eastern Conference playoffs, leading a 109-102 win over the Phoenix Suns on Sunday.
Billups' 3-pointer with 3:40 left gave the lead to the the Pistons (59-14), who clinched the best record in the conference ahead of Miami with nine games remaining.
Shawn Marion scored 32 for Phoenix, which has lost five of its last nine games.
Lakers 104, Rockets 88
In Los Angeles, Kobe Bryant scored 22 of his 43 points in the third quarter to help the Lakers beat Houston.
The 40-point game was Bryant's 23rd of the season, tying a Lakers record set by Elgin Baylor in the 1962-1963 season. Bryant has scored 40 or more four times in his past seven games.
Smush Parker had 15 points and 10 assists for Los Angeles. Lamar Odom added 21 points, and Kwame Brown had 10 points.
Yao Ming had 33 points and 16 rebounds for the Rockets, but took only eight shots after halftime and scored 13 points. He finished 16-for-25 from the floor.
Mavericks 103, Nuggets 79
In Dallas, Dirk Nowitzki had 30 points and 12 rebounds to help the Mavericks snap a season-long three-game losing streak.
Jason Terry scored 21 points and Josh Howard added 20 for the Mavericks, who had lost five of their previous seven and experienced the first three-game skid under coach Avery Johnson. The Mavericks had been competing with Detroit and San Antonio for the NBA's best record before falling off the pace.
Timberwolves 106,
Warriors 104, OT
In Minneapolis, Ricky Davis made three free throws in the final 12 seconds of overtime and the Timberwolves hung on to beat Golden State.
Marcus Banks scored 24 points to lead Minnesota, which had all five starters score in double figures.
Davis and Kevin Garnett each had 19.
Cavaliers 101, Bobcats 97
In Charlotte, North Carolina, LeBron James scored 35 points, including five free throws down the stretch, to help Cleveland hold off the Bobcats for their eighth straight win.
James, who was 13-for-24 from the field, added 12 rebounds and eight assists despite playing the final 6 minutes with five fouls. The Cavaliers matched their longest winning streak of the season. Cleveland also won eight straight from Nov. 7-22.
The win reduced Cleveland's magic number to clinch the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs to four. The Cavaliers lead Washington by 6{ games with nine games remaining.
76ers 114, Knicks 95
In Philadelphia, Allen Iverson scored 32 points and dominated New York for the second straight game.
Andre Iguodala added 20 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds for the Sixers, who won their second game in three days over the woeful Knicks. Philadelphia had lost 10 of 12 before sweeping the home-and-home series against New York.
Holding onto the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference by 1.5 games over idle Chicago, the Sixers desperately needed these two wins.
Jamal Crawford scored 23 points to lead the Knicks, who were without injured starters Jalen Rose and Stephon Marbury.
Heat 90, Nets 78
In East Rutherford, New Jersey, Vince Carter scored 43 points to outduel Dwyane Wade and New Jersey won its 12th straight game.
A day after scoring a season-high 44 against Cleveland but losing to the Cavs and LeBron James' 47, Wade scored 32 points to lead Miami (48-25), which had won three of its last four games.
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