Print

Mail

wiki links

Iverson shines as 76ers cut down Nets

Allen Iverson had 40 points and 10 assists, and the Philadelphia 76ers remained tied for the final Eastern Conference playoff spot with a 116-96 win over the New Jersey Nets on Wednesday.

Chris Webber, back in the lineup after missing two games with a lower back strain, added 18 points for Philadelphia, which is tied for the No. 8 spot with Chicago at 37-41 with four games remaining. The Bulls beat Atlanta 96-90 on Wednesday night.

The Bulls own the tiebreaker with Philadelphia because of a better conference record.

Vince Carter led New Jersey (47-31) with 21 points and Nenad Krstic had 18 points and 11 rebounds, but both players sat out the fourth quarter along with the rest of the Nets starters.

New Jersey allowed its most points in a game this season and fell to 1-3 since tying a franchise record with 14 straight wins. Philadelphia has won three games in a row after losing 10 of 13.

Bulls 96, Hawks 90

At Atlanta, the Bulls, missing two injured starters, overcame an ugly first half as Chicago beat Atlanta and remain tied for eighth place in the Eastern Conference with the Philadelphia 76ers.

Chicago owns the tiebreaker with Philadelphia due to a better conference record.

Ben Gordon led Chicago with 19 points. Kirk Hinrich had 17 points and seven assists, and Michael Sweetney added 15 points.

Josh Smith led the Hawks with 22 points and six blocked shots.

Magic 103, Raptors 96

At Orlando, Florida, Jameer Nelson had 27 points and all five Orlando starters scored in double figures as the Magic handed Toronto its 10th straight loss.

Morris Peterson had 23 points, five assists and eight rebounds and Mike James had 21 points and five assists for Toronto, which hasn't won since losing All-Star forward Chris Bosh to a season-ending thumb injury March 26.

It was Orlando's 11th straight home victory, but didn't give them any ground in the playoff race on Chicago, which beat Atlanta 96-90.

Pacers 117, Celtics 112

At Indianapolis, Peja Stojakovic scored 25 points, Jermaine O'Neal had 21 points and 15 rebounds, and Indiana beat Boston, which was eliminated from the playoff race.

Austin Croshere added a season-high 20 points as the Pacers set a season high for points and kept their grip on the sixth spot in the Eastern Conference playoff race. The Pacers tied a season high with 13 3-pointers and beat the Celtics for the first time in four tries.

Grizzlies 96, Bobcats 88

At Charlotte, North Carolina, Eddie Jones hit a 16-foot jumper that barely beat the shot clock with 41 seconds to play, sealing the Memphis' victory over Charlotte.

Jones led six players in double figures with 16 points for the Grizzlies, who remained in line for the fifth seed in the Western Conference playoffs. They started the night with a half-game lead over the Los Angeles Clippers.

Pistons 96, Cavaliers 73

At Auburn Hills, Michigan, Detroit moved within a game of home-court advantage throughout the playoffs and LeBron James sprained his left ankle late in the third quarter but said it was nothing serious.

The Pistons will secure home court with one more victory, or a San Antonio loss. Detroit has the tiebreaker because it beat the Spurs in both meetings.

James landed awkwardly while being guarded by Tayshaun Prince on a three-point play. The Cavs said his status is day to day.

Bucks 100, Wizards 97

At Milwaukee, Michael Redd scored 21 points in the second half, including the game-winning basket with 19 seconds to play, to lead Milwaukee over Washington.

The Bucks snapped a four-game losing streak to hold onto seventh place in the Eastern Conference. Washington now has lost four straight, but remains in fifth, just a game ahead of Milwaukee and Indiana.

The Bucks would surpass both in tiebreakers for the fifth seed if Milwaukee wins its final four games, regardless of what happens with the Wizards and Pacers.

Redd finished with 24 points.

Jazz 104, Nuggets 83

At Salt Lake City, Carlos Boozer scored 25 points and pulled down 13 rebounds, and Utah beat Denver to get back to .500 for the first time in two months.

The Jazz improved their playoff chances by beating Denver for the third time this season, although Wednesday's version of the Nuggets was a diluted one. Denver used just eight players two nights after clinching the Northwest Division, allowing Kenyon Martin (knee) and Marcus Camby (back) to rest.

Timberwolves 82, Rockets 79

At Houston, Marcus Banks hit the go-ahead jumper in the fourth quarter and scored 15 points as Minnesota beat Houston to snap a 14-game road losing streak.

Playing without leading scorers Kevin Garnett and Ricky Davis, the Timberwolves won away from home for the first time since a 103-101 victory at Phoenix on Feb. 6. They overcame an 18-point first-half deficit to hand the Rockets their sixth loss in six games when All-Stars Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming both sit out with injuries.

Hornets 104, SuperSonics 99

At Oklahoma City, Chris Paul scored 21 points, including four in the final minute, and New Orleans held off Seattle and gained ground in the playoff race.

The Hornets trail Sacramento by two games for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The teams meet on Sunday in Sacramento. The Kings' magic number is two.

Warriors 114, Mavericks 102

At Oakland, California, Jason Richardson scored 25 points and lowly Golden State shocked the mighty Mavericks for the third time this season, putting a big crimp in Dallas' hopes of finishing with the West's best record.

Rookies Ike Diogu had 22 points and nine rebounds, and Monta Ellis had a career-high 17 points for the Warriors, who snapped their nine-game losing streak and the Mavericks' five-game winning streak with another improbable effort against one of the NBA's best teams.

Clippers 97, Trail Blazers 93

At Los Angeles, Elton Brand scored 25 points, Sam Cassell added 19 points and 10 assists, and the Los Angeles Clippers snapped a three-game losing streak .

By winning, the Clippers (45-33) remained a half-game behind Memphis in the Western Conference. They've already clinched their first playoff berth in nine years.
This story has been viewed 1184 times.