Rasheed Wallace forced overtime with a 20m buzzer beater, then added another key 3-pointer to help the Detroit Pistons defeat the Denver Nuggets 113-109 in the NBA on Monday.
Playing without a full roster, the Pistons needed a miracle just to get to the extra period -- they trailed 98-95 with 1.5 seconds to play and Denver needed only to put the ball into play at midcourt.
The inbounds pass, however, bounced off Allen Iverson and Tayshaun Prince and Wallace threw up a desperation two-handed set shot that banked in at the buzzer.
PHOTO: AP
Denver led 106-103 in overtime, but Wallace hit another tying 3-pointer, this one from a more conventional distance, to tie the game with a minute left.
Chauncey Billups led the Pistons with a season-high 34 points and 10 assists, Wallace scored 22 and Antonio McDyess added 20 points and 11 rebounds.
Marcus Camby led the Nuggets with 24 points and added 13 rebounds, while Nene had 21 points and 17 rebounds. Carmelo Anthony and Iverson, though, combined for only 29 on 11-of-33 shooting.
Magic 94, Knicks 89
At New York, Jameer Nelson made the tying and go-ahead 3-pointers and finished with 18 points and Orlando sent New York to its season-high fourth straight loss.
Hedo Turkoglu also scored 18 points for the Magic, who moved into sole possession of seventh place in the Eastern Conference.
Tony Battie added 14 points and Dwight Howard had 10 points, 14 rebounds and a big blocked shot late in the game.
Stephon Marbury scored 32 points for the fading Knicks.
Heat 106, Hawks 89
At Miami, Shaquille O'Neal scored 22 points to pass Reggie Miller for 12th on the NBA's career list and Miami finished off a four-game season sweep of Atlanta.
O'Neal came into the game 10 points behind Miller's total of 25,279 and surpassed the former Indiana sharpshooter with a free throw midway through the first half.
O'Neal went to the line a season-high 20 times, making 12, another season best, and finished with 11 rebounds.
James Posey scored 19 points, Jason Williams had 14 points and Eddie Jones scored 13 for the Heat, who beat the Hawks for the 18th time in their last 21 meetings.
Salim Stoudamire had 22 points off the bench for Atlanta, while Josh Smith had 20 and Marvin Williams added 14 for the Hawks, who've lost four straight.
Celtics 95, Raptors 87
At Boston, Paul Pierce scored 23 points and Al Jefferson added 22 points and nine rebounds to help Boston snap a three-game losing streak and prevent a season sweep in the series by Toronto.
Delonte West scored 18 points and Rajon Rondo had 16 points and eight assists for the Celtics, who trailed only in the opening minutes and became the last team in the NBA with 10 home wins.
Boston is a league-worst 10-25 at home.
T.J. Ford scored 28 points and Anthony Parker added 16 points for the Raptors.
All-Star Chris Bosh struggled for Toronto, collecting just 15 points on 5-of-19 shooting, but he also pulled down 11 rebounds.
Jorge Garbajosa had five points and five rebounds for the Raptors before being taken off the court on a stretcher with 4:31 left in the fourth after falling awkwardly on his left leg while trying to block a Jefferson dunk.
Rockets 106, Bucks 87
At Houston, Tracy McGrady scored 22 points and had nine assists and Houston won its sixth straight game at home.
Juwan Howard added 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Rockets, who are 9-3 since Yao Ming returned from a broken leg. Houston got away with a so-so night from its All-Star big man in this one as Yao scored 22 but missed 13 of 22 shots.
Houston dominated Milwaukee with their defense, shutting down the Bucks in the third quarter to build a 23-point lead.
Michael Redd scored 26 and Charlie Bell added 20 for the Bucks, who haven't won in Houston since 1999, a seven-game losing streak.
Bulls 100, Trail Blazers 89
At Chicago, Luol Deng scored a career-high 38 points and Chicago won its third straight.
After beating Denver and Indiana on last-second shots, the Bulls found themselves in another close game until an 8-0 run midway through the fourth quarter put away Portland.
Deng, whose previous career-high was 32 points, hit 18-of-25 shots.
Ben Gordon scored 13 of his 17 in the third quarter, and Kirk Hinrich delivered 11 of his 21 points in the fourth.
Rookie LaMarcus Aldridge led Portland with 20 points,and Zach Randolph added 17 in his first start since returning from a bereavement leave.
Suns 105, Grizzlies 87
At Phoenix, Raja Bell hit six 3-pointers and scored 29 points, Amare Stoudemire had 27 points and 12 rebounds and Phoenix beating short-handed Mempis.
Memphis, the only team eliminated from playoff contention, fell to 17-54, the NBA's worst record, and 5-30 away from home, also the league's worst mark.
Phoenix, the Pacific Division champions for the third straight season, are only one victory away from matching last year's win total of 54.
Stoudemire shot 11-of-16, hitting from both inside and outside. Bell finished 6-of-8 from 3-point range and the Suns were 11-of-22.
Pau Gasol led the Grizzlies with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Rudy Gay added 13 points, Hakim Warrick, Tarence Kinsey and Dahntay Jones each scored 12.
Jazz 103, Wizards 97
At Salt Lake City, Carlos Boozer scored 16 of his career-high 41 points in the fourth quarter and added 16 rebounds to help Utah rally for a victory.
Boozer, who scored 39 points in an overtime loss to Memphis on Jan. 24 for his previous career high, made two free throws to clinch Utah's sixth straight home win.
Gilbert Arenas scored 26 of his 32 points in the second half for Washington.
Spurs 126, Warriors 89
At Oakland, California, Tony Parker had 20 points and nine assists, Michael Finley matched his season high with 20 points and San Antonio routed Golden State for its 17th victory in 19 games.
Tim Duncan had 20 points and eight rebounds for the Spurs, who clinched their eighth straight 50-win season.
One night after posting a 41-point victory at Seattle, the Spurs outscored Golden State 66-36 in the middle two periods of their ninth victory in their last 10 road games.
Baron Davis and Monta Ellis scored 17 points apiece for the Warriors.
Shohei Ohtani and his wife arrived in South Korea with his Los Angeles Dodgers teammates yesterday ahead of their season-opening games with the San Diego Padres next week. Ohtani, wearing a black training suit and a cap backwards, was the first Dodgers player who showed up at the arrival gate of Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul. His wife, Mamiko Tanaka, walked several steps behind him. As a crowd of fans, many wearing Dodgers jerseys, shouted his name and cheered slogans, Ohtani briefly waved his hand, but did not say anything before he entered a limousine bus with his wife. Fans held placards
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