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Raptors beat 76ers, win division

Chris Bosh had 23 points and 13 rebounds for his seventh straight double-double to help the Toronto Raptors win their first NBA division title by beating the Philadelphia 76ers 94-85 on Friday.

The Raptors, who already clinched their first playoffs berth since 2002, won the Atlantic Division when Chicago beat New Jersey 105-74. It marked the first time a Canadian-based team has won an NBA division title.

Toronto also kept its slim lead over Miami for third place in the Eastern Conference.

The Raptors began the season with a 2-8 start that gave little hint the playoffs were a possibility.

Toronto's 43 wins this season are a 16-win improvement from last season's total of 27, the biggest turnaround in the NBA this season.

Bulls 105, Nets 74

At Chicago, Ben Gordon scored 27 points and Luol Deng added 24 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Bulls.

With the win, the Bulls moved within two-and-a-half games of Detroit and continue to hold an edge over Cleveland for the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference.

Heat 88, Celtics 85

At Boston, Shaquille O'Neal had 22 points and 11 rebounds to lead Miami.

O'Neal scored just two points in the second half and none in the fourth quarter, going 2-for-9 from the line overall as the Celtics rallied from a 14-point deficit to take an 83-80 lead on Leon Powe's steal and dunk with 2:16 left. But Powe missed a pair of free throws, Eddie Jones made a 3-pointer to tie it 83-all and then James Posey converted a three-point play to put Miami ahead for good.

Timberwolves 99, Knicks 94

At New York, Randy Foye made big 3-pointers in the fourth quarter and scored 19 points and Minnesota blew an 18-point lead before beating New York.

The injury-riddled Knicks lost Stephon Marbury in the first half, then dropped their fourth straight game and 10th in their past 12.

Pacers 112, Bobcats 102

At Charlotte, North Carolina, Danny Granger made 11 of his first 12 shots from the field and scored 32 points to help Indiana keep its playoff hopes alive.

Jermaine O'Neal struggled from the floor, hitting four of 18 shots, but the Pacers got a huge game from Granger and reserve Darrell Armstrong, who scored 16 points.

Suns 103, Hornets 95

At Oklahoma City, Leandro Barbosa scored 26 points, Steve Nash matched his career best with his 49th double-double of the season and Phoenix wore down injury-depleted New Orleans.

Phoenix built a 14-point advantage after the first quarter, but struggled to put away the Hornets.

Trail Blazers 85, Rockets 78

At Houston, rookie Brandon Roy scored 24 points and Jarrett Jack added 23 to help Portland beat Houston.

With Houston stars Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady out with injuries, Portland's new star proved to be the most dynamic player on the court, topping 20 points for the third straight game.

Hawks 115, Bucks 102

At Atlanta, Josh Smith had 28 points and a career-high 18 rebounds to help Atlanta snap a seven-game losing streak.

Milwaukee, which had just nine players in uniform, have lost eight of nine overall. The Bucks have dropped five straight and 16 of 17 on the road.

Warriors 116, Grizzlies 104

At Memphis, Tennessee, Baron Davis scored 31 points and had nine assists to lead Golden State past Memphis.

The Warriors' fourth straight victory keeps them in the hunt for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Warriors trail the eighth-place Los Angeles Clippers by one game.

Cavaliers 99, Wizards 94

At Washington, LeBron James overcame a poor shooting game to score 14 of his 25 points and Cleveland held on.

Washington, which would have clinched a playoff berth with a win, gamely tried to lift some of the doom and gloom that has fallen over the franchise this week. Gilbert Arenas is likely done for the season after having knee surgery on Thursday, and Washington's other All-Star, Caron Butler, broke a bone in his hand on Sunday.

Lakers 112, SuperSonics 109

At Seattle, amid a mix of "M-V-P" chants and passionate boos, Kobe Bryant scored 46 points, 31 in the second half, and the Los Angeles bench added 33 points in the win.

Bryant made a 19-footer with 1:41 left that gave the Lakers a 105-103 lead they wouldn't relinquish. It was Bryant's 16th game this season of 40 points or more.

Nuggets 75, Mavericks 71

At Denver, Carmelo Anthony stole Dirk Nowitzki's skip pass in the closing seconds, then sank two free throws with 9 seconds left to lead Denver.

Anthony, whose alley-oop dunk from Marcus Camby broke a 71-71 tie with just over a minute left, stepped in front of Nowitzki's crosscourt pass and then drew the foul going to the hoop.

Kings 107, Jazz 103

At Sacramento, California, Kevin Martin had 21 points and John Salmons scored 17 points to help rally Sacramento.

Relying primarily on the versatile Salmons down the stretch, the Kings outscored Utah 32-21 in the fourth quarter.
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