Rafer Alston scored 31 points and hit eight 3-pointers, both career highs, as the Houston Rockets beat the Los Angeles Lakers 104-92 to extend their winning streak to 22 and claim sole possession of first place in the National Basketball Association's Western Conference.
Kobe Bryant scored 24 points for the Lakers and smothered Tracy McGrady on defense, helping hold him to 11 points on 4-for-16 shooting.
The rest of the Rockets made up for it. Shane Battier scored 14 points and shadowed Bryant most of the game. Backup point guard Bobby Jackson added 19 points and Luis Scola had 13 points and 11 rebounds.
Nuggets 168, SuperSonics 116
At Denver, Carmelo Anthony scored 26 points, Allen Iverson finished with 24 and Marcus Camby had a triple-double to help Denver set an NBA season high for points in a half and a game.
The 168 points are the most Denver has scored in a game since Jan. 11, 1984, against San Antonio. It is also the most the Nuggets have scored in regulation.
The Nuggets fell 16 points shy of the franchise record, set in a 186-184 triple-overtime loss to Detroit on Dec. 13, 1983.
The Nuggets' 168 points top the 138 they scored against Seattle in a 32-point win on Feb. 27, which was also the league high for the season. Denver scored 84 points in both halves, surpassing the previous high of 80 set by Phoenix on Nov. 21.
Camby had 13 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists.
Kings 106, Raptors 100
At Sacramento, California, Kevin Martin had 32 points and eight rebounds as Sacramento downed Toronto.
Ron Artest added 19 points and 10 rebounds, and Mikki Moore scored 17 for the Kings, who have won three of four games.
Jason Kapono scored 26 points for the Raptors, who have lost four straight and five of six. Rasho Nesterovic added 20 points and eight rebounds for Toronto.
Pistons 105, Hornets 84
In Auburn Hills, Michigan, Jarvis Hayes scored 29 points, including a career-high seven 3-pointers, to lead Detroit to the win.
Chauncey Billups finished with 17 points and Tayshaun Prince scored 13 for the Pistons, who have won four of five.
The Hornets lost for just the second time in seven games. New Orleans were missing David West, who sprained his right ankle on Friday.
Cavaliers 98, Bobcats 91
In Cleveland, LeBron James scored 33 points and Zydrunas Ilgauskas had 16 points and nine rebounds for Cleveland.
Ben Wallace scored his only two baskets of the game, Delonte West added a jumper and James hit a bank shot in the lane in the final 2 minutes as the Cavaliers held on after nearly squandering an 11-point lead early in the fourth quarter.
Jason Richardson scored nine-straight points, including two 3-pointers and a three-point play to spark Charlotte's comeback. He finished with 33 points.
Mavericks 98, Heat 73
In Miami, Dirk Nowitzki scored 21 points before sitting out most of the second half as Dallas stormed out to a huge early lead on the way to the win.
Josh Howard added 15 for the Mavericks, who led by 20 points midway through the opening quarter and have beaten the Heat in each of the teams' past eight regular-season meetings. Brandon Bass and Jason Terry each scored 14 for Dallas.
Hawks 109, Knicks 98
In New York, Joe Johnson had 28 points and 11 assists, and Atlanta moved into a tie for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
OUT AGAINST INDONESIA: Taiwan reached the semi-finals at the tournament for the first time by defeating Denmark, with Chou Tien-chen beating Viktor Axelsen Taiwan yesterday crashed out of the Thomas Cup team competition in Chengdu, China, but achieved their best result at the top-tier badminton event by reaching the semi-finals. Indonesia were too good in the semis, winning 3-0 to advance to today’s final against China, who eliminated Malaysia 3-1. In the opening singles of the men’s team clash at the Hi-Tech Zone Sports Center Gymnasium 2, Anthony Ginting defeated Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen 21-18, 21-19 in 51 minutes, which put a huge hole in Taiwan’s aspirations to perhaps even make the final. In the men’s doubles, Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Ardianto downed Lee Yang and Wang
NO DOUBT: Spurs star Wembanyama was unanimously selected as NBA Rookie of the Year, winning all 99 votes to become the first Frenchman to capture the honor The Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night produced a dominant defensive display to seize a commanding 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven playoff series against the Denver Nuggets with a 106-80 road victory. The third-seeded Timberwolves harassed Denver relentlessly to claim a second straight win over the NBA champions as the series heads back to Minneapolis for Game 3 on Friday. Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards scored 27 points apiece, but the star of the show was Minnesota’s suffocating defensive effort, which knocked Denver out of their stride almost from the tip-off. The Timberwolves finished with 11 steals and 12 blocks, in sharp contrast to
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek on Saturday came through “the most intense and crazy final” she has ever contested to avenge her loss to Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s Madrid Open final with a grueling three hour, 11 minute victory in the Spanish capital. Coming back from 1-3 down in the decider and saving three match points in total, Swiatek claimed a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (9/7) victory to secure the Madrid Open trophy for the first time. “Well, who is going to say now that women’s tennis is boring, right?” Swiatek said. Swiatek, who picked up the 20th title of her career, and ninth at
One of Malaysia’s top soccer clubs has pulled out of today’s season-opening Charity Shield after a spate of assaults, including an acid attack, on players in the country. It leaves the kickoff of Malaysia’s season this weekend under a cloud following the unprecedented acts of violence against players, which have left the country shocked and angry. Authorities said they have imposed tighter security, but Selangor said that they would not play in the showpiece curtain-raiser against Malaysian Super League champions Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) citing “a series of criminal incidents and recent threats.” Selangor and Malaysia winger Faisal Halim is in intensive care