Argentina’s Manu Ginobili scored 25 points, while Frenchman Tony Parker added 24 points and 10 assists to help the San Antonio Spurs beat Orlando 106-97 on Monday for their 11th victory in a row.
The Spurs, off to their best start in club history at an NBA-best 12-1, stretched their longest win streak in almost three years while dropping the Magic, who had the best Eastern Conference record, to 9-4.
Dwight Howard led Orlando with 26 points and grabbed 18 rebounds, while Jameer Nelson added 15 points for the Magic, whose winning streak was snapped at four games.
The Spurs and Magic exchanged the lead 29 times until Ginobili, who also had nine assists, sank a three-pointer with 2 minutes, 09 second to play that put San Antonio ahead to stay.
San Antonio went 12 of 19 from three-point range, including five for five beyond the arc in the fourth quarter.
Parker, nine of 15 from the field and two for two from three-point range, hit a key three-pointer in the fourth quarter, while Matt Bonner’s 15 points included a four for four performance from three-point range.
Tim Duncan also scored 15 points for the Spurs, while Rashard Lewis added 14 for Orlando.
PACERS 93, HEAT 77
In Miami, the hosts’ week of woe continued as Dwyane Wade had his worst-ever shooting game and Indiana recorded a comfortable win.
Wade finished with three points on one for 13 from the field. He had never shot so poorly when taking at least 13 tries, and the point total was the third-lowest of his career. He has been held scoreless twice.
Danny Granger had 20 points and 11 rebounds, while Brandon Rush added 20 points for the Pacers, who took control with a 29-11 run in the second quarter.
LeBron James scored 25 points, while Chris Bosh had 21 points and 11 rebounds for Miami, which learned earlier Monday that top reserve Udonis Haslem will need surgery to repair a torn foot ligament and be out indefinitely.
CELTICS 99, HAWKS 76
In Atlanta, Georgia, Boston raced to a 26-point lead in the first quarter and went on to rout Atlanta.
The Hawks missed five of their first six shots, and Boston had a double-digit lead before the game was four minutes old. At 13-3, Atlanta coach Larry Drew called the first of three timeouts in the -opening quarter in a desperate attempt to slow the Celtics.
Nothing worked. Boston made 18 of 25 shots, while the Hawks only made four of 17, leading to a 39-13 Celtics’ lead at the end of the first.
Boston’s Nate Robinson had 16 points and 10 assists filling in for Rajon Rondo, who missed the game with a hamstring strain.
Mike Bibby led the Hawks with 11 points.
JAZZ 94, KINGS 83
In Salt Lake City, Utah, C.J. Miles scored 20 points to help Utah beat Sacramento.
After hitting five three-pointers in the fourth quarter in a comeback win over Portland on Saturday, Miles keyed two runs that gave the Jazz their third win in the past four starts.
Al Jefferson scored 19 points for the Jazz, who have won more road games (six) than any other team, but came into this one with a mediocre home-court record.
DeMarcus Cousins had 18 points to lead Sacramento, which suffered their eighth loss in their past nine games. The Kings had only 56 points after three quarters.
THUNDER 117, TIMBERWOLVES 107
In Oklahoma City, Kevin Durant and Jeff Green returned from injuries and powered Oklahoma City to their fifth consecutive victory, beating Minnesota.
Durant scored 28 points, while Green had 24, including a go-ahead three-pointer in the final minute. Green missed the previous four games with a sprained left ankle and Durant, who came in averaging an NBA-best 28 points, was out for two games with a left ankle sprain.
Kevin Love had 24 points and 17 rebounds for Minnesota.
Oklahoma City led by as many as 18 in the second half, but the Timberwolves put together an impressive rally to take a six-point lead with less than seven minutes to go.
In Monday’s other action, it was:
‧ Nuggets 106, Warriors 89
‧ Clippers 99, Hornets 95
‧ Suns 123, Rockets 116
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