Richard Hamilton scored 22 points, Rasheed Wallace added 20 and the Detroit Pistons extended their winning streak to 11 games with a 101-85 victory over the host Toronto Raptors last night.
Chauncey Billups had 18 points for Detroit, which has not lost since an 80-77 defeat in Houston on Dec. 12 and owns the longest current run in the NBA.
The Pistons' streak is their longest since winning 11 straight in January 2006. Detroit hosts Eastern Conference-leading Boston tonight.
Chris Bosh had 23 points and 16 rebounds for Toronto, which has lost five of seven.
LAKERS 124, 76ERS 93: Andrew Bynum dominated inside with 17 points and a career-high 16 rebounds, and host Los Angeles shot 66 percent from the field. Derek Fisher added 17 points for Los Angeles, and Ronny Turiaf, starting because Lamar Odom was serving a one-game suspension, had 15 points and five blocked shots. Kobe Bryant, content to let his teammates do the scoring, took only nine shots and scored 15 points.
ROCKETS 96, MAGIC 94: Rafer Alston scored 20 points, including the game-winning layup with 4 seconds left, and Houston narrowly escaped Orlando with a victory. Orlando appeared to tie the game at 96 with Adonal Foyle's tip-in at the buzzer, but officials said he didn't get the shot off in time. The replay seemed to show he did, and the Rockets literally ran off the floor when the call came down.
CELTICS 100, GRIZZLIES 96: Reserve Tony Allen filled in when Ray Allen struggled, scoring a season-high 20 points to help host Boston beat Memphis. Tony Allen scored 15 in the second quarter to help Boston take the lead for good. The Celtics won their eighth straight.
NETS 102, BOBCATS 96: Vince Carter scored 30 points and New Jersey won a season-high fourth straight game and handed Charlotte its 11th consecutive road loss. An under-the-weather Richard Jefferson added 28 points and Jason Kidd had 11 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds for his eighth triple-double of the season as the Nets won for the sixth time in seven games.
CAVALIERS 97, KINGS 93: LeBron James scored 24 points and Daniel Gibson hit a daggerlike three-pointer with 12 seconds left as host Cleveland avoided embarrassment by beating short-handed Sacramento. Gibson had 13 points, 10 in the fourth, and Zydrunas Ilgauskas had 14 points and 15 rebounds for Cleveland.
PACERS 113, HAWKS 91: Danny Granger tied a career high with 32 points, and host Indiana beat Atlanta to snap a five-game losing streak. Granger shot 10-for-15 from the field and had nine rebounds. He tied his career best point total on a dunk late in the fourth quarter. Pacers point guard Jamaal Tinsley missed his fourth straight game due to a sore left hamstring.
WIZARDS 101, BUCKS 77: Antawn Jamison scored 24 points and Washington shot 55 percent from the field to beat listless host Milwaukee. The Bucks were missing leading scorer Michael Redd, who was kneed in the left thigh against Miami on Wednesday night and is day-to-day.
NUGGETS 118, TIMBERWOLVES 107: Allen Iverson scored 33 points, Carmelo Anthony added 26 and Denver beat host Minnesota. Minnesota has lost a season-worst seven straight and is off to the worst start in franchise history at 4-28. Reserve Rashad McCants led the Timberwolves with a career-high 34 points.
SPURS 97, KNICKS 93: Defensive specialist Bruce Bowen showed off his offense, scoring 15 points to help host San Antonio beat New York. Tim Duncan and Tony Parker had rough shooting nights for the Spurs, combining to go 10-of-29 from the field and score 12 points apiece. The Knicks, who have lost six in a row and fell to 1-12 on the road, were led by Eddy Curry with 25 points and 12 rebounds.
Notable: New York was without Zach Randolph, who was suspended for one game for throwing his headband at a referee this week.
MAVERICKS 94, HEAT 89: With Shaquille O'Neal and Dwyane Wade out for Miami, the host Mavericks seemed to take victory for granted and nearly wound up getting beaten – needing a go-ahead three-pointer by Dirk Nowitzki with 5:28 left and a defensive stand in the final seconds to pull it out.
HORNETS 116, WARRIORS 104: Tyson Chandler had a season-high 22 points and matched a season best with 22 rebounds to lead New Orleans over Golden State for its fifth straight road win.
Clippers lose Davis
Los Angeles Clippers forward Paul Davis had season-ending surgery to repair the torn anterior cruciate ligament and lateral meniscus in his right knee, the team said. The timetable for Davis' return is expected to be six to eight months.
