Habersroh: Why Houston should bench Lin

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Calderon's triple-double fuels short-handed Raps

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ESPN's Hollinger will join Grizzlies' front office

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Bynum: Kobe stunted my development in L.A.

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Felton hopes Knicks fans welcome Lin warmly

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Blazers get late help, hold off Hornets

Portland, OR (My Sportsbook) - Damian Lillard drained a 3-pointer within the final second as the Portland Trail Blazers held off a fourth-quarter surge by the New Orleans Hornets to take a 95-94 decision at the Rose Garden.

Lillard finished with 16 points, while J.J. Hickson poured in 24 points to go along with 16 rebounds and LaMarcus Aldridge contributed 20 points before leaving the game late in the fourth quarter with a sprained left ankle for Portland, which won its third straight game.

Nicolas Batum filled the stat sheet with 11 points, 10 assists, five rebounds, five steals and five blocks in the victory. He became the first player since Jamaal Tinsley on Nov. 16, 2001, to record at least 10 assists, five steals and five blocks in a game.

Ryan Anderson paced New Orleans with 26 points and Greivis Vasquez recorded a double-double with 23 points and 11 assists in the Hornets' seventh consecutive defeat.

New Orleans trailed. 75-63, heading into the fourth quarter, where Vasquez and Anderson each connected on 3-pointers during a 12-5 run to cut the Hornets deficit to 85-80 with 6:08 to play.

Vasquez later converted a layup and Anderson drilled another triple around a Luke Babbitt layup to make it a 90-87 game with a little over three minutes remaining.

After Aldridge missed a jumper two possessions later, Lance Thomas grabbed the rebound of a missed Vasquez trey and laid the ball in to get the Hornets within 90-89.

Aldridge gave the Trail Blazers back a three-point lead following a pair of missed shots by both teams before Austin Rivers drilled a deep 3-pointer from the top of the key to knot the game at 92-92 with 50.9 seconds left.

Lillard had a chance to put Portland back on top on the ensuing possession, but his shot from almost the same spot as Rivers' rimmed out.

Vasquez and Roger Mason Jr. would fail to give New Orleans its first lead of the contest at the other end and coming out of a timeout with 25.8 seconds to play, Lillard tossed an inbounds pass to Babbitt, who gave the ball right back to him and he used a screen to send up a shot from the right wing that fell through with three-tenths of a second left in the game to give the Trail Blazers the victory.

Thomas' quick layup at the buzzer accounted for the final margin.

"We bent, but we didn't break. I was pleased with that," Portland coach Terry Stotts said. "We could have pushed our lead a little bit more. That bit us as the game went forward."

Portland controlled the game from the start as Wesley Matthews and Lillard each connected on a 3-pointer to bookend a 10-4 game-opening run.

The Hornets responded with five straight points to get within one, but they could not take the lead and four straight free throws by Lillard and Aldridge gave the Trail Blazers back a 14-9 cushion.

New Orleans got no closer than three points for the remainder of the first quarter and trailed, 25-19, heading into the second.

After Rivers opened the second quarter with a layup, Lillard capped a 9-1 spurt with a shot from beyond the arc to open up a 34-22 advantage.

The Hornets again answered with an 8-2 push to get back within six at the midpoint of the frame, but Portland outscored New Orleans, 18-13, for the remainder of the half to carry a 54-43 lead into the break.

A Robin Lopez layup closed New Orleans' deficit to 62-53 early in the third quarter before Hickson netted seven points in a 9-0 run to give the Trail Blazers a comfortable 71-55 advantage with a little over five minutes left in the third.

Portland held a double-digit advantage for the rest of the third.

"We put ourselves in a hole in the first half with turnovers, giving them easy buckets, and we had a couple of guys who just didn't give us much tonight," Hornets coach Monty Williams said. "A lot of nights we're outmatched talent- wise, but when you fight like that you give yourself a chance to win."

Game Notes

New Orleans has not won a game on the road since Nov. 26 ... Portland has won the last five meetings between the teams ... The Hornets held a 43-36 advantage on the glass and outscored Portland in the paint, 46-36.

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National Basketball Association Game Capsules

Toronto, ON (My Sportsbook) - Jose Calderon recorded his second triple-double of the season with 18 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds in the Toronto Raptors' 103-96 win over the Houston Rockets. Alan Anderson netted 24 points and DeMar DeRozan added 19 points and seven boards for Toronto, which has won two straight on the heels of a six-game losing skid. Ed Davis donated 13 points in the triumph. James Harden led all scorers with 28 points for the Rockets, who have dropped four of their last six contests. Marcus Morris tallied 19 points, while Omer Asik registered seven points and 13 boards in defeat.

Final Score: LA Lakers 111, Philadelphia 98

Philadelphia, PA (My Sportsbook) - Kobe Bryant returned to his hometown and dropped a game-high 34 points and handed out six assists as the Los Angeles Lakers cruised to a 111-98 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday at Wells Fargo Center. Dwight Howard netted 17 points on 7-of-13 shooting and pulled down 11 rebounds, while Darius Morris scored 15 points on 5-of-8 from the floor for Los Angeles, which has won back-to-back games since losing four in a row. Metta World Peace donated 19 points and a career-high 16 rebounds, while former Sixer Jodie Meeks added 12 points in the victory. Nick Young scored a season-high 30 points, while Evan Turner contributed 16 points and six assists for Philadelphia, which played without point guard Jrue Holiday for the second consecutive game due to a foot injury. Spencer Hawes and Thaddeus Young gave 16 and 14 points, respectively, in the setback, the Sixers' third in a row.

Final Score: Denver 122, Sacramento 97

Sacramento, CA (My Sportsbook) - JaVale McGee led six Denver players in double figures with 19 points as the Nuggets stomped the Sacramento Kings, 122-97, on Sunday. Danilo Gallinari had 18 points and Jordan Hamilton added 15 for the Nuggets, winners in three of their last four. Andre Iguodala had 11 points, eight rebounds and eight assists while Ty Lawson dropped in 11 points to go with seven assists. Kosta Koufus posted 12 points and seven rebounds in the win. Isaiah Thomas finished with 20 points while DeMarcus Cousins and Jason Thompson each registered a double-double for the Kings, who have dropped four straight. Cousins had 19 points and 11 rebounds and Thompson finished with 16 points and 10 boards in the setback.

Final Score: Portland 95, New Orleans 94

Portland, OR (My Sportsbook) - Damian Lillard drained a 3-pointer within the final second as the Portland Trail Blazers held off a fourth-quarter surge by the New Orleans Hornets to take a 95-94 decision at the Rose Garden. Lillard finished with 16 points, while J.J. Hickson poured in 24 points to go along with 16 rebounds and LaMarcus Aldridge contributed 20 points for Portland, which won its third straight game. Nicolas Batum filled the stat sheet with 11 points, 10 assists, five rebounds, five steals and five blocks in the victory. He became the first player since Jamaal Tinsley on Nov. 16, 2001, to record at least 10 assists, five steals and five blocks in a game. Ryan Anderson paced New Orleans with 26 points and Greivis Vasquez recorded a double-double with 23 points and 11 assists in the Hornets' seventh consecutive defeat.

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Clippers take 9-game winning streak into Detroit

(My Sportsbook) - The Los Angeles Clippers look to extend their longest winning streak in over 38 years on Monday night when they close out a four- game road trip versus the Detroit Pistons.

The Clippers logged their ninth straight win on Saturday night, besting the Milwaukee Bucks 111-85. It is the longest winning streak for the club in Clippers history and its best since it won a franchise-high 11 in a row from Nov. 3-23, 1974 as the Buffalo Braves.

Matt Barnes scored a season-high 21 points off the bench, while starters Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan and Chris Paul all had double-doubles. Griffin had 18 points and 11 rebounds, Jordan notched 15 points and 11 boards and Paul finished with 10 points and 13 assists.

"I thought we played well tonight defensively. We forced a lot of turnovers and we limited them to one shot a lot of the times," Jordan said.

The Clippers, who haven't lost since Nov. 26 at home to the New Orleans Hornets, are 17-6 on the season, their best start through 23 games in franchise history. They surpassed the 16-7 start by the 1974-75 squad.

Los Angeles has won two straight and four of its last five versus Detroit, taking the lone matchup last season 87-83 in overtime at home.

Griffin had a tip-in with 19.2 seconds left in regulation that forced overtime and Paul's bucket gave the Clippers a one-point edge in overtime. Detroit missed on its next possession and had to foul.

Paul ended with 19 points, 15 assists and nine rebounds for Los Angeles, which has won two in a row in Detroit since an eight-game series road losing streak.

Greg Monroe paced the Pistons with 23 points and 15 rebounds last season versus the Clippers and leads his club this season with 15.2 points and 9.1 rebounds per game.

Monroe had 18 points and eight rebounds on Saturday versus the visiting Indiana Pacers, but the Pistons couldn't overcome 23 points by David West in an 88-77 setback.

The Pistons trailed by just two with 8:59 to play, but the Pacers ripped off an 11-0 run that spanned nearly six minutes.

"It came out to be a grind game in the last eight minutes, and they did what they do best. They win grind games," Pistons center Andre Drummond said. "They're a great team and David West hit a lot of tough shots. It was a learning game for us today."

Rodney Stuckey had 15 points and seven assists in defeat, Detroit's fourth straight both overall and at home, while Brandon Knight ended with 14 points.

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Denver crushes Kings

Sacramento, CA (My Sportsbook) - JaVale McGee led six Denver players in double figures with 19 points as the Nuggets stomped the Sacramento Kings, 122-97, on Sunday.

Danilo Gallinari had 18 points and Jordan Hamilton added 15 for the Nuggets, winners in three of their last four.

Andre Iguodala had 11 points, eight rebounds and eight assists while Ty Lawson dropped in 11 points to go with seven assists. Kosta Koufus posted 12 points and seven rebounds in the win.

Isaiah Thomas finished with 20 points while DeMarcus Cousins and Jason Thompson each registered a double-double for the Kings, who have dropped four straight. Cousins had 19 points and 11 rebounds and Thompson finished with 16 points and 10 boards in the setback.

The teams traded blows over the first few minutes of the first quarter, but a 20-7 burst put Denver up 28-15 with 1:38 left in the frame. Sacramento, though, outscored the Nuggets 8-4 the rest of the way and trailed 32-23 after the first 12 minutes.

Denver opened the second quarter with a 10-2 run to go up 42-25 just three minutes into the stanza. Francisco Garcia's 3-pointer pulled the Kings within 45-32, but the Nuggets outscored Sacramento 19-14 over the final seven minutes of the first half and led 64-46 at the break.

The Nuggets led 97-67 after three quarters and cruised to the easy win despite being outscored 30-25 in the fourth.

Denver shot 54.1 percent from the floor and held the Kings to just 34.1 percent shooting.

"I think the energy was good, but the defense I think motivated us to play the right way the whole game," Nuggets coach George Karl said.

Game Notes

Denver outscored Sacramento 64-38 in points in the paint ... Thomas Robinson had 10 points for the Kings ... Sacramento guard Tyreke Evans left the game after the second quarter with a sore left knee.

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Kobe outshines Young as Lakers beat Sixers

Philadelphia, PA (My Sportsbook) - Kobe Bryant returned to his hometown and dropped a game-high 34 points while handing out six assists as the Los Angeles Lakers cruised to a 111-98 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday at Wells Fargo Center.

Dwight Howard netted 17 points on 7-of-13 shooting and pulled down 11 rebounds, while Darius Morris scored 15 points on 5-of-8 from the floor for Los Angeles, which has won back-to-back games since losing four in a row.

Metta World Peace donated 19 points and a career-high 16 rebounds, while former Sixer Jodie Meeks added 12 points in the victory.

Nick Young scored a season-high 30 points, while Evan Turner contributed 16 points and six assists for Philadelphia, which played without point guard Jrue Holiday for the second consecutive game due to a foot injury.

Spencer Hawes and Thaddeus Young gave 16 and 14 points, respectively, in the setback, the Sixers' third in a row.

After a back-and-forth first quarter which featured six lead changes and five ties, Los Angeles scored the final five points of the frame to snag a 28-24 lead.

Despite being down by four after one, Philadelphia shot 55 percent from the floor. The Sixers were done in by the long ball, though, as Los Angeles shot 6-of-10 from beyond the arc in the session.

The Lakers continued their outrageously hot shooting in the second quarter, hitting 12-of-18 from the floor and making 4-of-5 shots from 3-point range in the period.

A driving slam by Dorell Wright cut Philadelphia's deficit to five with 8:37 to play in the half, but Meeks later buried a deep trey with 6:01 on the clock, lifting the Lakers to a 46-35 advantage.

Philadelphia cut it to single digits on three occasions, but LA was firmly in control at the break, holding a 60-50 margin.

Los Angeles continued to play the front-runners for the duration of the third stanza, and a 21-footer by Meeks with 2:27 to play in the frame gave the visitors an 83-66 advantage.

Young came up with a steal and a run-out layup at the tail end of the quarter to slice the deficit to 12, but the Lakers regrouped and led 87-73 heading into the final stanza.

Hawes buried his second 3-ball of the night early in the fourth to pull the Sixers within 91-82, but the home side could not get any closer and Los Angeles led by as many as 18 down the stretch.

Game Notes

Los Angeles completed a four-game road trip at 2-2 ... The Lakers improved to 8-2 in their last 10 matchups against Philadelphia ... Lakers forward Pau Gasol missed his eighth straight game with knee tendinitis ... The Lakers finished 14-of-34 from beyond the arc, including 10-of-15 in the first half ... Philadelphia shot 49.4 percent from the floor, but turned the ball over 18 times which led to 16 Lakers points.

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Aldridge, Blazers beat up Raptors

Portland, OR (My Sportsbook) - LaMarcus Aldridge recorded a double-double with 30 points and 12 rebounds, as the Portland Trail Blazers handled the Toronto Raptors, 92-74.

J.J. Hickson added 16 points and 11 boards for the Blazers, who have won eight straight against Toronto. Nolan Smith and Sasha Pavlovic had 11 and 10 points, respectively.

Portland won Monday's game without the services of forward Nicolas Batum (back) and guard Wesley Matthews (hip flexor).

"I thought Sasha Pavlovic played a terrific game -- defensively more than anything else, but he played heavy minutes and I thought he did a terrific job defensively and offensively. Obviously, LaMarcus did everything we needed from him," Blazers coach Terry Stotts said. "I thought it was a really good team win. We got a lot of good effort from a lot of people."

DeMar DeRozan ended with 20 points for the Raptors, who went winless on a five-game road trip to fall to 1-14 away from home this season. Ed Davis and Jose Calderon donated 14 and 12 points, respectively.

Toronto center Andrea Bargnani hurt his right elbow in the first quarter. X- rays came back negative. The Raptors also lost guard Kyle Lowry to a right triceps injury.

"He (Bargnani) landed on his elbow and lost feeling in his hand," Raptors coach Dwane Casey said. "We'll have to wait and see tomorrow how it is."

The Raptors held a 19-18 lead following a tight first quarter that featured seven lead changes and three ties.

With the score tied at 38 with 3:23 left in the second stanza, Portland closed out the half on a 6-2 spurt. Luke Babbitt's 22-foot jumper at the buzzer gave the Blazers a 44-40 edge at the break.

Holding a 49-46 lead with 9:24 remaining in the third frame, Portland put together a 13-2 run to create some distance. Aldridge and Hickson each tallied five points during the surge to make it a 62-48 game.

Toronto stayed in the game by scoring the final nine points of the quarter, which cut the gap to 64-59.

Ahead by seven, 75-68, with 6:30 to play, the Blazers went on an 8-0 spurt to pull away. Babbitt's slam, Pavlovic's layup, Damian Lillard's two free throws and Hickson's alley-oop dunk made it an 83-68 contest.

Game Notes

Toronto's Amir Johnson was ejected in the third quarter for arguing with an official ... The Raptors went 3-for-21 from beyond the arc, while the Blazers failed to make a 3-pointer on 20 attempts ... Matthews missed a game for the first time in his four-year NBA career. He had played in 250 straight games.

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Hornets' Davis set to return on Tuesday

New Orleans, LA (My Sportsbook) - New Orleans Hornets forward Anthony Davis is expected to play for the first time in nearly a month Tuesday when the Hornets host the Washington Wizards.

Davis, the first overall pick in June's draft, has missed the last 11 games with a stress reaction in his left ankle. New Orleans is just 2-9 since Davis last played on Nov. 17.

"It was tough because you want to be on the floor," Davis remarked at the team's shootaround on Tuesday. "Sitting out 11 games is tough, but it's good to be back."

In six games this season, the 19-year-old Kentucky product has averaged 16.0 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per contest.

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Wizards, Hornets collide in the Big Easy

(My Sportsbook) - Either the Washington Wizards or the New Orleans Hornets will end a losing streak on Tuesday night when the two teams meet in the Big Easy.

The Wizards have dropped two in a row since their upset of the defending champion Miami Heat one week ago Tuesday. They lost in Atlanta and fell at home to the Golden State Warriors 101-97 on Saturday.

In that setback, the Wiz lost starting point guard A.J. Price in the first quarter with a fractured right hand. He is out of the lineup and Price was only the starter because John Wall is still on the shelf with a knee injury.

In Price's absence, Shaun Livingston is expected to get the start, but Washington is considering all options.

"We're looking at different scenarios," acknowledged head coach Randy Wittman. "We haven't done anything, don't know when, or if, we will do anything, but we're looking at different options, different people."

Wittman conceded that they brought some players in as possible replacements.

Against the Warriors, the Wizards were done in by a poor first quarter. Washington lost the opening frame 28-21 and ultimately fell by four. The Wizards only committed eight turnovers and were led by 22 from Jordan Crawford off the bench.

The Hornets have dropped three in a row, including a Saturday loss to the Heat by a 106-90 score. The three losses came at the expense of very good NBA Championship contenders, the Heat, the Memphis Grizzlies and Los Angeles Lakers.

The Hornets struggled in the second quarter against the Heat. Miami out-paced New Orleans 33-15 before the half and that proved to be enough.

"There was bad stuff in both quarters to start the game defensively," said head coach Monty Williams. "The first half, I think our young guys were in awe and that's natural."

Ryan Anderson once again led the way for the Hornets with 24 points on 4-for-6 shooting from the 3-point line. Robin Lopez added 20 points and eight rebounds.

The Hornets allowed over 100 points for the third time in the last five games. The poor defensive performance has forced Williams to make some decisions.

"We should get some help when we get Anthony Davis back sometime next week and I may have to make another change," Williams said. "Because our guards aren't guarding the ball defensively the way that we need to."

The Wizards, who play their next two away from home and are the only winless road team in the NBA, have won two of their last three in New Orleans.

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Pistons welcome Nuggets to the Palace

(My Sportsbook) - So far the Denver Nuggets' road trip has been a rocky one and they are set to play back-to-back games, starting with Tuesday's showdown with the Detroit Pistons at The Palace of Auburn Hills.

The Nuggets are 1-2 on a five-game sojourn and dropped a 112-106 decision against the New York Knicks Sunday night. Denver had to deal with the return of Knicks superstar Carmelo Anthony, who netted 34 points after missing two straight games with a laceration on his finger.

Ty Lawson led six Denver players in double figures with 23 points to go along with six assists and four rebounds. Danilo Gallinari had 21 points and nine boards, while Andre Iguodala and Corey Brewer both scored 15 points in the setback, Denver's fifth in the past seven games.

"We have to learn how to finish games better," Gallinari said.

Denver was outscored 32-22 in the fourth quarter and committed 16 turnovers, which led to 22 points for the hosts. On a positive note, the Nuggets posted 25 fastbreak points and are averaging 19.6 fastbreak points in their past nine contests.

The Nuggets are 5-10 away from the Pepsi Center this season and will close out the road swing Wednesday in Minnesota.

Detroit suffered a 104-97 loss in Philadelphia Monday night as Greg Monroe and Brandon Knight scored 22 points apiece in a losing cause.

Rodney Stuckey and Tayshaun Prince netted 19 and 16 points, respectively, for the Pistons, who lost for the fifth time in their last seven tries and shot 39.5 percent for the game.

Detroit did pull within 98-95, but couldn't hit the shots it needed down the stretch. It had a 49-46 halftime lead until the Sixers opened the third quarter on a 14-0 run.

"We had some great looks at the rim that unfortunately didn't go in," Pistons coach Lawrence Frank said.

The Pistons are back at home, where they have lost two straight and own a 5-5 record. The Pistons are 1-10 when allowing 100 points this season and are quite strong on the defensive end, yielding 97.1 ppg. Denver is averaging 100.7 ppg this season -- ninth in the NBA.

Denver defeated Detroit 109-97 back on Nov. 6 this season at the Pepsi Center and has won five straight in the series. The Nuggets, though, haven't had much success at The Palace, losing 14 of the last 15 matchups there.

The Nuggets snapped a 14-game slide in Auburn Hills with a 109-100 win on Jan. 26, 2011.

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Bobcats trade second-round pick to Okla. City

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Lakers look to spoil possible Irving return

(My Sportsbook) - The Los Angeles Lakers have given up at least 100 points in each of their last four losses. They have also scored that many in those defeats and hope to come out on top Tuesday against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Lakers will open a four-game road trip in the Forest City and have lost two straight, four of five and seven of their last 10 games. In Sunday's 117-110 home loss to the Utah Jazz, Kobe Bryant scored a game-high 34 points and Jordan Hill added a career-high 17 points and nine boards.

Lakers big man Pau Gasol missed his fourth consecutive game due to knee tendinitis and is doubtful Tuesday. Dwight Howard added 11 and 16 boards for Los Angeles, which was outscored 54-34 in the paint. Utah had a 19-4 advantage on fastbreak points as well.

"We're not very good right now," Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni said. "They outran us, they had too many fastbreak points. There's no excuse for giving up 117 points. You have to fight and we're not doing it."

Chris Duhon finished with 12 points and a season-high 11 assists. Point guard Steve Nash is still nursing a balky leg and is out indefinitely.

Bryant, the NBA's leading scorer with 28.6 ppg, said afterward that the chemistry is fine with the team, but fastbreak points and defense has been the issue. Bryant missed a 3-pointer late in the game with the Lakers down by five and Jazz guard Mo Williams sealed the win with a pair of free throws.

L.A. will also visit New York, Washington and Philadelphia on the trip and is just 2-6 as the guest this season.

The Cavaliers own one of the worst records in the league at 4-17 and have lost five straight and nine of their last 10 games.

Cleveland suffered a 104-97 loss to Detroit its last time out on Saturday as Jeremy Pargo registered 24 points and Anderson Varejao added 16 points and 13 boards. C.J. Miles and Tyler Zeller scored 15 and 13 points, respectively, for the Cavaliers, who hit just 6-of-27 3-pointers and committed 14 turnovers, leading to 26 Pistons points.

"Offensively we just have to keep moving the ball a little better, be a little crisper with our passes and not turn the ball over as much," Zeller said.

The Cavs have lost four in a row at Quicken Loans Arena and are 2-6 as the host this season. Reigning Rookie of the Year Kyrie Irving was cleared to resume practice and is expected to play Tuesday. Irving hasn't played since Nov. 18 at Philadelphia because of a fractured left index finger and is averaging 22.9 ppg.

Cleveland hopes to have rookie guard Dion Waiters back as well Tuesday and he is questionable with a sprained left ankle. Waiters is ranked first in steals (1.2), second in points (15.2), second in minutes (32.0), third in assists (3.4) and fourth in 3-point field goal percentage (.355, 33-93) among rookies.

Varejao has 15 double-doubles this season and had a streak of 10 in a row stopped with Friday's 91-73 loss at Minnesota. Varejao has helped the Cavs grab at least 10 offensive rebounds in 15 straight games.

Pargo has taken advantage of his time as a starter and is averaging 14.5 ppg in 11 chances. Miles is averaging 12.7 ppg in his last three.

Cleveland lost its lone matchup with the Lakers last season, suffering a tough 97-92 loss at Staples Center. Bryant had 42 points in that one for Los Angeles, which has still dropped eight of the last 12 in this series.

The Lakers have lost six of their last seven at Cleveland.

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Knicks, Nets renew rivalry in Brooklyn

(My Sportsbook) - With their leading scorer back on the court, the New York Knicks can breathe a bit easier and will shoot for a measure of revenge against the Brooklyn Nets Tuesday night from Barclays Center.

Carmelo Anthony, the third leading scorer in the NBA with 26.8 ppg, missed two games in a row after needing stitches to close a cut on the middle finger of his left hand. He returned in Sunday's 112-106 victory over the Denver Nuggets and posted 34 points on 10-of-24 shooting.

"As the game went on, I started feeling more comfortable," Anthony said.

Anthony reached the 30-point mark for the sixth time this season and has led New York in scoring 17 times. He's also leading the league in first quarter scoring with 9.8 points. New York is averaging 26.6 points in the opening 12 minutes this season and is fifth with 102.8 ppg.

Jason Kidd finished with 17 points and seven assists in the recent win for the Knicks, who improved to 8-0 at home this season and have won six of seven games overall. It's their best start at home since opening the 1992-93 season with nine straight wins.

The Knicks have been a stingy bunch under coach Mike Woodson, whose squad is allowing 95.2 ppg and leads the NBA with the least amount of turnovers per game, turning the ball over just 10.9 times.

New York's 15-5 start is the best since the 1995-96 campaign and this is the first time the Knicks have been 10 games over .500 since April 2001. After visiting the Nets, the Knicks will return to Madison Square Garden for six straight games versus the Lakers, Cavaliers, Rockets, Nets, Bulls and Timberwolves.

On the injury front for New York, forward Rasheed Wallace (sore left foot) is listed as questionable for Tuesday.

Brooklyn has hit the skids recently, losing four in a row since a five-game winning streak. The Nets have also dropped three straight at home and suffered a 97-88 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks Sunday.

Gerald Wallace posted a double-double with 16 points and 16 rebounds, while Deron Williams registered 18 points and eight assists for Brooklyn, which struggled behind the arc and hit only 7-of-25 3-pointers. Andray Blatche tallied 11 points and six boards, and Joe Johnson wasn't much of a factor with six points in defeat.

The Nets rallied in the second half and outscored Milwaukee, 33-22, in the final stanza. However, it wasn't enough to stop Brooklyn's slide. The Nets committed 22 turnovers, leading to 20 Milwaukee points.

"We had a really bad second quarter and didn't take care of the ball. We had too many turnovers and missed shots," Nets coach Avery Johnson told the team's website. "We can't play one half and beat anybody. I'm proud of the effort in the second half but I'm not proud of the game overall."

Brooklyn is 7-4 at home and will visit Toronto Wednesday night.

Nets center Brook Lopez has missed five straight games with a sprained right foot and is questionable versus the Knicks. Lopez is averaging 18.5 points and 6.8 rebounds this season, and was back at practice Monday.

"I'm feeling good," Lopez told the team's website. "It was great to go through an entire practice. I wasn't sure I'd be able to ... not necessarily because of whatever happened with my foot, but just my conditioning."

Johnson added that the chances of Lopez playing tonight are "not very high."

Lopez played in the first matchup with the Knicks this season, a 96-89 overtime triumph on Nov. 26, and led the Nets with 22 points and 11 rebounds. Wallace and Williams both had 16 points, while Anthony pumped in 35 for New York, which has won six of the last eight meetings in this series.

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Wade, Team USA pound Angola

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Hornets to play two preseason games in Europe

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Oden optimistic after 1st workout since surgery

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National Basketball Association Game Capsules

Charlotte, NC (My Sportsbook) - Stephen Curry and David Lee combined for 52 points to lead the Golden State Warriors to a 104-96 wire-to-wire win over the Charlotte Bobcats on Monday. Curry finished with 27 points to go along with seven assists and Lee had 25 points on 10-for-14 shooting and 11 boards. Carl Landry had 16 points and Jarrett Jack scored 12 for the Warriors, winners in four straight. Kemba Walker dropped in 24 points to go with six assists and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist had 17 points and seven rebounds for the Bobcats, who have dropped eight straight.

Final Score: Philadelphia 104, Detroit 97

Philadelphia, PA (My Sportsbook) - Jrue Holiday scored 12 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter and doled out eight assists, as the Philadelphia 76ers pulled out a hard-fought 104-97 victory over the Detroit Pistons at Wells Fargo Center. Even Turner filled the stat sheet with 18 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists, while Thaddeus Young added 20 points for Philadelphia, which had split a home-and-home series with the Boston Celtics over the weekend. Greg Monroe and Brandon Knight led Detroit with 22 points each, and Rodney Stuckey finished with 19 off the bench in the setback. Detroit was coming off a win against the Cavaliers and had won in Philadelphia handily in mid-November to end an 0-8 start to the season.

Final Score: Miami 101, Atlanta 92

Miami, FL (My Sportsbook) - LeBron James filled the stat sheet with 27 points, seven rebounds and six assists as the Miami Heat used a strong second half to down the Atlanta Hawks, 101-92, at American Airlines Arena. Dwyane Wade followed with 26 points, while Chris Bosh recorded 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Heat, who won their second straight. Josh Smith paced the Hawks with 22 points and Al Horford added his sixth straight double-double with 20 points and 11 boards as Atlanta had its three-game win streak snapped.

Final Score: San Antonio 134, Houston 126 (OT)

Houston, TX (My Sportsbook) - Tony Parker recorded the first triple-double of his career with 27 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists, as the San Antonio Spurs needed overtime to beat the Houston Rockets, 134-126. Gary Neal made seven 3-pointers en route to 29 points for the Spurs, who have won five in a row. Manu Ginobili tallied 22 points and six assists. Tim Duncan had a double-double with 10 points and 13 boards for San Antonio, which improved to 11-2 on the road this season. Jeremy Lin tied a career high with 38 points while dishing out seven assists for the Rockets, who have dropped three straight. Chandler Parsons finished with 20 points and seven boards for Houston, which played without guard James Harden due to a right ankle injury.

Final Score: Dallas 119, Sacramento 96

Dallas, TX (My Sportsbook) - O.J. Mayo led six Mavericks in double figures with 19 points, as Dallas rolled to a 17th straight home win against the Sacramento Kings in a lopsided 119-96 decision at American Airlines Center. Chris Kaman chipped in 18 points, Darren Collison scored 15 and Dahntay Jones, Derek Fisher and Jae Crowder each added 11 in the club's third straight win. The Kings, who have not won in Dallas since Feb. 27, 2003, gave up 32 points off 20 turnovers and allowed the hosts to shoot 55 percent from the field. Francisco Garcia made seven 3-pointers to join DeMarcus Cousins with a team- high 25 points. Jason Thompson added 11 points and 12 rebounds in the setback.

Final Score: Portland 92, Toronto 74

Portland, OR (My Sportsbook) - LaMarcus Aldridge recorded a double-double with 30 points and 12 rebounds, as the Portland Trail Blazers handled the Toronto Raptors, 92-74. J.J. Hickson added 16 points and 11 boards for the Blazers, who have won eight straight against Toronto. Nolan Smith and Sasha Pavlovic had 11 and 10 points, respectively. DeMar DeRozan ended with 20 points for the Raptors, who went winless on a five-game road trip to fall to 1-14 away from home this season. Toronto center Andrea Bargnani hurt his right elbow in the first quarter. X- rays came back negative. The Raptors also lost guard Kyle Lowry to a right triceps injury.

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Rockets point guard Alston is charged with DWI

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Roundup: Pau, Spain rallies past China in OT

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U.S. women use early 23-0 run to dump China

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Streaking Clippers begin road trip in Chicago

(My Sportsbook) - The Los Angeles Clippers will ride a six-game winning streak into the Windy City Tuesday night when they take on the Chicago Bulls.

The Clippers haven't lost since Nov. 26 at home against the New Orleans Hornets. Five of the six wins were at home and Tuesday night's contest begins a four-game road trip.

For just the third time in Clippers history, the team has 14 wins through 20 games.

The Clippers boast the reigning Western Conference Player of the Week in Blake Griffin. Over his last four, Griffin averaged 23 ppg and 10.3 rpg. With Chauncey Billups injured again, and Chris Paul not posting Chris Paul numbers recently, the bench has carried the Clippers.

The Clippers led the Toronto Raptors by four points after three quarters on Sunday, but the reserves held the Raptors scoreless for almost seven minutes. Jamal Crawford leads the NBA in fourth-quarter scoring and the Clips won for the fourth time in their last five outings without the starters scoring a point in the final quarter.

"Our starters had their moments tonight, but overall I thought our bench was the key again," Clippers head coach Vinny Del Negro said. "They're just doing a more consistent job for us defensively in terms of talking, getting into people as a group."

The Bulls have won three in a row themselves, including a home win Saturday night against the New York Knicks, who played once again without star Carmelo Anthony.

The Bulls bested the Knicks 93-85 based on the great play of Luol Deng and Marco Belinelli, who both netted 22 points. Belinelli is seeing a significant bump in minutes with the injury to Rip Hamilton. Belinelli had 15 of his 22 in the first quarter.

Joakim Noah added 10 points and 11 rebounds to go with a staggering nine turnovers. Deng played all but 1:26 in the Knicks game and Noah and Belinelli both logged over 44 minutes.

Kirk Hinrich didn't play in the second half with an elbow injury and Taj Gibson was ejected in the second quarter after picking up two technical fouls. It all led to some gassed Bulls.

"I was really tired out there," said Noah. "I was tired, but it's all worth it right now. We're growing as a team. We need everybody. We were shorthanded, but we're fighting. It's all you can ask for. As long as we're fighting, the city should be proud."

The Bulls will try to avenge a 101-80 loss earlier this season in Los Angeles.

The Clippers are 9-2 in their last 11 in Chicago.

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Pistons re-sign F Herrmann

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Spain's hoops team defends controversial photo

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Steve Aschburner: Quest for gold comes with a risk

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James, Heat hold of Hawks

Miami, FL (My Sportsbook) - LeBron James filled the stat sheet with 27 points, seven rebounds and six assists as the Miami Heat used a strong second half to down the Atlanta Hawks, 101-92, at American Airlines Arena.

Dwyane Wade followed with 26 points, while Chris Bosh recorded 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Heat, who won their second straight.

Josh Smith paced the Hawks with 22 points and Al Horford added his sixth straight double-double with 20 points and 11 boards as Atlanta had its three- game win streak snapped.

"We let them dictate how we were going to play, starting with me," said Hawks point guard Jeff Teague, who had 11 points on 3-of-10 shooting and five turnovers. "We were kind of timid."

The Heat carried a slim 56-54 lead into the third quarter after a tightly- contested first half which included 17 lead changes and eight ties.

Miami managed to stay on top through the opening five-plus minutes of the third quarter until Teague capped a quick 5-0 burst with a shot from beyond the arc, giving the Hawks a 65-63 edge.

But that would be the last time Atlanta would be on top in the contest as Wade led a 14-2 run with eight points to hand the Heat a 77-67 lead with 2:16 left in the third.

Atlanta could get no closer than six from there and trailed, 82-74, entering the fourth quarter, where a personal 6-2 push by James opened up an 88-76 advantage less than three minutes into the frame.

A Horford layup and a pair of Smith free throws brought the Hawks back within eight, but Norris Cole and Wade responded with back-to-back jumpers to give the Heat a 92-80 lead and they maintained a double-digit advantage for the remainder of the game until Johan Petro's basket with about 10 seconds left accounted for the final margin.

"In the second half we made a better commitment to our communication," Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra said. "We really tried to be disruptive on the defensive side, and on the other end there was pretty good execution."

Neither team was able to take control in a back-and-forth first quarter that saw nine lead changes, six ties and ended with the Heat holding a 28-26 edge on James' driving layup at the buzzer.

The two sides continued to trade blows in the second quarter as the lead exchanged hands eight more times, with the last coming when James completed a three-point play in the closing seconds for a 56-54 advantage entering the break.

Miami shot an efficient 63.9 percent (23-for-36) from the field in the opening 24 minutes, while the Hawks shot 46.3 percent (19-for-41).

Atlanta, however, was able to make 7-of-15 three-point attempts to keep the game close.

Game Notes

Heat forward Udonis Haslem and guard Terrel Harris both sat out the game with the flu ... Hawks guard Kyle Korver missed his fifth straight game due to back spasms ... Miami shot 58.2 percent for the game and improved to 10-0 this season when shooting at least 50 percent ... The Heat have won five straight against Atlanta ... James has scored at least 20 points in every game this season ... The Hawks shot 42.7 percent from the game and ended shooting 9- for-28 from beyond the arc.

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