NBA scores,updates,news and rumors . . .

[kingjames24szupladoh]

NBA.com's weekly MVP Race:
1. Kevin Durant
2. LeBron James
3. Paul George
4. LaMarcus Aldridge
5. Chris Paul
6. Russell Westbrook
7. Kevin Love
8. Damian Lillard
9. Tony Parker
10. Stephen Curry

NBA.com's weekly Rookie Ladder:
1. Michael Carter-Williams
2. Trey Burke
3. Victor Oladipo
4. Tim Hardaway, Jr.
5. Giannis Antetokounmpo
6. Ben McLemore
7. Cody Zeller
8. Hollis Thompson
9. Tony Snell
10. Miroslav Raduljica

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Kevin Durant scores 34 as Thunder win without Russell Westbrook
Associated Press

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Kevin Durant had 34 points and 12 rebounds, and the Oklahoma City Thunder held on to defeat the Charlotte Bobcats 89-85 Friday night without injured guard Russell Westbrook.

The Thunder announced before the game that Westbrook had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee and is out until after the All-Star break.

Durant scored 14 points in the fourth quarter and finished 14 of 28 from the field. Serge Ibaka had 12 points and nine rebounds for the Thunder, who have won seven straight road games and 11 of 12 overall.

Reggie Jackson started in place of Westbrook but shot only 4 of 19 from the floor.

The Thunder managed to escape after Josh McRoberts missed a wide-open 3-pointer with 3 seconds left.

Kemba Walker led the Bobcats with 18 points and seven assists. Al Jefferson added 16 points and 11 rebounds.

After a timeout, Walker drove the lane and kicked out to McRoberts, who missed an open 3 from the left wing. Thabo Sefolosha made two free throws to seal the victory.

Durant is expected to take on an even bigger scoring load with Westbrook out at least 27 games. The surprising news came just two days after Westbrook had a triple-double against the New York Knicks.

General manager Sam Presti said in a news release that Westbrook has been playing pain-free, but "recently had experienced increased swelling" in his right knee.

Westbrook's knee problems began in April when he tore his meniscus in the second game of the Western Conference playoffs, sidelining him for the remainder of the postseason and diminishing Oklahoma City's chances of reaching the NBA Finals. He had a second arthroscopic surgery before training camp.

Oklahoma City is 21-3 with Westbrook in the starting lineup.

"He was playing great basketball, probably some of the best basketball in the entire league," Thunder coach Scott Brooks said. "We're looking forward to him coming back and getting back to the level that he has played at -- and he will."

Copyright by STATS LLC and The Associated Press

[tonistork]

Arron Afflalo scores 23, Magic down Pistons 109-92
Associated Press

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Arron Afflalo scored 23 points to lead five Orlando players in double-figures and the Magic snapped a three-game losing streak with a 109-92 win over the Detroit Pistons on Friday night.

Orlando led the Pistons by as many as 22 points and cruised in the fourth quarter.

Nik Vucevic added 20 points and 11 rebounds, and rookie Victor Oladipo finished with 16 points and a career-high 11 assists.

The victory also halted a five-game home losing streak for the Magic, who hadn't won at the Amway Center since the day before Thanksgiving.

Brandon Jennings had 21 points and Will Bynum added 18 for the Pistons, who ended a streak of three consecutive road victories.

In some of their recent losses Orlando had started fast, only to fall apart late in the games.

The Magic jumped out to another early lead, but this time were able to sustain it with a variety of scoring bursts that kept the Pistons playing catch up for most of the night.

Orlando hovered over 50 percent shooting throughout and carried a 19-point lead into the fourth quarter.

The Pistons, who claimed eight of their 14 wins on the road, never found a flow on offense. They shot 41 percent for the game, and were outscored in the paint 58-48.

The Magic carved out their early advantage shooting 56 percent in the opening 24 minutes to take a 55-48 lead into halftime.

Glen Davis had eight points in less than five minutes and then yielded to Afflalo, who finished the half with 12 points. Oladipo and Tobias Harris each added 10 points.

The Pistons shot 44 percent for the half, but Jennings' 18 points kept them within striking distance.

Copyright by STATS LLC and The Associated Press

[kingjames24szupladoh]

* LeBron James needs just 6 POINTS! to move ahead of Larry Bird on the All-Time Scoring list.
He has played 3049 less minutes and 104 less games.

[tonistork]

Raptors rally past Carmelo Anthony-less Knicks
Associated Press

NEW YORK -- Jonas Valanciunas had 16 points and a career-high 18 rebounds, DeMar DeRozan scored 25 points, and the Toronto Raptors rallied for a 95-83 victory over the New York Knicks on Friday night.

The Raptors trailed by 12 points in the third quarter, but outscored the Knicks 29-12 in the fourth to take the opener of the home-and-home series.

Kyle Lowry had 15 points and 11 assists for the Atlantic Division-leading Raptors, who host the Knicks on Saturday with a chance to extend their lead to five games over last season's division champions.

Andrea Bargnani had 18 points and 12 rebounds against his former team. Beno Udrih finished with 15 points and 10 assists for the Knicks, who played again without Carmelo Anthony because of a sprained left ankle.

Copyright by STATS LLC and The Associated Press

TS (toni storks) view:
Wihout Carmelo, New York Knicks is a hopeless case. And as a Knicks believer at the start of this season, I finally give up on them. Sana noon pa, tinanggal si Woodson at least may rason at di pa na-injured si Anthony.

[tonistork]

Love, Barea send Wolves to 120-98 win over Wizards
Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS -- Kevin Love had 25 points and 11 rebounds, and J.J. Barea scored 17 points off the bench to help the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Washington Wizards 120-98 on Friday night.

Ricky Rubio had 11 points, nine assists and eight rebounds in 26 minutes, and Nikola Pekovic added 18 points and 10 boards for the Timberwolves. Minnesota outrebounded Washington 44-35 and only turned the ball over five times.

John Wall had 26 points and seven assists for the Wizards, who missed a chance to win their fourth straight road game for the first time since March 2008. Nene added 13 points and five rebounds, but Bradley Beal had to be helped off the floor in the fourth quarter with a left leg injury.

Beal scored 14 points in 26 minutes, but got tangled up on a screen by Wolves forward Luc Mbah a Moute with 4:25 to go. Beal was knocked to the ground and couldn't put any pressure on his left leg as Jan Vesely and Trevor Ariza helped him to the locker room.

Barea shot 8 of 10 and Alexey Shved scored 13 points and grabbed five rebounds to give the Wolves some much-needed balance between their starters and bench.

The Timberwolves slogged through a brutal opening two months, weathering injuries to Chase Budinger and Ronny Turiaf and the third-toughest schedule in the NBA to post a 13-15 record. It was underwhelming considering the high hopes they started the season with, but not wholly unexpected given the schedule.

Now is the time they have to make a move if they want to be a factor in the Western Conference playoff race. They play six of the next eight at home and face five teams that are currently under .500.


Copyright by STATS LLC and The Associated Press

[tonistork]

Tyreke Evans leads Pelicans past Nuggets, 105-89

Associated Press

NEW ORLEANS -- Tyreke Evans had 19 points and 10 assists, and the New Orleans Pelicans handed the Denver Nuggets their fifth straight loss, 105-89 on Friday night.

Jrue Holiday had 17 points and four steals, causing two turnovers that led to late fast-break points as the Pelicans slammed the door on Denver's comeback bid.

Anthony Davis added 17 points and four blocked shots despite playing sparingly in the first half because of three early fouls.

Wilson Chandler scored 22 points and J.J. Hickson added 16 points and 10 rebounds for the Nuggets, who trailed by 18 in the second quarter but were as close as 93-87 on Quincy Miller's 3-pointer with 2:55 to go.

That's when Holiday found Davis for an alley-oop tip and again for a fast-break basket as New Orleans pulled away for its second straight win.

Copyright by STATS LLC and The Associated Press

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Derrick Favors' dunk with 2.1 seconds left lifts Jazz (9-23) over Lakers (13-17)
Associated Press

SALT LAKE CITY -- Derrick Favors had 18 points and 14 rebounds and made a putback dunk with 2.1 seconds remaining to lift the Utah Jazz to a 105-103 victory over the depleted Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night.

With the game tied at 103, Gordon Hayward drove to the basket on Utah's final possession but missed his off-balance attempt as the Lakers converged. Favors grabbed the rebound and slammed the ball through the hoop to snap Utah's four-game home losing streak. Hayward finished with 24 points and nine assists.

Nick Young scored 21 points in 27 minutes before fouling out with 5:45 remaining, and Chris Kaman had a season-high 19 points starting in place of Pau Gasol, who was out with a respiratory infection.

Copyright by STATS LLC and The Associated Press

[kingjames24szupladoh]

December 28, Final Scores/Leaders :

Thunder - 89 Bobcats - 85
Durant: 34 Pts. Durant: 5 Asts. Durant: 12 Rebs./Walker: 18 Pts. McRoberts: 7 Asts. Jefferson: 11 Rebs.

Pistons - 92 Magic - 109
Jennings: 21 Pts. Jennings: 8 Asts. Drummond: 11 Rebs./Afflalo: 23 Pts. Oladipo: 11 Asts. Vucevic: 11 Rebs.

Bucks - 93 Nets - 104
Antetokounmpo: 16 Pts. Knight: 5 Asts. Antetokounmpo: 10 Rebs./Livingston: 20 Pts. Livingston: 6 Asts. Evans: 13 Rebs.

Raptors - 95 Knicks - 83
DeRozan: 25 Pts. Lowry: 11 Asts. Valanciunas: 18 Rebs./Bargnani: 18 Pts. Udrih: 10 Asts. Bargnani: 12 Rebs.

Wizards - 98 Timberwolves - 120
Wall: 26 Pts. Wall: 7 Asts. Booker: 9 Rebs./Love: 25 Pts. Rubio: 9 Asts. Love: 11 Rebs.

Nuggets - 89 Pelicans - 105
Chandler: 22 Pts. Lawson: 12 Asts. Hickson: 10 Rebs./Evans: 19 Pts. Evans: 10 Asts. Anderson: 10 Rebs.

Lakers - 103 Jazz - 105
Young: 21 Pts. Farmar: 7 Asts. Kaman: 10 Rebs./Hayward: 24 Pts. Hayward: 9 Asts. Favors: 14 Rebs.

Heat - 103 Kings - 108
James: 33 Pts. Chalmers: 10 Asts. James: 8 Rebs./Cousins: 27 Pts. Thomas: 11 Asts. Cousins: 17 Rebs.

Suns - 86 Warriors - 115
Tucker: 11 Pts. Dragic: 3 Asts. Tucker: 12 Rebs./Thompson: 21 Pts. Curry: 16 Asts. Curry: 13 Rebs.


STANDINGS:

West:
1. BLAZERS 24-5
2. Thunder 24-5
3. SPURS 23-7
4. CLIPPERS 20-11
5. Rockets 20-11
6. Suns 17-11
7. Warriors 18-13
8. Mavericks 16-13
9. Nuggets 14-14
10. Timberwolves 14-15
11. Pelicans 13-14
12. Lakers 13-17
13. Grizzlies 12-16
14. Kings 9-19
15. Jazz 9-23

East:
1. PACERS 23-5
2. HEAT 22-7
3. Hawks 16-13
4. RAPTORS 12-15
5. Bobcats 14-16
6. Wizards 12-14
7. Pistons 14-17
8. Celtics 12-17
9. Bulls 11-16
10. Cavaliers 10-18
11. Nets 10-19
12. Knicks 9-20
13. Magic 9-20
14. Sixers 8-20
15. Bucks 6-23

*Note: Division leaders are capitalized. Division leaders are guaranteed at least the 4th seed.

[kingjames24szupladoh]

Sunday, December 29 Schedule : 12 games

Cleveland at Boston - 1 pm ET, 10 am PT
Brooklyn at Indiana - 7 pm ET, 4 pm PT on NBATV
New York at Toronto - 7 pm ET, 4 pm PT
Detroit at Washington - 7 pm ET, 4 pm PT
Charlotte at Atlanta - 7:30 pm ET, 4:30 pm PT
Dallas at Chicago - 8 pm ET, 5 pm PT
New Orleans at Houston - 8 pm ET, 5 pm PT
Denver at Memphis - 8 pm ET, 5 pm PT
Minnesota at Milwaukee - 8:30 pm ET, 5:30 pm PT
Philadelphia at Phoenix - 9 pm ET, 6 pm PT
Miami at Portland - 10 pm ET, 7 pm PT
Utah at L.A. Clippers - 10:30 pm ET, 7:30 pm PT

[kingjames24szupladoh]

PHL embassy pitches Jan. 15 Heat-Wizards game for Yolanda victims

iba talaga ang NBA Cares 

[kingjames24szupladoh]

Andrew Bynum has been suspended by the Cleveland Cavaliers for conduct detrimental to the team. A source tells Yahoo!: "He doesn't want to play basketball anymore. He never liked it that much in first place."


Details Here

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Brandon Bass' late block saves Celtics from Cavs' comeback bid
Associated Press

BOSTON -- Brandon Bass couldn't hide his smile after his timely blocked shot for the Boston Celtics.

Jeff Green and Jordan Crawford each scored 19 points, Bass added 15 points and had a game-saving block in the closing seconds Saturday, and the Celtics held on for a 103-100 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Early in the third quarter, Bass made a 3-pointer for only the second time in 18 career attempts, but it was timely play against Dion Waiters that made his day.

"The block," he said, with a wide grin coming across his face when asked what play he enjoyed more. "The block was huge, man. The 3-pointer was cool, but the block was huge."

The Cavaliers were playing soon after suspending center Andrew Bynum indefinitely for "conduct detrimental to the team" and banning him from all team-related activities. Bynum, who signed a two-year, $24 million contract with the Cavaliers in July, did not travel with the team to Boston and it's likely he has played his final game for Cleveland.

Avery Bradley added 18 points and eight rebounds to help Boston snap a three-game losing streak. Bass also had eight rebounds.

Kyrie Irving led the Cavaliers with 32 points, the eighth time in his last 10 games he has scored 20 or more. Waiters added 17 points, and Jarrett Jack had 14 for Cleveland, which lost its fourth straight.

Copyright by STATS LLC and The Associated Press

TS (toni storks) view):
Before the start of this season, Cleveland with Irving, Thompson, Varejao, No.1 pick, Bennett and Bynum as its core was pick by NBA experts as one of the most improved team out East and a playoff bound team. But look at them now, they are losing (10-19 record) and Bynum had become a nut-head. Maybe, Coach Mike Brown is over-rated, he just became a good coach in the eyes of the fans because of Lebron James. For me, he's just a mediocre coach, Lakers saw that too.

[tonistork]

Paul George, Pacers use third-quarter burst to knock off Nets
Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS -- Paul George scored 24 points and Lance Stephenson added 23 to lead the Indiana Pacers to a 105-91 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday night.

George Hill finished with 21 points for the Pacers, who put five players in double figures and pulled away with a third-quarter burst.

Roy Hibbert scored 11 and David West 10 for Indiana, which leads the Eastern Conference at 23-6. Stephenson also had nine rebounds and seven assists.

Paul Pierce scored 18 points, Mirza Teletovic 17, Deron Williams 14 and Alan Anderson 10 for the Nets, who fell to 10-20.

Indiana, leading by three points at the start of the third quarter, went on an 11-3 run as the Nets turned the ball over on four straight possessions.

Copyright by STATS LLC and The Associated Press

TS (toni storks) view:
Frank Vogel is the best coach in the NBA's Eastern Conference right now, and Jason Kidd?. . well he is a very good point guard during his playing career. Coaching?. . FORGET IT.

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Kyle Lowry scores 32 as Raptors beat Knicks again
Associated Press

TORONTO -- Kyle Lowry had a season-best 32 points and 11 assists, Terrence Ross made a career-high seven 3-pointers and the Toronto Raptors beat New York for the second straight night, topping the short-handed Knicks 115-100 on Saturday.

Lowry came within two rebounds of a triple-double and Ross had 23 points as Toronto won for the fourth time in five games.

DeMar DeRozan added 20 points for the Raptors, who overcame a 12-point deficit in the second half to beat New York 95-83 at Madison Square Garden on Friday.

Greivis Vasquez made three 3-pointers in the fourth quarter and Lowry capped it from long range with 5 seconds left as the Raptors finished with a season-high 15 baskets from beyond the arc.

Amar'e Stoudemire scored 20 of his 23 points in the second half and Tyson Chandler had 16 for the Knicks, who lost for the fifth time in seven games. J.R. Smith scored 13 for New York.

Making his first regular-season appearance in Toronto after being traded to the Knicks last summer, Andrea Bargnani was booed during pregame introductions and jeered every time he touched the ball. He finished with 12 points.

Already missing guards Raymond Felton (right groin) and Pablo Prigioni (right foot), the Knicks again played without leading scorer Carmelo Anthony, who sat out for the third straight game with a sore left ankle. Also absent was Metta World Peace (left knee), who sat out for the fourth time in five games.

Knicks coach Mike Woodson said he hoped to have Anthony back when the Knicks visit Texas next week for games at San Antonio, Houston and Dallas.

Game notes

Anthony did not travel to Toronto, remaining behind in New York for treatment. An update on his condition is expected Monday. The Knicks will likely take Sunday off after playing back-to-back games against the Raptors.

Copyright by STATS LLC and The Associated Press