NBA
Brand, Cassell help Lakers rout Grizzlies LOS ANGELES (AP) – Elton Brand scored a season-high 34 points, and Sam Cassell added 21 points and a season-high 14 assists to help the Los Angeles Clippers rout the Memphis Grizzlies 112-91 on Sunday.
Brand scored 24 points in the first half and finished 13-for-23 from the field. The Clippers won the season series 3-0 after losing 11 of the previous 13 meetings.
Pau Gasol scored 27 points for Memphis, 4-7 since player personnel director Tony Barone Sr. became head coach in the wake of Mike Fratello’s firing on Dec. 28. The Grizzlies completed the first half of their schedule an NBA-worst 10-31 and are 2-18 on the road. Last season, they were 25-16 at this stage en route to a 49-33 finish.
Pistons 91, Kings 74
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – Ron Artest was booed and jeered in his first game at The Palace of Auburn Hills since the brawl between Pacers players and Pistons fans more than two years ago.
Artest had 14 points, six rebounds and four assists before sitting out most of the fourth quarter of the lopsided game that Sacramento never led. He was suspended for the rest of the season – 73 games, plus the playoffs – and lost almost $5 million for racing into the stands to ignite the brawl on Nov. 19, 2004.
Bobcats 104, Hawks 85
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Matt Carroll scored 22 points and Charlotte shot a team-record 65 percent in its second victory over Atlanta in two nights.
Atlanta played the second half without forward Josh Smith, who will likely face disciplinary action after he made obscene gestures to fans after his second-quarter ejection.
Smith, upset at being called for an offensive foul late in the second quarter, quickly picked up two technical fouls and was ejected. On his way to the locker room, Smith kicked a pile of jerseys and towels behind the bench, then raised both middle fingers to the crowd as he was about halfway through the tunnel, apparently reacting to being heckled.
Knicks 108, Pacers 106
INDIANAPOLIS – Eddy Curry scored 26 points to help New York hand Indiana 108-106 its fourth straight loss.
The Pacers had a chance to win in the closing seconds, but Danny Granger shot an airball on a 3-pointer from the right wing. If the Pacers had made the shot, it would have been the Knicks’ third consecutive one-point loss.
Stephon Marbury scored 11 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter, David Lee had 20 points and 16 rebounds and Quentin Richardson scored 20 points for the Knicks.
Jermaine O’Neal led the Pacers with 25 points and 10 rebounds and Granger added 19 points.
Nets 101, Magic 94
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Eddie House scored 15 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter and the New Jersey Nets held Dwight Howard to a season-low one point in a victory over the Orlando Magic.
Vince Carter had 27 points and Richard Jefferson 17 to lead the Nets to a season-high fourth straight win and their ninth in 11 games. Jason Kidd added 16 points, eight rebounds and seven assists as New Jersey rallied from a 15-point second-half deficit to reach the .500 mark (20-20) for the first time since Nov. 20.
Wizards 115, Celtics 110
WASHINGTON – Antawn Jamison recovered from a hyperextended knee to score five of his 23 points in overtime, and the Washington Wizards blew a 21-point second-half lead before beating the Boston Celtics.
The Wizards won their 10th straight home game – setting a Verizon Center record – in agonizing fashion. Not only did they lose a big lead, but Brendan Haywood failed to win an easy jump ball, Caron Butler missed a dunk and Antonio Daniels tossed a wild airball – all in overtime.
Hornets 113, Lakers 103
OKLAHOMA CITY – David West had 26 points and 12 rebounds, and Rasual Butler outshot Kobe Bryant down the stretch to lead the New Orleans Hornets to a victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.
Bryant overcame a slow start to finish with 23 points, but it was Butler who came up with the big plays in crunch time.
Butler gave New Orleans a 102-96 lead when he came around a screen and drilled a 3-pointer over Bryant from the top of the key. Bryant answered at the other end, but then got blocked by Butler on a drive to the basket the next time the Lakers had the ball.