Saturday, March 8, 2003
Raptors 89, Wizards 86
WASHINGTON -- The Washington Wizards lost a game to Toronto and lost Michael Jordan to back spasms. Voshon Lenard, 0-for-6 entering the fourth quarter, scored all 14 of his points in the final 12 minutes, and Vince Carter had 24 as the Raptors dealt yet another blow to Washington's playoff hopes. Jerry Stackhouse scored 21 points for the Wizards.
Pistons 96, Rockets 83
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- The Pistons broke a seven-game losing streak as Richard Hamilton scored 26 points and Chauncey Billups added 21. Cuttino Mobley led the Rockets with 25 points, including 13 in the fourth period, and Yao Ming added 20.
Bucks 100, Heat 91
MIAMI -- Sam Cassell held the hot hand for the second straight game, scoring 25 points as the Bucks climbed back to .500. Milwaukee moved one game ahead of Washington for the eighth and final playoff berth in the Eastern Conference. The Heat were playing without leading scorer Eddie Jones, who sprained his right ankle in practice Monday and is expected to miss at least two weeks.
Hawks 92, Nuggets 86
ATLANTA -- Shareef Abdur-Rahim hit a hook shot before Glenn Robinson made a clinching 3-pointer in the final minute as the Hawks handed Denver its 13th straight loss. Abdur-Rahim finished with 30 points and 10 rebounds. Juwan Howard had 20 points for the Nuggets.
Mavericks 88, Nets 79
DALLAS -- Steve Nash scored or assisted on 16 straight fourth-quarter points, helping the Mavericks snap out of their offensive funk. Dirk Nowitzki had 24 points and 13 rebounds for the league-leading Mavs (46-14). Kenyon Martin had 17 points and nine rebounds for the Nets.
Suns 104, Spurs 97
SAN ANTONIO -- Stephon Marbury had 35 points and 13 assists, and the Suns overcame Tim Duncan's 35-point, 21-rebound performance. Amare Stoudemire and Shawn Marion each added 17 points for the Suns.
SuperSonics 92, Timberwolves 83
SEATTLE -- Ray Allen scored 29 points, Brent Barry had 19 and Rashard Lewis added 17 as the SuperSonics ended the Timberwolves' seven-game winning streak. Kevin Garnett scored 22 points and had 11 rebounds for Minnesota.
Warriors 107, Pacers 100
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Gilbert Arenas had 22 points and nine assists as the Warriors took their sixth straight win, the team's longest winning streak in nearly nine years. Ron Artest had 32 points, seven rebounds and five assists, and Jermaine O'Neal added 21 points and six boards for Indiana.