AROUND THE NBA

AROUND THE NBA
TUESDAY'S OTHER GAMES
WIZARDS 94, NETS 74
WASHINGTON CHUCKY ATKINS HAD 12 POINTS AND NINE ASSISTS FILLING IN FOR INJURED ALL-STAR GILBERT ARENAS AND JARVIS HAYES SCORED 19 POINTS TO LEAD WASHINGTON TO A VICTORY OVER NEW JERSEY. THE WIZARDS NEVER TRAILED AS THEY WON THEIR FINAL GAME BEFORE STARTING A FIVE-GAME, WEST COAST ROAD TRIP. HAYES FINISHED 7-FOR-12 FROM THE FIELD, INCLUDING 4-FOR-5 FROM 3-POINT RANGE. ANTAWN JAMISON HAD 12 POINTS AND EIGHT REBOUNDS, ETAN THOMAS SCORED 12 AND CARON BUTLER ADDED 12 POINTS AND 10 REBOUNDS. ARENAS, WHO LEADS THE WIZARDS IN SCORING AND ASSISTS, SAT OUT FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS SEASON WITH A BRUISED HIS BACK. VINCE CARTER, WHO STARTED 0-FOR-6, SCORED 14 POINTS, RICHARD JEFFERSON SCORED 13, AND JASON KIDD HAD 12 FOR THE NETS, WHO HAD A FOUR-GAME ROAD WINNING STREAK SNAPPED.
NUGGETS 101, BOBCATS 85
CHARLOTTE, N.C. CARMELO ANTHONY SCORED A CAREER-HIGH 42 POINTS AND DENVER HANDED CHARLOTTE ITS EIGHTH STRAIGHT DEFEAT. WITH MICHAEL JORDAN IN ATTENDANCE, ANTHONY HAD HIS SECOND 40-POINT GAME IN LESS THAN A WEEK. HE ALSO REACHED THAT MARK IN A VICTORY OVER MIAMI ON FRIDAY. EMEKA OKAFOR HAD A DOUBLE-DOUBLE WITH 17 POINTS AND 12 REBOUNDS FOR THE BOBCATS, WHO HAVEN'T WON SINCE NOV. 26 AGAINST WASHINGTON.
KINGS 93, TIMBERWOLVES 91
MINNEAPOLIS -- BONZI WELLS HIT A 3 POINTER FROM THE CORNER AS TIME EXPIRED TO LIFT SACRAMENTO OVER MINNESOTA. WELLS APPEARED TO HAND THE TIMBERWOLVES THEIR SIXTH VICTORY IN SEVEN GAMES WHEN HE MISSED ONE OF TWO FREE THROWS WITH 28 SECONDS LEFT, LEAVING THE DEFICIT AT 91-89. TRENTON HASSELL'S DRIVING LAYUP GAVE THE WOLVES A LEAD 2 SECONDS EARLIER. WELLS FINISHED WITH 20 POINTS ON 8-OF-16 SHOOTING AND SEVEN REBOUNDS FOR THE KINGS, WHO HAVE NOW WON THREE IN A ROW AFTER LOSING FIVE STRAIGHT.
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