NBA roundup Friday’s games

NBA Roundup \ Friday’s games

76ers 89, Clippers 88

PHILADELPHIA — Elton Brand beat his former team with his biggest basket for his new one. Brand hit a 15-footer with 57 seconds left and finished with 17 points in his first game against Los Angeles. The Clippers lost shortly after acquiring forward Zach Randolph and guard Mardy Collins from the New York Knicks for Cuttino Mobley and Tim Thomas. Los Angeles wasted a six-point lead with 2:50 left in the game. Andre Iguodala converted a three-point play and Andre Miller hit a 3-pointer to get the Sixers within one. Then Brand, who bolted the Clippers and signed a free-agent deal with the Sixers, nailed the winner.

Rockets 103, Wizards 91

WASHINGTON — Tracy McGrady scored 14 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter, Yao Ming added 18 and the Rockets added to the Wizards’ misery. Quiet for most of the game, McGrady hit a pair of 3-pointers in a 9-0 run that wiped out a nine-point deficit and tied it with 7 minutes to play. McGrady, who’s recently been hobbled by a sore left knee, then added two more 3s and another long jumper as the Rockets ended the game with a 27-6 run and held the Wizards scoreless — 13-0 — over the final 4:16. Carl Landry scored 19 points, and Aaron Brooks had 18 for the Rockets, who opened a three-game East Coast trip with their seventh straight win against Washington.

Magic 100, Pacers 98, OT

INDIANAPOLIS — Dwight Howard had 24 points, 17 rebounds and five blocks to lead the Magic. Howard blocked a potential game-winning shot at the end of regulation, then altered what would have been a game-tying shot in the closing seconds of overtime. Rashard Lewis scored 23 points for the Magic and made what turned out to be the game-winning basket with 23 seconds left in overtime. Jameer Nelson added 22 points and nine assists in Orlando’s fifth straight win. Marquis Daniels scored 25 points, T.J. Ford had 22 and Danny Granger added 21 for the Pacers.

Hawks 88, Bobcats 83

ATLANTA — Joe Johnson scored 30 points, Marvin Williams added 22 and the Atlanta Hawks pulled away in the closing minutes. Charlotte went ahead for the final time in a back-and-forth final period when Raymond Felton hit a jumper from the top of the key, giving the Bobcats an 81-80 lead. But Williams put the Hawks ahead for good on a 3-pointer with 2:12 remaining. The Charlotte defense collapsed on Johnson, who swung the ball to Maurice Evans. He whipped it around to Williams all alone in the corner. Rookie D.J. Augustin led the Bobcats with a career-best 26 points.

Nets 129, Raptors 127, OT

TORONTO — Vince Carter scored 39 points against his former team, Devin Harris added 30 and the Nets rallied from an 18-point, third-quarter deficit to beat the Raptors. Carter sent the game to overtime by draining a 3-pointer with 0.8 seconds remaining in regulation, capping a stretch that saw him score 12 consecutive points for the Nets. Anthony Parker returned the favor, draining a turnaround 3 from the corner with 2.9 seconds left in the extra session to tie it at 127, but Carter won it with a reverse dunk on Bobby Simmons’ inbounds pass with 2.1 seconds left.

Celtics 95, Timberwolves 78

MINNEAPOLIS — Make no mistake: Kevin Garnett still owns Target Center. In his first game on the court since being traded before last season, Garnett scored 17 points to help his Celtics cruise. Al Jefferson scored 23 points for the Timberwolves. But he shot just 8-of-20 and the Timberwolves were shooting a jaw-dropping 23 percent heading into the fourth quarter before finishing at 31 percent.

Associated Press