NBA ROUNDUP \ Sunday’s games
Lakers 99, Spurs 85
LOS ANGELES — A matchup of the Western Conference’s best teams turned out to be a mismatch. Kobe Bryant scored 22 points before sitting out the fourth quarter for the Lakers. Pau Gasol added 16 points, five rebounds and four assists. The win was the fourth straight and 14th in 17 games for the Lakers (35-8), whose .814 winning percentage is the best in the NBA although the defending champion Boston Celtics (37-9) lead them by a half-game in the overall standings. Tony Parker had 19 points and six assists and Tim Duncan added 15 points and eight rebounds for the Spurs (29-14), who lost for just the fourth time in their past 18 games.
Celtics 124, Mavericks 100
BOSTON — Ray Allen scored 20 of his 23 points in the first half when the Celtics opened a 27-point lead, and Eddie House added seven 3-pointers to help give the defending NBA champions their eighth straight victory. Jason Terry scored 27 for the Mavericks, who have won just three of their last nine games.
Suns 104, Hawks 99
ATLANTA — Amare Stoudemire scored 23 points, and Shaquille O’Neal had 19 points and 11 rebounds to help Phoenix snap a three-game losing streak. Reserve guard Leandro Barbosa had 20 points for the Suns, who had lost five of six and were coming off a season-worst 22-point loss at Charlotte.
Raptors 113, Kings 97
TORONTO — Chris Bosh scored 31 points, Andrea Bargnani added 24 and the Toronto Raptors beat Sacramento, handing the Kings their fifth straight loss. Jose Calderon had 16 points and eight assists as Toronto won its second straight following a season-high seven-game losing streak. Jermaine O’Neal added 11 points and 10 rebounds and Anthony Parker scored 11 points for the Raptors. John Salmons scored 21 points for the Kings.
Rockets 108, Pistons 105
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Ron Artest scored three of his 24 points at the line in the final 14 seconds. Artest and Tracy McGrady returned to the lineup for the Rockets, who were without Yao Ming because of a knee injury. Detroit’s Richard Hamilton scored 27 and Rasheed Wallace had 22 points. Allen Iverson scored 17 and Rodney Stuckey had 14 points.
Timberwolves 109, Bulls 108, OT
MINNEAPOLIS — Al Jefferson scored a season-high 39 points to lead Minnesota to an overtime victory, the Timberwolves’ ninth win in 11 games. Ben Gordon led six Chicago players in double figures with 23 points.
Pacers 98, Bobcats 93
INDIANAPOLIS — Danny Granger had 27 points to lead the Indiana Pacers to their season-high fifth straight win at home. Raja Bell and Boris Diaw had 18 points apiece, and Emeka Okafor finished with 14 points and eight rebounds for Charlotte, which had won five of six.
Nuggets 117, Jazz 97
DENVER — Nene tied his career high with 28 points and J.R. Smith quickly put to rest coach George Karl’s concerns about rust after a five-day layoff.
Associated Press
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