NBA: Celtics punish Cavs for 4th straight win

CLEVELAND (AP) - Rajon Rondo scored a season-high 23 points with 12 assists to lead the Boston Celtics to their fourth straight win, 106-87 on Tuesday night over the Cleveland Cavaliers, who can now start concentrating on LeBron James' upcoming visit.

Rondo missed his first three shots before hitting 11 of his next 14 to help the Celtics build a 20-point lead in the fourth.

Glen Davis added 17 points, Marquis Daniels 16 and Kevin Garnett 10 rebounds as Boston avenged an early-season loss to Cleveland.

Anderson Varejao and Daniel Gibson scored 16 apiece for the Cavs. On Thursday, James will make his first trip into Cleveland since announcing this summer he would sign with Miami. Spurs 118, Warriors 98

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - Tim Duncan had his first triple double in nearly two years with 15 points, 18 rebounds and 11 assists, Manu Ginobli added 27 points and the Spurs beat the Warriors.

Duncan, who recently moved past David Robinson to become the Spurs' career scoring leader, shot just 6 of 15 from the field but matched his career-high for assists and matched his season-high for rebounds.

San Antonio, which won its ninth straight against Golden State, improved its NBA-best record to 15-2.

Stephen Curry scored 32 points and David Lee added 18 points and seven rebounds for Golden State (8-10). The Warriors have lost eight of their last 10.

Grizzlies 98, Lakers 96

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Mike Conley scored 10 of his season-high 28 points in the fourth quarter, and the Memphis Grizzlies beat the Lakers, sending the defending champs to their third straight loss.

It's just the second three-game skid for the Lakers since they traded with Memphis for Pau Gasol to team him up with Kobe Bryant and first since March.

The Grizzlies now have won four straight at home and four of five overall.

The Lakers had a chance to at least tie the game or win at the end. Conley lost the ball when he drove the lane and crashed into Pau Gasol. Kobe Bryant passed to Ron Artest for a 3-pointer for the win, but Rudy Gay blocked the shot as the Grizzlies held on for their second win in four games against the defending champions.

Bryant finished with a game-high 29 points but was 9-of-25 from the floor, including 1-of-6 outside the arc. Gasol had 15 points and 14 rebounds. Knicks 111, Nets 100

NEW YORK (AP) - Amare Stoudemire scored 35 points and the New York Knicks broke open a close game right after New Jersey lost point guard Devin Harris to injury, beating the Nets.

Wilson Chandler added 27 points and 11 rebounds for the Knicks, who won for the seventh time in eight games and improved to 10-9, the latest in a season they've been above .500 since they were 16-15 on Jan. 4, 2005. Raymond Felton finished with 21 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds.

Harris limped to the back with a left knee injury after he was hurt on Chandler's basket that snapped a 65-all tie midway through the third quarter. That was part of a 14-2 spurt that gave the Knicks a 10-point lead, and they were never really challenged from there.

Brook Lopez scored a season-high 36 points for the Nets and Jordan Farmar had 17, trying to pick up the load after Harris was lost. Magic 90, Pistons 79

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - Mickael Pietrus scored 13 points, J.J. Redick had 10 points and the two reserves combined to help the Magic pull away from the Pistons.

Rashard Lewis had 20 points, and Vince Carter added 13 in a win against a Detroit franchise that has caused Orlando headaches for years. The Magic have won seven of their past eight games.

Tayshaun Prince had 16 points and Rodney Stuckey scored 14 points, not nearly enough for Detroit to avoid their fourth loss in the past five games. 76ers 88, Trail Blazers 79

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Elton Brand scored 18 points while Jrue Holiday and Andres Nocioni added 11 each to help the 76ers beat the Trail Blazers.

Philadelphia trailed 72-70 midway through the fourth, before going on a 15-4 run that put the game away with 1:50 left. Andre Iguodala, who entered the game averaging 14.8 points, was held to seven - although four came in the fourth quarter.

Wesley Matthews scored 26 points and LaMarcus Aldridge added 20 for the Blazers, who struggled again in the fourth quarter.

They managed only 13 fourth-quarter points in a 97-78 home loss to New Orleans on Friday, then collected just 18 points in the final period in a loss to New Jersey.

Pacers 107, Kings 98

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - Danny Granger scored a season-high 37 points for the Pacers, who used a strong third quarter to pull away from the Kings.

The victory was the fourth in five games for the Pacers, who began their four-game road trip by beating the Lakers on Sunday night.

Beno Udrih scored 24 points for the Kings, who have dropped five straight, 10 of 11 and are 2-8 at home. Rookie DeMarcus Cousins, who was kicked out of a Monday practice, responded with a career-high tying 18 points. Tyreke Evans had 16 points and nine assists, but committed six turnovers.

Darren Collison had 17 points and Roy Hibbert added 16 for the Pacers.