NBA: Lakers snap 4-game losing streak

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Kobe Bryant scored 22 points, Pau Gasol added 16 despite a strained left hamstring, and the Los Angeles Lakers easily snapped a four-game losing streak with a 113-80 victory over the struggling Sacramento Kings on Friday night.

Lamar Odom had 16 points and seven rebounds as the two-time defending champions capitalized on nearly optimal conditions for ending their longest skid since April 2007.

Los Angeles jumped to an 18-point lead on lowly Sacramento in the first half and stretched it to 32 before Bryant and Gasol wrapped up their evenings late in the third quarter.

Jason Thompson scored 19 for the Kings, who have lost six straight and 12 of 13. Tyreke Evans added 15 points on 5-of-15 shooting, and Pooh Jeter scored 11 in 12 minutes of garbage time for Sacramento, which has lost eight straight to Los Angeles.

Mavericks 93, Jazz 81

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Dirk Nowitzki scored 26 points on 12 of 18 shooting, Caron Butler added 16 points and Dallas extended its winning streak to eight games.

Dallas improved to 15-4 and ended a five-game losing streak in Utah.

The Mavericks also snapped Utah's seven-game winning streak, outsoring the Jazz (15-6) by a 13-2 margin to start the fourth quarter.

Jason Kidd added 15 points for Dallas on 6 of 8 shooting.

Paul Millsap led Utah with 21 points, and Al Jefferson had 18 points and eight rebounds.

It was an uncharacteristic off-night for Utah's Deron Williams, who entered the game shooting 62 percent the previous five games. He made just 4 of 13 shots - going 1 of 3 from 3-point range - and had four turnovers after being honored earlier in the day as the Western Conference Player of the Month. Celtics 104, Bulls 92

BOSTON (AP) - Kevin Garnett scored 20 points with a season-high 17 rebounds, and Rajon Rondo scored 12 and had 19 assists on Friday night to lead Boston to its sixth straight win.

Ray Allen scored 14 and Paul Pierce had 18 for Boston, which never trailed.

Derrick Rose scored 20 with eight assists, and Joakim Noah had 14 points and 10 rebounds for Chicago. Carlos Boozer scored 12 points in 21 minutes in his second game since missing the first month of the season with a broken bone in his right hand.

Garnett had 16 points and 11 rebounds at the half, when the Celtics led 53-48. The Bulls cut the lead to one point before missing their next eight shots and watching Boston open a 70-54 lead.

Knicks 100, Hornets 92

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - When the Hornets were able to interrupt Amare Stoudemire's dominance inside, the Knicks responded with enough 3-pointers to make New Orleans pay.

Stoudemire had 34 points and 10 rebounds to power New York to its eighth win in nine games.

New York led 74-73 late in the third when Shawne Williams' driving scoop off the glass and Raymond Felton's floater as he was fouled ignited a 10-0 run that gave the Knicks (11-9) their first double-digit lead of the game. Wilson Chandler's second 3 of the fourth quarter made it 92-78 with 6:02 to go and New Orleans (13-6) was unable to recover in losing for the fifth time in seven games.

Trevor Ariza had a season-high 21 points for New Orleans, which was without David West because of a stomach virus. Chris Paul had 17 points and 10 assists.

New York went 13 for 30 from 3-point range. Chandler, who scored 14, made four 3s, while Danilo Gallinari and Williams made three each.

Raptors 111, Thunder 99

TORONTO (AP) - Andrea Bargnani had 26 points and 12 rebounds for his first double-double of the season and Leandro Barbosa scored a season-high 22 points.

Oklahoma City lost for the first time in four games this season without forward Kevin Durant, the NBA's leading scorer at 27.3 points per game. Durant missed his second straight game with a sprained left knee.

Jose Calderon matched his season high with 15 assists for the Raptors, who have won five of seven. Amir Johnson and DeMar DeRozan had 14 points apiece and Sonny Weems finished with 10.

Toronto posted its first home win when it trailed at halftime. The Raptors had lost four previous home games in which they were behind at the break.

Russell Westbrook and James Harden each scored 20 points, Jeff Green had 17 and Nenad Krstic 10 for the Thunder.

Wizards 83, Trail Blazers 79

WASHINGTON (AP) - On a night that top draft pick John Wall struggled in his return to the starting lineup, Washington turned in its best defensive performance of the season.

The Wizards held Portland to 10 points in the third quarter and a season-worst 33.3 shooting percentage to win despite getting only 10 points on 3-of-13 shooting and a career-low two assists from Wall. Gilbert Arenas picked up some of the slack, with 15 points and six assists in a reserve role.

Brandon Roy led the way with 18 points for Portland, which went through a fourth-quarter drought of more than 6 1/2 minutes without a field goal until LaMarcus Aldridge's tip-in with less than 1 1/2 minutes remaining in the game.

Aldridge finished with 16 points and 15 rebounds, but he shot only 6 for 17. Roy shot 9 for 21, while Andre Miller's 12 points came mostly from the foul line, because he was 2 for 12 on field goals. Magic 104, Pistons 91

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) - Brandon Bass scored a career-high 27 points, and Orlando overcame a stomach virus that sidelined four key players.

Orlando was without star center Dwight Howard, and Jameer Nelson, J.J. Redick and Mickael Pietrus were also unavailable because of the stomach bug. In spite of all that, the Magic were able to win their sixth straight game.

Bass made his first 11 shots from the field. He finally missed from the baseline late in the fourth quarter - and even that shot was close enough that Marcin Gortat nearly committed offensive goaltending when he tipped the ball in for Orlando.

Vince Carter added 25 points for the Magic on 10-of-15 shooting.

Tayshaun Prince scored 30 for Detroit.

Rockets 127, Grizzlies 111

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Kyle Lowry scored a career-high 28 points and matched his career best with 12 assists.

Kevin Martin also had 28 points, while Brad Miller contributed a season-high 23 points in Houston's sixth straight win over Memphis. All have been by 10 points or more.

Miller made all seven of his shots and the Rockets shot 60 percent in the game, including 16 of 23 on 3-pointers.

Courtney Lee scored 16 points for the Rockets, while Luis Scola added 15 points.

Rudy Gay led Memphis with 29 points, while Marc Gasol had 20. Mike Conley finished with 19 points and eight assists for the Grizzlies, who lost for the third time in four games.

Bobcats 91, Nets 84, OT

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - A quieter Stephen Jackson scored 25 points, Boris Diaw added a career-best 16 rebounds and Charlotte recovered from a fourth-quarter meltdown.

After the Bobcats blew a seven-point lead with just over a minute left in regulation, Jackson hit four straight free throws in the final 31 seconds of OT. It came in his return from a one-game suspension for berating officials and hours after he sent a letter apologizing to fans.

Travis Outlaw scored 21 points and hit two free throws to force OT and Charlotte native Anthony Morrow added 19 for the Nets, who were without injured Devin Harris.

New Jersey has lost three straight, playing four OT periods in its last two games.

The Bobcats led by 16 points in the third quarter and 77-70 with just over a minute left before the struggling Nets' unlikely rally.

Hawks 93, 76ers 88

ATLANTA (AP) - Al Horford's three-point play with 31 seconds remaining helped Atlanta top Philadelphia.

The Hawks trailed 85-72 in the final quarter before closing out the game with a 21-3 run. Marvin Williams led Atlanta with 22 points.

Horford made a jumper with 1:24 left to trim the 76ers' lead to 88-86. Following a miss by Elton Brand, Horford scored again and was fouled by Tony Battie. He made the resulting free throw to put Atlanta in front.

The Sixers have dropped eight consecutive road games. They did not score in the final 2:18. Nuggets 109, Clippers 104

DENVER (AP) - Carmelo Anthony scored 26 points, J.R. Smith had 21 and Denver held off Los Angeles to win their sixth straight and give coach George Karl his 998th career win.

Eric Gordon had 24 points and rookie Blake Griffin had 17 points and 12 rebounds for the Clippers.

Karl, seventh on the career wins list and fourth among active coaches, said before the game he hopes to sign an extension with the Nuggets soon. His deal expires at the end of the season and he is in negotiations with the team for an extension. Spurs 107, Timberwolves 101

SAN ANTONIO (AP) - Tim Duncan scored 22 points and had 10 rebounds to help San Antonio rally from a 15-point deficit to beat Minnesota.

Tony Parker and George Hill added 20 points apiece for the Spurs, who improved their NBA-best record to 16-3. Manu Ginobili had 16 and Richard Jefferson scored 15.

Michael Beasley scored 28 points and Kevin Love had 25 points and 18 rebounds for Minnesota.

Ginobili sank two free throws to give San Antonio the lead for good with 1:13 remaining. He made all 13 of his foul shots.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was ejected with 1:10 left in third quarter for arguing with referee Marc Davis.

San Antonio held Minnesota without a field goal in the final 4:13. Suns 105, Pacers 97

PHOENIX (AP) - Channing Frye scored a season-high 29 points, Jason Richardson added 21 and Phoenix rallied to beat road-weary Indiana.

The Pacers, playing their fourth game in six nights away from home, led by 12 in the second quarter, but couldn't hold off the Suns' second-half rally, capped by a 31-21 advantage in the fourth quarter.

Frye, who made five of eight 3-pointers, put the Suns ahead for good with a foul-line jumper that made it 90-88 midway through the fourth. After Goran Dragic made one of two foul shots, Richardson connected on his fourth 3-pointer and the Suns were ahead 94-88.

Jared Dudley scored 12 points for the Suns, and Steve Nash had 12 points and 11 assists.

Brandon Rush led the Pacers with 19 points, Josh McRoberts had a season-high 16 and Mike Dunleavy also scored 16.