AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) -Glen Davis scored a career-high 20 points, giving Boston’s Big Three a huge lift in a 92-85 win over the Detroit Pistons on Saturday night in a marquee game that lived up to its billing.
For the first time since 1981, two NBA teams entered a game on January 5 with a combined 54 wins. For the first time since 2000, two teams played with each riding at least an eight-game winning streak. Their combined winning percent of .844 was the third highest in the shot clock era.
The Celtics extended their winning streak, which started after losing to Detroit at home, to nine games. Boston snapped Detroit’s streak at 11 games.
Paul Pierce scored 19 points for the Celtics, Kevin Garnett added 15 and Eddie House scored 10 points to join Davis as key contributors off the bench.
Richard Hamilton had 18 points, Chauncey Billups scored 17 and Rasheed Wallace added 16 points for the Pistons.
Hornets 118, Suns 113
PHOENIX (AP) – Chris Paul scored 28 points, including 14 in the fourth quarter, and had 10 assists to help rally New Orleans, ending the Suns’ four-game winning streak.
The win was the Hornets’ 23rd of the season, tying Phoenix for the most in the Western Conference. It also ended the Suns’ streak of 20 consecutive victories when leading entering the fourth quarter.
Peja Stojakovic added 23 points for the Hornets, Morris Peterson had 22, and Tyson Chandler and Jennaro Pargo had 19 apiece. Chandler also had 11 rebounds.
Leandro Barbosa led Phoenix with 28 points, Steve Nash had 23 points and 11 assists, and Amare Stoudemire and Grant Hill each scored 17.
Bulls 94, Kings 93
CHICAGO (AP) – Ben Wallace hit the go-ahead free throw and blocked Brad Miller’s jumper with a second left to lift Chicago to a wild win over Sacramento.
The block came after Wallace hit the first of two free throws with 3.2 seconds left.
Sacramento’s Justin Williams grabbed the rebound after the second foul shot, and the Kings called time. Miller caught the inbound pass, and Wallace blocked the shot to preserve a wild victory for the Bulls.
Ben Gordon added 20 points and Chicago improved to 4-2 under interim coach Jim Boylan.
Miller led Sacramento with 22 points, but the Kings lost for the sixth time in seven games.
Trail Blazers 103, Jazz 89
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – Martell Webster had a career-high 26 points, 24 in the third quarter alone, and Portland got its revenge against Utah.
Earlier this week, the Jazz snapped a 13-game Portland winning streak.
The Blazers, who led by as many as 20 points, have won three straight since the streak-stopping loss. They have lost just one of their last 17 games.
LaMarcus Aldridge had 20 points, and the Blazers played most of the game without star guard Brandon Roy, out because of a sore tailbone.
Deron Williams had 23 points for the Jazz, who have lost three of their last five.
Nets 113, Hawks 107
ATLANTA (AP) – Jason Kidd had 10 points, 14 assists and 13 rebounds for his ninth triple-double of the season, and New Jersey won its fifth straight, rallying past Atlanta.
The Nets opened the fourth quarter with a 15-0 run, and the Nets (17-16) moved above .500 for the first time since November.
It was Kidd’s second triple-double in two games. Vince Carter had 29 points to lead New Jersey.
Atlanta, which led 79-76 entering the final quarter, suffered its fourth straight loss. Josh Smith led Atlanta with 34 points, and Marvin Williams added 18 points and eight rebounds.
Rockets 103, Knicks 91
HOUSTON (AP) – Yao Ming scored 30 points, grabbed eight rebounds and dished out six assists and Houston won for the fourth time in six games without Tracy McGrady.
Rookie point guard Aaron Brooks scored a career-high 22 for the Rockets, who’ve won six straight meetings with the Knicks. The teams play again in New York on Wednesday.
Zach Randolph scored 18 points and grabbed a career-high 22 rebounds for the Knicks, who’ve dropped seven games in a row, and 13 of 14 on the road this season.
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