SCOREBOARD
Thursday, Nov. 22
No games scheduled.
STARS
Wednesday
-LeBron James, Cavaliers, scored 45 points and Cleveland beat Minnesota 97-86.
-Caron Butler, Wizards, scored a career-high 39 points to lead Washington to a 114-111 overtime win over Charlotte.
-Tony Parker, Spurs, scored 32 points and had nine assists to lead San Antonio to a 128-110 win over Orlando.
-Chauncey Billups, Pistons, had 25 points and 15 assists in Detroit’s 98-86 victory over New York.
-Chris Bosh, Raptors, scored 22 points and grabbed 19 rebounds in Toronto’s 95-89 victory over Memphis.
BIG GREEN MACHINE
Ray Allen scored 21 points, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett both had double-doubles, and Boston beat Golden State 105-82 Wednesday night for its sixth straight home victory. Boston improved to 9-1 overall and has won its six home games by an average of 22 points.
KING JAMES
LeBron James had 45 points, eight rebounds and five assists to carry Cleveland to a 97-86 victory over Minnesota on Wednesday night. James, who topped 40 points for the second time in three games, is averaging 39.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 9.5 assists in his last four games.
RISING SUNS
Shawn Marion and Steve Nash led a 47-point first quarter, and Phoenix beat Sacramento 127-111 Wednesday night for its seventh straight victory. Phoenix led 80-63 at halftime. The 80 halftime points were an NBA season high and the most by the Suns since scoring 81 at Washington on March 9, 1994. That also was the most in the NBA since Feb. 29, 1996, when Dallas scored 81 at Denver.
OUT
Washington’s leading scorer Gilbert Arenas underwent surgery on his left knee on Wednesday and will miss about three months. Arenas had been experiencing swelling and soreness in the knee which he had surgically repaired late last season. After sitting out the past two games, Arenas had an MRI Wednesday morning. He underwent the surgery later in the afternoon. The 6-foot-4 Arenas is averaging 22.4 points.
SLUMPING
Dallas beat Houston 100-94 on Wednesday night. The Rockets have lost five in a row, their longest losing streak since March 2006, when they dropped six straight. … Detroit beat New York 98-86 on Wednesday. The Knicks have lost eight straight, the NBA’s longest losing streak. … New Jersey defeated Portland 106-101, sending the Trail Blazers to their fifth straight loss.
SNAPPED
Atlanta rallied from a 10-point deficit entering the final quarter to beat Miami 82-79 Wednesday night. It was Atlanta’s first win in its past 18 road games, dating back to last season. … Jason Kidd had 12 points, 11 rebounds and 13 assists, and New Jersey snapped a six-game losing streak with a 106-101 victory over Portland. … San Antonio beat Orlando 128-110, snapping the Magic’s five-game winning streak and 7-0 road record. … The Clippers beat Denver 101-90, to snap the Nuggets’ six-game winning streak.
STRONG IN DEFEAT
Yao Ming had 30 points, 15 rebounds and six blocks in Houston’s 100-94 loss to Dallas on Wednesday. … Orlando’s Dwight Howard scored 34 points and grabbed 16 rebounds in the Magic’s 128-110 loss to San Antonio. … Al Jefferson had 30 points but Minnesota lost to Cleveland 97-86. … Francisco Garcia scored a career-high 31 points in Sacramento’s 127-111 loss to Phoenix. … Allen Iverson had 29 points and nine assists but Denver lost to the Clippers 101-90.
SPEAKING
“It’s not that we don’t care. It’s just when you’re playing so hard and nothing going your way, it’s like taking a deep breath and thinking, ‘It can’t keep going on like this forever.’ But we’re not quitters.” – New York’s Nate Robinson after the Knicks’ 98-86 loss to Detroit on Wednesday night. New York has lost eight straight, the NBA’s longest losing streak this season.