SCOREBOARD
Tuesday, Dec. 4
New Jersey at Cleveland (7 p.m. EST). The Cavaliers have lost their last two with LeBron James out nursing a sprained finger.
STARS
Sunday
-Carmelo Anthony, Nuggets, poured in 30 points and Denver pounded Miami 115-89.
-Jamaal Tinsley, Pacers, scored 29 points, including 10 in the final four minutes, to lead Indiana past the Los Angeles Clippers 101-95.
-Grant Hill and Amare Stoudemire, Suns. Hill had a season-high 28 points and Stoudemire chipped in 28 and had 12 rebounds to help Phoenix hold off New York 115-104.
-Tony Parker, Spurs, scored had 27 points and dished out eight assists in San Antonio’s 100-79 rout of Portland.
WARRIORS ON FIRE
The SuperSonics’ 41 points in the first half were the fewest allowed by Golden State this season.
MAGICAL
Orlando downed the Los Angeles Lakers 104-97 on Sunday to improve to 15-4, matching the best start in franchise history. The Magic had the same record to begin the 1994-95 campaign and matched that the following season. Orlando is 11 games over .500 for the first time since finishing the strike-shortened 1998-99 season 33-17, and leads the NBA with a 10-2 road mark. The victory was Orlando’s first road win over the Lakers after 10 straight losses.
HILL OF A NIGHT
Grant Hill scored 28 points on 13-of-17 shooting, his highest-scoring game in nearly two years, to help Phoenix down New York 115-104. With the Suns pulling away, Hill went to the bench midway through the fourth quarter, possibly all that prevented him from his first 30-point game since he scored 34 for Orlando against Miami on Feb. 27, 2005, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
ICY HEAT
Denver downed Miami 115-89 on Sunday to drop the Heat to 4-12, their worst start since the 2003-04 season. That team also started 4-12, but finished 42-40 and reached the Eastern Conference semifinals.
CRASH THOSE BOARDS
Marcus Camby grabbed 21 rebounds in Denver’s 115-89 win over Miami on Sunday. It was his fifth 20-rebound game of the season.
STREAKS
Phoenix defeated New York 115-104 on Sunday for its 10th victory in 12 games. The Suns have now won two in a row at Madison Square Garden for the first time since Jan. 2, 1990, and March 5, 1991. … Detroit trounced New Jersey 118-95 for its sixth win in seven games. The Pistons have won five straight against the Nets. … San Antonio beat Portland 100-79 on Sunday to win their third straight and hand the Trail Blazers their fourth consecutive loss. … Denver beat Miami 115-89 to win their fifth straight against the Heat. The Nuggets are 6-1 against Miami since Shaquille O’Neal joined the Heat in 2004.
STRONG IN DEFEAT
Chris Kaman had 22 points and 22 rebounds in the Los Angeles Clippers’ 101-95 loss to Indiana on Sunday. The Clippers, who have shot below 50 percent in every game this season, are 2-9 since a 104-89 win at Indiana on Nov. 7 that capped their 4-0 start. … Jason Kidd had a season-best 16 assists in New Jersey’s 118-95 loss to Detroit. … Kobe Bryant chipped in 28 points, including 19 in the first quarter, but the Los Angeles Lakers were defeated by Orlando 104-97.
SIDELINED
LeBron James missed his second straight game with a sprained left index finger when Cleveland lost to Boston 80-70 on Sunday. He was hurt in the second quarter on Wednesday in a loss to Detroit. … Tim Duncan bruised his right knee and sprained his right ankle on Sunday in the second quarter of San Antonio’s 100-70 win over Portland. The team Duncan would have an MRI exam on Monday.
SPEAKING
“There’ll be no video on this game, hopefully. It was not a piece of art.” – Boston coach Doc Rivers, after the Celtics defeated Cleveland 80-70 on Sunday to improve to an NBA-best 14-2.