SCOREBOARD
Wednesday, Jan. 30
Golden State at New Orleans (8 p.m. EST). The Hornets have won nine straight.
STARS
Tuesday
-Yao Ming, Rockets, had 36 points to help Houston get by Golden State 111-107.
-Kirk Hinrich, Bulls, scored 27 points to lead Chicago past Minnesota 96-85.
-Kevin Durant, SuperSonics, scored 26 points, including the go-ahead jump shot with 32.6 seconds remaining, and Seattle stunned edged San Antonio 88-85
-Leon Powe and Rajon Rondo, Celtics. Power scored a career-high 25 points and Rondo matched a career-high with 23 and Boston pounded Miami 117-87.
-Antawn Jamison, Wizards, finished with 24 points and 20 rebounds in Washington’s 108-104 overtime victory over Toronto.
EXTREMES
Leon Powe scored a career-high 25 points with 11 rebounds, Rajon Rondo tied a career-high with 23 points, and Tony Allen scored 20 points with six assists to lead NBA-best Boston (35-8) to an overwhelming 117-87 victory Tuesday over Miami (9-34). The Heat failed to match their season-best two-game winning streak.
ONE FOR THE ROAD
Kobe Bryant had 24 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists to lead the Los Angeles Lakers past New York 120-109 on Tuesday in their last home game before embarking on a nine-game road trip that will be their longest in the NBA’s modern era. The Lakers’ next game at Staples Center will be Feb. 19 against Atlanta. They’ll travel a total of 8,173 miles on their trip, which finishes Feb. 13 at Minnesota.
SIX AND COUNTING
Phoenix pounded Atlanta 125-92 on Tuesday to win its season-best sixth straight home game. The Suns handed the Hawks their sixth loss in the last seven games.
MINI-SLUMP
Seattle beat San Antonio 88-85 to hand the Spurs their season-high third straight loss. Since starting 17-3, the San Antonio is 11-13
SNAPPED
Seattle squeaked by San Antonio 88-85 on Tuesday to end a team-record losing streak at 14 games. … Jason Kidd scored 7 of his 9 points in the final 1:42 and added 11 assists as New Jersey snapped a nine-game losing streak with an 87-80 victory over Milwaukee. The Nets avoided their first double-digit skid since dropping their final 11 games of the 1999-00 season. … Houston downed Golden State 111-107 to end a four-game skid against the Warriors.
STRONG IN DEFEAT
Mike Dunleavy led Indiana with 25 points and seven assists but the Pacers fell to Detroit 110-104 on Tuesday for their fourth straight loss. … Chris Bosh had 37 points and 12 rebounds for Toronto in a 108-104 overtime loss to Washington.
STARS OUT
Boston was without starters Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen for Tuesday’s game in Miami. Garnett has a strained abdominal muscle, keeping him sidelined for the second straight game. Allen missed the game because of the flu. … Tracy McGrady sat out Houston’s game against Golden State on Tuesday with flu-like symptoms. … Indiana’s Jamaal Tinsley missed Tuesday’s game against Detroit, the third straight game he has sat out with a sore left knee.
SPEAKING
“It’s almost as though the ending of the losing streak pulled the plug. Because we didn’t bring anything.” – Miami coach Pat Riley, after the Heat were blown out by Boston 117-87 on Tuesday in their first game since ending a 15-game slide on Saturday.