SCOREBOARD
Friday, Feb. 1
Utah at Washington (8 p.m. EST). The Jazz have won six straight.
STAR
Thursday
-Tayshaun Prince, Pistons, hit a 3-pointer with 4.4 seconds left to lift Detroit to a 90-89 win over the Los Angles Lakers.
PRINCELY
Tayshaun Prince’s 3-pointer with 4.4 seconds left lifted the Detroit Pistons to a 90-89 win over the Los Angles Lakers on Thursday night, overcoming Kobe Bryant’s big night. Bryant had 39 points and 10 rebounds, but didn’t touch the ball on the final possession, which ended with Lamar Odom’s airball.
RESERVES
Chris Paul and David West were picked for their first All-Star game Thursday night, giving the hometown Hornets a pair of players for the event New Orleans will host next month. Detroit, Phoenix and Washington also had multiple players chosen as reserves for the Feb. 17 game. The Pistons’ Chauncey Billups and Richard Hamilton are headed back for the third straight year, while the Suns will be represented by Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire.
FINDING A WAY
All-Star Tim Duncan banked in a shot with 30.9 seconds remaining, Manu Ginobili hit four late free throws and the struggling and undermanned San Antonio Spurs rallied to beat the Phoenix Suns Thursday night, ending a three-game losing streak. The Spurs trailed most of the game, but Duncan’s big basket gave them an 80-79 lead. After the Suns turned the ball over, Ginobili hit a pair of free throws with 15.6 seconds left.
STREAKS
The Pistons have won nine straight at home over the Lakers, including three games to win the 2004 NBA Finals, dating to Jan. 18, 2002.
SNAPPED
Miami center Shaquille O’Neal was not picked for the All-Star game, ending his record-tying streak of 14 straight All-Star selections.
STRONG IN DEFEAT
Kobe Bryant had 39 points and 10 rebounds in the Lakers’ 90-89 loss to the Detroit Pistons on Thursday night. … Dirk Nowitzki had 31 points and 11 rebounds in the Mavericks’ 96-90 loss to the Celtics.
SPEAKING
“That’s crazy. I think Ray should have been on there based on our record and what we’re doing team-wise.” – Boston’s Paul Pierce on the omission of teammate Ray Allen from the All-Star team. Pierce and Kevin Garnett will represent the Celtics – who own the league’s top record at 36-8 – in the game on Feb. 17 in New Orleans.