EDS: UPDATES with Spurs-Warriors; SHOULD STAND.
By The Associated Press
ATLANTA (AP) -Toronto point guard T.J. Ford was taken off the court on a stretcher following a scary fall late in Tuesday night’s 100-88 victory over Atlanta.
Ford, who missed the 2004-05 season with Milwaukee following neck surgery, stole the ball and was headed toward a breakaway basket when Atlanta rookie Al Horford hit his face with his hand. Ford landed hard on his back, his head bouncing off the floor.
“After a while I could see him moving and that was a relief,” Toronto’s Chris Bosh said, adding there was immediate concern about Ford because everyone knew his injury history.
“He was conscious. He wasn’t trying to move too much. I’m sure he was feeling pain in his arms and legs. I just hope he’s OK.”
Raptors spokesman Jim LaBumbard confirmed Ford “had feeling in his upper and lower extremities when he was taken off the floor.”
Ford, who scored 26 points, was taken to Piedmont Hospital.
Toronto led 69-68 entering the final quarter but stretched the lead to 82-71 before Marvin Williams, who had 23 points, finally ended Atlanta’s field goal drought with 7:30 left.
Cavaliers 118, Pacers 105
CLEVELAND (AP) – LeBron James returned as a reserve and Cleveland snapped a six-game losing streak.
James, the NBA’s leading scorer, had missed the previous five games with what the Cavs have described as a sprained left index finger. Wearing a padded, protective glove on his hand, James scored 17 points in 22 minutes.
The Cavs set season highs in points and field goal percentage (55).
Larry Hughes also came off the bench and scored a season-high 36 points – in just 26 minutes. It was his second game back after missing 11 with a bruised leg.
Mike Dunleavy scored 23 points and Jermaine O’Neal had 18 for the Pacers. Indiana guard Jamaal Tinsley, who was shot at with an assault weapon in front of a downtown Indianapolis hotel over the weekend, scored 10.
Wizards 102, Timberwolves 88
WASHINGTON (AP) – Antawn Jamison had 22 points and 13 rebounds and Caron Butler added 20 points and 10 rebounds as Washington overcame a career-high 36 points from Craig Smith.
Brendan Haywood had 11 points and 14 rebounds, and reserve guard Roger Mason Jr. scored 17 points, as the Wizards (11-10) moved above .500 for only the second time all season.
The Timberwolves dropped to 1-8 on the road and 3-16 overall, and they were trying to win consecutive games for the first time this season.
Washington was up 66-46 after a 10-0 run to begin the third quarter. Minnesota got within 85-79 with 8 1/2 minutes left but the Wizards responded with a 7-0 run.
Clippers 91, Nets 82
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) – Chris Kaman and Tim Thomas both scored 18 points to lead the Clippers to their first win in New Jersey in nearly 10 years.
Richard Jefferson led the Nets with 21 points but was 6-for-21 from the field. New Jersey shot 32 percent (26-for-81), including 5-for-25 in the fourth quarter.
New Jersey lost for the eighth time in its last nine games at the Izod Center.
Los Angeles had lost eight of its last nine games. The Clippers’ last win at New Jersey came on Jan. 15, 1998, a span of eight games.
Dan Dickau’s 3-pointer gave Los Angeles a 76-68 lead with 8 minutes left in the game, and the Nets didn’t get closer than five points after that.
Pistons 113, Grizzlies 103
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) – Chauncey Billups had 28 points and 14 assists, while Richard Hamilton scored 27 points for Detroit.
Tayshaun Prince scored 19 points and Jason Maxiell finished with 15 points, missing only one of eight shots from the field as the Pistons won their seventh game in the last eight.
Rudy Gay led Memphis with 20 points, 16 in the second half, while Pau Gasol and Kyle Lowry both had 18 points.
The Grizzlies, who lost a season-high fifth straight, got little from their starting guards as Mike Miller and Damon Stoudamire combined for eight points, both going 1-of-4 from the field.
Bulls 123, SuperSonics 96
CHICAGO (AP) – Ben Gordon scored 27 points and Luol Deng added 20 for Chicago in its most lopsided victory of the season.
It was the fifth win in seven games for the Bulls, who were coming off a 92-81 loss to Boston.
The league’s worst shooting team, Chicago converted 53.7 percent of its field goals. The Bulls led 67-49 at halftime after outscoring the Sonics by 14 in the second quarter and never let up.
Sonics rookie Kevin Durant scored 16 points in 24 minutes.
Gordon hit his first four shots and scored 14 points in the first quarter. He was 12-of-19 overall from the field, after going 5-for-20 and missing all 10 shots in the second half against the Celtics on Saturday.
Trail Blazers 97, Jazz 89
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) – Martell Webster scored 25 points and Portland won on the road for just the second time this season.
The Trail Blazers played without leading scorer LaMarcus Aldridge, who did not travel with the team because of a foot injury, but Webster came up with his season scoring high and Jarrett Jack added 16 points as the Blazers won their fourth straight.
Brandon Roy also scored 16 for Portland, which is on its longest winning streak since winning five straight last December.
Carlos Boozer had 29 points and 13 rebounds and Paul Millsap scored 14 points for the Jazz, who have lost four straight.
Warriors 96, Spurs 84
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) – Baron Davis had 18 points, six rebounds and six assists and Golden State took advantage of Tim Duncan sitting out another game for San Antonio.
Stephen Jackson had 20 points, five assists and five boards and Matt Barnes added 16 points and eight rebounds as the Warriors used a big second quarter to snap the Spurs’ five-game winning streak.
San Antonio hadn’t lost since a 112-99 defeat at Sacramento on Nov. 26.
Duncan walked gingerly to the court before the game and was in uniform, but he missed his third straight game with a sprained right ankle. The Spurs committed a season-high 21 turnovers.
Matt Bonner led the defending NBA champions with career highs of 25 points and 17 rebounds on a night leading scorer Manu Ginobili was held to 13 points on 4-for-14 shooting.
The Warriors are 12-3 over their last 15 games.
End Capsules
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