Basketball Lovers Unite

Blake Griffin led the Clippers past the Wizards 110-103, scoring 29 points in Los Angeles' win.Tags: NBA, Los Angeles Clippers, Washington Wizards, Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan

LOS ANGELES -- Washington coach Randy Wittman wanted his players fouling DeAndre Jordan, whose free-throw shooting has always been the weakest part of his game.
That strategy didn't work this time.
Jordan hit four straight free throws during a 10-4 run over the final 2:48 that gave the Los Angeles Clippers a 110-103 victory over the Wizards on Wednesday night.
"I'm going to ask Doc if I can shoot the techs from now on," Jordan joked.
Blake Griffin led five players in double figures with 29 points as the Clippers won their fourth in a row.
Jamal Crawford added 21 points, including two 3-pointers from 29 and 33 feet, and Jordan had 14 points and 17 rebounds for the Clippers, who beat the Wizards for the sixth straight time at home.
Darren Collison scored 16 points to help the team improve to 11-3 without the injured Chris Paul.
"We have a lot of really good players," Griffin said. "Sometimes some of these guys don't get the credit they deserve, that's what I've learned about our team."
Back home for the first time after going 5-2 on their Grammy road trip, the Clippers improved to 19-3 at Staples Center this season.
"It was our best opportunity to beat them, especially with Chris Paul out," John Wall said. "But they're still a great team and they've been winning games. It's the same as you see without Chris in there. Those other guys play the same way. J.J. Redick can shoot the ball and Jamal Crawford's one of the best at creating his own shots."
Bradley Beal scored 10 of his 20 points in the fourth, and Wall had 19 points and 11 assists for Washington.
The Wizards, who trailed by 16 points in the game, cut their deficit to 81-80 early in the fourth on Garrett Temple's steal and basket. After Crawford scored, Beal's basket got the Wizards within one again.
"We put ourselves in a great position, but we just didn't have it at the end of the game," Beal said. "They were executing at the other end of the floor and we couldn't get a stop."
J.J. Redick, who finished with 20 points, and Crawford combined to score the Clippers' first 16 points of the fourth, with Redick hitting two 3-pointers in that stretch to put them up 97-90.
"Him and J.J. have this thing going," Clippers coach Doc River said. "It's just been really good stuff. We can do that with veterans."
Kevin Seraphin's basket got Washington to 100-99. Collison scored and the Wizards had a basket disallowed on a shot-clock violation. Jordan got fouled and stepped to the line having made just 2 of 6 to that point. But he sank both to extend the Clippers' lead to 104-99.
Beal, who was 4 of 6 from the line, got fouled and missed both. Jordan made another pair of free throws for a 106-99 lead. Crawford added two more, going 11 of 12 from the line.
"We did a lot of fouling down the stretch and we didn't make plays at the offensive end," Beal said. "We got out of rhythm a little bit."

Game notes

The Wizards blew their seventh chance this season to go over .500, slipping to 22-23. They haven't won a game to go above that mark since Oct. 31, 2009. ... Los Angeles swept the season series, 2-0. ... Clippers reserve F Antawn Jamison didn't play because of a viral illness. ... Dodgers slugger Matt Kemp attended the game.

Memphis wins fourth straight as Mike Conley makes case for ASG

Final

Regular Season Series (Game 3 of 3)

Grizzlies 99

(24-20, 12-7 away)

Kings 89

(15-30, 9-16 home)

10:00 PM ET, January 29, 2014
Sleep Train Arena, Sacramento, CA

	1	2	3	4	T
MEM	25	23	21	30	99
SAC	24	22	17	26	89

Top Performers

Memphis: M. Conley 27 Pts, 3 Reb, 10 Ast, 2 Stl
Sacramento: R. Gay 23 Pts, 2 Reb, 5 Ast, 1 Stl

Associated Press

Grizzlies Claw Past Kings

The Grizzlies beat the Kings 99-89 for their fourth straight win.Tags: NBA, Memphis Grizzlies, Sacramento Kings, Derrick Williams, Rudy Gay

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Memphis Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley is playing like an All-Star lately. Soon he'll find out if he gets to be one.
Conley had 27 points and 10 assists as the Grizzlies won their fourth straight by beating the slumping Sacramento Kings 99-89 on Wednesday night.
One night after outplaying Portland guard Damian Lillard in the Grizzlies' impressive 98-81 victory, Conley backed it up with an even better game against the Kings.
Conley, who will find out Thursday if he will be picked as one the Western Conference reserves, made 8 of 14 shots, hit two threes, and had two steals. He scored nine points in the fourth quarter.
"I won't let it bother me at all if I don't make it. It's something I can't control," Conley said. "If it happens, it happens. I'm just playing ball right now. I'm playing at a high level and doing what my team needs me to do to do. I'm just playing to win."
And the Grizzlies are doing plenty of that lately, winning for the ninth time in 10 games. They put their latest win away in the fourth quarter, getting six steals and converting several of them into easy layups.
Memphis shot 11 of 18 and made 7 of 8 free throws in the fourth quarter in pulling away from the Kings, who cut the lead to four points at the 5:20 mark.
The Grizzlies had nine of their 24 assists in the fourth quarter.
Conley got plenty of help at the offensive end with Zach Randolph scoring six points and Tayshaun Prince getting six, all in the final three minutes.
"Our chemistry right now is as good as I've ever seen it," Memphis coach David Joerger said. "Our confidence is high and we're really trying to stay in the moment."
Isaiah Thomas scored 24 points and Rudy Gay had 23 for the Kings, who have lost five straight and seven of eight.
DeMarcus Cousins, the Kings' leading scorer and rebounder, missed his fourth straight game with an ankle sprain. The Kings are hoping to have Cousins back for Friday's game in Dallas.
Gay, a former Memphis player, had missed the previous three games with an Achilles strain. He made a turnaround jumper in the fourth quarter to surpass 10,000 career points.
However, Gay was limping some in the fourth quarter and also after the game in the locker room. But he expected to play against Dallas.
"I kind of tweaked my foot a little bit more. But it doesn't matter. I still feel that we could have won the game," Gay said. "I was a little rusty. I'm not used to being out. I've actually been hurt one time in my career that actually made me miss more than one game.
"So it was a little tough on me. It's going to happen."
Kings coach Michael Malone has been critical of his team's defense for much of the season and Wednesday's game was no different.
"I told our team afterward that I am going to start playing guys who are willing to defend," Malone said. "And if are not ready to defend ... I can no longer be a hypocrite. I've been a hypocrite the whole year. I got the job in June and I preached defense and that's what I believe in. We're one of the worst defensive teams in the league."
Randolph had 18 points for the Grizzlies, who won their fifth straight road game and have a 12-7 record away from home. Marc Gasol had 12 points and Mike Miller scored 11.
It's no coincidence the Grizzlies' strong play has coincided with the return of Gasol, last year's Defensive Player of the Year who missed 23 games with a sprained knee. A protector of the rim, creative passer and reliable scorer, Gasol has been instrumental in the Grizzlies' 7-1 record since his return.
In the past two-plus week, the Grizzlies have beaten Phoenix, Houston twice, and Oklahoma City. Memphis finishes its three-game road trip Friday night in Minnesota.
"Ever since we got Marc back we've been playing better," Prince said. "You can see our confidence coming back. He helps us so much on defense. He has a real presence back there. When he was out we couldn't get stops regularly like we are now."
After making a corner jumper, Prince stole the ball from Gay and converted with a driving layup to give Memphis a 92-85 lead. A basket by Conley and a layup by Prince increased the lead to nine.
Randolph came up with a loose ball and fed Davis for a dunk at the other end, concluding an 11-4 run and putting Memphis up 82-71. But the Kings came back and cut the lead to three on Thomas' 3-pointer at the 4:35 mark.
Conley had 11 points in the third quarter when the Grizzlies outscored Sacramento 21-17 and took a 69-63 lead into the fourth.
"I thought out defense was the key. There are very good offensive team that can score in bunches and has a lot of firepower,' Conley said. "We're getting two, three, four stops in a row. We're not a high-octane team. But our defense is always consistent."
Gay had a strong second quarter with 10 points and was difficult to stop in the third as well. He came up with a loose ball near midcourt and sprinted toward the basket for an emphatic dunk that brought the crowd to its feet and put the Kings ahead 61-59.
Gasol scored eight points and the Grizzlies shot 52 percent and led 48-46 lead at intermission. Both Gay and Thomas had 12 points for the Kings.

Game notes

Conley moved past Gay for the all-time franchise record for games played (480). ... Kings public address announcer Scott Moak was sick and missed his first game behind the mic in 12 years. His replacement was Jamie Coffee, a longtime Sacramento radio DJ. ... Memphis reserve forward Miller scored seven points in a 61-second span late in the second quarter.

Bobcats beat Nuggets behind Al Jefferson's 35 points

Final

Regular Season Series (Game 1 of 2)

Bobcats 101

(20-27, 9-14 away)

Nuggets 98

(22-22, 12-10 home)

9:00 PM ET, January 29, 2014
Pepsi Center, Denver, CO

	1	2	3	4	T
CHA	32	21	22	26	101
DEN	21	31	23	23	98

Top Performers

Charlotte: A. Jefferson 35 Pts, 11 Reb, 2 Ast, 2 Blk
Denver: R. Foye 33 Pts, 3 Reb, 7 Ast, 2 Stl

Associated Press

Jefferson Carries Bobcats Past Nuggets

Al Jefferson's double-double of 35 points and 11 boards powered the Bobcats to a 101-98 win over the Nuggets.Tags: Al Jefferson

DENVER -- Al Jefferson is pulling away in a big way from a slow, painful start to his season.
Jefferson matched a season high with 35 points, including a key basket in the final seconds, and the Charlotte Bobcats hung on to beat the Denver Nuggets 101-98 on Wednesday night.
It was the 10th consecutive game in which Jefferson has scored at least 20 points, an offensive flurry reflecting his improved health since missing nine of the Bobcats' first 12 games this season because of a sprained right ankle.
"It is all about staying healthy," Jefferson said. "I am 85 or 90 percent right now. If I were 100 percent, I could be very effective. I am working hard to get to 100 percent."
Jefferson looked awfully close to that in a game in which he also had 11 rebounds for his 14th double-double in his last 22 games.
"He is scoring and then we are also scoring off him. His effect on his teammates is good," Bobcats coach Steve Clifford said.
Gerald Henderson and Ramon Sessions each added 16 points for the Bobcats who beat the Nuggets in Denver for only the second time in eight games here.
Randy Foye scored a season-high 33 points to lead Denver, which was without leading scorer Ty Lawson (left shoulder). His replacement, Nate Robinson, was knocked out of the game in the first quarter with a left knee sprain, forcing Foye into the unfamiliar role of running the point.
"Nate and Ty, they push the ball and do so many different things," Foye said. "I just tried to mimic some of the things that Ty does, just being aggressive, taking it to the basket and trying to make plays for everybody, picking my spots where I needed to score.
"But we fouled a lot. We gave them the game. We got stops. They got offensive rebounds and we fouled them. We made some bonehead plays fouling them and just putting them on the free throw line. But we'll figure this out. There's no quit in this team."
Robinson was hurt in a spill underneath the Nuggets' basket. He got up gingerly and continued playing but was forced to leave the game a short time later.
He did not return and the Nuggets said Robinson was scheduled to undergo an MRI scan on Thursday to further evaluate the injury, which the team initially described as a sprain.
Evan Fournier added 19 points for the Nuggets and Timofey Mozgov had 15.
Up by one at the break, the Bobcats pulled into a 75-all tie heading into the fourth period on a pair of free throws by Sessions, helping to offset a 3-pointer by Fournier moments earlier.
Jefferson's 6-foot jumper evened the score again, at 82-all, but Fournier connected on a jumper and, after a turnover by the Bobcats, Foye drained a 3-pointer to give the Nuggets a five-point edge with 6:38 remaining.
Foye's long jumper produced a final tie at 95-95 with 1:08 left. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist made one of two free throws and, after Wilson Chandler missed a contested reverse layup, Jefferson sank a jumper for a 98-95 lead with 23.1 seconds remaining.
Darrell Arthur made a 3-pointer with 10.7 seconds left to pull the Nuggets within 99-98, but after Henderson was fouled and made one of two free throws with 9 seconds remaining, the Bobcats' defense turned away shots from up close by Fournier and Mozgov to help the Bobcats hang on.
"It was a weird play at the end," Jefferson said. "The rebound (off Fournier's miss) got deflected in some kind of way. Mozgov got the ball and had a clean shot at a layup, but MKG (Kidd-Gilchrist) made a heck of a job to block it."
Added Henderson: "Those are plays that win games."
Leading by as many as 14 points early on, the Bobcats settled for a 53-52 halftime lead as the Nuggets outscored Charlotte 31-21 in the second quarter.
Jefferson converted a three-point play to give Charlotte a 43-31 advantage with 5:47 remaining in the second, but Denver closed the period on a 21-10 run capped by Arthur's 20-jumper an instant before the first-half buzzer.

Game notes

The Bobcats' Ben Gordon missed the game because of illness. ... The Nuggets and Bobcats meet one more time this season on March 10 in Charlotte. ... Kemba Walker missed his fifth game for the Bobcats since spraining his left ankle Jan. 18 against Miami. The Bobcats are 3-2 in that span. ... Jefferson also scored 35 points against the New York Knicks on Jan. 14. ... Foye's previous high this season was 24 points on Jan. 9 against Oklahoma City.

Kevin Love scores 30, grabs 14 boards as Timberwolves break .500

Final

Regular Season Series (Game 2 of 3)

Pelicans 77

(19-26, 9-15 away)

Timberwolves 88

(23-22, 13-8 home)

8:00 PM ET, January 29, 2014
Target Center, Minneapolis, MN

	1	2	3	4	T
NO	16	19	27	15	77
MIN	23	24	20	21	88

Top Performers

New Orleans: A. Aminu 18 Pts, 12 Reb, 1 Ast, 1 Stl, 1 Blk
Minnesota: K. Love 30 Pts, 14 Reb, 5 Ast

Associated Press

Love Drops Double-Double On Pelicans

Kevin Love scored 30 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in the Timberwolves' 88-77 win over the Pelicans.Tags: NBA, Minnesota Timberwolves, New Orleans Pelicans, Kevin Love

MINNEAPOLIS -- Kevin Love had just finished carrying his Minnesota Timberwolves over .500 for the first time since Nov. 23, playing the entire second half and over 43 minutes to make it happen.
So naturally, he hit the weight room after the game. Without his Bruise Brother Nikola Pekovic by his side for at least another week, Love knows he's going to be tested like he rarely has before.
Love had 30 points and 14 rebounds to help the Timberwolves grind out an 88-77 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday night.
"I was a little upset with myself with some of the shots I took that I felt like I could've made," said Love was of 11 of 26 and 1 for 6 on 3-pointers. "The ball didn't feel great tonight. That's the way it goes sometimes. If I can do that and we can win without Pek, that's a good sign."
Kevin Martin added 18 points on 7-of-18 shooting and six boards for the Timberwolves (23-22) in their first game without Pekovic, who is expected to miss at least a week with bursitis in his right ankle. They still managed to get over .500 after failing in their previous 10 chances to do so.
Al-Farouq Aminu had 18 points and 12 rebounds for the Pelicans, who were missing star forward Anthony Davis with a dislocated left index finger. They shot 35 percent and managed a season-low 35 points in the first half to snap a three-game winning streak.
Davis was injured in the victory over the Cavaliers on Tuesday night, but coach Monty Williams said he was playing it safe with his franchise player and expected him to return on Saturday against Chicago.
"He can knock down the midrange shot down so a lot of their bigs were in the paint just helping and we had to go up against a big every time," said Pelicans guard Tyreke Evans, who had 11 points on 4-for-15 shooting. "So it was pretty tough."
In an ugly game for both teams, the Pelicans managed to hang around and trailed by five heading into the fourth. But Love, who played the entire second half, scored six straight points during an 8-0 burst to open the quarter and help the Wolves win for the fifth time in six games.
"With Pek out, we really have to find a way to relieve the pressure off (Love), move him around and stuff," Wolves coach Rick Adelman said. "We know teams are going to come at him. ... So we have to find ways to figure it out."
Both teams looked lost without their lynch pins in the paint in the first half. The Pelicans, who also are missing Jrue Holiday and Ryan Anderson, hovered around 25 percent shooting for most of the first quarter and were still at 30 percent late into the third quarter against a Wolves defense that has been among the worst in the league from a field goal percentage basis.
Without Pekovic commanding double teams and bulling his way to the basket, the Wolves have had to focus more on the defensive end.
That left Love to go to work on the offensive end, and he was more aggressive looking for his shot than he has been with the big fella next to him in the frontcourt. In his first game at home since he was voted in as an All-Star starter for the Western Conference, Love came out firing, taking nine shots and attacking the glass. And when point guard Ricky Rubio went to the bench early in the third quarter with four fouls, Love started distributing more, picking up five assists to help the Wolves push back against the plucky Pelicans.
"I know some of our guys are a bit overwhelmed with trying to play at a high level, but we had our chances," New Orleans coach Monty Williams said. "This is when you have to step up and we just didn't do it tonight. That happens."

Game notes

Eric Gordon scored 14 on 5 for 17 shooting for New Orleans. ... Before the game started, Love grabbed the mic and thanked the Wolves fans for voting him as a starter in the All-Star game. He posted his NBA-leading 27th game with at least 20 points and 10 rebounds. ... Greg Stiemsma started in place of Davis and finished with three points and 12 rebounds and has grabbed at least 10 boards in two straight games.

Lowry scores 33 as Raptors beat Magic 98-83

Final

Regular Season Series (Game 1 of 3)

Magic 83

(12-35, 3-21 away)

Raptors 98

(24-21, 12-10 home)

7:00 PM ET, January 29, 2014
Air Canada Centre, Toronto, ON

	1	2	3	4	T
ORL	20	20	25	18	83
TOR	33	22	25	18	98

Top Performers

Orlando: N. Vucevic 16 Pts, 10 Reb, 2 Stl
Toronto: K. Lowry 33 Pts, 7 Reb, 11 Ast

Lowry, Raptors Run Over Magic

Kyle Lowry scored 33 points and dished out 11 assists in the Raptors' 98-83 win over the Magic.Tags: Kyle Lowry

TORONTO -- With his second straight 30-point performance, Kyle Lowry made a final case for his All-Star credentials.
Now he'll wait and see whether it's enough to take him to New Orleans.
Lowry scored a season-high 33 points and dished out 11 assists, Amir Johnson had 22 points and 11 rebounds and the Toronto Raptors beat Orlando 98-83 on Wednesday night, their fifth straight victory over the Magic.
Lowry will find out Thursday whether his strong play has been good enough to earn him his first All-Star nod. NBA coaches turned in their votes Tuesday, and the reserves will be announced in a televised special before the Knicks host Cleveland.
"I keep my fingers crossed that the coaches voted him in because he deserves it," Raptors coach Dwane Casey said. "Right now he's one of the best point guards in the league."
For his part, Lowry said he's not holding his breath about a debut All-Star appearance.
"I would be very honored, it would be a great accomplishment," he said.
Lowry, who had seven rebounds, matched his season best with six 3-pointers. He came within three points of matching his career-high of 36, set Feb. 16, 2011, against Philadelphia, when he played for Houston.
"Kyle is an unbelievable player," Raptors guard Greivis Vasquez said. "He's doing great things."
Vasquez may share a locker room with Lowry, but said he'd consider him an All-Star no matter what jersey he wore.
"He should make it, that's all I can tell you," Vasquez said. "It's not because I'm his teammate. The numbers don't lie."
Lowry also topped 30 points in back-to-back games for the first time. He had 31 in Monday's 104-103 win at Brooklyn.
"He looked like an All-Star tonight," Orlando's Tobias Harris said. "He just picked us apart in the pick and roll."
Jonas Valanciunas had 14 points and 15 rebounds and Terrence Ross scored 12 as the Raptors, who never trailed, won for the fourth time in five games.
At least one Raptors player has scored 30 or more in each of the past five games. DeMar DeRozan had a career-high 40 in a Jan. 22 win over Dallas and 34 in a Jan. 24 win at Philadelphia while Ross scored a career-high 51 in last Saturday's loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.
Nikola Vucevic returned from a 12-game absence following a concussion with 16 points and 10 rebounds and Jameer Nelson scored 13 as the slumping Magic lost their third straight overall and their 10th straight on the road. Orlando is an NBA-worst 3-21 away from home and has not won on the road since an 83-82 victory at Chicago on Dec. 16.
Orlando coach Jacque Vaughn said he was pleased with the way Vucevic performed in his 21 minutes.
"It looked like his wind was pretty good," Vaughn said. "He looked very similar to the Nik that we're accustomed to seeing."
Victor Oladipo scored 12 for the Magic and Arron Afflalo had 10.
Vasquez started for the Raptors in place of DeRozan. Toronto's leading scorer missed his second straight game after injuring his left foot when he landed awkwardly after taking a jump shot against the Clippers. DeRozan will travel with the Raptors on a five-game road trip that begins Friday at Denver.
"We can't really have him out too long," Vasquez said of DeRozan. "We need him."
Also absent for Toronto was forward Patrick Patterson, who suffered a broken nose Saturday, but scored the winning basket in Monday's win at Brooklyn. Patterson underwent a procedure Tuesday to re-set the break.
Johnson limped off with a sore right ankle after fouling Oladipo under the Toronto basket at 2:17 of the fourth. Johnson was wincing as he got up and needed assistance walking to the locker room, but said afterward that he was fine.
Lowry scored 17 points in the first, going 5 for 5 from 3-point range, and the Raptors made all eight of their long range attempts to lead 33-20 after one.
"He set the tone in the first half with his 3s," Casey said of Lowry. "His aggressive play means a lot. His veteran leadership out there on the court, you can't say enough."
The eight 3-pointers in a single quarter tied the franchise high. Toronto also had eight 3-pointers in one quarter on Nov. 6, 2009, at New Orleans.
Vasquez extended Toronto's hot shooting streak with another 3 early in the second before finally missing from outside at 9:18. Toronto's previous streak of nine consecutive made 3-pointers came Feb. 27, 2005, against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Johnson and Steve Novak each scored six points in the second as Toronto led 55-40 at halftime.
Lowry scored 13 points in the third and Johnson added eight as Toronto took an 80-65 lead into the fourth.

Game notes

Valanciunas was selected to play in the Rising Stars Challenge at All-Star weekend. ... Raptors F Tyler Hansbrough returned after missing 14 games with a sore left ankle. ... Toronto doesn't play at home again until Feb. 10 against New Orleans.