Sundays National Basketball Association Capsules
December 22nd, 2008 Posted in NBA basketball newsBOSTON 124, NEW YORK 105
BOSTON Rajon Rondo scored 26 points to lead a balanced attack as the Boston Celtics tied a franchise record with their 18th consecutive win, a 124-105 victory over the New York Knicks.
Six others scored in double figures for the Celtics, who matched the club mark set from February 24-March 26, 1982, by shooting a blistering 66 percent (50-of-76) from the field.
Bostons two streaks join one ripped off by the 1969-70 Knicks for the fifth-best in NBA history.
In this one, the Celtics raced out to a 40-21 lead after the first quarter, forcing the Knicks into an uphill battle the rest of the way.
Quentin Richardson scored 29 points and Nate Robinson added 23 off the bench for New York, which shot 13-of-33 from the arc en route to its fourth straight loss.
ATLANTA 85, DETROIT 78
ATLANTA Mike Bibby scored 27 points and buried all six of his 3-point attempts to lift the Atlanta Hawks to an 85-78 triumph over the Detroit Pistons.
The Hawks now have won five of six following a three-game skid earlier this month, while the Pistons have dropped two in a row.
Atlanta took control in the second quarter as Bibby caught fire from the arc. He opened up the period with back-to-back 3-pointers as part of a 16-4 run that turned a three-point deficit into a 38-29 advantage, eventually pushing the Hawks lead to as many as 18.
The Pistons finally began to show some life late in the third quarter, staging a 9-1 run to go into the final frame with a bit of momentum. However, Atlantas defense clamped down and wouldnt let the lead get away.
All-Star guard Allen Iverson sat out most of the last five minutes of the contest after injuring his left hand. He had a roundly ineffective night anyway, finishing with just 10 points on 4-of-11 shooting.
Joe Johnson added 19 points and seven assists for the Hawks, while Rodney Stuckey and Rasheed Wallace led Detroit with 20 apiece.
DALLAS 97, WASHINGTON 86
WASHINGTON The Dallas Mavericks certainly arent making things easy for themselves.
While once again struggling against one of the leagues weakest teams, the Mavericks overcame an often-sluggish performance to post an 97-86 victory over the Washington Wizards.
The Mavericks have been played tough by the likes of Oklahoma City, Charlotte and Toronto this month – but have managed to come away with victories in those contests nonetheless. Sundays ballgame was no exception.
After playing to a tie through three quarters, the Mavs finally got a bit of breathing room as they opened up the final frame with a 6-0 run. Dirk Nowitzki scored all three baskets as Dallas pulled ahead and never looked back. The All-Star forward finished with 23 points and nine boards to deal the Wizards their sixth loss in a row.
It was also sweet revenge for the Mavericks, who were swept by Washington in the 2007-08 season series.
After Caron Butlers 3-pointer with 6:20 on the clock pulled Washington to within five, Jason Kidd found Jason Terry cutting through the lane on consecutive possessions, then found Devean George for a dunk to extend the lead into double digits.
Kidd, despite an 0-of-6 showing from the floor, engineered Dallas fourth-quarter surge, dishing out six of his 11 assists in the final six minutes of play. Terry led Dallas with 25 points off the bench.
CLEVELAND 102, OKLAHOMA CITY 91
OKLAHOMA CITY At this rate, LeBron James may want to re-sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday night.
James had 31 points and seven assists as the Cavaliers improved upon the franchises best start to a season with a 102-91 victory over the lowly Oklahoma City Thunder.
Mo Williams and Delonte West – two of the biggest reasons for the teams torrid pace – combined for 38 points for the Cavaliers (23-4), who shot 55 percent (42-of-76) en route to their 13th win in 14 games.
Presumably thanks in part to that success, the 23-year-old James told The Cleveland Plain Dealer on Saturday that he will consider inking an extension with the Cavaliers this summer.
The reigning scoring champion and perhaps the leagues most-coveted commodity, James can become a free agent in the summer of 2010, when he can deny the $17.4 million players option on his contract.
It has been considered a foregone conclusion that James would opt out of his deal and become available to the highest bidder – of which there are many, including the New York Knicks, New Jersey Nets and Detroit Pistons.
But he continues to push Cleveland to a championship level. Granted, James did not have to break a sweat against the miserable Thunder, who stayed in the game but could not get over the hump.
Kevin Durant scored 26 points and Russell Westbrook added 24 for Oklahoma City, which suffered a 117-82 setback to Cleveland last month – a game in which James played just 17 minutes.
