USA - Bobcats hold off James-less Cavs
CHARLOTTE (NBA) - Gerald Wallace had 22 points, five blocks and four steals to help the Charlotte Bobcats snap their seven-game slide with Saturday's 96-93 win over the short-handed Cleveland Cavaliers. Charlotte made 14 free throws in the final minute to post their first win since a 101-92 victory over Portland on November 19. For the fifth consecutive outing, Cavs superstar LeBron James sat out due to his sprained left index finger.Cleveland have yet to set a return date for the 23-year-old All-Star.
CHARLOTTE (NBA) - Gerald Wallace had 22 points, five blocks and four steals to help the Charlotte Bobcats snap their seven-game slide with Saturday's 96-93 win over the short-handed Cleveland Cavaliers.
Charlotte made 14 free throws in the final minute to post their first win since a 101-92 victory over Portland on November 19.
For the fifth consecutive outing, Cavs superstar LeBron James sat out due to his sprained left index finger.Cleveland have yet to set a return date for the 23-year-old All-Star.
Charlotte built a 62-56 lead with 6:30 left in the third quarter before Ira Newble and Larry Hughes took control for the Cavs, who trailed 69-68 heading into the decisive period.
Newble gave Cleveland their first lead of the second half, 74-72, on an easy putback with 9:02 remaining.Newble finished with 15 points off the bench.
Rajon Rondo scored 12 of his career-high-tying 18 points in the first half and sparked a decisive third-quarter burst as the Boston Celtics snapped an eight-game losing streak to the Chicago Bulls with a 92-81 victory.
Kevin Garnett, a Chicago native who was acquired from Minnesota in the off-season and has been the key cog in Boston's league-best 17-2 start, had 16 points and seven blocks in the Celtics' first win against the Bulls since January 29, 2005.
But it was Rondo, the second-year point guard, who was the catalyst in Boston's sixth straight win and second in two nights.
Reggie Evans only needed three quarters to record another big rebounding effort against the New York Knicks, and the Philadelphia 76ers completed a sweep of the home-and-home series with a 105-77 rout at Madison Square Garden.
Josh Howard collected a career-best 47 points and 10 rebounds to help offset an explosion by Deron Williams as the Dallas Mavericks posted a 125-117 victory over the Utah Jazz.
Howard connected on 14 of 19 shots -including four of five from the arc - and sank 15 of 17 free throws en route to the sixth-best performance in franchise history.
Allen Iverson scored 23 points and Kenyon Martin added 20, 12 rebounds and five blocks as the Denver Nuggets defeated the Sacramento Kings 101-97 on Saturday.
Al Jefferson tied a career high with 32 points and added 20 rebounds as Minnesota Timberwolves got back into the win column with a 100-93 victory over the Phoenix Suns.
Josh Smith tallied 25 points and Marvin Williams added 17 and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead the Atlanta Hawks to an 86-78 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.
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