FIBA Basketball
USA - Stojakovic on song in Pacers win
NEW YORK (NBA) - Peja Stojakovic and the Indiana Pacers are in post-season form.Serbia & Montenegro international Stojakovic - almost certain to feature at the FIBA World Championship this summer - scored 22 of his 27 points in the first half
NEW YORK (NBA) - Peja Stojakovic and the Indiana Pacers are in post-season form.
Serbia & Montenegro international Stojakovic - almost certain to feature at the FIBA World Championship this summer - scored 22 of his 27 points in the first half, and Anthony Johnson added 22 and nine rebounds, as the Pacers ended their nine-game road losing streak with a 120-95 triumph over the Toronto Raptors.
All-Star Jermaine O'Neal collected 20 points and five blocks and Stephen Jackson scored 21 points for Indiana, while swingman Morris Peterson led the Raptors with 27 points.
Argentina international Andres Nocioni had 24 points and seven rebounds as the Chicago Bulls topped the Orlando Magic 116-112 after overtime.
Kirk Heinrich led the way with 26 points and 10 assists while Luol Deng contributed 22 points and 11 rebounds from the bench.
Orlando wasted a career-high tying 32 points from Turkey's Hedo Turkoglu as the Magic let slip a 52-41 half-time lead.
There was no LeBron James but the Cleveland Cavaliers won anyway as Larry Hughes continued his timely return to form ahead of the post-season.
Hughes, who missed three months of action in his first season with Cleveland, collected 21 points, six assists, and five steals in a 93-88 win over the Boston Celtics.
Team USA international James was rested on the bench while Boston were missing their own All-Star as Paul Pierce sat the game out.
Brazil's Anderson Varejao was one of five Cavaliers in double figures as he scored 14 points.
Another Team USA man, Michael Redd, had a big night as he lead the Milwaukee Bucks to a 113-93 victory over the Detroit
Pistons.
Redd joined Bobby Simmons in scoring 19 points while TJ Ford had 16 and 11 assists in the win.
With Detroit fielding a number of reserves for extended periods, Argentina's Carlos Delfino made the most of it by scoring a career-high 18 points in the defeat.
Delfino's international team-mate Manu Ginobili had an identical score as the San Antonio Spurs locked up the No 1 seed in the Western Conference with a 115-82 win over the Utah Jazz.
Tim Duncan and Brent Barry added 16 points each, while the Spurs bench combined for 65 points - 10 of which came from Slovenia's Beno Udrih.
Rookie Deron Williams led the Jazz with 18 points while Turkey's Mehmet Okur added 17.
Brazil's Leandro Barbosa led the Phoenix Suns to a 115-78 win over the New Orleans Hornets.
Barbosa had 21 points and eight rebounds and James Jones added 20 points as the Suns made a franchise-record 20 three-pointers.
Reigning league MVP Steve Nash, returning after resting leg injuries, scored 12 points.
Marc Jackson and rookie Chris Paul scored 11 points apiece and JR Smith added 10 for the Hornets.
The Houston Rockets fired in the late stages to earn an 86-83 win over the Denver Nuggets.
Juwan Howard scored a season-high 31 points as the Rockets ended the game on an 18-2 run.
Carmelo Anthony had 22 points for Denver.
Golden State beat the Portland Trail Blazers 93-79 behind 20 points Mike Dunleavy Jr, while Raymond Felton collected 16
points, a season-high 14 assists and four steals to help the Charlotte Bobcats to a 98-91 win over the New York Knicks.
PA Sport
Serbia & Montenegro international Stojakovic - almost certain to feature at the FIBA World Championship this summer - scored 22 of his 27 points in the first half, and Anthony Johnson added 22 and nine rebounds, as the Pacers ended their nine-game road losing streak with a 120-95 triumph over the Toronto Raptors.
All-Star Jermaine O'Neal collected 20 points and five blocks and Stephen Jackson scored 21 points for Indiana, while swingman Morris Peterson led the Raptors with 27 points.
Argentina international Andres Nocioni had 24 points and seven rebounds as the Chicago Bulls topped the Orlando Magic 116-112 after overtime.
Kirk Heinrich led the way with 26 points and 10 assists while Luol Deng contributed 22 points and 11 rebounds from the bench.
Orlando wasted a career-high tying 32 points from Turkey's Hedo Turkoglu as the Magic let slip a 52-41 half-time lead.
There was no LeBron James but the Cleveland Cavaliers won anyway as Larry Hughes continued his timely return to form ahead of the post-season.
Hughes, who missed three months of action in his first season with Cleveland, collected 21 points, six assists, and five steals in a 93-88 win over the Boston Celtics.
Team USA international James was rested on the bench while Boston were missing their own All-Star as Paul Pierce sat the game out.
Brazil's Anderson Varejao was one of five Cavaliers in double figures as he scored 14 points.
Another Team USA man, Michael Redd, had a big night as he lead the Milwaukee Bucks to a 113-93 victory over the Detroit
Pistons.
Redd joined Bobby Simmons in scoring 19 points while TJ Ford had 16 and 11 assists in the win.
With Detroit fielding a number of reserves for extended periods, Argentina's Carlos Delfino made the most of it by scoring a career-high 18 points in the defeat.
Delfino's international team-mate Manu Ginobili had an identical score as the San Antonio Spurs locked up the No 1 seed in the Western Conference with a 115-82 win over the Utah Jazz.
Tim Duncan and Brent Barry added 16 points each, while the Spurs bench combined for 65 points - 10 of which came from Slovenia's Beno Udrih.
Rookie Deron Williams led the Jazz with 18 points while Turkey's Mehmet Okur added 17.
Brazil's Leandro Barbosa led the Phoenix Suns to a 115-78 win over the New Orleans Hornets.
Barbosa had 21 points and eight rebounds and James Jones added 20 points as the Suns made a franchise-record 20 three-pointers.
Reigning league MVP Steve Nash, returning after resting leg injuries, scored 12 points.
Marc Jackson and rookie Chris Paul scored 11 points apiece and JR Smith added 10 for the Hornets.
The Houston Rockets fired in the late stages to earn an 86-83 win over the Denver Nuggets.
Juwan Howard scored a season-high 31 points as the Rockets ended the game on an 18-2 run.
Carmelo Anthony had 22 points for Denver.
Golden State beat the Portland Trail Blazers 93-79 behind 20 points Mike Dunleavy Jr, while Raymond Felton collected 16
points, a season-high 14 assists and four steals to help the Charlotte Bobcats to a 98-91 win over the New York Knicks.
PA Sport