FIBA Basketball
USA - Stojakovic stars in Pacers win
NEW YORK (NBA) - Serbia & Montenegro's Peja Stojakovic was one of three Indiana Pacers to score more than 20 points in a 117-112 win over the Boston Celtics. Anthony Johnson came up with a late steal and lay-up to snuff out hopes of a Boston rally.
NEW YORK (NBA) - Serbia & Montenegro's Peja Stojakovic was one of three Indiana Pacers to score more than 20 points in a 117-112 win over the Boston Celtics.
Anthony Johnson came up with a late steal and lay-up to snuff out hopes of a Boston rally, but the groundwork had already been done by Stojakovic, Jermaine O'Neal and Austin Croshere.
Boston had gone on a 16-2 run to close within 115-112 with 60 seconds remaining.
O'Neal then missed with a shot, giving Team USA international Paul Pierce a chance to tie the game, but Johnson stole the ball and scored the final points with 19 seconds remaining.
Stojakovic, almost certain to represent his country at the FIBA World Championship, scored 25 points on nine of 13 shooting for the Pacers. O'Neal had 21 points, 15 rebounds, and 7 assists, while Croshere scored 12 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter to hold off Boston.
Pierce scored 30 points and rookie Gerald Green added a career high 22 for Boston.
Turkey international Hedo Turkoglu scored 18 points to help the Orlando Magic to a 103-96 win over the Toronto Raptors.
Jameer Nelson led the Floridians with 27 points and seven assists, while Dwight Howard added 14 points and 10 assists.
Morris Peterson scored 23 points and Mike James contributed 21 for Toronto.
Both Senegal's Pape Sow and Brazil's Rafael Araujo were in the Raptors starting line up. Sow finished the game with eight points and seven rebounds, while Araujo had six points.
The Detroit Pistons dealt out a 96-73 loss to Cleveland, but the greater worry for the Cavaliers is the status of All-Star LeBron James.
The Team USA international came out of the game late in the third quarter with a left ankle sprain, just a week before the franchise is due to make its first
appearance in the play-offs in eight years.
The Pistons served up pain of a different kind as they displayed just why they are the best team in the NBA.
Rasheed Wallace scored 16 points and Richard Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince added 14 points apiece for the Pistons as they recorded win number 63 of the season, tying a franchise record set in 1988-89.
James scored 22 points for the Cavaliers before making his early exit.
Carlos Boozer and Turkey's Mehmet Okur both recorded double-doubles as the Utah Jazz kept alive their play-off hopes with a 104-83 win over the Denver Nuggets.
Boozer had 25 points and 13 rebounds and Okur 24 and 10 as Utah notched up a fourth straight win.
Holding a 71-63 lead after three quarters, the Jazz took control with an 18-4 spurt, capped by Boozer's basket with 3:58 remaining for a 94-74 advantage which took the game away from Denver.
Okur and Russia international Andrei Kirilenko scored six points apiece in the burst. Kirilenko finished the game with 14 points.
Team USA international Carmelo Anthony scored 18 points and seldom-used Lithuanian rookie Linas Kleiza added a season-high 16 for the Nuggets.
Spain's Pau Gasol was one of six Memphis Grizzlies in double figures in their 96-88 win over the Charlotte Bobcats.
The 7ft center had 15 points and seven rebounds while Eddie Jones led the scoring with 16.
Allen Iverson, overlooked by Team USA this year, continues to shine for the Philadelphia 76ers. The All-Star guard had 40 points and 10 assists in a 116-96 win over the New Jersey Nets.
Elton Brand scored 25 points and Sam Cassell collected 19 points and 10 assists as the Los Angeles Clippers completed their first sweep of the Portland Trail
Blazers with a hard-fought 97-93 win.
It was a 45th win of the season for the Clippers, matching the 1992-93 team for the most victories since the franchise moved to California from Buffalo.
Ben Gordon scored 19 points and Kirk Heinrich added 17 and seven assists as the Chicago Bulls rallied for a 96-90 victory over the Atlanta Hawks.
The Bulls struggled out of the gate and found themselves trailing 28-18 after one quarter.
They managed to forge a 43-43 tie at half-time and took control with a 17-7 run to end the third.
Argentina's Andres Nocioni, who took a punch from Atlanta forward Josh Childress in the team's cause, finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds.
New Orleans rookie Chris Paul appears determined to keep the Hornets' play-off dreams alive.
He scored four of his 21 points in the final minute to help lift the Hornets to a 104-99 win over the Seattle SuperSonics.
The visitors wasted 36 points from Ray Allen in the loss.
PA Sport
Anthony Johnson came up with a late steal and lay-up to snuff out hopes of a Boston rally, but the groundwork had already been done by Stojakovic, Jermaine O'Neal and Austin Croshere.
Boston had gone on a 16-2 run to close within 115-112 with 60 seconds remaining.
O'Neal then missed with a shot, giving Team USA international Paul Pierce a chance to tie the game, but Johnson stole the ball and scored the final points with 19 seconds remaining.
Stojakovic, almost certain to represent his country at the FIBA World Championship, scored 25 points on nine of 13 shooting for the Pacers. O'Neal had 21 points, 15 rebounds, and 7 assists, while Croshere scored 12 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter to hold off Boston.
Pierce scored 30 points and rookie Gerald Green added a career high 22 for Boston.
Turkey international Hedo Turkoglu scored 18 points to help the Orlando Magic to a 103-96 win over the Toronto Raptors.
Jameer Nelson led the Floridians with 27 points and seven assists, while Dwight Howard added 14 points and 10 assists.
Morris Peterson scored 23 points and Mike James contributed 21 for Toronto.
Both Senegal's Pape Sow and Brazil's Rafael Araujo were in the Raptors starting line up. Sow finished the game with eight points and seven rebounds, while Araujo had six points.
The Detroit Pistons dealt out a 96-73 loss to Cleveland, but the greater worry for the Cavaliers is the status of All-Star LeBron James.
The Team USA international came out of the game late in the third quarter with a left ankle sprain, just a week before the franchise is due to make its first
appearance in the play-offs in eight years.
The Pistons served up pain of a different kind as they displayed just why they are the best team in the NBA.
Rasheed Wallace scored 16 points and Richard Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince added 14 points apiece for the Pistons as they recorded win number 63 of the season, tying a franchise record set in 1988-89.
James scored 22 points for the Cavaliers before making his early exit.
Carlos Boozer and Turkey's Mehmet Okur both recorded double-doubles as the Utah Jazz kept alive their play-off hopes with a 104-83 win over the Denver Nuggets.
Boozer had 25 points and 13 rebounds and Okur 24 and 10 as Utah notched up a fourth straight win.
Holding a 71-63 lead after three quarters, the Jazz took control with an 18-4 spurt, capped by Boozer's basket with 3:58 remaining for a 94-74 advantage which took the game away from Denver.
Okur and Russia international Andrei Kirilenko scored six points apiece in the burst. Kirilenko finished the game with 14 points.
Team USA international Carmelo Anthony scored 18 points and seldom-used Lithuanian rookie Linas Kleiza added a season-high 16 for the Nuggets.
Spain's Pau Gasol was one of six Memphis Grizzlies in double figures in their 96-88 win over the Charlotte Bobcats.
The 7ft center had 15 points and seven rebounds while Eddie Jones led the scoring with 16.
Allen Iverson, overlooked by Team USA this year, continues to shine for the Philadelphia 76ers. The All-Star guard had 40 points and 10 assists in a 116-96 win over the New Jersey Nets.
Elton Brand scored 25 points and Sam Cassell collected 19 points and 10 assists as the Los Angeles Clippers completed their first sweep of the Portland Trail
Blazers with a hard-fought 97-93 win.
It was a 45th win of the season for the Clippers, matching the 1992-93 team for the most victories since the franchise moved to California from Buffalo.
Ben Gordon scored 19 points and Kirk Heinrich added 17 and seven assists as the Chicago Bulls rallied for a 96-90 victory over the Atlanta Hawks.
The Bulls struggled out of the gate and found themselves trailing 28-18 after one quarter.
They managed to forge a 43-43 tie at half-time and took control with a 17-7 run to end the third.
Argentina's Andres Nocioni, who took a punch from Atlanta forward Josh Childress in the team's cause, finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds.
New Orleans rookie Chris Paul appears determined to keep the Hornets' play-off dreams alive.
He scored four of his 21 points in the final minute to help lift the Hornets to a 104-99 win over the Seattle SuperSonics.
The visitors wasted 36 points from Ray Allen in the loss.
PA Sport