Word has spread that the Bobcats now know how to get the ball inside.

Boris Diaw’s passing has made it easier for Gerald Wallace to drive and Emeka Okafor to post up. Opponents have come to expect that from a team that once lived and died by its jump shots.

So Wallace now finds defenses backing off to cut off his penetration and going to extremes to deny Okafor the ball in the lane. Following a rough first quarter Saturday, the Bobcats worked through that, finishing with 40 points in the lane against Milwaukee.

Perhaps the next step for the Bobcats is to better exploit the help opponents are giving inside defensively. They still have jump-shooters, and those guys (Matt Carroll, Adam Morrison, D.J.

Mining for Diamonds

Hardcore basketball fans are bound to get a little giddy Monday when the 2009 NBA Development League Showcase tips off its 16-game schedule in Orem, Utah.

Warriors sign Stampede’s Davidson to contract

The Golden State Warriors signed Jermareo Davidson of the Idaho Stampede. Davidson’s Gatorade Call-Up is the third this season, the 122nd in the NBA D-League’s eight-year history, and the first during the 2009 …

New Phoenix Suns Shooting Guard Jason Richardson Popped for DUI

Another day, another accused athlete. The last few days have seen local sports celebs Charles Barkley , Cardinals player Larry Fitzgerald , and Indy 500 driver Danica Patrick in the news for various incidents.

NBA Notes for Tuesday: Darko out, Gasol in

By Brian McKitish Special to ESPN.com December 29, 2008, 4:45 PM Matchups for Tuesday, Dec.

Expiring contracts may surpass talent in value
As we enter a new year, Randy Hill says Eddy Curry and other pricey vets should be ready to take their big contracts elsewhere.

NBA Notes for Tuesday: Darko out, Gasol in

By Brian McKitish Special to ESPN.com December 29, 2008, 4:45 PM Matchups for Tuesday, Dec.

Celtics-Bobcats Preview
In less than two weeks, the Boston Celtics have gone from the longest winning streak in franchise history to their worst stretch since they united Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen with Paul Pierce. They’ll try to address their problems on the road Tuesday when they visit a Charlotte Bobcats club that has given them a surprising amount of trouble the last two seasons.

Tempers flare in Bobcats’ win
Jan. 4–The Charlotte Bobcats had the first five-point possession in franchise history Saturday, en route to a 102-92 victory against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Charlotte Bobcats Roster Report
ROTATION: Starters — Point guard Raymond Felton, Shooting guard Matt Carroll, Small forward Gerald Wallace, Power forward Boris Diaw, Center Emeka Okafor. Bench — Guard D.J. Augustin, Center Nazr Mohammed, Forward Adam Morrison, Guard Sean Singletary. PLAYER NOTES: –F Boris Diaw figures to become the first Bobcat to assemble a triple-double. He had 21 points, seven assists and six rebounds versus the Bucks on Saturday.

BUCKS Taking an even temperament into the next five Stretch vs. sub-.500 teams could be key
This seems like a good time for the Milwaukee Bucks to make a run at the .500 mark.

Bobcats Team Report (Yahoo! Sports)

Word has spread that the Bobcats now know how to get the ball inside.

Boris Diaw’s passing has made it easier for Gerald Wallace to drive and Emeka Okafor to post up. Opponents have come to expect that from a team that once lived and died by its jump shots.

So Wallace now finds defenses backing off to cut off his penetration and going to extremes to deny Okafor the ball in the lane. Following a rough first quarter Saturday, the Bobcats worked through that, finishing with 40 points in the lane against Milwaukee.

Perhaps the next step for the Bobcats is to better exploit the help opponents are giving inside defensively. They still have jump-shooters, and those guys (Matt Carroll, Adam Morrison, D.J.

Charlotte Bobcats Getting Inside
Word has spread that the Bobcats now know how to get the ball inside. Boris Diaw’s passing has made it easier for Gerald Wallace to drive and Emeka Okafor to post up. Opponents have come to expect that from a team that once lived and died by its jump shots. So Wallace now finds defenses backing off to cut off his penetration and going to extremes to deny Okafor the ball in the lane.

Expiring contracts may surpass talent in value
As we enter a new year, Randy Hill says Eddy Curry and other pricey vets should be ready to take their big contracts elsewhere.

The Golden State Warriors signed Jermareo Davidson of the Idaho Stampede. Davidson’s Gatorade Call-Up is the third this season, the 122nd in the NBA D-League’s eight-year history, and the first during the 2009 …

Mining for Diamonds

Hardcore basketball fans are bound to get a little giddy Monday when the 2009 NBA Development League Showcase tips off its 16-game schedule in Orem, Utah.

Bobcats Team Report (Yahoo! Sports)

Word has spread that the Bobcats now know how to get the ball inside.

Boris Diaw’s passing has made it easier for Gerald Wallace to drive and Emeka Okafor to post up. Opponents have come to expect that from a team that once lived and died by its jump shots.

So Wallace now finds defenses backing off to cut off his penetration and going to extremes to deny Okafor the ball in the lane. Following a rough first quarter Saturday, the Bobcats worked through that, finishing with 40 points in the lane against Milwaukee.

Perhaps the next step for the Bobcats is to better exploit the help opponents are giving inside defensively. They still have jump-shooters, and those guys (Matt Carroll, Adam Morrison, D.J.

Tempers flare in Bobcats’ win
Jan. 4–The Charlotte Bobcats had the first five-point possession in franchise history Saturday, en route to a 102-92 victory against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Charlotte Bobcats Roster Report
ROTATION: Starters — Point guard Raymond Felton, Shooting guard Matt Carroll, Small forward Gerald Wallace, Power forward Boris Diaw, Center Emeka Okafor. Bench — Guard D.J. Augustin, Center Nazr Mohammed, Forward Adam Morrison, Guard Sean Singletary. PLAYER NOTES: –F Boris Diaw figures to become the first Bobcat to assemble a triple-double. He had 21 points, seven assists and six rebounds versus the Bucks on Saturday.

Expiring contracts may surpass talent in value
As we enter a new year, Randy Hill says Eddy Curry and other pricey vets should be ready to take their big contracts elsewhere.

NBA Notes for Tuesday: Darko out, Gasol in

By Brian McKitish Special to ESPN.com December 29, 2008, 4:45 PM Matchups for Tuesday, Dec.

Charlotte Bobcats Notes, Quotes
–The Bobcats had their first-ever five-point possession versus the Bucks on Saturday, thanks to Milwaukee F Charlie Villanueva losing his cool. Villanueva committed a flagrant foul (throwing Gerald Wallace to the floor), then a technical foul, then a shooting foul, producing five Bobcats free throws (all made) in one possession. –The Bobcats have started 10 different lineups this season, and only one didn’t result in a losing record.

LeBron, Varejao keep Cavs perfect at home
DPA SPORTS Basketball NBA LeBron, Varejao keep Cavs perfect at home By Paul Levine, dpa?? = ?? Los Angeles (dpa) - With a little help from “Wild Thing,” LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers are still running wild at home. ?? Brazilian Anderson Varejao scored a career-high 26 points, while James posted a triple-double to help the Cavaliers remain unbeaten at home at 17-0, crushing the Chicago Bulls 117-92 on Friday night. ?? Varejao stepped in at centre after the Cavaliers learned earlier in the day, that Zydrunas Ilgauskas will be sidelined for an undetermined amount of time with a chipped bone in his left ankle. ?? “I knew Z couldn’t play, so I had to do something different, I had to be more aggressive,” said Varejao, nicknamed Wild Thing for his big, bushy, untamed corkscrew hairdo. ?? “I’m looking to move without the ball, because I know LeBron is going to give me open looks.” ?? After torching the Bulls for 41 points in each of the two Cavs’ wins this season, James had 16, with 11 assists and 10 rebounds for his first triple double of the season and 18th of his career. ?? “I went off the first two times on Chicago, so I thought they’d try to get the ball out of my hands,” James said. “Offensively, I didn’t have to be aggressive. I could be aggressive to a point, where I could get opportunities for my teammates and they made plays.” ?? Delonte West scored 14 points, while Ben Wallace, Sasha Pavlovic and rookie JJ Hickson chipped in with 13 apiece as Cleveland (27-5) led from start to finish. ?? “Tonight was closer to who we have been throughout most of the season,” Cavaliers coach Mike Brown said. “We played it the right way for as close to 48 minutes as possible.” ?? Ben Gordon scored 22 points for the Bulls (14-19), who shot an icy 37 per cent in the blowout. ?? Elsewhere: ?? Boston Celtics 108, Washington Wizards 83 ?? Paul Pierce scored 26 points before sitting out the final quarter, and the league-best Celtics (29-5) returned home following a 1-3 West Coat trip to whip the Eastern Conference-worst Wizards (6-25). ?? LA Lakers 113, Utah Jazz 100 ?? Kobe Bryant scored 40 points in just 38 minutes, and the Western Conference-leading Lakers drummed the visiting Jazz en route to their fifth straight victory. ?? Spaniard Pau Gasol had 21 for the Lakers (26-5) to become the 15th European player to score 10,000 points in his NBA career, to go along with 11 rebounds and six assists ?? Turkey’s Mehmet Okur topped the Jazz (19-15) with 21 points and 13 rebounds. ?? Orlando Magic 86, Miami Heat 76 ?? Rashard Lewis scored 17 points, and Dwight Howard had 15 points with 15 rebounds as the Magic beat the Heat for the tenth straight time in the battle of Florida. ?? Dwyane Wade topped Miami (17-14) with 33 points. ?? Detroit Pistons 98, Sacramento Kings 92 ?? Rodney Stuckey scored 13 of his 38 points in the fourth quarter, carrying the injury-depleted Pistons to their sixth straight victory despite Brad Miller’s 25 points and 16 rebounds. ?? New Jersey Nets 93, Atlanta Hawks 91 (OT) ?? Vince Carter nailed a game-winning three-pointer to beat the overtime buzzer, and the Nets rallied from a 20-point deficit to clip the Hawks‘ six game-winning streak ?? Devin Harris topped the Nets (16-17) with 26 points and 11 assists, while Carter finished with 18 points. ?? Denver Nuggets 122, Oklahoma City Thunder 120 ?? Carmelo Anthony’s three-pointer from the left corner with one- tenth of a second remaining capped a 31-point effort and lifted the visiting Nuggets past the Thunder. ?? Kevin Durant led league-worst Oklahoma City (4-30) with 33 points. ?? Indiana Pacers 105, New York Knicks 103 ?? Jarrett Jack scored a season-high 29 points, including the game- winning jumper with nine-tenths of a second remaining, ending the Pacers‘ four-game skid. ?? Al Harrington led the host Knicks (12-19) with 27 points against his former team. ?? New Orleans Hornets 92, Portland Trail Blazers 77 ?? David West scored 25 points, Chris Paul had 17 with 11 assists and the visiting Hornets outscored the Trail Blazers 31-16 in the final quarter en route to their fourth straight victory. ?? Spaniard Rudy Fernandez had 19 points for host Portland (20-13) which played without injured All-Star Brandon Roy for the second straight contest. ?? Dallas Mavericks 96, Philadelphia 76ers 86 ?? German juggernaut Dirk Nowitzki scored 16 of his 31 points in the final quarter, leading the host Mavericks (20-12) to their sixth win in the last seven games. ?? San Antonio Spurs 91, Memphis Grizzlies 80 ?? Tim Duncan collected 20 points with 10 rebounds, and the visiting Spurs sent the Grizzlies to their fourth straight loss. ?? Spanish rookie centre Marc Gasol had 15 points with 11 rebounds for Memphis (10-23). ?? Milwaukee Bucks 103, Charlotte Bobcats 75 ?? Michael Redd scored 31 points, Charlie Villanueva had 27 and the Bucks (16-18) won their fifth in a row over the visiting Bobcats. ?? Phoenix Suns 106, LA Clippers 98 ?? Amare Stoudemire scored 23 points, Shaquille O’Neal had 17 and the Suns (19-12) sent the visiting Clippers to their sixth straight setback despite Marcus Camby’s 19-point, 23-rebound effort. ?? Minnesota Timberwolves 115, Golden State Warriors 108 ?? Al Jefferson had 32 points and 10 rebounds, powering the Timberwolves (7-25) past the visiting Warriors. ?? Toronto Raptors 94, Houston Rockets 73 ?? Chris Bosh and Italy’s Andrea Bargnani scored 19 points apiece as the Raptors routed the visiting Rockets for just their fourth win in the last 18 games. ??Jan 0309 0748 GMT

Charlotte Bobcats Getting Inside
Word has spread that the Bobcats now know how to get the ball inside. Boris Diaw’s passing has made it easier for Gerald Wallace to drive and Emeka Okafor to post up. Opponents have come to expect that from a team that once lived and died by its jump shots. So Wallace now finds defenses backing off to cut off his penetration and going to extremes to deny Okafor the ball in the lane.

Bobcats Team Report (Yahoo! Sports)

Word has spread that the Bobcats now know how to get the ball inside.

Boris Diaw’s passing has made it easier for Gerald Wallace to drive and Emeka Okafor to post up. Opponents have come to expect that from a team that once lived and died by its jump shots.

So Wallace now finds defenses backing off to cut off his penetration and going to extremes to deny Okafor the ball in the lane. Following a rough first quarter Saturday, the Bobcats worked through that, finishing with 40 points in the lane against Milwaukee.

Perhaps the next step for the Bobcats is to better exploit the help opponents are giving inside defensively. They still have jump-shooters, and those guys (Matt Carroll, Adam Morrison, D.J.

Charlotte Bobcats Notes, Quotes
–The Bobcats had their first-ever five-point possession versus the Bucks on Saturday, thanks to Milwaukee F Charlie Villanueva losing his cool. Villanueva committed a flagrant foul (throwing Gerald Wallace to the floor), then a technical foul, then a shooting foul, producing five Bobcats free throws (all made) in one possession. –The Bobcats have started 10 different lineups this season, and only one didn’t result in a losing record.

LeBron, Varejao keep Cavs perfect at home
DPA SPORTS Basketball NBA LeBron, Varejao keep Cavs perfect at home By Paul Levine, dpa?? = ?? Los Angeles (dpa) - With a little help from “Wild Thing,” LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers are still running wild at home. ?? Brazilian Anderson Varejao scored a career-high 26 points, while James posted a triple-double to help the Cavaliers remain unbeaten at home at 17-0, crushing the Chicago Bulls 117-92 on Friday night. ?? Varejao stepped in at centre after the Cavaliers learned earlier in the day, that Zydrunas Ilgauskas will be sidelined for an undetermined amount of time with a chipped bone in his left ankle. ?? “I knew Z couldn’t play, so I had to do something different, I had to be more aggressive,” said Varejao, nicknamed Wild Thing for his big, bushy, untamed corkscrew hairdo. ?? “I’m looking to move without the ball, because I know LeBron is going to give me open looks.” ?? After torching the Bulls for 41 points in each of the two Cavs’ wins this season, James had 16, with 11 assists and 10 rebounds for his first triple double of the season and 18th of his career. ?? “I went off the first two times on Chicago, so I thought they’d try to get the ball out of my hands,” James said. “Offensively, I didn’t have to be aggressive. I could be aggressive to a point, where I could get opportunities for my teammates and they made plays.” ?? Delonte West scored 14 points, while Ben Wallace, Sasha Pavlovic and rookie JJ Hickson chipped in with 13 apiece as Cleveland (27-5) led from start to finish. ?? “Tonight was closer to who we have been throughout most of the season,” Cavaliers coach Mike Brown said. “We played it the right way for as close to 48 minutes as possible.” ?? Ben Gordon scored 22 points for the Bulls (14-19), who shot an icy 37 per cent in the blowout. ?? Elsewhere: ?? Boston Celtics 108, Washington Wizards 83 ?? Paul Pierce scored 26 points before sitting out the final quarter, and the league-best Celtics (29-5) returned home following a 1-3 West Coat trip to whip the Eastern Conference-worst Wizards (6-25). ?? LA Lakers 113, Utah Jazz 100 ?? Kobe Bryant scored 40 points in just 38 minutes, and the Western Conference-leading Lakers drummed the visiting Jazz en route to their fifth straight victory. ?? Spaniard Pau Gasol had 21 for the Lakers (26-5) to become the 15th European player to score 10,000 points in his NBA career, to go along with 11 rebounds and six assists ?? Turkey’s Mehmet Okur topped the Jazz (19-15) with 21 points and 13 rebounds. ?? Orlando Magic 86, Miami Heat 76 ?? Rashard Lewis scored 17 points, and Dwight Howard had 15 points with 15 rebounds as the Magic beat the Heat for the tenth straight time in the battle of Florida. ?? Dwyane Wade topped Miami (17-14) with 33 points. ?? Detroit Pistons 98, Sacramento Kings 92 ?? Rodney Stuckey scored 13 of his 38 points in the fourth quarter, carrying the injury-depleted Pistons to their sixth straight victory despite Brad Miller’s 25 points and 16 rebounds. ?? New Jersey Nets 93, Atlanta Hawks 91 (OT) ?? Vince Carter nailed a game-winning three-pointer to beat the overtime buzzer, and the Nets rallied from a 20-point deficit to clip the Hawks‘ six game-winning streak ?? Devin Harris topped the Nets (16-17) with 26 points and 11 assists, while Carter finished with 18 points. ?? Denver Nuggets 122, Oklahoma City Thunder 120 ?? Carmelo Anthony’s three-pointer from the left corner with one- tenth of a second remaining capped a 31-point effort and lifted the visiting Nuggets past the Thunder. ?? Kevin Durant led league-worst Oklahoma City (4-30) with 33 points. ?? Indiana Pacers 105, New York Knicks 103 ?? Jarrett Jack scored a season-high 29 points, including the game- winning jumper with nine-tenths of a second remaining, ending the Pacers‘ four-game skid. ?? Al Harrington led the host Knicks (12-19) with 27 points against his former team. ?? New Orleans Hornets 92, Portland Trail Blazers 77 ?? David West scored 25 points, Chris Paul had 17 with 11 assists and the visiting Hornets outscored the Trail Blazers 31-16 in the final quarter en route to their fourth straight victory. ?? Spaniard Rudy Fernandez had 19 points for host Portland (20-13) which played without injured All-Star Brandon Roy for the second straight contest. ?? Dallas Mavericks 96, Philadelphia 76ers 86 ?? German juggernaut Dirk Nowitzki scored 16 of his 31 points in the final quarter, leading the host Mavericks (20-12) to their sixth win in the last seven games. ?? San Antonio Spurs 91, Memphis Grizzlies 80 ?? Tim Duncan collected 20 points with 10 rebounds, and the visiting Spurs sent the Grizzlies to their fourth straight loss. ?? Spanish rookie centre Marc Gasol had 15 points with 11 rebounds for Memphis (10-23). ?? Milwaukee Bucks 103, Charlotte Bobcats 75 ?? Michael Redd scored 31 points, Charlie Villanueva had 27 and the Bucks (16-18) won their fifth in a row over the visiting Bobcats. ?? Phoenix Suns 106, LA Clippers 98 ?? Amare Stoudemire scored 23 points, Shaquille O’Neal had 17 and the Suns (19-12) sent the visiting Clippers to their sixth straight setback despite Marcus Camby’s 19-point, 23-rebound effort. ?? Minnesota Timberwolves 115, Golden State Warriors 108 ?? Al Jefferson had 32 points and 10 rebounds, powering the Timberwolves (7-25) past the visiting Warriors. ?? Toronto Raptors 94, Houston Rockets 73 ?? Chris Bosh and Italy’s Andrea Bargnani scored 19 points apiece as the Raptors routed the visiting Rockets for just their fourth win in the last 18 games. ??Jan 0309 0748 GMT

Charlotte Bobcats Getting Inside
Word has spread that the Bobcats now know how to get the ball inside. Boris Diaw’s passing has made it easier for Gerald Wallace to drive and Emeka Okafor to post up. Opponents have come to expect that from a team that once lived and died by its jump shots. So Wallace now finds defenses backing off to cut off his penetration and going to extremes to deny Okafor the ball in the lane.

Charlotte Bobcats Notes, Quotes
–The Bobcats had their first-ever five-point possession versus the Bucks on Saturday, thanks to Milwaukee F Charlie Villanueva losing his cool. Villanueva committed a flagrant foul (throwing Gerald Wallace to the floor), then a technical foul, then a shooting foul, producing five Bobcats free throws (all made) in one possession. –The Bobcats have started 10 different lineups this season, and only one didn’t result in a losing record.

Charlotte Bobcats Getting Inside
Word has spread that the Bobcats now know how to get the ball inside. Boris Diaw’s passing has made it easier for Gerald Wallace to drive and Emeka Okafor to post up. Opponents have come to expect that from a team that once lived and died by its jump shots. So Wallace now finds defenses backing off to cut off his penetration and going to extremes to deny Okafor the ball in the lane.

Charlotte Bobcats Notes, Quotes
–The Bobcats had their first-ever five-point possession versus the Bucks on Saturday, thanks to Milwaukee F Charlie Villanueva losing his cool. Villanueva committed a flagrant foul (throwing Gerald Wallace to the floor), then a technical foul, then a shooting foul, producing five Bobcats free throws (all made) in one possession. –The Bobcats have started 10 different lineups this season, and only one didn’t result in a losing record.

LeBron, Varejao keep Cavs perfect at home
DPA SPORTS Basketball NBA LeBron, Varejao keep Cavs perfect at home By Paul Levine, dpa?? = ?? Los Angeles (dpa) - With a little help from “Wild Thing,” LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers are still running wild at home. ?? Brazilian Anderson Varejao scored a career-high 26 points, while James posted a triple-double to help the Cavaliers remain unbeaten at home at 17-0, crushing the Chicago Bulls 117-92 on Friday night. ?? Varejao stepped in at centre after the Cavaliers learned earlier in the day, that Zydrunas Ilgauskas will be sidelined for an undetermined amount of time with a chipped bone in his left ankle. ?? “I knew Z couldn’t play, so I had to do something different, I had to be more aggressive,” said Varejao, nicknamed Wild Thing for his big, bushy, untamed corkscrew hairdo. ?? “I’m looking to move without the ball, because I know LeBron is going to give me open looks.” ?? After torching the Bulls for 41 points in each of the two Cavs’ wins this season, James had 16, with 11 assists and 10 rebounds for his first triple double of the season and 18th of his career. ?? “I went off the first two times on Chicago, so I thought they’d try to get the ball out of my hands,” James said. “Offensively, I didn’t have to be aggressive. I could be aggressive to a point, where I could get opportunities for my teammates and they made plays.” ?? Delonte West scored 14 points, while Ben Wallace, Sasha Pavlovic and rookie JJ Hickson chipped in with 13 apiece as Cleveland (27-5) led from start to finish. ?? “Tonight was closer to who we have been throughout most of the season,” Cavaliers coach Mike Brown said. “We played it the right way for as close to 48 minutes as possible.” ?? Ben Gordon scored 22 points for the Bulls (14-19), who shot an icy 37 per cent in the blowout. ?? Elsewhere: ?? Boston Celtics 108, Washington Wizards 83 ?? Paul Pierce scored 26 points before sitting out the final quarter, and the league-best Celtics (29-5) returned home following a 1-3 West Coat trip to whip the Eastern Conference-worst Wizards (6-25). ?? LA Lakers 113, Utah Jazz 100 ?? Kobe Bryant scored 40 points in just 38 minutes, and the Western Conference-leading Lakers drummed the visiting Jazz en route to their fifth straight victory. ?? Spaniard Pau Gasol had 21 for the Lakers (26-5) to become the 15th European player to score 10,000 points in his NBA career, to go along with 11 rebounds and six assists ?? Turkey’s Mehmet Okur topped the Jazz (19-15) with 21 points and 13 rebounds. ?? Orlando Magic 86, Miami Heat 76 ?? Rashard Lewis scored 17 points, and Dwight Howard had 15 points with 15 rebounds as the Magic beat the Heat for the tenth straight time in the battle of Florida. ?? Dwyane Wade topped Miami (17-14) with 33 points. ?? Detroit Pistons 98, Sacramento Kings 92 ?? Rodney Stuckey scored 13 of his 38 points in the fourth quarter, carrying the injury-depleted Pistons to their sixth straight victory despite Brad Miller’s 25 points and 16 rebounds. ?? New Jersey Nets 93, Atlanta Hawks 91 (OT) ?? Vince Carter nailed a game-winning three-pointer to beat the overtime buzzer, and the Nets rallied from a 20-point deficit to clip the Hawks‘ six game-winning streak ?? Devin Harris topped the Nets (16-17) with 26 points and 11 assists, while Carter finished with 18 points. ?? Denver Nuggets 122, Oklahoma City Thunder 120 ?? Carmelo Anthony’s three-pointer from the left corner with one- tenth of a second remaining capped a 31-point effort and lifted the visiting Nuggets past the Thunder. ?? Kevin Durant led league-worst Oklahoma City (4-30) with 33 points. ?? Indiana Pacers 105, New York Knicks 103 ?? Jarrett Jack scored a season-high 29 points, including the game- winning jumper with nine-tenths of a second remaining, ending the Pacers‘ four-game skid. ?? Al Harrington led the host Knicks (12-19) with 27 points against his former team. ?? New Orleans Hornets 92, Portland Trail Blazers 77 ?? David West scored 25 points, Chris Paul had 17 with 11 assists and the visiting Hornets outscored the Trail Blazers 31-16 in the final quarter en route to their fourth straight victory. ?? Spaniard Rudy Fernandez had 19 points for host Portland (20-13) which played without injured All-Star Brandon Roy for the second straight contest. ?? Dallas Mavericks 96, Philadelphia 76ers 86 ?? German juggernaut Dirk Nowitzki scored 16 of his 31 points in the final quarter, leading the host Mavericks (20-12) to their sixth win in the last seven games. ?? San Antonio Spurs 91, Memphis Grizzlies 80 ?? Tim Duncan collected 20 points with 10 rebounds, and the visiting Spurs sent the Grizzlies to their fourth straight loss. ?? Spanish rookie centre Marc Gasol had 15 points with 11 rebounds for Memphis (10-23). ?? Milwaukee Bucks 103, Charlotte Bobcats 75 ?? Michael Redd scored 31 points, Charlie Villanueva had 27 and the Bucks (16-18) won their fifth in a row over the visiting Bobcats. ?? Phoenix Suns 106, LA Clippers 98 ?? Amare Stoudemire scored 23 points, Shaquille O’Neal had 17 and the Suns (19-12) sent the visiting Clippers to their sixth straight setback despite Marcus Camby’s 19-point, 23-rebound effort. ?? Minnesota Timberwolves 115, Golden State Warriors 108 ?? Al Jefferson had 32 points and 10 rebounds, powering the Timberwolves (7-25) past the visiting Warriors. ?? Toronto Raptors 94, Houston Rockets 73 ?? Chris Bosh and Italy’s Andrea Bargnani scored 19 points apiece as the Raptors routed the visiting Rockets for just their fourth win in the last 18 games. ??Jan 0309 0748 GMT

Redd and Villanueva lead Bucks past Bobcats in 103-75 victory

Michael Redd made quick work of the Charlotte Bobcats. Michael Redd scored 18 of his 31 points in the first quarter, and Charlie Villanueva had 27 in the Milwaukee Bucks‘ 103-75 victory Friday night.

Bobcats 102, Bucks 92
The Charlotte Bobcats can look bad one night and good the next. They’ve played well for stretches then gone on long losing streaks. Newcomer Boris Diaw isn’t surprised. The good Bobcats showed up Saturday night, with Diaw scoring 21 points and Gerald Wallace 24 in a 102-92 win over Milwaukee. It came a night after the same Bucks held Charlotte to 75 points in the Bobcats‘ 28-point loss.

GAME REPORT BUCKS 103, BOBCATS 75
ON THE COURT

Redd and Villanueva lead Bucks past Bobcats in 103-75 victory

Michael Redd made quick work of the Charlotte Bobcats. Michael Redd scored 18 of his 31 points in the first quarter, and Charlie Villanueva had 27 in the Milwaukee Bucks‘ 103-75 victory Friday night.

Barkley doesn’t deserve another free ride
The latest alleged misdeed is serious stuff, but Peter Vecsey says the TV bosses always allow celeb Charles Barkley to skate.NBA/~4/502307507″ height=”1″ width=”1″/>

Bobcats 102, Bucks 92
The Charlotte Bobcats can look bad one night and good the next. They’ve played well for stretches then gone on long losing streaks. Newcomer Boris Diaw isn’t surprised. The good Bobcats showed up Saturday night, with Diaw scoring 21 points and Gerald Wallace 24 in a 102-92 win over Milwaukee. It came a night after the same Bucks held Charlotte to 75 points in the Bobcats‘ 28-point loss.

Nuggets win despite squandering 26-point lead
NBA/~4/502307512″ height=”1″ width=”1″/>

Can Hornets challenge Lakers in West?
Chris Paul and the Hornets pulled away from the Blazers on Friday night. Charley Rosen still isn’t sure they’re a Western contender.NBA/~4/502307506″ height=”1″ width=”1″/>

Spur’s shot at buzzer spoils Sixers’ comeback
NBA/~4/502307508″ height=”1″ width=”1″/>

GAME REPORT BUCKS 103, BOBCATS 75
ON THE COURT