Spurs rally, knock off Mavericks
Devin Brown sparked a fourth-quarter spurt with two three-point plays and two dunks, helping the San Antonio Spurs beat the Dallas Mavericks 107-89 Tuesday night in Dallas, to spoil the pseudo-coaching debut of Avery Johnson.
Johnson, the hand-picked successor of Dallas coach Don Nelson, ran the game as if the job were already his. Nelson was there, too, but offered only suggestions. This was the first of about six such training sessions Nelson has planned.
Kings 98, Grizzlies 93: Peja Stojakovic scored 29 points, and Chris Webber added 22 points and 11 rebounds to lead visiting Sacramento to a victory at Memphis, Tenn.
Lakers 95, Bucks 90: Brian Cook came off the bench to score a career-high 25 points, including five 3-pointers, and Kobe Bryant added 20 points despite being held without a field goal for three quarters to lead Los Angeles over host Milwaukee.
Suns 115, Jazz 102: Steve Nash had 20 points and 14 assists to lead Phoenix past Utah in Salt Lake City. It was the eighth straight win for the Suns. Amare Stoudemire topped Phoenix with 29 points.
Pistons 93, Rockets 72: Antonio McDyess had 19 points and 10 rebounds to help Detroit snap a five-game road losing streak with a win over Houston.
Raptors 94, Heat 92: Jalen Rose scored 24 points, including the decisive free throws with 15.6 seconds left, to help Toronto snap a six-game road losing streak with a win over Miami. Shaquille O’Neal led Miami with a season-high 34 points.
Nets 99, Bobcats 86: Richard Jefferson scored 23 points to help New Jersey end a nine-game losing streak with a victory over Charlotte in East Rutherford, N.J.
Knicks 110, Hawks 109 (OT): Jamal Crawford’s 3-pointer with 3.4 seconds left in overtime lifted visiting New York over Atlanta.
Around the league
The NBA will set new security guidelines for its arenas, exerting more authority over a matter previously left to individual teams, commissioner David Stern said. … The man who police say tossed a chair into the crowd during the recent NBA brawl at The Palace of Auburn Hills (Mich.) has been accused of assault before. Bryant Jackson, 35, was a co-defendant in an attempted murder case that was later dropped, court records show. He also was convicted of assaulting the mother of his child. He’s had his driver’s license suspended nine times since 1998. … Indiana Pacers players will be charged for fighting with fans during the Nov. 19 brawl, Oakland County Prosecutor David Gorcyca told the Detroit News. The prosecutor declined to say which players would be charged or what the charges might be. … New Orleans center Jamaal Magloire was fined $7,500 for throwing a basketball at Golden State’s Mike Dunleavy last week.