Suns bury Knicks behind 3-pointers
The New York Knicks were so inept on defense, the Phoenix Suns were actually critical of themselves after posting their highest point total of the season.
“I didn’t think it was a very good performance at all,” Steve Nash said after Phoenix tied a team record with 16 3-pointers in a 133-118 victory Tuesday night at New York. “We were really careless defensively, we gave up too many points, and even offensively I thought we weren’t as good as we can be.”
Quentin Richardson made seven 3-pointers, Jim Jackson added five and the Suns finished with the highest point total by a Knicks opponent since Portland scored 141 on Nov. 15, 1990, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
Amare Stoudemire scored 29 points, Richardson had 25, Joe Johnson 24 and Shawn Marion 20 for Phoenix, which easily eclipsed its previous season high of 124 points.
“We’ve been putting a lot of points up on a lot of teams. That’s what we do – we’re a scoring team,” Nash said. “It’s a matter of getting our defense to a consistent level to see if we’re going to be a championship team or not.”
The loss was the seventh in a row for the struggling Knicks, who obviously have not latched onto new coach Herb Williams’ emphasis on defense.
Jamal Crawford led the Knicks with 40 points, Kurt Thomas added 24 points and 14 rebounds and rookie Trevor Ariza, making his second straight start, had career highs of 21 points and 11 rebounds.
Stephon Marbury, who played his first game against the Suns since they dealt him to the Knicks last season, had 11 points, nine assists, six rebounds and five fouls.
Celtics 97, Bobcats 92: At Charlotte, N.C., Paul Pierce scored 33 points to help Boston end its nine-game road losing streak with a victory over Charlotte, which lost its ninth in a row overall.
Emeka Okafor scored all 20 of his points in the second half and added 12 rebounds and five blocked shots for the Bobcats.
Raef LaFrentz scored 12 points for the Celtics and Ricky Davis added 11.
Grizzlies 95, Magic 83: At Memphis, Tenn., Stromile Swift had 18 points and nine rebounds, leading Memphis over Orlando.
Grant Hill and Steve Francis led Orlando with 18 points each, and Francis added six assists. Rookie guard Jameer Nelson scored 17.
Bulls 111, Nuggets 107: At Chicago, Kirk Hinrich scored 23 points and Eddy Curry shook off a groin injury to add 14 in the fourth quarter, sending surging Chicago past Denver for its 11th win in 12 games.
Kings 113, Nets 93: At Sacramento, Calif., Brad Miller had a season-high 31 points and 12 rebounds while making 11 straight shots, and Sacramento rebounded from an embarrassing loss with a victory over New Jersey.
Peja Stojakovic scored 25 points and Cuttino Mobley had 20 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds for the Kings.
Brawl participants appear in court
Five Indiana Pacers players and three fans charged in one of the most violent melees in NBA history appeared in court – each at a separate hearing – and were released on bond.
The Pacers players, charged with misdemeanor assault and battery in the brawl with Detroit fans at The Palace of Auburn Hills, appeared for about three minutes each before District Judge Lisa Asadoorian.
Asadoorian allowed each of the players to leave the state and barred them from the Palace “except for employment-related purposes.” Ron Artest, Stephen Jackson, Anthony Johnson, David Harrison and Jermaine O’Neal also were told they must attend the next hearing in the case, scheduled for April.
Three fans charged with misdemeanor assault and battery – John Ackerman, William Paulson and John Green – also appeared in court and were released on bond.
Karl meets with Denver GM
George Karl met with Denver general manager Kiki Vandeweghe about the Nuggets’ vacant coaching position Monday in Chicago, but the job has not been offered to the former NBA coach.
Karl flew in from Connecticut, where he works as an analyst for ESPN, and met with Vandeweghe before Denver’s game against the Chicago Bulls.
“We both agreed to keep the meeting private,” Vandeweghe told the AP in a phone interview. “I think it was very amicable. I’ve known George a long time and we had a good talk.”
Bryant case moves forward
Attorneys in the civil case against Kobe Bryant are sparring over rules for witness interviews and whether the NBA star will be able to blame the emotional distress of his accuser on others.
The behind-the-scenes arguments come ahead of a hearing in Denver federal court on Feb. 2. It was unclear whether Bryant or the woman accusing him of rape will be there. Neither is required to appear.
Around the league
Chris Webber missed the Kings’ game against New Jersey because of a right ankle injury. … Memphis placed leading scorer and rebounder Pau Gasol on the injured list with an injured left foot. It marked the first time Gasol has been placed on the injured list in his four-year career. … Houston forward Tracy McGrady rejoined the team for its trip to New Orleans, a day after missing their game against Orlando because of a family emergency. … Cleveland rookie forward Anderson Varejao could miss six weeks with a severely sprained left ankle, and oft-injured guard Dajuan Wagner is back in the hospital with a stomach ailment. … Tim Thomas was placed on the injured list by the New York Knicks, who hope five or more games of rest will help cure the small forward’s nagging calf injury.