Iverson sits while 76ers pick up win
Chris Webber had 21 points and 10 rebounds and John Salmons added 18 points to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a 91-76 win over the New York Knicks on Saturday night.
Allen Iverson of the 76ers, second in the NBA in scoring at 33.6 points per game, sat out with a sprained left ankle after he was injured in the fourth quarter of Thursday’s loss to Orlando. Iverson is day to day and might not make the trip to Orlando for today’s game.
Samuel Dalembert had 15 rebounds and five blocked shots for the Sixers, who played with the kind of defensive toughness coach Maurice Cheeks has preached all season. The Sixers showed glimpses of it in a brief two-game streak last week, only to revert to their old ways the last two games.
Qyntel Woods scored 24 points and Stephon Marbury added 14 for New York, which lost for the seventh time in eight games.
Wizards 107, Bobcats 97: At Washington, Gilbert Arenas scored 34 points and the Wizards beat undermanned Charlotte, the Bobcats’ franchise-record 11th straight loss. Antawn Jamison, who scored 20 or more points for the eighth straight game, had 14 of his 23 points in the third quarter as the Wizards won for the seventh time in their last 10 games. He also grabbed 13 rebounds for his 21st double-double of the season.
Hornets 95, Grizzlies 86: At Memphis, Tenn., David West scored 15 of his 19 points in the second half and grabbed 12 rebounds to lead New Orleans over Memphis. West led a fourth-quarter charge by New Orleans as the Hornets connected on 11 of 16 shots in the period to keep the Grizzlies at bay.
Bulls 111, Hawks 99: At Chicago, Ben Gordon scored 10 of his 23 points in the final 2:28 as the Bulls held off a strong rally and beat Atlanta to match a season best with their fourth straight win. Atlanta’s Joe Johnson scored 32 of his career-high 40 points in the second half as the Hawks chopped a 24-point, third-quarter deficit to five in the final period.
Spurs 102, Timberwolves 88: At San Antonio, Tim Duncan scored 28 points, and San Antonio used a 13-1 run in the fourth quarter to pull away from Minnesota. Tony Parker scored 25 points for San Antonio and Manu Ginobili finished with 14, nine coming in the fourth quarter. Duncan had 16 rebounds.
Mavericks 103, Jazz 89: At Dallas, Dirk Nowitzki shook off a twisted ankle to score 21 points and Josh Howard scored 24, leading the Mavericks past Utah for their season-best eighth straight victory. Nowitzki doubled over in pain after getting his feet tangled with a Utah player late in the first quarter. He limped off the court and went to the locker room, but returned midway through the second period.
Clippers 112, Nuggets 79: At Los Angeles, Cuttino Mobley scored 19 points, Elton Brand and Sam Cassell each had 17, and the Clippers extended their winning streak to a season-best five straight with a rout of Denver. Chris Kaman had 11 points and 15 rebounds for the Clippers, who shot 53.5 percent from the field and had six players in double figures.
Warriors 98, Trail Blazers 83: At Oakland, Calif., Baron Davis had 29 points, 16 assists and eight rebounds, and Golden State snapped a four-game losing streak with a victory over Portland. Rookie Monta Ellis scored a career-high 14 points and Troy Murphy grabbed a season-high 21 rebounds for the Warriors.
Around the league
New Orleans Hornets owner George Shinn said the team should remain in Oklahoma City next season. “Right now, I think everybody’s got to accept the fact that New Orleans is not ready for this coming season,” Shinn said. “They’re not ready, so we should play in Oklahoma City next year, and then start working and putting everything together to come back.” The NBA said that commissioner David Stern has planned to announce a decision on the Hornets’ status by the end of this month. … Milwaukee guard Mo Williams is expected to miss two weeks with a sprained left ankle. Williams was injured during Friday night’s win over Toronto, when he landed on a Raptors player with 2:53 left in the fourth quarter.