Butler returns to guide Wizards

Caron Butler unleashed a month’s worth of pent-up energy on his 28th birthday, returning to the Washington Wizards lineup after a 16-game injury absence to score 19 points in a 101-99 victory over the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday night.

Butler, whose hip injury sent the Wizards into a February slump, scored the game’s opening basket, survived some rough contact and made six of his first eight shots. The players the Wizards affectionately refer to as “Tough Juice” finished 8 for 18 from the field and had five rebounds in 41 minutes.

Butler scored only one point in the fourth quarter, but at least he had a better game than LeBron James, who was called for an offensive foul in the final 20 seconds and his potential game-winning 27-footer hit the front of the rim and bounced away as time expired.

James finished with 25 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and seven turnovers.

Kings 96, Trail Blazers 85: At Sacramento, Calif., Ron Artest scored 22 points and the Kings never trailed in defeating Portland.

Beno Udrih had 14 points, eight rebounds and seven assists for the Kings, who snapped a two-game losing streak at Arco Arena.

LaMarcus Aldridge had 20 points for Portland and Brandon Roy contributed 21 points, nine rebounds and six assists.

•Greg Oden practiced with the Portland Trail Blazers for the first time since right knee surgery ended the No. 1 draft pick’s debut season before it started six months ago.

Oden, the 7-foot center from Ohio State taken with the top selection in last year’s draft, surprised his teammates Wednesday when he participated in offensive drills and even dunked during 45 minutes of half-speed work while the team was in town to play the Kings.

Suns 123, Warriors 115: At Phoenix, Amare Stoudemire had 36 points, 11 rebounds and four blocked shots and the Suns won their third in a row while snapping Golden State’s three-game winning streak.

Steve Nash had 21 points – including eight in a row in a big fourth-quarter stretch – and 13 assists.

Baron Davis scored 38, two shy of his career high, for the Warriors, who lost for only the second time in nine games.