Rockets extend winning streak as Pistons embarrass Shaq, and Suns

PHOENIX: Rasheed Wallace scored 22 points in 26 minutes to lead six Detroit players in double figures, and the Pistons embarrassed Shaquille O'Neal and the Phoenix Suns 116-86 in the NBA on Sunday.

Chauncey Billups had 14 points and 11 assists, and Antonio McDyess 12 points and 13 rebounds as Detroit easily ended the Suns' 11-game winning streak against Eastern Conference foes.

Phoenix lost to a team from the East for only the third time in 25 tries.

O'Neal, who turns 36 in two weeks, had seven points and 11 rebounds in 34 minutes and was 1-for-8 from the foul line. Amare Stoudemire scored 31 and Leandro Barbosa 18 for Phoenix.

In Houston, Tracy McGrady had 24 points and eight assists to lead Rockets past Bulls 110-97 and Houston extended its winning streak to 12 games.

The Rockets' streak is their longest since their championship season of 1993-94.

They were ahead by seven early in the fourth quarter before debutant Bobby Jackson scored five straight points for Houston, capped by a nifty off-balance layup and the free throw that followed to make it 84-74. The Rockets cruised from there.

Tyrus Thomas led Chicago with 18 points, and Kirk Hinrich had 10 points and 10 assists.

In Portland, Oregon, Paul Pierce scored 30 points and Boston rebounded from a slow start to snap a three-game losing streak with a 112-102 win over Trail Blazers.

The Celtics trailed by as many as 17 points in the first half, but gained control in the second when Portland struggled without guard Brandon Roy, last season's Rookie of the Year, who aggravated a right ankle sprain.

Travis Outlaw led Portland with 24 points.

In Cleveland, LeBron James scored 25 points and had 11 assists to lead the home team to a 109-89 win.

Ben Wallace, who started at power forward, scored 12 points, tying his season high, and had 10 rebounds.

Memphis, which has lost 10 of 11, cut the lead to 12 in the fourth period, but the huge deficit was too much to overcome. Hakim Warrick led Memphis with 21 points.

In Orlando, Florida, Dwight Howard had 26 points and 10 rebounds, and Orlando got a huge fourth-quarter effort from its reserves in its 112-93 victory over the Kings.

Brian Cook and Keyon Dooling combined for 20 points in a 22-8 run to start the final period, which Orlando entered ahead 74-68. No Magic starter scored in the fourth quarter until Howard hit two free throws with 4:28 remaining. By then the game was already in hand.

In Toronto, Andrea Bargnani had 25 points and Chris Bosh added 17 as Toronto rebounded from a loss to New York two days earlier with a 115-92 win.

Toronto gave coach Sam Mitchell a victory in his 300th game. Mitchell is 137-163 as coach of the Raptors.

Jamal Crawford, who scored 43 points on Friday, finished with 26 in this one for New York. Mavericks 99, Timberwolves 83=

In Minneapolis, Jason Kidd tied his season high with 17 assists in the team's 99-83 victory over the Timberwolves and Dirk Nowitzki scored 29 points as the Mavericks sent last-place Minnesota to its seventh loss in eight games.

Al Jefferson led Minnesota with 22 points. Lakers 111, SuperSonics 91=

In Seattle, Kobe Bryant scored 21 points in just 26 minutes, handed out 10 assists, and picked up his first ejection of the season in Los Angeles' 111-91 win over the SuperSonics.

The Lakers never trailed while extending their longest streak since rolling off 11 straight late in the 2003-04 season - the last time they reached the NBA Finals.

Los Angeles wrapped up a stretch playing 12 of 13 on the road with an astonishing 11-2 mark, including wins in the last seven. At 39-17, the Lakers moved ahead of Phoenix for the best record in the West, the second time this season they've led the conference.

Mickael Gelabale led Seattle with a career-high 21 points.

Agencies

(China Daily 02/26/2008 page22)