Don Nelson saw Peja Stojakovic guarding Corey Maggette in crunch time and figured it was Maggette’s moment to shine. Maggette wasn’t about to disagree. He scored 12 of his 19 points in last six minutes, helping the Golden State Warriors hold on for a 91-87 upset of the New Orleans Hornets on Friday night.
The healing hand was hardly a hindrance. Carmelo Anthony scored 19 points in his first game back from a broken bone in his shooting hand, lifting the Denver Nuggets to a 110-99 win over the Charlotte Bobcats on Friday night. “It felt pretty good,” Anthony said. “It’s still a little tender. That’s going to be something that I have to fight through.” Anthony played with his two middle fingers wrapped…
Andrew Bynum is a big reason why the Los Angeles Lakers have the best record in the Western Conference. And, boy, is he playing big. Bynum bulled his way inside to 27 points and 15 rebounds, providing the perfect complement to Kobe Bryant and his 30 points, and the Lakers started a six-game road trip with a 132-119 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night.
At least LeBron James has an All-Star coach. Disappointed that teammate Mo Williams was not named a reserve for next month’s All-Star game in Phoenix, James learned following Cleveland’s 112-95 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night that Cavaliers coach Mike Brown will coach the Eastern Conference squad on Feb.
The Boston Celtics finally got a game. The result, though, was the same. Kevin Garnett scored 22, Paul Pierce had 20 points and Ray Allen added 14, leading Boston to an 86-78 win over the Detroit Pistons on Friday night. The Celtics, who have won 10 straight, took their last seven by double digits, including three victories by 20-plus points.