NBA Capsules: Rose carries Bulls past Rockets 95-92
HOUSTON (AP) — Derrick Rose had seen enough.
Benched because of foul trouble in the third quarter, Rose watched the Chicago Bulls lose their lead to the Houston Rockets on Tuesday night.
He was back on the floor to start the fourth, and from there, the Rockets didn't stand a chance.
Rose scored 17 of his 33 points in the final quarter and the Bulls opened their seven-game road trip with a 95-92 victory.
"Whatever it takes for my team to win," Rose said, "I'm going to try to go out there and do it."
The star point guard also had seven assists, and Luol Deng added 16 points and 10 rebounds for the Bulls, who won their fourth straight overall and earned their first victory in three road games this season.
Rose sat out the final 5 1/2 minutes of the third quarter after picking up his fourth foul, and the Rockets built a 71-63 lead.
"It was so frustrating," Rose said. "I knew I had to sit out, but I was just hoping we could keep it close. That's when they put me back in the game, and I guess I did what I was supposed to do."
Rose came into the game shooting just 24 percent from 3-point range, but he hit two 3s at the beginning of an 18-0 Chicago spurt. The Rockets were conceding long-range shots to Rose.
"You want him taking 3s and you've just got to live and die by it," Houston guard Kevin Martin said. "We died by it at the beginning of the fourth."
Houston fueled the Bulls' rally with four turnovers and six straight misses in the first four minutes of the last quarter. Rose swished another 3-pointer with 7:37 left to finish the run and give the Bulls their biggest lead, 81-71.
"I thought we played great up until the start of the fourth," forward Shane Battier said. "We just came out and they hit some tough shots. Give Derrick Rose a lot of credit."
Luis Scola scored 27 points and former Bull Brad Miller added 21 for the Rockets, who've lost their last four meetings with Chicago after winning 11 of the previous 12.
The Bulls went 15 for 28 from the free throw line, but hit 6-of-8 attempts in the final minute to hold off Houston.
Chicago took advantage of Yao Ming's absence inside to outrebound Houston 40-32. Yao sat out for the third straight game with a sprained left ankle.
That just made things easier for Rose, who repeatedly drove into the lane for layups or found teammates open underneath for easy baskets.
"He attacks the basket, and when he attacks the basket, he is very difficult to guard," Chicago coach Tom Thibodeau said.
The Rockets cut the Bulls' lead to three with just over a minute to play. Rose missed a layup in traffic, but Kyle Lowry missed a fadeaway at the other end and Chicago rebounded.
The Bulls missed 11 of their first 20 free throws, but Joakim Noah calmly sank a pair with 22 seconds left to stretch Chicago's lead to 91-86.
Scola scored inside before Deng put it away with two free throws with 13 seconds left.
"It's a great way to start the trip," Noah said.
The Rockets, meanwhile, slipped to 3-7, the third-worst record in the West.
They led by seven early, but when both teams went to their benches in the second quarter, the Bulls mounted a 12-2 spurt. Rose returned with 6:03 left in the half and the score tied 32-all.
Rose assisted on baskets by Ronnie Brewer and Taj Gibson in the final minute of the half to put Chicago up 49-41 at the break.
Rose had 10 points and five assists in the first half. Scola had 13 points in the half to lead Houston.
Chicago missed its first five shots out of halftime, and the Rockets cut the deficit to two. The Bulls led 60-57 when Rose left with his fourth foul with 5:31 left in the third quarter.
The Bulls unraveled without Rose on the floor, going 1 for 6 and committing five turnovers over the final 4 1/2 minutes of the quarter.<
Notes: Referees took away two baskets by Lowry in the fourth quarter after checking instant replay and ruling that he didn't beat the shot clock on either of them. ... Bulls G Kyle Korver made both of his 3-point attempts is now 14-for-23 on the season. ... Rockets point guard Aaron Brooks missed his fifth straight game with a sprained left ankle. ... The Rockets initially said Yao was expected to miss a week, but coach Rick Adelman said before the game that he didn't know when the seven-time All-Star center would return.
NBA Capsules: Bryant, Brown helps Lakers end skid
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Kobe Bryant scored 31 points, Shannon Brown added 16 of his 21 in the fourth quarter, and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Milwaukee Bucks 118-107 on Tuesday night to snap a two-game losing streak.
Los Angeles had started 8-0 before the consecutive losses, but Brown and Bryant sparked the Lakers on both ends of the floor against what had been the stingiest defense in the NBA.
Bryant scored 13 points in the third quarter, including seven straight in a crucial stretch. Brown didn't skip a beat in the fourth, hitting four 3-pointers that stifled the Bucks' rally.
Brandon Jennings scored 31 points, Andrew Bogut had 12 points and 18 rebounds, and Drew Gooden added 22 points and 13 boards for Milwaukee (5-6), which had its three-game winning streak end.
Nuggets 120, Knicks 118
DENVER (AP) — Carmelo Anthony scored 26 points and his teammates overcame his emotional blowup in the closing minutes to lead Denver past New York.
Al Harrington chipped in 22 points against his former team and rookie Gary Forbes scored 19 as Denver bounced back from a fourth-quarter meltdown in Phoenix one night earlier.
Amare Stoudemire led New York with 24 points. Rookie guard Landry Fields had a big game for New York, which lost its sixth straight. Averaging 9.8 points and 5.7 rebounds coming in, he went off for 21 points and 17 boards.
Wizards 109, Raptors 94
WASHINGTON (AP) — Gilbert Arenas, replacing injured rookie John Wall, scored 20 points in his first start of the season to help Washington beat Toronto.
Andray Blatche had 22, Nick Young scored 20, and Kirk Hinrich added 13 points and 12 assists for Washington, which won for just the third time in nine games.
With Wall out with a sprained left foot, coach Flip Saunders started Arenas, who came off the bench in his first five games. Arenas had seven rebounds and six assists in his first start since Jan. 5, shortly before he was suspended for bringing guns into the Verizon Center locker room.
Toronto, which lost for the ninth time in 11 games, was led by Sonny Weems' 16 points.
Trail Blazers 100, Grizzlies 99
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Wesley Matthews, subbing for injured guard Brandon Roy, scored a career-high 30 points to lead Portland over Memphis.
Matthews shot 11 of 19 from the field, including 5 of 10 from 3-point range, as the Trail Blazers salvaged a win after losing their first two games on a three-game road trip. Portland beat Memphis for the eighth straight time on the road.
LaMarcus Aldridge had 23 points for the Trail Blazers, while Andre Miller finished with 19, 13 in the fourth quarter. He also had nine assists.
Rudy Gay led Memphis with 20 points, while Zach Randolph had 19 points and 14 rebounds.
Cavaliers 101, 76ers 93
CLEVELAND (AP) — Daniel Gibson scored 18 points, Jamario Moon added 13 and Cleveland finally shook its third-quarter blues to beat Philadelphia, which lost its fourth in a row and played without swingman Andre Iguodala.
Gibson had eight assists and Joey Graham added 13 points off the bench as the Cavs (5-5) ended a two-game slide and got back to .500.
Cleveland outscored Philadelphia 26-16 in the third quarter. It was only the second time in 10 games this season that the Cavs have outscored their opponent in the third.
Thaddeus Young scored 17 and rookie Evan Turner 16 to pace the Sixers. Iguodala sat out with a troublesome Achilles' tendon.
Hawks 102, Pacers 92
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Josh Smith had 25 points, eight rebounds and seven blocks to help Atlanta beat Indiana.
Mike Bibby scored 16 points and Al Horford added 15 for the Hawks, who won their second straight after a four-game losing streak.
Danny Granger scored 22 points for the Pacers. Roy Hibbert had 18 points and a career-high 15 rebounds, and Mike Dunleavy added 14 points for the Pacers.
Once their hallmark, 3-pointers vanish for Magic
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — The roster shuffling and new offensive schemes the Orlando Magic have experimented with this season have left them without one of their hallmarks.
The 3-pointers are beginning to disappear for the Magic — at least the ones that go in.
In the last two years, the Magic set NBA records for most 3-pointers made in a game and season. But they’ve struggled to find a rhythm from beyond the arc this season, squeaking out wins against the league’s perennial doormats without much offense.
"We haven’t shown a level of patience, sharpness, ball movement," Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said. "We just haven’t played well offensively."
No where has that been more apparent than beyond the arc.
The Magic made more 3-pointers (841) than any team in league history last season, sinking more than 10 per game on 37.5 percent shooting. They also made 23 in a game against Sacramento in January 2009.
This season Orlando has made 90 3-pointers, ranks 20th in the league in 3-point shooting (34 percent) and 22nd in points per game (97.9). Not exactly the kind of quality for a team hoping to be a championship contender.
"We just have to keep shooting, keep shooting, keeping shooting till it falls," forward Rashard Lewis said. "Then once it falls, there ain’t no turning back."
The change in numbers is in large part because of a change in philosophy.
The Magic (7-3) have started to abandon the style of play that helped them reach the NBA finals and Eastern Conference finals the last two seasons. Lewis has spent has spent much of his time at small forward instead of power forward, and Orlando has gone with a more traditional power forward in Brandon Bass.
The idea, of course, is to try as many things as possible with such a deep and talented roster — something Orlando didn’t do much last season. The problem is that could cost Orlando some wins early, or at the very least make things more difficult during this easier part of their schedule.
It’s a sacrifice the Magic are willing to accept now if it pays off in the long run.
"Take the lumps now, early in the season, while we’re still capable of winning. Then we’ll be looking at this early in the year stuff when you’re in the playoffs, and we’ll know exactly what to do when it really counts," Lewis said.
No matter what lineup the Magic have sent out, they still haven’t shot the ball well.
Almost across the board, Orlando’s perimeter player are struggling to shoot from beyond the arc: J.J. Redick (12 percent), Quentin Richardson (25 percent) Ryan Anderson (30 percent), Lewis (30 percent) have all seen their output plummet, and only Jameer Nelson (40 percent) and Vince Carter (45 percent) and Mickael Pietrus (52 percent) have remained steady or improved shooting 3-pointers.
It’s a problem players just haven’t figured out how to fix.
"You can’t come in and say you need to change this about your shot, you need to change that. You just got to shoot the ball," Nelson said. "Everybody in the locker room has confidence in the guy next to him. We just got to play with confidence."
Van Gundy attributes most of the shooting woes to poor ball movement.
Orlando is averaging only 18 assists per game, good for 27th in the NBA. They’ve used more post-ups, which have diminished ball movement, and often become too stagnant and predictable.
The Magic have gotten away with some of their poor shooting mostly because their defense — anchored by two-time reigning defensive player of the year Dwight Howard — hasn’t dropped off. But they’ve also had a relatively soft schedule early, and the two toughest games they’ve played — against Miami and Utah — were both losses.
With the season barely a month old, however, the Magic aren’t overly concerned.
"We brought a lot of guys on our team in for a lot of reasons, but one thing they all have in common is that they can shoot the ball," Van Gundy said. "History tells you that they can shoot the ball and we can’t panic over (10) games. We haven’t shot it well, but these guys have a history of shooting it well and will shoot it well."
-- Antonio Gonzalez
Beasley piles up points in Minnesota
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — It's taken a few weeks for Michael Beasley to find his way in the Minnesota Timberwolves offense.
Coach Kurt Rambis has flooded the 21-year-old with responsibilities, asking him to play two positions, be aggressive but not TOO aggressive and take over when the time is right.
The message appears to be getting through.
For a player who was labeled irresponsible in his first two seasons in Miami, Beasley is embracing his role as the go-to guy in his first season in Minnesota. He scored a career-high 42 points in a win over the Kings last week, followed that up with 35 in a win over the Knicks and is averaging 32.5 points over the last four games.
Beasley's scoring binge has helped the Wolves go 2-2, showing a feistiness that wasn't there early in the season — or for the last five years, really.
Beasley welcomed a baby boy into his family on the same day he hung 42 on the Kings and is quickly settling into his new surroundings after two so-so seasons to start his career.
"I feel at home," Beasley said. "I definitely feel at home, on the court and off."
The precocious personality and free-wheeling spirit never really felt comfortable on South Beach after the Heat made him the No. 2 overall pick in 2008. He never got into the flow of the offense playing with Dwyane Wade and ran into problems off the court as well.
The Heat sent him to Minnesota in a salary dump to create room for LeBron James and Chris Bosh this summer. Rather than feel sorry for himself in basketball's version of Siberia, Beasley has shown signs of blossoming into the kind of player everyone thought he could be when he was drafted.
It's still very early in his first season with the Timberwolves, but teammates, coaches and fans are liking what they see so far.
"He's very outgoing," Rambis said. "He has a lot of fun playing. He loves the game of basketball. We certainly enjoy his enthusiasm."
And his game isn't too shabby, either. It's been a long time since the long-suffering Timberwolves have had a player with the kind of offensive versatility that the 6-foot-9 Beasley has at his disposal. He can get to the rim, knock down the 3 and create his own shot, a revelation for a team that has had to work so hard for offense in recent seasons.
"His talent is through the roof," shooting guard Wayne Ellington said. "He's just a baller man. Flat out."
Starting at small forward rather than his normal power forward, Beasley is shooting 55 percent from the field and 58 percent (7 for 12) from 3-point range during his surge, and is gradually picking up all the things that Rambis wants him to do — on both ends of the court.
"It's the hardest (basketball) thing I've ever done in my life," Beasley said. "I'm playing the three and the four on offense and defense. I'm banging with the big guys. I'm chasing the little guys. It's just focus. ... It's all mental. Coach tells me before every possession. Every time he gives me a new job he tells me and I lock in and do it."
Rambis knows it's going to take time for Beasley to pick up all the nuances on offense and defense, but the coach is willing to let him learn on the job, especially when he's scoring like this.
"He's kind of learning a new way to play and a new position," Rambis said earlier this season. "He's got a lot to learn. We're just going to be extremely patient with him. He's a very talented, knowledgeable basketball player. I think you see him going through this trying to figure things out."
Beasley and 22-year-old rebounding machine Kevin Love are emerging as a formidable duo that the Wolves hope to build around for years to come. The youngest team in the league still hasn't established a pecking order for the fourth quarter, but Beasley is moving toward asserting himself as that guy.
"I would love for it to be me," he said. "I want to take that shot. I work every day for that shot. I shoot that shot a million times. I dream about that shot every night. I would love for it to be me. If it's not, I'm not mad. I just want to get the win. I would love to be that go-to guy. I would love to be the guy that carries that team."
-- Jon Krawczynski
Karl says he's evaluating his health this season
DENVER (AP) — Everybody seems to be talking about where Denver Nuggets star Carmelo Anthony will end up next season. What about coach George Karl?
He's in the last year of his contract and is working with a new front office. More importantly, he's still recovering from throat and neck cancer that sidelined him at the end of last season.
"At the end of the year, if my health is more important, then I'll walk away from the game of basketball," Karl said. "I'm not saying that's what I want. But I'm not saying that I haven't thought about that more than any time in my life.
"So, I don't think (what the front office decides) matters a lot to me, because as much as they're evaluating me and what they want to do with me, I'm probably evaluating what I want to do with me."
A two-time cancer survivor, Karl said he wouldn't hesitate to retire from coaching if he has any setbacks or needs to reduce the stress in his life to stay cancer-free.
Karl said before the Nuggets' game against the New York Knicks on Tuesday night that he feels better than he has in 10 years but still has "some hoops I've got to jump through," such as doctor's visits and PET scans, with his next one coming after Thanksgiving.
"I feel great. I feel as good as I've felt in 10 years. My voice, I can't match (Knicks commentator) Mike Breen on the radio or TV but I could probably sing the National Anthem better than him," Karl said.
Karl is in his 23rd NBA season and is closing in 1,000 wins, a feat accomplished by only six other coaches. He has said he doesn't think he'll be 100 percent until next spring or summer but felt it was important to return to coaching this fall so he get back into his normal routine even though he has to leave the yelling and a lot of instruction to his assistants.
"I mean, would I bet on me not coaching? I wouldn't bet on me not coaching. I think I'm going to be coaching," Karl said. "But there's still a lot of steps. There's some hurdles I've got to jump through, there's some hoops I've got to jump through.
"I'm fired up. I think I've got great people behind me. I've got great support, the spirit of karma of what's going on in my life has been a blessing. So, I'm feeling pretty good about my chances. But in the same sense, there is some things about stress and getting your immune system working the right way that has been brought to my attention."
-- Arnie Stapleton
Sixers’ Iguodala out with Achilles’ tendon injury
CLEVELAND (AP) — Philadelphia 76ers forward Andre Iguodala is still having problems with an Achilles’ tendon injury and missed Tuesday night’s game against the Cavaliers.
Iguodala has missed two other games this month because of the tendon. He played Sunday night in a loss at San Antonio and made it through part of practice Monday before needing treatment.
On Tuesday, he told coach Doug Collins that his leg was still sore and the team decided it was best for him to rest.
"He feels like he hasn’t been himself all year," Collins said, adding Iguodala had a wrist injury earlier this season. "Nobody knows their body better than a player."
Collins did not put a time frame on Iguodala’s return.
Andres Nocioni took Iguodala’s starting spot at small forward against the Cavs, who had center Anderson Varejao back after missing one game with bruised ribs. Guard Mo Williams is still out with a groin injury.
Iguodala is averaging 12.0 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.0 assists for the Sixers, who entered Tuesday’s game on a three-game losing streak.
-- Tom Withers
Lakers C Ratliff out 4 to 6 weeks after knee surgery
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Lakers center Theo Ratliff will be sidelined for at least four to six weeks after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left knee.
The Lakers say Ratliff had successful surgery Tuesday to remove part of his torn meniscus.
The veteran shot-blocker’s absence will further strain the two-time defending champions’ frontcourt depth.
Los Angeles still is without starting center Andrew Bynum, who hasn’t returned from offseason knee surgery. The Lakers hope he’ll return to practice next week.
Ratliff played sparingly in eight games behind starting big men Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom during his first season with the Lakers.
Los Angeles has lost two straight games after an 8-0 start. The Lakers play at Milwaukee on Tuesday night.
Suns sign Barron with Lopez out
PHOENIX (AP) — The Phoenix Suns have signed center Earl Barron to fill the void created by Robin Lopez’s knee injury.
Barron has played parts of four seasons with New York and Miami. The 7-footer appeared in seven games for the Knicks last season, averaging 11.7 points and 11 rebounds.
Lopez is expected to miss several weeks after spraining two ligaments in his left knee against the Lakers on Sunday night.
Phoenix also released rookie guard Matt Janning and assigned rookie forward Gani Lawal to Iowa of the NBA Development League.
Lawal was the 46th-overall pick of this year’s draft, but did not appear in the regular season for the Suns. Janning, a member of the Suns’ 2010 summer league team, also didn’t play during the regular season.
Ridnour expected to play for Wolves vs. Clippers
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Timberwolves expect point guard Luke Ridnour to return to the lineup on Wednesday against the Clippers after missing the past five games with a strained left hamstring.
Ridnour says he feels healthy, which means the Timberwolves finally will have a starting point guard at full strength. Jonny Flynn has not played this season with a hip injury, and coach Kurt Rambis says he "is still a ways away" from returning.
Sebastian Telfair is playing through some painful plantar fasciitis, leaving them with Sundiata Gaines, who was signed last week.
Rambis says center Nikola Pekovic (peck-uh-vitch) will miss at least another week with a sprained left foot. Swingman Martell Webster still is not practicing after back surgery and doesn't figure to return soon.
Wizards' Wall misses game with sprained left foot
WASHINGTON (AP) — Washington Wizards rookie point guard John Wall was inactive for Tuesday's game against Toronto with a sprained left foot.
The No. 1 overall pick in June's draft, Wall injured his foot in Saturday's game in Chicago.
Wall, who had a triple-double in his sixth game, leads the Wizards in scoring with 18.1 points and 9.8 assists. He was replaced by Gilbert Arenas, who is starting his first game since Jan. 5, just before his suspension for bringing guns to the locker room.
About 90 minutes before the game, Washington coach Flip Saunders said he wasn't sure if Wall would travel with the team for Wednesday's game in Boston. Not long afterward, Wall entered the arena on crutches.
Forward Yi Jianlin also is inactive with a bruised right knee.
Cavs’ announcer Tait out of hospital
CLEVELAND (AP) — Longtime Cleveland Cavaliers radio play-by-play broadcaster Joe Tait has been released from the hospital.
Tait, who was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame this summer, had been in the Cleveland Clinic after being admitted on Nov. 1 with a blood clot in his lung. The team said he is progressing after having a procedure to stop the blood clots.
Tait had been scheduled to undergo heart double bypass surgery and an aortic valve replacement. The Cavaliers said the operation likely will be rescheduled for early January.
Tait planned to retire after this season. He has been the Cavs’ radio announcer for all but two years since the team entered the NBA as an expansion team in 1970.
-- Tom Withers
Postponed Magic-Knicks game to be played March 28
NEW YORK (AP) — The Magic-Knicks game that was postponed because of an asbestos scare at Madison Square Garden will be played on March 28.
The game, originally scheduled for Nov. 2, was called off when debris fell into the arena during overnight cleaning of asbestos-related materials. City inspectors determined that no asbestos had been released, but the determination not to play had already been made.
Orlando will now play at New York twice in a six-day span, after visiting on March 23. The Knicks now will have a four-game homestand from March 28-April 5.
Collison, Hansbrough out for Pacers
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana Pacers point guard Darren Collison and reserve forward Tyler Hansbrough will miss Tuesday’s game against the Atlanta Hawks with sprained left ankles.
Pacers coach Jim O’Brien says neither should be out for an extended period of time.
Collison is third on the team with 15.1 points per game, leads the team in assists and shoots 92 percent from the free throw line. Veteran T.J. Ford will start in his place.
Hansbrough, who missed most of last season with vertigo, is averaging 8.4 points and shooting 57 percent from the field.
Blazers' Roy out with left knee injury
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Portland leading scorer Brandon Roy missed the Trail Blazers' game against the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday night with a left knee injury.
It was the first missed game of the season for Roy, who averages 18.1 points.
Roy, in his fifth season out of Washington, left Saturday's game at New Orleans after playing only 22 minutes, and scoring two points on 1-of-7 shooting.
Wesley Matthews, in his second season out of Marquette, replaced Roy in the starting lineup.
International
Iverson scores 15 points in debut in Turkey
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Former NBA All-Star Allen Iverson has scored 15 points in his debut for Besiktas Cola Turka but failed to carry his team to victory against Hemofarm Stada.
Hemofarm Stada defeated Besiktas 94-91 in a European Cup game on Tuesday in Istanbul. Turkish fans shouted "Allen Iverson, the son of Besiktas Cola Turka" during the match.
The 11-time NBA All-Star had agreed to a $4 million, two-year contract with Besiktas after no NBA team offered him a contract for the season.
Iverson is 17th on the NBA’s career scoring list with 24,368 points over a 14-year career with Philadelphia, Denver, Detroit and Memphis. He won the league’s Most Valuable Player award in 2001.
