NBA Capsules: Spurs rout Clippers in Hughes' coaching debut

LOS ANGELES — With All-Stars Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili closer to the end of their NBA careers than the beginning, it’s critical for the San Antonio Spurs to develop some young talent. George Hill is one example.

Hill scored all of his 22 points in the first three quarters against a Los Angeles Clippers squad suddenly faced with yet another transitionary period, and the Spurs breezed to a 98-81 victory on Saturday night.

"George Hill’s just a fantastic basketball player," coach Gregg Popovich said. "I think he’s the most improved young man in the league from last year to this year. We’re really thrilled with his progress in his shooting and his approach to the game — being aggressive, believing in himself and thinking that he’s a darn good player."

Hill, the Spurs’ first-round draft pick in June 2008, has led them in scoring in three of their last four games. The second-year guard from Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis was the first player from his school to make it to the NBA.

The Spurs handed the Clippers their 11th loss in 15 games overall, converting 21 turnovers into 31 points. Hill made his first five shots and finished the opening quarter with 17 points — one more than his total output in Thursday’s 96-93 loss at Portland.

"I wouldn’t say I owned the first quarter," Hill said. "My teammates just got me the ball in the right spots and I had confidence in my shooting. I’ve always been a scorer, but I think the summer really gave me the confidence I needed to be successful. I worked hard on a lot of things that carried over into the season, and it’s starting to pay off."

Chris Kaman had 21 points and Eric Gordon added 20 in the Clippers’ first game since Mike Dunleavy resigned as coach and was replaced on an interim basis by Kim Hughes following a 2-6 road trip.

Hughes, who had been Dunleavy’s assistant since the 2003-04 season, took over an inconsistent squad that was 21-28 and seven games out of a playoff spot with 33 to play.

"It’s tough, but it’s my choice," Hughes said. "You have to let the losses go. They hurt and they tear at your heart. It’s awful. If I don’t like the pressure and the fire, then it’s on me. No one forced me to do this. I wasn’t coerced into it. I was presented with it and I said, ‘OK, I’ll take it.’ Mike ascertained the situation pretty accurately — that they needed a new voice. That’s no detriment to Mike, it’s just that this group really kind of tuned him out."

For all Hughes knows, he could already have had a head coaching job. He acknowledged that other teams had approached the Clippers about interviewing him. But under the terms of his contract, the club had the right to prevent him from doing so.

"I was told by one GM that he wanted to interview me and wasn’t given permission. I thought that was wrong, initially," Hughes said. "I choose to think that you should always let someone try to better themselves. But I understand that now. I mean, why lose an asset to another team?"

Dunleavy, who had the third-longest tenure among current NBA coaches behind Popovich and Utah’s Jerry Sloan, will continue as the team’s general manager.

Hughes is facing a similar situation to Popovich when he got his first head coaching job in the league as Bob Hill’s replacement in December 1996. The Spurs made the playoffs in each of Popovich’s first 12 full seasons as head coach and won four NBA titles along the way.

That streak is on shaky ground now, with the club 29-20 and clinging to sixth place in the tightly bunched Western Conference. But Hughes would love to be in that position, and Popovich’s methods would serve as the perfect blueprint.

"He knows it’s going to be difficult, in the sense that there will probably be things he wants to do that are tough to institute without a training camp," Popovich said. "So he’s walking a very difficult line. He wants to make his mark on that team. But they’ve been doing other things all year long, and it’s tough to break those habits. So he’s got to pick and choose wisely and be patient."

Tony Parker had 14 points and 14 assists — one off his career high — for San Antonio in his second game back after missing three games because of a sprained left ankle.

The victory was San Antonio’s 15th straight over the Clippers, the league’s longest current winning streak by one team over another. The Spurs also have won their last 14 against the woeful Nets, whom they will face on March 29 in New Jersey. The Clippers have dropped 22 of their last 23 against San Antonio overall, the only victory coming on March 7, 2006, at Los Angeles.

Hughes had coached the Clippers a few other times due to extenuating circumstances, most recently in a loss to Denver on Nov. 26, 2008, while Dunleavy was in Dallas for his father-in-law’s funeral.

NOTES: This was the sixth time the Clippers have changed coaches during a season since the franchise moved from San Diego to Los Angeles in 1984-85. The others who were replaced were Jim Lynam (by Don Chaney), Gene Shue (by Don Casey), Mike Schuler (by Larry Brown), Chris Ford (by Jim Todd) and Alvin Gentry (by Dennis Johnson). ... Brown won his first five games after taking over for Schuler. On the flip side, Todd lost his first 11, Casey his first eight, Chaney his first five, and Johnson his first three.

Young, Green help rally Sixers past Rockets 102-95

HOUSTON — The Philadelphia 76ers made the final run, and that was the one that counted.

Reserve Thaddeus Young scored 17 points, Willie Green added 15 and the 76ers overcame a 13-point deficit to beat the Houston Rockets 102-95 Saturday night for their fourth straight victory.

Philadelphia hadn’t won four in a row since last March 11-17.

The 76ers charged in the first quarter but gave way to an Aaron Brooks-led run by the Rockets to take the halftime lead. Then, the 76ers proved they had the stronger will in the closing minutes.

"In the first half, the Rockets were working harder than we were and were getting to the free throw line and we weren’t," Green said.

"Everybody contributed and it was a great team win. We are digging down, playing hard and making a playoff push."

Houston was in control much of the game, but the 76ers broke from a 60-47 deficit early in the third quarter and took the lead for good 90-88 with 4:42 to play on a basket by Andre Iguodala.

"I didn’t take many shots but I knew Houston was an excellent defensive team and I tried to stay in the flow and pass the ball around to my teammates," Iguodala said. "I got a few good looks in the fourth quarter and they went down. They (Houston) fell asleep a bit."

Brooks scored 34 points for the Rockets and led a second quarter-surge that gave the Rockets a 57-47 halftime lead.

Iguodala had 14 points and 10 rebounds, and Elton Brand added 13 points.

Kyle Lowry scored 14 points and Carl Landry had 13 for Houston.

The 76ers were trailing 76-66 with 1:41 left in the third quarter before they went on a 24-12 run. Rodney Carney’s basket with 9:30 to play gave the 76ers their first lead since the second quarter, and Iguodala later put the Rockets ahead for good.

"We wanted more energy and better team defense in the game," 76ers coach Eddie Jordan said. "That’s why I went to Jason (Smith). He is a great help defender and I wanted his energy to give them some problems. I thought we guarded better on the perimeter."

Brooks snapped the Rockets out of a sluggish first quarter with 17 of his 19 first-half points in the second quarter, helping the Rockets to a 57-47 lead at halftime.

"It’s really tough for a game that we pretty much controlled for three quarters," Brooks said. "They got hot at the end. I thought the difference between this game and our last game (101-83 victory over Memphis) was when we got up by 10 points, we put Memphis away.

"This time, we let them hang around the whole time and when you do that a team gets hot, they start hitting 3s and start feeling good about themselves and they kind of run away with it."

The 76ers were the early aggressors, jumping to a 22-9 first-quarter lead, but the Rockets started a rally late in the first period. Houston cut the Philadelphia lead to 26-22 by the end of the period.

Then, Brooks led the charge in the second quarter and the Rockets opened a 45-32 lead with 5:32 to play in the period after a 34-10 run. The 13-point lead was Houston’s biggest of the first half.

Brooks’ basket with 8:47 to play in the second quarter gave Houston its first lead of the game at 31-30. Brooks had four 3-point baskets in the second quarter.

"We didn’t play well at all offensively," Rockets coach Rick Adelman said. "The fourth quarter you have got to make stops and we didn’t really stop them the whole fourth quarter. We missed a lot of opportunities and you have got to execute in the fourth quarter if you’re going to win."

NOTES: The 76ers hold a 64-62 all-time record against the Rockets. ... Brooks has hit at least one 3-point basket in his last 22 games. ... Dalembert extended his consecutive string of 10 or more rebounds to 14 games with 10 against the Rockets. ... It was the Rockets’ first home loss in February in more than two seasons, after compiling a 17-0 record over that span. Lowry left the game early in the third quarter with a sprained left ankle.

Blazers G Roy out until after All-Star game

PORTLAND, Ore. — Trail Blazers guard Brandon Roy will miss the next three games and the All-Star game with a right hamstring injury.

Roy was originally hurt in a Jan. 13 game against Milwaukee, then aggravated the injury on Jan. 20 at Philadelphia. He has missed 12 of the last 13 games, including Saturday night’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers.

"I don’t feel like I’m at a level where I can help the guys out right now," he said before the game.

Roy, in his fourth season with the Blazers, made the All-Star team as a reserve for the third straight season. He said he will not travel to Dallas for the game on Feb. 14 at Cowboys Stadium.

"This was not a decision that any of us wanted to make, but in the end we had to do what was best for Brandon," Blazers general manager Kevin Pritchard said. "We’re hopeful that this extended rest will put Brandon in the best possible position to return to the lineup shortly after the All-Star break."

Roy leads the Blazers with 23.1 points per game.

"I think it’s going to be the smart thing just to stay off it for a little while," Roy said.

Roy’s injury is the latest to strike the Blazers, who have lost centers Joel Przybilla and Greg Oden to season-ending knee injuries.

Recently, Portland saw the return of forward Rudy Fernandez, who missed 19 games because of a back problem, and forward Nicolas Batum, who was supposed to start but had shoulder surgery just before the start of the season.

Roy, who was an All-American at Washington, was the sixth overall pick in 2006 by the Minnesota Timberwolves and was acquired by Portland in a draft-day trade. He made an impact from the start, winning the league’s Rookie of the Year honors.

Central to rebuilding efforts after the "Jail Blazers" era, Roy is Portland’s unquestioned leader.

"This will give him a chance to rest it, rehab it and not have to worry about coming back in the next day or two," Blazers coach Nate McMillan said.

Roy is the fourth three-time All-Star from the Blazers, joining Clyde Drexler, who was named to the team eight times; Sidney Wicks, a four-time All-Star; and Maurice Lucas, honored three times.

-- Anne M. Peterson

Bulls suspend Tyrus Thomas for 1 game

CHICAGO — The Bulls suspended forward Tyrus Thomas for their game against the Miami Heat on Saturday for conduct detrimental to the team.

Thomas’ suspension is another blow to a team that had lost three straight and was already short-handed up front for Saturday’s game, with Joakim Noah sidelined by plantar fasciitis in his left foot that is expected to keep him out until after the All-Star break.

"It’s unfortunate timing, but in the short run, there’s a responsibility," coach Vinny Del Negro said. "No one player is bigger than the team, and there’s a responsibility to do things right. ... It’s not one person. It’s a group, and you have to be committed to what your role is on the team. You have to be committed to your teammates, your coaches, the organization. That doesn’t go just for Tyrus; it goes for everybody."

Thomas, who missed seven weeks with a broken left forearm, is averaging 8.5 points and 6.2 rebounds over 25 games in his fourth season. He played well when he returned in late December, scoring 21 points and 19 points in two of his first three games back, but his role lately has been limited. He played 16 minutes at Atlanta on Friday after getting 15 minutes in back-to-back games against the Los Angeles Clippers and Philadelphia 76ers.

"We all get frustrated," veteran guard Lindsey Hunter said. "You can’t act out your frustrations. At some point, you have to grow up and be a man about it."

He hopes Thomas will grow from this.

"Maybe this’ll help him understand he needs to get beyond some things," Hunter said.

LeBron scores 24 straight during record half

CLEVELAND — LeBron James set a Cavaliers record with 35 points in the first half, including 24 straight, during Cleveland’s game against New York on Saturday night.

James, who historically has saved some of his best performances for the Knicks, scored Cleveland’s final 16 points of the first quarter and eight straight to start the second. Cleveland scored 44 points in the first quarter — including 23 from James. He had four 3-pointers in the quarter, all within the final 1:55.

James’ scoring streak ended when teammate Jawad Williams hit a 3-pointer with 8:18 remaining in the half to put Cleveland ahead 55-33.

During his only visit to Madison Square Garden this season, James had 19 in the first quarter and the Cavs scored 40 in what became a 100-91 Cleveland victory on Nov. 6.

Walt Wesley previously held Cleveland’s record for points in a half with 34.

Lakers’ Kobe Bryant out against Blazers

PORTLAND, Ore. — Kobe Bryant missed the Los Angeles Lakers’ game against the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday night because of a sore left ankle.

Bryant, who had played in 235 straight games, originally sprained his ankle in Philadelphia last week. He aggravated it during Wednesday night’s victory over Charlotte when teammate Lamar Odom stepped on his foot.

Bryant played Friday night in the Lakers’ 126-113 loss to the Denver Nuggets. He had 33 points and nine rebounds.

The Lakers said Bryant would be evaluated on Sunday.

Bryant last missed a game on March 7, 2007, because of a suspension. He had not missed a game because of injury since Dec. 8, 2006.

Earlier this season, Bryant played through a fracture of his right index finger.

Bryant is averaging 28 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.6 assists.

Billups, Anthony out for Nuggets at Utah

SALT LAKE CITY — Denver guard Chauncey Billups missed the Nuggets’ game at Utah on Saturday with a sprained ankle, one night after scoring a career-high 39 points.

The Nuggets say Billups injured the ankle Friday night in a win over the Lakers in Los Angeles.

Forward Carmelo Anthony was also out for the Nuggets for the eighth straight game with a sprained left ankle. Both players were in uniform, but the Nuggets said neither would play.

Utah’s Carlos Boozer returned to the starting lineup after missing three straight with a strained right calf.

Knicks guard Hughes out against Cleveland

CLEVELAND — New York Knicks guard Larry Hughes missed Saturday night’s game against Cleveland because of a sprained left big toe.

Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni said Hughes was injured in Friday night’s 114-107 loss to Milwaukee. Hughes scored two points in 20 minutes.

Hughes is averaging 9.6 points in 31 games, but has been used sparingly since January. The 12-year veteran played for the Cavaliers from 2005-08 and started for most of the 2006-07 season when Cleveland reached the NBA Finals.

Game between Hawks, Wizards postponed by blizzard

NEW YORK — The game between the Atlanta Hawks and Washington Wizards has been postponed because of the blizzard that battered the Mid-Atlantic region.

The NBA said on Saturday that neither the Hawks or Wizards could fly to Washington after their games Friday night. The Wizards played at Orlando and the Hawks hosted the Bulls.

The game will be rescheduled for a date yet to be announced.

A record 2½ feet of snow or more was predicted for Washington.