Lowry sparks Raptors

By IAN HARRISON

By IAN HARRISON

Associated Press

TORONTO — Kyle Lowry hardly flinched when his name came up in trade talk. Instead, the Toronto Raptors’ point guard has gone on a tear.

Lowry had a season-best 32 points and matched his season high with 11 assists, Terrence Ross made a career-high seven 3-pointers and the Raptors beat New York for the second straight night, topping the short-handed Knicks 115-100 on Saturday.

Lowry came within two rebounds of a triple-double and Ross had 23 points as Toronto won for the fourth time in five games.

Raptors coach Dwane Casey said Lowry is playing at the highest level of his career.

“He’s playing with such force and such confidence,” Casey said. “He’s been playing the game the right way and he’s been playing lights out. It’s really good for Kyle and I’m happy for him.”

Lowry was linked with a potential move to the Knicks in the days after the Raptors dealt forward Rudy Gay to Sacramento in early December. That trade never materialized, but Lowry hasn’t let the speculation affect his performance.

“It is what it is,” Lowry said. “I’m not really worried about it. I’ve said it 50 million times and I’m going to say it 50 more: Until something happens I’m a Raptor and I’m going to play for the Raptors and I’m going to play hard for the Raptors.”

DeMar DeRozan added 20 points for Toronto, which overcame a 12-point deficit in the second half to beat New York 95-83 at Madison Square Garden on Friday.

Greivis Vasquez made three 3-pointers in the fourth quarter and Lowry capped the long-range barrage with 5 seconds left as the Raptors finished with a season-high 15 baskets from beyond the arc.

“I like 3s, but I like making 3s,” Casey said. “I think any coach would. We did a good job at that tonight.”

Jonas Valanciunas had 10 rebounds as the Raptors outrebounded the Knicks 45-37.

“We’re not going to win consistently until we defend and rebound the ball,” New York coach Mike Woodson said.

Amare Stoudemire scored 20 of his 23 points in the second half and Tyson Chandler had 16 for the Knicks, who lost for the fifth time in seven games. J.R. Smith scored 13 for New York.

“Amare played great tonight,” Woodson said. “His minutes were really positive after a back-to-back. He carried us, kept us in it.”

Making his first regular-season appearance in Toronto after being traded to the Knicks last summer, Andrea Bargnani was booed during pregame introductions and jeered every time he touched the ball. He finished with 12 points.

With four days off before their next game at San Antonio, Chandler said the Knicks need to make use of the practice time to tighten things up.

“We’ve got to get back to fundamentals in a lot of things,” Chandler said. “Defensively, we’re not as fundamentally sound as we’d like to be. It’s the same thing with offense.

“It’s the little things right now that are separating us from wins and losses,” he added.

Health is also a factor for the reeling Knicks. Already missing guards Raymond Felton (right groin) and Pablo Prigioni (right foot), New York again played without leading scorer Carmelo Anthony, who sat out for the third straight game with a sore left ankle. Also absent was Metta World Peace (left knee), who sat out for the fourth time in five games.

Woodson said he hoped to have Anthony back when the Knicks make a three-game swing next week through Texas, where they also play Houston and Dallas.

“It’s hard to replace 30 points a night but we need to,” Smith said.

New York almost made a game of it late, but its comeback bid was halted by a costly foul. Lowry made two free throws to put Toronto up 100-86 with 5:49 left, but Smith scored five points and Stoudemire had a driving dunk to cut it to 101-93 with 4:12 remaining, when Casey called a timeout.

Toure Murry of the Knicks was called for a flagrant foul after sending Lowry sprawling with 3:25 to go. Lowry made both free throws and then knocked down Toronto’s 14th 3-pointer, putting the Raptors up 106-95 with 3:13 left.

Lowry scored nine points in the first quarter and DeRozan had seven, two on a baseline dunk, as the Raptors took a 26-22 lead after one.

PACER 105, NETS 91

INDIANAPOLIS — Paul George scored 24 points and Lance Stephenson added 23 to lead the Indiana Pacers to a 105-91 victory over the Brooklyn Nets.

George Hill finished with 21 points for the Pacers, who put five players in double figures and pulled away with a third-quarter burst.

Roy Hibbert scored 11 and David West 10 for Indiana, which leads the Eastern Conference at 23-6. Stephenson also had nine rebounds and seven assists.

Paul Pierce scored 18 points for the Nets (10-20).

CELTICS 103, CAVS 100

BOSTON — Jeff Green and Jordan Crawford each scored 19 points to help Boston hold off Cleveland.

Brandon Bass added 15 points and a game-saving block in the closing seconds for the Celtics, who led by 19 entering the final quarter and held a 10-point edge with 4½ minutes to play.

Before the game, the Cavaliers suspended center Andrew Bynum indefinitely for conduct detrimental to the team and banned him from all team-related activities. Bynum, who signed a two-year, $24 million contract with the Cavaliers in July, did not travel with the club to Boston and it’s likely he has played his final game for Cleveland.

Avery Bradley added 18 points and eight rebounds for Boston, which snapped a three-game skid. Bass also had eight boards.

Kyrie Irving scored 32 points for the Cavaliers, who lost their fourth straight.

WIZARDS 106 PISTONS 82

WASHINGTON — John Wall had 20 points and 11 assists, Marcin Gortat added 16 points and Washington routed Detroit.

Trevor Ariza and Bradley Beal each had 15 points for Washington, which snapped a three-game home losing streak. The Wizards have won four of five overall.

One night after their worst defeat of the season, a 22-point loss at Minnesota, the Wizards never trailed, pulling away late in the first half en route to their biggest win.

Greg Monroe scored 14 for the Pistons, who have dropped four of five.

HAWKS 118

BOBCATS 116, OT

ATLANTA — Paul Millsap had a season-high 31 points, Lou Williams scored 10 of his season-best 28 in overtime and Atlanta rallied to beat Charlotte.

Al Jefferson had 24 points and a season-high 23 rebounds, and Gerald Henderson added 22 points for the Bobcats.

Playing their first game since leading scorer and rebounder Al Horford sustained a torn pectoral muscle, the Hawks trailed by 14 after Henderson hit a 20-foot fadeaway jumper with 4:19 left in the third quarter.

But Atlanta, which has won two straight and five of six, rallied to force overtime when backup center Pero Antic made a 3-pointer off one leg from the right wing with 3.1 seconds left in regulation.

Jeff Teague finished with 20 points and nine assists for the Hawks. Mike Scott added 18 points, and Millsap pulled down 13 rebounds.

MAVS 105, BULLS 83

CHICAGO — Monta Ellis had 22 points and Dallas took control early in coasting to a victory over Chicago.

Dirk Nowitzki and Vince Carter added 18 points apiece for the Mavericks, who led by as many as 32 while bouncing back from a home loss to San Antonio on Thursday.

Joakim Noah led Chicago with 20 points and 10 rebounds, but the Bulls had their modest two-game winning streak snapped.

Carlos Boozer and Taj Gibson each added 13.

The Mavericks took command with a 15-2 run to end the first quarter. Carter, who entered just before the surge started, had seven points during the spurt.

GRIZZLIES 120, NUGGETS 99

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Zach Randolph scored 20 points and Memphis got 62 points from its bench against Denver.

Six Grizzlies finished in double figures and Memphis shot 52 percent while sending the Nuggets to their sixth straight loss. Ed Davis led the reserves with 17 points, and Jerryd Bayless had 15. Mike Conley and James Johnson scored 14 apiece, and Mike Miller added 11.

The 120 points were a season high for Memphis, and only two less than the most the Nuggets have allowed in a game this season.

Ty Lawson led Denver with 20 points and eight assists.

ROCKETS 107, PELICANS 98

HOUSTON (AP) — Dwight Howard had 24 points and 17 rebounds, and James Harden scored 11 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter in Houston’s comeback win over New Orleans.

Chandler Parsons added 19 points and seven rebounds, and Terrence Jones had 17 points and eight rebounds to help the Rockets win their third straight game and snap New Orleans’ winning streak at two.

Jeremy Lin scored all 10 of his points in the fourth quarter, and the Rockets made three of five 3-point attempts in the quarter after going 3 of 21 from long range in the first three periods.

Houston was 25 of 32 from the free throw line, while the Pelicans went 6 of 8.

Ryan Anderson had 22 points and 12 rebounds for New Orleans. Anthony Davis added 18 points and 16 rebounds.

TIMBERWOLVES 117, BUCKS 95

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Kevin Love had 33 points and 15 rebounds for his sixth straight double-double, and Minnesota climbed back to .500 by routing Milwaukee.

Kevin Martin scored 20 points, Nikola Pekovic added 19 points and 11 rebounds, and Love hit four of Minnesota’s 11 3-pointers. Perimeter defense was once again a huge problem for the Bucks, who have allowed opponents to hit at least 10 3s in seven consecutive games.

Khris Middleton scored 23 points for Milwaukee on 10-of-20 shooting. Larry Sanders had nine points and 10 rebounds in 33 minutes, his first start since missing seven weeks following right thumb surgery.

The Bucks fell to an NBA-worst 6-24, while Minnesota evened its record at 15-15.

SUNS 115, 76ERS 101

PHOENIX (AP) — Miles Plumlee scored a career-high 22 points to go with 13 rebounds, and Phoenix bounced back from its worst loss of the season to beat Philadelphia.

Goran Dragic added 21 points and Eric Bledsoe 20 for the Suns, who have won nine of 11. Marcus Morris made three fourth-quarter 3-pointers and scored 18.

Thaddeus Young scored 30 points, Michael Carter-Williams 27 and Tony Wroten 22 for the 76ers, who lost their 13th road game in a row and have dropped nine of 10 overall.

Evan Turner, Philadelphia’s leading scorer at 19.3 points per game, sat out to rest his sore right knee.

Phoenix lost 115-86 at Golden State on Friday night. The 76ers hadn’t played in a week and had been in Arizona since Thursday.

Plumlee left the game to get seven stitches for a cut on his chin in the second half but returned.