Howard sets mark with 39 free throws
ORLANDO 117 GOLDEN STATE 109
Dwight Howard broke Wilt Chamberlain’s nearly 50-year-old NBA record for most free-throw attempts in a game, making 21of 39 in the Orlando Magic’s 117-109 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Thursday night in Oakland.
The Warriors intentionally fouled Howard throughout, sending the notoriously poor shooter to the line in record-setting fashion. Chamberlain shot 34 for the Philadelphia Warriors against St. Louis on Feb. 22, 1962.
Howard finished with 45 points and 23 rebounds, and Hedo Turkoglu scored 20 points to propel the Magic to its third straight victory.
Monta Ellis had 30 points and 11 rebounds and David Lee had 26 points and 12 rebounds for the Warriors, who played without starters Stephen Curry and Dorell Wright.
at Memphis 94, New York 83: Rudy Gay scored a season-high 26 points and the Grizzlies ended the Knicks’ winning streak at four games. New York played most of the second half without scoring leader Carmelo Anthony after he sprained his right ankle early in the third quarter. He didn’t return and X-rays were negative. Gay made 11 of 16 shots to help the Grizzlies end a losing streak at three games and improve to 4-6. O.J. Mayo scored 18 points, also a season high, on seven-for-12 shooting and had eight rebounds. New York set a season low for points.
Cleveland 101, at Phoenix 90: Kyrie Irving scored a season-high 26 points and Antawn Jamison matched his season high with 23, helping the Cavaliers beat the Suns. Irving, who played only 11 games at Duke before being drafted first overall, topped his previous high of 21. Steve Nash led six Phoenix players in double figures with 16 points, becoming the 15th active player to reach 16,000 points. Michael Redd, playing his first game for the Suns, had 12 points in 19 minutes.
at Atlanta 111, Charlotte 81: Josh Smith scored 30 points, Joe Johnson had 23 and the Hawks won their first game without All-star center Al Horford, who will miss at least three months because of a torn pectoral muscle in his left shoulder. The Bobcats lost their fifth in a row. at Milwaukee 102, Detroit 93: Brandon Jennings scored 27 points and Stephen Jackson had 25 as the Bucks improved to 4-0 at home. The game was the second in the shot-clock era without a missed free throw. The Bucks were 17 for 17 and the Pistons 24 for 24. Atlanta and Toronto combined to make all 16 free throws attempted on Dec. 22, 2000. Milwaukee Coach Scott Skiles became the 39th coach in NBA history to reach 400 victories.