Boston tops Heat
Garnett finishes with 24 points, 11 rebounds
BOSTON—Paul Pierce hit a go-ahead jumper with 31 seconds left and the Boston Celtics beat the Miami Heat 100-98 in double overtime Sunday after learning that All-Star point guard Rajon Rondo was out for the season with a knee injury.
Rondo will have surgery for a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. He was hurt late in Boston’s 123-112 loss, also in two overtimes, to the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night.
This game was the first in Boston for Ray Allen since he left the Celtics after five seasons and signed as a free agent with Miami. He scored 21 points.
Kevin Garnett led the Celtics with 24 points and 11 rebounds, and Pierce had 17 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists. LeBron James had 34 points for the Heat.
Lakers 105, Thunder 96
LOS ANGELES—Kobe Bryant had 21 points, 14 assists and nine rebounds, Steve Nash added seven of his 17 points in the final 5 1/2 minutes, and the Los Angeles Lakers held off the NBA-leading Oklahoma City Thunder.
Pau Gasol scored 16 points in a reserve role as the Lakers picked up the most impressive victory of their thoroughly unimpressive season.
Kevin Durant scored 35 points and Russell Westbrook had 17 points, 13 assists and nine rebounds for the road-weary Thunder, who finished their longest trip of the season at 3-3.
Westbrook also missed his first eight shots and 12 of his first 13 before finding his shot, but the Lakers didn’t wilt down the stretch.
Los Angeles took the lead with 6:15 to play on a jumper by Metta World Peace, who had 15 points and 10 rebounds. The Lakers nursed a small advantage in the final minutes, going up 101-95 on Gasol’s driving layup with 1:09 to play.
Bryant then hit a tough 19-foot jumper with 37 seconds left, and Westbrook couldn’t answer. Durant didn’t have a field goal in the final 6:39, scoring just seven points in the fourth quarter of Oklahoma City’s third loss in 11 games.
Knicks 106, Hawks 104
NEW YORK—Carmelo Anthony tied a franchise record with nine 3-pointers, then converted a go-ahead, three-point play with 12.5 seconds left to cap a 42-point night and lead the New York Knicks to a victory over the Atlanta Hawks.
The Hawks shot a seasonhigh 60 percent from the field but had their three-game winning streak snapped when Josh Smith, burned on Anthony’s basket, missed a 3-pointer on Atlanta’s final possession.
Amare Stoudemire and J.R. Smith each had 18 points for the Knicks, who were 16 of 27 (59 percent) from 3-point range. Raymond Felton had 12 points and 10 assists in his second game back from a broken right pinky.
Jeff Teague scored 27 points for the Hawks. Smith added 20 and Al Horford had 16.
hornets 91, Grizzlies 83
MEMPHIS, Tenn— Ryan Anderson scored 22 points, connecting on seven 3-pointers, and the New Orleans Hornets beat the Memphis Grizzlies.
Anderson was 7 of 13 from the field, all of his attempts coming from outside the arc. He capped a late New Orleans surge that put the game out of reach, snapping Memphis’ two-game winning streak.
Fellow Hornets reserve Jason Smith was 5 of 7 from the field for 16 points, while Anthony Davis was the only New Orleans starter to finish in double figures with 10 points.
Zach Randolph led Memphis with 20 points and 13 rebounds.
New Orleans put the game away by outscoring Memphis 27-15 in the fourth quarter.
Pistons 104, Magic 102
ORLANDO, Fla.—Brandon Knight had a career-high 31 points, including five 3-pointers, and Greg Monroe scored 17 to lead Detroit to the road win.
The Magic had a chance to tie the game in the closing seconds after a missed free throw, but missed three putback attempts.
Orlando’s J.J. Redick tied a career high with 31 points and set a career high with eight 3pointers. Jameer Nelson had 18 points and eight assists, and Glen Davis added 17 points and 12 rebounds.
The Magic have lost five straight games.