LOS ANGELES, 24 March 2004 — Playing against their former team was all the motivation New York Knicks newcomers Nazr Mohmmed and DerrMarr Johnson needed to shine.
Mohammed had 18 points and 13 rebounds, and Johnson added 14 points as the injury-plagued New York Knicks clipped the visiting Atlanta Hawks, 96-84 on Monday night.
Mohammed was facing the Hawks for the first time since being dealt to the Knicks in a three-team trade on Feb. 15. The centre responded getting all his points in 24 minutes through three quarters.
Johnson spent three seasons with Atlanta before recently signing with New York as a free agent. He received quality minutes off the bench, when shooting guard Allan Houston was scratched with a left quadriceps contusion. Johnson drilled a 3-pointer at the end of the third quarter to put the hosts ahead, 75-68. He buried another long-range jumper in a game-breaking 16-4 run to open the fourth quarter.
Without Houston and starting forward Tim Thomas, (strained groin), the Knicks beat the Hawks for the ninth straight time at Madison Square Garden, to complete a sweep of the season series for the first time since the 1974-75 season.
Penny Hardaway scored 14 points but left with a right groin strain with eight minutes remaining. Stephon Marbury finished with 11 points and 11 assists.
Stephen Jackson tossed in 20 points and Chris Crawford added 18 in Atlanta’s ninth loss in the last 11 games.
Rockets 93 Trail Blazers 85 (OT)
China’s Yao Ming scored 10 of his 28 points in the final three minutes of regulation and overtime, and grabbed 13 rebounds as the visiting Rockets regrouped after blowing a 17-point lead.
Steve Francis collected 22 points, nine rebounds and 10 assists for Houston, which stopped a three-game losing streak.
Yao’s spinning baseline layup with 20 seconds left forced the overtime. The 7-foot-5 center dunked 15 seconds into the extra session to give Houston the lead for good. He added a hook shot blocked a shot by Zach Randolph to seal the win.
Pacers 101 Bulls 77
Reggie Miller scored 17 points while Ron Artest and Al Harrington added 15 apiece as the Pacers overcame an injury to their best player to snap a two-game slide.
Jermaine O’Neal left the game in the second quarter after suffering a sprained left knee when the All-Star forward collided with Chicago’s Ronald Dupree. He was to be re-evaluated the next day.
Eddie Curry led Chicago with 13 points.
76ers 107 Mavericks 98
Kenny Thomas matched a season-high with 27 points and grabbed 13 rebounds as the short-handed 76ers snapped a four-game losing streak by surprising the visiting Mavericks. John Salmons scored a career-high 21 points, including five 3-pointers while rookie Willie Green had 19 points for Philadelphia, which snapped a four-game slump without its leading scorer Allen Iverson with sore knee.
Dirk Nowitzki led Dallas with 30 points.
Nuggets 102 L.A. Clippers 80
Carmelo Anthony netted 22 points to lead six teammates in double figures as the host Nuggets stopped a three-game slide.
Predrag Drobjniak scored a season-high 24 points for the slumping Clippers, who have lost 12 of its last 14 games.
