LOS ANGELES, 20 January 2005 — The smallest player in the NBA came up with the biggest overtime in league history.
Tiny 5-foot-5 Earl Boykins broke the league-record for points in an overtime, scoring 15 of Denver’s 21, to lift the short-handed Nuggets past the Seattle SuperSonics 116-110 Tuesday.
Boykins broke the record of 14 overtime points set by Indiana’s Butch Carter against Boston on March 20, 1984, to help slumping Denver win for just the second time in the last nine games.
“It was great to get into the NBA record books but it’s more important that our team get the victory,” said Boykins, who finished with 18 points. “It was great to come into Key Arena and get the victory, especially the way we’ve been playing lately. We haven’t been able to close out games but this was a great way to finish.”
Denver snapped Seattle’s four-game home winning streak without its two starting forwards around to celebrate. Carmelo Anthony was on crutches after suffering a right ankle sprain early in the fourth quarter. Kenyon Martin, meanwhile, missed the contest with a case of strep throat.
Andre Miller led Denver with 30 points while Marcus Camby had a season-high 25 points along with a career-best 24 rebounds.
“Earl loves moments like this,” Miller said of Boykins’ late heroics. “He likes to be the man and he proved it. He made some big shots. He controlled the tempo and that’s what we need.”
Camby’s tip-in with 1.8 seconds left in regulation sent the game into overtime knotted at 95, before Boykins took over in the extra five-minute session. Vladimir Radmanovic led Seattle with 25 points and Antonio Daniels added 20.
Elsewhere:
Mavericks 137 Wizards 120: Jerry Stackhouse scored a season-high 29 points and German wunderkind Dirk Nowitzki had 28 points to eclipse 10,000 for his career as the Mavericks survived a career-best 43-point effort by Gilbert Arenas to roll up the most points in the NBA this season. Jason Terry added 26 points and Michael Finley had 25 for Dallas, which has won seven of its last nine games. Antawn Jamison had 27 points against his former team while Juan Dixon added 19 points for Washington, losers of two in a row following a seven-game winning streak.
Sacramento 113 Trail Blazers 107 (OT): Chris Webber scored eight of his 32 points in overtime to go along with 13 rebounds and six assists, leading the host Kings to their fifth straight victory. Nick Van Exe led Portland with 30 points, including a 3-pointer with 8.6 seconds left in regulation to send the game into overtime. With a chance to put the Trail Blazers ahead, he missed a tough 3-pointer from the right side with 14 seconds left. Webber sank four free throws in the final 14 seconds to seal the win. Cuttino Mobley scored 20 points, including four 3-pointers, and Brad Miller added 16 in Sacramento’s ninth victory in 11 games. Ruben Patterson had 23 points, Damon Stoudamire added 21 while Joel Przybilla finished with career highs of 17 points and 22 rebounds in Portland’s fourth straight loss.
Pacers 87 Rockets 74: Jamaal Tinsley scored six of his 28 points to spark a 12-0 fourth quarter run, and Jermaine O’Neal added 27, helping the visiting Pacers pull away from the Rockets. Tracy McGrady scored 28 points while China’s Yao Ming had 21 and nine rebounds in Houston’s second straight loss following a four-game winning streak.
Orlando 103 Pistons 101: Turkey’s Hedo Turkoglu scored a eight of his season-high 29 points in a late 20-6 run, and Doug Christie hit a huge 3-pointer in the surge as the Magic halted the Pistons’ six-game winning streak. Steve Francis had 32 points along with 12 rebounds and six assists as Orlando’s 21st victory of the season matched its entire total of last season. Christie finished with nine points and matched a season-high with four steals in his second game and first at home since being traded from Sacramento last week in exchange for Cuttino Mobley and Michael Bradley.
Richard Hamilton scored 26 points and Rasheed Wallace added 17 to pace six teammates in double figures as Detroit (23-15) fell into a first-place with idle Cleveland in the Central Division.
