SAN ANTONIO, Texas, 28 December 2003 — Tim Duncan hit 27 points and led a tenacious defense as the NBA champions San Antonio Spurs thumped the Orlando Magic 98-83 on Friday to register their 12th straight win.
After allowing Orlando to get within two points at 83-81 with 6:34 to play the Spurs buckled down and went on a 15-2 run to secure the win.
Duncan, the NBA’s MVP, set the tone for the game scoring 10 points in the opening quarter before focusing his efforts on his defensive play finishing with 16 rebounds and five blocked shots.
French guard Tony Parker added 22 points to the Spurs cause while Tracy McGrady paced the Magic with 24.
Nets 82 Pistons 79
At Auburn Hills, Jason Kidd continued his run of good form, hitting his fifth triple double of the season to lead the New Jersey Nets to a 82-79 win over the Detroit Pistons.
Finding top gear after a slow start to the campaign, Kidd scored 24 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds as the Nets won for the eighth time in their last 10 games to move two games over .500.
Warriors 98 Kings 91
In Oakland, Nick Van Exel scored 10 of his 15 points in the fourth quarter as the Golden State Warriors registered their first victory over the Sacramento Kings in four years with a 98-91 win.Golden State had not beaten its northern California rivals since Dec. 20, 1999.
Bulls 87 Cavaliers 80
In Cleveland, Jamal Crawford had a game high 30 points and Kendall Gill chipped in with 21 as the Chicago Bulls stopped the Cleveland Cavaliers 87-80 to halt a four game losing skid. LeBron James, who had averaged 30 points during Cleveland’s recent three-game win streak, had 18 for the Cavaliers but the rookie struggled from the floor all night, shooting 7-for-24. James hit for 34 points in an overtime loss at Orlando on Thursday and appeared fatigued throughout much of Friday’s clash.
Knicks 98 Grizzlies 94
In Memphis, Keith Van Horn had 28 points and 13 rebounds as the New York Knicks handed the Memphis Grizzlies their fourth consecutive loss, 98-94. Allan Houston contributed 23 to the New York cause while Frank Williams and Kurt Thomas each added 18 for the Knicks.
Hornets 109 Hawks 79
At New Orleans, David Wesley scored a season high 32 points the Hornets hammered the Atlanta Hawks 109-79. The Hornets, who won for just the second time in six games, set the tone early roaring in front 23-10 with 4:31 still left to play in the opening quarter and went on to lead by as much as 19 points.
Bucks 101 Pacers 96
In Milwaukee, the Bucs rallied behind Damon Jones and Michael Redd to register 101-96 comeback win over the Indiana Pacers.Jones came off the bench to score all 14 of his points in the final period while Redd notched 11 of his 26 as the Bucs rolled to their third consecutive win.
Jazz 97 Raptors 94 (OT)
At Salt Lake City, Andrei Kirilenko had 17 points as the Utah Jazz overcame some late lapses and miscues to claim a 97-94 overtime win from the Toronto Raptors. Leading by five points with four seconds to play, Raptors guard Alvin Williams was fouled and hit all three free throws then Vince Carter followed with a layup as time expired to tie the score.
Clippers 101 76ers 98
In Los Angeles, Quentin Richardson had 22 points, Elton Brand added 20 and Corey Maggette 18 as the LA Clippers tamed the Philadelphia 76ers 101-98 to halt a four game losing streak.
Playing without All-Star guide Allen Iverson, who remains sidelined with a knee injury, the 76ers could not find a way to finish off the Clippers missing three jump shots in the final 25 seconds.
Nuggets 95 Rockets 94
At Denver, rookie Carmelo Anthony scored a career high 37 points as the Denver Nuggets rallied to record a 95-94 win over the Houston Rockets. But it was Voshon Lenard who was the hero for the Nuggets hitting three clutch free throws with eight seconds to play to give Denver their only lead of the game and the victory.
Trail Blazers 101 Timberwolves 92
At Portland, Jeff McInnis had 21 points and Wesley Person contributed another 20 as the Portland Trailblazers handed the Minnesota Timberwolves their first road defeat in seven games with a 101-92 win.
Celtics 104 Suns 102
At Phoenix, Ricky Davis drained a baseline jumper with 2.8 seconds left on the clock to lift the Boston Celtics to a 104-102 win over the Phoenix Suns.
Heat 92 Wizards 84
In Washington, the Miami Heat paced by 22 point performance from Eddie Jones dumped Washington 92-84 to register their third consecutive win and second over the Wizards in a week.
