LOS ANGELES: The resurgent Clippers held off the Lakers to win 102-91 on Wednesday, snapping a nine-game losing streak in the NBA’s battle of Los Angeles.
Baron Davis scored 25 points and Chris Kaman added 21 points and 14 rebounds for the Clippers, who beat the defending NBA champions for the first time since 2006-07.
The Clippers have won five straight at home for the first time since a six-game winning streak in that same season.
Kobe Bryant scored 33 points as the Lakers’ four-game winning streak ended.
Suns 118, Rockets 110: In Phoenix, the hosts were 16 points up, then 16 points down, before coming back to down Houston.
Steve Nash scored 26 points and had 12 assists and Amare Stoudemire added 25 points and 11 rebounds for the Suns.
It was a furious game marked by a series of remarkable runs. It was the second time this season the Suns had rallied from a 16-point deficit in back-to-back games.
Aaron Brooks topped Houston with a career-high 34 points.
Raptors 108, Magic 103: In Orlando, Florida, Toronto almost blew an 18-point fourth quarter lead before holding on to beat Orlando, further slicing the Magic’s lead in the NBA Southeast Division.
Andrea Bargnani and Chris Bosh had 18 points apiece as Toronto won for the seventh time in eight games, getting back to a squared 18-18 record.
Toronto’s lead was trimmed to two with 43 seconds remaining, but J.J. Redick missed a 3-pointer in the final seconds that could have tied the score.
Redick finished with 22 points for the Magic, who has lost three straight for the first time this season. Their lead in the Southeast was cut to just 1-1/2 games over Atlanta. Celtics 112, Heat 106, OT: In Miami, Boston came from 11 points down in the fourth quarter to tie the game in a frantic finish to regulation, then beat Miami in overtime.
Dwayne Wade had his best game of the season for the Heat and seemingly gave them victory with a steal and dunk with 0.6 seconds left. But Boston’s Rajon Rondo sank a buzzer-beating layup after catching Paul Pierce’s lob.
Rondo scored 25 points, and Ray Allen 22 points for Boston, which maintains a fractional advantage over Cleveland in the scrap over the Eastern Conference lead.
Cavaliers 121, Wizards 98: In Cleveland, LeBron James piled up 23 points, eight assists and seven rebounds in just three quarters as Cleveland rolled to a comfortable win over Washington, absent troubled guard Gilbert Arenas.
Shaquille O’Neal added 17 points in 17 minutes as the Cavs posted a season-high for points and won for the 13th time in 15 games.
The Wizards played for the first time this season without Arenas, who was suspended indefinitely by the NBA a few hours before the game. Police is investigating him after bringing unloaded guns to Washington’s locker room.
Antawn Jamison scored 26 points to lead the Wizards.
Jazz 117, Grizzlies 94: In Salt Lake City, Utah overcame the absence of Deron Williams to beat Memphis.
Williams sat out with a sprained right wrist. He warmed up prior to the game, but was only able to shoot with his left hand.
C.J. Miles scored a season-high 24 points and Carlos Boozer added 20 for the Jazz.
Sam Young matched his career-high scoring 22 points for Memphis, which lost its first game in four.
Spurs 112, Pistons 92: In San Antonio, Tony Parker and Roger Mason Jr. keyed a decisive run early in the fourth quarter as San Antonio sent Detroit to its 11th consecutive loss.
A missed free throw in the final quarter would have given Detroit the lead, but San Antonio went on a 35-15 run from then on to put the game away.
Parker led San Antonio with 23 points, while the Pistons were led by Richard Hamilton’s 29 points.
Hornets 97, Thunder 92: In Oklahoma City, New Orleans moved above .500 for the first time this season by beating Oklahoma City.
David West scored 19 points and Chris Paul had 14 points and 13 assists as the Hornets improved their miserable road record with victory at an arena they called home for two seasons following Hurricane Katrina.
Paul maneuvered into the lane and rolled in a layup with 11 seconds left to put New Orleans up 95-92.
Russell Westbrook missed an off-balance 3-pointer that would’ve tied it in the closing seconds.
Hawks 119, Nets 89: In Atlanta, the hosts had one of their best shooting nights of the season to end a four-game losing streak and beat struggling New Jersey.
Jamal Crawford scored 29 points and Joe Johnson added 20 while sitting out the fourth quarter.
The Hawks set a season high by making 13 3-pointers, including 10 in the first half. They made 57.3 percent of their shots from the field.
The Nets missed their first 11 shots and never led while falling to 1-17 in road games. They have lost 13 of their past 14 overall.
Yi Jianlian led New Jersey with 19 points and 11 rebounds.
Warriors 107, Timberwolves 100: In Minneapolis, Golden State snapped an eight-game road losing streaking by downing Minnesota.
Monta Ellis had 20 points, seven rebounds and six assists.
Ellis, who entered the game leading the league in minutes played, found enough energy to tip in a missed 3-pointer with 1:05 to go that put the game out of reach.
Corey Maggette had 28 points for the Warriors.
Al Jefferson had 26 points and 14 rebounds for the Wolves, who have lost five in a row.
