Associated Press
NEW YORK ó Chris Duhon insists he derived no extra motivation facing his former team and the rookie who made him expendable.
Duhon, battling through back spasms, scored the go-ahead basket with 31.2 seconds left to help lift the New York Knicks to a 102-98 victory over the Chicago Bulls in an afternoon Martin Luther King Jr. Day game. Duhon wasn’t sure Monday morning if he would play.
“I’m hurting real bad,” Duhon said, “but my main thing was us to go get a win.”
After Duhon put the Knicks ahead for good, Derrick Rose missed on a drive. Duhon then hit two free throws with 22.8 seconds remaining.
It was Rose’s arrival as the No. 1 overall draft pick that all but guaranteed Duhon’s departure after four seasons in Chicago, and he signed with the Knicks in the offseason. Duhon has flourished in coach Mike D’Antoni’s offense, averaging 12.3 points and 8.0 assists after scoring 19 on Monday.
“Playing his former team, it had to be a real motivation whether he’ll tell you that or not,” Knicks forward David Lee said. “He’s a warrior.”
Hornets 103, Pacers 100
NEW ORLEANS ó Chris Paul capped a 27-point game with an off-balance 3-pointer as time expired.
“I wanted to try to get to the basket but they sort of cut that off, so I threw up a fadeaway and it went in,” Paul said.
Indiana’s Danny Granger had 30 points, including a tying 3-pointer with 2.5 seconds left.
“As soon as Granger hit that shot, Chris came up to me and said, ‘Coach, give me the ball,’ ” coach Byron Scott recalled. Peja Stojakovic hit five 3-pointers and finished with a season-high 26 points for New Orleans, which was without David West (back) and lost Tyson Chandler (left ankle) late in the first half.
Trail Blazers 102, Bucks 85
PORTLAND, Ore. ó Portland’s Greg Oden had a career-high 24 points and added 15 rebounds.
It was Oden’s team-high 12th double-double of the season. LaMarcus Aldridge added 22 points and nine rebounds for the Blazers.
Lakers 105, Cavaliers 88
LOS ANGELES ó Kobe Bryant had 20 points and 12 assists despite dislocating his right ring finger as the Lakers snapped a five-game losing streak to the Cavs, who got 23 points from LeBron James. J.J. Hickson had 11 points in 19 minutes.
Celtics 104, Suns 87
BOSTON ó Rajon Rondo scored 23 points in the first three quarters, and Ray Allen scored 20 before sitting out the fourth for Boston, which led 64-34 at halftime.
Pistons 87, Grizzlies 79
MEMPHIS, Tenn. ó Allen Iverson scored 27 points to help Detroit end a five-game skid that was the team’s longest in five seasons.
Rockets 115, Nuggets 113
HOUSTON ó Yao Ming scored 31 points, and Rafer Alston added 18 points with 11 assists.
Kenyon Martin missed two foul shots with 2.6 seconds left, and Yao rebounded to clinch the win.
Hawks 87, Raptors 84
ATLANTA ó Joe Johnson scored 28 points, including a key jumper with 12.5 seconds left.
Josh Smith, the Hawks’ only healthy regular up front, had 22 points and 14 boards. Al Horford was out for the fifth straight game because of a bone bruise in his right knee. Marvin Williams was absent after sustaining a concussion Friday.
Mavericks 95, 76ers 93
PHILADELPHIA ó Dirk Nowitzki hit a turnaround 17-foot jumper at the buzzer and finished with 24 points as Dallas snapped Philadelphia’s season-high seven-game winning streak.
Elton Brand, who dislocated his right shoulder Dec. 7, most likely will play Saturday. Brand worked out on the court before Monday’s game.
Timberwolves 94, Clippers 86
LOS ANGELES ó Al Jefferson scored 20 points and tied a season high with 17 rebounds.
Minnesota has won seven of eight after losing 15 of 17. It’s 9-11 under Kevin McHale.
Warriors 119, Wizards 98
OAKLAND, Calif. ó Jamal Crawford had 28 points with eight assists, Stephen Jackson scored 26 points and Corey Maggette added 16. Antawn Jamison was one of three Wizards with 22 points.
DUNK CONTEST
NEW YORK ó Portland’s Rudy Fernandez beat out two fellow rookies in an online vote and will round out the field for the slam dunk contest.
Fernandez received 251,868 of the more than 500,00 votes, finishing ahead of Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook (147,279) and Milwaukee’s Joe Alexander (114,963). The native of Spain will become the first international player in the event.
Dwight Howard, Nate Robinson and Rudy Gay already were chosen for the field.