National Basketball Association Game Capsules - Chicago Tribune

Indianapolis, IN â€"

Paul Pierce scored 24 points and the Boston Celtics cruised to an 86-72 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Saturday. Ray Allen came off the bench and netted 19 points, while Kevin Garnett registered 15 points and seven rebounds for Boston, which snapped a two-game skid with their sixth win in eight tries. The Celtics put some distance between themselves and the 76ers for the top spot in the Atlantic Division for the moment. Philadelphia which entered the day one game back, was playing Orlando. The Sixers will visit TD Garden on Sunday. Danny Granger led the Pacers with 20 points and David West connected on 8-of-10 from the field en route to 16 points for Indiana, which saw a four-game winning streak end in the finale of a back-to-back series.

Final Score: Atlanta 116, Charlotte 96

Charlotte, NC (Sports Network) - Joe Johnson led eight Hawks in double-figures with 18 points as Atlanta routed the Charlotte Bobcats, 116-96, on Saturday. Ivan Johnson netted 17 points off the bench, Josh Smith and Jannero Pargo finished with 15 apiece and Zaza Pachulia grabbed 16 rebounds to go with 12 points for the Hawks, who won their third in a row. Cory Higgins supplied a career-high 22 points, but it was not enough for the Bobcats, who have lost 11 straight.

Final Score: Memphis 94, Dallas 89

Memphis, TN (Sports Network) - Rudy Gay scored a game-high 25 points as the Memphis Grizzlies held off the Dallas Mavericks, 94-89, at FedExForum. Zach Randolph added 15 points and 11 rebounds while Gilbert Arenas netted 14 points for the Grizzlies, who won for the seventh time in nine games. Dirk Nowitzki paced the Mavericks with 17 points to go along with eight rebounds as Dallas dropped its fourth game in six tries.

Final Score: New Orleans 99, Minnesota 90

New Orleans, LA (Sports Network) - Jason Smith had a career-high 26 points, 10 rebounds and three steals, as the New Orleans Hornets held off the Minnesota Timberwolves, 99-90. Chris Kaman added 21 points, 10 boards and four blocks for the Hornets, who have won two of three since a three-game skid. Greivis Vasquez donated 11 points and 10 assists. Kevin Love ended with 29 points and 12 rebounds for the Timberwolves, who have dropped five in a row. Michael Beasley tallied 20 points.

Final Score: Orlando 88, Philadelphia 82

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - Dwight Howard scored 20 points with 22 rebounds and the Orlando Magic avoided their first six-game losing streak in more than six years with an 88-82 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday. Glen Davis had a game-high 23 points and 12 boards for the Magic, who snapped a five-game losing streak -- their first in more than five years. None of the five Sixers starters scored in double digits. Thaddeus Young had a team-high 20 points and Jodie Meeks scored 11 of his 16 during a big run in the first half that gave Philadelphia a 10-point lead. But the Sixers faltered down the stretch and dropped their third straight to fall two games behind Boston for first place in the Atlantic Division.

Final Score: Milwaukee 116, Portland 94

Milwaukee, WI (Sports Network) - Brandon Jennings and Beno Udrih scored 21 points apiece as the Milwaukee Bucks used a dominant second half to run away with a 116-94 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers at Bradley Center. Ersan Ilyasova added 20 points and 12 rebounds, while Monta Ellis finished with 17 points and seven assists for Milwaukee, which won its fourth straight game to pull within a half game behind the idle New York Knicks for the eighth and final postseason spot in the Eastern Conference. LaMarcus Aldridge netted 21 points and Raymond Felton contributed 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Trail Blazers, who had their two-game win streak snapped.

Final Score: Phoenix 125, LA Lakers 105

Phoenix, AZ (Sports Network) - Shannon Brown had 24 points and the Suns took down the Kobe Bryant-less Lakers, 125-105, on Saturday. Bryant's consecutive games streak came to an end at 138 due to an injured left shin. Michael Redd added 23 points for Phoenix, which made 14 three-pointers and set a franchise record for the fewest turnovers in a game with three. Marcin Gortat ended with 14 points and nine rebounds for Phoenix, which got 13 points apiece from Sebastian Telfair, Markieff Morris and Steve Nash. Pau Gasol had 30 points and 13 boards for the Lakers, who have lost two in a row. Andrew Bynum donated 23 points and 18 boards.