Taking advantage of Shaquille O’Neal’s absence, Kevin Garnett scored 21 points and grabbed 10 rebounds as host Minnesota beat the Los Angeles Lakers 96-83 Wednesday night for their franchise-record eighth straight victory.
The defending NBA champion Lakers lost the second of three games without O’Neal and dropped their 16th game of the season, surpassing last season’s loss total.
Kobe Bryant, who scored 47 points in a victory over Cleveland on Tuesday, made 6-of-17 shots and scored 24 points.
O’Neal, who has a tendon ailment in his right arch, is scheduled to see a foot specialist after the team returns to Los Angeles on Thursday. O’Neal said he won’t know whether he can play in the All-Star Game on Feb. 11 until after his meeting with Dr. Phil Kwong.
Hawks 102, Raptors 97: In Atlanta, Dikembe Mutombo had a season-high 29 rebounds, 12 offensive, 21 points and six blocks.
“It’s a great accomplishment on my part and also on my team’s,” Mutombo said. “I’m glad we played so well.”
The victory spoiled the return of former Atlanta coach Lenny Wilkens, whose Raptors were playing without guard Vince Carter. He remained in Toronto after reinjuring his left knee early in the first quarter of the Raptors’ win over Philadelphia on Tuesday.
Bucks 116, Nuggets 111: In Milwaukee, George Karl got his 600th career victory as the Bucks sank 12-of-13 free throws in the final 1 minute 44 seconds to hold off a furious charge by the Nuggets. Karl is the 17th coach in NBA history to win 600, and he’s the sixth-fastest to reach the milestone. He did it in 1,005 games, one more than it took Don Nelson.
Suns 101, Grizzlies 92: With a forgiving reception from his home crowd, Jason Kidd had 17 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds. Cheers drowned out a smattering of boos when Kidd was introduced for his first home game since his Jan. 18 arrest on a charge of striking his wife. Phoenix outscored Vancouver 14-5 in the final 4:10.
Spurs 92, Clippers 70: Tim Duncan had 22 points and 16 rebounds to lead host San Antonio to its fifth straight win. The Clippers have lost nine straight and have not beaten San Antonio in their last 12 tries.
Celtics 102, Pacers 96: Visiting Boston extended their winning streak to a season-best four games despite scoring just four points in the final 6:42 of regulation. Jalen Rose hit a 3-footer to send the game to overtime where Boston used an 8-2 run to take command.
Pistons 112, Nets 103: Jerry Stackhouse had the type of triple-double no NBA player wants, but played flawlessly after committing his 10th turnover with 10 minutes left. Stackhouse had 30 points and 10 assists to go along with his miscues, and the visiting Pistons outrebounded the Nets 58-32.
Magic 100, Wizards 96: Pat Garrity hit a three-pointer with 46.9 seconds left to give the Magic a 96-94 lead, completing a comeback from an 11-point, fourth-quarter deficit and snapping host Washington’s five-game winning streak.
Schrempf back: Detlef Schrempf practiced with Portland Wednesday but didn’t sound ready to play. “I don’t even want to think about it,” Schrempf, 38, said with a smile Wednesday when asked whether he might play Thursday against Phoenix. Schrempf, who announced his retirement on Oct. 2 after 15 years in the league, will help fill the void left by Scottie Pippen’s injury.
Iverson investigation: Philadelphia’s Allen Iverson said he shouted a derogatory remark at an Indiana fan in reaction to racial taunting. NBC taped Iverson’s exchange with the fan near the end of the 76ers’ 86-81 victory in Indianapolis on Sunday. The remark was a derogatory term for gays. Pacers president Donnie Walsh said the Pacers were looking into the accusation. “I don’t think we want to know what everybody in the arena was saying, but if something racial was said from behind the bench, we want to know that,” Walsh said.
Not again: Cavaliers center Zydrunas Ilgauskas will have season-ending surgery next week on his broken left foot. It will be his fifth foot operation since 1995.
