Pistons guard Chauncey Billups finished with 27 points, outscoring the Timberwolves 18-13 by himself in the third quarter in a 107-83 win Tuesday, giving Pistons coach Flip Saunders a satisfying return to Minnesota. Saunders was fired in February after taking the Timberwolves to the playoffs eight times in his 9 1/2 seasons.
Nuggets’ Camby set for return
Nuggets center Marcus Camby (broken right pinkie) could play Wednesday in Portland after missing 14 games. He was leading the NBA in rebounding at 12.9 per game and averaging 16.3 points and 3.12 blocks when he was hurt on Dec. 26.
Parting shots
Kobe Bryant’s 81-point game still has people talking.
What did the Nets’ Vince Carter think? He told the Newark Star-Ledger, “The only bad thing about it is that younger kids, whose minds are easily warped, are going to think, `Oh! I am going to go out there and do it instead of [honoring] the team concept first.'” By the way, Carter is among the league leaders with 19 shots per game and averages 4.3 assists.
And how about David Thompson, who poured in 73 points back in 1978? He told the Rocky Mountain News, “I think my game was better. I shot a way better percentage than he did. I didn’t have three-pointers and I was playing against better defenders.” Their lines? Thompson: 28 of 38 FGs, 17 of 20 FTs; Bryant: 28 of 46, 7 of 13 threes, 18 of 20 FTs.
TUESDAY’S GAMES
RESULTS, SYNOPSIS
Indiana 66 at Cleveland 96
LeBron James scored 23, added 8 asts, 7 rebs. He scored 12 in of team’s pts in 27-13 3rd. Cavs held Pacers to season low in pts, shooting (33%). Jermaine O’Neal reinjured left ankle in 4th.
Phoenix 102 at Orlando 111
Hedo Turkoglu scored 30 and Magic limited Suns to 1 FG in final 4:48. Travis Diener’s 3 with 6:48 left put Magic up 2. Suns’ Steve Nash, who missed only 10 FTs all season, missed 3 of 5.
Sacramento 103 at Philadelphia 109
Allen Iverson scored 41, Chris Webber had 17 pts, 13 rebs to top Kings, who were led by Mike Bibby’s career-high 44. Peja Stojakovic did not play after proposed trade to Pacers fell apart.
Memphis 82 at Miami 94
Dwyane Wade scored 18 of his 25 in 2nd half as Heat won for 51st straight time at home when leading after 3. Grizzlies, who were led by Bobby Jackson’s season-high 22, 3 of 15 in 3rd.
Detroit 107 at Minnesota 83
Pistons moved to 20-1 when scoring 100 or more. Pistons rookie Amir Johnson, from Westchester H.S. in L.A., scored 1st career pts on dunk in 4th on feed from 20-yr-old Darko Milicic.
Charlotte 76 at San Antonio 104
Beno Udrih had season highs of 17 pts, 8 asts as Spurs avoided losing 2 straight for 1st time this season. Bobcats, missing 3 key starters, lost 8th in row, shot just 16 of 48, scored 36 in 1st half.
