Kidd and the Nets stop Pistons' streak
Jason Kidd had 23 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Nets to a 91-84 victory over Detroit last night in East Rutherford, N.J., snapping the Pistons' NBA-best 11-game win streak.
Richard Jefferson and Nenad Krstic each scored 19 for New Jersey, which snapped a four-game losing streak. The Nets won their ninth straight game at
Chauncey Billups led Detroit with 30 points, and was 6 for 6 from 3-point range.
Lakers 130, Knicks 97 -- Kobe Bryant scored 40 points, despite making only one field goal in the second half, to cap off his great month and lead visiting Los Angeles over New York. Bryant was 7 of 17 from the field and 23 of 26 at the line.
The NBA's leading scorer averaged 43.4 points in 13 games this month, highlighted by his 81-point outing that was the second-best scoring game in NBA history. He joined Wilt Chamberlain as the only players in NBA history to average 40 or more points in a month more than once, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
Chamberlain, whose 100-point game is the only one better than Bryant's career-best outing, did it 11 times. Bryant also averaged 40.6 points in February 2003.
Elgin Baylor is the only other player to average 40 in a month.
Suns 123, Sixers 99 -- Boris Diaw had 14 points, 13 assists, and 11 rebounds for his first career triple-double, leading visiting Phoenix.
Raja Bell scored 21 points, Steve Nash had 17, and Shawn Marion had 15 points and 12 rebounds for the Pacific Division-leading Suns.
The Sixers were without Allen Iverson (sprained ankle) for the third straight game.
Wizards 84, Pacers 79 -- Gilbert Arenas scored 20 points, and Antawn Jamison had 19 points and 18 rebounds to lead host Washington over Indiana, which lost its sixth straight game in a mostly ineffective debut for Peja Stojakovic.
Stojakovic, acquired last week from the Kings for Ron Artest, scored 17 points on 4-for-10 shooting, including 1 for 6 from 3-point range, and was limited to 26 minutes because of foul trouble.
Mavericks 98, Bulls 94 -- Dirk Nowitzki scored 21 points, the most important an open 3-pointer that helped prevent a major second-half meltdown, sending host Dallas past Chicago and stretching its season-best winning streak to nine.
Dallas moved back into a tie with San Antonio for the best record in the Western Conference (35-10).
Kings 98, Nuggets 91 -- Ron Artest scored 19 points in his home debut, Kevin Martin added a career-high 25, and Sacramento held on for its 19th straight home victory over Denver.
