(The Sports Xchange) – – -Tony Parker scored 30 points as the San Antonio Spurs battled to beat the lowly Orlando Magic 121-112 at home.
Two nights after a dazzling performance that crushed the Miami Heat, the Spurs struggled against the Magic, but ultimately did enough to win their sixth successive game.
Parker, in his fourth game back after being out with various aliments, made 11 of 19 shots from the field as San Antonio (46-16) moved into a tie with the Oklahoma City Thunder for the best record in the Western Conference.
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Jazz 104, 76ers 92
Swingman Gordon Hayward scored 22 points and guard Alec Burks added 19 off the bench as the Utah Jazz beat the Philadelphia 76ers, extending the Sixers’ losing streak to 16 games.
Burks’ three-pointer with 2:36 remaining broke a 91-91 tie and Hayward added two three-point plays in the final minute for Utah.
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Grizzlies 111, Bobcats 89
Guard Mike Conley scored 20 points and forward Zach Randolph added 16 to lead the Memphis Grizzlies to a big victory over the Charlotte Bobcats.
The Grizzlies (36-26) won their sixth successive game at home as the Bobcats (29-34) lost for the 14th time in their past 20 road games.
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Knicks 107, Cavaliers 97
Carmelo Anthony had 26 points and seven rebounds as the New York Knicks won on the road over the Cleveland Cavaliers, who lost their fourth consecutive game.
The Knicks (24-40) moved into a tie with the Cavs for 10th in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
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Wizards 114, Bucks 107
Guard Bradley Beal scored 12 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter as the Washington Wizards beat the Milwaukee Bucks on the road.
Washington led by as many as 28 points after shooting a blistering 67 percent from the field in the first half but still had to hold on down the stretch as the Bucks closed to within three points in the final minutes.
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Clippers 109, Hawks 108
Forward Blake Griffin scored 27 points and grabbed eight rebounds, and the Los Angeles Clippers held on for the narrowest of wins over the Atlanta Hawks.
The Clippers (44-20) captured their seventh consecutive win, their longest streak of the season, while Atlanta (26-35) lost its sixth straight and the 14th in the past 15 games.
With the Hawks down by two points, guard Jeff Teague was fouled with 1.2 seconds left.
However, Teague missed the first free throw before making the second for the game’s final point.