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The Honolulu Advertiser
Updated at 3:06 a.m., Monday, February 23, 2009

NBA today

Associated Press

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade goes up for a shot between Orlando Magic's Rashard Lewis, left, and Marcin Gortat, of Poland.

PHELAN M. EBENHACK | Associated Press

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Today's Games, Hawaii times

Indiana at New York, 2:30 p.m.

Philadelphia at New Jersey, 2:30 p.m.

Boston at Denver, 4 p.m.

Atlanta at Utah, 4 p.m.

New Orleans at Sacramento, 5p.m.

Golden State at L.A. Clippers, 5:30 p.m.

STARS

Sunday

—Dwight Howard, Magic, had 32 points and 17 rebounds, and Orlando withstood a career-high 50 points by Dwyane Wade to rout Miami 122-99.

—Charlie Villanueva, Bucks, scored nine of his season-high 36 points in the fourth quarter to help Milwaukee beat Denver 120-117.

—Rajon Rondo, Celtics, scored a career-high 32 points to go with 10 assists on his 23rd birthday in Boston's 128-108 victory over Phoenix.

—Andrea Bargnani, Raptors, had 28 points and 10 rebounds to help Toronto beat New York 111-100.

—Troy Murphy, Pacers, had a season-high 27 points and Indiana beat Chicago 98-91.

—Lamar Odom, Lakers, had 25 points and 14 rebounds in Los Angeles' 111-108 win at Minnesota.

MILESTONE MOMENT

Kobe Bryant scored 28 to move past Elgin Baylor into 20th place on the NBA's career scoring list in the Los Angeles Lakers' 111-108 victory at Minnesota on Sunday night. Bryant's breakaway lay-in with 10:42 to play in the third quarter pushed him past the former Lakers great into third in franchise history, behind only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Jerry West.

DISHIN'

Portland's Steve Blake tied the NBA record for assists in a quarter when he handed out 14 during the first period in the Blazers' 116-87 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday. San Antonio's John Lucas set the record of 14 assists during the second quarter against Denver on April 15, 1984. Blake finished with 17 assists, one shy of his career high.

STREAKS & SLUMPS

New York has lost nine straight in Toronto and 11 of 12 overall against the Raptors after falling 111-100 on Sunday. The Knicks' last win in Toronto was a 109-103 victory on March 5, 2004. ... Portland won its eighth consecutive home game, beating the Los Angeles Clippers 116-87. The Trail Blazers also moved within 1½ games of first-place Denver in the Northwest Division. ... Detroit's 99-78 loss at Cleveland was its sixth straight, the first time the Pistons lost that many since February 2004.

MOVING FORWARD

Indiana beat Chicago 98-91 on Sunday to improve to 5-1 without Danny Granger, a first-time All-Star this season, and 4-1 without both Granger and Mike Dunleavy. Granger is expected to be out up to another two weeks with a foot injury, while Dunleavy is out indefinitely with a knee injury.

BACK IN BUSINESS

Delonte West scored 25 points in his first game since mid-January and led the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 99-78 win over the Detroit Pistons on Sunday night. West, sidelined since Jan. 15 because of a fractured right wrist, was 8-of-11 from the field and made all five of his 3-point attempts.

NOT MISSING McGRADY

Ron Artest scored 26 points, Yao Ming added 19 points and seven rebounds and the Rockets continued to win without Tracy McGrady, beating the Charlotte Bobcats 99-78 on Sunday. Luis Scola had 12 points and 10 rebounds and Shane Battier sank three 3-pointers for the Rockets, who've won four straight games and eight of the last nine McGrady has missed with a sore left knee. McGrady announced Wednesday that he'll have season-ending surgery, but Houston is 15-6 without him this season.

SCORING

Indiana beat Chicago 98-91 on Sunday despite a second-half stretch of 11 minutes without a field goal. The Pacers led 69-55 midway through the third quarter but didn't hit another shot until a 3-pointer by Troy Murphy with 6:43 left in the final period.

FREE THROWS

Boston's Ray Allen made his first five free throws in the Celtics' 128-108 win at Milwaukee on Sunday night to run his streak to 72, breaking Larry Bird's franchise record of 71. Allen missed his next attempt.

STRONG IN DEFEAT

Carmelo Anthony scored 33 points and Chauncey Billups added 21 for Denver, which ended a season-high eight-game road trip with a 5-3 mark after losing 120-117 at Milwaukee. Denver plays its first game at home since Feb. 3 on Monday against Boston.

SIDELINED

Golden State guard Monta Ellis will rest his surgically repaired left ankle for at least one week after experiencing occasional stiffness since his season debut for the Warriors last month.

SPEAKING

"My concern is when Dwyane goes into the Hall of Fame and they start putting off his top career games, it's going to be like 50 versus Orlando. We're going to fill up the entire screen. So, I don't know what to tell you. When I coached Dwyane I really liked him, but I'm not so sure anymore. Our relationship is strained." — A joking Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy, whose team beat Miami 122-99 on Sunday night despite a career-high 50-point performance by the Heat's Dwyane Wade.