EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The Philadelphia 76ers gave the Nets every chance to end their franchise-worst start and New Jersey just wouldn't take it.

Marreese Speights, however, didn't turn down the opportunity to make the 76ers a winner.

Speights converted a go-ahead three-point play with 1:10 to play and the Nets missed three chances to take the lead in the final minute as the 76ers posted an 82-79 victory last night, making the Nets winless in eight games.

"This was a very big win," said Thaddeus Young, who led Philadelphia with 20 points. "We definitely didn't want to lose three in a row and we definitely didn't want to give them their first win. We didn't want to be the only team they beat. When a team hasn't won like that, it's a trap game and we didn't want to fall into the trap."

The 76ers came close.

Not only did New Jersey miss three shots in the final minute, point guard Rafer Alston threw the ball right to Young on an inbounds play with 3.9 seconds to go after a miscommunication with Bobby Simmons.

"What more can you say," said center Brook Lopez, who led New Jersey with 23 points and 14 rebounds. "We're right there at the end of the game and a couple of plays didn't go our way. We didn't close it out. We were right there again with eight guys so. We definitely fought our hardest."

The play the Nets will remember is Lopez's drive to the basket with about 14 seconds to play and Philadelphia ahead 80-79. He missed the shot after seemingly being hit on the arm by Sixers center Samuel Dalembert.

"I spun. I got stuck deep under the basket," Lopez said. "That's why it got wedged in between the backboard and the rim. If I would have just started my move higher, I would have been all right."

Nets coach Lawrence Frank understood the no-call.

"When things sometimes don't go your way, you don't get that play and you don't get that call," he said.

Dalembert refused to say whether he got a piece of Lopez, who had given New Jersey a 79-77 lead with two free throws with 1:26 to play.

"I anticipated that play," he said. "I knew he wanted to go into the middle, so I invited him to go there. I then cut it off and used it to my advantage. It was a nice play for all of us."

CAVALIERS 102, MAGIC 93

LeBron James scored 36 points, Mo Williams added 28 and visiting Cleveland took a 15-point halftime lead and extended it to 20 entering the fourth quarter in beating Orlando in a rematch of the Eastern Conference finals.

CELTICS 105, JAZZ 86

Rajon Rondo had 14 points and 11 assists, Kevin Garnett scored 18 points and visiting Boston took a 22-point lead into the final quarter to roll past Utah and improve to 8-1, matching the start from its title-winning season two years ago.

HAWKS 114, KNICKS 101

Al Horford scored a season-high 25 points and had nine rebounds, and Josh Smith added 22 points and 12 rebounds as visiting Atlanta overcame a 14-point deficit to send New York to its fifth straight loss.

SPURS 92, MAVERICKS 83

Richard Jefferson scored 29 points and host San Antonio survived another game without the injured Tony Parker and Tim Duncan — both out with sore ankles — by holding off Dallas.

TRAIL BLAZERS 107, TIMBERWOLVES 84

Greg Oden had 18 points and 11 rebounds in three quarters, and Rudy Fernandez added 15 points as visiting Portland won its fourth straight, while handing Minnesota its eighth loss in a row since a season-opening win over New Jersey.

PACERS 108, WARRIORS 94

Danny Granger scored 31 points and had a career-high 16 rebounds, and host Indiana took a 64-47 halftime lead that never dipped below seven in turning back Golden State for its third straight victory.

RAPTORS 99, BULLS 89

Chris Bosh had 28 points and 11 rebounds, and host Toronto, trailing 88-85 with 6:24 to play, held Chicago scoreless until Kirk Hinrich hit a free throw with 10 seconds remaining.

BUCKS 108, NUGGETS 102

Rookie Brandon Jennings scored 14 of his 32 points in the fourth quarter, including consecutive 3-pointers for a 97-90 lead and six free throws down the stretch, to help host Milwaukee turn back Denver.

PISTONS 98, BOBCATS 75

Charlie Villanueva had a season-high 30 points, including 18 in a 29-12 third quarter, as visiting Detroit beat Charlotte to even its record after winning two straight for the first time this season.

ROCKETS 104, GRIZZLIES 79

Luis Scola had 22 points and 15 rebounds, Carl Landry had 20 points and host Houston matched a season high with 30 assists and finished with 27 fast-break points in handing Memphis its seventh straight loss.

SUNS 124, HORNETS 104

Amare Stoudemire and Steve Nash combined to hit all eight of their first-quarter shots as Phoenix surged ahead 40-29 and never looked back in rolling past New Orleans to tie Boston for the league's best mark at 8-1.

THUNDER 83, CLIPPERS 79

Kevin Durant scored 30 points, including a tie-breaking jumper with 38 second left, and Kevin Ollie made two free throws with one second to play as visiting Oklahoma City defeated Los Angeles to end a two-game road skid.