Nets drop to 0-13 after 98-91 loss to Knicks
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The Associated Press - Published: November 22, 2009
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Al Harrington and Danilo Gallinari each scored 17 points, and the New York Knicks kept the New Jersey Nets winless with a 98-91 victory Saturday.
David Lee added 16 points and 12 rebounds, while Wilson Chandler and Larry Hughes each finished with 13 points. The Knicks won their second straight and proved that worse basketball is played a mere 10 miles away.
The Nets fell to 0-13, inching closer to the NBA record of 17 straight losses to start a season, held by Miami and matched by the Los Angeles Clippers. They'll try to avoid it during a difficult four-game trip out West that starts with back-to-back games at Denver and Portland, capped by a visit to the Lakers.
Chris Douglas-Roberts scored 24 points and Brook Lopez had 18 points and 12 rebounds for the Nets, who shot only 4 of 18 from 3-point range and barely broke 90 points against one of the NBA's worst defensive teams.
Devin Harris was back for the Nets after missing 10 games with a strained right groin. He made a quick impact upon entering in the first quarter, driving for a layup and then throwing a lob on the break to Lopez for a basket. He finished with 12 points, while Terrence Williams had 17.
The loss could put more pressure on Nets coach Lawrence Frank, who won his first 13 games after he was promoted in January 2004 and now has a losing streak that matches it.
Things aren't much better for the Knicks (3-9), but they're better than the Nets. New York won all three preseason games between the local rivals.
According to STATS LLC, there hadn't been an NBA game matching teams who had each played at least 11 games and combined to win so few of them since Dec. 3, 1994, when Minnesota was 2-13 as it hosted the 0-14 Clippers.
Cavaliers 97, 76ers 91
CLEVELAND — LeBron James scored 32 points, Mo Williams added 18 and Cleveland Cavaliers clamped down defensively in the fourth quarter, holding Philadelphia to 10 points over the final 12 minutes.
James added nine assists, seven rebounds and had a resounding dunk with 2:41 left to help Cleveland improve to 10-4. Lou Williams scored 22 points for Philadelphia.
Hornets 96, Hawks 88
NEW ORLEANS — Rookie Darren Collison had 22 points and 11 assists for his first double-double, and New Orleans won its third straight and snapped Atlanta's winning streak at seven.
Fellow rookie Marcus Thornton scored 21 points for the resurgent Hornets, who made 12 of 17 3-point attempts. Jamal Crawford scored 20 points for the Hawks.
Bucks 103, Grizzlies 98
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Rookie Brandon Jennings scored 24 of his 26 points in the second half, and Milwaukee won its third straight game.
Charlie Bell added 19 for Milwaukee, 7-1 in its last eight. Ersan Ilyasova finished with 18 points and 12 rebounds. Rudy Gay had 24 points and 10 rebounds for Memphis.
Rockets 113, Kings 106
HOUSTON — Luis Scola scored 22 points and grabbed key rebounds in the final minutes, and the Houston Rockets held off the Sacramento Kings 113-106 Saturday night.
The Rockets blew a 15-point, second-quarter lead and had to scrap in the final minutes of the fourth quarter before improving their record in the second game of back-to-backs to 4-0 this season.
Spurs 106, Wizards 84
SAN ANTONIO — Tony Parker scored 17 points and the San Antonio Spurs stopped a three-game losing streak with a 106-84 victory over the Washington Wizards on Saturday night.
Parker played for only the second time in six games, bothered by a bad ankle during what has been one of the worst starts for San Antonio in the Tim Duncan era.
The Spurs had their first losing record at the 10-game mark since 1996, and are now 5-6 with five or their next six games at home.
Duncan had 16 points and nine rebounds.
Gilbert Arenas had 18 points in the worst loss yet this season for the Wizards. They've lost eight of nine and were blown out for the second time in two nights.
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