'Nasty News - Traversing Time & Space' Vol: 26

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http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=290420235

Robert Dozier scored a career-high 23 points, Tyreke Evans added 13 and Memphis (No. 10 ESPN/USA Today, No. 8 AP) routed Tulsa 63-37 Wednesday night for its 15th straight victory.

Jerome Jordan, who had 20 points and 13 rebounds against Memphis earlier this season, was held to a team-high eight points and three rebounds for Tulsa (17-8, 7-3). Ben Uzoh, Tulsa's leading scorer at 14.9 points per game, was held scoreless in the first half and finished with three points.

The Tigers led by 13 at halftime and extended their advantage to 22 after Evans scored on a driving layup with 14:07 left. The lead reached 23 points when reserve guard Willie Kemp connected on a 3-pointer, his only field goal. with about 3½ minutes to go.

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http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=290422509

JaJuan Johnson had 14 points and 13 rebounds, and E'Twaun Moore had 10 points to provide their typical efforts. But reserve Bobby Riddell scored a career-high 13 points, and another backup, Nemanja Calasan scored 12 for the Boilermakers (18-6, 7-4 Big Ten), who moved into a tie for second place in the league.

Jamelle Cornley scored 16 points for Penn State (17-8, 6-6), which lost its third straight. Talor Battle, the conference leader with 18 points per game, went scoreless and shot 0-for-7 from the field. It was the first time this season and the third time in his career the sophomore guard was held without a point.

Penn State's other high-scoring guard, Stanley Pringle, shot 2-for-9 from the field and scored five points. He entered the game averaging 13.5 points.

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http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=290422168

Chris Wright led a balanced offense with 19 points, and Dayton ended its six-game losing streak against No. 14 Xavier with a 71-58 victory Wednesday night in a matchup of the Atlantic 10's set of 20-win teams.

Wright scored the last nine points for Dayton, which joined Duke and Duquesne as the only teams to shoot 50 percent from the field against Xavier. Derrick Brown led the Musketeers with 17.

"We did a lot of pressuring," said Marcus Johnson, who added 13 points. "We did a lot of good things on offense and defense. We did a lot of things to take away their offense. We stayed with it and they kind of backed off."

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http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=290420152

Brandon Costner scored 23 points, including 11 in a row early in the second half, to help the Wolfpack defeat Wake Forest (No. 8 ESPN/USA Today, No. 7 AP) 82-76 on Wednesday night.

Farnold Degand tied a career high with 14 points, and Courtney Fells and Tracy Smith added 12 points apiece for N.C. State (13-9, 3-6 Atlantic Coast Conference), which watched a 20-point second half lead shrink to two in the final minute.

C.J. Williams added a career-high 10 points for the Wolfpack, who led at Virginia Tech 63-45 on Sunday before falling in overtime, 91-87.

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http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=290420150

Lawson scored 21 of his 25 points in the second half, and No. 3 North Carolina rallied past Duke (No. 5 ESPN/USA Today, No. 6 AP) 101-87 on Wednesday night.

Hansbrough scored 17 points -- and hit another late 3-pointer -- for the Tar Heels (22-2, 8-2), who became the first team in nine seasons to hit triple digits against Duke.

Kyle Singler scored 22 points and Jon Scheyer added 20 to lead Duke (20-4, 7-3), which kept up with the uptempo Tar Heels for about 30 minutes before spiraling to its fifth loss in six meetings with its hated rival located 8 miles down Tobacco Road.

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http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=290420239

Blake Griffin had 18 points and 10 rebounds for his Oklahoma record-tying 21st double-double this season and the second-ranked Sooners beat Baylor 78-63 Wednesday night for their 12th straight victory.

Austin Johnson added 17 points for the Sooners, including a game-changing run of 3-pointers. Willie Warren and Juan Pattillo each had 14 points.

Curtis Jerrells had 19 points to lead Baylor (15-9, 3-7), which has lost six straight games. It is the longest losing streak for the Bears since starting 0-6 in 2005-06, the freshman senior for seniors Jerrells, Henry Dugat and Kevin Rogers.

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http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=290420041

The 7-foot-3 Thabeet had eight points, 16 rebounds and seven blocks and affected even more shots as the Huskies sent the Orange to their fifth loss in six games.

"Holding them to 49, that was the most impressive thing to me," said A.J. Price, who had 17 points for the Huskies (23-1, 11-1 Big East), who have won three games since assuming the No. 1 spot in The Associated Press' poll last week.

Jonny Flynn had 16 points for Syracuse (18-7, 6-6), which was ranked as high as No. 8 before the skid that may now see the Orange drop out of the national rankings.

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http://www.nba.com/2009/news/02/11/paul ... index.html

All-Star point guard Chris Paul returned to the Hornets' starting lineup as New Orleans hosted the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night.

Hornets coach Byron Scott said about an hour before tip-off that Paul's four-game absence, caused by a strained right groin in a loss to Portland on Feb. 2, was over and that Paul was ready to play. Scott said he'd seen Paul run full speed in two workouts leading up to Wednesday night's game and that trainers cleared Paul to play the day before the game. However, Scott said he wanted to wait until shortly before the game to make his final decision. The coach added he did not expect Paul to play much more than 30 minutes. Paul's return to action against Boston also increased the likelihood he would play in Sunday's All-Star game in Phoenix.

Meanwhile, Scott said starting center Tyson Chandler (left ankle) would miss his 12th straight game, meaning he would not return until after the All-Star break.

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http://www.detroitnews.com/apps/pbcs.dl ... 10487/1127

Pistons' losing ways continue
The Pistons aren't winning much anywhere anymore, but especially at The Palace. Losing for the sixth time in seven games at home, the Pistons lost Wednesday to the Atlanta Hawks, 99-95. It was the third straight loss for the Pistons, and the 12th in their last 17 games. Joe Johnson scored 28 and former Piston Flip Murray 23 for the Hawks. Allen Iverson, battling the flu, led the Pistons with 27 points, 15 of them in the fourth quarter. Rip Hamilton scored 14, and Tayshaun Prince and Rodney Stuckey had 12 points each.

Behind Iverson's shooting, the Pistons closed to 86-84 with 6:07 in the game. But Murray and Johnson made consecutive buckets to extend the Hawks lead. The Pistons closed to within two points on an Iverson lay-up, 97-95, with 8.8 seconds left. But Johnson made two free throws to close out the scoring. Murray scored 10 of the Hawks' last 12 points in the third quarter, enabling Atlanta to pull into a 76-68 lead. The Hawks led at halftime, 48-46, and opened up a six-point lead early in the third quarter before the Pistons rallied behind Iverson and Stuckey.

A bucket by Stuckey gave the Pistons a 64-62 lead, but Atlanta went on a 14-4 run to end the third quarter with Murray doing most of the damage. The first quarter ended tied at 24, but Antonio McDyess sparked a 12-4 Pistons run to start the second quarter and give the Pistons a 36-28 lead. But Atlanta roared back behind Joe Johnson and Murray to take a 48-46 halftime lead.

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http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=290211015

Sessions scored 15 points and added a season-high 17 assists, and Richard Jefferson scored 22 of his 32 points in the second half, leading Milwaukee to a 122-110 win over Indiana on Wednesday night.

Murphy scored 23 points and Jack had 21, but Indiana fell short again after a wild win over Cleveland on Tuesday night because the Pacers allowed the Bucks to shoot 53 percent.

Bucks reserve G Charlie Bell hit his first six shots, including a 30-foot 3-pointer at the first-quarter buzzer, and finished with 20 points.

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http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=290211005

Playing in his first home game since finally being made an All-Star after being skipped over twice, Williams scored a career-high 44 points and LeBron James added 26 as the Cleveland Cavaliers reached the break by winning their 40th game, 109-92 over the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night.

Amare Stoudemire scored 27 and Grant Hill 14 for Phoenix (28-23), which will host this weekend's All-Star activities and could undergo a makeover before the Feb. 21 trade deadline. Stoudemire and Shaquille O'Neal have both been mentioned in trade rumors that are expected to intensify in the coming days; the Suns have been a disappointment to this point.

With Williams three points away from breaking his previous career high of 43, set on Jan. 27 against Sacramento, the point guard buried another 3-pointer from the right wing with 6:20 left to give the Cavaliers a 103-79 lead. At the next whistle, Williams was replaced as Cavs fans gave him a standing ovation; he got a hug from James as he reached the bench.

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http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=290211019

Carmelo Anthony had 29 points and eight rebounds, and the Nuggets ended a 15-game losing streak in Orlando with an 82-73 win over the Magic on Wednesday night.

Kenyon Martin scored 13 points, Nene added 12 and Billups had 11 points for Denver, which hadn't won in Orlando since March 10, 1992. Even so, the skid didn't seem to bother these Nuggets as much as being routed 106-88 by the Magic at home earlier this season.

Dwight Howard had 16 points and Rashard Lewis scored 12 for the Magic, who finished with a season low in points, a season-high 24 turnovers and were held to a season-low 30.4 percent shooting from the floor.

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http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=290211020

Iguodala scored 18 points and made the winning basket with 26 seconds left, lifting the Philadelphia 76ers to their fourth straight win, 91-87 over the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night.

Hakim Warrick, who tied a career high with 31 points for the Grizzlies, missed a dunk and Iguodala and Samuel Dalembert sealed the win from the free throw line.

Andre Miller had 24 points and Young scored 12 for the Sixers.

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http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=290211028

Roko Ukic scored a career-high 22 points, Andrea Bargnani had 23 and the Raptors overcame a 32-point effort by Ginobili to beat the San Antonio Spurs 91-89 on Wednesday night.

The Raptors were reduced to nine available players when forward Joey Graham, who tied a career high with 24 points in Tuesday's win at Minnesota, left with 2:56 remaining in the first because of a bruised right shin.

Tim Duncan had 20 points and 13 rebounds and Tony Parker added 22 points for San Antonio, but missed what would have been a tying jumper at the buzzer.

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http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=290211030

There were numerous contributors that helped overwhelm the banged-up Wizards. Rookie D.J. Augustin scored 24 points and newcomer Vladimir Radmanovic added 21 points. They combined to hit 9-of-17 3-pointers in starting roles.

Emeka Okafor dominated the inside with 16 points and 13 rebounds and Felton came close to his first career triple-double with 15 points, eight rebounds and nine assists.

There was less optimism on the Washington side. Caron Butler scored 26 points and Antawn Jamison had 23 points and nine rebounds, but they got little help and the Wizards were woeful on defense in their 10th loss in 12 games.

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http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=290211003

Paul Pierce scored 30 points and the Celtics won their eighth straight away from home, 89-77 over New Orleans on Wednesday night. The victory was even sweeter for the Celtics in light of recent losses at home to two other top Western Conference teams, the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs.

Kevin Garnett added 14 points and 10 rebounds, and Eddie House scored eight of his 12 points in the final period to help Boston pull away despite the absence of Allen, who hyperextended his right thumb in the first half.

David West had 15 points and Hilton Armstrong 14 for New Orleans.

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http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=290211010

Yao Ming had 24 points and 18 rebounds, Rafer Alston dished out a season-high 13 assists and the Rockets won again without McGrady, beating the Sacramento Kings 94-82 on Wednesday night.

Luis Scola added 19 points and 11 rebounds and Ron Artest scored 19 for the Rockets, who improved to 12-6 with McGrady out of the lineup this season. McGrady missed his 17th game with soreness in his left knee, the aftermath of offseason surgery. He also sat out one game with a sprained ankle.

Kevin Martin scored 18 points and rookie Jason Thompson added 14 in the game for the Kings, who've lost five in a row and 13 of 14.

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http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=290211026

Deron Williams had 31 points and 11 assists and the Utah Jazz snapped the Los Angeles Lakers' seven-game winning streak with a 113-109 victory Wednesday night.

Mehmet Okur scored 22 points, CJ Miles had 17 and Ronnie Brewer added 16 to give the injury-plagued Jazz their fourth win in the last five games.

Kobe Bryant scored 37 points and Lamar Odom had 19 points and 19 rebounds but the Lakers allowed the Jazz to shoot a season-high 58.6 percent.

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http://www.detroitnews.com/apps/pbcs.dl ... 10491/1127

Rockets' McGrady sits again with knee injury: Houston Rockets guard Tracy McGrady sat out Wednesday night's game against Sacramento and will meet with doctors to discuss his troublesome left knee. McGrady had an MRI on Wednesday, two nights after he went 1-for-9 from the field in Houston's 124-112 loss in Milwaukee. He sat out most of January to rest his knee, but said it's started to bother him again in the two weeks since he returned. "The last couple of games, I've regressed," McGrady said during halftime of Wednesday's game. "I've felt pain."

The seven-time All-Star has missed a total of 17 games with soreness in the knee, the lingering effects of arthroscopic surgery last May. He visited renowned orthopedist James Andrews in December, after team doctor Tom Clanton said McGrady was suffering from general soreness in the knee. "Everything's the same," McGrady said. "That's the problem." The Rockets said McGrady is "expected to seek additional medical opinions in the coming days" and that his status will be reevaluated after the All-Star break. McGrady said he's optimistic about returning this season. He said no doctor has so far suggested that he should sit out the rest of the year to let the knee heal once and for all. McGrady said he would only consider more surgery as a last resort. "I have to, for myself and for this team, fix the problem to where I don't have it anymore," McGrady said. "I'm just trying to get all the information I can, to try to get back."

The Rockets said before Wednesday's game that the MRI earlier in the day revealed "no change in his left knee from prior diagnosis." McGrady acknowledged that he's suffering from the same injury that's bothered him all season. "We'll see what happens after the All-Star break," he said. "I've been getting some good news and getting some bad news, some different views. I'm confused."

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http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=290211022

Brandon Roy scored 22 points and Travis Outlaw came off the bench with 21, leading the Portland Trail Blazers to a 106-92 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night.

Greg Oden had 16 points and 10 rebounds for his rookie-leading 16th double-double of the season.

Russell Westbrook had 21 points and 12 rebounds for the Thunder, while Kevin Durant had 20 points in another display of the top two picks in the 2007 NBA draft -- this time with a very different result.