PORTLAND, Ore. — Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge each had 20 points, and the Portland Trail Blazers held off the tired but tenacious Detroit Pistons 87-81 on Wednesday night.
The Blazers led by as many as 20 points in the second half, but the Pistons chipped away and closed to 76-70 on Charlie Villanueva’s jumper with 3 minutes left.
Villanueva hit another jumper to make it 78-75 with 1:29 to go, and after Steve Blake made a bad pass on Portland’s end, Villanueva’s fast-break layup cut it to 78-77.
Blake redeemed himself, however, by hitting a 3-pointer with 25.2 seconds left.
The teams traded free throws before Villanueva’s tip-in made it 83-81 with 10 seconds remaining, but that was as close as Detroit got.
Blake and Andre Miller hit four straight foul shots for the final margin.
Miller finished with 10 points and 11 assists and Blake scored 17 points for the Blazers, home after a 4-1 road trip. Portland has won eight of its last 10 games.
Villanueva had 20 points and Rodney Stuckey added 21 for the Pistons, who were playing the second of a back-to-back.
Wizards 108, Cavaliers 91
WASHINGTON — LeBron James was stymied down the stretch by DeShawn Stevenson, Antawn Jamison delivered 31 points and 10 rebounds in his season debut, and the Washington Wizards beat the Cleveland Cavaliers Wednesday night to end a six-game losing streak.
James finished with 34 points and nine assists, but he scored only six points in the fourth quarter while shooting 3-for-7.
Mavericks 99, Spurs 94 (OT)
DALLAS — Dirk Nowitzki scored 11 of his season-high 41 points in overtime and the short-handed Dallas Mavericks held on to beat the injury-depleted San Antonio Spurs 99-94 on Wednesday night.
Hawks 105, Heat 90
ATLANTA — Joe Johnson made it two straight 30-point games, Josh Smith dominated during a decisive first-half run and Atlanta won its sixth in a row, beating Miami to reclaim a share of the NBA’s best record.
Michael Beasley led the Heat with 21 points.
Bucks 99, Nets 85
MILWAUKEE — Andrew Bogut and Carlos Delfino each scored 21 points, Bogut also grabbed 11 rebounds, and Milwaukee beat winless New Jersey.
Knicks 110, Pacers 103
INDIANAPOLIS — Al Harrington scored 13 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter against his former team, and New York beat Indiana to snap a six-game losing streak.
Magic 108, Thunder 94
ORLANDO, Fla. — Rashard Lewis fell one assist shy of his first triple-double, finishing with 17 points and 10 rebounds in Orlando’s victory over Oklahoma City.
Lewis, who was suspended for the first 10 games of the season for violating the league’s substance abuse policy, didn’t play in the fourth quarter, which the Magic started with an 88-58 lead.
Grizzlies 106, Clippers 91
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Rudy Gay and Zach Randolph scored 21 points apiece, and Memphis beat the Los Angeles Clippers for its second straight victory.
Jazz 104, Raptors 91
SALT LAKE CITY — Rookie Eric Maynor scored 11 of his 15 points in the fourth quarter and helped the Utah Jazz hang on for a 104-91 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night.
Rockets 97, T-wolves 84
MINNEAPOLIS — Luis Scola had 20 points and a season-high 16 rebounds in Houston’s 97-84 victory over the Timberwolves on Wednesday night, Minnesota’s 11th loss in a row.
76ers 86, Bobcats 84
PHILADELPHIA — Lou Williams’ layup with 3.1 seconds remaining lifted Philadelphia over Charlotte, ending the 76ers’ two-game losing streak.
Celtics 109, Warriors 95
BOSTON — Rajon Rondo scored 12 of his season-high-matching 18 points in the third quarter and the Boston Celtics rebounded from a two-game skid.
Outlaw out 3-5 months
PORTLAND, Ore. — Trail Blazers forward Travis Outlaw had surgery Wednesday to repair a stress fracture of the fifth metatarsal bone in his left foot.
The team says he will be sidelined three to five months.
Outlaw, who averages 9.9 points, hurt the foot during the first quarter of the Trail Blazers’ game against Charlotte on Saturday night.
The 6-foot-9 sixth man averaged 12.8 points last season and has been dubbed “Mr. Fourth Quarter” because of his knack for making important shots late in the game.
Spurs’ Parker out again
DALLAS — Tony Parker sat out San Antonio’s game against Dallas on Wednesday night after aggravating his sprained left ankle, and the Spurs also lost guard Manu Ginobili in the first quarter with a strained left groin. George Hill started in Parker’s place.
Shaq out at least 1 more
WASHINGTON — Shaquille O’Neal could miss the Cleveland Cavaliers’ next couple of games with a strained shoulder.
O’Neal did not travel with the Cavaliers for their game at the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night, the third consecutive time he sat out.
Cleveland coach Mike Brown said O’Neal also will be out Friday at Indiana.
Magic weighs in on jerseys
NEW YORK — Magic Johnson said Wednesday he would go along with LeBron James’ plan to have NBA players stop wearing No. 23.
James said last week he would change jersey numbers next season in honor of Michael Jordan, and said no other players should wear it, either.
Birdman day-to-day
DENVER — The Denver Nuggets say Chris “Birdman” Andersen is day-to-day with moderate patellar tendinitis in his right knee.
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