European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 24, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 34 o stars and stripes saturday March 24 2007 mavs win celtics lose both improve position the associated press the Dallas Mavericks left the Cleveland Cavaliers beaten and Lebron James beat up the Best game on the Aba schedule wednesday night went to the team with the Best record As the Mavericks forced James into a painful night and topped the Cavaliers 9890 in a matchup of title contenders at the other end of the Aba standings Are the Boston celtics who Are so bad that their coach opened his pos game re Marks by saying that he want trying to lose Dirk Nowitzki scored 23 Points for the mavs who have the nabs Best record at 5611 have won four straight and Are 30 on a six game Road trip that started with a Victory Over Detroit the other top team in the Eastern con Ference tonight want about West is East its about us getting better getting ready for the playoffs Nowitzki said no such concerns for the celtics who Are headed to the draft lottery but Doc Rivers said they we rent trying to improve their position wednesday when he kept his starters on the Bench while Boston blew an 18point Lead in a 9284 loss to the Charlotte Bob cats the celtics closest pursuers in the Greg Oden and Kevin Durant sweepstakes i was not throwing the game or anything like that Rivers said Ive heard All those questions honestly i got to the Point Early in the fourth Quarter and i turned to the coaches and said to them we Are either going to win or lose with this group one night after overcoming a 10point deficit to beat Cleveland in overtime the bobcats scored 18 straight Points while Paul Pierce was out with an injury Are some big wins no question said Raymond Felton who had 19 Points five assists and three steals now we got to keep it rolling see what happens at the end of the season try to see if we can slide into that last spot Dallas and Cleveland have much bigger goals and the mavs look closer to achieving theirs with a deeper team that can Han dle a poor shooting night from Nowitzki because of players like Josh Howard Jason Terry and Jerry Stackhouse this team is not going to win 50plus games with just Josh Howard and Dirk Nowitzki James said they have great players in Devin Harris Jerry Stackhouse and it and their big Are very Active James had a Tough night shoot ing and got roughed up As Well he finished with 31 Points but was 12for28 shooting As he sin Glen Anderly tried to put his team Back in it Chicago 6v4 new new Philadelphia a Dallas a Phoenix san Antonio Dutah Houston Denver la lakers la 56 51 47 44 43 34 35 11 16 20 23 25 31 32 836 761 701 657 632 523 522 5 9 12 21 21 Golden state 32 new Orleans 31 Minnesota 29 Sacramento 29 Portland 27 Seattle 26 Memphis 17 Xci inched playoff spot clinched 37 38 39 40 41 456 433 426 403 388 27 Tzvi 29 30 the Cavaliers Lebron James tries to drive against the Mavericks Josh Howard on wednesday Dallas beat up on James and beat the cars worse he banged his head on the floor after getting spun around by Howard while going for a Loose Ball he was slow to get up but stayed in the game James also took an Elbow from Nowitzki with left and fell to the floor in definitely not feeling 100 percent James said i took two dangerous hits today 108 supersonics 106 Gilbert Arenas capped his 42point night by banking in a right handed runner As time expired to give Washington a Victory at Seattle the wizards kept their slim Lead Over Miami in the Southeast division but it want easy against the shorthanded sonics who played without Allstar Ray Allen spurs 90 pacers 72 at san Antonio Tim Duncan scored 27 Points to Lead the spurs Over slumping Indiana the spurs who have clinched a playoff spot snapped a two game losing Streak that came after they had won a season High 13 in a Row Ike Diogu scored 14 Points for the pacers who fell apart after Point guard Jamaal Tinsley was ejected and have lost two in a Row raptors 92 magic 85 at Tor onto Chris Bosh had 34 Points and 16 rebounds in out playing Fel Low Allstar big Man Dwight Howard to Ford added 16 Points and 12 assists Toronto ended a two game los ing Streak despite missing no 1 pick Andrea Bagnani who had an appendectomy earlier in the Day and remains hospitalized there is no timetable for his re turn Grant Hill had 24 Points and Howard had 17 Points and 12 re Bounds for the magic who Haven won consecutive games since Jan 31 and feb 2 heat 91 Hawks 83 Jason Wil Liams had 21 Points and eight assists and Miami beat Atlanta for its 10th Victory in 11 games Josh Smith scored 27 Points for the Hawks who had their five game Home winning Streak snapped clippers 104 Bucks 103 Jason Hart made the godhead Basket from the Baseline with 3 seconds left to lift visiting los an Geles into the no 8 spot in the Western conference Corey Maggette scored 22 Points and Elton Brand had 21 Points and eight rebounds for the clippers Milwaukee which trailed by 22 Points late in the third Quarter got 27 Points from Michael Redd 95 Kings 89 Randy Foye scored 24 Points Kevin Garnett had 17 Points and 18 rebounds and Minnesota snapped an 11game Road losing Streak Sacramento has lost seven of eight Aba scoreboard Eastern conference w l pet go Western conference division Leader wednesdays games Miami 91 Atlanta 83 Toronto 92 Orlando 85 Charlotte 92 Boston 84 san Antonio 90 Indiana 72 Dallas 98 Cleveland 90 la clippers 104 Milwaukee 103 Washington 108 Seattle 106 Minnesota 95 Sacramento 89 thursdays games Portland at new York la lakers at Memphis Denver at Chicago Detroit at Houston Sacramento at Phoenix fridays games Miami at Indiana new Jersey at Orlando Denver at Toronto Charlotte at Philadelphia Dallas at Boston Portland at Atlanta new York at Cleveland Detroit at san Antonio la lakers at new Orleans Utah at la clippers Minnesota at Seattle Washington at Golden state saturdays games new Jersey at Charlotte Philadelphia at Miami Memphis at Utah Washington at la clippers wednesday heat 91 Hawks 83 Miami Posey 47 22 10 haslem 510 02 10 Oneal 48 4612 Ejones 510 3314 Jwilliams 714 44 21 Doleac 57 00 10 Dwright 23 00 4 Walker 27146 Payton 26 00 4 to tals 3672 142191 Atlanta Williams 715 24 16 Smith 1226 26 27 Pachulis 46 2410 Childress 38 34 9 Ajohnson 26 00 4 Wright 00 00 0 Lue 03 00 0 Swilliams 27 00 4 Stoudamire 3116613 Sjones 00 00 0 to tals 33821524 83 Miami 24 23 22 2291 Atlanta 22 14 23 2483 three Point goal Miami 518 Jwilliams 36 Walker 13 Ejones 15 Posey 02 pay ton Atlanta 210 Smith 12 Stoudamire 14 Lue 01 Ajohnson 01 Childress fouled outdone rebound Miami 47 Doleac haslem Dwright Atlanta 54 Williams assist Miami 25 Jwill iams Atlanta 25 Childress Lue total foul Miami 21 Atlanta 23 techno Ca haslem a19089 raptors 92 magic 85 Orlando Turkoglu 11112 4 Battie 26 23 6 Howard 68 513 17 Hill 814 89 24 Nelson 412 45 15 Ariza 24 34 7 Dooling 312 00 6 Milicic 14 00 2 Redick 14 11 4 totals 2875 2437 85 Toronto Carbajosa 17 00 3 Bosh 10211416 34 Nesterovich 1100 2 Peterson 25 33 7 Ford 615 34 16 Graham 48 13 9 Dixon 48 6615 Humphries 25 26 6 Martin 0100 0 sow 00 00 0 totals 3071 2938 92 Orlando 17 23 23 2285 Toronto 24 21 22 2592 three Point goal Orlando 510 Nelson 35 Turkoglu 11 Redick 13 Dooling Toronto 312 Ford 11 Dixon 14 Gar Ajosa 15 Peterson fouled re bound Orlando 47 Howard Toronto 63 Bosh assist Orlando 16 Dooling Toronto 21 Ford total fouls Orlan do 25 Toronto 26 technical Dooling Milicic Toronto defensive three second a18326 bobcats 92 celtics 84 Charlotte Carroll 513 34 15 Wallace 515 3513 Brezec 02 00 0 Morrison 17 00 2 Felton 814 00 19 Voskuhl 36 11 7 Aanderson 57 33 14 Herrmann 25 34 8 Mclnnis 14 00 2 Knight 45 22 10 Hollins 1100 2 totals 3579 1519 92 Boston Scalabrine 01 00 0 Jefferson 915 44 22 Perkins 35 78 13 West 513 00 10 Pierce 916 34 23 Rondo 02 00 0 Green 29 47 8 Gomes 18 22 4 Ray 03 00 0 Powe 13 22 4 Telfair 01 00 0 totals 3076 2227 84 Charlotte 19 20 23 3092 Boston 3123171384 three Point Goa Scharlotte 721 Felton 37 Carroll 24 Aanderson 12 Herrmann 13 Wallace 01 Morrison Boston 211 Pierce 25 Scalabrine 01 Ray 01 Green 02 West fouled outdone rebound Scharlotte 42 Wallace Boston 57 Jefferson Perkins Assis Scharlotte 22 Knight Boston 20 West Rondo total fou Scharlotte 20 Boston 20 a14743 spurs 90 pacers 72 Indiana Granger 38117 Foster 02 00 0 Oneal 515 0010 Dunleavy 591311 tins Ley 210 23 6 Murphy 411 22 10 Williams 36 00 6 Armstrong 25 01 4 Diogu 37 89 14 Mcleod 03 00 0 Baston 01 00 0 mar Shal 112 22 4 totals 2879 1621 72 san Antonio Bowen 15 00 2 Duncan 1116 58 27 Elson 68 22 14 Barry 33 11 9 Parker 37 47 10 Ginobile 17 55 8 Finley 39 00 6 Horry 00 00 0 Vaughn 12 00 2 Bon Ner 48 22 10 Oberto 12 00 2 Urrih 03 00 0 totals 3470 1925 90 Indiana 22 is 13 2272 san Antonio 1725282090 three Point goal Indiana 05 Tinsley 01 Armstrong 02 Williams san Anto Nio 315 Barry 22 Ginobile 15 Duncan 01 Urrih of Bowen 03 Finley fouled out none rebound Indiana 46 Diogu san Antonio 52 Bonner assists Indiana 10 Tinsley san Antonio 25 Ginobile total foul Indiana 23 san Antonio 21 technical Indiana defensive three Sec Ond Tinsley san Antonio defensive three second ejected Tinsley a18580 Mavericks 98 Cavaliers 90 Dallas Nowitzki 924 33 23 Howard 29 22 7 Dampier 45 55 13 de Harris 81100 17 Terry 816 33 21 Diop 22 00 4 stack House 38 44 10 croshere 13 00 3 men Sah Bonsu 00 00 0 totals 37781717 98 Cleveland James 1228 67 31 Gooden 713 5619 Lugauskas 48 22 10 Pavlovic 58 3416 Hughes 312 58 11 Varjao 03 02 0 Marshall 16 00 3 Snow 00 00 0 Gibson 02 00 0 totals 3280 2129 90 Dallas 22 27 30 1998 Cleveland 23 22 21 2490 three Point goal Dallas 719 Terry 25 Nowitzki 27 de Harris 11 Howard 13 croshere Cleveland 514 Pavlovic 33 Marshall 12 James 16 Hughes of Gibson fouled outdone rebound Dallas 46 Dampier Nowitzki Cleveland 51 Good in assist Dallas 25 de Harris Nowitzki Stackhouse Cleveland 18 Hughes total foul Dallas 24 Cleveland 16 a20562 clippers 104 Bucks 103 la cuppers Brand 914 35 21 Ross 27 01 4 Kaman 210 56 9 Mobley 715 44 19 Hart 69 00 12 Maggette 714 78 22 Ewing 25 00 4 Cassell 33 00 7 Singleton 22 22 6 totals 4079 2126 104 Milwaukee Bell 57 12 13 Skinner 47 34 11 Reiner 02 00 0 Redd 715 1111 27 Williams 916 22 20 Patterson 713 68 20 Noel 17 00 2 Greer 14 44 6 Ilyasova 13 22 4 totals 3574 2933 103 la doers 30352514104 Milwaukee 24 28 19 32103 three Point goals la clippers 35 Cas sell 11 Maggette 12 mob Fey Milwaukee 410 Bell 24 Redd 24 Ilyasova of Greer fouled outdone rebound Sla clippers 39 Brand Milwaukee 48 Skinner assists la clippers 21 mag Gette Milwaukee 19 Williams total fouls la clippers 25 Milwaukee 20 tech Nical Milwaukee defensive three second 2 a14113 wizards 108 sonics 106 Washington Jamison 721 48 21 Blatche 68 0012 Haywood 47 00 8 Steven son 17 of 2 Arenas 13241012 42 Songaila 571211 Thomas 00 00 0 Daniels 27 45 9 Mason 16 00 3 Ruffin 00 00 0 Booth 0100 0 totals 3988 1927 108 Seattle Ras Lewis 924 55 26 Wilcox 1120 510 27 Collison 310 4410 Wilkins 29 77 12 Ridnour 511 23 12 Petro 13 00 2 Watson 5101215 Gela Bale 14 00 2 Brown 00 00 0 totals 3791 2431106 Washington 26 21 30 31108 Seattle 19 24 33 30106 three Point goal Washington 1131 Are Nas 612 Jamison 310 Daniels 12 Mason 14 Stevenson Seattle 823 Watson 47 Ras Lewis 312 Wilkins 12 Ridnour 01 Gela Bale fouled outdone rebounds Washington 49 Blatche Jamison Seattle 69 Wilcox assist Washington 21 Are Nas Seattle 18 Ridnour Watson total foul Washington 22 Seattle 20 techno Cal Washington defensive three second Seattle coach Hill Wilkins a15498 Timber wolves 95 Kings 89 Minnesota Hassell 25 00 4 Garnett 718 33 17 Blount 47 13 9 Davis 514 24 14 James 58 12 12 Smith 25 45 8 Foye 912 66 24 Jaric 14 22 4 Mccants 13 12 3 totals 3676 2027 95 Sacramento attest 512 0011 William son 713 3417 Abdurrahim 812 2219 mar tin 210 57 9 Bibby 819 45 23 Salmons 15 22 5 Williams 13 02 2 Garcia 16 11 3 Price 00 00 0 totals 3380 1723 89 Minnesota 22 21 20 3295 Sacramento 28 20 22 1989 three Point goal Minnesota 312 Davis 25 James 13 Jaric 01 Mccants 01 Foye Sacramento 622 Bibby 311 Abdurrahim 11 Salmons 11 Artest 12 Martin 03 Garcia fouled outdone re bound Minnesota 54 Garnett Sacra mento 46 Williamson assists Mineso to 17 Davis Sacramento 18 Bibby total foul Minnesota 19 Sacramento 20 technical Garnett Minnesota coach Witt Man Sacramento defensive three second a17317