Bulls' Kirk Hinrich out with Thumb Injury

Bulls guard Kirk Hinrich needs surgery to repair a torn ligament in his right thumb and will miss up to three months. Hinrich was hurt Friday night in Chicago's 100-83 victory over Phoenix. "I'm frustrated," Hinrich said Saturday. "I worked hard in the off-season. I'm still trying to figure out how long 12 weeks is going to be and, really, what I'm going to do with myself."

Hinrich, making his first start, was injured in the third quarter trying to knock the ball away from Amare Stoudemire, The guard initially thought he hyperextended the thumb but realized it was more serious as the swelling mounted. Even so, he didn't expect this diagnosis.

The Bulls initially called it a sprain, but an exam before Saturday night's game against Cleveland revealed a torn ulnar collateral ligament. "I was going home last night thinking maybe in a couple days I'd be feeling better," Hinrich said. "I was kinda shocked that I find out today I had torn a ligament."

It's the first major injury for Hinrich, who said he has never had surgery. The operation is scheduled for Tuesday. "It's tough to swallow," coach Vinny Del Negro said before the Bulls played Cleveland. "I feel bad for him. Without question, it affects the team."

The injury creates a leadership void and leaves the Bulls without a reliable backup point guard behind No. 1 draft pick Derrick Rose. "We're going to be real careful," general manager John Paxson said. "We're looking at the (luxury) tax number. We've already talked about some things. I'm going to sit down (Sunday) and take a look at the available people out there (and) how does it work with us in the tax line."

In his sixth season, Hinrich was averaging 8.3 points and 4.0 assists in mostly a backup role now that Rose is in the fold. The Bulls went with Thabo Sefolosha at shooting guard the first five games but he struggled, so Del Negro started Hinrich with Rose against the Suns.

On Saturday, Ben Gordon started at shooting guard and the Bulls might stick with him for at least a few games. When they drafted Rose, they envisioned him penetrating and passing out to an open Gordon on the perimeter, and they figure to get more time together now that Hinrich is hurt. But who will back up Rose?

Larry Hughes is expected to participate in contact drills this week and will add depth to the backcourt once he returns after dislocating his right shoulder in the pre-season, but he's not a point guard. Ballhandling is not a strength of Gordon or Sefolosha.

"We know Derrick's going to play those 35 to 40 minutes a night," general manager John Paxson said. "It's those other minutes that you get a little bit concerned about." Besides Hinrich, forward Drew Gooden sat out with a sprained right ankle. He is day to day.

Clippers Beat Mavericks 103-92

Baron Davis scored a team-high 22 points and added 10 assists as the Los Angeles Clippers earned their first win of the season by defeating the Dallas Mavericks, 103-92, at the Staples Center. Al Thornton chipped in 17 points, while Chris Kaman added 10 points and nine rebounds for the Clippers, who snapped a six-game losing streak to start the season and 13-game losing skid overall, dating back to last season.

Dirk Nowitzki had a game-high 33 points and pulled down seven rebounds for Dallas, which has lost two straight. Gerald Green scored 13 points and had 10 rebounds starting in place of forward Josh Howard, who missed the contest with a wrist injury. Jason Kidd finished with seven points and nine assists for Dallas.

With LA clinging to a 47-45 lead after one half, the Clippers managed to stretch its lead to double digits after Davis hit from beyond the arc, giving the hosts a 64-54 edge at the midpoint of the third quarter. The Mavericks tried hanging in the contest, and after six points from Jose Barea and three free throws from Nowitzki in the final three minutes of the quarter, the visitors trailed 73-69 after three periods.

In the fourth, LA continued to play front-runner in the early going, but an 8-2 run, highlighted by a Jerry Stackhouse dunk, tied the game at 79-79 with 8:31 remaining. Jason Terry's jumper forged the deadlock. But the Clippers would not be denied as they scored 13 straight points, including two free throws from Thornton after a flagrant foul was whistled against Kidd. "We battled hard to get back in the game," Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle said. "We dug a hole and we battled back. They went on a 13-0 run and we didn't shoot well."

Dallas was unable to put a dent into the LA advantage and the Clippers coasted to the finish. "It's great to win and it's a lot better than losing," Davis said. "Our young guys played great. We've been patient with each other and we're working together. We concentrated on rebounding today and Marcus Camby is working his way back into shape. We were able to pressure their defense. It just feels good to get a win."

With the Clippers holding a 25-24 lead after one quarter, LA got a jumper from Jason Hart and three-pointer by Eric Gordon to go up by six in the early stages of the second quarter. They extended the lead to eight following another Gordon three with 7:44 left in the half. Dallas, however, answered with a trey from Green and layup by Kidd to cut its deficit to 37-34 near the midway point of the second stanza.

Los Angeles kept the Mavs at bay for the remainder of the quarter, but a tip- in by Nowitzki in the closing seconds got Dallas to within two points heading into the intermission.

Hawks' Josh Smith out with Ankle Injury

Atlanta Hawks forward Josh Smith left Friday's 110-92 victory over the Toronto Raptors in the first quarter with a high left ankle sprain and is expected to miss an estimated 2-to-4 weeks with the injury. Smith went up for a block on a jumper from Toronto's Jermaine O'Neal with 56.1 seconds left in the first and came down awkwardly. He visited the bench before heading to the locker room for x-rays.

In a little over 11 minutes of action, Smith logged six points on 3-of-6 shooting and had a turnover. Through three games this season, the talented fourth-year pro is averaging a double-double with 14.0 points and 10.7 rebounds to go along with 3.3 blocks per contest.

Kings Beat Warriors 115-98

Kevin Martin scored 27 points, and the Sacramento Kings rolled to a 115-98 win over the Golden State Warriors. Spencer Hawes scored 14 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, and Brad Miller had 14 points and 10 boards for the Kings, who have won three straight at home after starting the season with four straight road losses. John Salmons added 16 points for Sacramento, but the team was concerned about Martin, who left late in the third quarter with a left ankle injury.

"I just saw him twist his ankle, but someone said he hurt his head too," said Sacramento's Spencer Hawes. "He said everything feels good, so that's a positive that he is here and I saw him walking around so that is good."

Andris Biedrins had 16 points and 18 rebounds for the Warriors, who have lost two in a row and three of four. Stephen Jackson had 15 points and six assists, and Kelenna Azubuike added 12 points for Golden State.

"We are a wounded team right now," said Jackson. "I have been getting doubled as the season started, more since guys got hurt and are not on the floor. Teams will keep doing that until we find a way to counter it. I can't be frustrated right now because it can be a domino effect for the whole team."

Sacramento pulled away early in the third quarter and never looked back. After a Biedrins hook shot cut the deficit to 63-59, the Kings scored nine straight, including a three by Salmons, and a Miller free throw posted Sacramento to a 72-59 lead with 8:48 to play.

A Bobby Brown three late in the quarter pushed Sacramento's lead to 90-72, but an Anthony Randolph putback dunk trimmed the deficit to 16 points entering the final 12 minutes.

The Sacramento lead reached 20 points early in the fourth quarter, when Brown drained a driving jumper for a 95-75 lead with 9:34 remaining. The Warriors never threatened down the stretch as the Kings cruised to victory.

The Kings led 36-33 after the first quarter. The lead held at three points late in the first half, until Sacramento carved out a little bit of distance. A Jason Thompson dunk pushed the Kings up 63-54 with 15 seconds left. Jackson nailed a running jumper and drew a foul in the final seconds, however, and drained the free throw to pull Golden State within 63-57 at the intermission.

Knicks Beat Jazz 107-99

Jamal Crawford had a game-high 32 points and four assists to lead the New York Knicks in a comeback win over the previously unbeaten Utah Jazz, 107-99, at Madison Square Garden. Zach Randolph added 25 points and 14 rebounds for the Knicks, who have won three in a row. Nate Robinson ended with 10 points and four steals for New York. Chris Duhon chipped in 16 points and nine helpers in the win. Carlos Boozer poured in 19 points and hauled in 17 boards for the Jazz, who fell to 5-1 on the year. Andrei Kirilenko tallied 18 points and Mehmet Okur 17 in defeat. Ronnie Brewer gave 12 points, seven steals and seven assists, but also turned the ball over four times.

New York trailed by as many as seven points in the third quarter, but found themselves within four with 4:31 left in the stanza. Two free throws each from Robinson and David Lee sparked an 11-0 run that ended the quarter. "We're changing the culture around here," Crawford said. "Guys are really competing, we're playing together and coach believes in us. He's positive and upbeat all the time." Crawford closed out the scoring via a three-pointer with 23.1 seconds left in the third to give the Knicks a 76-69 lead -- their biggest advantage to that point -- heading into the final quarter. Utah was held scoreless for the last 4:31 of the frame.

Consecutive baskets from Randolph and Duhon gave the Knicks a 94-83 lead with 4 1/2 minutes left in regulation. New York led by as many as 12 the rest of the way and never let Utah get within six to secure the win.

"They knocked down a lot of shots, tough shots, you have to take your hat off to them," Boozer said. "They did a good job of driving the ball and hitting threes."

The Knicks fell behind by seven late in the opening stanza, but a pair from the line by Randolph and a Robinson jumper to close the frame out gave the Jazz a 29-26 lead after 12 minutes. Seven points from Crawford made it a one-possession game, 52-49, with less than 30 seconds left in the half. However, Boozer hit two at the charity stripe to close out the half and give the visitors a five-point cushion heading into the locker room.

Lakers Beat Rockets 111-82

Reigning MVP Kobe Bryant scored 23 points and the Lakers came away with a convincing 111-82 win over the Houston Rockets to remain unbeaten on the young season. Pau Gasol had 20 points and grabbed 15 rebounds for the Lakers, who improved to 5-0. Andrew Bynum totaled 13 points and seven boards, while Jordan Farmar added 16 points and six assists off the bench.

Los Angeles overcame a sluggish first quarter and held the Rockets to just 34 points in the second half. "In the first quarter, we let it slip a little," said Bynum. "We turned the ball over, but we were able to hang in there and play good defense in the fourth quarter. Defense was the reason we won the game."

Aaron Brooks scored 20 points to pace the Rockets, who have dropped three of their last four games after starting the season with three straight wins. Luis Scola and Yao Ming both collected 12 points, with the former pulling down nine boards and the latter finishing with eight caroms. Tracy McGrady was limited to three points on 1-of-11 shooting. "They've been good all season, but we're better than what we showed," said Houston head coach Rick Adelman. "It's disappointing. They ran over us in the fourth quarter."

A Carl Landry jumper put Houston up 41-28 four minutes into the second quarter before the Lakers took control, going on a 22-7 run to close the half. Bynum converted two from the foul line to bring Los Angeles within 47-46, then Gasol followed with a basket and the Lakers carried a slim 50-48 lead into the break. Houston trailed 55-54 after Ron Artest nailed a three-pointer, but Bryant countered with a pair of buckets to make it a five-point game with 6:29 to play in the third quarter. The teams continued to trade shots and Los Angeles went into the fourth quarter ahead 72-65.

The Lakers pulled away in the final stanza. The lead reached 92-73 when Sasha Vujacic made a technical free throw with 6:44 to play and Houston didn't pose a threat the rest of the way. McGrady drained a three-pointer to extend the Rockets to a 16-7 lead with 5 1/2 minutes remaining in the first quarter, and the visiting club held a 28-16 edge going into the second.

Nuggets Beat Grizzlies 100-90

Carmelo Anthony scored 24 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead the Denver Nuggets in a 100-90 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies. Nene chipped in 18 points and 12 boards for the Nuggets, who have won two straight. Chauncey Billups added 16 points and 10 assists, while Linas Kleiza and Renaldo Balkman had 12 apiece.

Denver lost Chris Andersen in the first quarter to a fractured rib after he took a charge in the lane. There's no word on how long he will be sidelined. "It wasn't an easy win for us," said Nuggets coach George Karl. "Marc (Iavaroni) has Memphis playing at a better level. Our defense got better and we wore them down as the game went on."

O.J. Mayo had a game-high 31 points and hauled in eight boards for the Grizzlies, who have alternated wins and losses for all seven games this season. Rudy Gay gave 16 points in a losing effort. "My teammates got me the ball and I had a lot of open looks," said Mayo. "Denver did a good job of slowing me down in the second half, though."

Three free throws and a putback slam from Anthony gave the Nuggets an 83-76 lead with 7:11 left in the tilt. Up five points moments later, Balkman connected on a layup that set the tone for a 13-2 Denver run that basically put the game away. Nene closed it out with a layup that made it 98-82 with 3:21 to play.

The Grizzlies used a 10-1 run to close out the first and take a 34-28 lead into the second stanza. The Nuggets fought back and cut it to 54-53 heading into the intermission. The Nuggets outscored the Grizzlies 20-15 in the third quarter to assume a 73-69 lead heading into the final 12 minutes of play.

Anthony poured in a layup and was fouled by Darrell Arthur before connecting on a three-point play to give the home team a 76-69 lead with 11:41 left in the game. Five straight points from Quinton Ross, though, pulled Memphis back in it, 76-74.

Raptors Beat Bobcats 89-79

The Toronto Raptors overcame their recent struggles by returning to what got them off to a strong start this season - finding the open man. Chris Bosh capitalized by scoring 30 points with a season-high 15 rebounds for the Raptors in an 89-79 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats on Sunday that snapped a two-game losing streak. "My teammates do a great job of finding the open guy," said Bosh, who scored 14 points in the fourth quarter when Toronto led by as many as 15. "That's what we're taught to do, and that's where we make our bread and butter. If we see a guy open, we have to get it to him."

Andrea Bargnani scored 18 points for the Raptors, including a key three-pointer with less than six minutes to go that put Toronto ahead to stay. Jose Calderon added 13 points and Jamario Moon had 10 for the Raptors, who opened the season with three straight wins.

"We just had to get back to believing in ourselves," Bosh said. "We kind of stopped talking about being a good team. . We stopped demanding perfection from ourselves."

Bobcats rookie D.J. Augustin scored 11 of his 14 points in the second quarter in helping Charlotte take a 45-40 lead at the break. Jason Richardson and Raymond Felton had 12 points each, and Jared Dudley 10. Gerald Wallace, the Bobcats' No. 2 scorer at 17.2 points per game, was held to six points on 2-of-11 shooting. "If they do a good job on (Richardson) and Wallace, it's pretty tough for us," Charlotte head coach Larry Brown said.

Charlotte upped its lead to 58-47 on Richardson's layup with 7:11 remaining in the third quarter. But the Raptors closed the quarter with a 16-9 run to pull within 67-63. "We had control of it, and we let them get away," Wallace said. "Late in that third quarter, they kind of took over the game. We just had trouble guarding them and they were able to get too many easy baskets."

The two sides then swapped the lead six times in the first five minutes of the fourth quarter, with Richardson giving Charlotte its last lead at 74-72 on a three-pointer with 7:58 left. Bosh tied the game 30 seconds later with a layup, and Bargnani's three-pointer from the top of the key with 5:53 left put Toronto ahead. Bargnani also capped a 17-point run with another three-pointer with 1:42 remaining that gave the Raptors an 89-74 margin, their biggest lead of the game. "Andrea gave us a big lift," Toronto head coach Sam Mitchell said. "(And) our guys made the game easy for Chris. We got him some easy baskets for a change without him having to work so hard."

With the Bobcats struggling to find their range - they hit just three of their first 15 shots - Toronto appeared to take command midway through the first quarter, going on a 14-6 run to pull ahead 20-13 with 30 seconds left. Charlotte, however, got right back into it with six unanswered points over the final seven seconds to cut the Raptors' lead to 20-19, beginning with Emeka Okafor's layup.

Matt Carroll hit a free throw after Mitchell was called for a technical foul with 1.5 seconds left, and Felton hit three more free throws after he was fouled by Anthony Parker on a desperation three-pointer from midcourt. Augustin, the ninth overall pick in the June draft, then put the Bobcats ahead with his offensive surge in the second quarter. He nailed a three-pointer with 10:34 left to tie the game at 22-22, made another a minute later to put Charlotte up 27-24, and scored the Bobcats' final five points of the quarter.

"We had a horrible first quarter, but we managed to stay attached in the second quarter," Brown said. "We controlled the tempo and got good shots early in the third quarter. Then it seemed like we didn't stop them, and that was the difference."

Spurs' Tony Parker out with Ankle Injury

Tony Parker will be out about four weeks with a sprained left ankle - a critical blow to the San Antonio Spurs, who are off to their worst start in 12 years. An MRI taken Saturday confirmed the injury to the Spurs' star guard, who was hurt during a 99-83 loss to the Miami Heat on Friday - two nights after scoring a career-high 55 points against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Parker was driving for a layup when he rolled his ankle.

The 26-year-old Parker was using crutches and wearing a protective boot while watching Sunday's practice. He was second in the league in scoring behind LeBron James at 27.4 points per game.

The Spurs are 1-4 and play at home against the New York Knicks on Tuesday. In 1996, they opened the season 1-5. Parker will be replaced by either rookie George Hill or 12th-year veteran Jacque Vaughn. Hill took Parker's place against the Heat. "You'll probably get to see George play a lot," Spurs president R.C. Buford said. "We'll continue to evaluate not only our team, but the NBA market as we go along. Our guys have been encouraged with what George has done to date."

One of the last cuts the Spurs made in the pre-season was fourth-year point guard Salim Stoudamire, who has not been signed by another team. The Spurs are also missing Manu Ginobili, who is expected to be out until December while recovering from ankle surgery. He participated in cutting and shooting drills during Sunday's practice. "I don't think we can comment on Manu other than to say that he continues to progress as prescribed," Buford said.

Hill has played 35 minutes since being drafted 26th overall out of Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis. He played 10 minutes after Parker left Friday, missing three shots from the floor. He finished with one point, an assist and a turnover.

The 33-year-old Vaughn was inactive, though no injury was listed. He dressed but did not play Wednesday at Minnesota. He averaged 10 minutes in the Spurs' first four games this season.

Bucks Beat Wizards 12-104

Richard Jefferson scored a game-high 32 points for the Bucks, leading Milwaukee to its first home win of the year in a 112-104 overtime victory over the Washington Wizards.

Down by 12 heading into the final frame, Milwaukee was able to forge a tie on the heels of a 12-5 run to end regulation. The Bucks were able to outscore Washington 14-6 in the extra frame to take the win.

Jefferson shot 13-of-23 from the floor and had nine assists for the Bucks, who have won three of five to start the season. Ramon Sessions, who only appeared in 17 games last season -- his rookie campaign, scored 22 points and dished out eight assists in his second consecutive start at the point.

Luke Ridnour, who sat out the past two games with back spasms, posted a double-double with 20 points and 11 assists, and rookie Luc Mbah a Moute had 17 points, including 11 in the final quarter and overtime.

The Bucks were without star guard Michael Redd, who was sidelined with a sprained ankle he suffered Sunday against the Knicks. He is expected to return Friday against Boston.

Caron Butler scored a team-high 27 points on 9-of-15 shooting, and Antawn Jamison added 19 points and 10 rebounds for the Wizards, who have dropped three straight to open the season. Nick Young contributed 14 points, as the Wizards shot 43.6 percent from the floor.

Washington attempted a season-high 51 free throws but could only convert on 34 of the chances.

The teams traded a couple early baskets in the overtime period, and the game was tied 102-102 with two minutes to play after Andrew Bogut missed a free throw that would have capped a three-point play.

After a steal on the ensuing possession, Jefferson capped a 3-on-1 with a one- handed dunk to give Milwaukee a two-point lead. Mbah a Moute gave the Bucks a 106-102 lead with 1:14 to go with a acrobatic layup, and the rookie from UCLA hit an important jumper on the next series to go up 108-102.

Washington would cut the lead to four, but the Bucks made enough free throws to keep the Wizards at bay and secure the victory.

Milwaukee took an early 11-2 lead in the first four minutes thanks to a couple Jefferson jump shots. Jefferson scored a total of 14 points in the opening quarter, and the Bucks took a healthy 30-17 advantage into the second.

The Wizards dominated the second quarter by a 28-9 margin -- including a 13-0 run to end the half. The Bucks didn't score for the last 6:34 of the quarter, and Washington headed into halftime up 45-39.

Washington widened its lead, starting the second half on a 10-2 burst. Butler had four points, while Jamison and Antonio Daniels each contributed three in the first few minutes of the quarter. The teams traded baskets for the remainder of the third, and the Wizards headed into the final frame up 78-66.

Down 89-76 with 7:31 to play, the Bucks went on a 7-0 run to cut the lead to six. Mbah a Moute and Jefferson hit jumpers on consecutive possessions to bring Milwaukee the closest they had been since halftime.

Mbah a Moute hit a layup on the next possession to make it a four-point game, but DeShawn Stevenson hit a three to put the Wizards up seven with four minutes left. Sessions had a nifty layup that turned into a three-point play to bring the Bucks' deficit to four once again, and a Ridnour jumper cut it to one a couple possessions later.

After a Butler free throw made it 96-94, Sessions stole the ball at the key and tied the game on an uncontested layup. Washington committed a shot clock violation, giving Milwaukee possession with 51.3 seconds to go.

Bogut made an emphatic dunk to give Milwaukee the lead with 35.0 seconds to go, but Jamison tied the game again at 98 with a floater with 21.8 seconds left. Holding for the final possession, the Bucks went to Mbah a Moute for the winning jump shot, but he clanked it off the rim, sending the game into overtime.

Cavaliers Beat Bulls 107-93

LeBron James poured in 41 points, pulled down nine rebounds and had six assists, as the Cavaliers ran past the Chicago Bulls, 107-93.

James went 13-of-23 from the field and missed just one of his 16 foul shots, while playing after landing awkwardly on his left ankle in the first quarter. He also had four steals for the Cavs, who won their second straight game.

"I have always been an attack guy and anytime you can get teams into early foul trouble or get us in the bonus, it helps us because we are a pretty good free throw shooting team," said James. "I just wanted to be aggressive all night long, and against a young team like this, you want to just keep on trying to continue to attack them. I was able to do that as an individual and as a team we did that."

Delonte West added 16 points, and Zydrunas Ilgauskas was a force in the middle with 15 points and 10 rebounds for Cleveland, which won at home over the Bulls for the eighth time in the last 10 tries. Mo Williams had 13 points in the win. Ben Gordon scored 31 in a reserve role for the Bulls, who lost their second in a row. Derrick Rose had 20 points and seven assists, and Luol Deng scored 18 to go with seven boards. Former Cavalier Drew Gooden logged 11 points and nine rebounds.

"Of course we could've done things better," said Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro. "We tried to trap him (James). Then we switched on him. Then we went under on him. We tried all different things. But when he gets his jumper down, he's tough to stop. When he's around the basket, he's so powerful."

Seven straight points by the Cavaliers gave them a 17-13 early lead, and it was 30-24 going into the second. James was the driving force late in the first with seven points over the final 2:15.

Rose's layup had the Bulls within 47-43 with 2 1/2 minutes left in the half, but the Cavs finished the period on a 10-2 spurt, culminated by West's three- pointer off a cross-court pass from James. LeBron toyed with Gooden, moving his legs several times before delivering the pass to West, who nailed the shot from the left wing with 42.3 seconds left in the half.

A Deng jumper climbed Chicago within 65-58 with 5 1/2 minutes remaining in the third, but James took over with the final six points of an ensuing 10-0 run.

It was 83-71 going into the fourth quarter. Gordon's three-point play pulled Chicago within 90-83 with nearly seven minutes remaining, but James dominated again to pull Cleveland away. He first converted a three-point play, and then had two more buckets, including a tip-in for a 97-83 difference with 3:05 left.

Lakers Beat Clippers 106-88

Kobe Bryant didn't shoot the lights out but recorded a game-high 27 points as the Lakers put on a defensive clinic in the fourth quarter to keep the Clippers winless with a 106-88 decision.

Bryant shot 8-of-21 from the field and got contributions from Lamar Odom and Derek Fisher, who chipped in 15 and 13 points, respectively, for the 4-0 Lakers.

Andrew Bynum scored nine points and brought down a game-high 17 rebounds for the Lakers, who have beaten their intra-city rivals six straight times.

Al Thornton posted 22 points, and Tim Thomas netted 18 off the bench, but neither was a factor in a wretched fourth quarter for the Clippers, who have yet to win in five games to start the year.

Baron Davis added 17 points while battling foul trouble most of the game.

The Lakers drained 32-of-45 from the foul line, while the Clips struggled to get to the stripe, shooting at a 10-for-15 clip.

"We settled in defensively in the fourth quarter," Bryant said. "We tried to make them take tough shots. We just applied constant pressure. Even though we have games we don't shoot well, we play defense well."

A Cuttino Mobley three-ball and layup gave the Clippers an 81-79 lead with 8:15 remaining in the game, but the second-fiddle franchise proceeded to go scoreless for the next seven-plus minutes.

The Lakers had their way offensively down the stretch. Drives to the bucket resulted in free throws and kick-outs to wide-open three-pointers from Fisher and Odom.

The defending Western Conference champs made 12-of-16 from the charity stripe during a 22-0 stretch in the final quarter that easily put the game away.

"I was disappointed in our guys," Clippers head coach Mike Dunleavy said. "Down the stretch the Lakers were tougher and we got softer. We played good basketball tonight. Our ability to carry it through was disappointing."

The Lakers, pitted as the home team in the lopsided battle of LA, trailed 29-27 after 12 minutes before rattling off eight points to open the second.

Thornton brought the Clips back by scoring seven consecutive points late in the second period to spark a 13-3 run, putting the underdogs ahead 51-47 at the break.

The lead exchanged hands five times in the back-and-forth third session, with the Lakers building a 72-68 lead heading to the final frame.

Orlando Magic Beat 76ers 98-88

Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu each scored 20 points and grabbed eight rebounds, and the Orlando Magic downed the Philadelphia 76ers, 98-88.

Jameer Nelson scored 16 points and doled out nine assists for the Magic, who have won three straight after starting the season 0-2. Dwight Howard had a quiet night by his standards, with 14 points and eight rebounds, and Mickael Pietrus added 12 points for Orlando.

"Our guys fought hard and played the game well," said Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy. "We took good shots, I didn't think we forced as many plays."

Thaddeus Young scored 19 points to lead the struggling Sixers, who lost for the second time in two nights in Florida. Andre Iguodala had 16 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists, but shot 4-of-12 from the field, and Andre Miller scored 15 points but shot only 7-of-24 for Philadelphia, which was ripped in Miami on Wednesday, and has dropped four of six to start the season.

Samuel Dalembert had 10 points and 14 rebounds for the Sixers, who shot a horrific 37.9 percent from the field. Elton Brand had a tough night, scoring only six points on 3-of-8 shooting, but had 12 boards.

The Magic opened the second half with a 14-2 run, and took a commanding 23- point lead. Holding an 11-point edge as the third quarter began, Orlando took advantage of the ice-cold offensive performance by the Sixers, who started the quarter 1-for-6 along with two Brand missed free throws to fall behind 68-45.

Philadelphia cut to within nine points by the end of the quarter, and a Lou Williams layup brought the Sixers within 80-74 with 8:38 left in regulation. Howard and Nelson answered with baskets, though, and Turkoglu canned a three down the stretch as the Magic pulled away.

"They kept making shots," said Sixers head coach Maurice Cheeks. "I thought our defense in the second half was pretty good, but when they spread the floor with shooters like they do and when they make shots it makes them tough to guard, because they always have that big guy, Dwight Howard, diving and so it opens up the floor for the shooters."

Lewis drilled an early three on a 10-2 Magic run to start the game, and Philly found itself in an early hole. The Orlando lead hovered around 10 points for most of the frame, until Lewis and Keith Bogans both made threes in the final 1:29, the latter sending the Magic into the second quarter holding a 30-16 lead.

An 8-0 Sixers run midway through the second quarter sliced the Orlando lead to 41-35, but Lewis answered a Brand layup with a basket of his own, and Turkoglu followed with a three. Nelson was fouled by Willie Green while attempting a three late in the first half, and drained all three free throws to give the Magic a 54-43 lead at the half.

Pistons Beat Raptors 100-93

With Allen Iverson watching in the locker-room, the short-handed Detroit Pistons exposed some holes in the Toronto Raptors' lineup. Tayshaun Prince had 27 points to lead the Pistons to a 100-93 win over the Raptors on Wednesday.

Chris Bosh had 26 points and 13 rebounds, Jose Calderon contributed 24 points and eight assists and Andrea Bargnani kicked in 12 points off the bench. But otherwise, no one else on the Raptors was particularly effective. ''We didn't get that third scorer to really step in and score enough for us,'' head coach Sam Mitchell said. ''First three games, we've had that.''

A win would have given the Raptors (3-1) their best start in franchise history. Afterwards, they seemed convinced that the game was within reach. ''If we just played a little bit better, maybe we could have won the game,'' Mitchell said.

Added Calderon: ''We've got to get better, and that's it.'' If he had played, Iverson might have had a field day with these Raptors.

The 33-year-old former MVP, traded to Detroit from the Nuggets on Monday for guard Chauncey Billups, forward Antonio McDyess and project Cheikh Samb, couldn't play because Billups had yet to travel to Denver for his physical.

The Raptors had a hard enough time containing the Pistons' other guards.

Rodney Stuckey started at the point and haunted Calderon all night long, getting into paint at will and finishing with 14 points. Richard Hamilton added 22 points and, along with Prince, played lockdown defence on Toronto's wings.

''Rip and Tayshaun, they just kicked our butts,'' Mitchell said.

With 2:02 left, Calderon nailed a 21-footer to cut Detroit's lead to 92-88. But after the teams traded stops, Prince hit a tricky hook shot in the lane to put Detroit up 94-88.

It was just one of many seemingly unlikely shots that Prince managed to coerce through the basket.

''Tayshaun wasn't missing a shot, man,'' Raptors forward Jamario Moon said. ''He was on tonight. You've got to give him credit, take your hat off to him, he played a good game.''

So did Bosh. While he typically struggles against Detroit, hard-nosed Pistons forward Rasheed Wallace was lined up against Toronto's Jermaine O'Neal, leaving Bosh free to attack an error-prone Amir Johnson.

Jason Maxiell was also ineffective on Bosh. Early in the fourth, Bosh blew past him for a thunderous dunk that had the Air Canada Centre crowd of 18,602 on their feet. But he didn't have enough help.

For his part, O'Neal said he was frustrated that he couldn't step up. ''I'm a little upset about it, because this is a game where the team really needed me to score,'' said O'Neal, who finished with eight points and three rebounds on 30 per cent shooting.

O'Neal is clearly struggling. Though the six-foot-11, 265-pounder brings a presence on the defensive end that the Raptors haven't seen for a long time, he has yet to find his offensive game. After scoring 17 points in the season opener against Philadelphia, he has 24 points in the last three games combined. ''I'm just struggling, and we've been able to win games without me scoring,'' O'Neal said. ''And then a night like tonight, where the team needed some baskets late in the game, and I wasn't able to do it.''

Mitchell preached patience with the big man. ''He's doing a lot of good things, but he's just still finding his way offensively,'' Mitchell said. ''It's going to take time.''

Added Bosh: ''To me, he's an all-star player. We need to feed him the ball like he is, no matter what's happening.''

The Pistons might soon face a similar problem - integrating Iverson into a team that seems to be firing on all cylinders.

''They have been playing together for a long time and you put A.I. in there, he is a good player but at the same time he has to get his timing down with the rest of the guys,'' Bosh said.

If O'Neal struggled with timing, he still brought some much-needed physicality against a tough Pistons team.

Detroit led by as many as 16 points in the third quarter before Toronto ramped up their defence and clawed their way back in the game. But this was Pistons basketball all the way - methodical and chippy. With punishing efficiency, the team hit dagger after dagger while getting big stops when needed at the defensive end.

Though he finished with only 11 points and 12 rebounds, Wallace was his usual chatty self, trash-talking with the Raptors and trying to goad them into making mistakes, while also hitting some huge shots when needed. And he occasionally succeeded in getting under the Raptors' skin. With 7:29 remaining in the third quarter, O'Neal tossed his headband to the ground after the referees failed to call a foul on Wallace.

Wallace, chiding O'Neal further, hollered skyward after drilling a three a couple plays later. The volatile forward engaged Bargnani, too.

At one point in the second quarter, Wallace turned to Mitchell and warned: ''You'd better get (Bargnani) off of me.'' But the Italian forward more than held his own. When Wallace hit a 27-foot three-pointer to put the Pistons up 81-77 in the fourth, Bargnani immediately answered with a three-pointer of his own. The next time down the floor, Bargnani pressured Wallace into hoisting up an air ball.

He also registered a resounding block on a running jumper from Hamilton, but deflected the ball back to Wallace, who drilled the open shot. ''They got a couple breaks, and they executed them,'' Bosh said.